She headed for the back door, but it opened before she reached it, and Lucas stepped in. Their eyes met and held for a moment. Then his gaze swept down her, taking in the gown of beige lawn, heavily trimmed and flounced in white lace with wide lace borders down the back and front bodice, along the collar and high neck, and on the long sleeves. Two brown satin bows were prominent on the bustle and another at her throat.
“You going somewhere?”
Sharisse was surprised. “I’m not dressed to go out,” she said, as if explaining to a child. “This is a simple morning gown.”
He laughed. “Honey, what you’re wearing is fancier than anything the ladies of Newcomb could manage even for Sunday best. And that’s not a going-out dress?”
She was indignant. “I’m afraid I don’t have anything plainer than this, except my traveling suit.”
“Which is too heavy,” Lucas stated, shaking his head. “I can see I’m going to have to get you some new clothes.”
Sharisse blushed. “I will manage.”
“Will you? And will you be doing chores in that fancy gown?”
Chores? “If…if I have to,” she said stoutly.
“Suit yourself.” He would not argue with her. “Where’s breakfast?”
“There isn’t any.”
“I can see that,” he replied patiently. “So when are you going to get started?”
“Me!” she gasped. “But I can’tcook!”
“You can’t? Well, I guess you’ll have to learn real quick.”
“But who cooked before?”
“I managed, Mack managed, and sometimes Willow took pity on us and fixed a big meal.”
“Willow?”
“Billy’s wife.”
“You mean thereisanother woman here?”
“Sure. She’s expecting a kid any time now.” And he warned in a no-nonsense tone, “She’s got enough to do taking care of Billy and herself, so don’t even think about asking her for help. I’ve been taking care of myself all my life, Sharisse. But now that you’re here…”
Her eyes widened in panic as his meaning sank in. “But I really can’t cook. I mean, I never have. There have always been servants.” She fell silent. His expression was not the least sympathetic. “I suppose I could learn…if someone can teach me.”
He grunted. “I guess I can have Billy pick you up a cookbook when he goes to town today.” He sighed disagreeably and headed for the storeroom.
“I am sorry, Mr. Holt,” Sharisse felt compelled to say, though she didn’t know why.
“Never mind,” he said over his shoulder. “As long as you’ve got a strong back for the other chores and are a quick learner.”
She was left wondering about those other chores while he searched around, finally coming back with his arms full. The next hour was spent ruining her fine lawn gown with flour and grease stains that splashed beyond the apron Lucas told her to put on. She had her first lesson in cooking, and she didn’t like it at all. But she was able to watch Lucas when he wasn’t looking at her, and wonder about this man who was from the East yet adapted to this land so well. He was by turns abrupt and to the point, then charming in a rapscallion way.
When breakfast was over, Lucas went outside again and Sharisse sat at the table with another cup of the most atrocious coffee she had ever drunk, worse even than the horrible brews she had tasted at the stage stops. She was contemplating the way Lucas’s mood had improved while he ate. By the time he left, he had seemed ready to laugh. Well, her mood dimmed considerably when Charley jumped up on the counter by the stove to investigate the spilled flour and she suddenly realized thatshewas supposed to clean up all the mess!
“Oh, I could just scream!” she said aloud before she caught herself. She groaned as Charley jumped down, tracking flour across the floor.
She didn’thaveto clean it up, she thought rebelliously. Yes, she did. If only she had known there would be no servants, that she would have to work like one herself.
It was a good while before the last dish was put away and Sharisse felt she could seek the sanctuary of her room. She turned in that direction, then screamed at the sight of the half-naked man standing inside the back door. Long black hair flowed to his shoulders, and a faded scarf of some sort was wrapped around his forehead. His bare chest was more visible than covered under a short leather vest. His knee-length soft boots hid more of his legs than the rectangular square of cloth managed to hide.
At the moment it was impossible to say who was more startled, Sharisse, facing a savage, or Billy, who found himself speechless for the first time in his life. Expecting a tiny little blonde who would run screaming to Luke, he faced an Amazon who was taller than he was, for God’s sake. Granted, she had screamed, but she hadn’t moved a foot.
