Bride by Arrangement

by Karen Kirst

  Grace pressed her lips together and shook her head. “He promised me—threatened me, really—that I would ultimately become his wife.” Her stomach roiled at the memory of his hot breath, his marble-smooth hands imprisoning her face as he forced his kiss on her. “He said I owed him and his parents, that I should be grateful they hadn’t kicked me out on the streets after Ambrose’s death. He said...” She pressed her hand against her middle. “He said if I didn’t marry him, he’d make sure I’d never see my girls again.”

  “Did he hurt you? Physically, I mean.”

  “On three separate occasions, he discovered me in remote areas of the mansion and gardens. He kissed me despite my protests. The first time it happened, I went straight to my mother-in-law. She laughed it off, saying I was taking his advances too seriously. It was just a kiss. After the last time, when he attempted to do more, I made sure I always had a maid with me.”

  Noah passed a trembling hand over his face. Standing, she waited for the dizziness to pass before going to him. Capturing his wrists, she peered up into his turbulent blue eyes.

  “I never intended to hurt you.”

  “Grace...”

  “You don’t know how many times I started to tell you the truth.”

  “At the welcome party for Mr. McAllister, when you told me about the man obsessed with your cousin, you were talking about yourself.” There was no recrimination in his eyes, just quiet expectation.

  “Yes. I—”

  Pounding on the front door broke them apart. Noah strode into the hallway. Grace reached the entryway moments before the doctor.

  The sight of James Johnson’s white face speared fear into her heart. Never had she seen the cowboy so shaken.

  “Noah. Grace.” His gaze bounced between them.

  “What is it?” Noah demanded. “Is Hannah okay? The baby? Do you need Doc?”

  He shook his head, his eyes settling on Grace and begging forgiveness. “I’m sorry. The girls are gone.”

  “No.” Anguish warred with shock. “Frank. It has to be Frank. H-he warned me...”

  She weaved to the right. Noah’s arm came around her, steadying her.

  “You were watching the twins tonight?” he said. “Where are they?”

  “I don’t know.” He threaded his hands anxiously in his longish black hair. “I heard the commotion in town and left to investigate. Once the fire had been extinguished, I returned home, only to find Hannah tied up and gagged. Ava was asleep in her bed, but the girls were gone. A stranger told Hannah to give Grace this.”

  Grace knew without looking at it who was responsible. Frank had promised to have her, one way or another, and he knew her biggest weakness.

  “What did he look like?” Her voice shook. “Do you know?”

  “Tall. Imposing. Black hair and dark eyes. Cold eyes, Hannah said.”

  Noah ripped open the envelope and scanned the contents. He blanched.

  “Grace...” Horror gripped his features. “Your brother-in-law tracked you here. He has Jane and Abigail. If you don’t meet him tomorrow morning at his requested spot alone, he’ll take them away. You’ll never see them again.”

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Noah would punish Frank Longstreet. He’d make him regret stepping foot on Kansas soil.

  “I have to do what he says.” Grace clutched the front of Noah’s shirt, her eyes a touch wild. “Where am I to meet him? What time?”

  Cupping her shoulders, he tried to control the fear and fury invading every part of his body. Grace needed him to be strong. The girls needed him to be levelheaded.

  “He doesn’t say. You’re to go to the post office first thing tomorrow morning. He’s left a missive for you there with instructions.”

  She was nodding, unaware that her fingernails were starting to dig into his skin. He covered her hands with his own and lightly squeezed.

  “Okay. I’ll do that. The girls will want their dolls. We’ll need clothes.”

  “Grace. Listen to me.”

  Her gaze refocused on him.

  “I can’t let you do this.”

  “I have to.” Her lower lip trembled. “I’ll do anything to save my babies.” Her voice broke, and she sagged against him, her body racked with sobs.

  Noah held her, his heart rending in two at the thought of Jane and Abigail out there in the night, frightened, confused and wanting their ma. Grace loved those girls more than life itself. He had to do everything in his power to return them to her safe and sound. God, You are one who sees. You know where those precious girls are. Lead me to them, I beg You.

  Over her shoulder, he told Doc to fetch Tomasina. She could stay with Grace until he returned.

  “You’re going after them.” James was pacing in the tight entryway. “I’ll go with you.”

  Grace straightened and pulled away, her cheeks ravaged by tears. The stage makeup was smeared. “You can’t. I know Frank. If he’s paid someone to watch us and learns we’re deviating from his orders, he’ll take them away solely to punish me.”

  Fishing out a handkerchief, Noah handed it to her.

  “James, I think it best if you stay with Hannah and Ava. But first, go fetch Will and Daniel. Have Will wake the postmaster and find that missive. I need to see it right away.”

  It was his only clue to Frank’s general location. The blackguard wouldn’t want to travel unnecessary distances with a pair of scared little girls in tow.

  When they were alone, Noah grasped her hand and led her to the kitchen. He gently guided her into a chair at the table and put his own untouched cup of coffee in front of her.

  “Drink.”

  Wrapping her hands about the cup, she stared at the contents but didn’t lift it to her lips. “What if I lose them? I can’t imagine what they’re thinking right now.” She looked on the verge of breaking down. “They must be so scared. He’s their uncle, but they’ve always been intimidated by him.”

  Crouching beside her chair, he cupped her cheek. “We’re not going to lose them, Grace. Not tonight. Not ever.”

  He knew it was a reckless promise to be making, but he fully intended on fulfilling it.

  Frank Longstreet had gotten his way one time too many. It was going to stop.

  Tomasina arrived five minutes later, alarmed but trying her best to hide it as she comforted Grace. Reassured she was in good hands, Noah grabbed his hat and made to leave, eager to start tracking Frank.

  “Noah.” Grace caught up to him and snatched his hand. “Be careful.”

  “Always.”

  She looked as if she had more to say, something urgent and important, but she shook her head. He had something momentous to say to her, too, but now wasn’t the time. He had to be content with a quick kiss on her forehead and murmured encouragement.

  Will intercepted him halfway to Eden Street. He was on horseback and leading Samson. He handed him a small envelope.

  “Daniel’s staying at the jail with Deputy Hanley,” he told him. “I’m going with you.”

  Using Will’s lantern to read by, Noah skimmed the lines on the paper. “The rendezvous point is an abandoned shack about a quarter of a mile east of the train terminus.”

  “Let’s check it out. Maybe he plans to pass the night there.”

  Lighting his own lantern, Noah climbed into the saddle. “You sure you don’t wanna wait with Tomasina and Grace? I know very little about this man, so I can’t predict how he’ll react.”

  “I should shoot you for suggesting such a thing,” Will exclaimed. “Come on, we’re wasting time.” Nudging his mount’s flank, he got a head start.

  Noah urged Samson into motion, wishing there was time to fetch Wolf from the ranch. He’d made the decision to leave him at home for two reasons. First, he hadn’t wanted him in the cross f
ire of their confrontation with Burrows. Second, he’d thought to offer Grace and the girls some protection.

  With the moonlight to guide them, they raced through town, slowing near the tracks. This side of Cowboy Creek was rowdier, alive with more activity because of the cowboys and their late-night shenanigans. Following the tracks in silence, Noah pulled up sharply when his gaze hit on a small white object.

  Sliding to the ground, he bent to retrieve it.

  “What is it?” Will sidled closer.

  Noah’s chest squeezed as he fingered the white wooden duck. “This is Jane’s. I carved it for her.” Spinning in a circle, he frantically searched the tracks and grass. “There’s nothing else here.” Frustration underscored his words. “She must’ve dropped it.”

  “Let’s keep looking.”

  For the first time, the endless prairie he’d grown to love had become an adversary, miles of uninhabited land where an unscrupulous snake like Frank could take refuge. As they ate up the distance between the town proper and the wooded section close to the shack, Noah prayed continuously, asking God to grant Grace peace and Jane and Abigail courage.

  Will slowed his horse minutes later, and he pointed wordlessly to the lone shelter outlined in moonlight. Dismounting, they readied their weapons and walked the rest of the way. He didn’t see a horse or wagon, but that didn’t mean their quarry wasn’t inside. Frank could’ve hidden it in the woods several minutes’ walk from here.

  Please Lord, let them be all right.

  In silent agreement, they took up positions on either side of the door, guns raised. Noah pressed his ear to the wood. Nothing but stark silence greeted him—not even the scuffling of feet. He knew even before they busted inside that it would be empty.

  Will holstered his weapon, his expression grim yet determined. “Let’s check the woods.”

  Glad his friend was with him, Noah emerged first, his gaze on the darker portion of the prairie. The woods covered approximately three square miles. Did Grace’s brother-in-law have the girls there? Or had he gone the opposite direction on the off chance someone would check his missive?

  Noah matched Samson’s pace to Will’s animal’s. His nerves were on edge.

  Closer to the trees, they dismounted once more and tied their mounts to a low-slung branch. Several yards into the dense woods, Will threw out an arm. Noah stopped short as his friend plucked a shiny pink ribbon from a tree limb.

  They exchanged a telling glance. Stuffing the ribbon in his pocket along with the duck, Noah couldn’t help wondering if the girls had deliberately left him clues. The last book he’d read to them had been Hansel and Gretel, after all. Were they leaving him a trail like the fictional characters?

  Their progress was slow. Too slow for his peace of mind. While he knew they couldn’t risk alerting Frank to their presence, his mind and body demanded to rush ahead. He wanted those girls safe right this minute.

  When something crunched beneath his boot, Noah picked up Jane’s corn-husk doll and fought emotion clogging his throat. On a whim, he’d purchased one for each of the girls. Even though they’d brought expensive store-bought dolls from Chicago, they’d been delighted with these handmade ones.

  Maybe their excitement had less to do with the gifts’ worth and more to do with the fact you thought of them.

  Inexplicably, the twins had taken a shine to him, despite his scars and beastly behavior. He wished he’d taken the time to tell them he’d taken a shine to them, too. He never thought he’d be a father. And then suddenly he’d had two adorable girls underfoot, gifting him with their sweet smiles and unconditional trust.

  More than anything, he wanted to see them grow and mature into responsible young women who loved the Lord. Frank Longstreet didn’t deserve to share the same air as them.

  The distinct smell of smoldering ashes hit them at the same time. Will seized his arm and pointed to an opening in the trees. Although cloaked in shadows, he could just make out a figure too large to be a child. The man was pacing back and forth, his movements sporadic. Impatient.

  “I have to use the necessary, Uncle Frank.”

  Noah tensed. Abigail.

  “You used it not fifteen minutes ago,” Frank snapped.

  “I have to go, too.” Jane’s normally bright voice was tremulous.

  In the moonlight, Will’s furious expression mirrored Noah’s feelings. Holstering his gun, Will gestured to the girls, indicating he’d see to getting them out of shooting range. That left Noah to ambush Frank.

  He held up three fingers. Counted down.

  His body primed for action, he stepped into the clearing, gun barrel leveled at Frank’s back. “Game’s over, Longstreet. Put your hands up and turn around.”

  The man spun on his heel, his fancy suit jacket flaring, and glared at them both. Disregarding Noah’s order, he kept his hands at his sides. “You have no business here, sir. These are my nieces. As far as I’m aware, no one owns this land. We have a right to pass the night in these woods.”

  “Mr. Noah!” Jane’s cry was eclipsed by Will, who took her and Abigail’s hands and urged them to leave with him.

  Abigail resisted. “No! I want Noah!”

  Noah’s chest constricted. “Go with Mr. Canfield, honey. Everything’s going to be all right.”

  Frank did not react well.

  “You’re the man Grace has been living with?” he demanded, menace settling over his aristocratic features. “She always thought she was smarter than me. Hanging out with a lawman, I see. Perhaps I underestimated her.”

  He wasn’t about to discuss her with the man who’d tormented her life. Itching to exact revenge for her sake, he recalled that justice was in the Lord’s hands. Besides, he was duty bound to uphold the law. Those same laws that applied to everyone else applied to him, too.

  “I’m the sheriff in these parts, and I said to put your hands in the air.”

  “Now, why would I do that?” Frank sneered, throwing his arms wide. Pale light glinted off his diamond tie pin. “I’ve done nothing wrong. Besides, you don’t want to arrest me. Not if you value your position. I have friends in law and government with the power to finish you.”

  His arrogance astounded Noah. The man wielded his position and influence like a sword.

  “Kidnapping is an arrestable offence, as is coercion.”

  “I’m their blood relation,” he scoffed. “I can take them wherever I please.”

  “Not without their mother’s permission, you can’t. Frank Longstreet, you’re going to be spending the foreseeable future in my jail. You have sixty seconds to submit before I put a bullet in you.”

  With an ungentlemanly growl, Frank pounced. Noah hit the ground. His bones jarred. The air whooshed from his lungs. His grip on his gun went slack. Frank landed a blow on Noah’s jaw the same instant he grabbed for the weapon.

  Noah hadn’t survived bloody battles between the North and South to die at the hands of a spoiled, entitled swine. He was leaving these woods alive. He would return the twins to their mother.

  But then, all of a sudden, he didn’t have a hold on the pistol. It slipped from his gloved hand. Skittered across the grass.

  With a grunt of triumph, Frank lunged for it. Noah scrambled after him. He seized the other man’s jacket collar and hauled him backward. He got an elbow in the nose for his efforts. Blood trickled into his mouth.

  That one second of hesitation cost him. Suddenly, he was staring down the barrel of his own gun.

  Frank laughed, a horrible, slightly maniacal sound that rent the night.

  Please God, don’t let that be the last sound I hear on this earth.

  Frank was on his knees, panting, smoothing his mussed hair into place. Noah was on his back, no shelter in sight.

  “Since you’re not going to be around for the foreseeable
future, lawman, let me fill you in on what’s going to happen. After I dispense with you, I’m going to dispense with your friend. My nieces and I are going to spend the night here, as I planned, and we’re going to wait for Grace to come to us. The four of us are going to return to Chicago, where Grace is going to accept my grand, romantic proposal. Our wedding will the event of the decade. After our honeymoon, which I will be sure to make very memorable, the girls will be carted off to boarding school so that Grace can devote her every minute to catering to my whims.”

  Rage unlike Noah had ever experienced took him in its hold. His thoughts blurred and melded into one—no way was the woman he loved more than his own life going to wind up with this creature.

  “Let’s make a deal.” Adopting a humble air, Noah held up a hand as he slowly rose onto his knees, mimicking his foe’s position.

  “What type of deal would a lowly lawman like you have to offer someone like me?”

  He nodded, gauging his options. “You know, you’re right. I don’t make deals with swine.”

  He threw his entire weight into Frank’s shoulder. With the element of surprise on his side, Noah was able to close both hands around the gun. They wrestled for long moments. The gun blasted near his ear. A deafening, teeth-rattling blast.

  His enemy emitted a surprised gasp before he fell backward, his head striking a tree stump.

  Heart hammering, Noah surged to his feet, reholstering his gun before checking for a pulse. Still alive. From the faint light filtering through the treetops, he could make out the wound. Looked like the bullet had skimmed the top of his shoulder.

  Searching the man’s jacket pockets, he discovered a stitched handkerchief that he used to stem the blood.

  “Noah?” Will called from some distance away. “You all right?”

  “Fine. Where are the girls?”

  “Safe. I heard the gunshot. Worried you were in trouble.”

  “Frank’s unconscious. Can you give me a hand getting him on his horse?”

  Will joined him and, in a matter of minutes, they had Frank slung over the saddle. Noah led him to where the girls were hunkered down. As soon as they saw him, they bolted to his side, wrapping their arms about his legs so tight he almost lost his footing.