“Is that right, Emery?” Lucas admonished in a friendly tone. “You wouldn’t accept my invitation, but you went to see Sam?”
Emery was too flustered to find an answer, but Sam had a ready response. “I’m sure he would have gone out to your ranch if he hadn’t seen you in town already, Luke.”
“Well, of course.” Emery found his voice. “Lucas, you didn’t tell me you were getting married. If I had known, I certainly would have gone to see you to offer my congratulations.”
Lucas smiled at the lawyer’s quick recovery. He made the introductions. Fiona stood there, bristling, as Emery kissed her rival’s hand.
“Hammond?” Emery said thoughtfully. “I have just recently heard that name, but where?”
Sharisse tensed. He couldn’t possibly have heard of her, but she changed the subject anyway.
“I suppose I must be disappointed, if you’ve made a prior commitment for dinner, Mr. Buskett.” She glanced briefly at Sam and Fiona. “But perhaps you will be coming through Newcomb again, and we can meet?”
“In order to enjoy your company, I will be sure to return,” Emery replied smoothly.
“Why wait?” Fiona interjected, seeing an opportunity to have the whole evening to use her wiles on Lucas. “There’s no reason why we can’t all dine together, is there?” Fiona took the seat next to Lucas before Sam could say no. “After all, we don’t want to deprive the dear child of hearing all the latest gossip from home. There’ssomuch that might have happened in the two weeks she’s been here.”
Fiona’s sarcasm was apparent to all, but Sharisse decided to feign ignorance. “You’re too kind, Mrs. Newcomb, and not just for sharing Mr. Buskett with us.” She laughed. “Why, it’s been simply ages since anyone’s called me a child. And I was beginning to feel quite old.”
“It must be your ungainly height that deceives people,” Fiona said snidely. “But of courseIwas able to see how young you are. A woman can tell.”
“Ah, Mrs. Newcomb, you must stop flattering me. Really, twenty is not so young.” She didn’t dare glance at Lucas for fear he was choking on what he would think was a lie. “But perhaps when I am as old as you are I won’t have this problem of being thought younger than I am. You don’t have that problem, do you?”
Sam almost laughed as he watched Fiona clamp her mouth shut. He and Emery pulled another table close to make places for themselves. He knew what his wife was up to. She had been a regular bitch since meeting Sharisse Hammond. She just couldn’t stand it that she was no longer the prettiest belle in the territory. On top of that, the new beauty had the man Fiona hankered for. Now if Luke would only hurry and marry the girl and put an end to Fiona’s hopes once and for all, Sam’s life might be a little easier. He signaled the waiter for a round of drinks, bracing himself for the evening.
On the short side of thirty and considered quite the ladies man by his friends, Emery Buskett completely forgot the reason for his being there and took the chair next to Sharisse. To find a woman of Miss Hammond’s style and breeding in this small town was an unexpected delight, and he fully intended to monopolize her during dinner if Mrs. Newcomb would stop baiting her long enough so that he could.
He was out of his league, he knew that. Sharisse was undoubtedly from one of those rich St. Louis families he had only read about in the papers. He couldn’t recall ever hearing the name Hammond, though. Not in St. Louis. But wherehadhe heard that name recently? Damn, he hated it when something eluded him like that.
The drinks came, whiskeys for the gentlemen and a bottle of fine white wine for the ladies. Sam took it upon himself to order dinner for everyone, and the meal progressed amiably enough while Fiona fixed her attention on Lucas and Sharisse managed to fool the engaging Emery Buskett into believing she knew exactly what he was talking about as he told her this and that about St. Louis society.
She didn’t know that Lucas was paying more attention to her conversation than to Fiona’s. He was amused by her performance, but Emery’s unconcealed admiration of her was more than he’d bargained for. The man wasn’t half bad looking, and he presented a dandified air that she probably felt right at home with. He would remind her of everything she had left behind. Damn, why the hell had he ever thought of getting Sharisse and Emery together? What a dumb thing to do.
“Marcus Hammond!” Emery exclaimed suddenly, embarrassed when everyone stared at him. “I’m sorry. You know how it is when something gets on the tip of your tongue but won’t go any further? That was the name I couldn’t remember earlier.”
“Well, don’t stop there, Mr. Buskett,” Fiona said dryly.
“Oh, it was nothing,” Emery replied.
“Any relation to you, dear?” Fiona asked Sharisse, obviously without any interest at all.
“No,” Sharisse said, a bit too loudly. She had been able to mask her expression, but her voice was another matter. She kept her eyes lowered as she added, “I’m afraid I’ve never heard of Marcus Hammond.”
Emery decided to tell the story. It might be entertaining. “This is some rich eccentric from New York. A friend of mine from there and a host of other men are all in peril of losing their jobs if they don’t find the eccentric’s daughter. My friend, Jim, works for one of the larger detective agencies in New York, you see. The reward for this girl is so ridiculously large that his boss wants resultsor else.”
“New York?” Lucas said thoughtfully. “What’s the girl’s name?”
Sharisse wanted to crawl under the table.
“I’m afraid I never asked the daughter’s name,” Emery answered.
“Was the girl kidnapped, Mr. Buskett?” Sharisse ventured, realizing that if she didn’t show some interest, Lucas would wonder why not.
“No, a runaway, actually, which was why Jim could do nothing but complain about his assignment when he came by to see me last week. He has four states to cover, and little hope of success. It’s just too easy to get lost in a country this size, too easy to change your name or your appearance. They know the girl left New York by train with a fortune in jewelry that would take her just about anywhere she felt like going. But Jim figures she doubled back and is hiding out in one of those fancy hotels in New York. That’s his theory.”
“Why?” Fiona asked.
“She was born in New York and lived there all her life. Aside from a trip to Europe, she’s never been out of the state. Why would she leave the only home she knows just because of a disagreement with her father? That’s what made her take off. Jim’s complaint is that he thinks the girl will return by herself and no one will collect that huge reward, so he was sent west for nothing.”
