“How would you feel about going to town with me in the morning?” he inquired, capturing her bishop. “I’ve been thinking about what you said about the sheepskin. I think it would help a lot.”
She smiled at him, her first real smile of the afternoon, and he realized how quiet she’d been since their guests had left. He wondered if she was regretting anything that had passed between them, or if she was feeling shy now that they were alone. He hoped it was the latter.
“I would love to. I want to get some fabric for a new dress or two.”
“Great. We’ll leave early then and make a day of it.”
She nodded, but he could see her short-lived enthusiasm fading. “What is it? Have I done something wrong? You haven’t seemed yourself all day.”
“It’s just something that happened this morning,” Sarah replied after a long, tense silence. She looked up, meeting his gaze imploringly. “I asked Becky what happened to your foot. I know I shouldn’t have, but I’ve been so curious, and I could tell you didn’t want to talk about it.”
Luke’s hand froze above the chessboard, his heart hammering in his chest. “What did she say?”
Sarah shook her head. “She wouldn’t tell me anything. She said it would upset me.”
Luke felt a flood of gratitude for his sister-in-law’s unexpected discretion. He’d known this moment would come. It was inevitable. But he wasn’t ready to tell her the truth.
He wanted the impossible. He wanted her to fall completely, madly in love with him before he risked telling her all of his secrets.
Pulling his hand away from Sarah’s queen, he brought his fingertips to the bridge of his nose and squeezed, trying to obliterate the sudden, intense headache. “I really don’t want to discuss this right now.”
Sarah leaned forward, staring at him intently. “What are you hiding from me? What must I do before you trust me enough to share this with me?”
“I do trust you.” He looked away, unable to meet her earnest gaze. “Please try to understand. It was a difficult time for me.”
“Of course,” she whispered, sitting back in her chair, looking quite defeated. “I shouldn’t have brought it up.”
He sighed, knowing the day was ruined and unable to think of a single thing to placate her. “I will tell you,” he promised. “Just give me some time.”
She shrugged, turning her attention back on the game. “It’s your move, Luke.”
* * * * *
“CAN YOU BELIEVE THEnerve of that woman? Waltzing in here among us decent folks as if she had every right. Why, she’s little better than a prostitute, and everybody knows it.”
Sarah stiffened, her hand hovering over a bolt of green sprigged muslin, all her senses attuned to the conversation at the front of the store. Luke had dropped her off a few minutes ago, instructing her to buy herself a new dress or two. But her pleasure in the task was decimated by the malicious whisperings of the two women who stood near the cash register.
“It isn’t right,” the second woman agreed. “Back east, hussies like her knew their place.”
Sarah recognized one of them. The woman owned the town’s lone restaurant. She’d flatly refused to give Sarah a job. Now her gaze flickered over Sarah with contempt, and she began whispering to her cohort once again.
This wasn’t the first time Sarah had been the source of gossip. She’d put up with it on a daily basis in Georgia. But it wasn’t supposed to happen here. This was exactly what she’d wanted to get away from.
Her eyes filled with angry tears, and she blinked them away, determined not to let those old bats know they’d gotten to her. Reluctantly, she replaced the bolt of yellow calico she’d already chosen. She couldn’t do this, couldn’t walk up there and ask the balding man who owned the store to put the fabric on Luke’s bill. It would give the women more ammunition to use against her.
She squared her shoulders and turned toward the door, wondering why she’d ever thought things would be different. The people of this town had treated her like a pariah when she’d only spent one night in Luke Chandler’s house. It was logical they’d assume far worse now that she’d lived with him for over a week.
In all honesty, she couldn’t blame them, given the way she’d fallen so eagerly into Luke’s arms. Perhaps they were right about her.
When she reached the relative safety of the boardwalk in front of the store, she searched for Luke. He was nowhere in sight, and she groaned when she saw John Tucker headed her way.
She turned in the opposite direction, walking fast, hoping he’d get the message and leave her alone. But his heavy footsteps fell in place behind her, and she knew she wasn’t going to be so lucky.
“Where you goin’, sugar?”
She ignored him, hurrying her steps, but he grabbed her arm and spun her around. “I’m talkin’ to you, girl.”
Sarah swallowed, glancing down at his beefy hand. “Please. Let me go, Mr. Tucker.”
