not bothering with her underwear. "You certainly do make an impression on a man when he first meets

you," he said, eyeing her bare shoulders.

Leah snatched the dress from him. "Go back to your Kimberly," she said angrily, just as Kim let out a loud wail.

With resignation Leah dressed under the covers, rose, and gathered the water buckets. On her way to the river she saw Justin, the man who had recently joined them, stripped to the waist, digging a grave.

"Good morning," he called to her, his eyes alight.

Leah could barely murmur a reply because she ducked her head in embarrassment at the memory of being undressed by this man.

Immediately Justin was beside her, taking the buckets away from her. "Sleep well?" He laughed when she merely nodded, still not looking at him. "You're not going to let a little thing like a lack of clothes come between friends, are you? Why I've undressed hundreds of women."

She looked up at him, eyes wide.

"Maybe not hundreds." He smiled, his eyes almost eating her. "And certainly none as pretty as you. Don't turn away. Are you always so shy?"

She lifted her chin and looked at him. "I don't think I'm ever shy, but now I am*" She wanted to

change the subject. "You'll be traveling with us?"

"All the way into Kaintuck." They were at the river and he took the buckets from her to fill them. "I grew

up in the town where Wes bought his farm. All winter he worked like a demon on that place. I guess he was trying to get it ready for Miss Shaw."

"I guess so. Do you also farm?"

"Sure, and a little huntin' on the side. No, I'll carry them," he said when Leah reached for the full buckets.

"I can take care of my own jobs, thank you," she said stiffly.

Justin smiled at her, and his already handsome face looked even better. "I have no doubt you could carry

a hundred buckets, but would you be so cruel as to deny me the pleasure of carrying them for you?"

For a moment, Leah didn't answer, but then she smiled. "I would hate to be called cruel. By all means,Mr. Stark, carry the water.""Justin," he said with a laugh. "All my ladies call me Justin.""All of them?" She laughed in return and felt better than she had in weeks."You two certainly seem to have forgotten what happened yesterday," Wesley said, glowering down at them. "I'd think you'd at least have a little respect for Kimberly's grief."

Justin's face lost its smile. He was a smaller man than Wes, but he didn't back down. "I think Leah

showed a great deal of respect when she nearly drowned searching for a man who isn't even related to her. Just because that woman of yours cries loud doesn't mean she's willing to risk anything except tears."

Leah glanced up at the two furious men and excused herself because she was afraid of letting them see

her smile. Justin's words made her want to smile all over. With a lightened heart she set about her chores

of tending the animals, cooking breakfast, and readying the wagon for the day's journey. She didn't know if Wes and Justin continued to argue, but when they all gathered at the grave site, the two men seemed to have come to terms. Kim leaned heavily on Wesley's arm while he talked about what a good man Steven Shaw had been.

After the service, such as it was, Kim allowed Wes to help her inside the wagon where she lay down.

Justin tossed his pack and saddle in the second wagon, tied his horse behind, and climbed on the seat beside Leah, taking the reins from her. "I don't know if that woman and I are going to get along at all."

In spite of Leah's denial that she was shy, she really didn't know what to say to Justin. But she needn't have worried. Justin told her about his hometown of Sweetbriar, about his three sisters and four brothers, about his nieces and nephews. He told stories about who was in love with whom in the town and about how pretty Miranda Macalister was driving all the single men crazy.

"You included?" she asked timidly.

"I've looked at her a few times, but I've always had an idea of what the woman I wanted was like."

"And?" Leah encouraged.

"She's like you, Leah," he said softly, looking away only when the lead horse stepped into a rut.

Leah felt a wave of fear go through her. This man knew nothing about her, that she was a Simmons from the Virginia swamps, that she had a whore for a sister and her father had been crazy. It was a while before she talked, and then it was only in monosyllables about her weaving.

They stopped briefly to eat cold meat and potatoes, and Kim didn't leave the wagon. At night Leah made dinner over a fire she'd built. She watered and fed the animals. Justin cut firewood while Wes tended to Kim, who was distraught and incapacitated by her grief over her brother.

For days they traveled west with Justin beside Leah, talking to her, asking her questions, and each day Leah's sense of guilt grew. Regan and Nicole had been kind to her in spite of the fact that she came from the swamps. But they'd always known about her. She felt she was leading Justin on, lying to this man who was so nice to her. If he knew what she was really like, where she was from, he would probably treat her as Wesley did.

A week passed and Kimberly's grief did not subside. Leah began taking Kim's meals to her in the wagon, where Kim clung to Leah and cried.

"Don't," Justin said one evening, putting his hand on Leah's arm as she filled a plate for Kim. He turned to Wes. "Isn't it about time she stopped being a princess? Leah isn't her waiting woman."

"Kim's still grieving for her brother," Wes said stubbornly.

"Then you wait on her. Not Leah!" He grabbed the plate from Leah and thrust it at Wes.

They ate in silence and Kim came out of the wagon to sit, leaning against a tree while Wes hovered over her.

With seeming disgust, Justin threw the last of his coffee into the fire. "We all need a rest. There's a waterfall a few miles from here and I thought maybe tomorrow Leah and I could ride over there." He smiled at her across the fire. "Maybe do some washing."

Leah looked down at her cup. "I do need to do some washing," she murmured.

Before the morning was fully awake, Justin was standing over Leah, wanting her to hurry up so they could go.

"But what about breakfast?" she asked, gathering dirty clothes into a bundle.

"Let the duchess fend for herself for a day."

Leah suppressed a giggle. "I'm ready."

"Leah!" Kim called and came running to them. She was very pretty in the early light. She held out a

couple of dresses and some underwear to Leah, "Would you mind? It looks like I have all the camp work to do today since you're going off to have fun, so could you do this little thing for me?"

"Of course," Leah answered, but Justin grabbed the clothes.

"You can do your own laundry," he began.

Leah put her hand on his arm and took Kim's clothes. "Of course I'll wash them."

"Come on," Justin said in disgust, half-pulling Leah to his saddled horse. "Why do you let her take so much from you? You're worth fifty of her." He mounted the horse then pulled her up behind him.

"No I'm not," Leah whispered, but she didn't think Justin heard her.

They traveled north for over an hour, away from the houses that dotted the countryside, away from sight

of other wagons that traveled westward. After another hour, Justin dismounted and lifted his arms up for Leah. When he held her aloft, hands on her waist, he lowered her slowly and kissed her gently.

Leah felt no sparks, but it was a pleasant kiss. She looked away when he set her on the ground.

He looked at her, a puzzled frown on his brow. "Who's hurt you, Leah?" he asked softly. "I've never met

a woman as pretty as you who hung her head all the time and thought she was another woman's slave."

"There are things about me you don't know," she said, pulling away from him, but she kept her chin up.

"And I'm no one's slave."

"Then why are you so frightened of Wes?"

"Frightened?" She gasped. "I'm not afraid of himor any man!" She lowered her voice. "But there

are things between Wes and me, things you know nothing about." She could feel the anger in her

growing. "I'd better get started with the washing."

"Forget the washing!" Justin said fiercely, grabbing the bundle from her. "What's between you and Stanford?"

"Not what you mean," she flashed at him, eyes bright with anger. "Wesley Stanford hates me, just as I hate him and all his kind who let my family starve while they spent money on fine clothes and horses.

Wesley's horse cost more than what all nine of us lived on for over a year."

She moved away from him, knowing she'd disgusted him. He wouldn't care about her now that he knew who she wasand she wasn't going to let him see how his change hurt her. "You and your fine manners," she said, seething. "All of you men are alike. You think because we're poor you can get what you want from us. But let me tell you that only one of us Simmonses is a whore."

"Is that what you think of me?" Justin gasped. "That I think you're a* a*"

"Go on and say it!" she shouted at him. "I've certainly heard the word enough times from men and women like you. Pretty clothes on the outside and filth inside."

Justin stood still for a moment, looking as if he were in shock. "Is that what you think I am? Some rich dandy that grew up in a big house with servants to wait on me?" Quickly he turned around, and when he looked back he was grinning. "I wish the people of Sweetbriar could hear this. One of the Stark boys accused of having manners and riches. Oh Leah," he said, beginning to laugh. "I don't know how poor you grew up but you'll have to go some to beat me. Sit down here and let me tell you the true story of my family."

Bewildered, Leah sat beside him on the ground and listened to the true version of Justin's life. It wasn't that he'd lied when he'd told her of his family earlier, but he'd left out all the badbecause he thought Leah was a lady born and raised, and he didn't want to shock her with the tales of his life.