Delilah's Flame by Andrea Parnell Page B

experience she should never have had.
    “How is she, Loo?”
    “She will be fine when she wakes up. You’ll have to help me get her down the stairs, though. Todd has the coach ready and all the trunks on board.” Loo eased herself away from Dinah and stood. “How are you?”
    Delilah thought the question over. She was too stirred up to know how she was. Her escapade with Stanton had been unnerving at best.
    “I’m fine,” she offered. “Just anxious to leave here.” Gently she massaged her temples. “And I may never take another drink.”
    “What happened in there?” Loo’s dark almond-shaped eyes probed for the truth. She knew Delilah better than anyone else, and Delilah definitely wasn’t fine. She seemed to have the jitters instead of the euphoria that was usual after a successful operation.
    “Nothing,” Delilah said hastily.
    “Nothing?” Loo’s look demanded more. “The room was a mess. The men had to put Stanton’s clothes on him. Your black lace dress was ripped and—”
    “I ripped it getting out of it in a hurry. Nothing happened.” She couldn’t look at Loo. “Nothing important,” she added.
    Nothing . Warm color in Delilah’s face contradicted her. She had almost allowed that reprobate to make love to her. That was all. She hadn’t stopped shaking yet, nor could she get the image of him out of her thoughts. That look on his face when he’d seen the sherry bottle coming. Rage. The threat in his eyes still blazed in her mind. She hadn’t lied to Peregrine about that. Tabor Stanton had told her with that last look what was in store for her. Thank God the blow had rendered him unconscious. Her lips closed tightly together. She was also thankful she would never see him again.
    Or was she? Another image of Stanton stole into her mind. His face after he kissed her and when he whispered her name. The way his eyes turned a soft gray. The way she felt then. Butterflies fanned velvety wings in her stomach. If only he hadn’t been one of the men on her list.
    No. She shook her head in dismay. That was unthinkable. She loathed him for touching her, for making her respond, for making her want him. Nervously Delilah swallowed a gulp of air. Stanton was done with. What had happened never would have occurred if she hadn’t had so much to drink. She refused to think about it more. She refused to think about him.
    “Delilah?” Loo took her arm. “Are you sure you’re all right? You have not heard me call your name twice.”
    Delilah hugged Loo. “I’m sorry.” A note of weariness sounded in her voice. “I’m just tired.” She forced a soft smile. “Come on.” Holding Loo’s arm, she led the way to the settee to wake Dinah. “It’s over. We can go home.”
    Two hours later, amber and rose bands lined the morning sky. Todd pulled the team of horses to a halt and shouted in the window, “Seth’s up ahead.”
    Within moments Seth galloped up, leading a snorting, high-stepping black stallion. Delilah leaned out the window and watched the approach. The animal’s black coat shone in the early light, his mane streamed and shimmered like long satin ribbons. Tail held high, the Admiral tossed his head and whinnied a greeting to the mares in the team. Seth led him up alongside the coach.
    “He’s some horse, ma’am,” Seth told her. “Ain’t no wonder that Stanton fellow didn’t want to lose him. Look at those shoulders and withers. A horse like that could run all day and never tire out.”
    “He is a beautiful horse,” Delilah declared, reaching out to stroke the Admiral’s nose.
    “Wouldn’t do that, ma’am.” Seth quickly pulled the stallion’s head out of reach. “He’s an ornery cayuse. Don’t do nothin’ he don’t want to. Couldn’t even get the saddle on him. I left it at the livery. That all right?”
    “Of course.” Delilah smiled smugly. Tabor Stanton ought to be awake by now—behind the bars of the Yuba City jail. It might be a while yet before he knew the