In the car, Mary found her aunt conversing with Miss Periwinkle, who held a piece of cake in her lap.
“I’ve asked Miss Periwinkle to sit with us for the remainder of the trip.” Aunt Cora slid over so Mary could sit.
“I hope you don’t mind, Miss Owen. Your sweet aunt is such a delight. She even shared her cake with me as I had nothing left from last night.” She tittered.
“That was to be for my aunt to eat. I suppose she didn’t mention if she is without food she faints?”
“Mary, there is no need—”
“Why no, she didn’t mention it.” Miss Periwinkle’s face drooped a bit, and she looked at the cake in her lap uncertainly.
“She wouldn’t. But I will, so enjoy that bit of chocolate cake. Aunt Cora, you may have mine.” Mary rubbed her hands together. Her feet felt like blocks of ice from tramping through the snow, but she couldn’t very well remove her boots and rub them.
“We’ll see. I’m not hungry at the moment. Miss Periwinkle was telling me she hoped to find a match in Pueblo.”
“Or this excursion. There are some mighty fine men to pick from, like Mr. Cross. He was sitting with you earlier. What did you think of him?” Miss Periwinkle took a bite of the cake.
“I’m sure he’ll return soon. He said he couldn’t find another place in the other car.”
Miss Periwinkle’s face took on a dreamy look. “If Mr. Cross would like to sit here, there is plenty of room beside me. Mama used to say I’m light as a feather and tiny as a hummingbird.”
Mary wished she would have stayed out in the cold and dressed those rabbits. Why had she let Wyatt convince her to come inside? Especially since she was mad at him for suggesting it in the first place. It would serve him right if he had to sit by Miss Periwinkle. “I’m sure Mr. Cross would be delighted to sit next to you, Miss Periwinkle. He said you were old friends.”
Miss Periwinkle blushed. “He did? Wyatt is the sweetest man. I can’t believe someone hasn’t snatched him up for a husband since he—”
Wyatt slid into the bench seat. “Miss Periwinkle, you aren’t spreading tales, are you?”
Mary noticed he kept inches between them by hugging the edge of the seat.
“Are you warm enough, Miss Owen? I can switch places with you so you’ll be closer to the stove. After that spill in the snow and hunting, it wouldn’t do to catch a cold.”
“Mary. You were hunting?” Aunt Cora drew herself up in an opposing posture. “I promised your father—”
“So Miss Owen is a bit of an outlaw then?” Wyatt wore a huge grin as he reached for his notebook and pencil.
“I am not, sir.” Outlaw indeed. “I had to find provisions for my aunt. Anyone would have done the same for a family member.”
“I wouldn’t dream of shooting an animal, Mr. Cross.” Miss Periwinkle touched his arm. “Make sure you put that in your article. It’s not right for women to behave so wild-like when there are men present to take care of them.”
He inched farther away, half-hanging off his seat. “I disagree, Miss Periwinkle. It’s good for women to know how to take care of themselves. They can be proper helpmates to their husbands and free them from worry when they must leave them alone.”
“Hmpf.” Miss Periwinkle crossed her arms and huddled closer to the window.
Wyatt didn’t care for Miss Periwinkle. Mary warmed inside despite the outer chill on her skin. “Mr. Cross, I would love to move closer to the heat. Thank you.”
Outlaw. That’s what he’d call her in his article. OUTLAW ON THE PUEBLO EXCURSION made a grand headline. Might even be front page worthy. Mary caught his attention and held it. Women like Miss Periwinkle couldn’t begin to garner his attention in her presence.
Here was a woman not afraid to go into a snow-filled pasture and hunt food for her family. Did she have a sense of adventure, too, or just one of survival? One could argue both were needed, or maybe they were interchangeable.
He watched her while she chatted with Miss Periwinkle and her aunt. He shut his eyes, hoping they would think he rested. He’d rely on his memory if they said anything that he could use in his column.
“It’s rather dull waiting. Isn’t it?” Miss Periwinkle tapped her foot. “If we had a game to play, it would pass the time. Did you bring cards, Miss Owen?”
“She certainly did not.” Mary’s aunt roused from a rest she’d been taking. “We do not play games of chance in this family. I’m surprised you do, Miss Periwinkle.”
“My father allows it. Parlor games are all the rage back home in Boston. There’s not much else to do in the winters.”
“There is always the Bible to read or stitching that can be done. My niece has been trained in the proper ways of a lady. Didn’t you go away to school?”
“My parents sent me to Europe. The rules there are much different. Always an event to attend and a gentleman to take you. Why, we even snuck out of school some evenings to walk along the riverbanks. Nothing like this backward country. That’s why I came on this trip. Father is traveling in the train that left behind us. He’s a legislator, and he wants to open the West to more people.”
She lied, and Wyatt knew it. Earlier she’d mentioned growing up in New York and traveling with her uncle. They were buying a home in Pueblo.
“What does your father do, Miss Owen?”
Mary frowned.
Would she answer? Miss Periwinkle might as well have asked Mary how much herfather was worth. Wyatt’s fingers itched to get at his pencil, but he remained still.
“I’m going to explore the train. Would you like to come along, Aunt Cora?” Mary wanted out of the tight space and away from Miss Periwinkle’s questions.
“Walking around isn’t good for me.” Miss Periwinkle gazed at Mr. Cross. “I tire easily.”
More like she didn’t want to leave Wyatt’s presence. Should she stay? “Aunt Cora?”
“Go along, dear.” Her aunt elbowed Wyatt. “Would you be a dear and escort my niece? She’s restless. I’ll stay with Miss Periwinkle. We wouldn’t want her to tire herself too much.”
Mary bit back a grin. Her aunt didn’t want Wyatt around that woman either. But that meant her aunt did want Wyatt around her. Did she want to see her married as much as her father did? She’d dig into that subject when she came back from her walk. By then, she trusted Aunt Cora would have encouraged Miss Periwinkle to return to her own seat.
Wyatt stood. “It would be my pleasure to escort you, Miss Owen. We can walk to the observation car. Maybe we will see a patch of green or even a buffalo.”
“I’d like that. I haven’t seen one yet. I hoped to see all sorts of wildlife on this trip.” She waited for him to get free. Miss Periwinkle moved her feet into Wyatt’s path, as if she could stop him from getting away from her.
“It’s a narrow walk all the way there, but I’ll be right behind you. It’s three cars down.” Wyatt rested his hand on her shoulder.
Mary didn’t mind the warmth of his hand or the fire that rushed through her. Was Miss Periwinkle green with envy?