"There isn't any reason to become sarcastic, Mr. Ross. Your anxiety over the situation is clearly apparent to me. I believe I understand the reason behind it."
"You do, do you?"
His left eyelid flickered once. Then again. She knew he was getting upset. She didn't care. "Yes, I do know what's bothering you. You slept with me and we… were intimate."
"And that has made me anxious?"
She nodded. He shook his head. Anxious? Hell, no, he thought. Relief was a far better description for what he was feeling. She belonged to him now, and it didn't matter if she wanted to be his wife or not. What was done was done. There wasn't going to be any damned annulment, and if she so much as mentioned the word divorce, he'd probably break a tooth clenching his teeth together to keep from shouting at her.
The flicker had moved into the side of his cheek. She knew she was getting him riled up. She couldn't understand why. She was only telling him what he already knew. "I told you it would complicate matters if we became intimate, but you wouldn't listen, would you? Now you're sorry. You're feeling hemmed in, trapped. You want to go back to your mountains."
Lucas didn't know how the conversation had gotten so far out of hand. Her conclusions were all wrong, and it suddenly dawned on him that she might be telling him her own fears. Was she afraid he wanted to abandon her? He decided to find out. He would use reason to get her to realize how incorrect her conclusions were and then coax her into admitting she was afraid.
"If you're so certain I want to go back to the mountains, why haven't I?"
"Because of the children," she immediately answered. "You only just found them, remember? You also feel responsible and even a little guilty because you think I might think you're running out on me."
Hunter opened the door. Taylor was thankful for the interruption. She hurried inside.
"We'll continue this discussion tonight," Lucas promised.
"If you insist."
Lucas caught up with her and leaned down close to her ear. "By the way, Mrs. Ross, I have never felt guilty about anything in my entire life."
The look she gave him told him she didn't believe him.
She turned her attention to getting the children ready to go shopping. She accidentally called Georgie Allie and five minutes later repeated the error. She was having a terrible time telling them apart, and it was a strain keeping her confusion a secret. David Daniel didn't have any difficulty, nor did Lucas, she remembered, and she found her problem not only embarrassing, but also humiliating. A mother should be able to tell her babies apart. She even sat them down side by side on the settee, knelt down in front of them, and stared at the two of them long and hard, searching for subtle differences. She couldn't find any. Their every feature seemed identical. Their violet-colored eyes appeared to be the same shade, their blond curls parted at the same spot, and even their chubby cheeks looked identical to her.
The differences were in their personalities. Georgie was the more outgoing of the two. She didn't seem to be afraid of anything. She had all the qualities of a leader, a bossy one at that, Taylor thought with a smile, while her sister, Allie, was already showing signs of being a peacemaker and a lady. She held her own with her sister, however, and when she wanted attention, she could scream just as ferociously.
Neither twin seemed to be suffering any ill effects from their ordeal with the Border brothers. Taylor was both surprised and relieved.
While she helped Daniel tuck in his shirt, she told him how thankful she was that none of them had been hurt.
"I wouldn't let anyone hurt my sisters," he told her with a good deal of arrogance in his voice.
"They were fortunate to have you to look after them," she praised.
"I made sure they fed them good, too," he told her. "They were scared a lot. Mostly at night. They still get scared," he added in a whisper so Allie wouldn't hear him. She was trying to climb up on his bed. "After everybody goes to sleep, they get in bed with me. Georgie has to hold my hand."
"You've been their guardian angel," she told him.
Daniel shook his head. "Maybe a helper," he whispered. "Like Hunter and Lucas."
Daniel was only seven years old and yet he had been forced to behave like an adult. She made a promise that when they reached Redemption and had a home of their own, she would help Daniel learn how to be a little boy again. He'd shouldered responsibilities most grown men would have trouble carrying. On the surface, Daniel was everything a mother could want in a son. He was polite, thoughtful, courteous, appreciative of every little thing she did for him, and oh, how he wanted to please her. Those were all wonderful qualities, but in her estimation, not at all normal in a seven-year-old. She would love to hear him shout or show anger or even become a little stubborn upon occasion.
Time was on her side. Daniel wasn't going to relax his guard until he learned to trust her. Once he understood her love wasn't conditional, she felt certain he would start smiling.
She put the worry aside for the moment and went back to getting the twins ready. It took her a full hour to get everyone organized. Lucas hired a cabbie for their use for the day. She thought he was being extravagant and thoughtful.
Just as she'd promised Daniel, they purchased shoes first. Each child got three pairs. Two were larger sizes for the children to grow into. Daniel was easy to purchase clothing for as the general men's store carried ready-made clothing for both boys and men. When they left the store, the child had a complete wardrobe.
The twins were another matter. There weren't any ready-made dresses available. The clerk had recommended Madame Mason's fine establishment. The shop not only carried a full selection of fabrics, but also had a full staff of dressmakers available for fittings.
Madame Mason personally measured the twins, and Taylor ordered a large assortment of clothing to be shipped to General Delivery, Redemption, Montana Territory. She then took the owner aside and explained that the children were in dire need of clothing now. Was it possible to finish a few of the outfits right away?
Madame Mason was led to believe everything had been lost in a fire. She was extremely sympathetic and came up with an alternative suggestion she was sure Taylor would appreciate. She took her into the back room to show her the second-hand garments available to families whose finances were strapped. Madame Mason hoped Taylor wouldn't be offended. The opposite was the case. Taylor didn't have any qualms about buying hand-me-downs. Clothes were clothes, and the owner assured her she had only purchased barely worn, high-quality items.
They spent two hours in the back of the shop, and when they were ready to leave, they had complete wardrobes for the little girls. Victoria had already purchased fabric to make clothing for her baby, but there were such adorable little sleeping gowns available and soft receiving blankets, she couldn't resist buying a full selection. Daniel certainly didn't need anything more, but Taylor couldn't resist three shirts, two pairs of pants, and two belts she declared were too handsome to pass up.
They had lunch in a restaurant that catered to families, then went to purchase books and maps. Because the children had been so agreeable, Taylor let each of them pick out a toy. Daniel chose a small wooden horse, and Georgie and Allie both wanted rag dolls.
All in all, the day was both delightful and productive. There was only one minor inconvenience. When Taylor told Georgie she couldn't climb up on the counter in Hansen's Linen Shop, the little girl threw herself down on the floor and went into a full-blown temper tantrum. Taylor had never seen anything like it. The little imp was kicking and screaming loud enough to draw a good-sized crowd. She sounded as though she was being tortured. Allie was the only one not horrified by her sister's conduct. She fell asleep on Victoria's lap while she watched Georgie's theatrics. Taylor was at a loss as to what to do to calm her angel-turned-hellion. She knew exhaustion was the culprit. Georgie was in dire need of a nap.