With Autumn's Return (Westward Winds Book #3): A Novel by Amanda Cabot

enjoy the party?”
    Elizabeth nodded. “For the most part.” She wouldn’t mention her discussion with Purple and Yellow and their reaction. There was no reason for him to know that the two busybodies did not trust him, especially since it was unlikely they’d seek his professional services. “The evening was pleasant, but I doubt it accomplished Miriam’s objective.”
    Jason slowed the horse and turned to look at Elizabeth. “What did she hope to accomplish other than introducing you to half the population of Cheyenne?”
    His exaggeration made Elizabeth smile. She was still smiling as she said, “Miriam thought that if people met me, they’d be convinced I was a good doctor.”
    Jason’s chuckle made Elizabeth bristle. Though she’d thought they had begun to forge a friendship, she was obviously mistaken, for here he was, laughing at the thought that she was a competent physician.
    “I’m sorry,” he said, his voice sounding contrite. “I wasn’t laughing at you. Not at all. I simply found it amusing that Miriam used the same tactic on you that Richard did on me. I’m not a great partygoer, but Richard convinced me it was important that I attend this one because it would get me back into the public eye and show people I’m not a monster, even if I did defend Adam Bennett.”
    Elizabeth’s eyes widened. “You didn’t want to come, either?”
    As the carriage moved slowly up Warren, Jason shook his head. “I know gatherings like Richard and Miriam’s are important—one of my professors claimed they were essential for attracting new clients—but I don’t enjoy them. Somehow, it seems almost dishonest, trying to charm people so they’ll hire me as their attorney.”
    This time it was Elizabeth who chuckled. “I felt the same way until I convinced myself it was no worse than puttingan announcement in the paper.” She was silent for a moment, gazing at the stars sprinkled across the sky. Though Cheyenne had streetlights, there were far fewer than in New York, so the sky appeared darker, the stars brighter than in her former home.
    “Does it work?” she asked. “Do parties like this bring in clients or, in my case, patients?”
    Jason shrugged. “It’s not always that easy. I certainly didn’t have clients lining the street waiting to consult me the first month I opened my practice.” He let out a self-deprecating laugh. “I still don’t, although I have enough to pay my rent. There are a number of very wealthy men in Cheyenne, but I’m not one of them.”
    The honesty of his admission touched Elizabeth’s heart, for she suspected that most men would have exaggerated their financial situation.
    “I never expected to become wealthy,” she told Jason. If there was one lesson her parents had taught, it was that money did not bring happiness. Her sisters’ lives had proven that. Charlotte’s first husband had made decisions with tragic consequences, all because he wanted riches, while Barrett, her second husband, claimed that he’d found true love and happiness only after he’d lost his fortune. And though Abigail’s husband had given up a vast inheritance, believing a distant cousin deserved it more than he, Elizabeth doubted anyone could be happier than Abigail and Ethan.
    “You’re a wise woman not to expect riches.” Jason tugged the reins, slowing the horse again. “It took me about three months to become established here. If you’re fortunate and the women of Cheyenne accept you, I’d say that by the time autumn returns, you should have a good number of patients.”
    Autumn. Jason was the second person to suggest it would take that long. “I hate the thought of waiting.”
    “I know.” Coming from another man, the words might have been nothing more than a platitude, but Elizabeth sensed Jason’s sincerity. “It’s difficult to be patient when you’ve spent so much time preparing, but there’s no easy answer.”
    “I know.” She repeated his words. “I wish you were