curious,â Alexander said. âWhat would you have done earlier if Scar Wratner or one of those others had resorted to their six-shooters?â
âIâd have let Jericho handle it but been ready to back his play.â
âLoyalty to a friend is commendable,â Alexander said, âso long as it doesnât get you killed.â
âAnd even if it does,â Neal said. âStickinâ by those we care for is the mark of a man.â He caught himself and added, âOr a woman.â
âThatâs your measure of manhood?â Isolda said derisively. âThereâs more to life than loyalty.â
âIf there is,â Neal said, âI havenât made its acquaintance.â
âDoes that apply to wives and families?â Edana asked casually.
âIf it didnât, itâd be a worthless proposition,â Neal said.âA wife and youngâuns deserve the best a man can give them.â
âA commendable attitude,â Edana said. âYou have my sincere esteem.â
âLordy, maâam.â
âI beg your pardon?â
âIâm not used to all the big words you three sling around,â Neal said with a good-natured smile. âMust be all that book learninâ.â
âHow many books have you read, Mr. Bonner?â
âMaâam?â
âYou heard me,â Edana said. âIâm curious to learn how many books youâve read in your lifetime.â
âAll the way through?â
âIs there any other way to read a book?â
âBits and pieces,â Neal said.
Isolda laughed. âIsnât he wonderful?â
âIâm waiting for an answer,â Edana said. âHave you read so many that you canât count them?â
âSort of the opposite, maâam,â Neal said. âI havenât ever read a book all the way through. The closest Iâve come is the Bible, but thatâs mostly from hearinâ it spoke about a lot.â
âNot one book in your entire lifetime? How is that possible?â
Neal shrugged. âIn the part of Texas where I grew up, there wasnât much schoolinâ. Oh, my ma taught me to read and write, which has come in handy. But Iâve never owned a book in my life.â
âThere wasnât a schoolhouse you could attend?â
âThe nearest, as I recollect, was a hundred miles away or better,â Neal said. âA right far piece to go to every morninâ and make it home in time for supper.â
Alexander chuckled. âI do believe our foreman has just poked a hole in your pretensions, my dear.â
âWhatâs pretentious about an education? How can he be as good at his job as they say he is if heâs barely literate?â
Neal answered for himself. âThe important thing is that Iâm smarter than the cows. If I was dumber, Iâd be worthless.â
Laughing, Alexander said, âWell countered. You must be careful, my dear. Iâve heard that cowboy wit can be sharp.â
âItâs not his wit so much as you love to see us put in our place,â Isolda said.
âWhat a terrible thing to say. When do I ever do that?â
âAll the time, Father,â Isolda said. âItâs either your way or no way, from how we dress to how we live.â
âThatâs not entirely true,â Edana said. âAll he asks is that we comport ourselves as ladies. Beyond that, Father never imposes boundaries.â
âThen why do I feel like I have shackles on my ankles?â
âIsolda!â Alexander said. âThat will be quite enough. Youâre giving Mr. Bonner the wrong impression. Yes, Iâm a taskmaster, but only at my work, not with my family.â
âIf you say so.â Isolda had brought it up before and been treated the same way. It both amused and angered her that her sister always sided with their father. She was amused because Edana was too