was equally shocked at hearing the length of traveling time. “We sleep here,” she defended. “The porter said the seats become beds and beds fold down from above. Curtains are pulled for privacy. I shall take the top. We’ll be quite comfortable.”
Nate settled himself in the seat. “When did you leave England?” he asked Hester.
“If you don’t mind, my wife needs rest,” Ann said in a less than friendly tone.
“I feel fine now, Albert.” Hester smiled sweetly. “My husband worries about me,” she told Nate, teasingly acting as if it were a confidentiality.
Blood surged through Ann’s veins when the stranger gave her a knowing smile, then a sense of disappointment followed when he dismissed her and turned his attention back to Hester. This was ridiculous! She didn’t even know the man.
Hester smiled at the deliciously handsome man. “We left England nearly five months ago.”
“You didn’t tell me your name,” Nate said.
Her cheeks dimpled. “Hester Potter. This is my husband, Albert.”
Nate nodded.
Worried at Hester so easily handing out information, Ann tried to give the woman a pinch on the hip as a reminder of their plight. Unfortunately there was too much material clumped together for her to reach her target, and a verbal reminder would draw attention.
“You must be traveling home to be with your wife and children,” Hester said matter-of-factly. She intended to find out right off if the gentleman was married.
“I’m not married.”
“How interesting. Why would you want to leave New York and go west?”
“I have a small ranch near the Arizona Territory.”
As the stranger and Hester continued their conversation, Ann was wishing she could warn Hester of the stranger’s uncouth nature. He’d proven that when he’d stood in the middle of the depot kissing that woman goodbye! And such a kiss. Why, she’d never allow any man -to kiss her in such an unacceptable manner.
Ann looked out the window to see if there were any Indians yet, and discovered she could see Mr. Bishop’s reflection in the glass. His face was strong, with chiseled features, and his even, white teeth were a pleasing contrast to-his bronzed skin. The set of his shoulders indicated a man of confidence. He smiled easily and was friendly, but there was also an unmistakable air of danger about him. Ann suddenly realized that Mr. Bishop was also looking at the window. Had he sensed her watching him? She placed her head against the back of the seat, and the image disappeared. How could she be attracted to such a man? After putting up with Edmund’s abuse, she had thought she would never want to look at a man again. Yet just now, she had actually been staring at Mr. Bishop. No, she couldn’t call him that. She should call him Nate. Men generally used another man’s first name.
The following morning, Nate sat with his head back and his hat over his face, trying to catch up on his sleep-or lack of. He had already ascertained that the upper Pullman berths were definitely not constructed for a man his size. It was like trying to sleep on a narrow plank. With his back to the wall, the movement of the train had nearly caused him to fall forward on several occasions. Turned the other way, he was certain he would roll backward off the confounded thing.
Hearing the conductor announce that the train would be stopping shortly for breakfast, Nate shoved his hat to the back of his head and straightened up.
“Good morning,” a sweet female voice acknowledged.
“Mornin’,” he replied to the English lady.
After tying back the curtains, Hester and Ann took their seats. Though Hester had managed to sound cheerful, she wasn’t yet fully awake. Ann made a point of not even looking at Nate. She found him to be entirely too unnerving. Instead of worrying about his effect on her, she should be worrying about making it to Beau’s before Hester had her baby. Still, it would help if Nate would remain silent for the remainder of their trip.
“I thought you might want to know that when a train stops at stations for meals,” Nate said, “you’ll only have a short time to eat.”
Ann squeezed her eyes shut. She should have known her wish wouldn’t be granted.
“Why?” Hester asked.
“It’s a crooked deal, but there’s nothing the passengers can do about it. You see, the cost of a meal is always collected first. On some trains, the conductor will have the passengers board the train the minute the food is placed in front of them. The plates are then collected and handed out again when the next train stops. The conductor gets his share of the take.”
“You mean the meal is served over and over again?”
“Exactly. Of course that isn’t always true, but it is a guaranteed fact that none of the food along the way is eatable. Nevertheless, to ensure time to eat, I suggest you exit the car as quickly as possible.”
“We have managed quite nicely without your assistance,” Ann admonished. As she had explained to Hester last night, they had to keep their distance from others. Though they had possibly escaped Matthew’s watchdogs, they didn’t need word getting out that an English couple had been traveling west and the woman was in a family way.
Twenty minutes later Nate and other more experienced travelers jumped from the train before the wheels even came to a grinding halt.
It wasn’t until Nate had gulped down the last bite of food on his plate that Mr. and Mrs. Potter made a leisurely entrance into the eatery.
“All aboard!” the conductor yelled.
Obviously skinny Albert needed all the food he could manage, and in Hester’s condition, she could use a meal, also. Nevertheless, Nate thoroughly enjoyed the shocked looked on the couple’s faces when the conductor yelled “All aboard!” the second time. Nate considered it ample payment for their ignoring his earlier warning.
Nate went out the doorway, stepped up the steel stairs and into the Pullman car. From here on, the smartest thing he could do would be to keep his counsel to himself.
He took his seat, then watched the other passengers board the train. He wanted nothing more to do with the Potters. He didn’t care for Albert’s barbed tongue. He’d already felt its cutting edge twice. But it was Hester who bothered him the most. She brought back memories of another gentle, pregnant woman he’d known years ago. Memories he thought he’d long since suppressed.
With no more than a wink of an eye, his mind turned back time and Bright Moon’s lovely face came to mind. He had married the Cheyenne princess and had lived with her honorably. Life had been good then.
Nate’s eyes focused on the British couple returning to their seats. They seemed such a mismatched pair. Albert looked too young to be Hester’s husband. His face was far too pretty for a man. Hell, he looked as if he should still be in a crib. His skin was as smooth as a baby’s behind, and it was hard to believe it had ever seen the edge of a straight razor. And that ridiculous mustache Albert was sporting looked as if it were part bear. Did Albert honestly think others would believe it was real? While Albert was tall and lithe, Nate estimated Hester to be only about five feet tall. Other
