Her hand started to shake, so she quickly set the box of tokens down, her attention diverted by the peonies in the middle of the wood in her mother’s crystal glass vase.
Chauncey was standing in front of the fire, anxiety writ in every line of his face. “I hope you don’t mind that I borrowed a vase to put the flowers in.”
“No, I—” she broke off, as her gaze returned to the blooms, but this time she noticed that there was something rather different about them. She bent down to inhale their fragrant scent, but there was something markedly different about them when she found that their delicate perfume was missing. She touched one of the petals and frowned slightly. “Is this… wax?”
“They’re known as artificial flowers. Back in Canada I heard a few European trappers talk about a Swedish artist by the name of Emilia Furstenhoff who was known for her faux floral arrangements. I decided that it couldn’t be that hard to whittle some out of dried wax.” He winked. “I am rather handy with a knife, you know.”
For the second time that day, tears stung her eyes with sentiment, even though she’d cried over the injustice of Chauncey’s current predicament earlier, but that was entirely different. One made her heart weep with sadness, and the other with joy.
“I honestly don’t know what to say, except this has been the best birthday I’ve had since I was a child.” She reached across the expanse and took Chauncey’s hand in her own and gave it a light squeeze. “Thank you. For everything.”
His mouth curved upward on one side as he said evenly, “I feel as though I made you angry earlier. I hope you weren’t upset about the music box. I know it may seem rather awkward to have something that my wife—”
Elise shook her head. “It is absolutely perfect. And I’m honored to have something that belonged to your Martha. I will cherish it always, as I have your friendship these last couple of weeks.”
He didn’t say anything, and combined with that dark, unnerving stare, it made Elise uncomfortable, so she grabbed the cards. “Shall you deal this evening or should I try my hand at the gambler’s shuffle?”
“If things were different, I would marry you.”
Elise froze, his husky voice flowing over her like a fresh, spring rain. But since she wanted to try and keep things light, she kept her gaze on the cards and teased, “And what makes you think I would say yes?”
“I wouldn’t give you a choice.”
She snorted. “That seems rather arrogant of you, Mr. Cade. A lady should always have a choice in her future husband.”
Silence, then, “What if I told you I—”
Elise tensed, fearing what he was about to say, but he never got the chance to finish his sentence, for there was a sudden, urgent knock at the door. She jumped in alarm, but then forced herself to calm. She finally looked up at Chauncey and noticed that he didn’t seem concerned over the interruption. His focus was completely riveted on her.
“It’s probably Mr. Miracle calling again,” Elise murmured. “Grannie is likely urging him to check in on me.” When he said nothing, she got to her feet. “You should probably go to my bedroom and wait until he’s gone.”
Instead of leaving, he sat back in the chair. “I think I’d like to meet him.”
***
Chauncey could tell that he’d shocked Elise, for her mouth fell open and she stared at him as if he’d lost his mind. “What are you doing? You know that’s not a good idea, especially if those men are still in Charming—”
Another insistent knock sounded and although she glanced toward the disruption with a nervous glance, he kept his cool. He imagined it wasn’t Mr. Miracle paying a cautionary visit this time, but he wasn’t going to tell her that. He decided that whatever fate lay beyond that door he was going to accept it like a man.
“Open the door, Elise.”
He could see the moisture swimming in her gaze as she looked at him. “Chauncey, please. Don’t do this.”
He had to clench his jaw to keep from kissing her. Since Martha, he hadn’t had anyone that truly cared about his welfare. But while he might appreciate her devotion to him, he wasn’t sure he’d earned it. “I’m tired of running,” he said evenly.
They regarded one another for a moment more, and then Elise slowly straightened. Smoothing her hands down her dress, she turned and walked over to the door. He saw her shoulders stiffen as she reached out and grasped the knob.
“Good evening, gentlemen.” Chauncey heard her greet her guests in a somber tone. He also noticed that she hadn’t fully opened the door to allow them to see inside where he was sitting. “To what do I owe the honor of this visit?”
“I apologize for the intrusion, Miss Erindelle. But we have reason to believe that you may be harboring a fugitive.”
She snorted at the accusation. “How preposterous! Whoever gave you that idea, Sheriff?”
“There were two men who came to Charming a few days ago with a claim—”
Chauncey closed his eyes and blocked out the rest of the Sheriff’s statement. He already knew what he was going to say. After his confrontation with the two deserters who’d tried to harm Elise, he’d had the feeling he hadn’t seen the last of them. They were the type who didn’t take kindly to being ordered about and would seek revenge if the opportunity arose. No doubt they’d stumbled across one of Chauncey’s wanted posters and decided to turn him in for the bounty.
“They’re lying!” He heard Elise return hotly. “Those men were nothing more than deserters from the war who came here to pillage my root cellar. I can assure you that their intentions were far from honorable, then or now!”
“I thought that might be the case, Miss Erindelle. I’m sorry we had to disrupt your evening meal—”
Chauncey wasn’t sure what made him speak up. If he would have kept silent, then the threat would have passed and he could have spent the remainder of the night in Elise’s charming company. “No need to rush off, Sheriff. We were just about to play a hand of poker.”
Elise whipped her head around and pinned him with an anguished look. A pang shot through his midsection as he quickly averted his gaze and focused instead on the men who entered. The middle-aged man who led the trio was the sheriff, for when he moved and his coat shifted, Chauncey caught sight of a bright gold star on his belt. No doubt there was a pistol right next to it.
As the other two men came into view, Chauncey’s mouth kicked up at the corner, for they were well known to him. Stephen Gregory and Thomas Paine were two of the best bounty hunters who were employed by the Hudson Bay Company. He’d spoken to them many times when he’d worked at Fort Garry, had even assisted them on several instances. However, Chauncey couldn’t help but grin, for it was rather ironic that these fellow Canadians should now be on the hunt for him.
He could tell the moment they recognized him as well, for instead of the friendly recognition they used to show him, now there was greed in their eyes. Then again, money often won out over all else and his head was currently priced at two thousand dollars.
“Mr. Cade.” Stephen looked just as Chauncey remembered him, a lumbering sort of man with dark features similar to his, with a direct gaze and that familiar bulge in his cheek that proved he still enjoyed his chewing tobacco.
“Mr. Gregory,” he returned dryly. “What a surprise to see another one of my countrymen in the wilds of Texas.” His focus shifted to his companion. “And Mr. Paine, of course. A pleasure, as always.”
Thomas reached up and tipped his hat, but said nothing. Then again, Chauncey knew he’d always been a man of little words. Rumor had it that he’d received the scar that ran down the side of his left cheek courtesy of a resistant bounty. However, the cloudy eye that was revealed made the sandy haired man appear more menacing.
Chauncey waved his hand to encompass the single chair across from him. “Please, have a seat.” When the men remained standing, he added quietly, “How foolish of me. Pray, forgive my oversight.” He pinned Stephen with a glare, as he was currently the biggest threat
of the three. “Since there’s just one, I suspect you’ll have to fight for it.”
Stephen’s grin broadened and he took a step forward, only to have his path blocked by Elise as she slid between him and Chauncey. Beau, who had been lounging by the fire as usual, rose and bared his teeth with a threatening growl, which also caused Stephen to rethink his advance. Chauncey reached down to pat the faithful hound as Elise said, “Really, gentlemen, there’s no need for violence. Why don’t we reconvene to the living area where there is more room to play? I’d be happy to move the table there and make some refreshments—”
The sheriff had been standing by, watching the exchange rather warily, but now he looked at Elise with something akin to regret. “I fear we won’t be able to stay that long, Miss Erindelle.” He nodded to Chauncey. “This man is wanted by the Canadian authorities for murder. As you know, that’s a hanging offense. He’s going to need to come with us to Charming in order to await trial.”
Chauncey saw Elise’s face instantly pale, as she reached out and clutched the back of the dining chair. He yearned to go to her, to offer the reassurance that she needed, but unfortunately, his past had finally caught up to him and it was time to bear the consequences of his actions. And although she might not see it now, he was doing all of this for her, so she didn’t have to live a life looking over her shoulder for the rest of her days. He could spare her that, at least, if not his eventual demise.
He stood. “I suppose we should be off then.”
At that, Elise spun to face him. “Surely you aren’t just going to…give up?” she demanded. “Aren’t you even going to fight this?”
Chauncey looked at her in compassion, but it likely conferred as something akin to pity, for her expression tightened. “That’s not for me to decide, sweetheart. The court decides my fate now.”
He moved around the edge of the table and saw Stephen nod at the sheriff, who moved forward holding a pair of handcuffs. As they were clamped onto his wrists, Elise spoke up yet again. “Is that truly necessary? Mr. Cade has shown no hostility, nor resisted.”
Stephen walked over and grabbed Chauncey by the arm. “One can’t be too careful with a murdering outlaw, ma’am.” With that, he started to drag him toward the door.
“Wait!” Elise rushed toward the bearskin coat and draped it over Chauncey’s broad shoulders. Her blue eyes were pools of emotion as she whispered; “He will need this as protection against the cold.”
With one last look at Elise’s lovely face with that alabaster hair, Chauncey was shoved forward.
Chapter Eleven
The instant the men took their leave, Elise rushed to her room. Mr. Cade might not be willing to stand up for what was right, but she was determined to hire a good lawyer to plead his case. It was true his situation was rather dire, for murder wasn’t taken lightly, second only to treason. Either way, something had to be done, for if what he told her was true, and she didn’t doubt that it was, his conviction couldn’t stand in the face of such tragedy, no matter who was to blame. Martha and Thomas had been innocent victims of a heinous crime. If nothing else, temporary insanity could be suggested as the cause for his actions. At least, it had worked some years ago in an article she’d happened to read regarding a man who had lost his facilities when he discovered his wife had been having an affair and killed the man responsible.
She withdrew a battered, worn valise from beneath the bed. It had been her mother’s and had traveled many miles, but now it would serve Elise as she began to stuff it with various clothes and undergarments. She intended to start by enlisting Grannie’s help while she figured out this problem. The older woman had offered her the guest room in her private quarters many times, although Elise had always refused, preferring to stay at her isolated cabin. But although she was apprehensive about mingling with the townsfolk of Charming for long, she was determined to see this particular battle through to the end.
Once she had everything packed, she went about the cabin and banked the fire in the hearth, returned her mother’s love tokens back to the chest, and set the music box inside with them. She lovingly touched the lid with a fingertip and then shut the top of the wood. She hated to leave such prized possessions behind, but with any luck, she wouldn’t be gone long enough to miss them and since time was more important to her at the moment, she couldn’t tarry overlong and had to pack light for the journey ahead.
She primed her rifle and threw the strap across her shoulder as she gently touched the wax flowers on the table. She sighed, not looking forward to the trek down the mountain, for it was cold and dark and would take more than an hour to travel down to the village on foot. But although the men who had taken Chauncey were long gone by now, at least she wasn’t alone.
As she was putting on her outerwear, she looked at Beau who was staring at her in expectation. “Are you ready to meet the people of Charming, and bring your master back home?”
He offered a howl in return, which she took as a yes.
She was about to head out into the snow-covered winter wonderland, when she thought of her hothouse flowers. She swallowed and opened the door, waiting until the hound followed her outside before she shut and locked the cabin behind her.
A sense of nostalgia touched the middle of her chest, but she turned and walked away. Even if she was gone so long that she lost everything she had, and the flowers wilted and died from neglect in her hothouse, if she freed Chauncey, then it would all be worth it.
With Beau trotting along at her side, Elise held her valise in her gloved grasp and began to walk.
Her footsteps were silent in the brilliant white snow, although she could hear the sounds of things moving about in the forest. She prayed that she didn’t have another encounter with a wolf — or worse — as she hastened across the expanse toward the valley.
It didn’t take long for her feet to grow numb in her boots, but she huddled deeper into her cloak and kept her focus, putting one foot in front of the other until finally, the river came into view, a rather welcome sign, for the village lay just beyond. As she made her way over the bridge, she noticed that most of the water was frozen, but there was still a gentle ripple that flowed among the rocks.
Her heart nearly ached in her chest as she spied the familiar surroundings of Charming, for the first time realizing just how special this town was to her. For good or ill, it was her home, the place where she had been raised, and the area that her parents had fallen in love with.
Elise made her way past businesses and various houses until she stood upon Main Street near the wishing well in the center of town. She paused for a moment to catch her breath and then trudged past the jail where several horses were tied up out front. She yearned to pound on the door until the sheriff allowed her to see Chauncey, but since it was late and she knew her efforts would currently be for naught, for there was nothing she could do for him without the proper reinforcements, she kept moving on until she reached Grannie’s Inn on the other side of town.
With Beau at her side, she walked inside the hotel and nearly collapsed from the welcome relief of heat from the fireplace in the main room, where a few patrons were seated, and who glanced up curiously at her abrupt entrance. The hound must have also been grateful for the warmth, for he shook himself and released what sounded like a relieved sigh.
She shivered and patted her leg. “Come on, boy.”
After taking a moment to catch her breath, Elise made her way to Grannie’s private salon with Beau at her side. She’d been there many times before and knew where to go. She hesitated but a moment then knocked. After a brief wait, the door swung inward and a petite lady stood in the doorframe with her familiar gray bun and proper dress complete with a neckline that reached her chin and long sleeves that went down to her wrists, and a hemline that brushed the floor. However, the wide-eyed expression on her face would have been comical if Elise would have had the strength to laugh.
“My goodness, child!” The older lady scolded. “What on earth were you t
hinking of to get out on a night like this! You must be near to freezing!” She quickly ushered her inside to a cushioned chair by the fire and took Elise’s frost covered cloak and hung it up on a nearby peg.
“I need your… help.” Elise found it was difficult for her to even form the words, her teeth were chattering so badly.
“Whatever it is can wait,” Grannie replied firmly. She grabbed a blanket off the nearby sofa and draped it around her shoulders and rubbed her arms brusquely.
Elise was grateful for all the fuss, her eyes even stung with the emotion building up within her, but since time was of the essence, she had to get Grannie to listen. She reached for the older woman’s hand and hoped her eyes conveyed her urgency. “It can’t wait. A man’s very life depends on me.”
This caught Grannie’s attention. “Well.” She paused and regarded Elise directly. After a moment, she took the chair across from her. “I have a feeling I’ll need to sit down for this.”
Elise took a deep breath and began to explain.
Her companion said nothing until she was finished, at which point she sat back and expelled a heavy breath. “That is quite a dilemma,” she murmured, and then gestured to the hound. “I suppose that explains your new friend.”
“Yes.” Elise smiled slightly at the hound that had curled up near her chair and begun to snore. “His name is Beau.” She looked back at Grannie. “I love him nearly as much as I love his master.”
The older woman’s mouth parted slightly as she put a hand to her chest. “Oh, my dear girl! Does this Mr. Cade feel the same?”
Elise pondered this for but a moment. “I believe that he does.”
“Then we mustn’t delay!” Grannie shot to her feet, moving faster than Elise might have guessed a woman her age could. “I shall telegraph a trusted friend at once. He is versed in such matters. Mr. Grimm is just who we need to clear up this mess. He lives in the neighboring town, so with any luck he should be here by the afternoon stage.” She walked to Elise and put her hands on either side of her cheeks. “Take heart, dear. You will see that true love conquers all. My father believed it of my mother after she robbed him at gunpoint and took all that he had. Fate shone upon them and brought them back together where they founded this town. It will do the same for you.”
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