Harrigan looked at her and almost smiled. She was dusty and disheveled, her hair was untidy, and her face flushed. She looked adorable and Harrigan was very sure that, if he said so, she would probably threaten to cut his tongue out. Ella Carson looked so soft and sweet, like a tiny porcelain doll, yet, when she opened her mouth, she revealed a wit and temper as sharp as a knife. She was like a wild rose, beautiful but protected by some very sharp thorns, he thought, a little amused by his sudden fancy. Harrigan blinked, shaking himself free of the disturbingly tender thoughts, and forced him mind back to her request.
He could sympathize with her need to clean up, but it did present a problem. There was no doubt in his mind that, given half a chance, Ella would try to escape. She had made no secret of her intention never to return to Philadelphia. Since he could not bring himself to deny her a bath or embarrass her by standing right there while she did it, he was going to have to think of a way to give her what she wanted yet take away all chance of escape. That was not going to be easy.
“What if I swear I will not try to run away?” she said, tired of waiting and easily guessing why he was hesitating.
“I mean no insult, but I don’t know you well enough to know if I can trust in your promises. Go and clean up then, but remember that we are keeping a watch on you.”
“Watching me?”
“From a respectful distance. Don’t worry, you’ll have all the privacy you need, as long as you stay right by the creek and don’t try to wander.”
Ella was not sure how he could do that, but decided to trust in his assurances. As she collected what she needed, she knew part of her willingness to believe him was inspired by a desperate need to get clean. She was not sure she would be deterred even if she knew he was planning to crouch behind the bushes and watch her every move.
When Ella reached the creek, she sighed with disappointment as she set her things down on the grass. It looked refreshing, clear and cold, but it was also shallow. There was not enough water for her to immerse herself completely and that was not only what she had hoped for, but what she needed to feel that her modesty would be preserved. Without the depth of water needed to hide herself, she could not take all of her clothes off. It would be as if she stood naked in the middle of an open field and she knew she would feel that way even if Harrigan was not lurking close by.
After a moment of thought, she decided to leave her camisole and pantaloons on. They needed to be washed anyway, and Louise had packed some clean ones for her. It would only take a moment to change from the wet ones to the dry ones and there was plenty of cover amongst the trees and bushes to hide her while she made the quick change.
The water was almost too cold, but Ella welcomed the refreshing chill. She felt as if she had been coated with dust and dirt for days. After she was done, she used her soiled gown as a drying cloth, then washed it out. Although she was sure Harrigan would not spy on her, she still checked for him before hastily changing her underclothes. She donned a blue gingham gown, found a black rawhide tie in her bag, and loosely tied her wet hair back. It was making the back of her gown wet, but it was still hot enough for her to find that pleasantly cooling.
Gathering up her things, she walked back to the campsite. Now that she was clean, her mood had improved, but she still felt a sharp pinch of anger when she looked at Harrigan. He was her uncle’s hired man. Ella was beginning to believe that he had no idea of what Harold’s plans for her were, but he was still taking her to Philadelphia, to her death, and she almost hated him for that.
“Enjoy your bath?” he asked as she sat down near the fire after draping her wet clothes on a nearby tree.
“The creek is very shallow, but it sufficed,” she replied, watching George make the coffee.
“Good,” he said as he stood up. “I think I’ll have a wash too.”
“Watch out for the snakes,” she called after him, smiling sweetly at him when he gave her a doubtful look.
She had not seen one snake, but he did not have to know that. Some of the enjoyment of getting clean had been stolen by the knowledge that he was closely guarding her. Ella felt it served Harrigan right if some of his enjoyment was stolen by a need to look for snakes that were not there. And, she thought with a little smile, even though he did not really believe her, he would look.
Harrigan cursed as he caught himself carefully checking the ground before setting his clothes down. He really hated snakes, and, if he did not know better, he would swear that Ella had found that out. Until she had said something he had been blissfully ignorant of the possibility of meeting up with a snake. Her parting remark had reminded him that they were out in the wilderness.
He then softly cursed her as he shed his clothes and cautiously entered the cold water. Ella Carson was one tiny, beautiful bundle of pure trouble. He was going to make Harold Carson pay dearly for all of the trouble he had to endure.
His mind lingered on Harold Carson as he scrubbed himself clean. The man was as big a crook as some of the ones rotting away in the jails, but he walked among the elite. Power and money was what made the difference. A poor man could spend years of his life behind bars for taking a loaf of bread while Harold Carson stole thousands and was invited to parties. It was unfair, but it was the way of the world. Recognizing the injustice of it and feeling bitter was not enough to bring about a change.
What he had to decide was just how big a crook Harold was. Although he was not ready to believe everything Ella said, he could not discard it completely. Could the man stoop to the murder of his own niece just to add to his already full coffers? Deep in his heart, Harrigan knew the answer was yes, but was that answer inspired by his dislike for the man, or by fact? Or worse, he thought with a grimace, his growing attraction for Ella?
There was no profit in chewing over the matter, he decided as he stepped out of the creek and dried himself off. He could not decide Harold’s guilt or lack of it based on such tenuous things as intuitions and Ella’s accusations. He needed proof and that was in Philadelphia. Earlier, when he had said that he would look into the matter, he had not been entirely sincere. Now he was determined. If Ella was telling the truth, then Harold Carson was using him and George to help him commit a crime. He would see that the man paid dearly for that.
After rinsing out his dusty clothes, Harrigan hurried back to camp. He suspected that George would also like a bath and the light of day was rapidly waning. The moment he had tossed his clothes over some tree branches to dry and could turn his full attention on Ella, George strode off to the creek. Harrigan smiled faintly at the man’s uncustomary haste as he sat down next to Ella before the fire. George was a very precise, tidy man and was undoubtedly finding the dust and heat of the journey a real trial.
Supper was going to be beans, biscuits, and coffee. Harrigan decided that was another inconvenience Harold would pay for. He was no wilderness man. He liked hearty meals of meat and potatoes, soft beds, and hot baths. Although he could ride, he preferred trains and carriages. When he had told Harold what the job would cost, he had not figured in all these inconveniences. The moment he saw the man again, he intended to make it very clear that the price for his services had just gone up.
“A bath obviously did not improve your temperament,” Ella said as she poured them each a cup of the coffee George had made. She briefly wondered why she was doing that, then decided constant animosity was simply too exhausting.
“I was just thinking about how much I should add to the bill I will give your uncle,“ he replied as he accepted the cup she held out to him.
“You actually plan to collect money from the man?”
“We have an agreement. I get paid when you return to Philadelphia.”
“You should have added a clause to that contract.”
“Oh? What?”
“That you would get at least part of your earnings even if you fail. It will be a shame when, after all the trouble you have gone through, you find yourself penniless.”
“I don’t
intend to fail.”
Ella shook her head over the heavy tone of confidence in his voice. “Oh, I really think you must, if only so that you lose a little of that overpowering arrogance.”
“Overpowering, is it?”
“Very. I am surprised you don’t gag on it.”
“And your unwavering belief that you and your lunatic aunt will win is not arrogance?”
“No, it is just simple fact. And my aunt is not a lunatic.”
“The woman put her foot in front of a speeding train.”
“Will you just forget that?” she snapped.
“I don’t think I can,” he murmured as he filled two tin plates with beans and biscuits, and set one down in front of her. “The image is seared into my mind.”
“Well, at least something has settled there. The truth has obviously found it difficult to get a grip.” She inwardly grimaced as she began to eat. She really did not like beans, but she was too hungry to be choosy.
“I have been told two different truths,” he reminded her. “I don’t know either you or your uncle well enough to know which one of you to believe. So, why don’t we just cease to discuss that. I will search out the truth the moment we get back to Philadelphia.”
She frowned and watched him covertly as she ate. There was the strong ring of a promise behind his words. It only comforted her a little, however. He was still implying that she was a liar and she deeply resented that. The fact that she was so attracted to a man who refused to believe her only added to her resentment.
There was a great deal of injustice in the world, she decided. It was unfair that she should suffer for her uncle’s insatiable greed. It was certainly grossly unfair that she would have to die for of it. And, she thought sadly as she studied Harrigan’s strong profile, it was painfully unfair that the man who was going to deliver her to that fate was so handsome, so intriguing, and so dangerously close to invading her heart.
Ella started, blinking in confusion. It was now dark and someone was gently shaking her by the arm. She absently swatted away the hand on her arm and looked around, slowly recalling where she was and why. George was missing and Harrigan was sitting next to her watching her with an annoying little grin on his face.
“Perhaps you ought to go to bed before you fall into the fire,” Harrigan said.
“Where is George?” she asked, troubled by the man’s disappearance.
“He offered to take the first watch.”
“Aha! So you are worried that my aunt will find you.”
“No. Despite all of your attempts to slow us down today,” he almost smiled at the quick flash of guilt that crossed her face, “I am not worried that she will catch us up anytime soon, if ever. She can’t ride with that foot and I don’t believe she’ll send those boys out alone. There are, however, a lot of other dangers to watch for. Bandits and Indians to name just two.” He did smile when she made a poor effort to hide a big yawn. “Go to bed, Ella.”
“Where is this bed?” She frowned as she looked around the camp and saw only one pile of blankets spread out on the other side of the fire. ”I see only one.”
“That’s all there is. We are going to be very close tonight.” He held up the shackles he had used on the train.
“Has anyone ever told you what an irredeemable bastard you are?”
“Not with as much feeling as you, Miss Carson.”
It was embarrassing, but Ella managed to make her need for a moment of privacy understood. Harrigan called to George and then let her seek out a sheltered spot to see to her personal needs.
The moment she was done, Ella walked straight to the bed, not looking or speaking to Harrigan. She needed a little time to get over her embarrassment, one she knew would be revisited on her for as long as she was with the men. They were trying very hard to respect her privacy, but she did not feel very grateful at the moment. If they had not allowed themselves to be hired by Harold, none of them would be in such an awkward position, so, she decided crossly, her discomfort was all their fault.
Harrigan sighed as he banked the fire. He could not help but think that Harold Carson could have found a better way to retrieve his niece. In fact, although Louise was eccentric, he really saw no reason why the man could not have just left Ella with her aunt. Louise was Ella’s family, more so than Harold, and she clearly loved the girl. Some arrangement could have been made with the lawyers who controled Ella’s inheritance. It would appear that, at the very least, he had been dragged into the middle of a family squabble.
He walked over to the bed, sat down, and yanked off his boots. When he reached over to grab Ella’s wrist, intending to shackle them together for the few hours of sleep he would be able to steal, she pulled away. He reached for her again and found himself in the middle of an undignified wrestling match. Although he tried not to hurt her, Ella obviously had no qualms about injuring him. He was panting and bruised by the time he got her pinned to the blanket, his right wrist securely manacled to her left one.
As he stared into her angry face, he became far too aware of her slim, soft body pressed against his. Instead of moving off her, he settled himself more comfortably on top of her, smiling faintly when her eyes widened. He had been thinking about kissing her since the first time he had set eyes on her and wondered if he might have a chance to satisfy that urge now. Although he admitted there was a chance he was deceiving himself, he thought he caught a flicker of interest in her lovely face, as if she was having the same thought he was.
“You’ve chained me now,” she said, fighting to keep the huskiness out of her voice. “You can get off me.” Ella prayed that the man could not sense how much she liked the provocative position they were in.
“I will in a moment,” he murmured as he leaned closer and touched his mouth to her soft, flushed cheek.
“Mr. Mahoney, I do not believe this is what my uncle hired you for.”
He just smiled. “Such a sharp tongue hidden inside this soft, sweet mouth.”
When he brushed his lips over hers she trembled, and inwardly cursed the weakness her body was so gleefully revealing. “I don’t want this,” she said.
“Well, I could call you a liar, but that would be arrogant of me. And I’m not sure I really care what you want right now. That’s wrong, I know, but I can’t be right and honorable all the time. Right now I intend to steal something I have been thinking about far too much.”
Ella murmured a half-hearted protest as he covered her mouth with his. His kiss was gentle, almost tender, and she felt all of her weak resistance vanish. It was flattering to know that he had been thinking about kissing her. Comforting as well, for it meant that she was not alone in suffering an inappropriate attraction.
He teased her mouth with enticing, nibbling kisses, as if he savored the taste of her. When he shifted his body on top of hers, lightly rubbing against her, the feeling that shot through her was so strong it made her gasp. Harrigan took quick advantage of her parted lips, slipping his tongue between them and slowly stroking the sensitive inside of her mouth. The only clear thought Ella could grasp was that a mere kiss should not feel so good, firing her blood and making her heart pound so hard she could hear it.
She lifted her arms to wrap them around him and a soft clinking noise yanked her out of the passionate stupor his kiss had sent her into. Even as she opened her eyes to stare at the manacle enclosing her wrist, she felt Harrigan tense. He slid off her, lying down at her side, as if he knew the moment of desire they had been indulging in was about to come to an abrupt end. Ella was not sure it was such a good thing that he could sense her change of mood so accurately.
“You are a complete cad,” she said, a little surprised at how amiable she sounded.
“I know,” he replied with an equal calm. “It is the cross I must bear.”
Harrigan breathed an inner sigh of relief. It appeared that Ella was not going to be outraged or furious, both of which she deserved to be. That seemed to confirm his opinion that she had suffered from th
e same curiosity he had.
What he would really like to know now was if she had experienced any of the same feelings he had, but he doubted she would answer truthfully even if he had the courage to ask. He was also not sure he wanted to have that discussion, for he could inadvertently reveal some of what was deeply troubling him at the moment. That sweet, short kiss had sent him reeling. He had never wanted a woman so swiftly or so strongly before. Harrigan had been confident that it would be good, and it had been, dangerously so.
She had shared his passion. He was sure of that. He had felt it in her every breath and the way her body had welcomed the weight of his. It was hard not to see the promise of more in her response and he desperately wanted more. A small voice in his head told him he would be a scoundrel to try and take more when he had every intention of completing the job he had been hired for, but he forcefully silenced it. Harrigan had never wanted anything as bad as he wanted Ella Carson and he suspected he never would again. Right or wrong, he was going to try for a fuller taste of the sweet passion she held in every tiny, delicate inch of her.
“If you have quite finished mauling me,” Ella said, forcing her eyes shut and wishing she could turn her back on him but restricted by the manacle, “I believe I will go to sleep now.”
His soft laughter caused her to grit her teeth and she clenched her hands beneath the coarse blanket covering them. Ella decided it had been foolish to think she could make him think she had been disgusted by the kiss. Any man who looked like Harrigan Mahoney had to be experienced with women. He probably knew exactly what she had been feeling, or most of it.
Ella inwardly sighed. It had seemed such an innocent, only slightly naughty thing to do. She had thought about kissing him so often that the opportunity to satisfy her curiosity had been too tempting to resist. There was no question that she had completely satisfied her curiosity, but she had opened a whole new bag of troubles.
Although she was still a virgin, she was not totally innocent of what could occur between a man and a woman. Louise had felt it was important for women to know such things, if only so they could know what pitfalls to avoid. Ella had a feeling that she had just plummeted down a very deep pitfall.
Wild Roses Page 6