'Yes.'
'Was it an accident?'
'No.' Harrison 's answer was curt.
'But you stayed with him, even when you were old enough and could have taken off,' Cole said.
The remark bordered on obscene in Harrison 's estimation. 'Yes, I stayed with him. I was his son, for God's sake.'
'He might not have stayed with you if you were the one in the bed day and night. Most fathers wouldn't.'
'You're wrong,' Harrison said. 'Most fathers would stay. Mine certainly would have.'
'You did your duty by staying,' Cole said with satisfaction. He seemed to have worked everything out in his mind. Harrison was insulted. 'It wasn't a duty.'
'Are you getting hot under your collar?' Cole had the gall to smile when he asked the question.
Harrison suddenly wanted to smash his face in. His voice was biting when he said, 'You insult my father's honor and mine, voicing such a twisted opinion.'
Cole shrugged. He wasn't impressed with his guest's anger. He turned to Adam. 'We have to toughen him up. Are you willing to take him on?'
'Perhaps,' Adam allowed.
'He's got enough bulk, but he also needs gumption,' Douglas interjected.
Cole snorted. 'He stayed with his father, didn't he? That's proof enough he's got gumption. Travis, what do you think?'
'It's all right with me. He seems a little too interested in our sister though. That could be a problem.'
'Everyone takes an interest in Mary Rose. I'd wonder if Harrison didn't. I say we give it a try.'
The brothers nodded consent. Mary Rose couldn't have been happier. She clasped her hands together and smiled at Harrison.
He couldn't believe they had all discussed him as though he'd already left the room. Their rudeness was so outrageous, it was almost laughable.
Mary Rose stood up. Harrison immediately did the same. None of the others moved.
'You've been invited to stay with us,' she told him. 'This time everyone is agreeing. It's amazing, really,' she added with a nod. 'Cole usually doesn't agree with anyone. He likes you. Isn't that nice?'
He couldn't resist giving a dose of honesty. 'Not particularly,' he said.
Everyone laughed, including Mary Rose. 'You have a wonderful sense of humor, Harrison.'
He hadn't been jesting, but he decided to leave well enough alone. Mary Rose walked around the table so she could face him. 'I'll show you where you'll be sleeping. Adam, may we be excused?'
'Yes, of course. Good night, Harrison.'
She turned to leave. Harrison thanked the brothers for supper, added his good night, and then followed their sister. None of the brothers followed him. He was somewhat surprised, especially after Travis had voiced his concern about his interest in their sister.
Neither he nor Mary Rose said a word until they were on their way to the bunkhouse. There were at least a thousand stars in the sky to light their way.
'You like my brothers, don't you?'
'Some of the time,' he replied. 'They're a strange group.'
'Not strange, just different.'
He clasped his hands behind his back and slowed his step so he could walk by her side. He considered several ways to gently broach the topic he wanted to discuss and finally settled on being blunt.
'May I ask you something?'
'Yes?'
'Why didn't you warn me?'
'About Adam?'
'Yes, about Adam.'
'Why would I warn you? You would either accept him or you wouldn't. The choice was yours.'
'None of you are related by blood, are you?'
'No, none of us are. We're still a family, Harrison. Blood doesn't always determine bonds.'
'No, of course not,' he agreed. 'You became a family a long time ago, didn't you?'
'Yes,' she replied. 'How did you guess?'
'You act like siblings. You're protective and loyal to each other, yet argue over minor, inconsequential things. The way you treated each other during supper told me you've all been together a long, long time.'
'We have,' she agreed. 'Isn't it beautiful out here?'
He didn't want to talk about how pretty it was. She was deliberately changing the subject, however. He decided to let her have her way. There had been enough questions for one evening. He'd find out more tomorrow.
'Yes, it is beautiful. The air clears the mind.'
'If that is all you noticed, you've been living in the city too long.'
He was in full agreement. 'You can't always see the stars in London. The air is filled with dirt and fumes. It clouds the view.'
'It's very like that in New York City,' she remarked.
He missed a step. His heart felt as though it had just stopped beating. 'What did you say?'
She repeated her comment. 'You seem surprised,' she said.
He guessed he hadn't done a very good job of masking his reaction. He forced a smile. 'I was surprised,' he remarked in what he hoped was a casual tone of voice. 'I didn't realize you'd ever been in New York City.'
'I was just a baby, so of course I don't remember what the city looked like, but my brothers remember. They told me it was very crowded with factories and smoke and hordes of people milling about.'
Harrison took a deep breath. The puzzle was coming together. He still needed to find out who had taken her from her parents and who had helped the boys get all the way to Montana Territory.
'Only parts of New York City are crowded,' he said. 'It's actually a very interesting place.'
'You have to be careful there, don't you?'
'You should be careful everywhere.'
'You're sounding like Adam again. He's always telling me to be careful. I sometimes don't pay attention to my surroundings,' she admitted. 'Travis was amazed I didn't get robbed in St. Louis while I was at school. It's safe here though, on the ranch. I never want to leave again. I become terribly homesick.'
He didn't want to hear that. 'You might like England and Scotland,' he suggested.
'Oh, I'm sure I would. I know there are beautiful places I've yet to see. I would miss my valley though. There's so much to do and see here and never enough hours in one day. I'm constantly finding out new and interesting things. Do you know I just heard about a woman living all alone up on Boar Ridge. Her family had just gotten settled in when they were attacked by Indians. Her husband and son were killed. She was scalped, and left for dead. But she survived. Travis told me he heard Billie and Dooley whispering about her. Everyone thinks she's crazy. The poor woman has been all alone for years and years, and I only just heard about her. I'm going to go and see her, as soon as I can get Adam to agree.'
'If she's crazy, she might be dangerous, Mary Rose. You shouldn't…'
'You're sounding just like Adam again,' she interrupted. 'Now that I know about the woman, I have to try to help her. Surely you understand.'
Harrison turned the topic just a little. 'I could be content living in your valley. I think perhaps you could be content living in Scotland or England, once you made the adjustment.'
'Why? Because it would remind me of home? Isn't that very like loving one man because he reminds me of another? I would appreciate Scotland, Harrison, but I don't believe I would ever become content. Home really is best.'
He let out a sigh. 'You're too young to be so resistant to change.'
'May I ask you a personal question? You don't have to answer if you don't wish to.'
'Certainly,' he agreed. 'What is it you want to know?'
'Have you kissed very many women?'
