"And that's why you wantme?"
"Not altogether. I…feel something for you."
"Lust."
"No, somethingelse."
"Guilt."
"No." He suddenlyburst out, "Why do you keep asking me questions? I don't want you to leaveme. I want to take care of you." His tone became brusque. "But itwouldn't be a bad proposition for you. I'd make sure you had everything youwanted and wouldn't ask anything except that you occupy my bed and eventuallygive me a child. Does that sound reasonable?"
"Very reasonable."She felt totally confused. She had never expected this, never even imagined itcould happen. Marriage. Ruel. It would be like being wed to a warlock"More reasonable than the idea of you wanting to marry me."
"Well, what do yousay?"
She drew a deep breath andshook her head. "No, thank you."
"Why not?" He saidquickly before she could reply, "I know we started out wrong, but I canmake it right. I respect you and, though you may not admire me, you respect metoo."
"I couldn't trustyou."
"You'd learn to trust me.I don't betray my friends, and in time you'd find that out."
"The railroad… "
"I'd take care of yourPatrick too."
"Patrick doesn't needtaking care of," she said quickly. "And even if he did... I'd hatethe life you've offered me. Can't you see? I'm not the kind of woman you'd wantfor a wife." She added flatly, "And you're not what I wanteither."
A flicker of emotion crossedhis face, and for a moment she thought she had hurt him. She would have swornthe Ruel she knew could never be hurt by her, but this strange new Ruel wasmore vulnerable. No, she must have been mistaken, for he was smiling with hisusual mockery.
"I beg to disagree. Thereare portions of my person you still want very much."
She stiffened. "You'rewrong."
"I'm not wrong. Do youthink I don't feel it too? It's there all the time between us." Hisawkwardness was abruptly gone and she was suddenly, vibrantly aware of him. Andthat was what he wanted, she realized with trepidation. In the wink of an eyehe had changed into the sensual mandarin of those days before they had cometogether in the railway car and she could feel the magnetism he was exerting asif it were a tangible entity.
"You'll find I'm alwaysobliging when it comes to giving a lady what she wants." He turned andmoved toward the french doors. "And, as I definitely want to stake a claimbefore we part ways, I can see I'll have to make an attempt to remind you ofjust what we've both been missing. Expect me for dinner tomorrow night."
"No, I don't want youto—"
"Expect me." Helooked back at her, his gaze running over her loose, shabby cotton robe."I've never seen you in a nightgown before." He frowned. "If youcan call that garment a nightgown. Someday I'm going to see you in somethingmore womanly."
He left the veranda and amoment later she heard the front door close behind him.
"Go away, Ruel," shesaid as soon as she opened the door of the bungalow the next evening. "Itold you not to come. I don't want you here."
His brows lifted. "I takeit dinner's not ready?" He took off his wet slicker and dropped it on theporch beside the door. He was dressed more formally than she had ever seen him,in a dark brown suit, crisp white shirt, and black cravat at his throat. Thelight from the | porch lantern played on the polished sheen of his black bootsand the brilliant tawny streaks in his brown hair. His unexpected elegancecaught her off guard and made her awkwardly aware of her own rough clothing.
There was no reason for her tofeel defensive, she told herself. He was the intruder here. "Goaway."
"Well, if you refuse tofeed me, I'll just come in and have a word with Patrick. Is he on theveranda?"
"He's gone to bed."
"Already? It's barelyeight-thirty. Didn't he object to you rushing him through dinner and whiskinghim off to
bed?"
