From the look of them, they weren't used to seeing bodies lying around dead any more than Billy was.
Both were pale, and the older woman looked close to fainting. Neither glanced across the street, though it was doubtful anything could be seen now with the crowd surrounding the bodies. It was obvious, how-ever, that they knew full well what had happened, if they hadn't seen it happen firsthand.
Billy jumped up on the boardwalk as soon as he saw in which direction they were going, and refused to be shuffled aside by the two guards who led the way. Those two and the other four formed a tight circle around the ladies, and none of them looked too agreeable at the moment, making Billy wish he had Colt standing behind him. But Colt was only just now skirting the crowd on the vacant lot, leading their horses out to the street. Even if he saw where Billy had gone, he wasn't likely to join him.
When one of the guards got physical, picking Billy up by his shirtfront before he could get a word out, to set him out of the way, Sir Dudley, at the back of the group, stopped him. "Let him go, Robbie. He's the gent was with that Thunder chap this morning."
Luckily for Billy, red-haired Robbie listened to his friend and immediately set Billy back on his feet. He even went so far as to smooth out the shirt he had wrinkled in his big fists, ofFering a grin in apology. The man was the largest of the guards present, nearly six feet tall and brawny besides, not someone a lean seventeen-year-old kid would want to tangle with un-der any circumstances. But Billy hadn't been looking to cause a disturbance. He had simply wanted to meet the duchess, hoping that a few words with her would help to wipe out the lingering image of death from his mind. Unfortunately, he hadn't stopped to con-sider her own upset, and that this was not the time to stop for a friendly chat, even if she would deign to speak to him.
She did speak to him, however, not so distracted that she hadn't heard Dudley's remarks. "So you are a friend of Mr. Thunder's?"
The two front guards had instantly moved aside so she could step up to Billy. Seen close, she was even more beautiful than he had thought. Those eyes were something else, so light a green they almost glowed.
It registered in his mind that a much darker green silk molded over delicate curves on a lithe figure, but he couldn't take his eyes off her face. And several long moments passed before he recalled that she had asked him something.
"I don't know that 'friend' is the appropriate word, Lady Fleming. I'm Colt's brother."
"Brother!" she said with surprise. "But you don't look anything like him. Are you a half-breed too?"
Billy almost laughed. Folks in the West wouldn't ask that question. They took it for granted they would know one if they saw one, and whether a man was a half-breed or not, if he was thought one, he might as well be one.
"No, ma'am," Billy answered her, surprised to find he had dropped the abbreviated speech he picked up each time he came west, his Eastern schooling coming through in response to her own cultured tones.
"Colt and I share the same father, but not the same mother."
"Then it would be his mother who is Cheyenne," she remarked more to herself. "Yes, he must take after her. But then you both have blue eyes, though not quite the same…. Forgive me. I didn't mean to go on like that."
Billy grinned at the slight blush that came to her cheeks when she realized she had been rambling. "Not at all, ma'am. And Colt inherited his eyes from one of our father's ancestors, since Thomas Blair had eyes of turquoise himself, I'm told. Jessie is the only one who took after him in coloring, in both hair and eyes."
"Jessie. yes, your brother mentioned her to me when we met yesterday. But if you don't mind my asking, what do you mean you were told about your father's eyes? How could you not know?"
"My mother left him before I was born, so I was raised back East. I was half grown before I even knew about him, or that I had an older sister. And it was still a few more years before I found out I had a half brother too. None of us were raised together, you see. Jessie was raised by our father on a cattle ranch in Wyoming, Colt grew up with his mother's people in the Northern Plains, and I lived in a mansion in
Chicago. The whys of all that are kind of complicated."
"That is all very fascinating, young man," Vanessa commented at this point, "and I don't mean to be rude, but we are in a bit of a hurry to leave this. this location. The duchess, I am sure, will be delighted to continue this conversation, but in quieter surroundings. You may accompany us, if you like, back to our hotel—"
"Much as I would enjoy that, ma'am, I'm afraid I can't. Colt's waiting for me" — his quick glance across the street said where Colt was waiting—"and, well, I just wanted to explain about his behavior this morn-ing and let you know it had nothing to do with you personally, Lady Fleming. He has these set ideas, you see, and…"
Billy's words trailed off, for the lady was no longer listening to him. She had followed his look across the street and was still looking there, staring at Colt, who was likewise staring at her. But it was obvious he wasn't going to do anything more than that. He didn't nod to acknowledge her, didn't move a muscle, just stood there holding the horses' reins, patiently wait-ing for Billy to finish his socializing and join him.
Patiently? Not likely. Colt was probably furious. You just couldn't tell it by looking at him.
"He's not leaving town, is he?"
It wasn't hard for her to have drawn that conclu-sion, with both horses Colt was leading packed for traveling. The alarm in her voice and expression took Billy by surprise, however. He couldn't figure out what possible interest a woman like this could have in someone like Colt. She barely knew him, certainly not enough to generate such concern.
Billy grew uncomfortable, knowing the answer he had to give, and guessing the reaction it would bring.
"Colt doesn't like towns much, ma'am, especially those he doesn't know. He only came to this one to find me, and now that he has, he can't wait to be on his way. We would have been gone already if my horse hadn't thrown a shoe."
"Mr. Thunder has the right idea," Vanessa re-marked. "I'm all for leaving this town myself—
immediately."
"We don't have a guide yet," the duchess replied absently to her friend.
"Where were you heading, ma'am, if you don't mind my asking?"
Jocelyn hesitated only a moment before saying, "Wyoming," and Billy wasn't the only one surprised by that answer. But he was the only one to comment on it, and without the least suspicion.
"Imagine that," Billy said with boyish delight. "That's our destination too, or at least Colt's, since he hasn't said yet whether he'll be shipping me back home somewhere along the way or not. It's too bad we can't all…"
He didn't finish that thought, realizing just in time that he had no business inviting anyone along, especially not a woman Colt had done everything possible to avoid. But he had said too much as it was, and she pounced on the idea without giving him a chance to correct the mistake.
"But that's a splendid notion, Mr. — Blair, is it?"
"Ewing," he replied with a distinctly unpleasant feeling curling in his belly. "I took my stepfather's name."
"Well, Mr. Ewing, you really are a lifesaver," she rushed on. "I agree with the countess that we can no longer remain in a place of such violence. And it will take us no time at all to be ready to leave."
"But—"
"Oh, you needn't feel that we mean to take advantage of your good nature, sir. Not at all. Since we are in need of a guide, you must allow me to hire you and your brother for that purpose. I can pay you extremely well to make it worth your while to put up with us for however long it takes to reach Wyoming."
"But—"
"No, no, you can't refuse payment. I really must insist. I wouldn't feel right about imposing, otherwise.