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“Do you mean as a woman??

? Lorna frowned

“Yes, as a woman”

She tried to laugh, but the sound had a hollow ring “Bull, you aren’t trying to suggest that they have more than a friendly relationship, are you? That’s silly”

“Why?” he wanted to know

“Because Benteen and I are married” The reason sounded weak

“It isn’t likely a married man would have an affair” But his statereement

“Benteen wouldn’t” She turned to the stove “The bread should be done” Just as quickly, Lorna pivoted back to face Bull “Why are you saying these things toto create doubts in my mind?”

He held her gaze for a long moment, then stood up to walk to the stove and fill his cup “Because I’ve seen theether and you haven’t I’ve seen the way they look at each other Whatever it is that’s between them, I’d stakeelse,” he insisted “And I guess I wanted you to know that there’s so on I don’t like the idea of somebody hurtin’ you”

“I see,” sheelse she could say

His suggestion that Benteenan affair with Lady Crawford left Lorna stunned It was a possibility that hadn’t occurred to her The woant, and sophisticated, but Lorna had assuard her in a sexual way Yet, wasn’t it a possible explanation for the way he’d been behaving lately? Why he didn’t want to talk to her about Lady Crawford? She tried to reject the idea as preposterous, but it wasn’t so easy

With movements that were automatic, she reached for a towel to protect her hands and removed the tin loaves of bread from the oven She hardly noticed the way Bull watched her, and she was completely unaware of the frown of hurt confusion on her face

“I probably shouldn’t have said anything,” he sighed “I hope you won’t hold it against me”

The look of deep concern on his brutish features proain she unconsciously used his name

The door opened, flooding the cabin’s interior with sunlight Benteen’s angular build was outlined by it, poised one step inside the cabin Then he ht to hold the door open