She glanced sideways at Jax. Should she ask about the mine? She was hesitant because she didn’t want to raise his suspicions. He’d given her a packet of gold. How else would he get gold flakes? That practically proved he had a gold mine, although in a mining town one could probably come by gold quite easily.
Either way, she had to tell Lefty something. If only she could figure out a way to do it so that she wouldn’t have to betray Jax and could still keep her sisters out of harm’s way.
Maybe she was worrying a lot about nothing. Lefty hadn’t even tried to contact her and the longer she was away from him, the less urgent the whole matter seemed. If she got lucky, she might never even have to follow through.
By the time they pulled up in front of Wild Heart Ranch, Faith’s spirits had lifted considerably. Her thoughts had wandered from Lefty back to the kiss. It had been amazing. The most amazing part was that Jax wanted her.
She’d never felt wanted like that with Charles and she knew he hadn't possessed the depths of passion that she’d sensed in Jax. Her lips curled in a smile thinking of how gentle and careful he’d been with her. He’d even apologized, as if he was afraid he’d hurt her.
She appreciated how considerate he was of her when they traveled in the buggy, knowing that she was afraid of horses. He always made sure to keep himself between her and Buttercup.
The tender way he helped her in and out of the buggy spoke of the gentleness underneath his rough, manly exterior. Even now, as he helped her down, his arm lingered on her waist to steady her.
She smiled up into his eyes, the sunlight turning them into a warm golden color. She could almost see deep into the depths of his soul and longed for him to press her lips in another kiss. Her breath caught in her throat. Would he?
“So, there you are?”
Faith whirled around at the familiar voice, her stomach swooping as she came face-to-face with Silas O’Toole.
Chapter 18
Jax took an immediate dislike to the scruffy man standing on his porch. He was never one to judge a man by his looks, and it wasn’t necessarily the man’s appearance as he was dressed decently in linen trousers and a button-down shirt. It was more his demeanor or maybe the look on his face. Jax couldn’t quite put a finger on it, but whatever it was it set him on edge.
The slightly balding man held a black ten gallon hat in his right hand as he studied Faith intently. Clearly he knew her. Jax slid a sideways glance at Faith. Judging by the look on her face, she didn’t seem that happy to see the man.
“I’m Silas O’Toole. An old friend of Faith’s from Boston.” The man switched his hat from his right to his left and held his right hand out toward Jax. His handshake was sweaty and limp.
“Welcome to Wild Heart Ranch,” Jax said, his eyes flicking between Faith and Silas. He was unsure of whether to invite the man in or run him off. “Any friend of my wife’s is certainly welcome here.”
Jax raised a brow at Faith, hoping she’d catch his silent signal to let him know if she really did welcome this strange man.
Faith managed a tight smile. “Silas, how nice of you to come and see me.”
Jax relaxed. Faith was probably just surprised that the man had showed up on their doorstep and, after what had happened in the saloon, she was out of sorts anyway. If Faith was welcoming him, then Jax figured the man posed no immediate threat.
“I see marriage finds you well,” Silas said.
Faith glanced at Jax. “It does.”
Jax slid a protective arm around her shoulders. Even though she was smiling at Silas he got the distinct impression she did not like the man.
“Won’t you come in?” Faith pointed toward the door. “We can have Maisie fix up some refreshments.”
“Oh, no. I have to be on my way. I wanted to come and check in on you and bring you this letter from your sister.” Silas pulled an ivory envelope out of his pocket and held it out to Faith. She stepped forward, plucked it out of his hand and stared down at it. “You got this from my sister?”
“Yep. Your sister, Mercy. She’s doing real fine.”
Faith looked like she wanted to take the envelope and run into the house. Jax wondered what was going on. “Thank you. I’ve been anxious to hear from my family.”
That made sense. Faith had left her home and family to travel here. She was likely homesick and had not yet received a letter from them. Of course she would be anxious. That was why she was acting strangely, Jax reasoned.
“They’re all doing well. I just checked in on them before I left Boston.” Silas put the hat on his head and nodded toward the side of the house. “I got my horse tied up out back. I got to get going, but I just wanted to check in and make sure you didn’t forget about your old friends in Boston.”
“Oh, no,” Faith said. “I wouldn’t forget.”
Silas’s beady black eyes assessed Faith like a hawk watching a rabbit. He turned to Jax. “Nice to meet you.”
“Same here,” Jax said.
Silas started to walk toward the side of the house. After a few steps, he turned and said, “I’m glad to see you doing well. You folks have a nice day and Faith … I promise we’ll all get together soon and catch up on old times.”
Jax thought his parting line sounded more like a threat than a promise, and judging by the way the letter was shaking in Faith’s hands, he wondered if his assessment was far off.
“That man was a friend of yours?” Jax asked after Silas disappeared around the corner of the house.
“A family friend,” Faith said.
“I get the impression you don’t like him much.”
Faith’s eyes jerked up to him. “Oh, I wouldn’t say that. It’s just that … well, I was just surprised to see him here.”
They started toward the house. A feeling of uneasiness bloomed in Jax’s chest as he opened the front door for her. “Okay. Well, if he gives you any trouble you let me know?”
“Of course. He won’t be any trouble.”
“It’s just that you seem a little distracted.”
“It’s the letter. I’ve been waiting to hear from my family. I’d like to go read it in my room now. If you’ll excuse me.”
Jax nodded. “Of course. You must miss your family terribly.”
Jax frowned as he watched Faith walk down the hall to her room. When they’d arrived home, he’d sensed her mood had lightened considerably from when she’d stiffened in the saloon. He felt that he’d been fighting his way back into her good graces.
But now, she seemed to have closed down. He didn’t think it was so much the letter from her sister. Although he was sure she was anxious to read it, she wouldn’t be expecting any bad news. It had to be something to do with Silas O’Toole. Jax had learned long ago to trust his instincts and it wouldn’t hurt to find out a little bit more about this O’Toole character.
He headed toward the barn where he knew he would find Robertson. A former Pinkerton agent, the man had connections all over the continent and Jax was sure he could zip off a Western Union telegram to one of his contacts in Boston and find out more about Silas O’Toole and his connection to Faith.
* * *
Faith locked her bedroom door, then collapsed on the bed. Silas's visit had shaken her badly, but that wasn't the worst part—he'd had the letter from her sister in his hands!
He'd actually talked to her sisters. Faith realized Lefty wasn't going to forget about their bargain. To think so had just been a pipe dream. He was going to expect her to come up with the location of the mine whether an actual mine existed or not.
Silas's visit and the letter turned her blood cold. Lefty was sending her a distinct message that he meant business and could get to her sisters any time he wanted.
She sat up, her legs dangling over the side of the bed, the ivory envelope clutched in her hands. On the front was simply her name in blue ink written in her sister's hand. The letter was sealed and she felt grateful that at least Silas hadn't read the communication.
She
slipped her fingernail under the flap, slitting the letter open. The earthy smell of lemon balm wafted out and Faith's lips curled in a smile. Unlike most women, Mercy was not interested in perfume or scented soaps. She had an aptitude towards medicine and healing and preferred to fiddle around with herbs, the aromas of which often lingered on her person. Faith could picture her now, bent over, tending to the small garden outside the kitchen door of their apartment in Boston.
The memory caused a pang of sadness—she'd die if anything happened to her sisters because she'd had the bad sense to marry Charles.
Her hands shook as she unfolded the letter. Relief flooded through her when the first sentence stated the family was well and missed her. She'd been half afraid that Lefty would have already done something to her sisters.
She almost laughed when she read Mercy's accounts of what had been going on back at home. Her other sisters were quite a handful, especially Prudence who was headstrong and a little wild. Mercy wrote:
I'm having a hard time reigning Prue in. She doesn't listen to me like she used to listen to you and since you left she's gotten even more stubborn. Mother has all but given up on trying to control her and I fear she may do something crazy. But, she seems quite happy and so far has not gotten into too much trouble.
As for myself, I finally decided what I want to be in life— a doctor!
Too bad we have no money for medical school. But I managed to get myself a small job filing for Dr. Schute and I'm paying strict attention to everything he does. I just know if I work hard and keep at it, good things will happen.
In fact, they already are. I've been talking to one of your friends. A man named Lefty, who said he would get this letter to you. He mentioned we may be able to make some sort of arrangement where he could help out somehow with my education. I have no specifics, but am hopefully optimistic.
I know the distance between us is far, but I still feel we are as close as ever.
Your loving sister,
Mercy
Dread clutched Faith's heart as the letter floated from her hand to the floor. Lefty had already approached Mercy. And, while Mercy thought he was going to help her, Faith knew that whatever 'arrangement' she entered into with Lefty would be anything but helpful to her innocent sister.
Tears pricked Faith's eyes. She'd merely been fooling herself to think Lefty would let her off easy. Fooling herself that she could have a fairy tale existence with Jax. That brief fantasy was nice while it lasted, but now she had to get down to business.
When she'd left Boston, she'd never imagined she'd have feelings for her new husband. It was business only. She thought she'd be able to pull off getting the location of the mine without any remorse.
Boy, had she been wrong. She was falling for Jax hard and, worse, she thought he might feel the same way. But that was not meant to be. She felt like a heel. Jax had trusted her with his secret and now she would have to betray that trust.
Chapter 19
Faith stayed in her room the rest of the day, not even coming out for supper. She feigned illness, only opening the door twice—once for Maisie, who gave her a tray of food and tried to fuss over her like a mother hen, and once for Jax whose concerned look nearly broke her heart.
She couldn’t bring herself to come out of her room, because she couldn’t face any of them.
After it got dark, she took her hooded cloak out of the trunk and set it on the bed. Then she turned off her lantern and sat by the window, waiting for Jax to go on his nightly mission. She would have to follow him no matter how dark the night. She needed to know where the mine was located.
After the way he'd evaded her question in the saloon about his nightly excursions, she had to assume that he went to the gold mine. If he'd been going to the saloon, there would be no reason not to tell her. The only other place she could think of would be the mine. And now that Lefty had made sure that he would make good on his threat, she had no choice but to follow Jax out into the night—it was the fastest way to learn its location.
Unfortunately, Jax did not leave the house. Faith sat by the window for hours and, by the time she finally gave up, it must have been past midnight. She slipped into bed and had a fitful night, tossing and turning.
What if Jax never went to the mine again?
She would have to come up with some other way to find its location. Maybe she should become closer with his friends. Surely one of them would know where the mine was. Jax couldn’t have been keeping it all to himself all this time. Perhaps Ryder could clue her in.
The next day, she realized she couldn’t stay in her room any longer. She didn’t want anyone to suspect that something was amiss, so she needed to follow the normal routine. Even though she was overtired, she forced herself to get up and make her way to the kitchen for breakfast.
“Are you feeling better?” Maisie’s face was wrinkled with concern.
Faith managed a smile as she glanced around the kitchen, relieved that Jax was not there. She didn’t know if she could fake it in front of him so easily. “I’m feeling much better. Thank you.”
She hated that by betraying Jax she would also be betraying Maisie, who had become almost like a surrogate grandmother to her.
“Some flapjacks will fix you right up. I got blueberry syrup today. That’ll cure whatever ails you.”
Maisie enthusiastically dished up a huge plate of flapjacks, but Faith had no appetite. She pushed small pieces of flapjack around on her plate, watching them become heavy with the dark blue syrup while Maisie bustled around the kitchen.
Noticing that Faith’s plate was still full, Maisie slipped into the seat beside her. “You sure you didn’t get bad news from your family? You can tell old Maisie, you know.”
Tears pricked the backs of Faith’s eyes at the woman’s concern. “No. It was nothing like that,” Faith said quickly, not wanting Maisie to worry. “My stomach was just a little unsettled.”
Maisie studied her for a few seconds, then, apparently satisfied with the explanation, she pushed up from the table and went back to the stove. “Robertson’s getting the buggy ready to take you to Bessie Mae’s.”
Faith’s brow creased “Bessie Mae’s?”
“For the quilting circle.”
Faith had forgotten all about the quilting circle. When she’d accepted the invitation, she’d still been fooling herself that she might be able to somehow get out of the deal she made with Lefty, but now the thought of making friends with the other women in town had little appeal.
What was the point of making friends? She’d already decided she’d pack up and leave town after giving Lefty the mine location‚ if Jax didn’t kick her out first.
Then again, Bessie Mae seemed to know an awful lot about what was going on. Maybe she knew where the entrance to the gold mine was? It might be wise to go to the sewing circle—she might learn something that could help her.
“Oh, gosh, I’d forgotten.” Faith pushed her plate away. “I better go get ready.”
Luckily for Faith, she didn’t see Jax at all that morning. She busied herself in her room, gathering her sewing things into a little wicker basket, then hopped on the buggy with Robertson who mercifully wasn’t very talkative.
The man said little other than mentioning that he was on his way to Golden City and would pick her up on his way back. That was fine with Faith.
Bessie Mae’s farm was not nearly as nice as Wild Heart Ranch. It was older, more rustic. Faith imagined it was probably built fifty years ago when the area was first being settled.
Even though it was rustic, the farmhouse wasn’t without its charm. The large clapboard house was sited in the middle of a lush green meadow. Next to it sat a large barn made from rough-sawn brown boards. Colorful flowers were planted all along the house’s wrap-around porch. Behind the house, one could see large fields with log fences. Inside the fences were a variety of animals—chickens, cows, goats, horses.
Bessie Mae had the screen door open before Faith even got one foot u
p onto the porch.
“Welcome! Welcome!” Bessie Mae pulled Faith into the home which was frugally furnished. The furniture looked lovingly worn, the rugs utilitarian. There were no knickknacks cluttering the place up, but several colorful paintings hung on the wall.
Bessie Mae saw Faith admiring them. “I painted those myself.”
Faith turned around, astonished. “You did?”
Bessie Mae nodded. “It’s just a hobby. My real passion is the animals on the farm. Come on into the kitchen. You can help me prepare the refreshments.”
She walked into a sparsely decorated kitchen which smelled of sugar cookies and mint. A deep copper sink with a well pump above it sat under a pair of windows. A tin pie box stood in the corner. Bessie Mae crossed to it and slid a plate of cookies out from the middle shelf, then set it on top of the cast-iron stove before reaching into an oak icebox for a clear glass pitcher filled with something green and loaded with sprigs of mint.
The others arrived one by one, and they set the refreshments out on tables and settled in a circle in the living room.
Much to her dismay, Faith fell into an easy camaraderie with the other women. They were all so friendly and easy to talk to. All except for Darcy, who kept darting strange looks in her direction. Faith didn’t let it bother her, though. What did she care? She wouldn’t be hanging around very long in Goldwater Creek.
Faith had brought the poetry book and while the others worked on the quilt they were making for Jane Longmire, she worked on the cover. At the very least, she could repay some of Jax’s kindness by fixing it for him, even though he would certainly hate her after he discovered her betrayal.
“I hope you are finding Goldwater Creek to be a good home,” Lena asked.
“Oh, yes.” Faith’s tone was wistful. She realized she had actually started to think of Goldwater Creek as home. At first, it had just been some strange land to her. A side track until she could get back to Boston. But over the past few days, she'd realized that she’d come to appreciate the area. The openness and the feeling of freedom. She'd been so sure that she'd never want to live anywhere but Boston, but all that was changing now. She could see how she could appreciate this slower, more rural type of life. Too bad she would never get the chance.
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