The Loyal Heart

by Shelley Shepard Gray

  Belle’s apologetic stance turned curious as she turned to look at Major Kelly.

  He was already on his feet. “Miss,” he said. “Good morning.”

  “Good morning. Sir.” She opened her mouth. Closed it, then shook her head. “I’m sorry. I meant, thank you.”

  Miranda hid a smile. Her sweet maid looked entranced. Miranda didn’t blame her one bit. Major Kelly was truly handsome. So handsome, he looked like he belonged on the stage.

  But what Miranda also noted was that he seemed to be looking at Belle in appreciation.

  Feeling a bit like a third wheel, Miranda cleared her throat. Instantly, both turned to face her. Belle’s cheeks were lightly flushed.

  “Major Kelly, this is Belle Harden. She works for me as kind of a maid of all work. Belle, this is Major Ethan Kelly. He served with Phillip.”

  Belle’s eyes widened. “You’re a major?”

  “Yes. Well, I was.”

  “Goodness.”

  Major Kelly laughed. “I promise you, those days are in the past, thank goodness. And, well, I have to say that plenty of people were not terribly intrigued or impressed by my rank. My sergeant, for example, could have easily run our unit without my interference.”

  “I am sure I don’t know about that,” Belle breathed.

  “Belle, I was just about to offer Major Kelly some refreshment. Would you prepare some coffee and a tray for us?”

  “Of course. I’ll get right on it.” But to Miranda’s amusement, her maid didn’t move a muscle.

  “Thank you. That will be all.”

  At last, the maid blinked. “Yes, ma’am.” She turned away with a snap of her skirts and exited the room again. The minute they were alone Miranda couldn’t help herself. She burst out laughing.

  “I must admit that was a first for her and me, sir. She usually looks far less, well . . . far less spellbound by visitors.”

  “I’ll take your word for it,” he said with a hearty chuckle of his own. “At the risk of sounding too full of myself, her appreciation did my vanity good.”

  “I imagine it did, though at the risk of embarrassing you, sir, I would venture that her reaction is not as outlandish as you are making it out to be.”

  “In my current job, I promise you, I rarely get stared at like I’m someone of worth.”

  She noticed there was more than a trace of bitterness underlying his words. She wondered why. Was he thinking of the war or everything that had happened since? “You know, the first time Phillip left, when I knew he was going to be marching into battle, I barely slept. I was worried about him. Worried about him getting hurt, being without help, and dying. The stories that came back from the front . . . well, they were very bad.”

  “They were accurate. Our battles were difficult. Many, many men didn’t survive.”

  “What I’m trying to say is that I didn’t think I would ever have a longer evening than those nights. Long evenings spent with worry and doubts . . . but I discovered that life after is sometimes harder to handle.”

  “Yes. I would agree.” He frowned. “And then one hates to complain because we’re alive.”

  “Why are you here, sir? Are you on business with the men?”

  “Devin Monroe contacted me. He relayed to me what Robert had relayed to him in a recent letter. I dropped everything and got on a train here from San Antonio.”

  She shook her head in wonder. “I find it amazing that you would come so far for me.”

  “You shouldn’t find it surprising at all. We all wanted to be here for you. Thomas Baker would be here as well, if he could.”

  “Your loyalty seems to know no bounds.”

  “For the men I served with, it does not.”

  “I appreciate it more than I can say.” Good manners might have expected her to say his visit wasn’t needed, but she was too happy to not be alone to say that.

  “Please don’t mention it. Like I said, I am glad to be of use. It’s good to have a worthy cause to fight for again.”

  “What do you do now? If I may ask?”

  “I do several things in San Antonio. But by trade, I suppose you could say I’m mainly a gambler, ma’am.”

  A gambler! Staring at him, Miranda reflected that he certainly didn’t look like any gambler she’d ever met. The gamblers she had crossed paths with in Galveston had come off the boats. Most were rather fidgety, pale, and thin men. This gentleman, on the other hand, looked tan and fit. Realizing she was staring, she said, “I must admit I haven’t met many gamblers.”

  His lips twitched. “That is a very good thing, madam.” He shrugged. “I am good at it, which some might say is not to my benefit. I, however, like to think it is a useful skill.”

  “Indeed.” Smiling softly, she said, “I am not one to judge, sir. I have found that we’ll all do what we must to survive.”

  “Indeed, Mrs. Markham. I have found that to be continually true.”

  It felt good to be back in the saddle. It felt even better to be riding alongside his captain. They’d spent countless hours on horseback together during the war, throughout most of Tennessee, Pennsylvania, and everywhere in between. Ironically, they’d never ridden together in their home state of Texas.

  “These horses are in surprisingly good condition,” Robert said as he patted his gelding’s flank.

  “I inspected several stables when I arrived in Houston two days ago. I wanted to have a good idea where the best horseflesh was in case we needed some mounts.”

  “What?” Robert had no idea that he’d been in Houston for any length of time before heading to Galveston.

  Monroe shrugged. “It never hurts to be prepared.”

  “Obviously not.” As Robert clenched his legs, prompting his mount into a canter, he said, “You never fail to surprise me, sir. I’m glad you’re here.”

  “I am too. What’s happened to Miranda isn’t right.”

  Thinking of how Viola and Ruth betrayed both Miranda and Phillip, Robert thought that was something of an understatement. “At least we now know who has been behind the letters and the rumors.”

  Devin’s expression hardened. “What do you know about this Kyle Winter?”

  “Enough to know that it will be a pleasure to pay him a visit and escort him to Sheriff Kern. Jess will be glad his suspicions about Winter have been justified. He even followed the man early one morning to see what he was up to. He ended up down by the water, but when he engaged Winter in conversation, his excuse for being there didn’t hold up. Now I wonder if Ruth is right about Winter’s interest in the canal. You were right to suspect its worth had something to do with this.”

  “Too bad we can’t dispense our own justice and string him up from a tree.”

  Thinking of how Winter had talked down to Miranda in front of the other customers of the bank and even in front of him the first time he accompanied Miranda, Robert didn’t disagree. “I agree with you one hundred percent, Captain. This man deserves to be treated the way he treated Miranda. Harshly and without remorse.”

  “Where to next? The Iron Rail or the bank?”

  “The bank,” Robert said after a moment’s reflection. “The next time I see Miranda, I want to be able to tell her that her troubles are over. At least with Kyle Winter.”

  24

  MIRANDA HAD HOPED ROBERT MIGHT BE BACK IN TIME TO accompany her to her weekly visit to the bank. Unfortunately, he was nowhere to be found. After watching the clock tick past early afternoon and creep toward four o’clock, she knew she could wait no longer.

  As she slipped the week’s worth of receipts and notes into her reticule, Miranda resigned herself to the next hour’s difficulty. Lord knew, she’d survived the encounter with Mr. Winter on her own plenty of times before. She would simply have to suffer through his rudeness again.

  Unless . . .

  Gazing up the stairs, she thought about Major Kelly. He was as close to Phillip as Robert and Captain Monroe were. He’d also already told her he took his vow to Phillip ser
iously. She hated to be so weak as to need him to accompany her on this errand, but in the scheme of things, it surely wasn’t much to ask, was it?

  And he did seem to be simply waiting for the men to return too. Running this errand with her would help make the time go faster.

  Making a decision, she walked up the stairs and knocked on his door before she lost her nerve.

  He answered immediately. “Yes, Mrs. Markham?”

  He’d taken off his suit jacket, vest, and tie. He’d also rolled up his sleeves. He looked so much like how Phillip had after church on the few Sunday afternoons they’d had together. She soaked in his appearance, savoring the memory that she’d pushed away for far too long.

  Then she recalled herself. “Major Kelly, I don’t wish to inconvenience you, but I have a favor to ask.”

  He smiled, as if she’d truly made his day by needing him. “All you have to do is ask and I’ll help in any way I can.”

  She smiled back before concentrating on her words. She wanted to beg his help in just the right way, so he would understand why she was asking. At the same time she wanted to be sure he knew this favor wasn’t going to take up hours of his time. “You see, every Friday I must make a deposit to the bank. The teller there . . . well, he is rather rude. He . . . well, he says disparaging things to me.”

  He blinked slowly, as if he was trying to come to terms with what he was hearing. “He is rude to you. To Lieutenant Markham’s widow.”

  “He . . . well, he is one of the people who has been saying Phillip was a traitor. And . . . well, he has suggested that my character has much to be desired.”

  “Your character?” he asked slowly.

  “Yes. On account of the fact that I have turned Phillip’s house into a boardinghouse.”

  “This is your house too, Mrs. Markham.”

  “Yes. And, well, I have had no choice but to take in boarders. The bills must be paid.”

  “Of course.” His eyes narrowed. “Therefore, you would rather not go to the bank alone.”

  She swallowed. “Yes. Um, well, I did go by myself for several years. But since Robert has been here, he’s accompanied me and the task has been much easier to bear. That is why I decided to ask you to come with me. If you wouldn’t mind, that is.”

  “It would be my honor to go in Robert’s place, ma’am. When would you like to depart?”

  “As soon as it is possible. I am supposed to be there before five. I usually am there before four.”

  The muscle in his jaw jumped. “Let’s not make him wait, then. I’ll be downstairs presently.”

  Afraid she was making too much out of what was usually a routine errand, she said, “Please, take your time. I need to put on a bonnet.”

  “I’ll await at your pleasure, ma’am.”

  “Thank you.”

  “There is no need for thanks. You have given me a way to help you. I am grateful for that.”

  Breathing a sigh of relief, Miranda walked to her room, only to find her door open and Belle dusting the furniture.

  She started when she saw Miranda walk in. “I’m sorry, ma’am. I didn’t realize you were coming back in here right now.”

  “No need to apologize. I came in to put on a bonnet and gloves. I’ve asked Major Kelly to accompany me to the bank.”

  “I’m glad of that. With you standing next to him, I have a feeling Mr. Winter will think long and hard about his manners today.”

  “I would be very happy if that was the case.” She took a simple black bonnet out of the box, then sat down at her dressing table to fashion it on her head.

  Belle came to stand behind her. “If I may, Mrs. Markham?”

  “Of course.”

  Carefully, Belle took down her hair, brushed it, then pinned up her tresses again. As she looked in the mirror, Miranda saw that her hair was in essentially the same style as it always was. However, Belle had pulled her hair back less severely. The looser arrangement was more becoming. She looked more feminine, even younger.

  Miranda was amazed. “I wasn’t aware you knew how to fashion hair.” And surprised Belle would want her to be more attractive in the presence of the man she had so recently admired. Actually, she suspected it was Sheriff Kern who had caught Belle’s eye, but whoever Belle cared for, that was her business.

  “I learned a long time ago.” Blushing, she said, “Sometimes my mother would ask me to dress her hair.” She picked up the hat, eyed two of the pale pink roses in the vase on her table, and threaded them into the brim. Then she pulled out one of Miranda’s more ornate hat pins and secured it.

  Looking in the mirror, Miranda tilted her head this way and that. The effect was very pretty. “I don’t believe I’ve ever been so thankful to have received such pretty roses in the winter.”

  “They do you proud, ma’am.”

  “Major Kelly is waiting for me downstairs,” she said as she pulled on her gloves. “Wish us luck.”

  “You won’t need any luck. Mr. Markham’s friends are at last making everything better.”

  “They are.” She glanced at Belle and realized they were both most likely thinking the same thing. It was going to be so very hard when Phillip’s comrades left.

  When she appeared on the stairs, Major Kelly glanced up at her and smiled. “You look as pretty as a picture. All the men in Galveston Island will undoubtedly be green with envy.”

  After she double-checked her reticule for her deposit, she closed the top of it with a firm snap. “The women we pass will no doubt feel the same way.”

  Major Kelly’s laughter rang through the house. “I am beginning to understand why Phillip was so smitten, ma’am. Now, let’s go take care of this odious errand.”

  Thinking that was the best descriptor yet, she allowed him to help her put on her cloak and then led the way outside.

  Thirty minutes later, Miranda was trying her best not to clutch Major Kelly’s arm as a lifeline. Because the atmosphere at the bank had not changed a bit. Not in the slightest. Not without Robert there.

  Once again the various officers of the bank looked down their noses at her, the other customers barely acknowledged her, and Mr. Winter seemed to be as determined as he ever was to make sure she felt like a second-class citizen.

  She could feel Major Kelly’s ire rise as he took in every slight. From the hard expression that had appeared in his eyes, she was starting to even think that he was practically cataloguing each person so he could get retribution at a later date.

  After Mr. Winter finished with the wife of one of the city’s well-known cotton suppliers, he shuffled some papers on his counter, obviously taking his time to force Miranda to stand even longer for his bidding.

  Major Kelly tensed up. She laid a hand on his arm. “I know it is hard, but please, don’t make a fuss.”

  He leaned down. “Someone needs to make a fuss. This is inexcusable.”

  “I agree. But when you and Robert and the captain leave, I’ll have to be here in Galveston by myself. And unless something changes, I’m going to have to continue to make my weekly deposit. This errand is hard enough. I don’t want things to get worse.”

  “We will not leave you like this. Things will get better, I promise,” he said before stepping forward to Mr. Winter. “Mrs. Markham has business to take care of,” he said in a loud, authoritative voice. “She has waited long enough. You will see her now.”

  Mr. Winter lifted his chin. “I’ll see her when I am ready.”

  Major Kelly’s expression turned to ice. “I suggest that moment be now.”

  Unperturbed, the clerk wrinkled his brow. “I don’t know who you are, and I don’t care. As far as I’m concerned, you are simply another man warming the bed of a traitor’s widow.”

  Major Kelly slammed his hand on the counter. “Bring me whoever is in charge here. Now.”

  “I don’t answer to the likes of you.”

  Kelly glared at him, then turned and spoke to the room at large. “Who is in charge in this institution?”


  The whole room—easily at least twenty-five people—went quiet. After a moment, Mr. Carrington stood up and approached. “I am. Is there a problem?”

  “From the moment we arrived, Mrs. Markham has been both ignored and derided.”

  “Sir, I’m sure you have misunderstood the situation.”

  “Do not tell me what I witnessed. Furthermore, I don’t care to learn why you have permitted such behavior in your establishment. But I will tell you that it will stop now.”

  Mr. Carrington blanched. “You should watch yourself, sir. If you are the latest guest in Mrs. Markham’s boardinghouse, your concern is of no interest to me.”

  The cold, harsh stare Major Kelly sent to the bank president should have stopped him in his tracks. “I beg your pardon, but I am certain you should rethink your decision. As far as I’m concerned, there is everything for you to worry about.”

  “I beg your pardon,” Mr. Winter said. Still standing behind the counter, he leaned his elbows on the top. “But you have obviously no idea to whom you are speaking. This is Mr. Marcus Carrington.”

  Miranda had had enough. “This gentleman is Mr. Ethan Kelly. He served as a major for the C.S.A. and was held prisoner on Johnson’s Island. He is a decorated war hero. Do you truly dare to pawn off your prejudices of me onto him?”

  The bank president paled. “You are Major Ethan Kelly? Of the Kelly family in Houston? Who rode with the Texas Rangers?”

  “I am,” Major Kelly replied, his voice like ice. “Are you going to tell me now that we have a problem?”

  As low murmurings flew through the occupants of the room, the bank president paled further. “Of course not. I am sorry, Major Kelly.” He snapped his fingers. “Winter, please see to Major Kelly and, uh, Mrs. Markham right now.”

  With a sigh, Miranda stepped forward, only to be pulled back by her escort. “I’m afraid, Mr. Carrington, that your apology is not sufficient.”

  After freezing for a second, the bank president stepped forward, his rotund appearance looking as if it was shrinking before their eyes. “Pardon me, sir? What else do you need?”