Page 12 of Wagon Train Redemption
A long, impatient sigh rushed from Ruby. “I wish Robert would have stayed, but no, he said his duty was to go with the horses.”
“It was.”
“I know but I miss him.”
“Carson says we’ll be at the fort in a week if all goes well.” Angela kept her attention on the dancing leaves overhead.
The air shifted as Ruby sat up. “Carson wanted to know about your parents. I said all I knew was they had died. I suggested if he wanted to know more, he should ask you.” She lay down again, shifting her skirt to cover her legs.
“Why does he want to know?” Angela managed to sound curious rather than annoyed.
“I can’t say. Maybe because he’s a Mountie. Like Robert, they have to check out every detail.” Ruby sat up again and looked down on Angela. “Or it could be because he’s Carson. He always was nosy.”
“I suppose.”
“Angela, if you don’t want him asking about you, tell him it’s none of his business.”
“That’s what I mean to do.” She propped herself up on her elbows, ignoring the twig digging into her arm, the man far more annoying. Where was he, anyway?
“He’s with the oxen.” Ruby stretched out with her eyes closed. “Go find him.”
Angela didn’t move.
“You can either tell him to cease and desist or answer his questions. I know my brother. He’ll keep probing until he finds somedeep dark secret.”
Angela’s hands spasmed. “What makes you think there are secrets?”
“Look. I’m sorry you lost your parents. But you are now my sister. I don’t need to know anything else.” Her eyes still closed, Ruby waved a hand. “Go find him.”
“I will.” Angela ducked from under the low-hanging branch and skirted the trees as she went toward the pond where the oxen, having drunk their full and satisfied their hunger on the grass, now rested.
The air hummed with insects. Ducks swam across the water, quacking to each other. Fluffy white clouds reflected on the surface. The scene was so peaceful, she didn’t want to disturb it.
“Hello.” Carson’s soft voice came from her right.
Very well. This was it. Time to make a few things clear.
“Carson, I don’t like you asking questions about me.”
Four
Carson didn’t like having to crane his neck to talk to her, but he didn’t plan to get to his feet. Facing each other felt too much like a confrontation.
“Oh, why is that?”
“Because going behind my back is underhanded.”
He shaded his eyes, facing the pair of ducks circling the water. “Would you prefer I direct my questions to you?”
“No. I’d prefer you don’t ask questions. What is it you are trying to find out?”
Only because all was quiet around them did he hear the pain in her voice that proved something hurtful lurked in her past. Well, besides the death of her parents, and that was no secret. He rose to study her. One might think that hard look was one of warning.
But he wondered if it wasn’t one of defense.
“I’m only wanting to understand why you were so upset about the idea of marriage.”
Her head rocked back and forth. “I’m not opposed to marriage.” Green shards glittered in her eyes. “Only to the notion that I don’t have a choice in who I marry.”
