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her back. "And why do you think I wouldn't look for it with Crystal?" he taunted. "She might not mind
the scars in the dark, you know, and she's not inhibited, either." Her face blazed wildly. She whirled.
"Then why don't you try your luck, Rawhide Man?" she challenged with burning eyes and a cool
smile. "She likes men with money." "All the better, if she gives full value for it," he returned. He
moved toward his horse. "Never mind what I said about moving into my room and sleeping with me,"
he said when he was mounted and his hat was back in place.' 'You might cramp my style.'' She felt as if
she might explode. But with an effort she controlled herself and got back into the saddle, gripping the
reins tightly. "It's just as well," she said. "You probably snore." He looked as if she'd surprised him,
and he laughed unexpectedly. But before he could say anything she turned the horse and coaxed it into
a canter. She couldn't handle any more sarcasm from him right now, or any more threats about
Crystal. She was hurting too much.
Chapter Eight
That evening at the dinner table it was like old times for Bess as she sat quietly, picking at her food,
while Crystal held court. Her stepsister was charming, there was no doubt about that, she thought
miserably as she watched her. And Jude was responding to all that blond charm like a blind man just
able to see. "Want some more corn, Bess?" Katy asked, sounding concerned. She shook her head and
even managed a convincing smile. "No, thank you, darling."
"Daddy wasn't mad at you for going riding in your dress, was he?" Katy asked under her breath.
Remembering how it had been in the woods, Bess flushed to the roots of her hair. "Uh, no," she
whispered, and turned her total attention to her plate. "Bess, I said, 'Do you remember the Cochrans?'"
Crystal repeated. "I ran into them on the coast of France early in the year. Bert's in college, can you
imagine?" "That's very nice," Bess said, refusing to be drawn into the conversation. What was the use
anyway? It was Jude Crystal wanted to talk to, not her. She excused herself as soon as she could and
went upstairs with Katy, while Jude watched her from his chair with an intent stare. That night set the
pattern for the next few weeks, as Crystal settled in and enlisted Jude's aid in getting her affairs in
order. Apparently she'd invested some of her small inheritance from Carla and needed advice on how
to play the market. It was a nice excuse, Bess thought angrily, for her to get ude's attention as she
asked him question after question about finance and investments. For his part, Jude seemed to spend
most of his time away from home on business, and if he spoke to Bess at all, it was curtly, reluctantly.
He hardly ever looked at her these days, while he laughed and teased Crystal as if... as if she were his
real wife. "What is it like, living with Jude?" Crystal asked unexpectedly one afternoon during a rare
few minutes together. Bess glanced at her warily. "Why do you ask?" "I'm just making conversation.
Or trying to," came the exasperated reply. "Bess, I've been here just shy of a month, and we haven't
really talked yet! Can't we communicate with each other? If it's because of Carla, I realize I should
have shouldered more responsibility, but it's ages too late now. I can't help it that I was spoiled my
whole life, can I?" Bess looked away. She'd have loved a little of the spoiling that had always gone to
Crystal, with her finely honed beauty. "Being beautiful has its advantages," she murmured.
"And its disadvantages," came the bitter reply. "Has it ever occurred to you that I never know where I
am with men? Whether they want me because of me, or because of how I look? Beauty doesn't last,
Bess. It's gone in such a short time. And I don't have anything to show for all mine. Not a husband or
children or a future I want to look forward to." Do you want my husband? Bess almost asked. She
sighed wearily. "What about your French count?'' Crystal looked away, her features going rigid. "I
hate him." Bess almost asked what had gone wrong. She almost did, but the reticence of years made it
impossible for her to go that one step toward camaraderie. She didn't know how to approach Crystal.
She'd never tried. "You'll find someone else," Bess said instead. "Would you like some coffee?"
Crystal looked at her as if she desperately wanted to say something, but Bess's practiced coolness
wasn't encouraging. She laughed shortly. "Sure, I'd love some, is Jude coming home, by the way?"
Bess froze. "In a few days, I suppose. I'll have Aggie fix a tray," she murmured as she! left the room.
"What did I say now?" Crystal asked the coffee table with a sad smile. Bess paused in the hall to get
herself back together. Why didn't Crystal just go with Jude if she wanted his company so much? He'd
let her. She laughed until tears rolled: down her cheeks. He'd let Crystal go anywhere with him, and at
the same time, he wouldn't notice Bess if she dropped dead at| his feet! "Bess?" Crystal, hearing the
unfamilar sound of weeping, had come to the door and was standing aghast at the sight of her
normally composed stepsister in tears. Bess dried the tears with the hem of her 1 blouse. "Sorry," she
muttered, "I...think about Carla sometimes," she lied, letting it go at that. "I know you miss her,
darling,' Crystal said gently.' 'I miss her too. I don't I realized just how much I cared until it was to late
to tell her.''
She reached out toward Bess, but drew back before her fingers could make contact. "Say, you don't
really mind my staying, do you? Or getting Jude to help me with this financial tangle I'm in?" "Of
course not," Bess said with magnificent carelessness. Crystal, taking the statement at face value,
relaxed. "Thank goodness. I mean, I hoped you weren't jealous or anything." Which intimated that she
had reason to be. Crystal couldn't have missed the coolness between husband and wife, the pointed
way they had avoided each other ever since that wild afternoon in the woods. "I'll get the coffee," Bess
said tautly. Crystal stared after her quietly. Her lovely face was strained. The day Jude came home
Katy and Aggie had gone with Crystal to shop in San Antonio. Bess was sitting in the porch swing
alone when he drove up, and her stupid heart went wild at the sight of him. He walked up the steps as
if he was bone tired, his attache' case held firmly in one lean hand.
"Isn't it a little early in the year for swinging?" he asked curtly. She was wearing his leather jacket
with jeans that, strangely enough, wouldn't fasten at the waist, and a pale yellow sweater. Her hair was
in a French twist. She hadn't noticed the cold. "I like swinging," she returned. "Yes, I remember," he
murmured, watching her closely. "Where's Crystal?" Her face closed up and she stared out over the [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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her back. "And why do you think I wouldn't look for it with Crystal?" he taunted. "She might not mind
the scars in the dark, you know, and she's not inhibited, either." Her face blazed wildly. She whirled.
"Then why don't you try your luck, Rawhide Man?" she challenged with burning eyes and a cool
smile. "She likes men with money." "All the better, if she gives full value for it," he returned. He
moved toward his horse. "Never mind what I said about moving into my room and sleeping with me,"
he said when he was mounted and his hat was back in place.' 'You might cramp my style.'' She felt as if
she might explode. But with an effort she controlled herself and got back into the saddle, gripping the
reins tightly. "It's just as well," she said. "You probably snore." He looked as if she'd surprised him,
and he laughed unexpectedly. But before he could say anything she turned the horse and coaxed it into
a canter. She couldn't handle any more sarcasm from him right now, or any more threats about
Crystal. She was hurting too much.
Chapter Eight
That evening at the dinner table it was like old times for Bess as she sat quietly, picking at her food,
while Crystal held court. Her stepsister was charming, there was no doubt about that, she thought
miserably as she watched her. And Jude was responding to all that blond charm like a blind man just
able to see. "Want some more corn, Bess?" Katy asked, sounding concerned. She shook her head and
even managed a convincing smile. "No, thank you, darling."
"Daddy wasn't mad at you for going riding in your dress, was he?" Katy asked under her breath.
Remembering how it had been in the woods, Bess flushed to the roots of her hair. "Uh, no," she
whispered, and turned her total attention to her plate. "Bess, I said, 'Do you remember the Cochrans?'"
Crystal repeated. "I ran into them on the coast of France early in the year. Bert's in college, can you
imagine?" "That's very nice," Bess said, refusing to be drawn into the conversation. What was the use
anyway? It was Jude Crystal wanted to talk to, not her. She excused herself as soon as she could and
went upstairs with Katy, while Jude watched her from his chair with an intent stare. That night set the
pattern for the next few weeks, as Crystal settled in and enlisted Jude's aid in getting her affairs in
order. Apparently she'd invested some of her small inheritance from Carla and needed advice on how
to play the market. It was a nice excuse, Bess thought angrily, for her to get ude's attention as she
asked him question after question about finance and investments. For his part, Jude seemed to spend
most of his time away from home on business, and if he spoke to Bess at all, it was curtly, reluctantly.
He hardly ever looked at her these days, while he laughed and teased Crystal as if... as if she were his
real wife. "What is it like, living with Jude?" Crystal asked unexpectedly one afternoon during a rare
few minutes together. Bess glanced at her warily. "Why do you ask?" "I'm just making conversation.
Or trying to," came the exasperated reply. "Bess, I've been here just shy of a month, and we haven't
really talked yet! Can't we communicate with each other? If it's because of Carla, I realize I should
have shouldered more responsibility, but it's ages too late now. I can't help it that I was spoiled my
whole life, can I?" Bess looked away. She'd have loved a little of the spoiling that had always gone to
Crystal, with her finely honed beauty. "Being beautiful has its advantages," she murmured.
"And its disadvantages," came the bitter reply. "Has it ever occurred to you that I never know where I
am with men? Whether they want me because of me, or because of how I look? Beauty doesn't last,
Bess. It's gone in such a short time. And I don't have anything to show for all mine. Not a husband or
children or a future I want to look forward to." Do you want my husband? Bess almost asked. She
sighed wearily. "What about your French count?'' Crystal looked away, her features going rigid. "I
hate him." Bess almost asked what had gone wrong. She almost did, but the reticence of years made it
impossible for her to go that one step toward camaraderie. She didn't know how to approach Crystal.
She'd never tried. "You'll find someone else," Bess said instead. "Would you like some coffee?"
Crystal looked at her as if she desperately wanted to say something, but Bess's practiced coolness
wasn't encouraging. She laughed shortly. "Sure, I'd love some, is Jude coming home, by the way?"
Bess froze. "In a few days, I suppose. I'll have Aggie fix a tray," she murmured as she! left the room.
"What did I say now?" Crystal asked the coffee table with a sad smile. Bess paused in the hall to get
herself back together. Why didn't Crystal just go with Jude if she wanted his company so much? He'd
let her. She laughed until tears rolled: down her cheeks. He'd let Crystal go anywhere with him, and at
the same time, he wouldn't notice Bess if she dropped dead at| his feet! "Bess?" Crystal, hearing the
unfamilar sound of weeping, had come to the door and was standing aghast at the sight of her
normally composed stepsister in tears. Bess dried the tears with the hem of her 1 blouse. "Sorry," she
muttered, "I...think about Carla sometimes," she lied, letting it go at that. "I know you miss her,
darling,' Crystal said gently.' 'I miss her too. I don't I realized just how much I cared until it was to late
to tell her.''
She reached out toward Bess, but drew back before her fingers could make contact. "Say, you don't
really mind my staying, do you? Or getting Jude to help me with this financial tangle I'm in?" "Of
course not," Bess said with magnificent carelessness. Crystal, taking the statement at face value,
relaxed. "Thank goodness. I mean, I hoped you weren't jealous or anything." Which intimated that she
had reason to be. Crystal couldn't have missed the coolness between husband and wife, the pointed
way they had avoided each other ever since that wild afternoon in the woods. "I'll get the coffee," Bess
said tautly. Crystal stared after her quietly. Her lovely face was strained. The day Jude came home
Katy and Aggie had gone with Crystal to shop in San Antonio. Bess was sitting in the porch swing
alone when he drove up, and her stupid heart went wild at the sight of him. He walked up the steps as
if he was bone tired, his attache' case held firmly in one lean hand.
"Isn't it a little early in the year for swinging?" he asked curtly. She was wearing his leather jacket
with jeans that, strangely enough, wouldn't fasten at the waist, and a pale yellow sweater. Her hair was
in a French twist. She hadn't noticed the cold. "I like swinging," she returned. "Yes, I remember," he
murmured, watching her closely. "Where's Crystal?" Her face closed up and she stared out over the [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]