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A brow arched in a puzzled question “What do you mean?”

“Don’t you remember that story Ruth Stanton used to tell about Lady Crawford, wife to the Earl of Dunshill, and the unique business relationship that existed between her and the first Chase Benteen Calder, your great-grandfather?”

He nodded “I remember some of it”

“I was always fascinated by the thought of a woovern to Ruth Such things require skill and considerable influence”

“I suppose” But it wasn’t a subject that interested Ty

Tara turned in the saddle, her expression brightening with the flash of another otten about that old tintype I found when Cat and I were ru around in one of the old trunks in the attic It was a photo of your great-great-grandmother And I was struck by her resemblance to pictures I had seen of Lady Crawford It made me wonder if they were the saain “You really should give so it out”

“Why?” It seey to Ty

Tara released another patented throaty laugh “Darling, the press loves nothing better than delicious little skeletons in farandmother ran off with another man when the first Chase Benteen Calder was a little boy As scandals go, that is a tame one But if she eventually married into the British aristocracy, that—my dear Ty—is the juicy tidbit people love to buzz about Even if it isn’t true, you should hint at it It will only add to the Calder legend and ht people”

“We’ll see,” was Ty’s only comment

“You don’t like the idea I can tell,” Tara ht”

“You probably are” He redirected his attention back to the gather, spotting Jessy as she returned frorass basin on the other side of the lower hill A second later, his eye was caught by another rider on foot, leading a linize the lanky rider as Dick Ballard Jessy had spotted Ballard as well, and reined her horse toward him

As Jessy pulled up beside him, Ballard pushed his hat to the back of his head and started jawing as usual Jessy s Ballard said Ty watched the easy interplay between the two, his own expression darkening

“Who’s that with Jessy?” Tara asked

“Dick Ballard He’s worked on and off for the Triple C for years”

Jessy took her foot out of the near stirrup, offering Ballard a lift to the picket line He grabbed hold of the saddle horn and swung up behind her