That dread that had begun to rise in his belly spread up into his chest, wrapping around his lungs and making it hard to breathe. He cleared his throat.
The gasp that slipped from Lorelei didn’t help matters. He couldn’t bring himself to look at her as he addressed the pair eyeing him.
“I never said such.” The words sounded like a flimsy excuse even in his own ears.
Rosemary’s brows raised. “Then why would they think it?” The sharpness in her voice felt like a gun leveled on him.Tell me everything or I’ll pull the trigger.
He heaved out a breath. They were on the same side here. He might as well explain what he’d been thinking.“Lorelei was in the trade room with White Horse when the men arrived. I’d gone to gather a load of supplies from the storage building. I guess they introduced themselves to her and were quite impressed by her”—he slid a look at Lorelei—“loveliness.” Would she be insulted by him stating it so bluntly? If only he could’ve told her this in a different setting.
He adjusted his focus back to her glaring sister. “When I returned to the trade room, she left. While the men did their shopping, practically the only things they talked about were how much they missed a good pot of tea and how impressed they were to find such a woman in this land of ruffians.”
Rosemary’s piercing look didn’t change much, but Riley’s seemed a bit more focused on each word. Not quite as skeptical.
Best he finish the explanation, but he had to be careful how he stated this next part. The last thing he wanted was to hurt Lorelei with these words. “The more they spoke of her, the more ...crasstheir comments became. Not so much Lord Fitzgerald, but that viscount is a pompous cad. When he spoke a particularly vulgar statement, I stopped him and made it clear I wouldn’t allow such talk. They could either get on with their trading or leave. That silenced them about Lorelei, and they did gather their things, pay for them, and had their valet pack everything quickly enough.”
Rosemary still stared at him, brows raised with her arms crossed. Clearly, she expected more in the story. Time to tell this last part.
He cleared his throat again. “As the men were leaving, Lord Fitzgerald turned to me. He congratulated me on my lovely wife and said to give Mrs. Mason his regards.” Heslid another look toward Lorelei. She was watching him too, but he didn’t have time to gauge her reaction to what he’d just said.
“And you didn’t correct him?” Rosemary’s voice still rang firm but no longer held him at gunpoint.
He shook his head. “After the way they’d spoken of her, I felt it would be wiser for them to think her attached, to give her the protection of my name, so to speak. Now that they’ve traded, they’ll leave the area, and we shouldn’t see them again. Men like that probably won’t stay long in this land. They’ll be headed east toward a ship bound for England in two months, I’d wager.”
He shifted his focus to Riley. The man appeared to be considering his words. From everything he’d seen of Lorelei’s brother-in-law so far, he seemed to be levelheaded, with a decent amount of wisdom and a good knowledge of this country.
Rosemary didn’t seem quite as inclined toward thoughtfulness, for she turned to White Horse. “And where were you when those men said all those foul things about my sister?”
Frustration prickled through Tanner’s chest. Perhaps he’d implied the men had said more than he’d actually allowed them to. Best he correct that notion. The last thing he wanted was Lorelei thinking he would let any man speak ill of her without shutting down the conversation at the first untoward remark.
But he let White Horse answer first. The man met Rosemary’s look solidly. “When Lorelei go out back door, I go to front. I walk around walls to see if some look through them.”
Lorelei spoke up then. “He’s right. White Horse is alwaysso good to stand guard wherever Curly and I are. The Sioux village isn’t nearly as curious now as they were those first few days. But I’m glad White Horse is there when someone comes to watch us.”
That explanation seemed to satisfy her sister, for Rosemary turned back to Tanner.
Now was his time to clarify that other misunderstanding. “Just so I make myself clear, I didn’t let those men carry on with saying anything unkind about Lorelei. Their first comments were complimentary.” Too much so for his own liking. He’d had to rein in his impulse to stop them even then. “The first word that turned vulgar was the moment I told them to gather their things and leave.”
Rosemary’s lips had formed a thin line. “Thank you for straightening that out, Mr. Mason. It’s too bad you didn’t feel that same need for clarity when they assumed the two of you were man and wife.”
What should he say to that? In truth, he still felt his way had been best. Those men would never see Lorelei again, in all likelihood. On the other hand, if they thought her unattached, they might have lingered in the area to enjoy the presence of such a lovely lady. She would have been forced to endure their attentions and Tanner would’ve had to be much firmer with them. This way, they wouldn’t have to deal with any of that.
“Actually,” Riley spoke up, his voice still thoughtful, “I think Tanner might have chosen the right tack in this situation.”
Rosemary spun to face him, her hands bracing more firmly across her chest.
He raised a hand to stay her rebuttal. “I’ve told you before,ladies in this country can raise quite a stir. I don’t know if those two Englishmen would do more than make themselves a nuisance to Lorelei, but Tanner was able to get them to move on without causing trouble. In my book, he handled the matter well.” He turned the questioning look to Lorelei. “As long as you don’t mind the misunderstanding. If you feel your reputation, or ... I don’t know...” He seemed to struggle to finish the thought.
Lorelei spoke quickly, her voice soft. “I don’t mind.” She didn’t look at him, and from those few words, it was impossible to tell what she really thought of the situation. Was the idea of others thinking she was married to him repulsive to her? She gave no sign of that, but likely the entire situation made her very uncomfortable.
He’d have to apologize later when he could speak privately with her. When the overbearing anger of her sister didn’t nearly squeeze the breath from his throat.
Rosemary let out a sound that seemed half grunt, half groan. She dropped her hands to her side and turned to stare into the distance. Her face was turned toward the Sioux camp, but she seemed to look beyond the lodges.
He held his tongue, as the rest of them did. Rosemary had much to consider, her sister’s reputation being a valid concern.
As it was to him.
But Lorelei’s safety was even more important. He’d been able to ensure her protection, both from physical danger and from the annoyance of a couple of Englishmen. Rosemary would see that as she thought through the situation more clearly.
