"She would think that," Mary said dryly to Jarret.

"She'd rather be right than beautiful any day."

Over the top of Rennie's head, Jarret's response was a wink and a smug smile. They were all settled in the open carriage when Rennie announced there had been a change of plans.

"We're being escorted by an Army patrol to Fort Union. We've been staying there for a week now, and the general gave approval for both of you to be our guests." Moira paused in the game of pat-a-cake she was playing with Lilly.

"That's fine, Rennie, but why?"

"We moved from Phoenix to Tucson after the surveys were all complete.

Jarret and I thought it would be close enough to Holland Mines to oversee the track construction, but it really isn't. And the trip, well, it can be--" she hesitated, looked at her daughters, then spelled "d-a-n-g--"

"I think we get your point," Mary said, ruffling Caitlin's hair. The little girl held a parasol aloft to protect both of them from the brutal midday sun. Even in the middle of December the temperature at noon was approaching ninety-five degrees.

"Here comes our escort." Five men on horseback wearing blue Army uniforms drew abreast of the carriage as it left the station area. The corporal took the lead while Lieutenant Rivers introduced himself to Moira and Mary as he rode along beside them.

Three privates took up points at the rear. Moira glanced around at their escort.

"Is this really necessary, Rennie?" Jarret answered, turning around from his perch on the driver's board.

"It is, Moira." Rennie reinforced her husband's comment.

"We stayed at Holland Mines for a while, living at the camp in a tent with the miners and the rail laborers. We decided to move to Fort Union after the Chiricahua attacked a mining camp a little farther east of here. We still stay there when work warrants it, but without the girls." Mary was aware that Caitlin was watching her mother intently, listening hard to every word. Mary caught her sister's eye and gave a quick shake of her head. Rennie sighed, nodding in understanding.

"What one of them doesn't hear, the other one does," she said.

"It's hard. You know I was never good at guarding my tongue." Jarret caught that comment and laughed.

"Well, it would take more than these five Army regulars to do it."

Reaching behind her, Rennie gave her husband a firm slap on the back.

"Mind your own business," she said, but there was no real sting in her words. Mary and Moira exchanged their first spontaneous smiles in over two months and two thousand miles.

Rennie saw their shared laughter and was satisfied that the situation was not quite as grim as Jay Mac would have had her believe.

"I think you'll both appreciate the accommodations at Fort Union. A number of the officers' wives have gone out of their way to make us feel at home. You'll be amazed at the collection of furniture and carpets that's been hauled across country. General Gardner's wife has a baby grand piano in her parlor, and Captain Avril and his wife practically have a library in their quarters."

Moira pointed to Lieutenant Rivers who had pulled ahead to converse with Jarret.

"Does he have a wife?" she asked, not bothering to lower her voice.

Rennie watched Mary's mouth tighten at their mother's less than subtle interest. She felt a tug of sympathy for her older sister's position.

She remembered too well what it was like when Jay Mac had tried to find her a husband.

Rennie didn't doubt that Moira could be just as tenacious.

"No, Mama," she said, winking at Mary.

"Lieutenant Rivers isn't married." Lieutenant Rivers heard the comment as he was meant to do. He acknowledged it by glancing over his shoulder, smiling, and tipping his hat politely in Mary's direction.

"Oh, for God's sake," Mary said irritably, "I'm not looking for a husband. My mother is." Rivers looked confused and turned away, while Rennie laughed out loud. Moira clucked her tongue disapprovingly and cautioned both her daughters to mind their manners. With some effort, Rennie managed to become sober. Mary, she noticed, was still looking wonderfully militant. It struck her that perhaps this was just the right when for an officer's wife. She couldn't resist extolling the lieutenant's virtues.

"He's recently received a promotion," she told them.

"From second lieutenant to first.

That's because of his demonstration of considerable courage during the Colter Canyon incident in September."

"Is that right, Lieutenant?" Moira asked curiously.

"Mama," Rennie said flatly, "he's not going to blow his own trumpet.

That may be true Mary thought, but she noticed Lieutenant Rivers had slowed his horse so he could listen to Rennie sing his praises. That didn't endear him in any way to Mary. She thought he was handsome enough in a soft, boyish sort of way. He had the kind of features that would dissolve into nondescript puffiness as he grew older, and would only hint at his youthful zeal as a government warrior. It was easy to envision him as a beefy general with slack jowls and a double chin or a high-ranking politician with great side-whiskers and a bald pate. Lost in her thoughts, it took Mary a few moments to realize she was smiling vaguely in the lieutenant's direction and he had mistaken her expression for interest. His blue eyes were wandering over her raised face, the tenor of his thoughts quite clear. Mary turned her attention back to Rennie.

"I'm sorry," she said politely.

"You were saying?"

Rennie snorted.

"I was saying that Lieutenant Rivers managed to hold off the Chiricahua, though he and his men were beaten back into one of the canyon's dead end passages. While they were corralled, the gold ore they'd had to abandon in the wagons was stolen."

"And you got a promotion for this?" Mary asked dryly.

The lieutenant's youthful complexion became ruddy with color, but he did not respond. Rennie made a face at Mary.

"He got the promotion because he captured the scout who betrayed the entire company and nearly caused their complete annihilation."

"Well then," Moira said, satisfied.

"That deserves recognition."

Rennie nodded.

"The story's been in all the local papers. I've talked to people who've been to San Francisco and Saint Louis who know about it. The Eastern papers are probably going to carry the story again now that the traitor's due for sentencing today."

"Today?" Moira asked.

"Do you mean it's happening at the fort now?" Glancing at the watch pinned to her blouse, Rennie nodded.

"It's already happened," she said.

"At noon."

"Oh, dear," Moira said weakly.

"I suppose they mean to hang him." Rennie nodded.

"Well, I don't think we want to see that." Lieutenant Rivers was solicitous of Moira's feelings.