better frame of mind.
Mr. Clayborne was taking entirely too long to answer her question. The thought of once again being stranded in the middle of nowhere sent chills down her spine. She let out a little sigh and decided there was only one thing to do.
God help her, she was going to have to flirt with the scoundrel. With a little sigh she pulled out the useless little pink-and-white painted fan she'd purchased in St. Louis for entirely too much money, flipped it open with the dainty turn of her wrist she'd practiced for hours on the train, and held it in front of her face. She was deliberately concealing her cheeks so he wouldn't see her blush of embarrassment when she did something she considered utterly ridiculous.
She wasn't just going to try to flirt; she was also going to be coy. She drew a quick breath to keep herself from groaning, then batted her eyelashes up at him in imitation of her sister's tactics. Barbara had always looked very coy; Emily was pretty certain
She realized her practical, down-to-earth nature was trying to reassert itself and immediately tried to squelch it. She had vowed to change everything about herself, and she wasn't about to give up now, no matter how foolish she felt.
Travis watched her flutter her eyelashes at him for a long silent minute. No doubt about it, she was crazy all right, and he suddenly felt a little sorry for her. She was definitely out of her element, dressed as she was for a Sunday social in the center of the dirt and grime known as Pritchard, trying her best to be painfully correct in her manners.
He knew she was trying to manipulate him now and decided to have a bit of sport with her.
'Maybe you ought to see Doc Morganstern before you go anywhere, ma'am. He might have something to help stop your eyes from twitching. I don't mean to be indelicate, but it's got to be bothering you.'
She slapped her fan closed and let out a loud sigh. 'You're either as completely thickheaded as a tree, Mr. Clayborne, or I still haven't perfected it yet.'
'Perfected what?' he asked.
'Flirting, Mr. Clayborne. I was trying to flirt with you.'
Her honesty impressed him. 'Why?'
'Why? So that you would do what I want you to do, of course. I'm not much good at it though, am I?'
He didn't answer the absurd question. 'The twitching's stopped,' he drawled out, just to get her dander up.
'I wasn't twitching,' she muttered. 'There isn't anything wrong with my eyes, thank you very much. I was simply practicing my technique on you, that's all. Shall we go and collect Mrs. Clayborne and be on our way? I do hope she's more pleasant than you are, sir. Please stop gawking at me. I want to reach my destination before dark.'
'There isn't any Mrs. Clayborne.'
'Oh, that won't do.'
He leaned down close to her. 'Will you please say something that makes sense?'
She took a step away from him. The man was entirely too good-looking for her sensibilities. He had the most wonderful green eyes. She'd noticed the color while he was growling at her with obvious irritation and asking her such rude questions. She'd noticed what a masculine, fit fellow he was too.
Travis Clayborne was tall, on the thin side, but with muscles galore on his shoulders and arms. She didn't dare look any lower, or he'd get the notion she was going to try to kick him again, but she was certain his legs were just as well-endowed.
No doubt about it, he was an extremely handsome man. Women probably chased after him all the time. Foolish females would be helpless against those beautiful green eyes of his. His smile could cause considerable havoc too. Why, he'd just smiled at her once and for the barest of seconds, but it was still quite enough to make her heartbeat quicken. He probably had broken hundreds of women's hearts already, and she wasn't about to be added to his list. She had already learned that painful lesson, thank you very much.
Miss Finnegan was suddenly glaring up at him, and he couldn't figure out what had caused the sudden change. 'I asked you why I have to be married to escort you to Golden Crest.'
'Because it wouldn't be at all proper for me to go riding into the wilderness with such a handsome man. What will people think?'
'Who cares what people think? You don't know anyone here, do you?'
'No, but I will get to know them, once I'm married to Mr. O'Toole. If Golden Crest is just a day's ride away, I'll probably be doing some of my shopping here. Surely you can understand my reservations, sir. I must keep up appearances.'
He shrugged. 'If you can't go with me, then I've fulfilled my promise to offer my services. Good day, ma'am.'
He tried to walk away. She was clearly appalled by his behavior. 'Wait,' she called out, chasing after him. 'You wouldn't leave me alone, would you? A gentleman would never abandon a lady in distress…'
'I guess I'm not a gentleman,' he told her without pausing in his long-legged stride down the walkway. 'And I'm certain you aren't a lady in distress.'
She grabbed hold of his arm, dug her heels in to stop him from taking another step, and found herself being dragged along in his wake.
'I most certainly am in distress, and it's vile of you to contradict me.'
'I was handsome a minute ago, but now I'm vile?'
'You can be both,' she told him.
He suddenly turned around to look at her. He knew he couldn't leave her stranded in Pritchard, not if he ever wanted to look his Mama Rose in the eyes again, and so he decided that the only way he was ever going to maintain his sanity while he led the woman to Golden Crest was to strike some sort of a bargain with her.
'I wouldn't consider it a compliment,' she announced with a blush he had to admit was downright attractive.
'Consider what a compliment?'
'Being handsome. I thought Randolph Smythe was handsome too, and he turned out to be a hideous creature.'
'Don't you want to know who Randolph Smythe is?'
'No, I don't want to know.'
She told him anyway. 'He's the man I was supposed to marry.'
She went and pricked his interest with that statement. 'But you didn't,' he said.
'No, I didn't. I was ready to though.'
'How ready?'
Her blush intensified. 'Are you going to escort me to Golden Crest or not?'
He wouldn't let her change the subject now that it had gotten downright interesting.
'How ready?' he asked again.
'I waited at the altar for him. He didn't show up,' she added with a quick nod.
'He jilted you? Well now, that was a real mean-spirited thing to do,' he said in an attempt at kindness. 'I can't imagine why he'd change his mind at the last minute.'
He wasn't telling her the truth. He was pretty certain he knew exactly why good old Randolph had changed his mind. The man had come to his senses. Travis wondered if Emily had ever tried to shoot him. That would have been enough to send any man with half a mind running in the opposite direction.
'So there wasn't any wedding,' he remarked for lack of anything better to say. She was staring up at him with such an earnest, hopeful look on her face, and he guessed she expected him to say something a bit more sympathetic.
He gave it his best shot. 'Some men just don't cotton to the notion of being tied down to one woman. Randolph was probably like that.'
'No, he wasn't.'
'Look, lady, I'm trying to be nice about it.'
