Drew (The Cowboys) (29 page)

Sibyl tried to steer Cole in the direction of a group of young couples heading toward the dance floor. “You’ll have to excuse me tonight,” he said. “I’ve got to see that young woman over there.”

Drew had hung back as her aunt greeted one hostess after another. She kept her head high, but she seemed to see no one in the room. Cole’s heart felt lighter, his mood more buoyant. It was an unlikely attitude for a woman determined to insinuate herself into society, but it was entirely consistent with the Drew he had come to know.

“Have you succumbed to the charms of the newest heiress, too?” Sibyl asked, her face tight with her effort to keep desperation at bay.

“I don’t know. That’s not the role she was playing the last time I saw her.”

Sibyl’s expression eased; her grip on Cole’s arm didn’t. “Does this have something to do with your mysterious job? I’ve asked your mother to tell me about it, but she refuses.”

“Mother is ashamed of me.”

Sibyl took a moment to give Drew a complete going-over. “She doesn’t look like a savage or a criminal.”

“Looks can be deceiving.”

“You really have to talk to her?” Everything about her expression and voice said she hoped he would change his mind.

“Yes. Right away.”

Not being fool enough to push when she knew it was useless, Sibyl released her hold on Cole’s arm. “Then I won’t detain you any longer. But you must promise to hurry back and tell me every delicious detail.”

“You know I can’t do that.”

Sibyl pulled a face. “Nobody here ever has anything interesting to say.” She flashed him a brilliant smile. “I was depending on you to rescue me from a very dull evening.”

“How can it be dull when you’re the most beautiful woman here?”

“Very easily when you’re also one of the poorest. Go chase after your mystery woman. Maybe she’s got a gun hidden in her purse.” She giggled. “Maybe she’ll shoot you. That ought to liven up the evening.”

“Nothing nearly so interesting.”

Cole hurried across the room before anyone else could waylay him. He came up to Drew while she was being introduced to a matron and daughter who obviously felt Drew was several notches below them on the social scale. He waited until the women had left, then tapped Drew on the shoulder. She swung around to face him.

“I never expected to find you in a place like this,” Cole said.

“Cole!” Drew exclaimed.

Cole saw excitement in her eyes and pleasure in her expression, heard welcome in her voice.

At that moment, he was lost.

Chapter Seventeen

“I never expected to see you at a society party,” Drew said. “How in the world did you manage to wangle an invitation?”

“I could ask you the same thing.”

“My aunt dragged me here.”

“I thought your family was in Texas.”

“This is my
real
aunt, my mother’s sister. Every time I visit, Aunt Dorothea does her best to drag me off to some affair like this. Thank goodness you’re here. It’s a relief to have someone to talk to besides people who obviously think they’re better than I am. We can be outsiders together.”

“Why would your aunt bring you here?” He hoped she’d deny the rumors, the gossip that had caused suspicion to spring up in his heart yet again.

“She’s convinced if I meet some nice young man, I’ll give up my crazy idea of owning my own ranch. She can’t understand why anyone would want to live in Texas.”

“I didn’t realize you were part of society. What do they think about your being in the Wild West Show?”

“They don’t know, but it doesn’t matter. I’m not part of society and don’t want to be. Besides, I’ll probably never see any of these people again.”

“But if—”

“My aunt lives in New York, but she follows me around the country trying to convince me to give up my foolish ways.”

“You’ve got me confused. I thought your family was killed, and you were adopted.”

“They were, and I was, but my aunt found me a year later. She wanted me to live with her, but I wanted to stay with Jake and Isabelle. Now she follows me everywhere. I see her practically every month. Please don’t say a word about New Orleans. Jake and Isabelle are coming with some friends of theirs, George and Rose Randolph, and I want to spend my time with them.”

“You didn’t tell me your aunt was rich.”

Drew seemed to stiffen. “What difference does that make?”

“If your pearls are real, that necklace alone could buy a dozen ranches. Why are you working in a traveling show?”

“I intend to pay for my own ranch,” Drew said, a sharp edge to her voice. “I wore these pearls to keep my aunt from breaking into tears and ruining her makeup. She tried to give them to me, but I wouldn’t take them. Jake and Isabelle wanted to give me a ranch, but I wouldn’t take that, either. I mean to be entirely independent.”

“Is your independence that important?”

“More important than anything else. My parents were so determined to be independent they ran away, even though it cost them their lives. I guess it’s in my blood.”

Cole could feel a ball of tension in his stomach unravel. Drew didn’t sound at all like a young woman stealing money to have the means to thrust herself into society so she could find a rich husband. On the contrary, she seemed determined to turn her back on a life of wealth and privilege.

“My aunt’s coming back,” Drew said. “Pretend you’ve come to ask me to dance.”

“But I don’t want to dance.”

“I don’t either. But if I don’t dance with you, she’ll drive me crazy until I dance with one of the stupid young men she picks out. Last night it was a fool by the name of Ashby. I forget his first name.”

“Hunter.”

“That sounds right. I really don’t care what his name is. Oh God, he’s here tonight. I don’t want him to see me.”

“I’ve never seen you afraid of a man before.”

“He’s not a man. If he were, I could shoot him.”

“Is that the only way you know to handle men—to shoot them?”

“It works.”

“If you want to drive them off.”

“What else would I want to do? Now stop arguing and let me introduce you to my aunt. And no matter what you do, don’t mention that we work in the show together.”

Cole found it surprising, but amusing and comforting as well, that there was someone in the world Drew couldn’t run over without a backward glance.

“I see you’ve managed to capture the most attractive man in the room already,” Dorothea Rutland said when she approached. “I told you you’d find a nice man.”

“He’s an outsider like me,” Drew said. “That’s the only reason I’m talking to him. He used to work in Texas. You can’t imagine how happy I was to find him here.”

Cole told himself not to attach too much importance to Drew’s words. Or her smiling welcome. She didn’t see him as a lover, only a kindred soul in the foreign world of high society.

Dorothea looked Cole over from head to foot. “He doesn’t look like a cowboy to me.”

“I’m not,” Cole said. “I worked with the Rangers.”

Dorothea looked horrified. “That’s worse than being a cowboy.”

“I quit,” Cole said.

“What do you do now?” Dorothea asked, still withholding her approval.

“I’ve just quit my old job. I haven’t begun anything new yet.” It was close to the truth. He had quit trying to prove Drew was a thief and was about to start trying to prove she was innocent.

“What is your name?”

“Cole Benton,” Cole replied.

“And we’re about to dance,” Drew said before her aunt could ask another question. “You can interrogate him later.” She practically dragged him out on the floor.

“I told you I don’t like to dance.”

“Hunter Ashby is coming our way. Unless you want me to create a scene, you’ll dance with me.”

For a moment, Cole was tempted to see what would happen. The thought of what his mother and her friends would do caused him to chuckle, but he chose the safe way out. His mother would never forgive him if he was involved in a scandal.

“You dance very well,” Cole said after a few moments.

“You sound surprised.”

“Since you despise everything most women enjoy, I thought dancing would be included.”

“I had ten brothers. Isabelle insisted they all learn to dance. I was the only sister, so they danced with me.”

“You dance like you had a professional dance master.”

“Isabelle was brought up in society. She had the dance master.”

“I’m glad to know she put her knowledge to good use.”

“The boys didn’t think so. You should have heard the complaining. But that stopped when Jake told them there weren’t many chances for a man to hold a pretty woman real close without some male relative putting a gun to his head and asking his intentions.”

Not being one to miss an opening, Cole held Drew a little closer. “Your Jake sounds like a very practical fella. Intelligent, too.”

“Jake is just about the smartest man in the world.”

Drew didn’t seem to mind his holding her close. He figured if he could keep her talking, she might even rest her head on his shoulder.

“Smarter than me?” Cole asked.

“Lots smarter,” Drew responded without hesitation. “A bunch of low-down farmers just about cleaned him out while he was away at the war. He not only outsmarted them, he now owns more than a hundred thousand acres. Jake says you can’t afford to squat on land anymore. If you don’t own it, somebody will steal it out from under you.”

Cole found it difficult to concentrate on Jake or be interested in his economic policies. He’d managed to hold Drew so close her breasts rubbed against his chest. The contact was slight and fleeting, but the results were significant and lasting. He hadn’t forgotten the feel of her body against his own that night down by the river. Nor had he forgotten the taste of her kisses. He wanted to crush her in his embrace and smother her with kisses. He wouldn’t have cared if all the self-important guests had been outraged, but he knew Drew would be mortified. He had all evening. He would find some way to steal a few moments alone with her.

The music came to an end. Cole had some idea of dancing with Drew again—in fact, he wanted to monopolize her entire evening—but his mother had other plans. She sent Sibyl to intercept him almost before he left the dance floor.

“Cole, darling, your mother needs you this instant. I’m not certain she’s entirely well.”

His mother was never well when people weren’t doing what she wanted them to do. It was a ploy she used often. Unfortunately, it still worked.

“I’d like you to meet Miss Drew Townsend,” Cole said to Sibyl.

“How do you do, Miss Townsend. I don’t mean to seem rude, but Cole needs to return to his mother immediately.”

“Of course,” Drew responded. “I wouldn’t think of keeping him. I’m tired of dancing anyway.”

“But you’ve only danced one dance,” Sibyl pointed out.

“One too many as far as I’m concerned,” Drew replied. “You’d better hurry to your mama, Cole. I’d have been long gone if Isabelle had taken a bad turn.”

Cole knew it was pointless to attempt to explain that his mother’s bad turn was merely bad manners. “Save me another dance,” he said.

“She just said she doesn’t like to dance,” Sibyl reminded him. “It’s rude to force a girl when she doesn’t want to.”

“I doubt the men here will allow her to languish in a corner. I just want to make sure I get my share of dances.”

“If you see Hunter Ashby heading my way, get over here as fast as you can,” Drew said, looking about her like a pursued animal. “I considered hiding a gun in this dress, but the danged thing doesn’t have a pocket. I could have put one in my leather purse, but my aunt said it was
unsuitable.
You can’t even hide a pocket gun in this thing.” She held up her evening purse. Her expression clearly said she considered the elegant cream silk reticule worse than useless.

“What an odd thing to say,” Sibyl said. “Miss Townsend grew up in Texas,” Cole explained. “She’s used to defending herself against rustlers and other marauders.”

“How terrible. I’m sure you’re relieved to be in Memphis.”

“I can’t wait to get back to Texas,” Drew said.

Sibyl’s smile was as broad and brilliant as it was insincere. “I hope you’ll be able to return soon. Now, Cole, you really must go to your mother.”

“Tell her I hope she feels better,” Drew said.

“What a quaint girl,” Sibyl said as she watched Drew walk back toward her aunt “I can’t imagine who she expects will marry her.”

“Apparently Hunter Ashby has designs in that direction.”

“His mother would never let him marry a female of that type.”

Cole came to an abrupt stop. His hand shot out, grasped Sibyl by the arm, and spun her around. “And exactly what type of female is she?”

Sibyl reacted with surprise and outrage, but she quickly got her anger under control. Cole figured her family’s financial situation must be truly desperate. Sibyl was known for her imperious temper.