Pausing outside the door, she fought to calm herself. She felt she might throw up--or pass out. My stars, what had come over her? Never in her life had she been so rude. True, Mrs. Welborn deserved her wrath for those awful comments about Mama. Still and all, she couldn't believe she had spoken so harshly to a woman more than a generation older than herself.
Sarah regained her composure and hurried down the corridor to her own rooms. Once inside, she closed the door and leaned against it, closing her eyes in relief. My stars, it felt good to stand up for herself for a change, to speak her mind. It was even harder than she'd imagined, though. She wondered if she would ever be able to do so again.
Nate sat slumped in a chair near where Cindy slept. He looked up from the book he'd been reading. "Tough meeting?"
She opened her eyes and nodded. "Not pleasant, but it's over. I've placed an advertisement in this evening's paper for a traveling companion."
His eyebrows raised and he sat up straight. "You've what?"
"Since the Welborns are leaving today, I'll need a traveling companion. I've placed an ad in the paper."
He seemed to consider his words before he said, "I thought, since I'm on my way to Texas as well, I'd travel along with you and offer my protection as your traveling companion."
Of course you will, she thought. No matter how hard she tried to accept his assistance as generosity of spirit, she couldn't keep herself from questioning his motives. And wondering about the wounds hidden by the bandages she'd seen through the keyhole. The man frightened her at the same time her fascination compelled her to him.
You're just a rabbit, Sarah. This wolf will pounce unless you're careful.
She said, "That's very kind of you. However, surely you realize it's not proper for a single woman such as myself to travel without an older female chaperone. I hope to find someone who is both pleasant and good with children."
Nate looked irritated, but said only, "I think I should accompany you as well, to assist with the boys and all. There are cads about who prey on women. My presence would discourage their interference." Then he took a deep breath and his face became inscrutable.
And who will protect me from you? Sarah wondered. "That's hardly necessary. I teach school in Texas. Each weekday I instruct twenty-five students of varying ages, so I'm quite capable of looking after three small children. In addition, I'll have the assistance of whomever I hire as companion."
His expression remained indiscernible, except for those tawny eyes. For a second, Sarah was sure anger sparked there. Anger and something else. Wolf or lamb, which was he? She thought she knew.
She drew herself up and continued, "Certainly you've been a great deal of help. I appreciate all you've done, of course. Sitting with Cindy while she's ill, making arrangements, watching out for the boys while I did errands and such. But with the companion I'll hire and in a private rail car, I assure you everything should go smoothly from now on."
"Caring for them night and day is a little different from teaching," he said. "And you might want my presence to ward off anyone like that Welborn fellow.”
Had he known Welborn was a lecher? Recalling her encounter with the odious Mr. Welborn, she weakened. "You...You're welcome to ride in the Pullman car with us if you wish. There will be plenty of room and it should be a pleasant trip."
"I believe I'll take you up on that offer." He watched her as if he appraised her, but neither his voice nor his face gave a clue to his assessment.
Sara wondered at his thoughts. Was he up to something or genuinely offering his help? Either way, Cindy and the boys liked him, and they would enjoy having him near. If he traveled in the same rail car, Sarah would get to see him then, as well. Pushing down the sudden knowledge she also enjoyed his company, she wondered what he had to gain by accompanying them.
What sort of man volunteered to help with children who were not even related to him? Maybe a lonely man, one who longed for his own family. Maybe a man who had an ulterior motive, but what would it be? She didn't think it was seduction. After all, he'd made no unseemly moves. In fact, he'd been a perfect gentleman.
She slid her fingers to her waist, checking the money belt she wore. He couldn't possibly know about the money. What harm could come of his accompanying them?
She said, "There are so many people seeking to take advantage of travelers, it's true your presence might deter them if it doesn't take you out of your way.” And if you're not one of them, she thought. "Where was it you said you're going?"
Nate looked back down at his book and said, "Oh, you may not have heard of it. Little place thirty miles or so West of Austin called Kincaid Springs.” He looked back at her, his face a mask. "Say, isn't that an odd coincidence, Kincaid being your name?"
Panic gripped her. Could he have known her destination? She'd been careful not to mention a specific place in Texas within his hearing. "I...I live near Kincaid Springs. What takes you there?"
"I'm meeting business associates."
"What kind of business?" she snapped. She would have sooner pegged him as a gambler than a businessman. Handsome as the devil, she suspected he and sin were frequent companions.
"It’s quite confidential. I'd be betraying my colleagues if I told you more at this stage.”
"Oh." Possibilities whirred in her mind but nothing fit.
"I'm sure you understand. One word at the wrong time can sink a venture."
She didn't understand, but she nodded. "Yes, of course."
What kind of venture attracted Nate Barton? Probably something totally disreputable. No matter. A large and muscular man like Nate in attendance would deter any lechers like Welborn on the trip. She would take advantage of Nate's offer and then send him on his way when she reached the safety of her family. How hard could it be to dismiss him once she reached Kincaid Springs?
Chapter Four
Nate snorted at himself and threw his jacket on his bed. Who would ever have thought he'd be playing nursemaid? For that matter, who would believe Lucky Nate Bartholomew--make that Nate Barton--would be caught dead taking care of three brats and keeping his hands off a delectable feminine morsel like Miss Pure-As-The-Driven-Snow Kincaid? No one, that's who. He could hardly believe it himself.
A smile forced itself as he admitted a soft spot for the sick kid, Cindy. He laughed. That he had a soft spot at all came as another big surprise.
Cindy was a good little thing, though, and never complained or made any trouble. The two boys reminded him of himself, especially Luke. They were good kids in spite of helping lighten a few purses along the way and knowing some of the tricks of living by your wits. Who could find fault in that?
That Joe obviously had had some horrible experiences and didn't trust anyone, not that Nate blamed him. Never let your guard down, that was his own motto. He'd do well to remember that now in spite of Miss Sugar-And-Spice, with her hair like pale moonlight and eyes the purple-blue color of a flower he'd seen once on a vine in New Orleans.
Would you listen to yourself?
Nate snorted again in disgust and sat down to take off his boots. At least the kids made a perfect excuse to stick like glue to Miss Goody-Two-Shoes.
Damned if she didn't have the nerve to wear his mother's ring right in front of him. Yeah, so she didn't know it belonged to him or had once belonged to his mother. It didn't gall him any the less to see it on her finger.
Nate had searched through Miss Too-Good-To-Be-True's bags while she was off talking to the Welborns and arranging her newspaper advertisement. Cindy slept and the two boys were in their room. Nate'd found the sapphire and diamond earrings and necklace, but had left them. He wanted it all, all he had coming to him. She must still have the money belt on her. Since that first evening on the riverboat, he'd been careful never to touch her other than to offer his arm.
That would change. He had plans for little Miss I'm-A-Teacher before he left for New Orleans with all that was his.
With any luck, Monk would arrive before they left for Texas.
> The chaperone she insisted on hiring--even though she claimed she was perfectly capable of taking care of twenty-five children--would make carrying out his seduction more difficult, but he thrived on a challenge. One way or another, that delectable damsel and all her assets would be his. Smiling at the thought, he lowered the lamp and crawled into bed.
***
Three days later, Joe and Luke squirmed on the sofa as if they would bolt at the first chance. They had been scuffling, but now sat wiggling and giggling at some joke shared between them. At least they had agreed to take a bath and wear the new clothes she bought them. Cindy looked like a pale angel propped up against the bed pillows in her new blue nightie. Her breathing rattled less and her face shone like peaches and cream rather than the deathly pallor of a few days ago.
Sarah sat at the desk in her hotel room waiting for the fifth and final applicant for traveling companion to arrive. What would she do if this woman proved no more suitable than the others? She straightened the sheets of writing paper on the desk. Perhaps she should have wired Pearl to ask her advice. Or, she could have asked Storm to come escort her home.
No, what a silly thought. Surely she could hire her own traveling companion. Hadn't she wanted to do just that?
The first woman to answer the advertisement two days ago had been so frail and senile she would have been no help whatever with the children, and might actually have required care herself on the long journey. Sarah hated to turn her down, but there was no point in hiring someone like her.
At least Sarah was able to say no. A week ago she probably would have accepted her because she felt sorry for the poor woman. Sarah chewed her lip, remembering she'd slipped the woman some money before sending her away. Not the most businesslike reaction, but the woman needed assistance.
The second applicant came yesterday, a florid, rotund woman who spent most of the interview discussing her various ailments. My stars, one hour in that woman’s company had caused a headache. Sarah shuddered at the thought of spending days on end with her. Turning her down was not difficult. The third and fourth applicants earlier this afternoon turned out just as unsuitable, and it wouldn't surprise Sarah to learn either of them was escaping prosecution for a crime.
A knock on the door prompted Sarah to say, "Remember our secret signals, and mind your manners."
Joe looked tall and proud in his new clothes but didn't seem to trust Sarah any more because of them. Nevertheless, he looked presentable when he answered the door and stepped back to admit a woman of medium build. Her hair was that peculiar soft shade some blondes become instead of gray, and her brown eyes sparkled. The lines in her face looked planted by a lifetime of smiles. She wore a white shirtwaist and plaid skirt. Sarah noticed both the top and skirt had been mended in numerous places, but with skillful stitches.
"Good afternoon, young man. I'm Mrs. Galloway. 'Tis about the advertisement I've come, the one for a companion to Texas."
Joe bowed and swept out an arm to indicate she should enter. Sarah motioned to the chair in front of the desk.
"Won't you have a seat, Mrs. Galloway? I'm Sarah Kincaid. May I offer you some tea before you tell me about yourself?"
"Now wouldn't that be lovely?”
Luke wheeled the tea cart over. His hair stood up like a rooster's comb on top, but he seemed proud of his new clothes and shoes. He gave Mrs. Galloway a plate and napkin while Joe offered her a plate of treats. Sarah poured the tea, and the boys helped themselves from the treat tray as if it were not the third time this afternoon they had done so. Luke set his plate on a table by the sofa, then fixed a plate for Cindy
"What lovely children. Would they be yours, now?" Mrs. Galloway asked.
"I...in a way.” Sarah launched upon Nate’s story.
"I see," said Mrs. Galloway.
Sarah suspected the woman actually did see the way things were, so she asked, "Won't you tell me about yourself?” She felt the tension ease out of her shoulders. Finally, a woman who seemed pleasant and intelligent, suitable for the tasks.
"I'm a widow. I've been living with my widowed daughter, Betsie, God love her.” A shadow crossed her face and her lip trembled, but she raised her chin and continued, "She just remarried and I thought she and her new husband would enjoy having the house to themselves. I’ll find a new life out West."
Sarah wanted very much to be businesslike. She tried forcing aside the compassion which had surged forward during the woman's brief speech. Once more empathy surfaced, and this time Sarah gave in to the sensation.
"Have you any objection to children?" Sarah asked, not putting into exact words that the children would accompany her to Texas. She watched the two boys to see if they understood the implication of her question. Joe and Luke seemed engaged in a contest to see who could push the most tea cakes into his mouth. Good thing Mrs. Galloway's back was to them.
"None at all, especially not little saints like these."
Joe picked that second to choke. He dropped his plate, and his cough showered crumbs across the carpet. The sound startled Mrs. Galloway and she turned in her chair. Joe looked at Sarah, then at Mrs. Galloway, his eyes wide with horror.
Sarah said, "Are you all right, Joe? Take a few sips of your tea, then please pick up your plate and the large crumbs."
Joe brushed up every crumb he could find. Luke helped while Cindy giggled until she started coughing.
Mrs. Galloway laughed. "Isn't that just like a boy?"
Joe looked relieved and went back to cleaning up.
Luke took him a new cake to replace the spilled one. "You talk different, Mrs. Galloway. It sounds nice."
“Now aren’t you a smart lad to notice,” Mrs. Galloway said. “I’m from Ireland.”
"Is Ireland far away?” Cindy asked, her voice faint and gasping from giggling and coughing.
"Oh my, yes, lovie. 'Tis across the ocean I came on a big ship with my husband and daughter. My man's dead now, may the Lord have mercy on his soul. Been gone these three years it is. In all the world I've only me daughter left."
"Cindy is recuperating from pneumonia," Sarah explained. Behind the woman's back, both boys rubbed a finger on their chin, their signal that they approved of her.
Sarah said, "Mr. Barton, my, um, my fiancé, will be traveling by rail with us. I've reserved one of the special Pullman sleeping cars through all the way to Texas. We plan to leave the day after tomorrow. Will you be available to travel then? That is, if you want the position."
Relief flooded Mrs. Galloway's face. "Sure and that would be grand."
"Would it be possible to leave your daughter and son-in-law in the morning and help me get ready for the journey? I'll reserve a room for you here in the hotel if that's all right. It will make it so much easier on the day we depart."
Mrs. Galloway looked around the room, as if measuring its worth. "Sure and that would be grand. I'll be happy to help."
Sarah hastily took a sheet of hotel stationery. "You'll want to let your daughter know where you're going and where she can write you. This is my address in Texas. Once we're there, I'm certain someone in my family can find you a permanent position and place to live if you wish."
They agreed on a salary and Sarah fixed the departure details with her, then gave her a small advance on her pay.
"You can count on me, Miss Kincaid. I'll be here early tomorrow." Mrs. Galloway grew younger and straighter with each disclosure. By the time she left the hotel suite, her face beamed with a smile and her steps fairly danced.
***
Nate watched the woman leave Miss Sweet-As-Sugar-Candy's hotel room and walk down the hall to the stairs. Her walk told him she'd been hired. Well, she looked sharp, but not sharp enough to keep Lucky Nate Bartholomew—damn, make that Nate Barton--from getting what he had due to him. The female hadn't been born who could best him.
He waited until the woman turned the corner to go down the stairs before he stepped across the hall and rapped on the door. Once inside the room, he watched the tw
o boys rolling on the floor in a mock battle. He expected a prim spinster to be aghast, but she surprised him.
"You hire the lady who just left?" he asked.
She nodded. "Her name is Mrs. Galloway. I'll tell you all about her later. Right now, we have plans to make. You boys can wrestle later in your own room."
With a last gouge in the ribs, Luke rolled away from Joe.
Although she had her back to them, Sarah said, "Stop that. Would you both move the sofa near Cindy's bed and sit down so I can talk to all three of you at once?"
The boys looked at one another with wide eyes.
Luke pulled at her sleeve. "Miss Sarah? How'd you know I jabbed Joe after you said stop?"
"I have a brother and three nephews and I teach school back in Texas. I know a lot about children.” She smiled. "Besides, I used to be your age."
Nate tried to picture Sarah as a child scuffling on the floor with her brother. Nothing came. Immediately another picture planted itself in his mind, one where he and Miss-Pure-And-Proper rolled on the rug in the throes of passion. He pictured that golden hair spread across the rug, her bare skin inviting his touch.
Pushing that vision firmly from his mind for the time being, he took one end of the sofa and the boys lifted the other. They set it perpendicular to the bed just short of the pillows and Cindy's head.
Sarah moved her desk chair near the armchair already beside the bed. She motioned him to take the more comfortable chair and she sat in the wooden one.
Nate had spent the better part of two days looking for clues to the kids' parents, even went to Pinkerton's. Nate Bartholomew, as the respectable Nate Barton, hired a detective. Each time he thought about it, he almost laughed aloud.
Carefully composing his face, he hoped this wasn't going to take all day. He still had a little business of his own.
Sarah knew she had to choose her words carefully for the difficult battle ahead. In her mind she had gone over her words a dozen times. She prayed her plan worked. "As I said, we have big plans to make."
Arms across his chest, Joe looked ready to run for the door. Luke and Cindy gave their full attention. Nate looked as rapt as the kids.
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