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evening. That and Logan Reed’s rude appraisal of her throughout the meal. He seemed to watch her as though she might steal the silver at any given moment. Amelia grew increasingly uncomfortable under his scrutiny until she actually found herself listening to Sir Jeffery’s soliloquy on the founding of the London Medical School for Women and the obsurdity of anyone believing women would make acceptable physicians.
    “Why the very thought of exposing the gentler sex to such grotesqueries is quite abominable,” Jeffery stated as though that would be the collective reasoning of the entire party.
    Normally Amelia would have commented loud and clear on such outdated thoughts, but with Logan apparently anticipating such a scene, she chose instead to finish her meal and quietly excuse herself. This was accomplished without much ado, mainly because Lady Gambett opened the matter and excused herself first, pleading an intolerable headache.
    Amelia soon followed suit and very nearly spilled over a water glass when she got to her feet. Her hands were shaking as she righted the glass. Looking up, she found Logan smiling. She had to get away from him quickly or make a complete fool of herself, of this she was certain.
    Unfortunately, she was barely out the front door when Jeffery popped up at her side.
    “Ah, Sir Jeffery,” she said stiffly.
    “Good evening, Lady Amhurst,” he said, pausing with a smile, “Amelia.”
    She stiffened even more. Eyeing him with complete contempt, she said nothing. There was no need. She’d often heard it said that with a single look she could freeze the heart right out of a man and Jeffery Chamberlain was certainly no match for her.
    “Forgive me, Lady Amhurst,” he said bowing low before her. “I sought only to escort you to wherever it is you might be going. The familiarity is born only out of my fondness for you and your good father’s desire that we wed.”
    Amelia nodded. “You may be assured that those desires reside with my father alone. Good evening.” She hurried away before Jeffery could respond. She hadn’t the strength to discuss the matter further.
    The evening had grown quite chilly and Amelia was instantly sorry she’d not stopped to retrieve a shawl. She was grateful for the short-waisted jacket she’d donned for dinner and quickly did up the remaining two buttons to insure as much warmth as possible. After two blocks, however, she was more than happy to head back to the hotel and remain within its thin walls until morning sent them ever upward.
    Upward.
    She glanced to the now-blacked images of the mountain range before her. The shadows seemed foreboding, as if some great hulking monster waited to devour her. Shuddering from the thought, she walked back to the St. Vrain Hotel and considered it no more.

Chapter 4
    I t was the wind that woke Amelia in the morning. The great wailing gusts bore down from the mountains causing the very timbers around her to shake and tremble.
Was it a storm?
She contemplated this for a moment, hoping that if it were, it would rain and drown out each and every pesky fly in Longmont. All through the night, her sleep had been disturbed by the constant assault of flies at her face, in her hair, and at her ears. It was enough to make her consider agreeing to marry Jeffery if her father would pledge to return immediately to England.
    A light rapping sounded upon her door. Amelia pulled the blanket tight around her shoulders and went to answer it. “Yes?” she called, stumbling in the dark.
    “It’s me, Emma.”
    Amelia opened the door with a sleepy nod. “Are we about to blow away?”
    Emma laughed softly and pushed past Amelia to light the lamp on her night table. “Oh, no, ma’am. The wind blows like this from time to time. It’ll probably be done by breakfast. Mr. Reed sent me to wake you and the other ladies. Said to tell you it was an hour before dawn and you’d know exactly what that meant.”
    Amelia frowned. “Yes, indeed. Thank