by Paty Jager
“Should I warn Aileen?” Knowing her temper he wasn’t sure giving her all the information was a good thing.
“No. Let Maeve deal with her. I’ll fill her in tonight, and she’ll keep an eye on Aileen.” Zeke headed toward the stamp mill.
Ethan stood by the rock outcropping staring at the office. He wanted to go to Aileen and—what? Comfort her? She would only ask why. He had an urge to see her and Shayla. Without a good reason, he headed to the house and hoped inspiration hit him on the way.
Chapter 27
Aileen fussed with her hair and smoothed out the best dress she owned. Dinner was in the oven, the biscuits ready to pop in when she pulled the roast out. Maeve had been a big help even though she informed her she wasn’t a cook.
Inhaling, she let her breath out slowly and dipped her head into the apron. She grasped the ties, wrapping them to the back and tied them.
“Momma, you look bonnie,” Shayla said, smiling and clapping her hands.
“Thank ye, darlin’. Ye look bonnie yerself.” They both had cleaned up with a pitcher of water and dressed in their best clothes. She’d brushed and braided Shayla’s dark hair until the copper hues shone in the lantern light.
“’Tis time to get the food on the table.” She took her daughter’s hand and headed down the hall. It surprised her to find the Halsey brothers all sitting in the living area, talking and laughing.
They all rose to their feet as she and Shayla entered.
“Mon, ye dinna have to rise for the likes o’ us.” Even though she admonished them, the act filled her with warmth.
“Need help in the kitchen?” The imploring in Ethan’s voice made her chuckle.
“We’re doing just fine. Go on back to yer visitin’.” She started to hustle Shayla into the kitchen, but the little scamp pulled from her grasp and flew onto his knee.
“Guess she’s going to stay with us,” Ethan said apologetically.
“Aye, Ah believe so.” Warmth blossomed in her chest as she entered the kitchen. What would it be like to have these people around all the time and to feel a part of a family again? She shook her head. Now was not a time for dreaming. There was a meal to put on the table. Her plans for the future had nothing to do with this family. Her stomach roiled at the thought of moving on. They would move back to Ireland for her laddie. He deserved more than breaking his back in a mine.
“Need help?” Maeve entered the kitchen in the same stylish dress she’d arrived in, but the hem was void of the dust and her hair re-pinned.
She wanted to say no and get her kitchen back to herself, but she couldn’t be rude to Ethan’s visitors. After all, they were his family and she only an occupant of his building. Which sat on her property. Pride swelled her chest. She wouldn’t be beholden to any man again. Between the gold they’d pull from the mine and her job here, her family would not have to rely on anyone.
She pulled the roast out of the oven and slid the pan of biscuits in.
“Keep an eye on these.” She pulled her shawl from the peg by the door.
Maeve was beside her in two strides. “Where are you going?”
“To get preserves from the lean-to.”
“I’ll get them. I might burn the biscuits.” Maeve took the shawl from around her shoulders and wrapped herself in the old wool garment and disappeared out the door.
Something was going on. The woman had flown across the room like her skirt was on fire. Had the family all convened to see if the husband-killer was going to do in their beloved Ethan? She laughed at the idea. The expression on the woman’s face had been concern for her, not fear.
She lifted the roast out of the pan and placed it on the platter. Dipping out the carrots, she placed them around the roast. The scent of the baking bannock filled the air. She checked the biscuits to make sure they weren’t browning too quickly.
Zeke entered the room. “Where’s Maeve?”
“She went out to the lean-to for preserves.” Before she could tell him his wife should return any moment, he crossed the room and exited through the door.
Those two moved faster and smoother than a mountain lion. What did they do?
Ethan came through the door holding Shayla’s hand and the rest of his brothers and Colin trailed behind.
“Smells good in here.” He released Shayla’s hand and crossed the room toward her. The men watching knew he’d spent considerable time with her the night before, but she still didn’t want him making any demonstrations toward her. She needed to find something to keep him busy.
She held a knife out to him. “Ah’d like ye to cut the roast.” She smiled at the men slowly taking seats at the table.
“Where’s Zeke and Maeve?” Clay asked, helping Shayla onto a chair.
“Maeve went out to get preserves and her man went after her.” Aileen glanced at the back door. “But they should o’ been back by now.”
“I’ll go see what’s keeping them.” Hank headed across the room as the two hurried through the door. Their faces were flushed. By the twinkle in their eyes, they’d been doing more than looking for preserves in the lean-to.
“Here’s the preserves.” Maeve set the jar on the drain board and hung the shawl on the peg. Zeke took a seat, but his gaze never left his bright-cheeked wife.
Again, wistfulness overcame her. She’d spent a lot of years believing she’d never be wanted by a man or experience the love and strong arms of a man who cared for her. She glanced sideways at Ethan. He earnestly carved at the roast. His brow wrinkled and the tip of his tongue peeked between his full lips.
She turned to the oven and pulled the biscuits out. To have such thoughts was wrong. In a couple of years they would leave here and never return.
“I think this is ready.” Ethan presented the platter with every speck of the meat carved.
“Aye.” She motioned for him to put it on the table and placed the biscuits beside the platter. She turned to retrieve the preserves while Maeve poured coffee for the adults and water for her bairn.
Placing the preserves on the table, she reached behind her and loosened the apron strings. She slipped the garment over her head, and her gaze locked with Ethan’s. The heat in his eyes caused her breath to catch. Her heart hammered against her ribs, she couldn’t draw her gaze from his. The full force of his devotion glittered in the brown depths.
“If you sit down we can eat.” Colin’s voice broke into her trance.
Her face heated. She ducked her head and slipped into her seat. Beside the man causing her heart to patter. He took a portion of the meat, offered the platter to her, and then passed it on.
She stayed out of the conversation, choosing to listen and learn more about the Halsey family. There appeared to be one more married brother who had a child. And would be visiting, knowing Maeve and Zeke had arrived.
Maeve turned to her. “I know your accent isn’t Irish. Where is it you’re from?”
Aileen glanced at Ethan. She didn’t like to talk about herself. She’d only told Ethan what she believed wouldn’t jeopardize her family. And this woman who told her earlier her job was to watch people wanted to know about her.
“Ah’m Scots.” She bit a carrot, hoping to stop any more questions.
“What brought you over here from Scotland?” The woman’s blue eyes scanned her face as she waited. She could wait all day. The answer wasn’t coming from her.
“We came from Ireland,” Colin said. Aileen slanted him a glare, hoping to keep him from saying any more. He ducked his head, but not before his light green eyes defied her.
Zeke’s head snapped up, and he watched her. “You came here from Ireland? When? Why?”
She turned to Ethan, beseeching him with her eyes to keep quiet. He placed his large, warm hand over hers—fisted around her skirt.
“Aileen, I didn’t want to say anything until Zeke was sure—” Ethan cleared his throat and looked across the table at her laddie. “We’ll all talk after dinner.” He squeezed her hand, glanced pointedly at hi
s brother and fell back to eating.
What was going on? Why couldn’t they say why they were here? And what did Colin have to do with it? She could barely swallow the bite of food she put in her mouth. She watched each of the adults at the table. No one was talking any more. Each concentrated on their food.
“Happy Man is going to read to me after dinner,” Shayla announced brightly into the tension-filled silence.
“He mayn’t want to with his family here—”
“I promised Shayla I’d read to her tonight.” Ethan stared into her eyes, “And I never break a promise.”
His words warmed her like the sun’s summer rays. He’d not tell his brother her business unless she allowed it.
“Ready for pie?” she stood, picking up dishes as she rounded the table.
Maeve jumped up, clearing the other side of the table.
Zeke patted his belly. “I can always find room for pie.”
“We know!” all the brothers said in unison causing everyone in the room to laugh and ease the gloom that had hovered over the last half of the meal.
After the pie was eaten, Ethan picked up Shayla and motioned with his head toward the other room. “Come on, Colin, I think you’ll like the story I’m going to read.”
Colin glanced toward Aileen, she nodded. Hank and Clay also stood to go into the other room. Apparently, she would be alone in the kitchen with Zeke and Maeve.
Ethan leaned down and kissed her head before whispering, “Only tell them what you’re comfortable with, but do answer their questions. It’s important.”
She stared at his back until he and Shayla disappeared through the door. Rubbing her palms on her skirt, she moved to the sink to start the dishes.
“Let us help.” Maeve pumped water into the basin, and Zeke moved to the stove, draining the reservoir of hot water and adding it to the basin.
She wasn’t sure what to do. Ethan had mentioned they would question her. But what about? And why? Grabbing a dish cloth, she waited for Maeve to set a clean dish on the drain board.
“You seem to have made an impression on my big brother.” Zeke’s comment made her jump.
“More like a thorn in his side.” She dried the dishes, placing them on the shelf where they belonged.
“No, I don’t think he’d kiss a thorn.” The chuckle that followed his statement had her peering at the man.
“Ye know my last husband was found dead by the mine.” When his eyes lit with interest she smiled. “Ah’m no’ a good one for yer brother to be sniffin’ after.”
“But he seems to find you of interest. Something he hasn’t done before.” The man leaned against the counter, crossing his ankles and arms. Beside him his wife cleaned the dishes.
“It is only cuz I dinnae let him have his way. He’ll soon tire o’ the bickerin’, and ah’ll be out a place to live and go on back to diggin’ for bing.”
Maeve glanced at her and grinned. “I think there’s more than bickering going on between you two. You look to him when situations get uncomfortable, and he guides and sustains you when he thinks you’re getting unsettled.” She went back to washing the dishes. “That’s more than bickering.” The mirth in the woman’s voice jabbed a nerve. Her hands fisted even as her head reminded her these people would never see her as anything other than the crazy widow.
“Is this why ye came? To see if ye can badger the poor woman yer brother took pity on?” She couldn’t stop the tears that burned at the back of her eyes. She wanted to run from the room and hide until the lot of them left.
“No.” Maeve turned, putting her arms around her. “He doesn’t pity you. You’re much too strong for anyone to pity. He loves you.”
She jerked out of the woman’s embrace. “Nae! He cannae.” Aileen bolted out the door and into the cold winter air.
Ethan loved her. She’d feared that was what she saw in his eyes. If he loved her, his next step would be to ask to marry her. She glanced at the shack that reminded her of the years of living hell she’d spent in a marriage full of abuse.
She’d never consent to that again. Not even for the man she loved.
Chapter 28
Ethan closed the book he read and glanced over Shayla’s head as Zeke entered the living quarters with a sheepish expression on his face.
“You might want to take a coat out to Aileen.”
“Why?” Ethan set the book on the floor next to his chair.
“She took offense and ran out the back door.”
Colin surged to his feet. His fisted hands raised, ready to take a swing. “What did you do to my ma?”
“We didn’t do anything except tell her the truth.” Zeke didn’t back away from the boy.
“What you told me earlier?” Ethan set Shayla on the chair when he stood.
“No. We didn’t get that far.”
“What did you say then?” He put a hand on Colin’s shoulder, showing solidarity toward someone hurting his ma.
“We…” Zeke ran a hand over his face. “Well, we just told her you loved her.”
Colin spun, ramming an elbow into his gut. The air whooshed out of Ethan.
“She doesn’t want to marry. Never. You can’t love her. She doesn’t want a husband.” Fear dilated the boy’s eyes.
“It’s okay. She and I already talked about this. I don’t know why she took off.” Ethan stared over the boy’s head at his brothers all watching the exchange with perplexed expressions.
“Watch these two, I’ll go look for Aileen.” He snatched his coat from the back of a chair and went through the kitchen to grab a wrap for Aileen. Maeve stood at the sink finishing the dishes.
She glanced up. “She loves you, but for the life of me I don’t know why she fears you loving her.”
“It’s a long story.” Ethan plucked Aileen’s shawl off the peg and rolled it up, tucking it inside his coat.
He stepped out into the dark, fall evening. The brisk air made him shiver. Only a month until Christmas and the world would soon be white.
Where could she have gone? Without a coat, she’d need shelter. He doubted she’d run to the shack. The building listed to one side, about to fall down. And she’d stay away from the stamp mill. A small crew worked there through the night. That left the mine.
He crossed the bridge and headed around the rock outcropping. A faint light shone from the end of the mine. At least she found shelter out of the biting wind.
Entering the tunnel, he followed the growing lantern glow. He rounded a corner and found her huddled over the lantern for warmth.
“I brought your shawl.”
She jerked and stared at him. Her eyes reminded him of a trapped animal. He held the shawl out.
“Maeve told me why you ran.” He approached her crouching figure and dropped the shawl over her. Then lowered his body to the dirt floor and opened his arms to her.
She sniffed, pulled the covering around her shoulders, and fell into his arms. “Ye cannae love me.”
“Why?” he stroked her soft hair and breathed in the scent of apple pie, roast, and Aileen.
“If ye love me, ye’ll want to marry me—ah—ah cannae do that again. Ah’ll fear ye every day.” Her body shuddered in his arms. He drew her closer, warding off the cold and the fear.
“Why would I treat you any different if we’re married than I do now?” Her logic was misguided, but he knew what put it there. The fists of a man she’d been legally bound to.
“Ah know it makes no sense.” She snuggled deeper into his arms. He closed his eyes and reveled in the feel of her. If she didn’t leave, he’d live with her without a proper marriage if it quieted her fears. Even though it would mark them both sinners in the eyes of the community. They’d have one another and that’s all he needed. His brothers wouldn’t shun them. His family and Aileen. A man couldn’t want anything more.
“We’ll discuss our future later.” He tucked a finger under her chin tilting her face up toward his. “Right now we need to talk about your past.” She s
tarted to pull away, but he kept his arm securely around her.
“Zeke and Maeve are following a killer.” She sucked in her breath. “He’s killed young boys. The last one was the son of an important man. He called in the Pinkertons to find the man.” Aileen stared at him.
“Yer brother and his wife work for the Pinkertons?” The relief in her voice had more questions buzzing in his head.
“Yes. They’ve followed this man to Sumpter. And believe he plans to kill another boy.”
Her eyes widened with fear. “My laddie?”
“Why would you think Colin?” She knew something. Fear and anger lit her eyes.
“Ah dinnae tell ye everything about his da to keep him safe. But if this man is lookin’ for him. ’Tis safer to tell ye the truth.” She sat up in his lap and grasped the front of his coat.
“Patrick’s ma came from England. Just before he died, he’d discovered his grandfather on his ma’s side had left him his estate. Patrick was still decidin’ what to do when he was killed. Everyone said he died because o’ the Irish land act and how Patrick was always stickin’ up for the tenants and tryin’ to help them keep their land. But ah seen him.” She nodded her head once. “Patrick’s English cousin, Roderick. He was in our village the day my Patrick died.” She peered into his face. “He had the look of Patrick but the blonde hair of his mother’s side.” Flames of indignation lapped from their pale depths. “That land belongs to Colin. It was to go to Patrick and his heirs. My father told me was best to leave and return when Colin was old enough to stand up to the cousin. That’s why we are savin’ and no’ spendin’. To get back and get Colin’s inheritance.”
“You think this Roderick would come all this way to keep the estate?” That’s why she guarded her past and the gold they took from the earth so closely. She planned to establish Colin on his family’s land.
“From what Patrick said it was a grand place. He’d visited it once as a laddie. A place a greedy man would want to keep.”