was determined."




"Why? " "Because I was born a lady."




"I know you're a lady, " he replied, smiling.




"No, you don't understand. I was born Lady Grace Winthrop. The title


carries certain responsibilities, and I would shame my parents if I


didn't honor their wishes." Daniel was intrigued by the vast cultural


differences between the two of them. What was important in England


didn't matter at all in the United States.




"Titles don't mean anything here."




"I know, " she said. "What is important here? Money? " "To some, "


he allowed.




"What's important to you? " "Honor."




"But that's exactly what I was trying to say. My honor is at stake. I


must do the right thing."




"A man's word is more important in the United States than his position


in society."




"Being responsible is extremely important to me, " she countered. "I


have specific duties."




"Like getting yourself hitched to a man with money and power? " "If it


will help my family, then yes.




" "You don't like it much, do you, Grace? " She refused to answer


him.




"No, you don't like it much at all, " he said. "You wouldn't have


asked for a stay of execution if you agreed with your parents. Do you


love the man they've chosen for you? " "I'm sure I'll learn to love


him. He seems a decent sort."




"Seems decent? " She blushed. "I don't know him well. In fact, I've


only met him once.




I was introduced to him at a charity ball, and I'll admit he didn't


make much of an impression on me. I shouldn't be talking like this,


should I? " "There's nothing wrong with being honest, " he told her.




"You must have made quite an impression on him."




"It seems I did, " she said. "He sent a note to my father the very


next day requesting an audience. Mother told me Nigel fell in love


with me immediately, but I don't believe that nonsense."




"I'll wager it was lust at first sight.




" "I don't think we should talk about this anymore. It seems to upset


you."




"I'm not upset, " he snapped. "It just seems so barbaric of your


father."




"Daniel, arranged marriages are customary in some societies."




"And you're a dutiful daughter." Her spine stiffened.




"As a matter of fact, I am. It was quite wonderful of my parents to


give me a year's . . . " "Reprieve? " "Sabbatical, " she corrected.




"They wanted me to have the chance of fulfilling my dream. They have


tremendous faith in me." His blue eyes bored into her. "But you don't


have much faith in yourself, do you, Grace? " "Of course I do.




" "Then why are you giving up so easily? " "Because I'm going to


Texas, " she answered. "I cannot be in two places at once. I've


already used up four months, and going to Texas might take as much as


two more. I won't have much of a life until you've caught all of the


members of that horrible gang, because you're going to insist on


protecting me and that might take you months and months."




"You're giving up, " he repeated.




He was hitting too close to the mark, and she didn't like that one


bit.




He was making her acknowledge what she had been trying to ignore. As


soon as the road became bumpy, she was ready to quit.




"I'm not a quitter."




"It seems to me that you are."




"Oh, what do you know? Things are different for you."




"Because I live in the United States."




"Because you're a man, " she said. "You don't ever have to get married


unless you want to, and I sincerely doubt that will ever happen. You


aren't the type to settle down and raise a family." He shifted his


position on the bench so his legs could have more room to stretch


out.




"I was married." She was astonished. "You were? " He nodded. "For


almost seven years. We had a daughter named Bridget." She didn't ask


him any more questions, but the silence didn't make him


uncomfortable.




He didn't know why he felt compelled to tell her about his past, but


the words wouldn't stay locked inside of him any longer.




"They're both dead . . . two years now."




"I'm so sorry."




"Yeah.




So am I. " He sounded as though he had been talking about strangers,


for all the emotion in his voice, but the pain was there in his eyes,


and it was devastating. She wanted to go to him and take him into her


arms and give him what small comfort she could, and the only reason she


didn't was because she knew he wouldn't accept it.




She didn't want him to see how shaken she was, and so she turned to


look out the window again.




She didn't speak again for several minutes, and then she asked, "What


was your wife's name? " "Kathleen."




"It's a beautiful name. You loved her very much, didn't you, Daniel?




" "Yes, " he answered without hesitation. "I loved her. I still "Do


you think you'll ever marry again? " "No, " he answered.




"In time . . . " He shook his head. "Don't tell me that time heals.




" She didn't understand why he had suddenly become so antagonistic. "I


wasn't going to say that."




"Then what were you going to say? " "That in time you'll be able to


smile when you think of Kathleen and Bridget because you'll remember


the joyous times you had with them. The pain won't ever go away, but


it will lessen."




"How the hell would you know? " She tried to ignore his hostility. "I


don't know firsthand.




It's only a hope I have for you."




"It's hot in here, isn't it? " She agreed with a nod as she reached


over to unlatch the lock on the window. She pushed and prodded but


couldn't get the window up. "I think it's been sealed shut." Daniel


reached over, gave the frame one good push, and the window opened. A


hot breeze rushed into the compartment.




"Tell me, what was Kathleen like? " Grace asked.




"Why? " "I'm curious, that's all." Daniel propped his feet up on the


bench next to Grace, leaned back, and closed his eyes. His arms were


folded across his chest, and he looked as though he was going to


sleep.




"She was the complete opposite of you, " he answered. "In appearance


and in disposition."




"What did she look like? " "She was tall and had brown hair and brown


eyes, and lots of freckles, " he added. "She worried about her weight


all the time, but she didn't need to because she was perfect just the


way she was. Kathleen was a beautiful woman, inside and out. So was


our daughter. She looked just like her mother.




" Several minutes went by in silence before Grace asked another


question.




"How did you meet her? " "I stopped by her father's farm on my way


into Dillon, and she was working in the garden. She was down on her


knees pulling weeds with the sun beating down on her, and all she had


to do was look up at me and smile. I think I fell in love with her


then and there."




"I love to garden, " Grace said, believing that she and Kathleen shared


a common interest after all. "I had the most beautiful cutting


flowers, all the colors of the rainbow." Daniel shook his head.




"Kathleen's garden was filled with vegetables.




She was raised on a farm, and she didn't have time to grow flowers.




They raised crops so they could put food on the table. You were raised


in the city, weren't you? " "We had a house in the country too, " she


said. "We would go there when the heat in the city became


unbearable.




" He scoffed at the notion. "Kathleen wasn't privileged, and she sure


didn't have time to worry about the heat or society. She worked from


dawn to dusk, no matter what the weather. She didn't have a closet


full of fancy ball gowns, but what she did have was honor and courage


and loyalty."




"And I don't? Is that what you're telling me, Daniel?




You said that Kathleen and I are complete opposites. She had honor,


and I don't? " "I'm just saying you're different." She stared into


his eyes and asked, "Did you mean to hurt me on purpose? " He didn't


answer her. She looked out the window so he wouldn't see how he had


wounded her with his backhanded insults. What had she done to make him


think so little of her, she wondered, and why did his opinion of her


matter so much?




She squeezed her eyes shut to keep from crying. If he saw a single


tear, she was sure he'd think she was a weakling, and she wasn't weak,


she was strong. Granted, she had never plowed a field before or


planted a vegetable garden, but that didn't mean she couldn't.




Getting angry lessened the hurt. How dare he make such sweeping


judgments about her.




"I'm sorry, Grace. I didn't mean to insult you." She didn't look at


him when she replied. "Yes, you did."




"Damn it, you aren't going to cry, are you? " She glared at him. "No,


I'm not, " she snapped.




"Just don't lie to me. You meant to hurt me, and the very least you


could do is admit it."




"Fine. I meant to hurt you. Close the window, will you? It's getting