Her eyes flew open to stare at him in horror. “Respect them? How could you respect them? I saw their faces. They enjoyed it.”

“Some of them, maybe. Some people like death because it makes them feel more alive. You probably noticed them more than the others, because they push closer to warm their hands at it. The people you don’t notice are the quiet ones who just stand and watch. Men like Ben Travis, who were there because they believed what they were doing was necessary.”

Elspeth sat bolt upright, every muscle of her body tense with rejection. “They were wrong!” Her tone was vibrant with intensity. “Andre was-”

“Guilty.” Dominic’s voice held both sadness and inflexibility. “We live in a black and white world out here, Elspeth. I’m afraid the reasons don’t matter much if a crime is committed.”

“You’re defending them.” She was staring at him incredulously. “I suppose you would have been out there by that tree with them if you hadn’t been more pleasantly occupied.”

He winced. “I hope not. I hope I would have listened to Marzonoff and tried to talk reason to that crowd.” His jaw squared. “But I won’t lie to you. I’m no stranger to lynch mobs. I’ve watched a few bastards swing with as much pleasure as anyone you saw there in that crowd.”

Silver shook her head. “Lord, what a stupid thing to say to her right now. Maybe the old man is right and you are not my uncle. I don’t believe I want to claim such a peabrain as a relation.”

Dominic cast her a fierce glance. “Was I supposed to deny it? You know damn well-” He broke off and turned back to Elspeth to continue jerkily. “Ben Travis was right. Our way isn’t perfect, but we try to do the best we can. So don’t tell me about monsters. You couldn’t recognize them if you saw them. Well, I can. I know how they look and how they sweat and whine when they’re caught. I’ve hung quite a few of them.”

“And shot them, too, I’d wager,” Elspeth said, her eyes blazing. “You’re supposed to be a gunman, aren’t you? I guess you’re very proud of all the men you’ve murdered.”

Silver inhaled sharply, her muscles stiffening warily as her gaze flew to Dominic’s face. Rage. Cold rage. She automatically drew a few inches closer to Elspeth.

Dominic spoke very slowly and distinctly. “I’m not a murderer. I’ve not even been tempted to commit murder until I made your acquaintance. However, I haven’t the faintest doubt that you could cause a preacher to break all ten commandments.”

“Pay attention to the trail, Dominic,” Silver said hurriedly as she grasped Elspeth’s shoulders, pushed her down, and pulled the blanket up to cover her to the nose. “And you be still, Elspeth, arguing is not good for you.”

Elspeth’s eyes were blazing above the edge of the blanket. “I’m not arguing.”

Silver cast a hasty glance over her shoulder. Dominic had turned around and was no longer looking at them, but the muscles of his shoulders and his spine were still rigid with tension.

“Hush,” she whispered as she quickly covered Elspeth’s lips with her fingers. “Now is not the best time to strike at him. He is already hurting and he may do something he may regret later.”

“I’m not strik-” She stopped, arrested by Silver’s words. “Why is he hurting?”

“He is coming home,” Silver whispered. “And he knows he must leave again. When one has a great thirst, a sip of water is only a torment. I know you are angry with him, but it is time to be patient. He came here only because he wished you to be free from pain. You owe him gentleness.”

How strange to hear Silver speak of gentleness, Elspeth thought. She more often displayed ferocity and passion than tenderness. Her gaze wandered to Dominic, lingering on his dark hair and the tense slide of muscles coiled beneath his blue cotton shirt. Silver’s uncle displayed that same ferocity and passion and yet he, too, could be thoughtful and gentle if it suited him. It was difficult to remember Dominic possessed those qualities when they were constantly being overshadowed by this maddening cynicism and mockery. Oh, she just didn’t understand him. She turned away from him and looked instead at the purple-hazed mountains in the distance, blinking rapidly to keep back the tears. She didn’t understand any of the people of this strange, wild land. How could brutality and gentleness exist hand in hand?

According to Silver, Dominic was suffering for her sake. There was so much pain in the world and one could only bear it with as much courage as possible. No! The rejection of that meek homily came immediately and with violence, jarring her out of the tearful apathy and confusion into which she had fallen. She was not going to sit calmly and “bear” anything ever again. The words she had heard Silver speak when she had fought her way up from the depths of sleep came back to her. She had thought she had been behaving with boldness and aggressiveness since her father’s death, but she realized now it had been a mere travesty of strength. She had not been strong, she had been pitifully weak. Instead of solving her problems herself, she had nagged and prodded Dominic for help. If she had possessed true strength of will, she could have somehow prevented Andre’s death last night.

“Elspeth?” A tiny frown creased Silver’s brow beneath the turquoise-beaded headband. “What is it? Don’t you feel well?”

Elspeth nodded. “I was just thinking about Andre.” She closed her eyes, shutting out Dominic and Silver and all the support and warmth they lent her by their presence. Loneliness. Aching loneliness and the beginning of panic rippled through her. She would feel better, she assured herself in swift desperation. She had really been alone all her life and this was no different. When she spoke again her voice was only a thin thread of sound. “I was thinking about Andre, and about strength.”

“There she is.” Silver’s voice held a strange tension as the wagon rolled onto the flagstones of the courtyard. “I should have known she’d be up and about.”

Elspeth struggled to a sitting position, her glance following Silver’s to the front door of the imposing house. “Who?”

“The old woman. Dominic’s mother, Malvina Delaney.”

Malvina Delaney stood in the shadows of the alcove sheltering the carved double doors. As the wagon drew closer, she stepped onto the flagstones of the courtyard. Elspeth judged her to be about sixty years old, her hair was still more brick-red than gray and her broad-boned face more interesting than attractive. She was tall and full-figured and wore a simple yet fashionable violet gown.

“It’s about time you came to your senses, Dominic.” Malvina Delaney said bluntly. Her tone of voice was unsoftened by the faint Irish lilt that enriched the sound of her words. “You should have brought the girl to me when the accident happened instead of calling on Silver. I tried to send Patrick to fetch you both when he told me about this foolishness, but the boy refused to budge from Killara.”

Silver stiffened. “There was no reason to bring her here. I took very good care of her. Better than you could have done.” She lifted her chin. “Better than anyone could have done. We had no need of you.”

“Then why are you here now?” The older woman asked dryly. “Just passing through?”

Dominic jumped down from the buckboard. “Be quiet, Silver.” He faced his mother. “We had to leave Hell’s Bluff. Something happened that made it difficult for Elspeth to stay.”

Malvina’s gaze flew swiftly to Elspeth, raking her in swift appraisal. “Is she with child?”

“No.” Dominic’s reply was as curt and blunt as the question.

Malvina’s expression reflected first skepticism and then disappointment. “Patrick said you hadn’t bedded her, but I thought…” She shrugged. “She must be sicker than Patrick believed.”

“You think a woman has to be on her deathbed to escape me?” Dominic’s lips twisted. “Well, I guess a mother should know her own son.”

Malvina nodded slowly. Her eyes glittered in the sunlight. “I know you.” She took a step closer and suddenly reached out, her arms enveloping him in a fierce embrace. “Welcome home,” she said huskily. “Don’t expect us to kill the fatted calf for you. As it is, we’ve had trouble rounding up enough cattle for a trail drive this year.”

Dominic’s arms came around her and gave her an equally fierce hug. “Patrick told me Da sold the south herd and the White Sulphur land to get the money to buy my pardon. It’s a wonder you even let me set foot on the place.”

“Patrick talks too much.” Malvina took a step back, her arms falling to her sides. “It was Shamus’s decision to sell. He wanted you free to come home.” Her gaze turned to Elspeth. “She’s a little pale and puny-looking, but if she’s what you want, I guess we can work her into some kind of-”

“There seems to be a misunderstanding,” Elspeth interrupted quickly. She instinctively straightened her spine and braced herself as if to withstand a gale-force wind. Indeed, she had felt she had been buffeted by those winds since Malvina Delaney had stepped out of the shadows to meet them. The woman exuded the same forceful presence as her son and Elspeth hadn’t a doubt about her passionate devotion to him or her willingness to permit him to have whatever took his fancy. “I thank you for your hospitality, but I’ll be staying only a few days, Mrs. Delaney.”

Malvina Delaney studied her coolly, her hazel eyes narrowed. “We don’t hold with formality here. My name is Malvina, and I seldom misunderstand my boys. Dominic has gone to a parcel of trouble for you, and he’s not a man to put himself out unless he has a reason. You could do worse than to take Dominic as your man.”

“That’s enough.” Dominic shook his head resignedly as he turned away from his mother. “I know better than try to change your mind when it’s set, but if you make Elspeth uncomfortable, I’ll have to take her away again.”