Stung by this description of her, Felicity turned instinctively to face her adversary and was startled to find that adversary looking right at her. From where she sat, Mrs. Delano could still see her plainly. The woman had been well aware that Felicity was overhearing this conversation. In fact, Felicity instantly realized, Mrs. Delano had staged it for her benefit. Green eyes twinkled wickedly at her for a second before turning back to Mr. Logan, who was sitting out of Felicity's range of vision.

"Hasn't anybody ever told you to mind your own business?" Mr. Logan inquired sarcastically.

"Yes, but I never paid them any mind," Mrs. Delano countered. "I just think it's funny how you took one look at little Miss Storm and judged her that way. I think you may have a few surprises coming."

Felicity stared at her. Now, how could she know a thing like that about someone she'd met less than five minutes ago?

Felicity wondered. Before she could come up with a satisfactory answer, she heard Mrs. Delano say, "I think I'll go help Miss Storm with the tea."

Not wanting Mr. Logan to get up and see her still standing there, listening, Felicity hurried off toward the kitchen, knowing Mrs. Delano would be right behind her.

Candace glanced up from putting the finishing touches on the tea tray when Felicity came through the kitchen door. Candace's normally placid expression changed quickly to astonishment when she saw the expression on Felicity's face. "What's wrong?" When Felicity did not reply immediately, Candace's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "What's that woman been saying to you?"

Before Felicity could warn her, "that woman" appeared in the doorway.

"Well, Candace, you won," Mrs. Delano said quite blandly, gliding grandly into the kitchen like a clipper ship at full sail.

"Won?" Candace repeated, immediately assuming the attitude of puzzled but respectful servant.

"Yes, you won," Mrs. Delano said, giving her a disapproving look, "and don't give me that 'dumb darky' act." She turned to where Felicity stood watching the exchange. "When my husband died, everybody-including me-thought that Joshua and I would someday get together. It makes sense," she explained with an elegant gesture of her white hand. "We're about the same age, our ranches are close together, I'm a handsome woman, or at least some folks think I am." She shrugged modestly. "But Candace didn't like me. All this time I thought that's why he never came around."

"I couldn't of stopped him if he'd wanted to, Mrs. Delano," Candace said in her normally dignified tone.

Mrs. Delano shrugged again. "I guess I always knew that, but a woman likes to think she's irresistible."

"Mrs. Delano…" Felicity began, not certain what to say but knowing she needed to stop this conversation.

"Call me Blanche, honey," Blanche said with a friendly smile. "And don't be embarrassed. I figured you'd hear a lot of talk about Josh and me, sooner or later. Just wanted you to know that it's only talk." She grinned wickedly. "Unfortunately!"

"He's not the right man for you," Candace said by way of comfort. "You two would've drove each other crazy in a week."

Blanche gave Felicity a conspiratorial wink. "She's probably right," she confided. "But Candace, if you ever find a man who is right for me, let me know."

"Yes, ma'am," Candace replied with mock subservience, making Mrs. Delano laugh again.

"The tea is ready," Felicity pointed out, more than a little overwhelmed by these two strong-willed women and eager to move the conversation back onto a more acceptable topic.

"Let's just sit right down here and drink it, then," Blanche said, pulling out a chair from the kitchen table. "I sent Joshua off so we could have a private little chat. There's a few things you need to know that I doubt even Candace had the nerve to tell you."

Felicity felt her face heating up as she poured tea from the painted china pot which looked so out of place in the huge, rough kitchen… Would Mrs. Delano presume to give her instructions about the intimate aspects of marriage? she wondered, handing the widow a delicate china cupful of tea. Or could she tell that Felicity no longer needed such instructions?

"Have you heard the story about Joshua's mother?" Blanche inquired, noting the color in the girl's cheeks but unable to guess at the reason for it.

"No," Felicity replied, glancing at Candace, who was frowning in disapproval.

"It's Mr. Josh's place to tell her about it," Candace said.

"Nonsense," Blanche contradicted cheerfully. "He never speaks of his mother at all. If we wait on him to do it, this poor girl will go to her grave curious."

Torn between her loyalty to Candace and her desire to know more about her future husband, Felicity hesitated a moment, but only a moment. "I would like to hear the story," she said, taking a seat opposite Mrs. Delano.

"Well, Candace probably knows a whole lot more about this than I do, so you can get the details from her later. By the time I got here, the fascinating Mrs. Gideon Logan was long gone, but I've heard the story often enough. Seems she and Gideon Logan were acquainted back in Virginia, where both their families had plantations. He was a bit older than she was, but he convinced her to marry him and run off to Texas, where he was going to make his fortune. He was the second son and not likely to inherit much of anything from the family fortune. She lasted here for a while, long enough to have Joshua at least, but she just couldn't stand life on the frontier. Things were a lot more primitive back then, what with the Indians on the rampage half the time and all that."

"One day she up and left and never came back. About broke Mr. Gideon's heart from what I heard tell, and ruined Joshua for good. He don't trust women. Never has, and who can blame him? I only figured it out today, but the reason he's never married was because he never met a woman he was sure he could keep. And then he found you." Blanche considered Felicity thoughtfully.

"Mrs. Delano, I don't think we should be discussing Mr. Logan like this," Felicity said, too confused at the moment to judge whether these theories about her future husband were true or not, and increasingly uncomfortable under the other woman's scrutiny.

"I told you, call me Blanche," Blanche replied, undaunted.

"Blanche," Felicity corrected coldly, "we should not be discussing Mr. Logan this way."

Blanche grinned in approval. "Like I said, Joshua's in for some surprises. Don't you think so, Candace?" she inquired, her green eyes twinkling.

"He'll have his hands full, all right," Candace agreed.

Felicity rose defensively, not certain whether the two women were making sport of her or not. "Really, Mrs. Delano," she began.

"Oh, I'm sorry I offended you, honey," Blanche said, reaching across the table to catch Felicity's hand. "My manners aren't what they should be, I'm afraid. I don't spend much time with ladies, so I get a little rough around the edges. I didn't mean to offend you." She smiled apologetically.

Although Felicity was still not certain whether she could trust this woman, she accepted the apology and sat back down.

"What plans do you have for the wedding?" Blanche asked primly, only the twinkle in her eyes betraying her true character.

"Mr. Logan has invited everyone in the county, I'm afraid," Felicity reported unhappily. "We're going to roast a steer and have dancing and-"

"Sounds like quite a wingding. I'm a little jealous. When Sam and me got hitched, it was just us and the preacher." She patted Felicity's hand comfortingly. "It'll be lots of fun."

Felicity was not quite so sure. She didn't say so, but Blanche seemed to know anyway. "Shell have fun, won't she, Candace?" Blanche asked, looking for support.

"Oh, yes, ma'am. She'll have barrels of fun." Candace did not sound too sure either. "She'll need someone to stand up with her, though. She don't know any womenfolk around here."