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Beside her, Wade looked up and Anna frowned hard wondering what on earth the woman was talking about. The group the woman was with also broke out in full bouts of laughter and Anna frowned even harder. She had no idea what was so funny. Glanc
ing up at Wade, she caught him staring down at her with an odd look. He looked almost troubled. The frown between her brows deepened.
“Don’t be ridiculous, Josephine.” Kathleen spoke with a calm voice as if trying to settle the rowdy group. The woman, however, did not appear to hear her, though the robust man with the plump face reddened with laughter did. Anna assumed the man was the woman’s father. They shared the same odd sense of humor.
“That’s right, Josie. It’s well known that our old cowboy here dislikes kissing as much as a bull likes having his hind branded.”
Kathleen shot an apologetic glance at her brother while Anna digested the man’s words. How did kissing enter into the topic?
“Mr. Wilkins,” Kathleen scolded but sounded partly shocked.
“Forgive me, Mrs. Rideout.” He bowed to his hostess. “But it’s no wonder he hasn’t taken a wife. You’ll have to kiss a few fillies before you can snare one old man.”
It was obvious Mr. Wilkins felt free to speak his mind or believed his words were harmless. “If you don’t mind yourself, you’ll grow into a crotchety old man, like feeble Chuck Rhodes.”
The girls behind him snickered and Anna felt a heat of anger flush her cheeks. She looked at Wade again and noticed he too was suppressing his temper, but continued to stand silently next to her.
Kathleen had heard enough. Stepping forward, she took the robust man’s arm in her hands and steered him toward the exit. “There’s no fear of that, Mr. Wilkins, as there is absolutely nothing feeble about my brother.”
Anna watched Wade’s face and searched for any signs that his feelings may have been hurt. But his expression remained stone-faced as he offered his farewell to the next guest with as much mannerism as was expected. He stayed in that disposition until the door shut behind the last couple, whereupon he released a heavy sigh and headed for the great room. Kathleen and John followed him as well as Prescott and Elizabeth, whom she had been told would be staying the night in one of the guest bedrooms.
Inside the great room, Wade and Prescott started stacking chairs and lining them up against a far wall. Kathleen and Elizabeth took a seat in front of the large fireplace and Anna hesitated, unsure as to what was expected of her next. Turning toward a nearby table, she began collecting empty wine glasses.
“Would you mind setting the kettle on for coffee?” Wade interrupted her actions and she gave a nod in response before hastily departing to the kitchen.
Filling a tray with five mugs she waited for the kettle to boil, then emptied the contents into a china pot. Balancing the heavy tray she made her way into the great room and found all five occupants sitting comfortably around the enormous spruce tree while a cozy fire crackled in the fireplace. Anna squelched the longing she felt at the homey sight. Placing the tray on the table between, them she took a step back and would have left if Prescott did not stop her.
“No need to rush off, Anna, why don’t you sit for a while.”
Her eyes flew to Elizabeth’s face to see her reaction to Prescott’s slip of the tongue. As far as she knew, the woman believed she was still Peter. The others must have thought the same thing as their concerned faces looked toward Anna. But Elizabeth smiled gently and offered her an apologetic look.
“I’m afraid I knew of Anna’s identity the first time when we met in my parlor.” Her eyes searched Anna’s. “I did not know her by name at that time, but I had seen her come into town several times long before that. She was often accompanied by her mother and sisters. There was a boy as well, but Anna was not him. I wasn’t certain if the brothers were aware of her identity, and therefore did not say anything.”
“She was a patron at your restaurant?” Kathleen innocently asked, and Anna looked away humiliated. She too had remembered seeing Elizabeth during one of her visits into town, but from a distance. She actually never had the courage to mingle with the residents of Lantern. It was true some of those visits were with her mother and younger siblings while they purchased a meager supply of provisions from the general store. They exchanged very few words with the shopkeeper and Anna wondered now if perhaps her mother had been too ashamed.
Most often her visits into town were sitting behind a tree and watching the comings and goings of the townsfolk while her brother, Edmund, slipped quietly into a nearby shop to pilfer some much needed food for their family. Looking back, Anna felt guilt come over her and a pitiful shame for a family forced to such extremes. If never before, she felt the differences in the two worlds.
At the least, Anna was grateful when Elizabeth simply shook her head in response. With her chin downcast Anna turned to leave, refusing to look at Wade from whom she could feel his steely gaze.
“Anna, do sit down and join us.” Kathleen’s kind voice urged. “I have a present for you that I would so dearly love for you to open now while the children are asleep.”
This time she did look at Wade, but he was staring intently into the fireplace. Feeling awkward, she approached his sister and took the seat next to her while Kathleen produced a large wrapped box from under the tree. There were several presents all decorated with elaborate paper and bright bows, a far cry from the Christmas’s she spent back home.
“Open it.” Kathleen urged the parcel onto her lap and again Anna shot a skeptical glance at Wade. His attention was drawn to the present, refusing to make eye contact. Very careful as not to damage the expensive wrapping, she removed it from a cardboard box within. Feeling five sets of eyes upon her, she nervously opened the lid and felt her chin drop. Tears stung the back of her eyes.
“Do you like it?” Kathleen inquired.
Anna nodded and very carefully reached out and touched the rich lilac fabric of the dress folded neatly in the box. Its cloth was weaved from the finest material Anna had ever seen, while the collar was trimmed in fine lace and intertwined with small touches of soft baby’s breath and delicate ribbons. Even the box had a floral scent. Anna had never owned a proper dress in her life. She had seen many fine-looking women walking the streets of Lantern in such beautiful attire, whereas her one and only dress was made of a heavy cotton twill.
“Would you like to try it on?”
Her chin lifted to the kindhearted woman and she felt a tug of emotions. She would love dearly to slip on the exquisite garment and feel its soft material caress her body, however, practicality reared its objection.
It must have been obvious in her eyes, as Kathleen stated, “The children are asleep and there isn’t anyone else here. All the ranch hands have gone for the holidays except Kim, but I’m sure he has already fallen fast asleep as he looked completely exhausted by the end of the evening.”
Anna still wasn’t sure. The immunity of her male disguise was hard to relinquish.
“It’s all right, Anna,” Wade spoke softly. “There’s no one here to see you, other than us. You can take it off before bed and never have to look at it again, unless of course you want to.”
