Page 110 of The Enchanted Land

They sat quietly as Martin served dinner.

“Tell us about yourself, Dave. You said you’d been in the West for some time.”

“Yes, Mr. Blake, do tell us about your life. You must have done a great manyveryinteresting things.” Her voice was close to a sneer.

Gordon was embarrassed. She was really carrying her dislike too far. He would talk to her after dinner. He didn’t like having a guest mistreated.

Morgan ignored the looks she was getting from Gordon.

“There’s not much to tell, really. For the last two and a half years, I’ve been working in the gold fields in California.”

“The gold fields! I’ve lost several men to gold fever. I considered going myself, at one time.”

“It’s not a pleasant way to live. Dirty, and the work’s almost unbearable at times.”

“You seemed to have enjoyed it. You stayed for over two years. That’s a long time; a lot of things can happen in two years.” She looked at Gordon affectionately.

“Yes, whole lives can be created in that amount of time.”

She knew he meant Adam. He had not taken her meaning. “People can start new lives, if old ones are finished.”

Seth merely smiled.

“Well, this conversation is becoming too philosophical for my poor Indian brain.”

“Indian?”

“There now, I’ve told the house secret. My mother is a Comanche. But I know little about the Indian way of life. My mother left me when I was a baby and returned to her people.”

Morgan looked up at Gordon, her eyes gentle. “But there are times when you make a very convincing Indian, Sky Eyes.” Her voice was low, caressing.

Gordon was puzzled. You would have thought they were sharing a lover’s joke. He laughed, but he was confused.

Morgan turned to Seth. He was smiling placidly, as if he hadn’t even noticed.

Seth was now listening to Gordon, and Morgan was able to look at Seth, unobserved. His broad shoulders and thick chest were clothed in rough cottons. He was not clumsy at all, sitting amidst the silver and porcelain. When one large hand carried a fragile crystal glass to his lips, she wondered at the ease with which he controlled his strength so the glass didn’t break. His shirt was open at the throat and showed blond curling hair on his chest. She remembered the color of his skin, a great expanse of dark honey and then lighter below his waist. His thighs were so muscular. She even remembered his toes. She shuddered.

“Morgan, are you cold?”

“No, not at all.” She tried to make her voice light. At all costs, she must avoid Seth’s eyes.

“What is this dessert?” Seth asked.

Gordon turned to Morgan for the answer. “Babas au rhum,”she murmured.

“Ah, yes, now I remember.”

“Are you familiar with French cuisine, Dave?”

“Yes, somewhat. I had a brief encounter with the food once. I grew quite attached to it.”

“Morgan plans all the menus and often cooks a lot of the food. You should taste her breakfasts—they are really delicious.”

“I should love to share Mrs. Colter’s breakfast.” He looked at her across the top of a delicate porcelain cup. His eyes dropped from her face to her breasts.

Morgan stopped her hand midway before it flew to cover herself. He had no right to look at her like that! It was as if she were completely naked. She looked to Gordon for defense from the animal across from her. But he was busy with his dessert and had seen none of their exchange.

The meal was finally at an end, and Morgan realized her body ached from tension. She wanted to relax now, to be alone.

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