“What’s taking him so long?” the first man asked.
“He said he’d be here, and he’ll be here. Stop it with the cold feet already.” The second man pulled out a pocket watch and checked the time. “We’re about to be richer than we’ve ever even heard of, so quit your sweating.”
Georgia tried to hide her smile, but inside, she was dancing. This was proof, wasn’t it? What other opportunity could there possibly be for making a lot of money in a hurry in this town, at this time? It would be too much of a coincidence to assume there was more than one. They had their men. Now they could apprehend them and stop the whole thing before it even started.
Just then, a ragged little boy dashed into the saloon, stopped, and turned around, looking confused.
“Uh, which one of you all’s Mr. Black?” he called out. “I have a note here for a Mr. Black, but if I give it to anyone else, I won’t get a penny.”
The second man stood up at the table in the corner, chuckling. “That message is for me, boy.”
The child looked relieved. “Oh, good, because I really wanted that penny.” He handed over the note and ran off, supposedly to collect his reward.
Black sat down and opened the note, then said, “Our meeting place has been changed. Come on.”
The two men left the saloon, and Georgia’s mind began to whirl.
She needed to tell Chet what she’d learned, but he was in the middle of a game, and if he ducked out right then to chase their suspects, that wouldn’t sit well with the men at the table, who might decide to come after him. Only one way she could think of to get out of there.
She stumbled over to his table. “Honey, I . . . I think I’m going to be sick.” She rocked back and forth a few times, then threw herself forward, tossing the rest of her drink all over Chet’s lap.
He immediately came to his feet. “What in the . . .” He looked down at his clothes, now soaked. “You little . . .”
She cowered, putting her hands up to her face.
“I don’t think it’s worth hitting her,” Valdez said mildly. “Why don’t you take your winnings and go get cleaned up? There’s a pump outside, and then you could go find yourself a room at the hotel.”
Chet looked back and forth between Georgia and his clothes, his jaw clenched. “I think I will.” He grabbed his bills from the table, took her by the arm, and marched her out of the saloon.
That couldn’t have gone any better if they’d rehearsed it for hours.
As soon as they were outside, Georgia spoke urgently. “The two men in the corner went to meet someone named Jones. He sounds like the ringleader. They said they were about to become very wealthy. You need to see if you can follow them.”
He looked at her in surprise. “You’re not drunk?”
She sighed, exasperated. “We don’t have time for that. They turned right when they left the saloon. Hurry.”
He looked at her, gave her a nod, and crept off in that direction. She was glad that he hadn’t wasted time wondering what to do about her, leaving her there in the darkness outside a saloon.
She walked over to the pump and washed her hands and face, then tried to rinse a little of the whiskey out of her dress. Nothing but a soak and a scrub would get that smell out.
One of the saloon girls came outside and leaned on the porch railing. “You poor thing. I saw that just now, how he took off and left you here. He’s probably never coming back, neither. I know that type.”
Georgia made a show of wiping her eyes. “He said he was done with the likes of me.”
“Oh, you poor thing. Do you want to come in? I can lend you a clean gown, and you could rest for a while.”
Georgia didn’t know how to reply to that at first. Being tucked up for the night in the saloon wasn’t in the plan at all. “He handed me enough money for a little room at the hotel,” she said after a moment of frantic thinking. “He said I should get cleaned up and then find someone else to steal from. It’s not stealing if he gave it to me, is it?”
“No, I should think not. You take that money and you sleep in a nice bed for once, and then you’ll feel better in the morning.” The girl gave a nod. “If you change your mind, you know, you could always come work with us. It’s one of the better places I’ve been.”
Georgia looked up at the saloon as though she was considering it. “Thank you . . . I’m sorry. What’s your name?”
“Iris,” the girl replied.
“Thank you, Iris. I’ll think about it. Goodnight.” Georgia lifted her hand in a half-wave and began her walk back to the hotel, making sure to stumble a bit so she’d still look unwell.
***
Chet looked up and down the road, but he couldn’t see anyone—not even a silhouette. It was late enough that all the businesses were closed and most everyone was asleep, and in that utter stillness, he should have been able to hear footsteps or voices or something, but there was nothing. How could two men have disappeared so completely?
After looking around for several more minutes, he decided he needed to meet up with Georgia and ask her for more details. Where was she likely to be, though? It wouldn’t have been safe for her to remain at the saloon, so he assumed she’d gone back to the hotel. He couldn’t go there directly, though, so he took the back streets as he had before, choosing a slightly different route.
When he arrived at the hotel, he found Georgia sitting in the parlor, a clean dress on, her hair brushed out and not all mussed like it had been shortly before.
“There you are,” she said, giving him an innocent smile. “I wondered where you’d gone.”
He all but collapsed onto the sofa. “That was quite the adventure, Miss Baker,” he said. “I feel like I need an explanation for every minute from the moment we stepped into the saloon until now.”
She smiled, but it was really more like a self-satisfied grin. “Well, I knew I’d need to blend in, so I blended in.”
He shook his head even while he chuckled. “You had me fooled, that was for sure.”
“I’m sorry if I caused you some worry, but it’s not like we had time to formulate a plan and to rehearse it,” she said.
“You’re right, and really, I couldn’t be more proud of you. You’d make an excellent Pinkerton yourself.”
“Oh, I don’t know about that,” she said, but she did look pleased.
“So, please tell me what else the men said,” he asked, and she related everything she’d picked up.
Chet leaned back in his chair and exhaled. “I think you’re right. The odds of there being two such large money-making schemes happening at the same time are too astronomical. They must have been talking about the robbery.” He rubbed his temples. “But where did they go?”
“There are several places where they could have gone in that area of town,” Georgia said. “There’s a livery stable and a loading dock for the flour mill, and if they were staying with friends or family, there are any number of houses.”
“That doesn’t help narrow things down,” he replied. “The fact is, I’ve lost them, and I have no way of knowing how to find them again.”
“What if you waited for them at the train station?” Georgia suggested. “Or have some deputies wait there while you prepare to board as a regular passenger—undercover, of course? They’re here in town and so they must be planning to board here, don’t you think?”
“Unless they ride out tonight or in the morning and sabotage the rail somehow. I know Colonel Gordon planned to keep an eye on the tracks, but I don’t see how he could be watching every single stretch for miles out.” Chet exhaled. “There are so many variables.”
Georgia nodded. “Do you have a plan?”
“I’ve been trying to come up with one, and I believe the best thing I can do is board the train. We can set deputies to watch both the station and the rail, but the only guarantee that I’ll be where I need to be is if I take the train there.”
A worried expression flitted across Georgia’s face. “They’re prep
aring for a gunfight, Chet. Will you be all right?”
He pulled in a breath. He didn’t often become nervous when it came to doing his duty—he’d always gone into it believing that if something happened, it was meant to be. This time, though, he had a motive for coming back, a reason to return, and that made him nervous that he wouldn’t succeed. “I’ll do my very best,” he said at length.
She gave him a flicker of a smile. “And I’ll cheer you on.”
“Will you? Will you cheer me on and be glad to see me when I come back?”
“Of course I will.” She seemed surprised by the question. “We’ve only just met, but I believe we’re friends, aren’t we?”
Her comment, although spoken lightly, struck a tender spot right in the center of his chest, and he winced. Should he respond just as lightly, or should he take this chance he was being offered and speak up? If he shared his feelings and then didn’t return, what sort of mess would that leave behind him? On the other hand, if he didn’t take this opportunity, he might regret it forever.
What did he want? He’d thought he knew. Now he was a muddle of indecision.
“Chet? You’re making me nervous,” she said, leaning forward. “I asked if we were friends, and you went utterly still. Did I say something wrong?”
“No, not at all. I was merely thinking about my answer.”
“Is this the sort of answer you need to think about? Have I done something to offend you?”
“No! Please, Georgia, don’t think that for a moment.” He stood and took the chair next to hers, placing his arm along the back, not quite touching her shoulders, but close enough that he could if he felt it was appropriate. “I’ve been battling out what to say because it’s only been a day since I arrived, and yet my feelings are so much more advanced than that.”
“What do you mean?” she asked, her voice soft. He wished he could interpret the expression in her eyes, but it was guarded.
“I mean that when I became a Pinkerton, I decided I would never marry. That was as clear to me as anything. But when I walked into your dining room . . .” Now he’d said too much to take back. He had to plunge in and hope for the best. “When I saw you, I realized that maybe I’d made the wrong decision. You’re unlike any young woman I’ve ever met, Georgia, and if anyone could change the mind of a stubborn man like me, it would be you.”
She met his gaze searchingly. “I need to hear you say it straight out so I don’t misunderstand you, Chet. I’ve leaped to conclusions before, and I didn’t care for the outcome.”
He reached up and traced the side of her cheek with his finger. “I’m saying that as unlikely as it may be, I’ve fallen in love with you in just one short day, and when I’ve finished with this case, I’d like to come back and pursue this relationship further.”
“In love?” she repeated.
“In love. This grumpy bachelor all set in his ways, too irritable for a wife, too busy for romance, has fallen in love.” He tipped her chin up with the tip of his finger. “What do you have to say about that?”
Chapter Nine
It couldn’t be real. No, not in the slightest. There was nothing about this night that could possibly be real. Had she actually gone into a saloon and pretended to get drunk? And was Chet Larsen, a man she’d never even seen two days ago, telling her that he loved her?
“I don’t know what to think,” she said at last. “You’ve caught me completely off guard. I wasn’t expecting a suitor this week. Next week, maybe, but not this one.” She hoped a bit of humor would ease the tension, but it only seemed to make things more awkward.
“Believe me, Georgia, I’m every bit as stunned as you are. All I know is that my heart is telling me that you’re the one, that if I don’t come back and ask for your hand, I’ll never regret anything so much in all the rest of my days.”
“But what if you don’t come back? We have to think about this reasonably. Those men are prepared for anything they’ll encounter. How can you fight them off, especially when you don’t know how many there are? What if Jones brought a dozen or two dozen men to town with him?”
“You make good points, and I can’t argue with any of them. I can’t promise that I’ll return, or that if I do, that I’ll have all my limbs and that I won’t have been blinded—anything can happen. All I can do is have faith that this will come out right.”
His voice was so earnest, she was tempted to believe it herself. She wanted to believe it, to have some sort of hope that he would return and that all would be well, but she felt it would be foolish to invest too much emotion at this point. When he came back—if he came back—then she’d be willing to think about it.
“I just need to know if I have any chance at all, Georgia. Do you have any feelings for me at all?”
She opened her mouth to answer, to give him a flippant answer that wouldn’t constitute a commitment, but she found that she couldn’t. Instead, she nodded, and he grinned.
“That’s enough for now. I’ll concentrate on doing what I need to do, and when I get back, we can talk it over and decide what our future should be.” He brushed his hand against her cheek and stood. “I’ll tell you goodnight and go to bed. Tomorrow . . . well, it’s going to be an interesting day.”
“Will you be able to sleep?” She didn’t think she’d be able to, and she wasn’t the one facing the danger.
“I hope so. I’ll certainly try.” He looked down at her, a gentle expression on his face. “Goodnight, Georgia, and thank you again for your help tonight.”
“You’re welcome.” She’d been about to say “My pleasure,” but there really hadn’t been anything pleasurable about it. It had caused more anxiety than anything. “I’m glad I could do something to help.”
He gave her a nod and a smile, then climbed the stairs to his room. Georgia stayed where she was until she could be reasonably sure that she wouldn’t run into him in the hallway, and then she went upstairs as well. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been so exhausted.
When she reached the attic dormitory where all the waitresses slept, she found Nora there, sitting up and reading by the light of one candle. The other girls appeared to be asleep.
“Why aren’t you asleep too?” Georgia asked, crossing the room and sitting on the edge of Nora’s bed.
“I’m just a little bit uncomfortable tonight. Dr. Wayment’s wife was here earlier and she said this is perfectly normal, and will become even more true the farther along I get, but that doesn’t make it any easier to live with.”
“I’m sorry,” Georgia said. “Can I get you anything?”
“I’m fine, thanks. Posy brought me more chamomile tea before she went to bed, and Emma made me a hot water bottle for the small of my back. That’s really all I could ask for.”
“All right. Try to sleep eventually.” Georgia gave Nora a smile, then crossed to her side of the room and changed. She couldn’t wait until she could give her whiskey-scented dress a good scrubbing—it was balled up under her bed for now, and she could catch whiffs of alcohol as she climbed in. For once, she’d be glad to do her laundry.
After a few minutes, Nora snuffed out her candle, and the room went dark. Georgia hoped that meant the girl would be able to sleep. She rolled over and faced the window, searching for any star visible through the pane, and found just one. It wasn’t the brightest or the largest, but it was shining there just for her, and she chose to take comfort from it. No one knew what would happen the next day, but Chet loved her, and that was like one twinkling light to look toward and to dream about. She would cling to that for as long as she was able.
***
Chet was already gone when Georgia came down to the dining room the next morning. At first, she thought he was still up in his room, but Tom came to find her and gave her a note. She took it with trembling fingers.
Dearest Georgia.
I’ve gone to meet up with Colonel Gordon to discuss what happened last night and make plans for today. You’d be rather impresse
d—it’s going to be a clandestine meeting in a barn with cows and most likely a few horses. Very hush-hush, unless the animals give us away.
As it turns out, I didn’t sleep well last night after all, but it wasn’t worry about the case that had me awake—it was thinking about you. I realize how foolish it is to be making plans until everything is resolved, but it was very nice to think about it nonetheless. And then it occurred to me that you said you had feelings for me, but you never said exactly what kind, so I began to worry that I’d misunderstood you. Now in the clear light of day, I know that I didn’t because you would not have purposely misled me, but my thoughts were certainly jumbled throughout the night.
And now I’m rambling. I apologize. I simply must get my feelings out before I leave so that you are left in no doubt about them. Should something go wrong today, please know that my last hours on this earth were my very happiest because I got to spend them with you. And should today go well, we will discuss making every day from here on out even better than the last.
Yours,
Chet
At that very moment, almost like a coincidental heralding of the end of the letter, the train whistle blew, and Georgia prepared to meet their customers. She guided them to their tables with a smile and began to take their orders, but then two new men walked in, and she nearly dropped the water pitcher she was carrying.
The two men from the saloon.
She turned and stepped back into the kitchen. What could she do? If they saw her, they’d be full of questions. She couldn’t lie and say she’d just gotten the job—she was obviously too well trained to be a new waitress. Her mind racing, she tried to think of a solution, but the only thing that would work was to hide out in the kitchen.
“Georgia, what’s the matter?” Giselle asked, coming into the kitchen with her own orders.
“I can’t explain it right now, but I can’t go back out there. I promise to explain later.” Georgia gave her supervisor an imploring look, hoping to convey in a matter of seconds what she didn’t have time to explain with her words.
A Joyful Noise (Kansas Crossroads Book 14) Page 6