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"Lord Sandridge," she murmured "A very dear friend"
"Only a friend?"
Tenyes Now in light of Adahtfully "He wants to marry me," she adh there was an odd flicker in his eyes "And will you?"
Aline stared at hiht, and she felt a change co of blue silk, the tips of her brsts turning hard Warmth moved over the surface of her chest and stoainst her "Probably," she heard herself whisper
McKenna caesture of coers encircle her gloved wrist just beneath the ring of entwined white rosebuds Her wrist rerasp She felt her heart contract briefly as his thumb slipped into the cup of her palloves, and yet the h to send her pulse hurtling
"McKenna," she asked quietly, "why did you givebefore you came back to Stony Cross so suddenly?"
"I didn’t think it would matter to you if I came or not"
The obvious lie was delivered smoothly Anyone would have believed hiuish and hts she had spent longing for hiht her to the threshold of death, she had spoken his naed for him, dreamed that he held her while she slept "Of course itaside the memories "We were friends once, after all"
"Friends," he repeated without inflection
Cautiously Aline eased her wrist away froood friends And I so often wondered what became of you, after you left"
"Now you know" His face was hard and smooth "I wondered as hat happened to you after I was sent to Bristol? I’ve heard mention of an illness--"
"Let’s not talk aboutlaugh "It is quite dull, I assure you I a Start with the moment you first set foot in New York"
The artful flattery of her gaze seemed to amuse McKenna, as if he understood somehow that she had decided to keep hi the possibility of discussing anything ful "It’s not ballroom conversation"
"Ah Then is it parlor conversation? Cardroom conversation? No? Heavens, it must be lurid indeed Let’s walk outside somewhere To the stables The horses will be quite entertained by your story, and they hardly ever gossip"
"Can you leave your guests?"
"Oh, Westcliff is an adept host--he’ll h he was already guiding her to the side entrance of the ballrooe don’t require chaperones, McKenna"
He slid an unnervingly thorough glance over her "You ardens to the back entrance of the stables The estate manor had been laid out in the European fashion, with the stables fors that enclosed the courtyard in front It was jokingly rerander fashion than most people, and there was ed central court of the stables contained a largefountain for the horses Archways led to the harness rooe rooly of brass polish, leather, and wax The stables had changed little in the years since McKenna had left Stony Cross Park Aline wondered if he took pleasure in the familiarity of the place
They stopped in the harness roo with saddles, bridles, halters, breastplates, and leathers Wooden boxes filled with grooned neatly on shelves The sent
McKenna wandered to a saddle and sertips over the orn surface His dark head bent, and he suddenly seeaze returned to her "How did you get your start in New York?" she asked "I would have thought you’d find so to do with horses Why on earth did you becoo at the docks was the first job I could find When I wasn’t loading boats, I learned how to hold ht Most of the tiet the work" He paused, and added frankly, "I learned in no ti what I wanted Eventually I was able to buy a small sailboat with a shallow draft, and I beca to and fro to understand the gradual process by which the cavalier boy had beco before her "Did someone act as a mentor to you?" she asked
"No, I had no htly braided crop "I thought of ht I would be ht then But after a while I realized that the other ferrymen had ambitions far beyond mine They told me stories about men like John Jacob Astor--have you heard of him?"
"I’m afraid not Is he a conteh suddenly, his teeth flashing white in his dark face "He’s richer than the Shaws, though even Gideon won’t ad and made a fortune in the fur trade Now he buys and sells New York real estate He’s worth at least fifteenlittle runt who can barely speak English--and he’s made himself into one of the richest men in the world"
Aline’s eyes widened She had heard about the explosive growth of industry in A value of New York property But it seemed nearly impossible for one man--especially one of low station--to have acquired such a fortune
McKenna see’s possible, over there You canto do what it takes And uished by titles or noble blood"
"What do youto do what it takes’?" Aline asked "What have you had to do?"
"I’ve had to advantage of others I’ve learned to ignore my conscience, and put my own interests above anyone else’s Most of all, I’ve learned that I can’t afford to care about anyone but myself"