With that, Grannie crossed the room and sat at a desk in the corner. She put on a pair of spectacles before withdrawing a sheet of paper and removing the cap from the inkwell, she picked up her pen and began to write a brief missive.
***
Chauncey lay upon the solitary cot in his cell at the Charming jail and waited for Stephen and Thomas to return with their cohorts, who had remained behind at the inn. But then, Sir Weston Dwarfton and James Spadely weren’t bounty hunters like Mr. Gregory and Mr. Paine, but representatives of the Hudson Bay Company, which in turn, were in charge of all of Rupert’s Land. Chauncey’d had several interactions with Dwarfville in the past, and found him to be a rather unpleasant sort to be around.
“I see the prodigal criminal has been caught in a trap of his own making.” Chauncey’s mouth curved upward in a smirk as the familiar voice floated over to him. “I should have known it might be a woman who brought you to heel. All that fuss and nonsense over the death of your wife and son, now appears to be nothing more than empty anger that was directed at an innocent man.”
Chauncey’s entire demeanor instantly changed to one of fury. Gone was the tolerant amusement of a man he disliked. In its place was complete loathing for the true villain here. He slowly sat up and walked over to the bars of his cell. He grasped the metal in his grasp until his knuckles turned white. And although Dwarfton should have known that he couldn’t escape, it didn’t stop him from backing up a step.
He was just as Chauncey remembered, a nasally sort of fellow who thought he was above reproach simply because he wore the finest silks from some of the best London tailors. The lace of his cuffs had always looked rather absurd on a man who lived in the Canadian wilderness and dealt with trappers. But then, perhaps that was why his white beard was longer than Chauncey remembered, no longer neat and trimmed close to his jawline, but reaching his chest in a bushy mass.
“You know as well as I do that Lord Arandine was nothing of the sort!” Chauncey growled. “And you stood by and did nothing while my family was murdered in cold blood.”
Dwarfton sniffed. “Martha Cade was a savage, the same as you are, tainted with that Indian Métis blood—”
Chauncey didn’t even think; he just acted. His arm shot out from between the bars and grasped the first thing he could, which just happened to be Dwarfton’s beard. While the man was still recovering from the shock, Chauncey grasped the mass in his fist and yanked him forward until Dwarfton slammed against the bars on the opposite side. “You know nothing of savagery. But I’ll be glad to show you now.” With his free hand, Chauncey withdrew the knife that had gone unnoticed, tucked in the back of his trousers and brought it up to Dwarfton’s beard, where he neatly sliced off more than half of it.
The man howled and stumbled backward, his hands coming up to where his beard used to be. He looked up with something akin to horror as Chauncey slowly released his fist, where the discarded hair scattered to the floor.
“You’ll pay dearly for this, Cade!” The other man sputtered, as he turned on his heel and stormed out the door, slamming it in his wake.
Until then, James Spadely had been standing by silently, but now he walked forward. “You enjoy making powerful enemies, don’t you, Cade?”
Now that some of Chauncey’s anger had abated, he realized he’d acted rather foolishly. That moment of triumph would undoubtedly have consequences. “It would seem so.”
A hand clamped his shoulder. “Then it’s a good thing you have friends who wish to remove the current authority.”
Chauncey glanced at the other man curiously. He hadn’t known much about Lord Spadely, other than the fact they were of the same age and that he was some sort of distant cousin to the Earl of Arandine. But when his expression seemed to convey a sense of kinship, Chauncey started to feel the first spark of hope for his dark fate.
As Spadely turned and walked calmly out the door, Chauncey closed his eyes and began to pray.
If only…
***
Elise woke the next morning with a start. She wasn’t sure what had woken her, except now that she was alert to her surroundings; she realized it was likely the fact that she was lying on a soft, feather mattress in a bedroom the size of her entire cabin.
But as memory quickly resurfaced, she glanced at the window and blinked in alarm when she saw the light shining through the curtains. She hastily threw the covers off her, and jumped out of bed, noticing that she was still wearing her clothes from the night before. She rushed over to the window and her eyes widened when she saw that it was nearly midday. How on earth could she have slept so long?
She clutched the windowsill and thought of poor Chauncey, and wondered how she could have been so selfish as to sleep the night away so soundly, knowing that he was sitting alone in that cold jail cell.
Elise turned away and looked for her valise, but it was nowhere to be found. She frowned, searching under the bed and all around the room, but there was no sign of the worn traveling bag.
She was about to run to Grannie’s aid when there was a knock at the door and the lady herself entered followed by Samson, the barkeep of the saloon, who was carrying a silver tray, which he sat down on the dressing table. During the morning, the stocky man with dark hair and his salt and pepper beard could be found at the inn helping Grannie cook up delicious meals for her guests.
“Oh, good. You’re up,” the older woman smiled gently as she poured two cups of tea. “Thank you, Samson.” The barkeep offered Elise a friendly wink as he departed.
Elise accepted the cup as the older woman settled herself in a chair by the fire, but she ignored the pang of hunger in her stomach for the moment. “Grannie,” she said urgently. “Do you know where my valise is?”
“I put it in the wardrobe while you were sleeping last night.” Grannie smiled. “I daresay it didn’t take you long to pass out in the chair while I was composing the telegraph to Mr. Grimm. Since I didn’t want to disturb you, I sent for Samson and had him carry you up to my guest room. You didn’t even bat an eyelash.” Some of Elise’s earlier irritation faded away in the face of such kind consideration. Besides, she couldn’t really deny that she had been exhausted after the trek down the mountain. However, concern for Chauncey was still foremost in her mind. And after a quick glance about the room, she noticed that the hound was conspicuously absent.
“Where’s Beau?” she asked.
“He’s downstairs lazing by the fire after eating to his heart’s content.” Grannie chuckled. “I can see why you adore him so much. He’s a wonderful dog.”
“Yes, he is.” I just hope Chauncey is able to be reunited with him.
“Now, I suggest you do the same and get some food in you. After that, we can talk about heading over to the jail and checking on Mr. Cade once Mr. Grimm arrives, which shouldn’t be long. He replied to my letter first thing this morning and told me he would be on the one o’clock coach.”
Elise relaxed slightly, knowing that there was no arguing with the lady. And it would be prudent to eat something to keep up her strength. Thus, she walked over to the silver tray and took the lid off to reveal a tantalizing fare of ham, eggs, and toasted bread complete with butter and homemade blackberry jam. She smiled, for everyone in Charming knew that Grannie’s jam was the best.
She turned to the lady. “Thank you. For everything.”
The older woman got up and said, “I promised your dear mother that I would look after your welfare.” Her lips quirked in a knowing manner. “And that includes your future intended as well.”
Elise could feel her face heat as the lady swept from the room.
If only…
Chapter Twelve
At one that afternoon, Elise and Grannie were at the Miracle Mercantile awaiting the arrival of the afternoon stagecoach, the snow having slacked off enough where the wagon might actually make it through to the town. Elise nearly pressed her face against the glass like a child, anticipation flowing through her veins, not just because sh
e would soon see Chauncey again and reassure herself of his welfare, but she was also curious about this Mr. Grimm. If he was the wonderful attorney that Grannie had assured her he was, then perhaps he could truly secure Mr. Cade’s release.
Either way, Elise didn’t know how she might pay Grannie back for everything she’d already done. It was nice enough that she had been able to bathe in a porcelain tub complete with running water rather than carry buckets to heat and fill the old metal one she kept at the cabin. But then Grannie had insisted that the dresses in Elise’s wardrobe were too outdated to make a ‘good impression’ if Mr. Cade’s case went so far as to trial, so she insisted that they check and see what the mercantile had in stock as far as readymade dresses. Fortunately, they happened to have two that perfectly fit Elise as if they were made especially for her.
Together with a new black fur cloak and a matching velvet bonnet with a long flowing veil, Elise had caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror and blinked, sure she was staring at a different person. With her alabaster hair pinned and tucked beneath her hat, the focus was easily drawn to her face rather than her unique coloring. Attired in a deep plum gown of the latest fashion, Elise had to admit that she was almost unrecognizable from the simple flower seller who lived in the mountains.
Proof of her alteration came in the form of one of the boys she’d gone to school with in Charming. Although he was a grown man now, she recalled that Bobby Brownstone was one of her worst tormenters.
As they had passed one another in the mercantile aisle, he bumped into her. He instantly paused and tipped his hat. “I’m terribly sorry, miss.”
When he had looked at her, she waited for recognition to spark, but when it didn’t, she merely nodded her head and moved on, although he hesitated, as though he wasn’t quite ready for their ‘chance’ meeting to be at an end. However, she didn’t wish to remain any longer than necessary and have him discover her true identity and be faced with the scorn that would surely follow as it generally did as the known daughter of a “witch.”
Earlier, before she’d entered the store with Grannie at her side, they had passed the wishing well in the center of town, and she found that she was inclined to linger there. She had looked at the stone circle and voiced her thoughts aloud, “Do you think it really works?”
“I can’t say,” Grannie had returned, “Although my father used to believe in the magic, so I suppose that’s all we can hope for.”
Elise had rummaged around in her purse for a coin. Holding it in her gloved palm, she closed her eyes and thought of the one thing she truly wanted and then she let the coin fall into the darkened depths. “I suppose we’ll see,” she murmured, waiting for the sound of the plunk to follow, but hearing nothing but an eerie silence.
Now, as Elise watched the stagecoach and four pull to a creaking, shuddering stop, she could do nothing but pray that her single wish would come true.
She walked outside with Grannie and waited patiently as the passengers began to disembark, watching while their trunks were unloaded. Some of the faces were animated, either chatting about their journey, or eager to continue on one. Eventually, one lone man separated himself from the rest. The moment Elise spied him she knew it had to be the infamous Mr. Grimm, for he carried himself rather serenely and was dressed in simple black and white with a top hot and shiny black shoes. He was tall, with an air of authority, but had a fond smile on his face as he spied Grannie.
As he walked over to them, Elise could see that he was older than she’d originally imagined as he offered Grannie a slight bow. “It’s lovely to see you again, Granelda, even if I was distressed to receive such an urgent behest.”
Elise raised her brows when Grannie actually blushed. It was obvious there was a certain familiarity between them.
“It’s good of you to come so quickly, Jacob. As I stated in my missive, there’s no time to waste.” She extended her arm. “Shall we proceed? It’s but a short walk back to the hotel.”
As she started to lead the way, Mr. Grimm offered his arm and said, “Allow me.”
Grannie inclined her head as she accepted the assistance. When Elise had joined her on the other side, she found that she couldn’t contain her curiosity any longer. “Just exactly who is this, Mr. Grimm?” she whispered in her ear.
The older woman’s mouth pinched together. “Merely an old friend who I called upon to assist us with a delicate matter,” she returned just as covertly.
Elise snorted lightly. “Your interaction seemed a bit more involved than a simple friendship.”
Grannie sniffed. “I’ll hear no more about it.” With that, she turned her head to the side and put an abrupt end to any more of Elise’s questions as Mr. Grimm joined them.
***
Chauncey was sitting on the cot in his cell, his head bowed and his elbows resting on his knees when the door to the jail opened. He expected to see Dwarfville, returning to offer more threats, but he quickly got to his feet when he spied Elise.
However, the difference to her appearance was remarkable. Gone was the solitary girl who had lived in the cabin on the mountain. He’d always thought Elise was beautiful, but dressed as she was in her fancy plum and black attire, she was absolutely breathtaking. This was the confident lady that he had known, the one who had taken in a complete stranger so he wouldn’t freeze to death — and the woman he had fallen in love with.
“Chauncey!” There was no hesitation in her tone as she saw him and rushed forward. She grasped his hands through the iron bars with her gloved ones and squeezed gently. Her blue eyes searched him over and he smiled in spite of her concern. “Have they treated you well?”
He nodded. “The sheriff has been more than accommodating, considering the charges that have been brought against me.”
She sighed in obvious relief, and then said, “With any luck, we will do something about that.” She released him and turned to the older couple. “This is Granelda Charming. She runs the inn in town and is a trusted friend. And this,” she gestured to the gentleman, “Is Mr. Jacob Grimm, an attorney.”
He walked forward and extended his hand, which Chauncey shook. “I believe that I can help your plight, Mr. Cade.”
Chauncey grinned. “Well, that makes one of us, at least.”
As he moved aside, the woman moved forward. “Ms. Charming. I’ve heard a lot about you from Miss Erindelle.”
The lady’s lips twitched. “And I, you, Mr. Cade. With any luck, this nasty business will soon be over and we will have a chance to chat. Such as talking about what your intentions are toward Elise.”
“Grannie!” Elise breathed in astonishment, her face turning a becoming shade of pink. She instantly turned pleading eyes toward him, where he offered her a wink of reassurance in return.
He found that he liked Elise’s “Grannie” very much as he replied, “I would be more than happy to call upon you at the earliest convenience, Ms. Charming.”
Grannie nodded her head in approval as Mr. Grimm moved forward. “If you don’t mind, Mr. Cade,” the attorney noted, bringing Chauncey’s attention back to him. “I’d like to hear the story of what happened from your point of view.”
“Of course. Whatever you need to know.” He hated to keep traversing this dark path of his memory, but he would do whatever it took if it meant he could be with Elise. She had saved him from the depths of his own despair. He intended to return the favor, even though she might try to be strong and pretend that she was fine on her own, he’d saw the expression of longing on her face when she’d touched her mother’s love tokens and when he talked of his life in Canada with Martha and Thomas.
After a lifetime of loneliness, Elise deserved a chance at happiness and although he wasn’t sure he was the right man for the job, he vowed that no matter what occurred, he would love her for the rest of her days. She had filled a gaping wound in his chest and for that he would be forever grateful.
“We’ll leave you to chat with Mr. Grimm,” Grannie announced. “Come along
, Elise. We will return to check on you tomorrow, Mr. Cade.”
Chauncey could tell Elise hesitated, so he said, “I’ll be fine. Besides, I’m not sure I want you to hear all the gruesome details of that day.”
She sighed. “Very well.” She paused and walked over to him and took his hand. Something was pressed into his palm. “Until tomorrow, Mr. Cade.”
It wasn’t until she walked out the door that he finally opened his hand to see what she’d left behind. His throat instantly tightened, for it was one of her mother’s love tokens. In that moment he knew what she hadn’t told him. She had shown her affection by this simple gesture.
Mr. Grimm dragged over a chair from near the sheriff’s desk. Chauncey had seen the lawman only sporadically during the day, as he was generally out on his rounds, making sure that order was kept in Charming. At least he’d kept Chauncey fed, so he couldn’t complain.
As the attorney withdrew a tablet and pencil from inside his coat pocket, he said, “I’m ready when you are, Mr. Cade.”
With the picture of Elise in his mind, Chauncey began to speak.
***
To keep herself busy while she waited for word from Mr. Grimm, Elise decided to assist Samson at the saloon since Grannie had things well in hand at the inn. But then, she was a feisty lady who ran her business with all the gusto that Elise had expected from her.
Elise wasn’t much for serving beverages, but she did her part by cleaning the glasses and replenishing his supply as the crowd began to gather around the gaming tables. Samson’s wife worked at the bank during the day, but by the evening, she entertained the guests by playing a few songs on the piano.
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