Harrison waited for her at the bottom of the stairs. They walked side by side across the yard.
'I'm restless tonight.'
'Didn't Beethoven help you get rid of your anger?'
She could hear the amusement in his voice. She smiled in reaction. 'I wasn't angry, just frustrated. My brothers can be overbearing. They're forever trying to interfere.'
'I don't think they interfere enough,' he told her. 'It's dangerous out here.'
'And I'm a weak, little woman, right?'
He shook his head. 'I'm not about to get into that discussion. I don't have a piano in the bunkhouse, and that would leave me to take the pounding.'
'Then you believe I'm incapable…'
'I didn't give an opinion one way or another,' he said. 'You do have one habit that irritates me to no end, Mary Rose. You always jump to conclusions before you have all the facts.'
Her hand brushed against his. 'I do?' she asked.
'Yes, you do.'
She deliberately brushed against him again. He didn't take the hint. The man was either shy or dense, she decided. Subtlety was wasted on him. She guessed she would have to be bold if she was going to get him to cooperate, and that conclusion irritated her to no end.
She grabbed hold of his hand and moved closer to his side. Harrison would either have to fling her aside or shove her, and he was simply too much of a gentleman to behave in such an ungentlemanly fashion. He was stuck with her, whether he liked it or not.
Her show of affection took him by surprise. He didn't pull his hand away. He squeezed hers instead and held on tight.
'You spend an awful lot of time talking to Adam,' she remarked in what she hoped was a casual tone of voice. She was nervous about bringing up the subject, and she didn't want him to notice.
'You think so?'
'Yes, I do.'
He didn't say another word. She kept hoping he would explain why, and when he continued to keep silent, she decided to prod him.
'I wonder why you talk to him every night,' she began again.
Her voice was strained. He looked down at her to find out if she was just worried about something or actually afraid.
All he could see was the top of her head. She was staring down at the ground and wouldn't look at him. Her hand was trembling though, indicating she was very concerned about something or other.
He knew better than to take the direct approach to find out what was wrong. The only way to get Mary Rose to make sense was to go in through the back door.
'I enjoy talking to him.'
'I thought you did.'
'Yes.'
'What do you talk about?'
'This and that.'
'Be more specific.'
'Why? What is it you want to know?'
'I was curious.'
'We talk about all sorts of things.'
'Like what?'
'Like the war between your states, and why no one ever called it a war while it was going on. What did you think we were talking about?'
'I thought you might be asking him questions. You do tend to be overly curious by nature.'
'What would I ask him questions about?'
'His background.'
'No, I didn't ask him about his background.'
It wasn't until he'd given the admission that he realized how telling it was. He hadn't asked her brother one single question about his past. He had deliberately wasted perfect opportunities to try to find out more about the family.
He was astonished by his own behavior. He hadn't kept his priorities straight, and the realization appalled him. He had come to Montana Territory in search of the truth, yet now, when there was just one vital piece of information needed to fit the entire sequence of events together and find the culprit responsible for the kidnapping, he had ceased and desisted.
He understood the reason for his reluctance. The truth was going to tear the Clayborne family apart. Honest to God, it was tearing him apart just thinking about the pain he would cause all of them.
Mary Rose was holding on to his hand now, letting him feel her affection for him, but he knew that when she found out why he had stayed with her family, she would despise him.
He didn't want her hatred; he wanted and needed her love.
Harrison quickened his step. He was suddenly furious with himself. He needed time alone to think things through and come to some sort of resolution. He'd become emotionally involved with the Clayborne family without even noticing what was happening to him. He liked all of them, cared about them, worried about them. Hell, he even enjoyed disliking Cole.
Oh, yes, he had a lot to think about tonight.
' Harrison, I didn't mean to insult you by suggesting you would pry,' Mary Rose whispered.
'I didn't think that,' he replied.
'You aren't angry?'
'No, of course not.' He slowed his step and tried to calm down.
'Then do quit squeezing my hand.'
He immediately let go of her. 'It's cold tonight. You should go back to the house,' he said abruptly.
'I'm not cold,' she said. It finally occurred to her that he might be trying to get away from her.
She fervently hoped she was wrong. 'Are you worried about something?'
'Like what?' he asked.
'That I might kiss you again.'
Her remark was absurd. He couldn't help but laugh. 'I kissed you,' he reminded her.
'I assisted.'
'All right, we were both culpable.'
'Culpable,' she repeated. 'You're a lawyer all right. I wish you weren't.'
'Explain.'
'Lawyers bother us.'
'Why?'
She shrugged. She wasn't going to explain any further. Harrison didn't let go of his question. He decided it was high time he got a suitable answer.
'Were you worried I would ask Adam questions about the family or about his background?'
They had stopped walking and now faced each other. The moonlight cast a golden canopy all around them.
'I just didn't want you to bother him. Adam doesn't like to talk about parts of his growing-up years. He was in bondage, Harrison. That is all you need to know.'
'What does he like to talk about?' he asked. 'Is the time he spent in New York City off limits for conversation as well?'
'No.'
'How about the time he spent getting here? Will he talk about the journey, or should I avoid the subject altogether?'
'I don't believe he would mind talking about the journey. My brothers are quite proud of what they accomplished.'
