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about him.”
    Gwen’s face was suffused with a fatuous smile. “Other than that he’s the most wonderful man I’ve ever met? Did you know that he’s an attorney? He’s one of Mr. Landry’s advisers. Can you imagine, Charlotte? He’s an important man about town, and yet he noticed me—me, Gwen Amos. It’s like a fairy tale come true.”
    Charlotte tried not to sigh. Gwen’s enthusiasm reminded her of when she first met Jeffrey. The young soldier had literally swept her off her feet, and she’d been convinced that it was a case of love at first sight. Only later had Charlotte realized that infatuation and love were two very different things.
    â€œAll I can say, Cinderella, is that I hope our coach doesn’tturn into a pumpkin. I wouldn’t want us to have to walk home in these gowns.”
    They’d reached their seats, and as Gwen settled into hers, she sighed with pleasure. “Oh, Charlotte, I’m so glad we came.”
    â€œSo am I. The music is glorious.” But when the orchestra resumed its playing, Charlotte found that she could not concentrate on the symphony. Instead, as she closed her eyes, pictures of Barrett Landry flashed before her.

 4 
    I ’m disappointed in you, Barrett.” Richard’s normally placid brown eyes flashed with anger. For a second, Barrett considered ignoring his friend’s comment, but he knew Richard too well. The man would not leave the morning room, where they were currently enjoying a late evening repast, complete with some of Mrs. Melnor’s berry pie, until he was satisfied.
    â€œWhat did I do wrong now?” Barrett helped himself to a second piece of pie. “I attended the symphony, although you know I enjoy that about as much as being thrown from a horse. Before and after the performance, I spent at least an hour talking to every potential constituent you sent my way. I—”
    Richard’s hand made a slicing motion. “You were stupid, and you don’t even know how stupid you were.”
    â€œI’m sure you intend to rectify that lapse.” Barrett infused his words with sarcasm, hoping to deflect Richard’s annoyance.
    It didn’t work. His newly appointed business managerfrowned. “You ignored Miriam during intermission. Instead of devoting yourself to the finest woman in Cheyenne, possibly in the entire territory, you wasted time talking to a seamstress. Honestly, Barrett, I don’t know what you were thinking, if you were even thinking.”
    Barrett decided not to respond while Richard reached for his cup and took a long swallow of coffee. The man was on a tear, and the easiest way to end it was to let it run its course.
    â€œI’ll admit the seamstress is pretty enough, if you like dark hair and eyes,” Richard conceded as he forked a piece of pie, “but no one can compare to Miriam. She’s a golden goddess, and yet you didn’t seem to know she was there.”
    â€œThat’s not true. She was my companion for the evening. I escorted her to and from the opera house. I never left her side. As I recall, it was you who took her away. What was I supposed to do? Drag her from you? I don’t think that would have accomplished anything other than make us all look foolish.”
    Richard didn’t bother to swallow his pie before he retorted. “I only took her away because you were gawking at the seamstress.”
    â€œHer name is Madame Charlotte, and I wasn’t gawking.”
    Throwing up his hands in exasperation, Richard glared at Barrett. “See what I mean? You’re defending the woman who sews your future wife’s clothing rather than caring about Miriam, the woman who’s going to share your life and help you get elected. You don’t deserve her. A woman like Miriam should be cherished, not ignored for a mere seamstress.”
    That made four times Richard had called Charlotte a seamstress.