"Blade! Why, for heaven's sake?"

"Because he was mad at me for not marrying him and at his father for taking me away. Chet and Luke think Blade's crazy."

"He's not crazy," Bernice said with an inelegant snort. "He's just had everything he's ever wanted handed to him. Now suddenly he can't have something he wants and he's throwing a temper tantrum. He's nothing but a big baby."

"A dangerous big baby."

"Well, if Chet's gone, he won't be a danger to him anymore. But what about you? You depending on that man Belle brought home to watch out for you?"

"He's agreed to look after things until we can find a foreman."

Bernice looked skeptical. "I supposed he'll be all right if he can take his eyes off Belle long enough to know whether he's herding cows or antelope."

Melody did smile. "It's been that way from the moment they set eyes on each other. I think it's sweet."

"We'll see. Now you get yourself upstairs and lie down. You look worn out."

But Melody wasn't tired, and lying down wouldn't fix anything that was wrong with her. Only being in Chet's arms, knowing he would never leave her again, would fix what ailed her. She pulled a chair over to the window so she could look out over the wide plain between the house and the canyon.

She had to figure out where Chet had gone. The moment she had set foot on the ranch, she'd known she couldn't stay here without him. She didn't want to return to Richmond. Somehow, without her knowing, that old life had pa.s.sed beyond her forever. She would stay in Texas, but she couldn't stay here without Chet.

She had to talk to Dan, find out everything he knew about Chet. If she had to, she'd talk to Luke again. She'd do anything she had to do, but she had to figure out where he had gone. When she did, she would go after him.

"I don't understand where they could have gone," Belle said for the dozenth time. "They're never late for dinner. Sydney acts like he's starved if Bernice is five minutes late getting it on the table."

"They probably just rode too far," Dan said. "They've been in town for nearly a week. Boys like to stretch their legs."

"Sydney, maybe, but not Neill," Melody said. "He's perfectly happy to stay close to the house. He only went today because he's trying to be grown-up like his brother."

"I'll look for them," Dan said. "You go ahead and eat. Let them go to bed hungry. They won't be late again."

"You can't go," Melody said. "You don't know the ranch. You'll probably get lost in the dark."

"I've found my way across half of Texas in the dark," Dan said. "I won't get lost in this little piece of it."

Belle obviously worried about Dan, too, but she also worried about her boys. The boys won out. "Take Toby with you," she said. "He's been here the longest. He knows the boys the best."

But not even Toby could find any trace of them. They seemed to have disappeared.

"I don't like to quit," Dan said after he'd allowed Belle a few moments to get over the worst of her shock, "but we can't do much now. Toby told me about this canyon you've got, but it's pitch black at the bottom. They could be almost anywhere in there, and we wouldn't be able to see them. I've told all the men to be ready to make a thorough search beginning at dawn." "You didn't find any trace of them at all?" Melody asked. "Not even their horses?"

"No. If this were back home, I'd have said they'd gone visiting at a neighboring ranch and stayed too late to come home. But Speers tells me the closest ranch belongs to Lantz Royal and the boys would never go there."

"They don't like Lantz or his son," Melody explained.

She didn't know what gave her the idea, but suddenly she was certain Blade was responsible for the boys' disappearance. Maybe it was the way he'd taken the cows, as if he was made at her rather than wanting stock to sell. Wouldn't it be even better revenge if he did something to her brothers?

She knew what she had to do. "I'm going to see Lantz," she announced.

"What has Lantz got to do with the boys being late to dinner?" Belle asked.

"If Blade is doing the rustling because he's mad at me, wouldn't it make sense that he might do something to the boys for the same reason?"

"What do you think he's done?" Belle said, looking deathly white.

"I don't know. If he's at home, he probably had nothing to do with it. I've got to find out."

"I'll go with you," Dan volunteered.

"I'd prefer for you to stay here with Belle. Besides, you've already been out for hours. I'll get one of the men to ride with me."

Belle put up a brief argument, but it was clear she needed someone to support her spirits through the long hours of the night. Melody was certain she wouldn't sleep. If Blade was responsible for her brothers disappearance, it would be her fault. She didn't know how much more blame she could take right now.

The ride to Lantz's ranch was long and lonely. Speers rode with her. Since she drove the buggy while Speers rode horseback, it was impossible to talk. She had far too much time to think about all the things that had happened during the last weeks, the misconceptions, the things she'd done wrong, the chances she'd missed. It was a relief to reach Lantz's ranch.

He wasn't happy at being awakened in the middle of the night.

"What in the h.e.l.l did Belle mean, letting you out in the middle of the night?" he demanded. "If you get kidnapped again, you might not get away so easy."

"The boys are missing," Melody said, deciding this was not the time to explain about the kidnapping. "n.o.body can sleep until we find them."

"Well, they're not here."

"Where's Blade?"

"In bed where he's supposed to be."

"Are you sure? Did you see him yourself?"

"No. Why?"

"Chet believes Blade is responsible for the rustling, that he's stealing from us because he's mad at me for turning him down."

"That's a d.a.m.ned lie!" Lantz bellowed. "The d.a.m.ned rustlers steal from me, too."

"Chet believes Blade steals from you because he's mad at you for taking me away from him."

"I'll kill him for spreading tales like that about Blade. He got over you long ago. Besides, stealing from me is the same as stealing from himself."

"Chet says he might not see it that way if he is mad enough." "I warned you about that man," Lantz said. "I know you women can't help making fools of yourselves over a handsome cowboyit seems like Belle is set on being just as blind as youbut they're nothing but saddle b.u.ms. Yours has already left you. I don't suppose the one Belle's latched on to will stay much longer."

Melody already knew Lantz's opinion of Chet and Dan, and she wasn't interested in hearing it again. "I want to know where Blade is. If you won't tell me, I'll look for him myself."

Lantz seemed to forget his irritation at Chet and Dan in the face of Melody's suspicions about Blade. "Why are you so all-fired anxious to know where Blade is right now?" he thundered.

"Because I think he has something to do with the boys' disappearance."

"You're a fool," Lantz said. "It's a good thing we didn't get married."

Melody could hardly believe she'd actually considered marrying this man. She must have been a complete idiot when she arrived from Virginia. "I don't care what you think of me, Lantz. I want to know if Blade is here. If you won't tell me, I'll get the sheriff out here."

"You starting blabbing your foolish accusations about town and I'll"

"It might save a whole lot of talking if you went to see if your boy is in his bed," Speers said.

"Don't you start telling me what to do, you two-bit piece of cow dung!" Lantz bellowed.

Speers pulled his gun. "You want me to drop him right here, Miss Jordan?"

Melody should have been used to the appearance of a gun by now, but she wasn't. "No. I just want him to see if Blade is here." "his papa seems reluctant. Do you think he'll stick his head out if I put a bullet through his bedroom window?"

"You'll just get us shot. I'll go look."

"You're not setting foot in my house!" Lantz bellowed. "I'll have Blade out here to tell you himself what he thinks of you and your accusations."

When Lantz didn't return right away, Melody knew her suspicions were confirmed. Blade was not in the house. "Let's go back," she said to Speers, unwilling to wait for Lantz to confirm what she already knew. "We have to keep looking for them tonight. I don't trust Blade not to do something terrible."

But all the way back to the ranch she couldn't think of anybody but Chet. If he were here, he'd find the boys. If he were here, everything would be all right.

But he wasn't, so it was up to her to find them. She had ridden over most of the ranch with Chet. She knew it far better than Dan. Besides, if she found Blade, she might have a chance of talking him into letting the boys go. If he saw a stranger, or a large group of cowhands, he might do something desperate. That thought petrified her. She would have to go alone.

Chapter Twenty.

Melody could feel the air cool the minute she dropped to the canyon floor. It would be chilly until the sun came up. She shivered. She wasn't used to riding across open country in the dark. Even for a woman brought up on a farm, it was a frightening experience. She'd had to saddle her horse herself. She'd already stopped twice to tighten the cinch.

She wished she'd been able to ask someone to come with her. Sometimes she could barely see her hand in front of her face. Very little moonlight reached the bottom of the canyon. When it narrowed and the walls closed in, it grew darker still. Occasionally, overhanging tree branches turned the trail into inky blackness. If she hadn't been able to depend on her horse, she'd have lost the trail long ago.

She didn't know how she was going to find where Blade was hiding the boys. She didn't imagine she'd be lucky enough for one of them to see her and give a shout. Blade was too smart to leave them where they could attract the attention of the first person to pa.s.s by. She hoped they were all right. Any man willing to kidnap two innocent boys because a woman didn't want to marry him was unstable.

At times Melody even wondered if Blade had the boys, if she hadn't made this up out of her feelings of guilt. She'd tried very hard to find another explanation, but she always came back to Blade.

Chet had told her there were several caves in the canyon walls. He'd also said there was a trail up the other side, but she didn't know where to find either. She'd asked Speers about them, but he said he'd never seen the caves or the trail out. Melody was certain they were there. Chet was never wrong.

A sound caused Melody to pull her horse to a stop. But after several minutes, the silence remained unbroken. Probably some small rodent looking for seeds. Maybe a coyote moving among the brush in search of its dinner. She had nothing to fear from either, but she couldn't forget there were steers and bulls in this canyon that might not like having their sleep interrupted. Chet had told her never to expect them to act like the cows on her aunt's farm. They were wild animals, used to fending for themselves against wolves and other predators. If they thought they were in danger, they'd attack.

A shiver of fear raced along her spine, but she rode on. Every time the horse's stride caused the saddle to shift under her, she wondered if she'd pulled the cinch tight enough, if she'd be dumped on the ground any minute. She didn't care to be left on foot this far from the ranch.

She thought of Belle and Bernice waking up to find she wasn't in the house. They'd be upset despite the note she'd left explaining where she'd gone and why, but she couldn't wait. She had a terrible feeling that if they waited until morning, it would be too late.

She tried not to think of the times she'd come to this canyon with Chet. She tried equally hard not to think of what things would be like if he were here now. He was gone. She'd driven him away. She had to get used to that.

Another sound broke the silence of the night. Again she was unable to see anything in the dark, but she had the uncomfortable feeling that something was following her. Chet had told her that her horse would sense danger long before she did. Its head up, its ears p.r.i.c.ked, her mount seemed as calm as ever.

As she rode deeper into the canyon, Melody grew more and more certain she was being followed. She had no idea why or by what. She considered turning around, but it seemed best to keep going, to hope whatever was trailing her would lose interest and give up. Tom had once said he was certain there were cougars in this canyon. Speers said he was wrong, but Melody wasn't worried about its being a cat. It was making too much noise. Besides, her horse appeared interested, not frightened.

That meant it was a man. But who?

The rustlers!

She'd been so busy worrying about her brothers, she'd forgotten Chet said the rustlers used this canyon as an escape route. She was probably riding down the trail they used to take their stolen cattle out of the county. Knowing Luke and Chet thought Blade was responsible for the rustlers didn't help. While she might have some influence over Blade, she didn't expect the rustlers would care who she was, only that she was in their way, about to discover their hideout. They would be interested only in silencing her.

Melody suddenly realized she'd been very foolish to ride out alone in the middle of the night. If she'd been so certain they couldn't wait, she should have tried to convince Dan of the danger. She was certain Speers and several of the cowhands would have ridden with her despite their exhaustion.

Almost without knowing it, she urged her horse into a canter. When she could hear the horse behind her coming closer, she knew she was being followed. She urged her horse into a gallop, but it was too late. A rider swooped down out of the darkness, grabbed her reins, and pulled her mount to a halt. Melody tried to fight him off with her riding crop, but he easily jerked it out of her grasp and tossed it aside.

Her captor turned, and she found herself staring into the face of Blade Royal.

Her sense of relief was short-lived. This wasn't the young man who only a few months earlier had professed his undying love, who had begged her to marry him despite the fact he was a month younger than she. This was an angry man who looked very pleased at having frightened her quite badly. But she was determined he wouldn't know it.

"Let go of my reins, Blade." He acted as if he hadn't heard her.

"Did you bring him?" he asked.

"Bring who?"

"Your gunfighter."

"What do you want Chet for?"

"I'm going to kill him."

"Well, you won't do it by waiting for him in this canyon. He's gone."

"Where'd he go?"

"I don't know. He wouldn't tell me."

He grabbed her by the throat. It happened so fast, she couldn't have stopped him.

"You're lying. He's here somewhere. Tell me where, or I'll choke you."

Blade placed his thumb over her windpipe and began to squeeze.

"If you choke me, I won't be able to tell you what I do know," she managed to say before the pressure cut off her voice. When she began to grow dizzy, she thought he was going to kill her anyway, but he suddenly released the pressure. She put her hand to her throat to try to rub away the pain.

"Now tell me where he is. The next time I won't stop."

"I don't know. You can kill me, but you won't learn any more than that."

"You're in love with him. He wouldn't pa.s.s up a chance of getting his hands on a ranch like the Spring Water. Did you know my father's gunfighter is his brother?"

"I found out when we were in town."