Part 16 (1/2)
”Do you think your father would chase them?” Madison asked, grinning.
”Not if he was smart. He'd wait until they came back from their revels too exhausted to run away.”
She laughed again, but it hurt so much she stopped.
”You shouldn't have to take care of the herd by yourself.”
”We haven't been able to get steady hands since Papa fired Troy. I warned him, but he wouldn't listen.”
”Why did your father fire him?”
”They couldn't see eye to eye on anything. Troy was cattle. Papa is a farmer.”
”I'm sure George could find you someone.”
”Why are you so certain your brother can fix anything?” ”Because he can. George is a born fixer.”
”Then why didn't you leave Hen's defense to him?”
”That's something else altogether.”
Madison lapsed into silence, and Fern tried once again to understand the contradictions of this man. One minute he was ready to say George had the answer to everything, the next he implied there were no answers. One minute he couldn't wait to get her off his hands, the next he was taking her back to Abilene so he could take care of her. One moment he was furious with her, and the next he was willing to fight her father so she didn't have to go back to work before she was well.
He was just as incomprehensible as the change in herself.
She should have been worried about her father, but she wasn't. She ought to have been furious at Madison for knocking him down, but she wasn't. She ought to have been worried about her cattle and the neighbors' crops, but she wasn't. She ought to have been anxious to get back to her old life, but she thought only of going back to Mrs. Abbott's and getting to know more about Madison Randolph.
Most of all, she should have been worried that continual contact with Madison would break down her resistance, would make her vulnerable to everything she had spent years trying to resist.
It scared her to death, and she had no idea what would happen tomorrow, but if this was a ride into the jaws of h.e.l.l, so be it. She couldn't do anything else.
”Do they have many parties in Abilene?” Madison asked.
The question was so unexpected, it took Fern a moment to answer. ”I don't know. I never go to parties.” ”Why not?”
”I never wanted to.”
”I'd have thought you'd jump at the chance.”
”Some might, but not me.”
”Not ever?”
”No.”
”Would you go if I invited you?”
No man had ever invited her to a party. No one had ever dared.
”You couldn't take me to a party in this town,” Fern said. ”n.o.body approves of me.”
”I don't approve of all the things you do either, but that doesn't answer my question.”
”If you don't approve of me, why should you want me to go with you?”
”I didn't say I didn't approve of you, just of some of the things you do.”
”It comes down to the same thing.”
”If that's what you think, you don't know much about men.”
She didn't, but she wasn't about to admit it to him.
”You're avoiding my question,” Fern said. ”Why would you ask me to a party?”
”I don't know any other women.”
She meant for her laugh to sound skeptical, but it came out more like a snort of disgust.
”You don't have to. They'll fall over themselves to talk to you.”
”You sound like you don't approve. Don't you think young women should talk to me?”
”I didn't mean that and you know it. I'm sure Mrs. . . . whoever is giving the party, will invite plenty of unattached young women.”
”Maybe I don't want to take the chance of being frozen out by the local swells.”
Fern nearly hooted. ”With your looks, there'll be a gaggle of females panting after you inside ten minutes.”
”Then you do approve of the way I look? That's a relief. I had gotten the definite impression you thought a chunk of river mud had more charm.”
”You know you're a nice-looking man,” Fern said, hardly able to believe the words that fell from her tongue. ”And you know you can turn on the charm when you want. It's just when you're around me you behave like a beast.”
”Your reflections on my character are fascinating,” Madison said, ”but we've wandered far from the original question. Would you go to a party with me?”
”Whose party is it?”
”Mrs. McCoy.”
”The mayor's wife!” Fern exclaimed. ”She'd never let me in the front door. She gets heartburn every time she sets eyes on me.”
”You'd have to wear a dress, but I don't see. anything about you to cause heartburn.”
”So I'm not good enough to go as I am?” Fern said, her temper rising like a water spout.
”I didn't say a word about being good enough,” Madison replied. ”I'm sure Mrs. McCoy's only objection is to your mode of dress.”
”Would you take me to the party dressed like I am now?”
”It's an evening party. I wouldn't take myself dressed like I am now.”