since you're with me, it's all right for you to be here. Wait by the luggage while I sign in and get a room for Victoria.'
Lucas underscored his order by adding what he obviously considered a meaningful frown at Taylor and then walked away.
The luggage was easy to spot. It was a pyramid of baggage really and stacked in the center of the hall. Taylor was a bit overwhelmed by the chaos surrounding her. There were at least two hundred gentlemen coming and going, more reading the daily papers on the settees, and large groups of men standing around talking to one another. The noise made conversation difficult.
Victoria had to ask Taylor her question twice before she heard her. 'What if all the rooms are full?'
'Then you'll stay with me.'
'But what about your husband?'
'Oh, I'm certain he'll get his own room.'
'But you're married.'
'Yes,' Taylor agreed. She patted Victoria's hand. 'In your delicate condition, you shouldn't be worrying about inconsequential matters. I think you should sit down. You look weary to me. Let's try out the buffalo lounges.'
Victoria nodded agreement. She pinched her cheeks for color, hoping to hide her fatigue, and followed Taylor over to an empty lounge.
The two women sat side by side. Taylor stroked the animal skin with her fingertips and smiled at her friend. 'We can now boast that we sat on a buffalo.'
Victoria gave her a weak smile. She folded her hands in her lap and stared down at the floor.
'You're worrying, aren't you?'
'Yes,' Victoria admitted. 'I'm thinking you shouldn't have told your husband I was married. If we keep to the lie, I'm bound to run into people I know in Boston who have moved here from London…'
She didn't go on. Taylor immediately felt guilty. 'I shouldn't have made up the lie, and I apologize for putting you in an awkward position. If I tell you something, do you promise not to say a word in front of Mr. Ross?'
'Yes.'
'I don't have any intention of living in Boston. You don't have to stay here either, Victoria. There are at least a dozen other cities to consider.'
Victoria's eyes widened. 'But I heard your husband mention…'
'Oh, he thinks I'm staying in Boston, and it's best he doesn't know the truth just yet.'
'I don't understand. Won't he notice if you leave?'
'It's complicated,' Taylor told her. 'Tomorrow morning, after you've had a good night's rest, we'll sit down and have a long talk. It's going to be all right. I promise you. Heavens, I'm so excited to be in Boston, I can barely sit still.'
A beautiful marble statue of a Greek warrior holding a disc caught her eye. It was at least nine feet tall. Taylor stood up, told Victoria she would be right back, and then crossed the hall to have a closer look.
One gentleman after another tried to catch her attention by calling out a greeting. Taylor ignored the men, yet by the time she reached the impressive statue, she found herself surrounded by strangers wishing to engage her in conversation.
They were all Americans, and for that reason alone, Taylor found it impossible to maintain her haughty facade. She was smiling in no time at all. The Americans were very open and friendly, just as she'd read they would be. One gentleman said howdy to her instead of hello and with the most wonderful accent she'd ever heard. She was enchanted. She soon forgot all about proper etiquette. She introduced herself, explained she had just arrived from London, England, and then asked each man to tell her where he lived. Everyone tried to answer her at once. One, she learned, lived in the heart of Boston and was at the hotel for a business meeting. He sounded as though he were pinching his nose shut when he spoke. Another gentleman resided in the valley of Ohio, two were from Missouri, and three, cousins she discovered, lived in the state of Texas. Their accents were outrageously divine.
A spirited conversation ensued. Each man was trying to outdo the others with tall tales about his home. Taylor was having trouble controlling her laughter. They were such delightful, good-hearted men. They were proud of their homeland and obviously wanted her to love America as much as they did.
She wanted Victoria to meet her new friends and was about to suggest they follow her across the hall when the attitude of the group suddenly changed. They were laughing and jesting one minute and looking as though they'd lost their best friend the next. Several were frowning enough to make her think they were extremely worried about something. The men standing directly in front of her weren't looking at her any longer. They were intently staring at something above her head. The gentleman from Boston, she noticed, was even backing away.
The silence was heavy with expectation. Taylor had a feeling she knew what, or rather who, had caused the radical change in the men's behavior. She slowly turned around to find out if her guess proved accurate.
She was right on target. Lucas was standing directly behind her. She'd half-expected him to be there. The expression on his face was a surprise, however. It was frightening enough to make an ordinary woman's hair stand on end. Lord, he was intimidating. No wonder the gentlemen weren't laughing any longer. Lucas was looking as though he wanted to shoot a couple of them.
Why, he even made her feel a bit nervous. She certainly wasn't intimidated or afraid, she hastily reminded herself, just… nervous. She decided to catch the cat by his tail. She knew he was irritated because he'd had to look for her in the crowd, and so she simply turned the table around on him.
She folded her hands together, plastered a smile on her face, and then said, 'Here you are at last, Mr. Ross. I've been waiting to introduce you to my new friends.'
He wasn't going to let her get away with her clever ploy. He shook his head at her. 'Taylor, I specifically remember telling you to wait by the luggage. If…' She wasn't going to listen to a lecture. She broke his concentration by simply reaching out and taking hold of his hand. She turned around to face their audience then so that she could introduce her husband, but the eldest of the Texans spoke before she could.
'This little filly belong to you?' He directed his inquiry to Lucas and in such a slow drawl it seemed to take him a full minute to get the question finished.
Taylor wasn't certain if she should be insulted or not. She opened her mouth to ask the Texan if women were often referred to as horses in America, but she never got the question out. Lucas put his hands on her shoulders and squeezed.
The message was distinct. She was supposed to keep quiet. Taylor decided to act subservient for the time being. God help Lucas Ross when they were alone. She would give him a piece of her mind then, she thought to herself, for being so high-handed in public. She pictured herself giving him a sound kick, and even though she knew she'd never do such an unladylike thing, the fantasy still made her smile.
'She's my wife.' Lucas made the announcement with a good deal of possessiveness in his voice. Odd, but he didn't grimace when he said the word wife. In truth, it sounded almost pleasant to him. Almost.
'She ain't wearing a ring.' Another Texan made that remark and was staring at Taylor suspiciously. He was acting as though Lucas and she were trying to play some clever trick on him. His attitude didn't make a bit of sense to Taylor.
'Ring or not, she's still Mrs. Ross,' Lucas said.
'Ross? Well now, she didn't call herself Ross,' the first Texan pointed out.
Taylor's eyes widened. She almost laughed over her own error. 'I forgot,' she blurted out. 'We are newly married,' she hastily added.
They didn't look like they believed her. She let out a sigh, shrugged away from Lucas, and then moved to his side. She kept her gaze on her audience.
'Gentlemen, I would like you to meet my husband, Mr. Lucas Ross.'
What happened next so surprised Taylor, she couldn't hide her astonishment. The eldest of the Texans squinted at Lucas and then whispered in what could only be interpreted as awe, 'The Lucas Ross from Montana Territory?'
Lucas gave a quick nod. Then he started to back away. Taylor looked up and saw his expression had changed dramatically. He looked wary now and horribly uncomfortable. She was intrigued by the change in him. She felt the sudden need to save him, yet couldn't imagine what exactly she was saving him from.
'The Lucas Ross?' The gentleman from the valley in Ohio asked the question in a stammer of disbelief.
