“I haven’t done a damn thing wrong,” he said.
The pounding on the door increased. “Shouldn’t you open the door?” he asked. “If you don’t, I will.” Her gaze met his. Worry re?ected in her eyes. Worry for him.
“It’s all right,” he said gently. “I’ve been of?cially pardoned. I even have the papers. There’s nothing he can do.”
She reluctantly opened it.
A man in Union blue stood there, his ?st upraised. Hostile curiosity ?icked across his face when he saw Seth. The of?cer’s eyes weighed him, moving slowly from his face down to his Confederate uniform pants.
“You must be Sinclair,” he stated. From the tone of his voice, he might as well have said “rabid dog.” He took his gun from its holster and held it on Seth. “You are trespassing, Sinclair.”
Seth didn’t even look at the gun. “I’ve heard of you as well,” Seth managed in a pleasant voice.
Elizabeth broke in. “He’s not trespassing. I asked him in. He just saved my father’s life. He was here. You were not, nor have you provided any of the protection my father requested.” She paused, then demanded, “What are you doing here?”
Seth was astonished. According to Abe, she was being courted by the major. She and her father depended on his goodwill, yet she didn’t back away.
“Looks like you need to be doing a better job,” Seth said mildly.
Delaney’s hostile eyes held Seth’s. He was a bulky man with a ruddy face and a thin mouth. His uniform was impeccable, the cloth good and the ?t even better. Nice goods to conceal bad sins. “I met Howie on the road,” Delaney said, his gaze returning to Elizabeth. “He told me your father had been shot. He went ahead for the doctor. I thought I’d better come right away. It looks like I was right.”
“As you can see, we are being well taken care of,” Elizabeth said, glancing at Seth.
“He’s a rebel,” Delaney shot back. “He is probably in league with his brother. Drat it, Elizabeth, he probably shot your father.”
“No,” she said. “He was with me. We took Marilee for a picnic.”
Pure rage crossed Delaney’s face. “He’s a traitor. If he didn’t shoot your father, then his brother did. Or his friends. You can be sure he knew about it. Anyway, he’s going with me for questioning.”
“Like hell I will,” Seth said. “Of course, you could shoot me here. In the back. I understand that’s your way of doing things. Unfortunately for you, there’s a witness this time.” It was a taunt. He saw Delaney’s ?ngers tighten on the handle of his pistol.
“If McGuire dies, it’s your kind who did it.”
“My kind?”
“A traitor,” Delaney repeated. “Just like your brother is a traitor.”
“But I’m not a pro?teer.”
The gibe struck its mark. Delaney turned several darker shades of red, rage deepening into fury.
He visibly struggled to contain himself as he turned to Elizabeth. “I care about your father…and you. Thank God he is still alive. I promise you we will capture those responsible.”
Seth doubted his sudden concern was very convincing to her, especially since it had been secondary to his anger at seeing him here.
“If you are so concerned, then you might ride out to hurry the doctor,” she said sharply.
Neatly done, Seth thought.
“I want to see your father,” Delaney persisted. “I have questions to ask.”
“I don’t think he can answer any now. He needs his strength.”
“I’ll be the judge of that,” Delaney said. “He might have seen who shot him.” His gaze ?ickered back to Seth. “In fact, I demand to see him. This man might well have done something to ?nish the job. You are too trusting, Elizabeth.”
“I am not trusting at all,” she said. “Mr. Sinclair chased off some men trying to run my buggy off the road, and Mr. Sinclair took a bullet from my father’s shoulder. Where were you, Major, and the men my father has been requesting for protection?”
“I have a quarter of the state to patrol, Elizabeth,” Delaney said. Seth noticed that Delaney hadn’t even responded to the news that Elizabeth had been attacked-most likely because it wasn’t news to him.
“You brought us here. Now you’re leaving us to the mercy of outlaws. I’m beginning to wonder why.”
Seth was startled by her candor. Had she also started to question what was happening?
Delaney looked equally startled. “Now, Elizabeth, you know I would do anything for you and your father. I have troops out every day looking for those outlaws. That’s why I can’t keep them at any one ranch.” He nodded toward Seth. “This man is probably here to spy for them.”
“No,” Elizabeth said sharply. “He saved my life earlier, then my father’s. Arrest him for no reason, and I’ll go to your superiors. As far as I have to go. And you will not come any farther inside with that gun in your hand.”
Delaney glared at her, then slowly put his gun in his holster. He kept his hand on it.
“I came to ask you attend our regimental ball with me on Saturday,” he said with a forced smile.
“I cannot attend when my father is wounded,” she said. “But thank you.”
A muscle twitched in his neck. He was not, Seth thought, a man to be refused. An unexpected surge of satisfaction rushed through him. Despite what Abe had said, it was obvious by her cool reception that any feeling Delaney might have for Elizabeth was not reciprocated.
Why did he even care?
He mulled that over as Delaney glanced at him, then back at Elizabeth. Seth wondered whether he detected any of the attraction that had darted between them.
If he had, he chose to ignore it for the moment. “I still insist on seeing your father,” Delaney said.
She reluctantly stepped aside. Delaney brushed by him as if he were an annoying ?y and went to McGuire’s bedroom as if he belonged here, had been here often. Seth didn’t like the jealousy that roiled in his stomach as he followed Delaney and Elizabeth to her father’s room. He had no intention of leaving her alone with the man.
Seth entered behind Delaney. Perhaps McGuire’s death was exactly what Delaney wanted. Then he could claim the Sinclair land. And McGuire’s daughter. She would be alone then. Vulnerable.
Or would she be? She was obviously stronger than he’d ?rst thought.
Delaney went to McGuire’s bedside.
“Michael,” he said.
No answer.
He turned to Elizabeth and Seth. “I would see him alone.”
“No,” Elizabeth said again, and in the same ?at tone he had heard earlier.
“I don’t think you understand,” Delaney said. “This is of?cial business.”
“Probably I am too simple to understand,” she replied in a dangerous tone.
Seth knew what was coming. He wondered whether Delaney did.
“But someone who loves him should be with him,” she added. “To protect him.” The words could not be mistaken for anything but a warning.
Delaney’s eyes narrowed. “Did he see anything?”
“No. He said his attackers wore masks.”
“Sinclair’s friends,” Delaney said. “One brother shoots. The other saves.”
Elizabeth’s eyes narrowed. “Why?”
“Gratitude. Insinuating himself into your life so he can get back what he feels is his.”
“Is it?”
“Is it what?”
“His land?” Elizabeth asked.
Delaney gave her a quick glance. “Of course not. Your father paid for it. It’s yours.”
“Is it?” she asked again. “Certainly not if we can’t stop the rustling.”
“Talk to your newest friend about that.” Delaney’s voice was harsh. Then he looked at Michael McGuire in the bed.
Seth truly didn’t know if McGuire was awake or not. He found himself caring about him, which surprised him. He shouldn’t care about this carpetbagger, this usurper who had presumed to take his land.
But Elizabeth was an innocent in this, and he didn’t want her to feel the kind of pain that he knew only too
