Free The Enchanted Land by Jude Deveraux Page B

warm, clean beds awaited them. Seth always made sure Morgan had her own room, while he and Jake had another.
    Seth and Morgan stayed away from one another as much as possible, speaking only when necessary.
    A few days before they reached Kansas City, Jakebegan to tell Morgan about someone named Frank. Jake seemed to have a lot of respect for Frank and was glad Frank would be traveling with them.
    “Will anyone else be going with us?”
    It was a minute before she could understand Jake’s answer.
    “Joaquín. What a nice name.”
    Jake muttered something unintelligible.
     
    Kansas City was much more rustic than Louisville, and Morgan liked it. The people all seemed to be dressed for necessity rather than for fashion.
    “Seth!” A man as big as Seth came up behind him as Seth was tying his horse in front of the hotel. They shook hands vigorously, obviously glad to see one another. “And Jake, you little old toad, you’re still as ugly as ever.” His eyes stopped at Morgan.
    Seth followed his eyes. “This is my wife, Morgan.” Seth’s voice held no warmth.
    Frank reacted immediately to Seth’s voice. He knew something was wrong. Frank held out a tentative hand and helped Morgan from the wagon. “I am pleased to meet you, Mrs. Colter.”
    Morgan smiled, lighting up her face. “Jake has told me a lot about you—everything except your last name.”
    He smiled back at Morgan. “It’s Greyson, but everyone calls me Frank.”
    “If you call me Morgan, it’s a deal.”
    Smiling, they started into the hotel. As they were signing in, Seth said to Morgan, “My shy little wife sometimes loses her shyness. Do you think she saves it just for her husband?”
    Morgan was startled by the hostility in his voice, but before she could say anything, he had turned to talk to the hotel manager.
    Jake had overheard Seth and whispered to Morgan,“He’s jealous,” and then followed Frank up the stairs.
    Seth turned back to Morgan, taking her arm and leading her away from the desk. “They have no adjoining rooms. In fact, they have only one room left in the hotel. I could bunk with Frank and Jake.”
    Morgan’s eyes went to Seth’s. Somehow, she did not want everyone knowing the truth about her relationship with Seth. She would rather people thought theirs was a normal marriage.
    Seth was talking. “Jake already knows. But if you’d rather Frank didn’t, just say so and I’ll arrange something.”
    Morgan lowered her eyes. “I’d rather he didn’t know.” Maybe it was her imagination, but she thought she saw relief on Seth’s face.
    Seth escorted her to a small but clean room with one rather narrow bed which took up most of the space.
    Morgan sat on the bed, as there was nowhere else to sit. She watched Seth. He ignored her and began to undress.
    “Seth, what are you doing?”
    “I am planning to wash some of this trail dust off me before dinner.” He turned toward her. “You don’t have to watch if you don’t want to, you know.”
    She moved to the other side of the bed and looked out at the busy street, but she had difficulty concentrating.
    He had hardly spoken to her since the last night at his parents’ house. She tried to picture Trahern House, but saw only Seth’s angry eyes. She heard Nora’s voice saying that Morgan would fall in love with Seth.
    “Morgan?”
    She turned. Seth was standing so close to her. She felt like crying. Unwanted tears gathered in her eyes.
    Seth dropped to his knees beside her. She was such a child. “What’s the matter, little one? If you don’t want me to stay here, I won’t. I’ll find someplace else.”
    His voice was so gentle… She couldn’t be in lovewith him! She’d known him less than a month. Why was Seth’s image so clear, and the image of Trahern House so blurred?
    The tears started, and she couldn’t stop them. She turned and buried her head in the pillow and began to let out the tears that had been locked inside for so long.
    Seth knelt by the bed.