she'd maneuvered her swollen body into a chair. "I won't be able to come along."
Concepcion 's eyes widened. "You're asking me to leave you? To go without you to El Cuidad de Mexico?"
"Think of the child. There are doctors in Mexico City , you won't have to depend on an old midwife like Rosa ."
"I trust Rosa with my life!"
Diarmid sighed. "That's not the point. I'd feel better if you had the child in Mexico City . Your father and your aunt are there, you wouldn't be alone."
Concepcion frowned. "My place is here, with my husband. I belong by your side and here I'll stay."
"I don't want you here!"
She tightened her lips. "Is that why you ride every week to El Doblez?"
He hadn't thought she paid any attention to his comings and goings. Damn it, what he chose to do was none of her business! "What I do in El Doblez has no bearing on you going to Mexico City ," he said coldly.
"You never touch me anymore!" she cried. "You have another woman, some cheap puta in El Doblez. But I'm your wife and I won't leave you."
Diarmid took a deep breath, fighting his rising anger. How dare she refer to Angelica as a whore? He'd never so much as kissed the lass, he only went to see her and talk to her.
"I have no other woman," he told her. "I'm thinking of your own good--yours and the child's.
"I don't believe you. How can you ask me to make such a long and arduous journey in my condition? You know how miserable I feel, how sick I've been. Rosa understands , she takes care of me." Her accusing eyes told him that was more than he did.
"Damn Rosa ! Take her with you if you can't do without her."
"I'm not going!"
Fury at this ugly, screeching woman thrust Diarmid to his feet. "If you won't go willingly, I'll send you away." He threw the words at her.
She glared up at him, tears swimming in her eyes, her hands gripping the wooden arms of the chair. "You can't force me to leave. If you try I'll tell about Myron's murder and how you hid his body."
Diarmid froze.
"I was at the cove that morning but I kept silent for love of you ," Concepcion sobbed. "I heard Myron curse you for deserting his sister and now you try to rid yourself of me." She flung her arms wide. "Kill me as you killed him but do not ask me to leave your side. I will not go. Ever!"
Someone tapped at the door. Diarmid strode over and threw it open.
"Does she need me?" Rosa asked , her eyes averted from his.
"Get the hell out of here!" Diarmid snarled, slamming the door in Rosa 's face. He whirled on Concepcion . "Go ahead, tell the world what you know!"
She stretched her arms toward him. "I don't want to, I love you."
He turned away from the sight of her blotched, tearful face and her distorted shape but he couldn't close his ears to her pleading whine.
"I'll do everything you want, I swear I will," she said brokenly. "Anything except leave you. Didn't I lie for you and tell that man from Los Angeles I never heard of anyone named Myron?"
Diarmid grabbed her arm. "What man? What are you talking about?"
Concepcion dabbed at her eyes with a lace-edged handkerchief. "He arrived on one of the days you were in El Doblez. Inquiries came from San Francisco , he said, about a missing man thought to be on his way here. He told me the name. It was Myron. I said such a person had never come to the rancho. The servants all agreed this was true."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"You're hurting my arm," she said.
He let her go. "Why?"
"Because I knew the truth and didn't want to cause you worry. Just let me stay by your side and I'll never breathe a word about Myron for as long as I live."
Diarmid didn't move for long moments, his mind whirling as rapidly as a dust-devil and to as little purpose. Concepcion had him stymied. He controlled the urge to shake her until her teeth rattled. He'd never dreamed she was so devious.
No doubt the servants reported
Concepcion 's eyes widened. "You're asking me to leave you? To go without you to El Cuidad de Mexico?"
"Think of the child. There are doctors in Mexico City , you won't have to depend on an old midwife like Rosa ."
"I trust Rosa with my life!"
Diarmid sighed. "That's not the point. I'd feel better if you had the child in Mexico City . Your father and your aunt are there, you wouldn't be alone."
Concepcion frowned. "My place is here, with my husband. I belong by your side and here I'll stay."
"I don't want you here!"
She tightened her lips. "Is that why you ride every week to El Doblez?"
He hadn't thought she paid any attention to his comings and goings. Damn it, what he chose to do was none of her business! "What I do in El Doblez has no bearing on you going to Mexico City ," he said coldly.
"You never touch me anymore!" she cried. "You have another woman, some cheap puta in El Doblez. But I'm your wife and I won't leave you."
Diarmid took a deep breath, fighting his rising anger. How dare she refer to Angelica as a whore? He'd never so much as kissed the lass, he only went to see her and talk to her.
"I have no other woman," he told her. "I'm thinking of your own good--yours and the child's.
"I don't believe you. How can you ask me to make such a long and arduous journey in my condition? You know how miserable I feel, how sick I've been. Rosa understands , she takes care of me." Her accusing eyes told him that was more than he did.
"Damn Rosa ! Take her with you if you can't do without her."
"I'm not going!"
Fury at this ugly, screeching woman thrust Diarmid to his feet. "If you won't go willingly, I'll send you away." He threw the words at her.
She glared up at him, tears swimming in her eyes, her hands gripping the wooden arms of the chair. "You can't force me to leave. If you try I'll tell about Myron's murder and how you hid his body."
Diarmid froze.
"I was at the cove that morning but I kept silent for love of you ," Concepcion sobbed. "I heard Myron curse you for deserting his sister and now you try to rid yourself of me." She flung her arms wide. "Kill me as you killed him but do not ask me to leave your side. I will not go. Ever!"
Someone tapped at the door. Diarmid strode over and threw it open.
"Does she need me?" Rosa asked , her eyes averted from his.
"Get the hell out of here!" Diarmid snarled, slamming the door in Rosa 's face. He whirled on Concepcion . "Go ahead, tell the world what you know!"
She stretched her arms toward him. "I don't want to, I love you."
He turned away from the sight of her blotched, tearful face and her distorted shape but he couldn't close his ears to her pleading whine.
"I'll do everything you want, I swear I will," she said brokenly. "Anything except leave you. Didn't I lie for you and tell that man from Los Angeles I never heard of anyone named Myron?"
Diarmid grabbed her arm. "What man? What are you talking about?"
Concepcion dabbed at her eyes with a lace-edged handkerchief. "He arrived on one of the days you were in El Doblez. Inquiries came from San Francisco , he said, about a missing man thought to be on his way here. He told me the name. It was Myron. I said such a person had never come to the rancho. The servants all agreed this was true."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"You're hurting my arm," she said.
He let her go. "Why?"
"Because I knew the truth and didn't want to cause you worry. Just let me stay by your side and I'll never breathe a word about Myron for as long as I live."
Diarmid didn't move for long moments, his mind whirling as rapidly as a dust-devil and to as little purpose. Concepcion had him stymied. He controlled the urge to shake her until her teeth rattled. He'd never dreamed she was so devious.
No doubt the servants reported
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