No answer. She banged. “You’re not being fair. I did nothing wrong.”
The door swung open. “Never said you did.” He stalked across the room, pulling his suspenders over the shoulders of his silkaline undershirt.
A pile of dirty clothes lay on the floor by the chair. Trousers, underclothes, stockings…it looked as if he’d stripped off every filthy garment he’d worn on the trail. A dirty washcloth dripped from a hook by the basin. Murky water filled the porcelain bowl.
She exhaled. How should she even begin? “You had no right to storm into the café and yell at me. You gave me no chance to explain?—”
“I’ve never yelled at you.” A deep red streak stretched across his cheekbone just beneath his eyes, but no black and blue yet.
“Your look did.”
He snorted. “I was supposed to be pleased that you were keeping company with the man who’s been chasing after you? You told me you’d end things with him.”
“I did end them. The first and only time he called while you were away, I gave his gifts back and told him not to call anymore.”
“But there you were having the noon meal with him.”
“Charlie broke his arm. He needed a doctor?—”
“That didn’t explain the smile.” His lower lip puckered around a gash.
“What smile?”
“The one on your face when you were chatting away with him at the café.” He grabbed a clean cotton shirt from a pile on his bed and stuffed his arms into the sleeves. It was about time he covered up his snug undershirt that clung to his muscles and scattered her thoughts.
“I…we… He probably said something about Charlie. I don’t remember. It was probably the only time I smiled in his presence the whole two days I was in town.”
“Two days.”
“Charlie’s arm was too swollen for the cast. We had to wait. We ate in the café once?—”
“The man is a snake in the grass, Cora. I’ve heard it from others. It’s not just me.” He spread his arms wide. “But you’re free to do as you see fit.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
He knelt and dragged his carpetbag from under the bed.
“You’re not being fair.” She rubbed her hands over her arms. “I agreed to one last meal as a friend after he refused to accept payment for Charlie’s care.”
“You don’t need his charity.” He plunked the royal-blue carpetbag with a black-and-gold diamond pattern on top of his quilt and opened the trunk at the foot of the bed. “I’ll leave payment at his office when I’m in town.”
“You need to stay away from him and his office.”
“I’m paying him.” He shoved a handful of drawers and undershirts into the bag. “I won’t have you beholden to him for a single penny.”
“What are you doing?” She crossed the room to the bunk.
He jerked the bag open wider and tossed his socks in.
Packing. He was packing. Her stomach dropped to her feet.
He layered the shirts in next.
Acid rose up in her throat. He couldn’t just up and leave. “Ben.” She touched his arm.
He glared at her and shrugged off her hand.
She grabbed one side of the heavy cloth bag. “Why are you packing?” Her voice faltered. “Because I went to dinner with Arthur? You have or had a betrothed. How dare you? You’re the most hard-headed, quick-tempered man?—”
