Homespun Bride

176 Homespun Bridecare not to trip on the carpet as he followed Noellearound the table. The whole house was fancy for histastes, and he felt as discomfited by the surroundingsas by the females watching him with unblinking gazes.“I’m a cattleman, mostly.”“Is that so?” Henrietta’s gaze narrowed. “Are youdone with your wandering all over tarnation? Or is thatthe life you intend to return to?”He gulped, a little taken aback. Noelle had stoppedat a chair beside the oldest Worthington girl, and heheld her chair while she sank into it. “No, ma’am. I’vecome home to Montana to stay.”Noelle turned toward him, searching his face as ifshe could see him plainly.Was that hope he saw? Or sadness? So many uncomfortableemotions were muddying his mind, he couldn’tseem to tell up from down.“Very well then, I suppose that will do.” The wayHenrietta said it, it didn’t sound good at all. Not at all.She gestured toward the empty chair beside her. “I’mdetermined to get at the truth of your character. You willsit next to me, young man.”Where she could keep a good close eye on him, nodoubt. Thad swallowed hard at his murky emotions, butcouldn’t seem to dislodge them. They were made worseby Noelle and the way her emerald gaze followed thesound of his steps around the table, sparkling with merriment.Good thing she was enjoying this becausesweat was starting to bead up on the back of his neck.As he took his chair at the table, he couldn’t shakethe notion that Henrietta was out to find his every flaw.She was bound to find quite a few.“When you went on those cattle drives, did you