"You think Kimberly will still take Wes after this?" Regan asked Nicole, hope in her voice.

"Probably," Nicole answered, and Regan's shoulders fell.

"I wonder why she went to bed with Wesley if she was a virgin. And why she went back to that old man afterward. You know, don't you, about her sister?"

"I've heard," Nicole answered. Then, with eyebrows raised, she looked at Regan. "You're up to something."

Regan gave Nicole a look of pure innocence. "Look!" She nodded toward the frightened preacher.

"They're scaring the reverend. Tell Clay to take Wes outside, and I'll get Travis out of here. I'd like to talk to this girl."

Regan had to put her small body between her husband and his brother and beat on Travis's chest with her fists to get his attention. "I want quiet in here!" she yelled up at him. "Go somewhere else and scream at each other."

"If you're telling me what to do," Travis began, but Clay caught his arm. "Let's go outside. The girl is sick." He nodded toward Leah on the couch.

"Sinners! All women are sinners!" Elijah screeched, and Clay grabbed the old man's arm and hauled him out the door behind Travis and Wesley, who'd already resumed their argument in full gale. The reverend tiptoed out behind them.

"That's better," Nicole sighed when the room was quiet. "How do you stand both of them under the same roof?"

"It's a big roof," Regan answered, "but they're getting worse as they get older. No!" she said quickly to Leah, who was trying to sit up. "Just lie still."

"Please," Leah whispered through swollen, cracked lips. "I must leave now while he's gone."

"You can't leave. I doubt if you can walk. Now lie still," Nicole said.

"I think we ought to take her home and feed her," Regan said, and the unsaid words and wash her hung on the air.

"No," Leah said. "Don't want to cause Wesley problems. Marry his Kimberly. So sorry about baby."

Nicole and Regan exchanged looks. "How long have you known Wesley?" Regan asked.

"Always," Leah whispered, leaning back on the cushions. Through her one unclosed eye she saw two women who looked like angels, exquisitely pretty, with soft clouds of dark hair, dresses of fabric woven by gods. "I must go."

Regan gently pushed her down again and applied a cloth to her swollen face. "You've known Wesley always yet you only climbed into bed with him once?"

Leah's mouth gave what could have been a smile. "Only saw him twice." With that she fell asleep or into a state of half-sleep, half-consciousness.

Regan sat back on her heels. "I'd like to hear the rest of this story. What was Wesley doing with a girl such as this when he was supposed to be faithful to her royal highness Kimberly?"

"Her royal," Nicole said with a smile. "Oh Regan, you haven't called her that to Wesley, have you?"

"No, but I did once to Travis. Stupid men! Both of them think she's the epitome of womanhood. You know, I'd almost rather see Wes married to* to that," she pointed at the bruised mess that was Leah, "than to the dear, delectable Miss Shaw."

Before Nicole could answer, the door burst open and in ran Bess Simmons, Leah's sister.

"I'll kill him!" she cried, falling to her knees and taking Leah's lifeless hand. "Is she alive? I'll kill him!"

"She's alive and which one do you plan to kill? Her father or Wesley?" Regan asked, standing over Bess.

Bess wiped away a tear. "The old man. Leah asked for what she got from Mr. Stanford."

"Oh?" Regan asked with interest, extending her arm to Bess to help her stand. "Then Leah did throw herself at Wesley."

"Oh yes. Stupid girl." She glanced fondly at the sleeping Leah. "She'd have done anything for Mr.

Stanford."

Together Nicole and Regan ushered Bess to a chair. "Tell us," they chorused.

Within a few minutes Bess had told the whole story.

"It was through Leah that Clay found me on that island," Nicole said thoughtfully.

"And she's loved Wesley all these years?" Regan said."It ain't been real love," Bess said, "since she ain't seen him in all these years, but Leah's always had thenotion that she was in love with him."

"Better than Kimberly," Regan said under her breath.

"Regan*" Nicole warned. "I don't think I like your thoughts."

"Bess," Regan said brightly, taking Bess's arm, "it was so good of you to come by and I swear to you

that Leah will be well taken care of." Expertly, Regan escorted the woman out the door.

Leaning on the closed door, Regan's eyes were bright. "The girl saved your life and she's been in love with Wesley for years."

"Regan, are you going to interfere in this? This is between Wesley and Kimberly. We should take the girl

home, nurse her back to health, deliver the child, and perhaps find them a place of employment."

"And what about Wesley's child?" Regan said righteously. "Are we going to let it be raised by strangers?"

"Perhaps Wes and Kim could adopt?" Nicole began but stopped. "Perhaps that is a bit

farfetched."

"With dear, sweet Kimberly it is. I doubt if she'll be able to put up with the nuisance of her own children

much less someone else's." Regan sat down. "Look at her, Nicole, and tell me how you think she'll look when she's healed and clean."

Nicole hesitated, but she did as Regan bid. Nicole had an idea what Regan was hinting at and she was

sure she should stop her, but at the same time she agreed with Regan. For months now she'd been hoping something would happen to prevent Wesley from marrying Kim.

As dispassionately as she could, Nicole studied Leah's battered face. "She has good features, good

bones. I can't tell about the eyes in this condition. She may never be pretty, exactly, but neither do I think

she'll be ugly."

"Oh well, we couldn't hope to beat Kimberly's loveliness. Nicole!" she said, rising. "I think we should insist that Wes marry the mother of his child, that he do the honorable thing by her."

"Regan*" Nicole gave a sigh of exasperation. "It just won't work. You know Travis could fix it so

the girl would never want for anything and Wes does not have to marry her.""He'd more likely be happy with this stranger than he would with Kimberly. This girl loves Wes and Iknow Kim cannot love anyone except herself."

"But Wesley loves Kim," Nicole said stubbornly, trying to reason with her friend. "He does not love this girl. And besides, what do we know of her? Maybe she's worse than Kim ever thought of being."

Regan gave a snort of disbelief. "You heard the sister. This girl could have had an easy life in the tavern but instead, she chose to stay and support her brothers and sisters even though she had to bear beatings from that crazy old father. How many people do you know who would do that? Miss Shaw?"

"Maybe not Kimberly but."

"We have a choice between Kimberly or this battered, unloved, unappreciated girl."

That made Nicole laugh. "Oh Regan, really, you do exaggerate so. None of what you're saying means

anything. Wesley will make up his own mind."

Regan looked thoughtful for a moment. "If you and Clay agreed with me and we got Travis on Kim's

sideWesley always does the opposite of what Travis wantswe might be able to getwhat we want.""Clay can't stand Kimberly," Nicole said, half under her breath."And what about you, Nicole, what do you think of Kimberly?"Nicole looked down at Leah for a long moment. "I hate to see anyone I love unhappy. Wesley has borne Travis's criticism for so long."

"And wouldn't it be nice for him to have a chance with a new wife in a new landa real chancefor happiness, not one doomed to failure?" Regan whispered."Clay thought he wanted to marry Bianca but fate stepped in and we were married instead," Nicole said under her breath."We're going to help fate a little, aren't we, Nicole?" Regan urged.Nicole looked up, eyes laughing. "I'm afraid soand afraid is exactly the right word."

In spite of Nicole's original reticence, she was the one most enthusiastic in bringing about Wesley and Leah's marriage. Clay looked into his wife's eyes and remembered too well how he'd wanted to marry one woman and had ended with another. Besides, he'd had too many run-ins with Kimberly to ever take her side.

Rubbing his jaw in some private memory, Clay said, "I owe Wes one. He helped me get away from

Bianca. I just hope this Leah proves to be a better woman."

"That's my worry too," Nicole answered.

But when Clay, Regan, and Nicole reached the strangely quiet Wesley and Travis, there was no need to

persuade anyone.

"You talk to him!" Travis seethed at Regan. "He thinks he has to marry the little two-bit whore. He's willing to give up his whole future because the cunning slut arranged it so he was her first customer. If

he'd had any sense and waited a few minutes in the church, probably twenty men would have admitted totumbling her. I wonder if she faked virgin's blood on their cloaks?"Regan, her hand on her husband's arm, seemed reluctant to speak.Nicole went to stand near Wesley, to look up into his bleak eyes. "You don't believe that, do you?"Wes shook his head. "I don't want to marry her but it's my duty. She carries my child.""And what about Kimberly?" Nicole asked softly."She," Wes turned away for a moment. "That was killed when I stepped forward in the church.""Wesley," Nicole said, her hand on his arm, "I don't know the girl, but I think she has qualities that could make her a good wife."

Wesley snorted. "She's fertile. Now, shall we get this over?"

"For God's sake, think about it for a few days at least," Travis exploded. "Maybe you'll come to your