Amanda almost said she’d stay with him but the memory of the hungry children stopped her. If she could help them in any way, she was going to do it. “It’s just until the hops are in,” she said. “I want to help see that there is a peaceful unionization.”
“Unions!” he said, dropping his hands, the pleading look leaving his eyes. “You don’t know what you’re talking about. Those people want to take the food out of our mouths. They want—”
“So you beat them to it, is that it? You take their food first, before they can do it to you? Oh, Taylor, come with me. See these people. They aren’t thieves. They’re just—”
He took a step away from her. “You forget that I’ve run the harvest for eight years with your father. I’ve seen them. They’re filthy—”
“Good day, Taylor,” she said and walked away from him.
On the drive into town, her mind seemed to whirl with a thousand conflicting thoughts. So much had happened to her in the last few weeks. Before Dr. Montgomery came she was content and happy, and now everything was confused. She didn’t know if Taylor was her teacher, the man she loved or her enemy. And Dr. Montgomery! Lover? Friend? Teacher? Enemy?
It was already chaos at the union headquarters. Joe told her the mess was her fault because they’d heard free food was being passed out. He didn’t trust Amanda because she was a Caulden and he let her know it.
Amanda went up the stairs to the room that she’d shared yesterday with Dr. Montgomery. In spite of telling herself that yesterday meant nothing, her heart was pounding as she reached the doorway.
The man who’d made love to her last night was holding Reva Eiler in his arms and kissing her.
It was as if the bottom of Amanda’s world fell out. She had been right about him. She was an experiment to him, nothing more. He’d wanted to see if he could “unionize” her, to see if he could make her stand up for her rights just as he persuaded the workers to stand up for theirs. Perhaps she should have had a translator explaining things to her as they went along. She thought of Taylor with longing. When the hops were in she’d be glad to go back to her schedule and an orderly way of life.
“Good morning,” she said cheerfully and took her place at her desk. She heard Dr. Montgomery and Reva break apart but she didn’t look at them.
“Good morning, Amanda,” Hank said softly.
She didn’t look up. “Dr. Montgomery,” she said curtly, “shall we allow the people in? Or perhaps you’d like to use this room for private meetings? I could go down the hall. Yes, I think I’ll do that.” She started gathering papers.
“Amanda, please let me explain.”
She looked at him, and as her eyes locked with his she remembered every caress he’d given her last night, every word he’d spoken. Blood rushed to her face and she looked away. “Explain what, Dr. Montgomery?” She thought she heard him groan. No doubt he was upset at having one of his women see him with another of his women. “Explain these new translations? Explain how I’m to tell the people this is a union and not a soup kitchen? I’ll do my best.”
“Explain about Reva. She—”
“Threw herself at you?” Amanda’s eyes blazed. “You poor man. That seems to happen to you a great deal.”
“Amanda, please, I—”
She grabbed a letter opener from the desk. “You take one step closer to me and I’ll use this.”
His eyes were angry now too. Calmly, he reached out, grabbed her wrist and squeezed until the opener fell to the desk. “Have it your way,” he said. “Let’s get busy. We have people waiting.”
Amanda was glad for the noise, the confusion and all the people. They kept her from remembering last night. Reva kept smiling at her in an infuriating way, and a few times Amanda caught Dr. Montgomery glowering at her but she looked away.
At one o’clock Hank clamped down on Amanda’s hand and said, “We’re going to lunch.”
“No, thank you,” Amanda said. “I’m not hungry.”
“The day you aren’t hungry is the day the world ends. Come with me or I’ll make a scene so bad you’ll never be able to hold your head up in this town again.”
“I’m not sure I care, if it means being alone with you. Or do we take your other lady friends? Your harem, to be precise.”
“I’ll carry you,” he threatened.
Amanda stood and walked out with him but she wouldn’t allow him to touch her. He stopped at his car. “I will not get in that with you,” she said. “No matter what you do to me.”
He almost smiled. “All right, then, we’ll try the diner.”
He didn’t speak again until after they were seated and he’d ordered the special for both of them.
“Thank you,” she said nastily. “I’m accustomed to having my meals chosen for me.”