“We sure can.” Levi smiled down at the boy.
“Natalie.” Alexander took her by the arm and led her a short distance away from Levi and Samuel. “I do not believe spending time with this man is wise. Your son is too young to understand, but it is very likely the colonel is responsible for your husband’s death. Is that really the sort of man you want your son to look up to?”
“The war is over, Alexander.” She glanced to where Levi and Samuel knelt, inspecting an insect crawling across the ground. “Colonel Maish and the other Union soldiers are no longer our enemies. We’ll never know what happened on the battlefield where George died. I can’t hold him responsible without knowing for certain, and even then, it was war.”
The muscles in his jaw ticked. “I forbid you to spend time with him. You have consented to my courting you. Surely I should have some say in this.”
She bristled at his authoritative tone. He sounded very much like George. “We are simply taking Samuel fishing, Alexander. You will be with us.”
“I do not have time for such frivolousness. I am a busy man with many responsibilities.” He cast a scornful look in Levi’s direction. “Apparently, a colonel in the Union Army is not so burdened.”
Something akin to relief swept through her. She had not looked forward to spending an awkward afternoon with two men who didn’t like each other. “I’m sorry you won’t be able to join us. If it would make you feel better, I’ll ask Carolina to accompany me, but I don’t want to disappoint Samuel.”
“You spoil that boy, Señora,” he said, unsmiling. “The child needs a firm hand.” Before she could reply—which was probably for the best, considering his comment did not sit well with her— he strode to his horse and mounted. “I’ll return tomorrow. I hope you will receive me as a woman being courted should. One of the servants can attend the boy.”
She watched him ride away, a knot of unease forming in her belly. His testiness was understandable. He’d come bearing a beautiful gift and had surely hoped to spend time with her. But his indifference toward her son and his demands on her left her more than a little concerned.
“Mama?”
Samuel stared up at her. His cherub face and bright blue eyes erased the unpleasantness Alexander’s words left behind. “Let’s go fishing, shall we?”
“Yes!” Samuel bounded back to where Levi waited.
When she met Levi’s gaze, his eyes held questions, but he didn’t voice them. Instead, he took Samuel by the hand and grinned. “Let’s go fishing.”
They walked to the creek behind the quarter. Several large rocks had been placed along the bank and made the perfect spot to cast into the clear, gurgling water.
Natalie settled on the wild grasses, tucking her feet beneath her wide skirt, while Levi and Samuel hunted worms and grasshoppers. Watching them, she could almost believe Levi had come to his senses and realized that remaining in Texas with them was the right thing to do. Surely his kisses meant he had feelings for her that were more than mere attraction. And it was plain to everyone— including Alexander—that Samuel adored Levi.
Yet she had to accept the reality, not allow herself to be distracted by wishes and dreams. Harvest was only a few weeks away. Once it was complete and the cotton sold, her agreement with the Union Army would come to an end. They would leave Langford Manor eventually, and all the soldiers would return to their homes. Including Levi.
She sighed and closed her eyes. Father in heaven, I don’t know what the future holds for Samuel and me. Help me make the right decisions for both of us.
Under a hot afternoon sun, Levi patiently instructed Samuel on the art of fishing. They disappeared down the bank after a while, where they were hidden behind shrubs and thick brush. Natalie was on the verge of going to find them when their voices grew closer. Samuel proudly carried two fish, one in each hand.
“Look, Mama!” He held them up, grinning.
“How wonderful!”
“I caught ’em all by myself.” Samuel glanced up at Levi, who raised his brow. “Well, the co’nel helped.”
“You did well, little man.” Levi rested his hand on the boy’s bony shoulder.
“Can I show Harriet my fish? She said she would cook ’em for supper if I caught some.”
The small fish would not make a meal, but Natalie didn’t mention that to her son. “You may. Don’t forget to wash your hands after you deliver them.”
Her son hurried away, his gait a bit awkward as he balanced the fish. At one point, he dropped one and had to retrace his steps to retrieve it. Natalie wondered what condition the fish would be in when he finally reached the kitchen.
Turning, she found Levi watching her. Her face warmed under his intense gaze.
“Thank you.” She looked away, unable to hold eye contact. “Moses is good to take him along when he and Isaac come down to the creek, but I know Samuel enjoyed today.”
“He’s a fine boy, Natalie. You’ve done a good job, raising him on your own.”
She remembered what Levi had said about Samuel needing a father to help him become a man. “Well.” She sent a nervous glance in his direction. “I’m sure you need to return to the army camp, and I have reading lessons to give.”
She headed toward the house, and he fell in step beside her.
“How’s that coming?”
He truly sounded interested. “Wonderful,” she said, unable to keep from smiling. “The women are quickly learning their letters. I thought to start with teaching them how to write their names, as there may come a time when they need to give a signature for something. After that, we’ll work on learning to read.”
“It’s commendable what you’re doing.” His serious eyes were on her when she glanced at him. “The Freedmen’s Bureau will open schools for Negroes throughout the South, but it’ll take people like you to help the adults learn to read and write.”
She savored his praise. “Lottie won’t be able to join us for a while. Little Jude Liberty is a very demanding fellow just now. The poor woman is exhausted simply seeing to his needs.”
Levi nodded. “Corporal Banks informed me of your cousin’s departure.” A smile played on his lips, telling her the corporal had more than likely heard an earful from Carolina and passed the information on to Levi.
Natalie sighed. “I wish I could say I feel badly about asking Cousin Eunice to leave, but the truth is, I don’t. The way she treated Lottie was disgraceful. I simply couldn’t allow it to continue.”
They reached the bottom of the porch steps, where the shade of a great oak offered a brief respite after their walk in the sunshine. She made to ascend, but Levi reached for her hand.
“Natalie,” he said, his voice low. She turned to him, afraid of what he might say. Although she knew they had no future together, she hoped he would continue to visit, if only for Samuel’s sake. “You need to be careful when it comes to Lopez.”
The warning was not what she’d expected. “I don’t know what you mean.”
“How well do you know him?”
“He’s been visiting Rose Hill for a year. He’s never given me cause to believe I’m in danger in his presence. Actually, he gave me a similar warning about you.”
“You would do well to rebuff his attentions.”
Her spine stiffened. “I don’t see how this is any of your concern, Colonel. You’ve made it perfectly clear you won’t stay in Texas. Alexander has made me an offer I would be foolish not to consider. Without slaves, I can’t manage the plantations. He promises to bring them back to their full potential. I won’t jeopardize Samuel’s inheritance simply because you don’t like the man.”
His jaw clenched beneath his dark beard. “Your stubbornness is not your best virtue, Mrs. Ellis.”
Natalie huffed and climbed the steps without a backward glance.
The man was impossible.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
The fiery sun hung low in the western sky, casting shadows over the narrow valley below. Levi perched on a
wooded rise, hidden from view as he observed several cowboys and a herd of cattle grazing peacefully on Rose Hill grass. With a few hours remaining until nightfall, the air around him simmered as though it had escaped from a furnace. A breeze would not only cool his sweat-soaked body but also rustle the too-still landscape. Any movement he made might be seen by the men he was watching. Though his muscles complained, a little discomfort was worth it if he could catch Lopez red-handed. His instincts told him he had his man, but he would need more evidence than a gut feeling to get a conviction in court.
A cow bellowed and ran across the field.
With the vaqueros’ attention on the animal, Levi shifted his weight ever so slightly. He could have sent some of his men to watch the herd, but the need to see for himself if his hunch were correct kept him in place. Once he witnessed Lopez with the cattle, he’d bring a company of men to apprehend the culprit. The very thought of the Tejano behind bars made him grin.
For a brief moment, he closed his eyes, recalling the fury he’d seen on Lopez’s face when Natalie chose to go fishing instead of remaining at the house with him. Levi had wanted to gloat, but goading the man would have served no purpose. He’d have time enough to enjoy seeing Lopez’s shocked face once he realized he’d been caught.
Another hour passed. When the men’s backs were to him, Levi inched behind the foliage of a prickly shrub. Carefully removing his hat, he mopped his brow with the back of his shirt sleeve. His coat lay on the ground next to him, long since discarded. After replacing his hat, he tipped his canteen to his lips, letting lukewarm water trickle down his throat. He’d sit here until the sun set, watching and waiting, before heading back to camp. By then, Banks would have received the message Levi sent with one of the privates alerting the corporal to a possible break in the cattle theft case. The men would be ready to ride the moment Levi returned.
What would Natalie think once she realized who Lopez really was? Seeing the arrogant man with her in Rose Hill’s parlor earlier had nearly driven Levi mad. The Tejano’s overconfidence about his place in her life—his words and actions oozed with it—told Levi the man was far more certain of a future union with Natalie than she seemed to understand. Promising to restore the plantations to their former glory not only held the key to her considering his proposal, but it was also the reason she’d refused to consider Levi’s. Obviously, Lopez knew how to reach the lady’s heart far better than Levi did.
Frustration had him squeezing his hands into fists. Were land and cotton so important to her that she would marry an oily snake like Lopez?
No. He shouldn’t judge. He couldn’t imagine what worries a widowed mother left to raise a son alone might have for the future. On top of that, she was the sole owner of two enormous plantations. It made sense that she would want Samuel to inherit them someday, especially if they somehow became profitable again. Funding enough hired help to make that happen would be impossible on her own.
He glanced at the landscape surrounding him. It was beautiful country, to be sure. Yet her refusal to give it all up and go to Pennsylvania with him hurt his pride. Theirs would have been a tale for the ages. A southern slave owner falling in love with a northern abolitionist and leaving behind the tainted land where men and women had once been held in bondage. But her future, she believed, was here.
A thought crossed his mind as he shifted his backside on the hard ground. Was it he who was being stubborn? She hadn’t refused his proposal for marriage. She simply didn’t want to leave Texas. But he couldn’t imagine living at Rose Hill, or even Langford Manor. Her roots might be in the rocky soil of Texas, but his were not. Besides, he didn’t relish trying to fill George Ellis’ shoes on the very land where he and Natalie had shared their lives. He could still see the sadness that had come to her eyes when she’d learned Levi may have had a hand in her husband’s death. It would be far better for them to start their life together in a new place, where neither had to deal with the ghosts of the past.
Rubbing his stiff neck, Levi glanced through the branches of the shrub to the valley where the cattle grazed. Six men on horseback, Mexican sombreros on their heads, were positioned around the animals. Each man had a rifle across his lap and six-shooters strapped to their hips. He’d relay this information to Banks and his men so no one would be caught unprepared for the fight that could ensue once Lopez and his vaqueros realized they’d been found out.
Studying the cattle, Levi estimated there were nearly one hundred grazing there. Although he was no expert on the different breeds, it was obvious there were several mixed in this group. He recognized the famed Texas Longhorns by their enormous spread of horns. There were other animals that looked similar but with shorter horns. There were red and white Herefords, Black Angus, and even some white Brahmans with their oddly shaped humped back. They were all breeds that had been reported stolen, and though he wouldn’t be able to get close enough to check just now, he’d wager the animals in this herd bore the brands from those same ranches.
His fists clenched thinking how Lopez had Natalie so completely fooled with his fancy clothes and horse. It wouldn’t surprise Levi to learn the beautiful thoroughbred had been stolen as well. The man was smart, he had to admit. Paying a widow to lease her pastures in order to hide his criminal activity was brilliant. Rose Hill was miles from town, with no real neighbors, so no one was around to bear witness to the number of animals he moved through the area. Where they went after they left Rose Hill was a mystery, but more than likely, Lopez had the animals driven all the way to Kansas, where shipping cattle east by train was a growing industry. Putting him out of business would be a pleasure.
The sun soon disappeared. Levi was rising to leave when Lopez himself rode into view. He went directly to one of the cowboys, the man in charge, Levi guessed. He wasn’t close enough to hear their conversation, but the men seemed relaxed. Two of the other cowboys rode over, and, a moment later, their laughter echoed in the valley.
Just then Levi’s horse nickered. Though he’d tethered the animal some distance away in a copse of trees, the sound traveled on the still evening air. Levi froze when Lopez and his men looked in his direction. After a moment, Lopez said something to the men then nudged his mount and rode across the pasture to the base of the rise, not far from where Levi hid. The three other men trained their guns toward the brush.
Levi didn’t breathe. He didn’t blink. He sat completely still.
Lopez took a pistol from his holster, aimed, and fired up the hill. The bullet zinged past Levi. He didn’t flinch. Lopez fired the gun again, slightly to Levi’s left. The bullet ricocheted off a rock. Levi’s pulse raced, and he silently prayed his horse would stay quiet.
Squinting into the darkening landscape, Lopez waited another minute before he returned to his men. Levi remained utterly motionless until, finally, Lopez rode away. One cowboy went back to guarding the cattle while another worked to get a campfire started. Levi stayed where he was until the fading light offered him enough cover to get to his horse without being seen. He knew he should go straight to the army camp and gather the men he’d need to catch Lopez, but the strong desire to warn Natalie won him over. She deserved to know the kind of man Lopez was. As the owner of Rose Hill, she also needed to be aware that a company of soldiers would soon descend on her property.
Turning the horse toward the plantation, he kept the animal to a slow walk to avoid any unnecessary noise from its hooves that might travel through the night. When he finally arrived at the grand house, relief washed through him. Yellow lantern light glowed through at least one window. Though his news could have waited until tomorrow after he had Lopez in custody, the need to see her drove him forward. Dismounting, he mulled over what he would say to convince her that Lopez was not the man she thought him to be.
“Good evening, Colonel.” She stood in the open doorway.
Her use of his title reminded him they still had many things to work out between them. “I have some news.” He didn’t relish this conversation.
“Something’s wrong. I can see it on your face.”
“You’re correct.” He indicated the wicker sofa. “Let’s sit down, and I’ll tell you everything.”
She settled on the sofa. Levi opted to take the chair across from her.
“Please, Levi, tell me what this is about.”
Although happy to have her return to calling him by his name, he couldn’t smile. Not when he’d come to deliver such grave tidings. “You must understand, the things I am about to reveal mustn’t be repeated, to anyone. At least, not until we’ve made an arrest.”
“An arrest? Of whom? Corporal Banks told us Jezro had been captured and taken to Austin. Does this have something to do with him?”
“No.” Levi took a deep breath and plunged forward. “When the Army first arrived in Texas, we received numerous reports of stolen livestock, mainly cattle, although some reported horses stolen as well. We’ve been searching for the thieves these past weeks, looking into any suspicious activity involving large numbers of stock.”
She sent him a look of confusion. “I don’t understand what this has to do with me. After the war started, I had to sell off our cattle. That’s why our pastures were available when Alexander approached me and inquired about leasing them.”
“From what I understand,” he said, choosing his words carefully, “the cattle Lopez brings to Rose Hill do not stay long before they’re moved again.”
“Yes, that’s right. I gather he has more animals than his property can accommodate. With our pastures overgrown and unoccupied, it made perfect sense for him to make use of them.” Her eyes shot wide. “Has someone stolen Alexander’s cattle?”
The Widow of Rose Hill (The Women of Rose Hill Book 2) Page 24