Chapter 16.

Travis lounged against the countertop of the gla.s.s case in a Richmond dress shop, waiting with little grace while Margo tried on yet another dress.

"And how is this one, darling?" she said, returning from behind the dressing-room curtains. Very little of her large b.r.e.a.s.t.s were left to the imagination by the rust-colored muslin. "It's not too daring, is it?" she asked in a low voice as she walked closer to him, grazing his chest.

"It's fine," he said impatiently. "Haven't you bought enough? I'd like to get home before the sun sets."

"Home!" she said in a pretty pout. "You hardly ever leave that awful ol' plantation anymore. You used to take me dancing. You* used to do a lot of things with me.

Removing her hands from his chest, he gave her a tired look. "That was before I was a married man."

"Married! " she gasped. "Your wife ran off and left you! She proved she didn't want you, and what other man stays faithful to his wife, whether she's with him or not?"

"Since when was I like other men?" he answered, giving her a look of warning. They'd had this argument many times before.

The jangling of the bell on the shop door stopped Margo's next words as they both turned to see Ellen Backes enter. She was a neighbor and a friend of Travis's family. "I thought I saw you, Travis," she said cheerfully. "Margo," she added curtly, letting it be known what she thought of Margo's pursuit of a married man. She'd never met Regan, but she'd heard about her from Nicole, Clay's wife. Having known Travis for years, she felt she knew why Regan had run away.

"The oddest thing just happened," Ellen continued. "I was in the church delivering fresh flowers for Sunday, and a man—a rather shabby little man, I might add—started asking the pastor all sorts of questions about you."

"Probably wants a job," Travis said in dismissal.

"At first I thought that, too, and of course I wasn't listening very carefully, but I swear I heard the name Regan. "

Instantly, Travis stood upright. "Regan?" he whispered.

"I was going to wait until the pastor had finished, but I was afraid I might miss you."

Without another word, Travis left the room and immediately jumped into a carriage, yelling at the horses to go faster.

"d.a.m.n!" Margo said vehemently. "You would have to go and spoil my day."

"Oh, I am sorry," Ellen said with a radiant smile as Margo flounced toward the dressing room. Turning

back toward the window, Ellen offered a silent prayer that Travis would find out something about his wife.

The horses hadn't come to a full stop when Travis leaped from the carriage in front of the church. Just

leaving was a small man who looked as if he hadn't gone without a drink for more than a few hours in his

life.

Travis, never one to stand on formalities and too angry to consider consequences, grabbed the man's shirtfront and slammed him against the clapboard wall. "Who are you?"

"I didn't do nothin', Mister, and I ain't got no money."

Travis pushed him harder into the wall. "You the one's askin' questions about me?"

Wincing from pain, trying to breathe against Travis's big fist pressed against his throat, the man gasped,

"He paid me. I was just supposed to find out if you was alive or not. "

"You'd better start talking. Who is he?"

"Some English dandy. I don't know his name. He said you were a friend of his but heard you were dead,

wanted me to find out when you died and then tell him."

Travis pushed his fist harder into the man's throat. "You mentioned Regan."

Bewilderment crossed the man's face. "I said the man was stayin' at Regan's place."

For a moment Travis let up on the pressure. "Regan who? And where's her place?"

"Scarlet Springs, Pennsylvania, and she's Regan Stanford, like your name. I asked the preacher if you

were related to her."

Instantly, Travis dropped the man and had to catch himself to keep from collapsing. "Get in the carriage.

We're going to Scarlet Springs, and on the way you're going to talk."

Before the man could seat himself, Travis whipped the horses forward. As he flew past the dress shop

where Margo stood outside, he didn't even slow down. At the livery stable he pulled to a halt.

"Jake, " he called. "Give me a decent wagon, something that'll hold up for a longer trip, and here. " He tossed money on the seat. "See the owner of this rig gets it back."

Jake barely glanced up. "If you're in a hurry, you better get goin' 'cause it looks to me like a storm's

about to descend on you." Nodding in the direction of a very angry Margo, he dropped the horse's hoof

he'd been cleaning and went to hitch a wagon for Travis.

Turning to the little man still on the buggy seat, Travis gave him a warning. "You move, and it'll be the last move you make." He'd hardly finished the words before Margo flew at him.

"How dare you drive past me like that!" she gasped, breathless from practically running down the street, chasing him.

"I don't have time to argue right now. I'm leaving in about five minutes."

"Leaving! Well I guess I've completed my shopping, but you'll have to stop at the four shops and pick up my purchases."

"Jake!" Travis bellowed. "Is that wagon ready yet?" He turned back to Margo. "I'm not going home, and you'll have to find someone else to take you. Get Ellen to give you a ride, and stop off and tell Wes I'll be away for a while. "

Turning, he saw Jake bring the heavy wagon to the front of the stable. "Get on it," he commanded the nervous little man on the borrowed buggy.

"Travis," Margo hissed. "So help me, if you don't—."

She broke off as Travis leaped onto the wagon. "Where are you going?" she screamed as he started to move away.

"Scarlet Springs, Pennsylvania, to get Regan," he yelled and then was gone in a hail of gravel and dust.

Coughing and cursing, Margo looked back at the stableman, who was grinning broadly. She knew her pursuit of Travis was a joke, and the more people laughed, the angrier she grew. But even as she was fuming, a plan began to form in her mind. Scarlet Springs, was it? Poor dear Travis left without a st.i.tch of clean clothing. Perhaps she should pack and take him a few things. Yes, the more she thought about it, the more she was sure he needed clean clothes.

Regan was at her desk in her office, going over accounts, when Brandy walked in.

"And how is everything?" Brandy asked.

"Going quite well," Regan answered, looking at the books. "Next year we should be able to put up a couple of new buildings. I was thinking of a cabinet shop. Don't you think Scarlet Springs needs its own furniture maker?"

"You know I'm not talking about finances. How is it going between you and Farrell? You had dinner with him last night again, didn't you?"

"You know very well that I did. But to answer you, Farrell is always a delightful companion. His conversation is excellent, his manners are impeccable, and he knows how to make a woman feel like a crown princess."

"You're bored to tears by him, aren't you?" Brandy said with a sigh, sitting down.

"In a word, yes. There are no surprises with Farrell. He's so*I don't know, he's too perfect, I guess."

"Jennifer likes him."

Regan gave a little laugh. "Jennifer likes his gifts. Can you imagine giving a child as active as Jen a French porcelain fashion doll? She wanted to use it for target practice with the bow and arrow set you gave her."

Brandy smothered a giggle. "Perhaps Farrell expects little girls as well as big ones to be ladies."

Regan stood behind her desk. "Have we any new guests? I haven't looked this morning."

"There was some man getting out of a wagon a few minutes ago. Good-looking guy. Big."

"Brandy, you are incorrigible," Regan laughed. "But I'll go and welcome him."

Outside her office, she met Farrell. "Good morning," he said, raising her hand to his lips. "You are

sweeter than the early sunshine on the drops of dew on a rose petal."

She didn't know whether to laugh or groan. "Thank you for such a lovely compliment, but I really must go now."

"Regan, dearest, you work too much. Come spend the day with me. We'll take Jennifer and go on a

picnic, just as if we were a family."

"It's a tempting offer, but I really must go now."

"You can't escape me that easily," he smiled, and took her arm as they walked toward the reception