Seven Brides: Daisy Part 28

"I'm not trying to say Tyler knows he's in love with you, but I will say I've never seen him so unsettled by a woman as he is by you. It's going to take him a while to accept it. If you think he's worth the wait, don't give up on him."

Daisy picked up the new dress and turned it inside out. She settled on the sofa next to Laurel, accepted a threaded needle, and began to sew the border to the dress. Laurel threaded a second needle and started on the other side.

Daisy didn't know if Tyler was worth the wait. There was so much about him that frightened her. At the same time, so much that drew her to him. It was like there were two people inside him. He wasn't enough of either one for her to be able to make up her mind.

"I don't think we have much in common," Daisy finally said. "The things he wants frighten me. The things I want don't appeal to him at all."

"In that case, you ought to put him out of your head as fast as you can. It'll be nothing but heartache if you don't."

Daisy agreed. Only it would be nothing but heartache if she did.

Daisy had been in Albuquerque four days when she emerged from a store and practically ran into Adora Cochrane and her mother.

With an exclamation of pleasure, Adora embraced her friend. "I never thought your father would let you go long enough to come to town."

The joy in their reunion fled. "My father is dead. He was killed last . . . a few days ago." There was no chance Guy would still want to marry her, not looking like she did, but she needed to stick to her story. There was no reason to ruin Tyler's reputation.

"What are you doing here?" Mrs. Cochrane asked as soon as she had offered the usual condolences.

"They burned our house. A prospector found me and brought me here to stay with his sister-in-law."

Daisy noticed the frown produced by the word "prospector" eased at the word "sister-in-law." Laurel was right. Everything would be all right as long as no one knew about that week in the cabin.

"What are you going to do?" Adora asked.

"I don't know," Daisy said.

"You'll stay with us until you decide," Adora said. "Won't she, mother?"

"Certainly," Mrs. Cochrane said. "As long as you like."

"She's going to stay with us for a long, long time," Adora said with a giggle. "Guy's going to see to that. Just wait until he finds out he missed you. We tried to get him to come with us, but he couldn't stand any more shopping."

"Has Guy been asking about me?"

"He talks about you all the time," Adora said. "I finally had to tell him to shut up. Where did you get that dress? It suits you perfectly."

Daisy explained that everything had been lost in the fire, that Laurel Randolph and her husband had been most generous.

"Guy will have to reimburse them," Mrs. Cochrane said. "I'm sure they are very nice people, but I can't feel comfortable being indebted to strangers."

Daisy was on the verge of telling Mrs. Cochrane that she, not Guy, was indebted in a manner that couldn't be repaid by money, but she held her tongue. If there ever was a woman who thought money was the answer to everything, it was Belle Cochrane.

Though she disapproved of strangers who stayed in hotels, Mrs. Cochrane insisted she be introduced to the Randolphs immediately. From the moment she found out they had hired the whole top floor, her affability was a.s.sured. Learning Daisy had been rescued by a Randolph instead of a "prospector" seemed to be all she needed to feel propriety had been observed. But she insisted Daisy move to their home immediately.

"I understand you have been put to some expense to replenish Daisy's wardrobe," Mrs. Cochrane said.

"We were glad to do it," Laurel replied. "I've been enjoying her company."

The rest of the visit pa.s.sed smoothly even though Laurel steadfastly refused any payment. Belle Cochrane spent most of the time it took them to reach their home prying as much information as possible out of Daisy about the Randolphs.

Daisy felt relieved when she was at last installed in her own room at the Cochranes, but she was sorry to have left Laurel. She liked her very much. She had wanted to be there when the baby was born. Most of all, she regretted losing this last link with Tyler. As long as she had any kind of connection with his family, she wouldn't give up hope he might come back.

Adora took her lowered spirits to mean she hadn't gotten over her father's death.

"Do you know who killed him?"

"No," Daisy replied. "I was hoping your father would help me find out."

"Papa's still in Santa Fe, but I'm sure he'll see the sheriff makes it his first priority. It must have been terribly frightening."

"One of the men shot me. If Tyler hadn't found me, I'd have died."

"He shot you!" Adora exclaimed, her eyes wide with disbelief. "Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

"I didn't want to upset your mother." Daisy pulled back her hair. "See!"

"Golly!" Adora exclaimed. She inspected the wound closely. "It sure healed awfully fast."

"It wasn't a bad wound," Daisy said. She had to remember the missing nine days, or she'd betray herself. "It ruined my hair. I have to wear it in a bun."

"It makes you look older."

Tyler had liked it loose.

"What was he like?" Adora asked.

"Who?"

"The man who rescued you. Was he as handsome as his brother?" Adora sighed. "He looked so menacing, like he could shoot you and never blink and eye."

"He's really very nice. He's just worried about his wife."

"What about the other one? Is he married?"

"No, but you should have seen the youngest brother," Daisy said, deciding to sacrifice Zac to Adora's insatiable curiosity. "He's gorgeous. He stole his brother's money and ran off to become a river boat gambler."

"No! You're making this up."

"You can ask if you don't believe me. You won't believe how handsome he is. He's got the longest lashes and the most beautiful eyes you've ever seen. He's just about your age."

"Tell me everything," Adora gushed.

Daisy proceeded to do just that, inventing details as needed. Her conscience didn't bother her. Adora would never meet Zac, and this way she could keep Tyler all to herself.

Next morning at breakfast Adora and her mother kept up a constant flow of conversation. They seemed to be determined to do what they could to raise Daisy's spirits. The family took all their meals in this large, formal room. It was so dark and the furniture so heavy and formal it always made Daisy feel out of place.

"I'm certain you will want to observe a period of mourning," Mrs. Cochrane said, "but it's best to get past unpleasant things as quickly as possible."

Mrs.Cochrane had made it clear that get past unpleasant things meant marrying Guy. Daisy couldn't understand why Mrs. Cochrane was so anxious to have Guy marry her. Surely there were many other girls who would come closer to being the ideal bride for her only son.

Besides, Guy might not want to marry her once he found out about that lost week. She would have to tell him. She owed it to Guy to give him a chance to back out while he still could.

Strange, she could hardly remember what he looked like.

No, it was just that her mind was filled with Randolphs. After three of them, everybody else seemed insignificant.

"Do you know how much land you own?" Mrs. Cochrane asked.

"I have no idea," Daisy replied. "Papa seemed to think it was a lot."

"You own nearly a hundred thousand acres," Mrs. Cochrane said. "All the way from the river to the foothills."

"It wouldn't make any difference if I owned two hundred thousand. It's not worth a cent."

"It's worth quite a bit," Mrs. Cochrane said. "When it's known that it's yours, you'll find many men who wish to marry you. I hope you won't let the sudden attention turn your head. Guy's affections have been constant for several months now."

Daisy could hardly believe what Mrs. Cochrane said was true. "But my father was never able to make a living from it."

"Forgive me, child, but your father was hopeless at business. Properly managed, that much land will make you a rich woman."

Daisy couldn't believe Mrs. Cochrane was right, but she remembered Tyler seemed to think the same thing. Guy's entrance interrupted her thoughts. But Daisy found that even as she listened to Guy's surprised welcome, she was thinking of another face, one that had no interest at all in her or her land.

"You poor girl," he said. "Mother told me last night. If we had only known. I shudder to think of you enduring so much surrounded by no one but strangers."

Daisy realized that though she had known them only a short time, she didn't think of the Randolphs as strangers. In fact, much to her surprise, she realized she felt as much at ease with them as with the Cochranes. She decided it must be because the Randolphs knew everything that had happened and accepted her anyway.

She didn't feel she could be as honest with the Cochranes. She would tell Adora most of what happened. She would tell Guy some, but she wouldn't tell Mr. or Mrs. Cochrane anything.

"She was very fortunate that a Randolph found her," Mrs. Cochrane informed her son. "No telling what might have happened."

"A Randolph?" Guy asked, perplexed.

"A very wealthy family," his mother informed him. "I've made some inquiries. They seem to have a finger in everything. Mr. Randolph and his wife have taken the entire upper floor of Post's Exchange Hotel for an indefinite period of time."

"They're awaiting the birth of their child," Daisy explained. For some reason, she found it difficult to listen to Mrs. Cochrane. She'd never thought of Tyler as rich. To do so now would destroy her memories of him. They were all she had, and she wanted to keep them safe.

"You don't have to worry about depending on strangers anymore," Guy a.s.sured her. "You can leave everything to me."

"And father," Adora added. "Daisy wants him to help her find who killed her father."

"Well of course," Guy said. "That goes without saying. Now you must do your best to forget everything that has happened in the last few days." He took his place next to Daisy. Mr. Cochrane's chair remained unoccupied. A maid brought coffee and hot food.

Guy might as well have asked her to forget her entire existence Daisy thought. Nothing in her life had been quite as real as the last few days. She had felt liberated. Walking into the Cochrane's home had been like walking into a cage. Guy's presence intensified the feeling.

Daisy told Guy everything she'd already told his mother and sister. However, by the time she had told it all again to Mr. Cochrane at dinner that evening, she was almost at the end of her rope. If it hadn't been necessary to enlist his aid in apprehending the killers, she didn't think she could have done it.

She told him everything she could about the men who had followed her. She thought he looked disturbed when she described the man who shot her, but his expression cleared and she guessed he didn't know of such a man.

"Leave it to me," he said. "I'll drop by the sheriff's office on my way to the bank tomorrow."

"I wanted to ambush them, but Tyler said we had to wait if we wanted to catch the man behind them."

"What makes you think there's somebody behind them?" Mr. Cochrane asked.

"Tyler says they aren't the kind of men to devise such a plan. They're killers for hire. He said if we got them, the leader could just hire somebody else to kill me."

"Good gracious," Belle Cochrane exclaimed. "This isn't the kind of thing a girl like you ought to be thinking about. I consider it most improper of Mr. Randolph to have discussed it with you."

"I discussed it with him," Daisy informed everybody. "After all, I was the one they were trying to kill. That's not the sort of thing you can just put out of your mind."

"I think you were terribly brave," Adora said. "I'm sure I'd have been in hysterics."

"No, you wouldn't. It's impossible to keep having hysterics for nine--" Daisy cut off the word. If she wasn't careful, she would give everything away. "--nigh onto two days, especially when you're unconscious half the time and riding a burro the rest."

"You poor girl," Guy commiserated. "I'd understand if you took to your bed and didn't get up for a month."

Daisy didn't know what to say to that. Such an absurd thought had never occurred to her.

"She can be as quiet as she likes for as long as she likes," Mrs. Cochrane a.s.sured her. "Adora and I will be only too happy to run any errands for you."

"I figure Bob Greene must be behind it," Daisy said, trying to bring the conversation back to the killers. "I have no idea why, but I can't think of anyone else."

"You can put this whole business out of your head," Mr. Cochrane said. "I disagree with Mr. Randolph. I'm sure they're just lawless drifters killing for anything they can find." He looked thoughtful for a moment. "Though your idea of Bob Greene bears looking into." He paused again. "Yes, I think it does."

"Good. I'm glad that business is behind us," Mrs. Cochrane said. "I'm sure it's a relief, dear, to know you don't have to trouble your head with it again."

Daisy started to tell Mrs. Cochrane it would never leave her head until the killers and the man behind them were caught, but she realized it would be fruitless. The matter was in Mr. Cochrane's hands. Belle Cochrane wouldn't understand why there was anything more for a woman to discuss.

Daisy realized with something of a jolt the Cochranes were just as determined to think for her as her father had been. Actually, they hoped to prevent her from thinking at all. She had expected it would be a relief to hand all her troubles over to Guy and his father, but it wasn't, not if they weren't even going to let her talk about it.

"Adora and her mother have some visits to make tomorrow morning," Mr. Cochrane said. "That will give you and Guy some time alone. You have many things to discuss." He cast his son a glance full of meaning. Guy smiled uncomfortably, but he didn't look unwilling. "Now I think you ought to get to bed. I'm sure the Randolphs took good care of you, but it's impossible to sleep properly in a hotel. With that on top of your ordeal, you must be considerably worn down."

Daisy disliked appearing so helpless, but she desperately wanted to be alone. She was relieved when she at last slipped into bed. Adora wanted to talk. Daisy pleaded fatigue, and Mrs. Cochrane marched her daughter off to her own bedroom. But it wasn't fatigue that Daisy felt when she blew out her lamp.

She was depressed at having left the Randolphs. Tyler may have been gone for days, but she had become very fond of Laurel. She didn't think she'd ever be comfortable around Hen, but his devotion to his wife was a revelation to Daisy.

She'd never seen anything like the relationship that existed between them. He was fierce in his determination to protect her, yet he yielded to her wishes whenever he thought he could. If he did something without asking -- and he did from time to time -- he never minded when she chastised him for it and would reconsider. If he disagreed with her on an issue he felt strongly about, she would yield to him.

In her experience, it was a unique relationship of give-and-take. She realized the Cochranes had a similar system, but Mr. Cochrane had designated everyone's territory with the clear understanding that they not be exceeded. There was no separate territory with Hen and Laurel. Each had their own areas of responsibility, but they made decisions together.

But there was something else, something almost hidden by this loving sharing of each other's lives. Daisy had the clear sense that should anything threaten his family, Hen would defend Laurel with all the ferocity of which he was capable. And if his eyes were anything to go by, Daisy decided his ferocity would have no limits.

Tyler gave her that same feeling. He felt that same lack of fear, the same sense of taking care of his own. He would abuse Zac freely, but he took care of him. It must be a family trait. She remembered the time Willie had come to the cabin. Without speaking a single word, Zac and Tyler had drawn together to protect her.

That's what the Cochranes were doing, but they were doing it to keep her from behaving improperly. There was no such thing as improper behavior with the Randolphs.