[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
her--as a little girl. Could he accept the fact she was an adult now and capable of making decisions
for herself?
She looked back at him. "Can we discuss my living in San Francisco?"
He shook his head impatiently. "That matter has already been settled. Your brother's home is in
San Francisco. Mine is here."
"There's plenty of room in the house on Russian Hill. My old room is just as I left it. Richard
and Melissa would be happy to have me live with them. Melissa said so."
He waved his hand to stop her flood of words. "How could you even think I'd let you live
somewhere else?"
"You didn't mind sending me back East for four years."
"That was different. You needed an education."
"Now I need to find a husband. That's something I certainly can't do in this Godforsaken part of
the world."
A small smile creased his face. "Is that why you want to live in San Francisco? Well, don't you
worry about that. I'll find a husband for you when the time is right."
The Silver Heiress Sarah Winn 155
She jumped to her feet and planted her fists on her hips. "
You'll find a husband when you think
the time is right! Won't I have any say in the matter?"
Miss Pritchard's hands fluttered excitedly. "Victoria, Victoria, calm yourself."
Victoria jabbed an angry finger at the woman. "You stay out of this. It doesn't concern you."
Her father jumped to his feet. "Now see here, young lady, Amanda is here at my request, and I
insist she be treated with the respect due her."
"How much respect is she due, Thaddeus?" Victoria screeched at him.
Her father's face became brilliantly red, and veins in his neck pumped visibly. "How dare you
speak to me like that, after all I done for you."
"You've never done anything for me but give me what you wanted me to have." Victoria was
beyond fear, and out of control. "You left me to be raised by servants. You made me leave all my
friends and go back East where the girls made fun of me for being from the 'Wild West.' And you
wouldn't even pay the ransom to be sure I came home safely."
Tears freely coursed down her face, and she shook both fists at him. "If you had just paid the
ransom, nothing would have happened. It's all your fault!"
The Silver Heiress Sarah Winn 156
He looked stunned by her outburst. "I couldn't pay that man. Then we would have had--do you
mean something happened after you were rescued? When you were with Hawkins? I paid him to
protect you! Tell me what happened!" He started around the table toward her.
Victoria froze as she realized what she had done. If she told him about thealcalde, he would
want to protect her. That would mean hiding her away in New Mexico forever. Victoria shivered
and buried her head in her hands. "I can't tell you," she whispered.
"If something happened, why didn't Hawkins tell me?"
"Oh dear," Miss Pritchard moaned softly.
Through her fingers, Victoria saw her father look at Miss Pritchard with widely startled eyes.
Then he turned back to her. "By God, did he force you to do something you didn't want to?"
"No, no, that's not the way it was," she gasped from behind her hands. "He is an attractive
young man," Miss Pritchard murmured.
T. J. roared in outrage. "He seduced you--took advantage of a young girl who was totally
dependent on him? Is that why you cried last night? Well, the bastard won't get away with it. Not
with my daughter!"
The Silver Heiress Sarah Winn 157
Victoria realized he was storming from the room, and managed to gasp out, "Wait! Wait!" But
he disappeared into the hallway.
"I've got to stop him!" Victoria tried to get around Miss Pritchard.
The woman extended her arms. "Calm yourself."
"I must talk to my father!"
"Trust him. He'll do the right thing. Let me help you wash your face and comb your hair.
You're a sight."
Victoria backed away from her. If her father went to Hawk and started making wild
accusations, Hawk would have no choice but to tell him what had really happened in that Mexican
village.
Then her shoulders dropped in resignation. She should have known she'd never be able to keep
this secret from her father. He'd always controlled her life. With this knowledge, he'd be able to do
it absolutely.
What would Hawk think about this? He already disliked her. Now he would despise her. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl rafalstec.xlx.pl
her--as a little girl. Could he accept the fact she was an adult now and capable of making decisions
for herself?
She looked back at him. "Can we discuss my living in San Francisco?"
He shook his head impatiently. "That matter has already been settled. Your brother's home is in
San Francisco. Mine is here."
"There's plenty of room in the house on Russian Hill. My old room is just as I left it. Richard
and Melissa would be happy to have me live with them. Melissa said so."
He waved his hand to stop her flood of words. "How could you even think I'd let you live
somewhere else?"
"You didn't mind sending me back East for four years."
"That was different. You needed an education."
"Now I need to find a husband. That's something I certainly can't do in this Godforsaken part of
the world."
A small smile creased his face. "Is that why you want to live in San Francisco? Well, don't you
worry about that. I'll find a husband for you when the time is right."
The Silver Heiress Sarah Winn 155
She jumped to her feet and planted her fists on her hips. "
You'll find a husband when you think
the time is right! Won't I have any say in the matter?"
Miss Pritchard's hands fluttered excitedly. "Victoria, Victoria, calm yourself."
Victoria jabbed an angry finger at the woman. "You stay out of this. It doesn't concern you."
Her father jumped to his feet. "Now see here, young lady, Amanda is here at my request, and I
insist she be treated with the respect due her."
"How much respect is she due, Thaddeus?" Victoria screeched at him.
Her father's face became brilliantly red, and veins in his neck pumped visibly. "How dare you
speak to me like that, after all I done for you."
"You've never done anything for me but give me what you wanted me to have." Victoria was
beyond fear, and out of control. "You left me to be raised by servants. You made me leave all my
friends and go back East where the girls made fun of me for being from the 'Wild West.' And you
wouldn't even pay the ransom to be sure I came home safely."
Tears freely coursed down her face, and she shook both fists at him. "If you had just paid the
ransom, nothing would have happened. It's all your fault!"
The Silver Heiress Sarah Winn 156
He looked stunned by her outburst. "I couldn't pay that man. Then we would have had--do you
mean something happened after you were rescued? When you were with Hawkins? I paid him to
protect you! Tell me what happened!" He started around the table toward her.
Victoria froze as she realized what she had done. If she told him about thealcalde, he would
want to protect her. That would mean hiding her away in New Mexico forever. Victoria shivered
and buried her head in her hands. "I can't tell you," she whispered.
"If something happened, why didn't Hawkins tell me?"
"Oh dear," Miss Pritchard moaned softly.
Through her fingers, Victoria saw her father look at Miss Pritchard with widely startled eyes.
Then he turned back to her. "By God, did he force you to do something you didn't want to?"
"No, no, that's not the way it was," she gasped from behind her hands. "He is an attractive
young man," Miss Pritchard murmured.
T. J. roared in outrage. "He seduced you--took advantage of a young girl who was totally
dependent on him? Is that why you cried last night? Well, the bastard won't get away with it. Not
with my daughter!"
The Silver Heiress Sarah Winn 157
Victoria realized he was storming from the room, and managed to gasp out, "Wait! Wait!" But
he disappeared into the hallway.
"I've got to stop him!" Victoria tried to get around Miss Pritchard.
The woman extended her arms. "Calm yourself."
"I must talk to my father!"
"Trust him. He'll do the right thing. Let me help you wash your face and comb your hair.
You're a sight."
Victoria backed away from her. If her father went to Hawk and started making wild
accusations, Hawk would have no choice but to tell him what had really happened in that Mexican
village.
Then her shoulders dropped in resignation. She should have known she'd never be able to keep
this secret from her father. He'd always controlled her life. With this knowledge, he'd be able to do
it absolutely.
What would Hawk think about this? He already disliked her. Now he would despise her. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]