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"But it's so horrible!" Melanie cried.
"In my lifetime I have learned to accept many losses," Shane said, his voice drawn. "So shall I learn to accept many more. That is what life is all about, Melanie. Gains and losses."
He slipped an arm about her waist. He looked down at her through singed eyelashes. "My loss tonight is nothing in comparison with my recent gain," he said. "You are the most favored gain of all!"
Melanie leaned into his embrace and sighed languorously. "Darling, that is so sweet," she said, sighing. "I just wish that I could do something to help find the one responsible for all of your misfortune. But how?"
"You have already done enough in my behalf," Shane said, drawing away from her. "And I can never thank you enough for it."
"Never do you have to thank me for anything," Melanie said, looking devotedly up at him. "I do everything with love."
"I couldn't ask for anything more than that, now could I?" he said, gently cupping her chin in the palm of his hand. Then he looked past her, into the gloom of night.
"The horses have scattered," he said in a low growl. "I had best see to them."
He went to his horse and mo
unted, Melanie following along after him. "Melanie, it would be
best if you went on home," he said. "It's going to take a good portion of the night for me to round up the horses and get the longhorns settled down."
"I could help," Melanie said, firming her chin as she looked up at him.
"You've done enough," Shane said, circling his reins around his fingers. "Go home and clean up." He looked down at her bare feet. "Doctor your feet. I'm sure they got burned."
Melanie nodded; her feet were stinging. "I was foolish not to have taken time to put my boots on," she said, lifting one foot and slowly rubbing the sole. "But you needed me. Some horses may have died had I not helped you as quickly as I did."
"I'll see you bright and early in the morning," Shane said, wheeling his horse around. "Nothing is going to stand in the way of that poker game."
"No, nothing," Melanie said. She smiled and waved at Shane as he rode away from her. Then she climbed into her buggy that she had not yet taken time to separate from her horse before she and Shane had gotten carried away in their bath and lovemaking.
Shoeless, too bone-tired to go back inside Shane's house to get her boots, she directed her buggy around and drove away. She looked across the pasture, only barely able to make out Shane on his horse in the darkness. Her heart went out to him. Would his troubles ever end?
Her face smudged with black ash, her lashes singed, Melanie entered her house, limping. Her
feet stinging, she climbed the stairs slowly. When she got to the second floor landing, she stopped and looked at Terrance's door. It was closed. Was he already in bed? Somehow that didn't fit Terrance's personality these days. He had become a night owl, boozing it up, gambling and more than likely lifting many a woman's skirts way into the night.
Curiosity getting the best of her, Melanie opened Terrance's door. The splash of light pouring into his room from the wall sconces in the corridor revealed that her brother was in bed. She shrugged and started to leave, but stopped short when a faint aroma of smoke wafted across the room from where her brother lay.
Melanie sniffed, then felt blood rush to her face as rage filled her. She caught sight of a boot sticking out from beneath Terrance's blanket where the blanket had slipped away from the slick leather. She could even see a portion of his breeches leg! The scalawag was still dressed and very obviously feigning sleep! There could be only one explanation. Didn't the aroma of smoke in the room condemn him? He had not been caught at the scene of the crime, but he was no less guilty of it! Terrance was responsible for the fire at Shane's farm! He had more than likely returned home only shortly before Melanie. When he had heard her arrive, he had felt trapped and had fled to bed fully clothed just in case she stopped at his room to question him!
Melanie's gaze was drawn to another object that lay in the path of the candles' golden lightthe
barrel of one of Terrance's pistols as it lay on the table beside his bed!
Perfect! Melanie thought to herself, smiling devilishly as she began tiptoeing across the wooden floor. Absolutely perfect!
Her fingers did not tremble at all when she picked up the pistol. It was as steady as her heartbeat, for she was determined to get answers out of her brother, no matter what she had to do to achieve it. He would realize her absolute devotion to Shane when he discovered the pistol thrust into his back.
Never would he forget it, either!
Bending over Terrance, Melanie was aware of his forced, shallow breathing, absolute proof that he knew she was there, only pretending to be asleep for her benefit! He surely thought that she would take one look at him and leave. Never would he expect her to do otherwise!
As she bent down closer to him, an overpowering aroma of smoke rose up into her nostrils. The evidence was there, so strong, he could not deny it.
''Terrance, you aren't fooling anyone any longer, about anything," Melanie said, placing the barrel of the pistol square between his shoulder blades. When he jumped with alarm, she held her hand firm, not letting the pistol waver one inch away from him. "Now you're going to tell me everything. Do you hear? You can't wiggle your way out of this one, you snake! Lord, Terrance, you set the fire tonight. Admit it!"
"Melanie, damn it, what do you think you're doing?" Terrance asked, sweat pearling his brow.
