" she whispered. "And I've lost."
"Grace, what are you talking about? " "I don't blame you, Daniel.
Really I don't."
"Will you make sense? " he demanded. "Explain why you're so upset."
"My future, " she cried out. "It's ruined. Even one month's too
long.
Don't you understand? No, of course you don't, but it doesnyt
matter.
It's all my own fault for having such silly dreams. I've wasted too
much time already, and I'd never be able to become established in the
amount of time I have left." Her sigh was long and weary. "I have to
make a stop at the telegraph office before we leave town."
"No, " Daniel said.
"I'm sorry, but I must insist."
"Tell me why, " he argued.
"When a person dreads something, isn't it best to hurry and get it over
with as soon as possible so he'll stop dreading it? " Daniel didn't
have any idea what she was talking about. Harry obviously did though,
for he stepped forward to offer his opinion.
"Do you mean like getting a tooth pulled? " he asked.
"Yes, it's exactly like that, " she agreed.
"She's telling you she's got to send a wire now so she'll stop dreading
it, " he told Daniel.
"I don't need an interpreter, " Daniel snapped. "You can send the wire
from Blackwater. Now let's get going." She shook her head. "Waiting
would only put off the inevitable." After making that statement of
fact, she turned the mare and tried to ride out the front doors.
Daniel muttered a blasphemy before chasing after her.
Harry grabbed hold of the mare's reins and held tight. "Your husband's
getting irritated, ma'am. What have you got to do that's so almighty
important it can't wait? " She burst into tears. "I have to get
married."
"cZ < don't wish to talk about it."
"I don't care if you wish to or not, " Daniel said. "You're going to
tell me why you have to get married." She decided to ignore him. She
leaned back against the padded seat inside their private compartment
and looked out the window at the passing scenery. The train was
traveling at a neck-breaking speed, and because they were in the last
car, the compartment violently swayed every time the train slowed to go
around a curve. The motion was making her nauseous, and judging from
the tightness around Daniel's mouth and his gray countenance, she
thought the motion was making him sick too.
"Are you feeling all right? " "I'm fine, " he snapped.
"You needn't be surly with me, Daniel." They sat across from one
another in the tiny room. There was supposed to be seating for four
adults, but he swallowed up all the space on his side. His long legs
were sprawled out in front of him, making it impossible for her to
leave without making him move first. She wasn't going anywhere,
however. The door was bolted from the inside so that no one could