Chapter Four

Adam removed his tie, then slipped his black jacket off and hung it in the large closet of the suite bedroom. Shiloh had removed her hat and dress jacket, and now stood in front of her trunk, pulling out dresses, blouses and skirts, hanging them in the closet. Next, she started unpacking one of her bags and pulled out the gown and robe Mrs. Lewis had ordered.

Rolling up his sleeves, and unbuttoning the top buttons of his white shirt, Adam watched her unpack. "That's very pretty."

Shiloh snorted. "I was supposed to wear this on our wedding night."

"Why don't you wear it now? We're not leaving, and you won't have to wear your corset all day."

"I don't know that I'd be comfortable wearing nothing but this all day."

Sitting down on the bed, he pulled her down in his lap. "Why not?"

She looked away for a moment, deciding whether she should voice her uneasiness about the suite…about the whole situation. "Adam…" She paused, looking for the right words that wouldn't make him feel as if she didn't appreciate the time and effort he must have put into planning this trip. "I don't generally wear a nightgown all day, even though this particular one is…for that purpose in our specific…situation." Charmed, Adam sat, listening and smiling. "In fact, Adam, I don't think I know how to just sit…and do nothing."

"We won't be doing nothing. We do have plans. Just not today. What would you wear at home if you stayed in all day with nothing in particular to do?"

"I always have something to do."

He took a deep breath. "Humor me."

"Probably my britches."

"Tell me you didn't pack your britches," he said, frowning.

"No, I didn't. I know they wouldn't be appreciated among your friends and acquaintances here. But I did bring riding clothes."

"Good, because Jim Fischer wants us to spend a day or two at his ranch outside the city."

She stood up. "Adam, all this…the suite, the service…the call button. This is more opulence than I'm used to. I don't need to be waited on hand and foot."

Grabbing her hand, he pulled her down to the bed on her back, then leaned over her, nuzzling her neck. "I know it's not what you're used to, but try it."

She closed her eyes and smiled at the touch of his lips playing with the lobe of her ear. Just as he rose up to kiss her, they heard a knock at the door. He gave her a quick kiss, and then stood. "That would be breakfast," he said, heading toward the bedroom door. "Change. I want to see it."

Winking, he closed the door behind him, leaving her lying on the bed, looking at the ceiling, grimacing with her mouth twisted as she tried to answer for herself why this was so uncomfortable. I'm in a private suite. No one but Adam will ever see me, except for the occasional attendant and maid, and I'm sure they've seen women in their gowns and robes as a matter of the course of their day. Why is being waited on hand and foot so hard? Then it dawned on her. This was exactly the way she expected her life to be with Will. It was something she wanted no part of. But this isn't going to be life with Adam. It's just the honeymoon. "I hope."She rose from the bed, removed and hung her travel clothes, removed and put away her underclothes, then slipped on the gown and robe. Listening at the bedroom door, she waited until she heard the suite door close, then quietly opened the bedroom door and stood, waiting for Adam to turn around.

When he did, his mouth opened slightly, and his jaw crooked. The robe was made from the same fabrics as the gown, the solid fabric of the robe strategically placed to cover parts of the sheer fabric or lace of the gown. Both were white and covered with intricate embroidery. Smiling, he pulled out a chair at the table that had been rolled into the room. "Your breakfast is served, my love."

Smiling timidly back, she accepted the seat, and waited for him to be seated on the other side. "It's as if we just got up," she said, looking toward the windows where the morning light was just making its appearance. The mantel clock chimed the half hour.

Shiloh studied the bowl of cut fruit on the table, while Adam poured the coffee. "Why don't you have some bacon and eggs before the fruit, Sweetheart?" She distinctly remembered telling him that she wasn't hungry, but the aroma of the ham and bacon, and the look of the steaming, hot biscuits made her stomach growl. Smiling, she loaded her plate.

Adam laughed. "I thought you weren't hungry. I don't think I've ever seen you put that much food on your plate."

"Adam, I've been fretting about all this," she said, waving her fork in a circle in the air, "from the moment we stepped foot in the hotel. I realize the amount of time you spent planning this. I should at least try to enjoy it."

"That's my girl," he said, grinning.

Standing, she went to each flower arrangement, pulling the cards out, then looked around, walked into the office and came back to the table with all the cards and notes. "I know all these names except for this one," she said, handing an envelope to Adam. "It's addressed only to you." Adam took the envelope, glanced at it and laid it on the table. "Aren't you going to open it? Who is Mr. Slater?"

"It's not important. I'll open it later."

"But who is Mr. Slater?" She put her fork down and looked adamantly at him. "Does this have something to do with whoever was trying to sell the Flying W?"

Adam stopped eating as well. "I thought we were going to leave that behind for the next month." She withdrew and began to push her eggs around on her plate. "Shiloh, it has nothing to do with the Flying W."

"But it's something you…can't…share with me?"

Breathing loudly through his nose with his lips drawn into a tight line, he watched her play with her food, then said, "It's something I've been working on that's not finalized, and I didn't want to tell you until it was, just to make sure it goes through."

She nodded, and continued to eat, opening the envelope on the top of the pile. "Tom Maguire would like me to make a special appearance…one night only…to whet his patron's appetites for another appearance in the summer."

"No."

"Adam, it's only one or two songs on one night. What harm could that do?"

"We have plans."

"It would be easy. I've already worked with his musicians at both of my performances. And they learned some music that we never performed. Besides that, Edwin gave me Genevieve as a wedding present. He wants me to perform it with you," she said, looking up at him without raising her head.

"No."

Unable to hide her disappointment, she sighed. "Well, it's likely never to be performed again then."

Adam raised an eyebrow. "No."

Sighing, she picked up the next envelope. "Mr. Stanton sends his well wishes and hopes to see us at…" She looked up at Adam. "…at the mayor's banquet to celebrate the ground breaking for the new city courthouse? Have we been invited to Mayor Teschemacher's banquet?"

"Yes," he said, continuing to eat heartily.

She propped her elbow on the table and rested her jaw in her hand, eyeing him suspiciously for a moment. All she could get out of him was a smile and a wink. Opening the next envelope, she read, "My dear Miss Whitney…no, by this time, it is Mrs. Cartwright. I trust this finds you well and happy. Please accept my invitation to spend a few days at my ranch where I hope to show off the rest of my stable of horses and introduce you and Adam to friends who are interested not only in your horses, but also in Adam's skills as an architect, especially in light…" she glared at him, "…of his latest success?"

He stopped in mid-chew, avoiding her eyes, then said, "Why don't you put those away for right now and enjoy the morning?" while raising his eyebrows and looking innocently at her.

"I hate secrets," she said, mildly exasperated.

"Try some of the fruit, Sweetheart. There are pears and melons, strawberries, grapes and apples."

"Do I at least get to know what we're doing tomorrow?"

"Why not," he said, smiling. "We're having an early breakfast, and then we're taking a carriage ride to the Cliff House for lunch. After that, we'll spend the afternoon on the beach. That is, if it's not raining."

"And if it's raining?"

"Then we'll have lunch in the city and spend the evening at the theater."

She sat back, smiling. At least tomorrow, she'd be occupied.