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them again if we don’t stop now. But it will mean about a four hour delay in our trek across country, and the trip’s long enough. I’ve tried to convince her it’s not fair to the group, but Bella doesn’t care about inconveniencing everyone else.”
    The Wimberleys stared at him in disbelief. Claire felt a little tremble in her own heart. What if it were her parents? What if it were her last chance for a kiss or hug from them? Henry was still talking.
    “Well, I’ve agreed to stop. We’ll just keep moving when you make camp. And then the next morning, we’ll hustle. Try to catch up with you in the next day or two,” he said.
    Robert Wimberley looked speechless for a moment, then shook his head. “No need for all that. We’ll stick together. Sleeping with the wagons, we can go anywhere. Tell Bella we’re happy to stop. Looking forward to meeting her parents.”
    The change in Bella was remarkable. The next day she was all smiles, rushing to help the other women with the cooking, fussing over what she should wear for the visit. Claire could not remember when the woman had looked happier or prettier. Even the first day of their big sale at the old store had not affected her as much.
    The happier Bella became, the more attentive and kindly Henry treated her. After seeing nothing but sparring between the couple before, Claire felt strangely betrayed by the sudden peace between them.
     
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    Claire sat in her usual position on the wagon, behind the oxen and their smelly tails. She had her magazines on the bench beside her, but flipped through them restlessly.
    Henry Lambton emerged from the woods, something held behind his back. Claire swiveled on the padded bench to look as soon as he walked past. When she saw he clutched a fistful of wild Iris, their purple blooms furled like organza over their blade-like leaves, her heart sank. This time she recognized it as jealousy.
    By now it was a familiar ache. When she first went to work for the Lambtons, she had found Henry to be the first person who valued the things that she did. When she talked about fashion, everyone else tuned her out. Henry was interested in all things sartorial and fashionable. He appreciated her ideas for marketing their goods and listened when she suggested the store hold a sale. He asked for her advice when placing orders and pricing goods.
    She had enjoyed this respect for her intelligence. Growing up being called goose, even by her best friends, it was a welcome change. Other than that, she thought nothing about Henry. He was nice, handsome, and well-mannered. But he was married.
    True, Bella Lambton was a cold, angry woman. He deserved someone better, someone who respected and cared for him. Claire remembered the first time she realized she might have feelings for another woman’s husband.
    As always, it was one of her friend who pointed it out to her. The Lambtons had a terrible row in the store and Bonnie had handed little Barney off to Claire to tend while she went up front to break up the fight.
    Later, Bonnie had laughed when Claire looked offended. “I had no choice. I didn’t want my bosses to get into a donnybrook in the front of the store. Who would pay us then?”
    Claire agreed. “They were having a terrible fight, weren’t they?”
    “Aye, besides, I knew you worked wonders with children,” Bonnie said.
    Claire looked surprised. She had thought it was Bonnie, who had the way with children, not her. Slowly she had admitted. “I’m just upset. If they want to argue about traveling west, why do it when we’re present? They had all night and morning without us.”
    “It sounds like he was telling you their plans before he’d talked them over with her. It would make any woman mad, even you.”
    “Those things she said about me, about Henry wanting to follow me. It’s not true, there’s nothing between us. He has never shown any interest in me by word or action.”
    “You sound unsure if that’s good or bad? Have