What am I doing here? she wondered as she braced her forearms on the fence. Loneliness smote her all at once. She wanted Leah desperately, not the little-girl Leah but the woman who had been her only parent, the woman she had known all her life. She wanted someone who understood her, someone who knew her, not as the spoiled Adeline Warner but as the person she really was. Her throat was tight as she fought to control her longing. It wouldn't do to think about it, not when she had to turn all of her concentration to learning everything she could about her situation.
Sighing and closing her eyes, she leaned her head on her hands and tried to remember what Leah had told her about Adeline Warner's disappearance. It was all enshrouded in a haze of grief. Frowning deeply, she focused on the faint recollection of a name. She said she'd wanted to talk to someone. Diaz, I've got to find him. I've got to ask him-.
Addie heard the sound of booted feet behind her, felt the touch of someone's fingertips on her arm.
" Adeline-"
"Don't!" She spun around, her heart leaping. "Don't touch me!"
Ben held his hands up as if she were wielding a revolver. "Okay. Okay. No one's touching you."
She put her hand up to her chest, taking an unsteady breath. "Don't walk up behind me like that again."
"From the way you were leaning, I thought you were sick.
"Well, I wasn't. But you nearly frightened me to death."
She could see the white flash of his smile in the darkness. "Sorry."
"An apology from you," she said, exhaustion robbing her voice of its intended tartness. "It's been one surprise after another today."
"Your mother asked me to bring you back in."
"I have a question or two to ask you first."
He inclined his head slightly. "About?"
"For starters, where did you get your education?"
He braced an arm on the fence and leaned against it comfortably, sliding a hand into his pocket. "Is it so obvious that I have one? I'm flattered."
"I'd like to know. Please."
"'Please' from you. Now, that is a surprise. I'm almost tempted to tell you. But you wouldn't believe me."
"Did you go to college?"
"Harvard."
"You're lying."
"I said you wouldn't believe me. But it's true. I even graduated. After that, my father offered to pay me to stay away for good."
"Why?"
"Why? Obviously he didn't like my company," he murmured with a half-smile, and stood up from the fence. "Time to go in."
"Is your family from the Nor-"
"No more questions. I've bared my soul enough for one night." He reached to take her arm and stopped in mid-motion as she edged away from him. "Oh, yes. No touching. Come on, Adeline."
Everything he said and did was carefully cataloged in her mind. She would have to remember it all. Maybe that was why she had found herself here. Maybe she was intended to expose the other side of him, to interrupt the events that would lead up to Russell's death. The fact that I'm here must change a lot of things. The fact that I'm here instead of Adeline Warner is just the beginning of it all. Everything will be different now. I'll make it different. I'll stop Russell's murder. I'll ruin Ben Hunter before it ever gets that far.
After she retired for the night, she turned fitfully as questions burned through her mind. There were things she had to know. Things she had to find out tomorrow. Addie threw off the light sheet that covered her and rolled over onto her stomach, hot and frustrated… frightened.
Her thoughts stilled as the clear, lovely notes of a guitar floated through the windows from a distance. Haunting, sweet music. Was that Ben? She didn't know the melody, but it was the most beautiful thing she had ever heard, soothing and faultlessly played. She could sense the entire ranch settling down to listen. Soon Addie ceased to wonder at the source of the music and relaxed. How could someone like Ben play something so beautiful? she thought drowsily, and then she thought of Leah, sleeping only a few rooms away. She wondered if Leah was listening.
3
ADDIE WAS UP AT DAWN WITH THE OTHERS, UNABLE to stay in bed while the smell of breakfast crept stealthily through the air and the sound of quiet morning conversation floated up to her from the dining room. She washed and dressed quickly, feeling strangely at peace in spite of a long and restless night.
Was there any way to get back to the Sunrise she belonged in? She didn't know how to go back-she didn't know how she'd gotten here in the first place. What if she was stuck here forever? Addie shivered at the thought and pushed it aside. There was no use worrying about that. It didn't seem as if she could do anything about it. If it was all a dream, it would end sometime. And if she was crazy, it was better to pretend to herself and everyone else that she wasn't.
But there was something practical for her to think about. Russell Warner was still alive, and she might be the only one who could keep him that way. To the rest of the family and everyone in Sunrise, she would be Adeline. She would figure out how to be who they thought she was. From now on, no one would notice anything peculiar about her. And while he was fooling them all, she would find some way to expose Ben for what he was and stop him from killing Russell. As things stood now, Russell would be murdered just after fall roundup. She had until then to change everything.
Addie went downstairs with a light step. As she walked into the dining room, she painted on a bright smile. "Good morning," she said airily, seating herself by May.
"What in tarnation's got you so happy?" Russell demanded. His eyes twinkling.
"Nothing." She leaned to the side as the maid reached over to pour her coffee.
"I think it may have something to do with Jeff," May said, pleased by the thought. "Isn't that right, Adeline?"
"It might be," Addie conceded, stirring sugar into her coffee. "I have to admit, Jeff is super."
A blank silence greeted her statement.
"Super?"
Addie realized her mistake and covered it hastily. "New expression." You'll hear it about fifty years from now. "It means nice… wonderful."
Russell chuckled. "Don't know why young people have to go makin' up new words. We got all we need."
"Because young people always think they're feelin' things no one has ever felt before," Caroline said reasonably. "Thinkin' up new words only makes sense to 'em."
"Adeline, are you going to see Jeff again today?" May's face was warm with motherly interest.
"Well, we'd talked about it."
"I want Adeline to be out with me today," Russell interrupted brusquely.
There was a short silence around the table. Then May spoke with a frown etched on the comers of her mouth, displeasure knitting her brow. "Later you can take Cade-"
"Cade will be in school all day," Russell countered, his jaw set obstinately. "And Adeline and me haven't been ridin' in a long time. She wants to go. Don't you, punkin?"
Addie nodded eagerly. "Yes. It sounds like a fine idea. "
"We'll look over the ranch, see things are bein' done right, won't we, honey?"
She grinned at him. "We sure will."
"Wait." Ben's eyes darkened with annoyance. "The men don't need to have her looking over their shoulders and putting in her two cents about what they're doing."
Addie sat up straighter in her chair, looking directly at him. "I won't say a thing to anyone."
"You don't have to," he replied curtly. "Just looking at you is going to distract them." He turned to Russell, his voice becoming softer, more persuasive. "We've got a lot of things to do today, and no time to put up with her antics. Most of them get to see a woman seldom enough, Russ, and they can't help staring. But to have one right there while they're trying to work, and one that looks like Adeline-it's asking a little much, isn't it?"