But Kane grinned at her. “Gentleman or not, I see you took my advice and bought yourself a new dress. All right, Houston, you can call me Kane.”
“At this moment, I much prefer Mr. Taggert,” she said haughtily, and everyone laughed together.
All day Thursday was given over to preparing Kane’s house for the wedding on Monday. Kane and Edan locked themselves in Kane’s study and ignored the furniture movers, the deliveries, and the arrivals and departures of most of Chandler’s tradesmen.
Friday and Saturday were more of the same, with Houston explaining and reexplaining their roles to all the people involved in the wedding. There were men and women to prepare and serve food, men to build tables for outside. There were the men who set up the enormous open–sided tents Houston’d had made in Denver. On Sunday, there were thirty–eight people doing nothing but arranging flowers.
Jean Taggert sent a message that Rafe was going to come but young Ian was balking, and could she bring a covered dish perhaps?
When Houston read the message, she was in the kitchen, and before her on the table were two butchered cow carcasses and 250 pounds of potatoes that had just been delivered. And under the cows were three enormous wheels of cheese and 300 oranges—and she was praying the oranges weren’t on the bottom.
Through all the turmoil, Houston was pleased that Kane stayed out of her way and left her to her work. He complained that he was so far behind in his own work, from lollygagging about with her, that he’d never catch up.
Only once did he give her any trouble, and that was when Leander asked Edan and him to spend the evening at Lee’s men’s club.
“I ain’t got time to do that!” Kane bellowed. “Don’t those men ever work? Lord knows but I’ll have little enough time after the weddin’, what with a woman always underfoot and—.” He stopped and looked at Houston. “Maybe I didn’t quite mean it that way . . . ” he began.
Houston just looked at him.
“All right,” he finally said, with disgust in his voice. “But I don’t see why you women can’t have your little tea party at your house.” He turned on his heel and went back to his office.
“Damned women!” he muttered.
“What horrible imposition has Houston placed on you now?” Edan asked, with a hint of a smile.
“We’re to spend the evenin’ at Westfield’s fancy club. We’re to leave here by seven and not to return before midnight. What happened to the good ol’ days when women obeyed and respected their husbands?”
“The first woman disobeyed the first man; the good ol’ days are a myth. What does Houston want to do tonight?”
“A fancy tea party for her lady friends. I want you to stay here and watch her.”
“What”
“I don’t like all those women bein’ here alone. Houston’s hired servants to fill the house after the weddin’, but tonight only a bunch of unprotected women will be here. She’s set up the dinin’ room for her little party and there’s a door in there that’s covered with cloth, you know, the one with the flowers painted on it, and—.”
“You expect me to hide inside a closet and spy on a ladies’ tea party?”
“It’s for their own good, and I damn well pay you enough to do a little work for me.”
“A little work—,” Edan sputtered.
Hours later, Houston saw Edan and noticed a bruise on his right cheek.
“How did you hurt yourself?” she asked.
“I ran into a stone wall,” he said tightly and walked away.
At six, the house began to clear of workers and at six forty–five Houston’s friends began to arrive, each bearing a beautifully–wrapped gift.
Kane, still complaining about the injustice of having to leave his own house, climbed into the wagon beside a solemn Edan, and rode
away.
* * *
Altogether, ten women plus Blair arrived at the Taggert house, and their gifts were placed on the eighteenth–century table in the dining room.
“Is everyone gone?” Tia asked.