The noise seemed to envelop her. The hissing of steam, the chugging of engines, the clanging of bells, the cacophony of hundreds of voices raised in greeting combined into a roar that seemed to fill the huge dome of the station. In fascination, she watched a score of dramas being carried out as eager friends and relatives met and mingled and made their way out of the crowd.

Richard Winthrop elbowed his way impatiently through the mass of humanity gathered beside the train. Yes, there it was, the Maxwell railroad car. He could just barely make out the gold crest on the side. With irritation, he struggled past a group of shabbily dressed people babbling in some foreign language and at last broke free of the mob.

He could see the car clearly now, and what he saw standing on the rear platform made his breath catch in his throat. Could it be? Could that be his cousin Felicity? He slowed his rapid pace so he would have a few extra seconds to study her before she saw him.

The dress, he quickly judged, was unfortunate, and the hat. was a disaster, but the girl herself was magnificent. Her hair gleamed like spun gold and her complexion was the proverbial peaches and cream. Her face was exquisite, revealing the aristocratic Maxwell bone structure, and her trim little figure was every man's dream. With the proper clothes, in the proper setting… An idea that he had been toying with for the past few days suddenly took on a life of its own. He would marry her!

It was so simple, he wondered that he had never thought of it before. Henry Maxwell had only three heirs. If two of them were married to each other, and one of those two was his beloved granddaughter and the other, his trusted nephew whom he had been training in his business, well then, of course he would leave the bulk of his fortune to them.

Straightening his coat, Richard approached the platform where she stood. He smiled his most charming smile. "Felicity?"

Felicity glanced down, a little startled to hear her name from a complete stranger. "Yes?" she said uncertainly. The man was smiling at her, and he had such a beautiful smile she could not seem to take her eyes from it. He was, in fact, a beautiful man, impeccably groomed and clothed in such perfect elegance that he stood out from the station crowd as almost an oddity. Although he was shorter than average and small-boned, he carried himself with a grace and poise that stopped just short of being feminine.

"I'm Richard Winthrop," he said. When his name drew no response from her, he added, "I'm your cousin. Your grandfather sent me to meet you."

"My cousin!" she exclaimed in glad surprise, not quite able to believe that such an exquisite creature could be her blood relative. "I… oh… how do you do? I'm so happy to meet you!" she stammered, awkwardly gathering her skirts so she could negotiate the narrow wrought-iron steps down to where he stood. Like a true gentleman, he rushed to assist her, taking her arm in the gentlest of grips.

"My cousin!" she repeated happily, frantically searching her memory for what Mr. Gordon had told her about her family and trying to place Richard Winthrop in that group. "Are you my Aunt Isabel's son?"

"No," he said. The warmth in his brown eyes could have melted candle wax. "Your aunt is a maiden lady. My mother was your grandfather's youngest sister, younger by almost a generation, which explains the proximity of our ages."

Felicity wasn't sure just what "proximity" was, but she knew a gentleman like Richard Winthrop would never insult her. "That means that my grandfather is your…?"

"Uncle," he supplied cheerfully.

Felicity studied the perfection of his carefully combed and oiled black hair, wondering idly how much time it took him to perfect such an intricate style. "And that makes us… what? First cousins? Second cousins?"

Richard admired the endearing way her lovely brow wrinkled in concentration. "First cousins, once removed," he explained softly, taking one of her delicate hands in his. First cousins really shouldn't marry, but anything could be gotten around if one was determined enough. Surrendering to an impulse, he moved closer to her and whispered, "Kissing cousins…"

"Felicity!"

Josh's voice startled them apart, and for an instant Felicity wondered if Richard really had been about to kiss her or if she had only imagined it. Not that she would have minded. He was her cousin, after all. Surely such things were perfectly proper between close relations. "Mr. Logan, come and meet my cousin!" she called, eager for her husband to see her delightful new relative.

Josh bounded down the steps of the rear platform of the car and strode up to them, his expression tautly angry. He had seen the way this dude had been leering at Felicity, and he was far from pleased.

"Mr. Logan, this is my cousin, my first cousin, once removed," Felicity clarified with a smile, "Richard Winthrop. Richard, this is my husband, Joshua Logan."

Richard Winthrop stared at the silver-haired giant in horror. "Husband? Gordon didn't say anything about a husband!"

"I didn't?" Asa Gordon inquired innocently from over Richard's left shoulder.

"No, you didn't!" Richard affirmed furiously, whirling on him.

Asa shook his head with apparent regret. "I'm awful sorry about that. I must be getting forgetful in my old age," he said apologetically, leaving Richard no option but to fume in silence.

And fume he did. All his golden plans for this golden girl evaporated in the heat of his anger. She was married! And to a man old enough to be her father! A man she called "Mr. Logan," for God's sake. Richard turned back to face his nemesis, struggling to regain his composure. "Well, uh, you'll… you'll have to excuse me. I mean, this is a shock… I mean, a surprise. I… I'm pleased to meet you, Logan," he said, offering his hand and managing a strained smile.

Logan's hand swallowed his with humiliating thoroughness in a grip that made him wince. Richard glared up at the taller man, noting his sun-browned face and the coarse texture of his palm. Nothing more than a common laborer,

Richard judged, although he could see now that Logan wasn't as old as he had originally suspected.

Logan studied Richard Winthrop, noting the prissy clothes and the sissy mannerisms. The man's face was snow-white and his hand was as soft as a baby's. Winthrop had never done an honest day's work in his life. "Pleased to meet you, too," Josh lied grimly, releasing Winthrop's hand at last.

Felicity watched the exchange helplessly, knowing she should do something to ease the obvious strain, but having no idea how to go about it since she had no idea what had caused it. She had expected Joshua to be cautiously reserved with her relatives, at least until he got to know them, but she had never expected such open animosity. Nor had she expected it to be returned in kind, she realized, glancing at Richard's taut features. "Did you find us a cab, Mr. Gordon?" she asked, hoping to break the tension.

"Yes, I did, but you may not need one now," Asa replied with a grin. He was hugely enjoying the spectacle of Richard Winthrop nonplussed. Asa had purposely not revealed Felicity's marriage, hoping that would give her one secret advantage over whatever plots and plans her grandfather might have in mind for her. Witnessing Richard's reaction to the news was simply an added bonus Asa had not counted on.

"That's right," Richard confirmed testily. "I've brought Uncle Henry's personal carriage. Simon and William will carry your luggage out. Can we drop you someplace, Gordon?" he asked condescendingly.

"No, thank you," Asa said, his smile wavering just a bit when he realized that he no longer had even a room in Philadelphia to call his own. Oddly enough, he had forgotten until this moment that he had left the city a year ago intending never to return. Texas was to have been his new home. Now, of course, there was only one place in Texas where he wanted to be, but he had ruined any chance he might have had of ever settling there. "I have to stop by my office and make a full report, and I'm afraid it's in the opposite direction. So I guess this is goodby, folks," he added, turning to Josh and Felicity.