Page 104 (1/2)

“Lorna” His teeth were ground together in the effort to speak calmly “I don’t want to discuss it any further If I’o But if I’m needed at the ranch,

Lady Crawford will just have to look to someone else”

When she heard the knock on the door to her suite, Elaine smiled at her reflection in the h ruffed collar of her black dress, aware that it attractively concealed the lines in her neck She waited until her personal maid ca room

“Thank you, Hilda That will be all I won’t be needing you the rest of the afternoon,” Elaine dismissed her

“Very good” She curtsied and silently withdrew

By coiven her his answer He would agree to her plans, and Elaine knew it The note had been a test—to see if he illing to make an effort to see her If his hatred had run as deep as he clai room now

When she entered, Benteen was standing at the ith his hat in his hand She read the iret that he had come Her smile came and went quickly so that she met him with a calm expression when he turned

“Would you care for soraceful hand to the coffee service on the table between blue velvet sofas “Or there’s soer in the cabinet, if you prefer”

“Nothing,” he refused

His dark eyes were running over her, probing, inspecting, and seeking Elaine permitted a small smile to warm her lips and motioned for him to sit dohile she lowered herself onto one of the sofas and arranged her skirts

“You won’t be sorry you ca of a new relationship for us”

“You said you had a business proposition you wanted to make,” Benteen reminded her

“Yes Business,” Elaine agreed “By the way, I understand you have secured title to those three clairatulations I knew you’d take care of it Mr Boston isn’t too pleased He’s buying a lot of cattle and suddenly has nowhere to put them”

“That’s his problem”

“He ht make it yours, but that’s another matter entirely, and not at all what you came here to discuss” She leaned forward and poured herself a cup of coffee “Would you be interested in obtaining a beef contract to purchase all the cattle you can supply at a price that would average above market value?”