For the first time ever, in the moonlight, she saw the men smile, and they looked even younger. Their size made them frightening and she guessed they were used to stares and odd remarks, but she was rapidly growing fond of them.

"On the way down here," she said slowly, "I saw a patch of wild strawberries. Have either of you had strawberry cobbler with a thick crust on the top, little holes cut in it with hot strawberry juice oozing over the crust? Or maybe you'd like something called chicken in a coffin. It's a chicken baked with."

Bud cut her off. "What do you want done?"

"We do not murder people," Cal injected.

"No! I didn't mean." She saw they were teasing her. "Does Revis know what the two of you are

really like?"

Cal's face hardened. "Revis thinks we are his, as his mother did, but Revis does not treat us like slaves.

We make him pay us well for what we do. You should not return to him."

She wanted to explain things to him. "Cal," she said quietly, "if Bud were in trouble would you risk your

own safety to help him or go somewhere safe? Wesley is the man I love and I believe I can help him."

"I would die for my brother," Cal said, "and he for me. We will help you."

"We will take you back to Revis and when your man returns."

"Returns! Where did he go? What's he up to?"

"He did not tell us. He said only that he would be back in two days. You can stay at Revis's cabin until then or we will hide you in the woods."

"I'll go back to Revis. At least there I can help Verity and see that everyone is fed. Shall we start walking?"

Bud looked down at his foot. "Perhaps we should wait until morning, when there is light."

"But I'd like to get back in case Wesley*" She stopped. "I guess we can't pick strawberries at night, can we?"

"No," Bud said with a smile.

"What did you boys eat when you were growing up?"

"Gray things," Cal said grimly. "Big bowls of gray."

Leah tried not to laugh at his bleakness. Someday perhaps they could visit Stanford Plantation and see the vast quantity and variety of food there. And too, they might like to meet Clay Armstrong's pretty young niece.

She sat down. "I guess we could get some sleep." Without another thought she curled into a ball on the damp ground and went to sleep. One thing about having guardians half the size of a mountain, it made one feel safe.

Leah had just finished putting another meal on the table in the little cabin, but she hesitated calling the men in to eat. Wesley had just arrived, sunlight flashing off his buckskins, his face serious as he talked to Revis. Leah could see the tension in the cruel smaller man; Revis's shoulders were hunched together as if he expected a blow any minute.

Over the past few days Leah had stayed close to Bud and Cal. She was amazed at how deep her hatred of Revis went now. Again and again she saw him kill the settler and shoot the woman. Once he tried to sweet-talk her into believing he'd done it out of his growing love for her, but Leah knew he'd murdered the travelers because he couldn't abide being turned down.

The closer Leah stayed to the boys the more she liked them. They were silent while Abe spoke to them and of them as if they had the intelligence of the floorboards. A few times she caught Bud's eyes twinkling.

Revis brought a load of fresh eggs and cream to the camp and Leah made a big custard covered in burnt sugar. But before she'd allow Bud or Cal to have a morsel, she made them tell her what they knew about Wes. They knew only that Wes was pretending that he was from the Dancer and would work with Revis.

"I'm sure Revis will welcome him with open arms. He'll just love sharing his command," Leah had said with disgust.

Now Wesley was outside explaining something to Revis, and Leah's throat was dry in anticipation of how angry he was going to be with her. Maybe she should have obeyed him and gone to Sweetbriar, but then she'd had another look at him. Neither Kimberly Shaw nor any other woman was going to get him if she could help it!

"Abe," Leah said as she saw her brother walking toward Wesley. Abe would tell Revis who Wesley was. She was almost to the door when she heard Abe say, "Who's this, Mr. Revis?"

Leaning against the door, Leah breathed a sigh of relief and smiled. Somehow Wesley had taken care of Abe. What in the world had Wes promised Abe to make him go against his precious Mr. Revis?

Now the only unaccounted problem was Leah. She smoothed her hair, her dress, and tried to brace herself. She hoped he wouldn't be too surprised to see her.

She was bending over the fire when he entered the cabin.

"And who is this pretty bit, Revis?" Wesley drawled. "I heard you had all the comforts up here but I didn't know about this one."

Slowly Leah turned to face him. There was no surprise on his face, but his eyes were shooting fire.

"Leah's mine," Revis said in a hard voice. "I don't share her and there's no question of who she belongs to."

Wesley, with a slow smile, stepped nearer Leah. Only she could see his face and what she saw there made her step backward. His anger made her afraid.

"Wesl," she began.

He grabbed her about the waist, pulling her to him. "Watch out, pretty lady, you're about to step into the fire. My name's Wesley Armstrong, what's yours?" His eyes were warning her and threatening her all at the same time.

Over his shoulder she could see Revis as his dark face turned darker. Here was something she hadn't considered. If she showed Revis she preferred Wesley, would Revis slip a knife into her husband's ribs?

"Unhand me, you filthy thief," she said loudly and watched the confusion in Wesley's eyes. "None of your kind will ever touch me." Taking advantage of Wes's astonishment, she pushed away from him.

Wes began to recover himself. "I think I'd like to have this little filly, Revis," he said smugly. "Maybe we can work out a deal."

"Leah is mine," Revis repeated, teeth clenched.

"Maybe the lady should choose." Wes smiled as he confidently advanced toward her. "Maybe you have trouble with women, but I don't. Come here, wench."

"Wench!" Leah said with a gasp. Perhaps she did love him, but this wench business was a little too much. To her right was a bowl of cornbread batter she had just mixed. With a little cat smile forming on her lips she lazily lifted the bowl, then with a quick motion tossed the contents into Wesley's smiling face. While he stood there flinging globs of batter off his face, Leah turned to Bud and Cal. "This overdressed peacock is the same as the other one. If he gets too near me I'll serve you raw bacon for breakfast."

Out of the corner of her eye she saw Revis give a satisfied grunt, turn on his heel, and leave the cabin.

Now all she had to deal with was Wesley's rage. "Wench indeed," she snapped before moving out of

Wesley's reach.

Before he left the cabin to wash, he didn't say anything to Leah, but the look on his face made her swallow hard.

"Do you think he will beat you?" Bud whispered.

"Would you let him?" she asked, aghast.

"You were mean to him," Cal answered.

"Be quiet and eat," she said, and only then realized they were laughing at her. "I hope you realize it was

your cornbread I dumped on him. Maybe next time it'll be the apple tart I'm baking for supper."

"We will not let him beat you!" Bud and Cal said, eyes wide, then they grinned at her. "You sure are an exciting woman, Leah."

"I hope Wesley agrees with you," she said heavily before turning back to the fire.

As the sun began to set and Leah was once again loading the table down with food, Wesley entered thecabin. If he looked at her, Leah didn't see because she was afraid to turn in his direction. She knew hedidn't understand why she'd turned him down. No doubt he thought he could protect her better if shewere his wench.

Still playing her role, she stepped completely out of his reach when she put food on the table. She could

feel the eyes of both Revis and Wesley on her.

"So you know of this rich wagon?" Revis was saying to Wes. "The Dancer sent you to lead for this one job?"

Wes looked around the room at Bud, Cal, Abe, Verity, and Leah. "Perhaps we should talk later."

Revis gave a slow grin. "Bud and Cal are my brothers. Abe wouldn't talk, would you, Abe?"

"No sir, Mr. Revis," Abe said with his mouth full. "Secrets are safe with me."

"And Verity is too frightened to tell anything," Revis continued.

"And the pretty one?" Wesley asked.

"She's mine and she can't leave," Revis said in a hard voice. "Now tell me what you were sent here to tell

me."

As Leah served food, Wesley mapped out a plan to attack a pair of wagons that looked as if they belonged to settlers but were in truth carrying gold.

"The Dancer always knows of these things," Revis said as he leaned back in his chair and ht a thin cigar.

"And tell me, how's he doing? He looked fit the last time I saw him."

"You know the Dancer," Wes said. "He's healthy as always. He mentioned the last time you met, at his house."

"At the party, yes."

"He seemed to be angry about you and a young woman."

Revis smiled. "His daughter, actually. Didn't he mention that the young lady who was so taken with me was his beautiful daughter?"