The Courtship Of Izzy Mccree. Ruth Langan

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СКАЧАТЬ more obvious than she’d thought. But if he believed that, why had he married her? She stared down at her hands. Maybe he had begun to realize that she was the only woman foolish enough, or desperate enough, to take a chance on a ready-made family and a man who barely eked out an existence in this wilderness.

      To cover the sudden silence she turned her attention to the children. “Why don’t you tell me a little about yourselves? Aaron? I remember hearing you tell the preacher you’re almost fifteen.”

      “Yes’m.” At a look from his brothers he added, “Well, I will be in a couple of months.”

      She tried to hide her surprise. “You seem much older.”

      He ducked his head. “Pa says there wasn’t much time for being a baby out here in the mountains.”

      “I suppose that’s so.” She turned to Benjamin. “And you are…?”

      “Twelve,” he said proudly. “And Clement’s ten and Del’s eight.”

      Izzy glanced at Del. “I’ve been meaning to ask you. Is Del short for Delphine?”

      “No, ma’am.” The little girl glanced at her father before saying, “Delphinium.” She made a face to show her disgust.

      “Why, that’s a lovely name. Did you know it’s the name of a flower?”

      Del seemed intrigued. “A flower? What kind?”

      “It’s like a buttercup. I believe it’s also called a larkspur. It has lovely ruffled flowers as yellow as your hair.”

      At her words the little girl was positively glowing. “Maybe my name’s not so bad. But I’d still rather be called Del. Or Little Bit.” She glanced adoringly at her oldest brother.

      “Little Bit?” Izzy glanced from one to the other.

      Aaron tousled his sister’s hair before glancing at Izzy. “That’s just a name I’ve always called her. What about you, Isabella? How old are you?”

      She felt a ripple of unease. She didn’t want to talk about herself. “I’m twenty-three.”

      “Why’d you wait so long to get married?” Benjamin asked.

      “I guess…” She felt the first stirrings of panic. “I guess I just never met the right man.”

      “Until Pa,” Del said innocently.

      “Yes. Until now.”

      The little girl was still obviously pleased with her new knowledge about her name. “Were you ever called anything besides Isabella?”

      Izzy thought about the taunts she’d endured for a lifetime. Names so cruel, even now, just thinking about them caused her pain.

      “No.” She reached for the coffee, averting her gaze. “Just plain Isabella.”

      Beside her Matt watched, wondering what had caused her abrupt mood change. One moment she’d been relaxed, animated. The next she seemed nervous, wounded. He watched as she poured coffee, then topped off his cup, before placing the blackened pot back on the coals. Her hands, he noted, were rough and work-worn, the nails torn and ragged. Not the hands of a refined, elegant lady. And he’d noticed something else. Though her gown was spotless, the hem and cuffs were frayed and the fabric was nearly threadbare.

      She’d arrived with nothing more than the clothes on her back and a small valise. Where was the accumulation of a lifetime? Clothes, linens, dishes, treasured mementos? Years ago, when he and his family had set off from home across the country, Grace had insisted on bringing every single one of her treasures. In fact Grace had…

      Annoyed at the direction of his thoughts, he stood. “Time to get moving.”

      Aaron got to his feet and helped his father load the buck into the back of the wagon. The others, as if by some unspoken command, set to work dousing the fire and packing up whatever food remained. In no time their campsite was nearly as clean as when they’d arrived.

      The children climbed into the back of the wagon and settled themselves comfortably among the sacks of supplies. Matt climbed up to the driver’s seat and offered a hand to Izzy. With a flick of the reins they started off.

      As they climbed higher into the mountains the air grew sharper, clearer. Izzy drew her shawl tightly around her shoulders and looked up at the big golden moon, the stars glittering in a velvet sky.

      “Cold?”

      Matt’s voice beside her had her jumping. “No. I’m fine.”

      “There are some blankets in the back of the wagon.”

      She shook her head. “Leave them for the children. I expect they’ll be asleep soon.”

      He nodded. “It’s been a full day for them. And for you.”

      When she remained silent he said, “I’m sorry about the preacher.”

      “You couldn’t help that he was drunk.”

      “No. But we…caught him at a particularly bad time.”

      She turned to glance at him. “Is there a good time?”

      Matt shrugged. “I don’t see him much. But I expect he stays sober on Sundays, at least until his service is over.”

      After a long moment of silence he said, “I was afraid he’d keel over before he could finish the ceremony.”

      The warmth of unspoken laughter in his deep voice had Izzy smiling. “He would have, if it hadn’t been for that music stand. I’m sure it was the only thing holding him up.”

      Laugh lines crinkled Matt’s eyes. “Did you notice that he had his pants on backward?”

      “No. Really?” Izzy’s hand flew to her mouth, but she couldn’t smother the laughter that bubbled. “That explains why he kept tugging at his suspenders. I thought he seemed to be dressing when you first went to fetch him.”

      “I found him upstairs over the saloon with Lil. Interrupted him before…” A deep chuckle turned into a roar of laughter. “I don’t know who was madder. The preacher or Lil. But I told him I’d give him a dollar if he could be dressed and downstairs by the count of ten. He made it with seconds to spare. And I’m sure by now Lil has that dollar tucked into her bodice.”

      Izzy knew that she ought to be shocked by what she was hearing. But she couldn’t help herself. The silly mood and the rumble of laughter were contagious.

      As the horses and wagon climbed ever higher, she and Matt continued laughing about the preacher and his unholy ways, until she heard a sound that had her blood freezing.

      “What was that?”

      “A wolf, calling to his mate.”

      “A…wolf.” Fingers of ice pressed along her spine. “I didn’t realize there were wolves in these mountains. Will they attack?”

      “If СКАЧАТЬ