Read Online Heart of Thunder by Johanna Lindsey - Free Book Online
Authors: Johanna Lindsey
Ads: Link
didn’t care , that was the plain truth. But she cared about Adrien. That was the problem. She would have to do something to jolt him into caring.
And then it hit her again, the idea she had had earlier. She would make Adrien jealous. She had just the man for it—Hank Chavez. But did she dare use him in that way? He had shown an interest in her. She needed only to cultivate that interest.
The girls at school had taught her the techniques of flirtation, though she had yet to actually flirt with a man—Adrien had never given her the chance. She could practice on Hank. Only a little , however. She didn’t want to encourage him, just hold his interest…just show Adrien.
She was excited. It would work! It had to.
“Your eyes are sparkling,” Hank remarked softly, his gaze admiring.
She gave him a weak smile. “Are they? Oh dear, I’m so tired.” She pretended a yawn. “I don’t know how I’ll sleep on these benches. I would be too afraid of falling off to get any sleep.”
“I have a bedroll on top of the coach,” he offered. “Would you allow me to get it for you?”
“Would you? Oh, that would be so nice. I was considering sleeping in the coach.”
His eyes twinkled. “I could keep you company there.”
“No, no! The bedroll will do nicely,” she said hastily, a blush rising.
Was he a gentleman or not? She wondered, uneasy then. He had better be. She wouldn’t be able to do what she was planning if he wasn’t. A gentleman would have to concede gracefully to the better man. That was the way it had to end. She would make Adrien love her, and Hank Chavez would go on his way. That was what would happen.
He returned with the bedroll and gallantly kissed her hand, bidding her buenas noches . Then he moved off to a bench far away from her, and she relaxed once more. Yes, he was a gentleman. When her plan reached its conclusion, there would be no hard feelings. She was sure of it.
Chapter 7
F OR three days Samantha and Hank carried on the only conversation in the coach. Mr. Patch joined in occasionally, but Jeannette felt excluded unless they were talking of the East. And they did for a while, when Samantha told Hank about her experiences there.
They talked of many things. Samantha didn’t let Hank know who her father really was, or where she lived. She deftly avoided the particulars, and he didn’t press her.
They spoke of England, and he told her of Spain, and of France, where he had gone to school. At that point, Adrien joined the conversation.
It was working! Adrien frequently looked at her oddly, and she sometimes caught him glancing at Hank with almost a smoldering look. And Hank Chavez did not lose interest in her. He was solicitous, helping her in and out of the coach at rest stops, bringing her meals. It was just what she had planned.
The coach pulled into Trinidad in the early evening of the eighth day. They had already traveled nearly two hundred miles and there were still another seventy-five to go.
Adrien and Jeannette elected to stay at the stage depot. They were conserving money in any way they could. Adrien had spent so much on his mining supplies. Samantha offered to buy them rooms for the night, but they refused, too proud for that. Samantha shook her head. She had known they would refuse. There had been a strain between her and Jeannette ever since the threeof them had talked about money. Jeannette was easily offended by the subject, and had become rigid about paying her way. Samantha was exasperated. Didn’t Adrien realize that, once he was married to her, he would be wealthy? Didn’t his sister’s comfort matter to the man? Jeannette was not used to scrimping—or to sleeping in stage depots.
Her father’s ranch was huge, thousands of acres in Mexico and thousands more across the border in Texas. He had more land than he could handle, but he did use a lot of it. Besides ranching, he grew crops in the fertile valley east of the West Sierra mountains, and his two copper
And then it hit her again, the idea she had had earlier. She would make Adrien jealous. She had just the man for it—Hank Chavez. But did she dare use him in that way? He had shown an interest in her. She needed only to cultivate that interest.
The girls at school had taught her the techniques of flirtation, though she had yet to actually flirt with a man—Adrien had never given her the chance. She could practice on Hank. Only a little , however. She didn’t want to encourage him, just hold his interest…just show Adrien.
She was excited. It would work! It had to.
“Your eyes are sparkling,” Hank remarked softly, his gaze admiring.
She gave him a weak smile. “Are they? Oh dear, I’m so tired.” She pretended a yawn. “I don’t know how I’ll sleep on these benches. I would be too afraid of falling off to get any sleep.”
“I have a bedroll on top of the coach,” he offered. “Would you allow me to get it for you?”
“Would you? Oh, that would be so nice. I was considering sleeping in the coach.”
His eyes twinkled. “I could keep you company there.”
“No, no! The bedroll will do nicely,” she said hastily, a blush rising.
Was he a gentleman or not? She wondered, uneasy then. He had better be. She wouldn’t be able to do what she was planning if he wasn’t. A gentleman would have to concede gracefully to the better man. That was the way it had to end. She would make Adrien love her, and Hank Chavez would go on his way. That was what would happen.
He returned with the bedroll and gallantly kissed her hand, bidding her buenas noches . Then he moved off to a bench far away from her, and she relaxed once more. Yes, he was a gentleman. When her plan reached its conclusion, there would be no hard feelings. She was sure of it.
Chapter 7
F OR three days Samantha and Hank carried on the only conversation in the coach. Mr. Patch joined in occasionally, but Jeannette felt excluded unless they were talking of the East. And they did for a while, when Samantha told Hank about her experiences there.
They talked of many things. Samantha didn’t let Hank know who her father really was, or where she lived. She deftly avoided the particulars, and he didn’t press her.
They spoke of England, and he told her of Spain, and of France, where he had gone to school. At that point, Adrien joined the conversation.
It was working! Adrien frequently looked at her oddly, and she sometimes caught him glancing at Hank with almost a smoldering look. And Hank Chavez did not lose interest in her. He was solicitous, helping her in and out of the coach at rest stops, bringing her meals. It was just what she had planned.
The coach pulled into Trinidad in the early evening of the eighth day. They had already traveled nearly two hundred miles and there were still another seventy-five to go.
Adrien and Jeannette elected to stay at the stage depot. They were conserving money in any way they could. Adrien had spent so much on his mining supplies. Samantha offered to buy them rooms for the night, but they refused, too proud for that. Samantha shook her head. She had known they would refuse. There had been a strain between her and Jeannette ever since the threeof them had talked about money. Jeannette was easily offended by the subject, and had become rigid about paying her way. Samantha was exasperated. Didn’t Adrien realize that, once he was married to her, he would be wealthy? Didn’t his sister’s comfort matter to the man? Jeannette was not used to scrimping—or to sleeping in stage depots.
Her father’s ranch was huge, thousands of acres in Mexico and thousands more across the border in Texas. He had more land than he could handle, but he did use a lot of it. Besides ranching, he grew crops in the fertile valley east of the West Sierra mountains, and his two copper
Similar Books
