A Man to Call My Own

Chapter 20

HOME, MARIAN HAD NEVER given much thought to the noise she and Amanda made when they went after each other. They were careful to keep that kind of fighting private. And since no one ever remarked on it, she just assumed that no one ever knew.

There had been no avoiding that fight today. It had nearly taken place in public, right there on the porch. But Amanda had come to her senses and waited until they were alone.

They'd been given separate rooms, thank God. Amanda hadn't stayed in hers, though, had followed along when their aunt showed Marian to hers. Marian knew then what was coming, was braced for it. Ella Mae knew, too, and tried to prevent it by not leaving when Kathleen did. Amanda actually told her to get out. And no sooner did the door close than she threw herself at Marian.

It was one of their more vicious fights. They both came away with clumps of hair in their hands, skin under their nails, teeth marks, and bruises aplenty. Amazingly, not a single mark marred their faces afterward. But then it was almost an unwritten rule between them that their faces were out of bounds. All other bruises could be hidden, but facial marks would be evidence of their undignified scuffles. And then, too, scratching one face was like scratching the other, when both faces were identical.

There was no winner. There rarely was. Their fights would end when they both got tired, and since they were pretty much in the same shape, they usually got tired at about the same time. This one was no different and soon enough wound down to verbal insults, as most of them did.

"You could have at least waited until our aunt got to know you a little better before showing her what a shrew you can be," Marian said as she pulled herself up onto her bed.

Amanda had gone straight to the nearest mirror to examine her face. "Why?" she shot back. "I don't intend to be here long enough to get to know her at all."

"And where will you be?"

"On my way back home, of course."

"With husband in tow? You really think you can find someone to marry you here that quick?"

"Don't be an ass," Amanda swung around to snort. "There's no one out here worthy of me."

"So you're going to give up your inheritance?" Marian concluded.

"You can be really dense sometimes, Mari. No, I didn't come all this way to give up anything. Aunt Kathleen will be more than happy to send me home, and with advance approval of any man I want to marry."

"You plan to make yourself that much of a headache?"

"If I have to," Amanda purred.

Marian shook her head. She shouldn't be surprised. Amanda rarely did anything without a motive in mind.

"As much as I'd love to see you on your way, you're probably deceiving yourself. Some people actually take their duty seriously, Mandy."

"Don't call me that. Amanda is much more sophisticated than that childish nickname."

"But the shoe fits, sister dear."

"Like your childish effort to disguise that you're my twin? That kind of shoe?"

Marian smiled when Amanda's lips twisted with anger. It had taken many years for her to develop the cast-iron skin she needed to be able to shrug off her sister's insults. To give an appearance of indifference. And to give back as good as she got. As long as no one else was involved, as long as it was just the two of them, she couldn't be cowed anymore. It was only when someone else was in danger of drawing Amanda's vicious interest that Marian would back down.

"Do you want competition again?" Marian replied with a false look of surprise. "You can't stand being the center of attention anymore? Well, then, why didn't you say ..."

"Oh, shut up."

Marian should have felt a little better, for winning the verbal round, at any rate. Amanda flounced off angry. Marian lay down to await the promised bath. And all she could think about was whether Amanda had overheard the introduction to Stuart Kinkaid.

If she did hear it, then she'd take Chad off the "employee" list and move him to the "due to inherit something big" list. And she would set out to charm him, lure him in, and tie up his emotions in a tight little knot that she'd never release. Not because she wanted him, but simply because she could. Because it thrilled her to no end to manipulate men like that. It was the one thing she did very well.

If that wasn't enough for Marian to worry about, she found out almost immediately when she went downstairs later that the altercation with her sister hadn't gone unnoticed, or rather, unheard. Her aunt was the first to ask her if she was all right. She might have thought she was referring to her overall condition after the trip, except she seemed too concerned. And then Chad discreetly asked the same thing, and looked just as worried.

By then she was so embarrassed, she was ready to bolt back upstairs and never come down again. But then Chad's father came in from outside, looked her over from top to bottom, and said, "Well, I'll be damned. So you won? Good for you, gal."

He was making an assumption based on no visible bruises, she realized to her mortification. She'd never know where she got the nerve to reply, "No one won."

"Well that's too bad," he grumbled, then added gruffly. "Next time win. Makes the bruises feel worth it."

She laughed. Half-hysterically, but still, she laughed. And felt her embarrassment melt away with it.