"I don't know what you're talking about," he said, reaching for his shirt. "You're my wife and.""I am your wife? Do you mean me who has begged you all evening to stop drooling over the divine MissShaw?"

"I'd advise you to watch your tongue," he warned.

"My tongue!" She gasped. "Don't you know that we Simmonses have better uses for our tongues than to talk with them? Isn't it in our bloodstream?"

Calmly, Wesley pulled his shirt on over his head. "Look, I really don't know what you're so upset about.

You were the one who wanted to travel as my cousin and you've always known how I've felt about Kim.

I've always tried to be honest and fair."

"Fair! You nearly attack me in this room and you call that fair?"

Wesley almost smiled. "You've done everything possible to entice me this evening, and that dress isn't exactly made to calm a man down."

"I didn't wear it for you," she said softly as she turned away to hide her humiliation.Wesley smiled at the back of her. "Leah, really, I am flattered that you'd go to so much trouble to get meinto your bed. It made me feel good to have you flirting with me even while you were dancing with other men, and I'm sure you could have seduced me if Steven hadn't interrupted, but the truth is, I really should keep to our bargain. For Kim's sake I'm going to try to resist your considerable charms."

"You what?" she said breathlessly, turning to face him.

"I owe something to the woman I love and she needs me, all of me, to stand by her, and in the future I'm

going to try to resist you."

"Is that what happened before?" she whispered. "That in spite of all you could do, you gave in to my enticement of you?"

"I really need to go, so maybe we could discuss this another time. But, yes, you did throw yourself at me

once before."

"Throw myself at you? As I did tonight?"

"Leah," he began, taking a step toward her, "I think I've hurt your feelings."

"Feelings!" She gasped. "Women like me don't have feelings. Didn't you know that? Women from my

class of people, women who didn't grow up wearing silk, are capable only of seductions and enticements. When we get to Kentucky, I won't open a weaving shop, I'll* I'll merely open my legs."

Wesley's face hardened. "You've misunderstood everything I've said. All I wanted was to thank you for the compliment of offering me your body."

"I won't do it again," she said coldly. "Next time I offer it, it will be to someone else."

"Not while you're my wife!" he snapped.She gave him a nasty little smile. "Shouldn't you go to your Kimberly? If you make her cry too long herpretty eyes will be red. How does she seduce you? Do her tears pull you into her bed?"

"Kimberly is a virgin," Wes said tightly, his eyes narrowed.

Leah threw up her hands. "A whore and a virgin fighting over you. Poor Wesley, you must spend some sleepless nights. Go to her."

"Leah, I never said you were a whore," he began.

"Get out of here!" she screamed.

"If you need me*"

"Need you!" she yelled at him. "You're the last person I'd ever need. I wish I could go to Kentucky by

myself and I'd never have to even see you again. Now go to your dear Kimberly. She needs you."Wesley seemed to want to speak, but instead he turned and left the room.Immediately Leah fell to her knees, the sobs tearing through her. Need him, he'd said. No, she didn't need him, but she wanted him, or wanted someone, a man who cared enough to jump when a tear randown her cheek. A man who had never known her family, who didn't believe she was a whore before heeven saw her.

Sometime during the night Leah removed her dress and slipped on her nightgown. She'd cried all she could cry and all that was left was an empty hollowness, a feeling that life was never going to change.

She'd been born in a swamp and she'd always be a part of the swamp. Pretty clothes would never cover the vileness with which she'd been born.

In the morning as Leah lay awake, Wesley slipped into the room; Leah knew he didn't want anyone thinking he hadn't spent the night with his wife.

"You're awake," he said as the early light illuminated the room. "Leah, about last night."

She rolled to the side of the bed, got out, and walked across the room to the small trunk that held her clothes. She felt as if her spirit were dead and she didn't care about anything. Without a thought she slipped the gown off, careless of her nude form presented to Wesley as she began dressing.

"You never give up, do you?" he exploded angrily.

But Leah didn't even bother to turn around. When she was dressed, she turned to face him. "I'm ready whenever you are. Your friends won't know where you slept."

Frowning, he put his hand on her arm. "Leah, I've never meant to hurt you."

She looked from his hand to his face. "Never touch me again. Do you understand me? Never, ever again do I want you to touch me." With that she opened the door, waited outside the room for him, and together they walked down the stairs, looking for all the world like a couple who'd just spent the night together.

Leah parted from her sister quietly, and just as quietly she mounted the wagon beside Wes. He reached out his hand to help her, but one look from Leah made him withdraw.

At noon she gathered wood, built a fire, and cooked a hasty meal while Kimberly bathed some of the dirt from her face. Steven conveniently disappeared and Wes was busy with the animals. During the meal Kimberly chatted about the last party they'd attended in Virginia and repeatedly told Leah she should have been there. Leah silenced Kim by saying she had been too pregnant at the time to attend a party.

While Leah cleaned up from the meal, Kim announced that it was time for Leah to ride with Steven and from now on she'd be Wesley's fiancee and Leah his cousin. She seemed to think there'd be some protest, but there was none.

Leah climbed onto the wagon beside Steven. He made one comment about how he'd be glad to replace Wes if she felt any urges, but when he got no response from Leah, he took the reins and shut up.

At night, while Leah prepared supper, Wes rode to the nearest inn, and when he returned he reported that the place was too filthy to inhabit and they'd camp with the wagons. Kim sniffed about how she needed a bath, so Wes hauled buckets of water, heated them, hung a blanket screen, and prepared a bath for Kim. She conveniently lit a lamp behind the blanket so everyone around was treated to a silhouette of Kim's languorous bath.

"No screams of jealousy?" Steven said to Leah under his breath as Wes watched Kim in obvious rapture.

Leah didn't bother to answer as she cleared the supper dishes.

The next morning dawned hot, and Leah unbuttoned the top of her dress.

"Is that for me or him?" Steven asked. "If it's for Stanford you may as well close it. All he's interested in is my sister and she's an expert at keeping a man tailing after her. You ought to learn something from her.

Never be too honest, at least not with gentlemen like Stanford. He'd rather look at a woman from behind a blanket. But you and me," he said with a chuckle, "we like skin."

He clucked to the horses and they were off.

Leah tried to still her trembling. She prayed she was not like Steven Shaw.

Toward noon they had to ford a river. The water, heavy with spring melts, was over the hub of the wheels.

"If we take it slowly we'll be able to make it," Wes informed Steven as they all stood on the bank.

"I'm frightened, Wesley," Kim said, clutching his arm.

"Don't be." He smiled. "We'll come through this. What about you, Leah, scared?"

"No," she said flatly. "I think we'll make it. Others have before us."

"I knew you'd feel that way," Wes said before turning away.

"Hallo!" came a man's voice from across the water. A tall, slim man in buckskins similar to Wesley's

waved at them.

"It's Justin Stark," Wes said, smiling. "He'll be traveling with us."

Leah paid no attention to the man waiting on the far side but turned back to the wagons.

Wesley eased his wagon and horses into the water with utmost care. The horses shied, but Wes

controlled them.

"He's afraid!" Steven said contemptuously. "He's scared to risk his hide. Hiyah!" he called to the horses, cracking his whip over their heads.

"No!" Leah said. "Wait until they're across."

"I'm not spendin' all day here and I'll not let that Stark fellow think I'm a coward."

Steven whipped the horses forward into the deep water.

"What the hell are you doing?" Wesley bellowed back at them.

"Not eatin' your mud," Steven called as he pulled alongside Wes's wagon.

"Keep to the right! Keep to the right!" the man on the land shouted at them.

Leah, hanging onto the seat with both hands, repeated the man's instructions to Steven, but Steven

ignored her as he cracked the whip again.

The right front horse stepped into an underwater nothingness, screamed, and pulled the other horses after