Free A Lady of the West by Linda Howard Page A

armies. “I suspect we’re all sadly out of shape and practice, and you were just barely off of ponies when we lost the horses.”
    Celia looked so forlorn that Victoria hugged her andstroked her bright hair. “Would you like it if I asked the Major for horses we could use for pleasure riding? It would be good for us to get some exercise. Emma and I used to ride for hours.” A faint wistful note crept into her own voice, and Celia immediately forgot her own disappointment as she rushed to give her own sort of comfort to Victoria.
    Comfort took the form of a cheerful smile and a rush of enthusiasm. “Could you? I’d like that so much!”
    â€œThen I’ll ask the Major tonight.” Victoria paused, trying to gather her thoughts. She still had to explain Garnet to Celia. She took a deep breath. “Sweetheart, I want to explain something very important to you.”
    Celia nodded, her expression becoming serious.
    â€œMr. Garnet—” She paused again, frowning a little. “Mr. Garnet is an evil man. He would like very much to hurt you. You must be careful. Don’t let him touch you or catch you alone.”
    â€œHurt me? How?” Celia still didn’t look alarmed, merely interested.
    Victoria had been afraid that Celia wouldn’t take the warning at face value, but would want details. Finding the words was more difficult than she’d imagined. “There are—things—that a man can do to a woman that will hurt her.”
    Celia nodded. “Hitting hurts,” she said.
    â€œYes, it does. And he might hit you, to make you do these other things that would hurt you even worse.”
    â€œWhat things?”
    There was no way out of it. She inhaled deeply again. “He would pull up your skirt and touch you on—on your privates.”
    Celia jerked upright, her young face indignant. “I’ll be damned!” she said. She’d heard one of the cow-punchers say that, and liked it. All of the best words were forbidden, it seemed, so she said them only in her head, but that one had slipped out in her surprise.
    Victoria almost laughed. She knew she shouldscold, but she was too relieved at Celia’s vehement reaction. “Yes,” she said. “Exactly.”
    Celia was still huffy. “I’ll hit him if he even speaks to me again,” she declared.
    â€œYou must try your best not to be alone with him. And please be cautious with the other men, too. I don’t trust some of them.” It was an odd feeling, but some of the Major’s employees seemed to be just what they were, cowhands, while others seemed—meaner, and somehow disassociated with ranch work.
    â€œMr. Roper?”
    Again Victoria felt that funny little jolt, and an even funnier feeling spread behind it. “No,” she said slowly. “I think you’d be very safe with Mr. Roper. He even warned Mr. Garnet to leave you alone.”
    Celia gave a decisive nod. “I like Mr. Roper.”
    Victoria hugged her sister again, feeling much better now that she knew Celia understood at least part of the danger. It was odd how safe she felt in telling Celia that Roper wouldn’t harm her, would in fact protect her, when she herself didn’t feel that safe with him. Her heart had begun pounding again. She remembered the hot smell of him, the hardness of his body when she had collided with him, the way his hands had held her. She felt weak and strangely warm. She would take her own advice and avoid him as much as possible.

CHAPTER FOUR

    T he Major was in a good mood that night, and Victoria didn’t betray by either word or manner that she had talked with Angelina. Instead, she listened to him talking expansively over dinner. She nodded and smiled at all the right places.
    She waited patiently, and when the right time finally presented itself in a small pause, she said, “I’ve been thinking how much I’d love to start riding