“No.” Though she spoke firmly, her heart sank. Now he had her in his power. She anticipated his next words.
“Keep your mouth shut, and I won’t say anything to him about our love affair. You tell anyone, and I’ll make certain that the esteemed mayor and everyone else learns about your past. All the intriguing details. That would make mincemeat out of your good reputation.” He sneered as if the very thought of her living a decent life repulsed him. Stepping closer, he gripped her arms painfully. “That goes for Nate and Bonnie, too. If they talk, you’ll pay. Don’t cross me, Angelique, or you’ll be sorry. Very sorry.”
Releasing her with a shove that sent her stumbling backward, he grabbed his hat and walked toward the door. He turned, glancing around the living room. “Nice house.”
His hateful expression sent fear washing over her. He had changed, become harder, with a mean streak she had never seen.
“Hope you have fire insurance. If you even say good morning to the sheriff, you’ll need it.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
Heart pounding, Camille sank into the nearest chair before her legs gave out on her. Her thoughts were so jumbled she couldn’t think straight. “What am I going to do? Why, God? Why did Anthony have to come here? After all these years, why did he decide he wanted me now?”
Your sins will find you out. The minister’s words from the previous Sunday echoed through her mind. “But You’ve forgiven my past,” she whispered on a sob. “Those things shouldn’t count anymore. He’s going to destroy my life again. It’s not fair.”
After a few minutes and a good cry, she regained her composure and decided to go see Bonnie. She hurried to her friend’s house, leaving so quickly that she didn’t think about taking a shawl or jacket for the walk back. When she arrived at the Flynn’s, she was surprised to find Nate there.
“I’m trying to spend more evenings at home,” he said as he stepped back and opened the door wider. “Come on in.” His smile changed to a frown as she walked into the living room and he got a good look at her face. “What’s wrong?”
“Anthony is here.”
“You’ve talked to him?” Bonnie put her arm around her waist and led her over to the sofa.
“He sneaked into the house after Hester left. When I came downstairs, he was waiting in the living room.”
“What does he want?”
“Me.” Camille took a deep breath, forcing herself to settle down. “At least he said he did. He changed his mind when I told him I wasn’t in love with him and never had been. He pouted like a little boy.”
Bonnie made a face. “That’s Anthony. If he doesn’t get his way, he sulks.”
“He won’t stop with that this time. He’s different.”
“How?” Nate paced back and forth across the room.
“Colder, harder. Mean. I think he’s done worse things than steal from people. He says he’s here as an insurance salesman for Great Western.”
“Surely you don’t believe him?” asked Bonnie, her expression incredulous.
“Of course not, and he knows it. But if I say anything to anyone—or if you do—he’ll tell Ty about us. The whole town, too. He threatened to burn Nola’s house down if I so much as bid the sheriff good morning.”
“That little weasel. I ought to teach him a lesson.” Nate looked around as if seeking something he could smash.
“It won’t help. If you beat him up, he’ll have you arrested for assault.”
“And spread all kinds of rumors about Angel anyway, likely embellished to tarnish her reputation more.”
“So we sit back and let our neighbors be swindled?” Nate sat down across from Camille. “That’s not right.”
“I know it isn’t.” Camille closed her eyes. Though Nate wasn’t a Christian, he had strong convictions about what was right and wrong. But his life and everything he held dear wasn’t at stake. Hers was. She looked at Bonnie, then Nate. “Give me a chance to figure out what to do. How to explain to Ty.”
“Don’t take long. Folks will be more forgiving about something that happened in the past than they will about losing their money.”
“I understand. But Sheriff Starr isn’t going to arrest him merely on my say-so. If he starts asking questions, Anthony will know I’m to blame. I’m afraid he might actually try to burn down Nola’s house.” She shuddered.
“Lord have mercy, you’re serious.” Bonnie’s face paled. “Do you think he might try to kill you?”
“No. But I don’t think he would have any qualms about setting the house ablaze. Then he would turn around and use it as another reason to persuade people to buy insurance.”
Nate stared at the floor for a few minutes. “I think you should see the sheriff in the morning. Starr’s a good man. He’s not one to pry more than is necessary, and he doesn’t gossip. He’ll know how to check up on Anthony without the weasel suspecting it. You wouldn’t have to tell him everything. Only that you were acquainted with Brisbane in San Antonio and that he was suspected of being a swindler. Give him the idea to see what he can find out.”
“Why couldn’t you do that, honey?” asked Bonnie. “So Angel wouldn’t have to be involved.”
Nate shook his head. “She has to do it.” He looked at Camille. “He needs to know about Anthony’s threat to burn down the house. Only you know how much to tell Starr about your relationship with Anthony.”
“I don’t want to tell him anything.”
“You have to.”
“I know.” She glanced at the mantel clock. If she went on home, she should have time to freshen up and gather her wits before Ty came by. “I’ll work it out. If nothing else, I’ll leave Willow Grove and you can tell the sheriff about him.”
“Don’t you dare,” scolded Bonnie. “You can’t up and leave Ty like that.”
“It’s cowardly, but easier than seeing his face when I tell him about Anthony. Or seeing what happens if Anthony decides to spread rumors about me. It’s not only me I’m worried about. It’s less than a week until the election. I don’t want to think about what such a scandal would do to Ty’s chances.”
“You don’t have to worry about Ty winning the election. He has it sewn up. And you aren’t a coward, Angel.” Nate stood when she did.
“Well, I don’t feel very brave.”
Bonnie took her hand and squeezed it. “Trust in the Lord. Let Him lead you through this.”
Camille wished it were that easy. She had been trusting God in this new life of hers. And what had happened? Her old life had come back to tear everything apart. “I’m trying, but He seems very far away right now.”
“Don’t give up on Him. I don’t understand what’s going on either, but the Bible says that if you love the Lord, all things happen for good. Even when it doesn’t seem like it.”
Camille tried to take Bonnie’s words to heart as she walked home. “Heavenly Father, I’m so afraid. You’ve blessed me so much here in Willow Grove. I love it here and don’t want to leave. I can’t bear the thought of leaving Ty. I love him so much. I don’t want to hurt him or bring him shame. Lord Jesus, please make Anthony get on that train tomorrow. Send him to Australia or some place as far away.”
Ty waited impatiently on Nola’s front porch. He figured Camille had gone to see Bonnie, anticipating that his meeting would last longer. Sitting on the swing, he had a good view of the street and spotted her as she turned the corner. He waited to stand and show himself until she reached the gate. When she spotted him, she practically ran to meet him.
“I could get used to that kind of welcome.” He put his arm around her shoulders as they walked up the steps. He thought he felt her tremble but decided he was imagining it. The evening was cool, but not that cold, especially after a brisk walk.
“I’m sorry I wasn’t here. I went to see Bonnie.”
“Figured as much. We resolved a couple of issues but had to table everything else until we have more information.” He started to sit down on the swing, but she shook her head.<
br />
“Let’s go inside.”
“That’s probably not wise.” Not only because the neighbors might talk.
“I don’t care. I want to be away from prying eyes.” She scanned the street and nearby houses. Curling her fingers around his arm, she tugged him toward the door. “Please, Ty. I don’t want to sit out here.”
“All right.” Maybe if he did as she asked, she’d tell him what had her spooked. He followed her inside, closing the door. Light from the kitchen lamp filtered down the hallway, casting the living room in a faint glow. “Do you want me to light the lamp in here?”
“No. The neighbors are more apt to see you with it on.”
Ty tossed his hat on a table and caught her hand, drawing her to him. Leaning against the door, he pulled her into his arms. “What’s wrong, sweetheart?”
She shrugged, then snuggled close, resting her head on his shoulder, burying her face against his neck. “I want to hold you and kiss you without an audience.”
“I’m not fond of puttin’ on that kind of a show for folks, either.” He kissed her forehead and ran one hand up and down her back. She put her arms around him, holding tight. Too tight, almost as if she couldn’t bear to let him go. “Camille…”
She looked up at him, searching his face. He thought he saw deep sadness in her eyes, but it could have been a trick of the light. “I love you,” she whispered. “You mean more to me than anything.”
He heard heartache in her words, in her voice. “Sweetheart—”
She kissed him. Passionately. Urgently. Desperately.
Whatever he meant to say vanished in a rush of emotion, need and desire. He was incapable of coherent thought, aware only of the woman in his arms and the love taking flight in his heart. “I love you, too,” he murmured between kisses. “So very much.”
He buried his hands in the chignon at the nape of her neck, scattering hairpins across the floor. When the heavy locks drooped, he worked the other pins loose until her hair flowed freely over his hands and down her back. He had longed to see her hair down, to feel its softness against his skin. Lifting his head, he threaded his fingers through the silky strands, starting at her temple, sweeping down the length until he reached her elbow. “So beautiful.”
Cupping her face with both hands, he kissed her, intending it to be slow and sweet, to guide them back from danger. But the passion burning between them could not be so easily contained. The kiss went on and on, building in intensity. He felt her knees buckle as she sagged against him, gripping his shirt for support. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he noted that his knees were weak, too, and if he didn’t find some place to sit, they would wind up on the floor.
Drawing her with him, he maneuvered to the sofa and eased her down, sitting beside her. “I have to leave.”
“I’ll behave.” She laid her head on his shoulder, resting her hand on his chest. Her breath was hot against his throat. “I promise.”
“I don’t think I can. If I don’t leave now, I’ll be staying the night.” He held her close. “And neither of us would be too proud of ourselves in the morning.”
“Forgive me,” she said softly, reaching up to brush his jaw with her fingertips.
“There’s nothing to forgive. I knew what was liable to happen when I walked through that door.”
“Don’t hate me.”
Leave it to a woman to worry over the oddest things. He caught her hand, kissing it gently. “I’m glad you’re passionate, Camille. It would be a sorry situation if I loved a cold fish.” He started to kiss her goodbye but thought better of it. “I have to go to Fort Worth in the morning to look at a builder’s work, to see if the quality is good enough for our new city hall. But I’ll be back on the evening train. I’ll see you then.” He rubbed his knuckle beneath her chin. “Don’t fret, sweetheart. It will give you wrinkles.”
“Heaven forbid.” Her voice almost sounded normal. But not quite. That little wobble nagged him all night long.
Chapter Twenty-Five
By noon the next day, Anthony had set up shop in a corner of the Barton Hotel lobby. Camille had seen other salesmen do the same, paying rent for the table and space. She wandered by on her way to the small bookstore and newsstand inside the hotel. The sign displayed behind him bore the name and logo of the Great Western Fire and Casualty Company. If it was fake, it was a good one. Or else he’d stolen it from someone.
Despite several customers waiting in line, Anthony watched her cross the lobby. A few of the men noticed him staring, glanced in her direction and nodded good-naturedly. They found nothing amiss with him looking at an attractive woman. But they were unaware of the anger seething behind those deceptive eyes.
Purchasing copies of the Chicago and New York newspapers, she left the hotel without looking at him again. She had walked the floor most of the night, alternately begging the Lord to send him away and crying out her anguish because God had allowed him to come here at all. She tried so hard to trust Jesus to take care of it, but she couldn’t see how anything good could come from the situation.
Leaving the hotel, she knew what she had to do, though it might cost her the man she loved and the respectable life she had found. Ducking between the blacksmith shop and the carriage maker’s, she walked down the alley that ran behind the buildings on that side of the street. When she reached the sheriff’s office, she knocked on the back door, praying that Ransom was there alone.
He opened the door with a stern expression that quickly became a friendly smile. “This is a nice surprise. Usually when someone knocks on the back door they want to break somebody out of jail. I don’t have anyone in the calaboose, so that must not be it.” He stepped back so she could go inside.
“Would you mind if we talked here?”
“No.” He frowned and quickly surveyed the empty alley. “How can I help you, Miss Dupree?”
“By quietly checking with Great Western Insurance to see if Anthony Brisbane works for them.”
“He’s over at the Barton.”
“Yes. I was acquainted with him in San Antonio. He’s a charlatan, Sheriff Starr. At least he was then. He says he’s reformed, but I doubt it. If he’s still in the game, he’s bilking quite a few people out of their money. I went over to the newsstand a few minutes ago and there were five men waiting to see him.”
“I appreciate you telling me.” As he studied her face, Camille decided Anthony had finally met his match. Sheriff Starr was also good at reading people, probably better. “You say you talked to him?”
“Yesterday. On one hand, he proclaimed that he’s changed his ways. But on the other, he threatened to burn Nola’s house down if I talked to you. It was a veiled threat, but I believe a real one.”
“You obviously didn’t tell Ty about this. If you had, he wouldn’t have gone to Fort Worth.”
“No. I didn’t want him storming over to the hotel and raising a ruckus.”
“Would have done more than that, I expect. I’ll wire the insurance company. I had to sign so many affidavits about the fire that I know the address. In the meantime, I’ll keep an eye on Brisbane. He won’t even know it.” His grin surprised her. “It’ll give me a chance to polish up my surveillance skills.”
She smiled despite her worry. “I think you miss being a detective.”
“I do. Sometimes I feel like I’m gathering cobwebs stayin’ in one place.”
“Everyone says you’ve done a good job as sheriff.”
“Always give it my best. Did you hear that the train is running about six hours late?” When she shook her head, he continued, “They have to fix some broken track this side of Weatherford. Won’t be in here until after midnight.”
Then she had one more night’s reprieve. I’ll tell him tomorrow.
“I’ll send that wire right away,” said Starr. “If we’re lucky, we’ll hear something in the morning. Are you afraid to stay at Mrs. Simpson’s alone?”
“No. I don’t think he’ll bother me for now. Once he puts a s
cam in motion, he focuses totally on it.”
Starr’s eyes narrowed. “You know him well.”
Heat filled her face as she nodded. “Please don’t say anything to Ty.”
“That’s between you and him.”
“Thank you.”
“A word of advice as a friend. Be honest with him. The simple truth is usually best.”
“Sometimes the truth isn’t simple.”
“And sometimes it’s not nearly as complex as we think it is. Keep your guard up.”
“I will.” Though she hadn’t felt the need to constantly be on guard for the last few months, she hadn’t forgotten how. She supposed some things always stayed with you. Perhaps some sins, too.
The next morning, Ty was late leaving for work. He hadn’t gotten home until after three o’clock, so he slept later than usual. It hadn’t helped much. He was as grumpy as a bear with a thorn in its paw. He decided to go straight to the Gazette and see Camille. That should brighten his morning.
Unless she was still in that strange mood. He’d tossed and turned all night long on Wednesday, worrying about her. He couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong. She wasn’t easily upset, but she clearly had been that night.
A block before the newspaper office, he ran into Ransom. “You’re looking mighty serious this morning.”
“Have some serious business to attend to. I’m on my way to the Barton to arrest a fraud.”
“Who?”
“Anthony Brisbane. He’s posing as a fire and casualty insurance salesman for Great Western. Miss Dupree tipped me off that he has a history of swindling, so I wired the company and checked. Sure enough, he doesn’t work for them.”
“Camille knows him?” That could explain why she was troubled Wednesday night. But why didn’t she share her suspicions with him? What was she hiding? Ty got a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach.
“Said she was acquainted with him in San Antonio.”
“How well acquainted?”
“Didn’t say exactly.” Ransom hesitated, and Ty’s stomach began to burn. “Well enough that he threatened her if she talked to me.”
Twice Blessed Page 22