What she didn’t realize was that the others could read her like an open book. And knowing her feelings, had taken advantage of them.
She turned to Carmelita. “Pearl said you’ve made tortillas and spicy beef. I hope it’s ready. I’m starving.” In fact, she was ravenous. And eager to gird for battle.
Concealing her laughter behind her apron, the housekeeper served their lunch, then filled every bucket and kettle with water and placed them on the stove. By the time they had finished eating, the kitchen had grown steamy, and the tub was filled with warm water.
“It’s time to strip,” Pearl announced.
“I will.” Diamond cleaned her plate. “As soon as all of you leave.”
“We are not going anywhere, chérie,” Ruby said. “We are here to help you.”
“I’ve managed to take a bath by myself since I was able to walk.”
“Perhaps,” Jade said in easy agreement. “But you have never had a bath like this one.”
She and Carmelita spread several linen squares on the floor around the tub. When Diamond had stripped off her clothes, she stepped into the tub and sank into the warm water with a sigh.
Jade handed her a cake of fragrant, lilac-scented soap and ordered her to scrub. She breathed deeply as she rubbed the soap over her skin. She hated to admit it, but this was just about the most pleasant bath she’d ever experienced.
When her skin was scrubbed clean, Ruby demanded that she duck beneath the water to wet her long hair. Diamond came up sputtering, and Ruby and Pearl proceeded to soap and rinse every strand until it gleamed.
At last Diamond stepped from the tub, dripping water on the towels. Carmelita opened up a clean linen that had been warming by the stove and Diamond snuggled into it.
“How do you feel, chérie?” Ruby asked.
“Delicious. Like some sort of princess in a storybook.”
“But the story has just begun,” Pearl said with a smile.
“Now we will go upstairs,” Jade commanded. “And see what magic we can conjure.”
Magic. That’s what it was, Diamond thought as she sat in front of a looking glass while the three women fussed over her. Her skin was oiled and perfumed until it was as soft as a baby’s.
Her fiery hair, which was long enough to sit on, was combed and brushed and blotted with towels. But no amount of brushing could manage the wild jumble of corkscrew curls that tumbled down her back.
“We should pin it up,” Pearl suggested, lifting the heavy mass and studying Diamond’s reflection in the mirror.
“Too severe,” the others decided, shaking their heads.
“We should twist it into a crown.” Jade fashioned a coronet of curls atop Diamond’s head.
“Too regal,” the others said, rejecting that as well.
“We will pull it over to one side.” Ruby tied the hair with silver ribbons, allowing it to spill across one breast in a tangle of curls.
“Perfect,” they agreed, ignoring Diamond’s protest.
“Now the undergarments,” Jade commanded.
Removing the towel, Ruby studied the slender figure with a critical eye. “With a body like that, there is no need for a corset.”
“How scandalous,” Pearl huffed.
But Ruby prevailed.
Diamond gave a sigh of relief, grateful for small favors. She was helped into the chemise and petticoat.
“Where are my boots?” she asked.
“We bought these instead,” Pearl announced.
Diamond slid her feet into white kid slippers and stood, wiggling her toes. Everything felt so soft against her skin.
Next came the gown. It took all three women to lift it over her head, and a great deal of wriggling on Diamond’s part. After the row of glittering crystal buttons had been fastened and the long full skirts smoothed down, the three stood back to examine her.
“It is perfect,” Jade pronounced. “Except for the waist. It is too big.” She tied a shiny silver sash around Diamond’s middle, to hide the excess fabric.
“The neck is too low,” Diamond protested. “I’ll catch my death.”
“It is just right, chérie,” Ruby insisted. “But it needs jewelry.”
Diamond retrieved her necklace from her dresser and held it up. Pearl fastened it about her neck, then studied her reflection in the mirror.
The simple gold rope, with its glittering diamond and jet black onyx, gleamed against her throat.
“Oh, my,” was all Pearl could manage.
“You are... quite something,” Ruby said with a sigh.
“I believe Adam Winter will find himself speechless,” Jade announced proudly.
“Speechless? Adam?” Diamond smiled and studied her reflection. “Now wouldn’t that be something?”
“One last thing.” Jade removed the stopper from a small vial and touched it to Diamond’s earlobes and throat, then lower, to the cleft between her breasts. “Whenever your pulse beats, it will heat your skin and give off a faint fragrance.”
Diamond breathed deeply and thought it the most wonderful perfume she’d ever smelled. Like wildflowers on a warm summer evening.
“We must hurry and dress,” Pearl called to the others. “Our guests will be here in a few minutes.”
“Guests?” Diamond froze, “You mean there’s more than one?”
“Oh.” Pearl touched a hand to her mouth. “We forgot to mention. We also invited Cal and the marshal and your uncle Chet, so that Adam wouldn’t feel outnumbered.”
“You forgot to mention. Is there anything else you forgot?” Diamond started to sink down on the edge of the bed.
Pearl caught her by the arm and hauled her to her feet. “You mustn’t sit down. You’ll wrinkle the skirt.”
“You mean I have to stand all evening?”
“Of course not. When it’s time for supper, you can sit at the table. But until then, you should stand.”
“What’ll I do until Adam gets here?” she asked in sudden panic.
“Study yourself in the mirror,” Jade suggested. “And practice smiling.”
“Smiling?”
“Oui.” Ruby touched a hand to her sleeve. “Smiling. Seductively,” she purred.
They were gone.
Diamond found herself alone. And terrified. What had she done? How could she have possibly believed that this evening would be fun? An entire hive of hornets droned in her stomach. A knot the size of a doorknob had leaped to her throat.
Hearing the sound of hoofbeats, she flew to the window and watched as Adam tied his horse and made his way to the veranda.
In the distance she could make out the figure of Marshal Regan riding alongside Uncle Chet’s rig.
But it was the sight of Adam that held her paralyzed.
She pressed a hand to her pounding heart, and glanced down in surprise at the touch of flesh. What had she been thinking of? Why, in this gown, she was practically naked. Half her breasts were exposed. And she would have to endure Adam’s dark, burning gaze all evening.
She heard the knock on the door, and the sound of his deep voice as he was greeted by Carmelita.
“Señorita Diamond. Your company has arrived,” came the housekeeper’s voice.
At the door to her room she turned and stared longingly at the boots, britches and shirt that had been carelessly tossed in the corner.
“Señorita Diamond,” came Carmelita’s voice. “We’re waiting.”
She impulsively reached for the buttons of her gown, and turned back into her room. There was still time to correct the mistake. She would slip into her old comfortable clothes and pretend that this had never happened.
Just then she felt hands clutching her, and Jade, Pearl and Ruby dragged her from the room.
Pearl wore a modest gown of pale yellow, with high neckline and long, tapered sleeves. Her wheat-colored hair was tied back with yellow ribbons.
Jade wore a gown of green silk, with mandarin collar and frog fasteners. Her jet black hair streamed down her back l
ike a silken veil.
Ruby’s gown of red satin molded her lush figure. Her thick mass of dark hair was held off her face with jeweled combs.
Before Diamond could do more than mutter a few rich, ripe oaths, she was being propelled down the stairs by the three young women. And shoved toward the front parlor, where Adam was standing by the fireplace.
“Remember, chérie,” whispered Ruby. “You issued a challenge. Now you must be prepared to duel.”
Adam stared into the flickering flames, wondering what in the hell he’d been thinking of when he’d accepted the invitation to dinner.
The last thing he needed right now was this sort of distraction. He had all he could handle, with a crazed gunman loose somewhere on the range, and a predator out to ruin his herd. He had no idea if the two were somehow linked in a devious plot, or if they were random acts of violence. Either way, he needed his wits about him.
But the thought of seeing Diamond was too great a temptation. Besides, he consoled himself, it was only a dinner. He would enjoy Carmelita’s good cooking, and the company of these fascinating women, and be on his way.
That was the last coherent thought he had.
When he turned, he saw the three beautiful women, like lovely butterflies, crowding through the doorway. Then he saw Diamond. And she was the only one he saw. He forgot how to swallow. His heart forgot to beat.
“Diamond.” He took her hand. It was cold. Without thinking he pressed it between both of his. She was so lovely she took his breath away. She looked like a goddess. Aloud he said, “You look...lovely.” The words sounded hollow and empty, and totally inadequate.
“Thank you. And you look very nice.” She studied his dark suit and expensive shirt with starched collar and cuffs. She hadn’t expected this. It was a side to Adam Winter she hadn’t seen before.
“I’ve been admiring the portrait. Your mother?” He nodded toward the ornately framed picture hanging over the fireplace. The young woman, with green eyes and flaming hair, was a beauty. But she was no match for the flesh-and-blood woman beside him.
“Yes.” Diamond followed the direction of his gaze. “I don’t remember her at all. Every time I look at her, it’s like looking at a beautiful stranger.”
“You’re the image of her.”
“Really?” She brightened.
“Especially in that gown.”
Her smile faltered. Was it just the clothes he admired? No matter, she reminded herself. This was war.
She could hear the sound of deep masculine voices at the door as the young women greeted their other guests. Within minutes they filed into the parlor.
When Quent Regan and Chester Pierce saw Adam, they stiffened for a moment, unsure how to react. But Cal, having had all day to get accustomed to the idea, stepped forward and offered his hand.
“Hello, Winter,” he muttered.
“Cal.”
Then Cal caught sight of Diamond, and his jaw dropped. “Di. What’s happened to you? Why, you look like... like a queen. You’re so pretty, I hardly know what to say.”
Her reaction wasn’t at all gracious or regal. Instead of being flattered, she brought her hands to her hips and challenged, “Well, I hope you don’t expect to see me in this getup every day. I’d have a tough time riding and roping stray mavericks. And it’s not quite up to mucking stalls, either.”
Pearl, Jade and Ruby stepped between them and soon, in their roles of hostesses, put everyone at ease. With much good-natured laughter they passed around glasses of sherry. Gradually the tensions between the guests were soothed, and the conversation turned to mundane events.
“I know it isn’t your birthday, Diamond,” Chester Pierce said as he sipped his wine. “So what is the special occasion that brought us here?”
“It was...” Diamond swallowed.
“It was us.” Ruby gave her most charming smile and every man in the room melted. “Diamond wanted to give us a chance to meet some of Hanging Tree’s most prominent citizens before we return to our homes.”
“It looks like you young ladies are getting to know one another,” Marshal Regan remarked dryly. He’d been observing the easy friendliness between the four women.
In answer, Pearl slipped her arm through Diamond’s in a display of camaraderie. “You’d never believe the things we’ve learned about one another.”
Diamond blushed and studied the toe of her new slipper, while Pearl squeezed her hand. But when the young woman walked away Adam asked, “What sort of things?”
“Just... things.” Diamond cursed the fact that her mind seemed to go blank every time Adam got too close.
When Carmelita announced that dinner was ready, Chester Pierce caught Diamond’s hand and led the way to the dining room. She told herself that she was glad to put some distance between herself and Adam. But she glanced over her shoulder in time to see him offer his arm to Jade. A wave of pure jealousy washed over her, leaving her feeling ashamed.
“Why, I’ve never even been in this room before.” Pearl paused on the threshold and studied a sumptuous table, covered in linen. Silver and crystal gleamed in the light of dozens of candles set in silver candlesticks. A glittering chandelier hung from massive beams. On a side table rested several large silver dishes. The fragrance of spices perfumed the air.
Diamond glanced at a faded tintype of her father and mother hanging over the sideboard. It showed a tall, handsome young man with his arm around a pretty woman. “Pa built it to please my mother, so she could have fancy dinner parties. When she died, he closed the room and never bothered with it again. He preferred to eat in the kitchen. And so do I.”
Carmelita bustled about the room, pouring wine, passing platters of steaming tortillas and trays heaped with spicy meats and chilis, along with slabs of roast beef.
“You’ve outdone yourself, Carmelita,” Cal said as he helped himself to more beef.
Beside him, Pearl picked at her food, avoiding the spicier dishes and relying on things that looked familiar.
Jade and Ruby, on the other hand, seemed to thoroughly enjoy Carmelita’s hottest offerings.
“I will have to teach you about some of the spices used in my grandmother’s province in China,” Jade said as Carmelita offered yet another tray of food.
“It would never match what we use in the bayou,” Ruby told her.
The marshal looked up with interest. “Is that what makes Louisiana women so spicy?”
Ruby shot him a dangerous smile. “It may be one reason, Marshal Regan. But I am certain there are others.”
“Why, Quent,” Cal said with a laugh, “I think you’re the one who’s blushing.”
Quent Regan ducked his head. But not before he allowed one last admiring glance at the sultry Ruby. She was all woman. And all wrong, he reminded himself, for a man of his simple tastes.
“So—” Chester Pierce sat back and sipped his wine “—I suppose you young ladies are getting weary of this place and are eager to return to your own homes.”
“Not at all.” Jade’s tone was sincere. “I could stay on forever.”
The banker couldn’t hide his surprise. “You don’t find the days long? After all, there can’t be anything to do way out here, so far from town.”
“Ah, but there is much to do,” Ruby said. “Diamond has taken us on tours of her ranch.”
“And,” Jade said quickly, “we have honored our father with daily visits to his resting place.”
“And Diamond and I are working each night on Daddy’s ledgers,” Pearl added. “Although they’re quite a mess. It would appear that Daddy was a very careless bookkeeper.”
“Both of you are working on the ledgers?” Chet turned to Diamond. “Do you think that’s wise, my dear?” He flushed. “What I mean to say is, Onyx never intended for strangers to view his private ledgers.”
“Pearl isn’t a stranger, Uncle Chet. She’s family. After all, she is Pa’s daughter, isn’t she? And besides,” Diamond added, without waiting for a reply, “Pearl stu
died mathematics at a fancy ladies’ school in Boston. You ought to see her do sums. She’s a hundred times better than I am.”
“Is she?” Chester drained his glass of wine and twirled the stern between his fingers. “I’d hoped to take the ledgers home with me tonight.”
“They aren’t quite finished,” Pearl said. “But if we’re diligent, I think we could have them completed in a few days.”
“Nonsense. Then you’d just have to make another trip into town to deliver them to the bank. I’ll take them with me tonight and save you all the time and trouble.”
“It’s no trouble—” Pearl began.
Chester waved a hand. “I won’t hear of it. You young ladies deserve these last few days to enjoy yourselves before you have to face the long journey home.”
Diamond shook her head firmly. “I told you, Uncle Chet. I see the ledgers as my responsibility. Pa taught me to finish what I started. You’ll get them in a couple of days.”
“But—” He appeared as determined as Diamond. But his words were interrupted when Carmelita threw open the doors between the dining room and the parlor. On a round table in front of the fireplace was a silver tray on which rested a crystal decanter and several glasses.
“Pa always offered his friends brandy after dinner,” Diamond announced. “So I thought I’d do the same.”
She led the way into the parlor and began to pour brandy for the men, while Ruby poured sherry for the women. When the drinks were passed around, Diamond refused and sipped water, instead.
“I’d like to propose a toast,” Cal said, clearing his throat in embarrassment.
Everyone waited.
“To Onyx Jewel,” he said somberly.
Everyone drank.
“And to his legacy,” Adam added.
“You mean the ranch?” Diamond asked in all innocence.
“I mean,” Adam said softly, “you, and Pearl, Jade and Ruby. I’ve learned that mere possessions can fall victim to the whims of fortune. But people have an indomitable will to survive. Even after death, their legacy can live on. The four of you are proof of that. You give testimony to the fact that Onyx Jewel lived. Through you and your heirs, he will live on forever.”
Diamond Page 20
