Defiant Hearts

by Janelle Taylor

  Somehow she had to meet with Jim to ask him about Jake’s having that list. Yet, she must be careful about how and when she approached him, as she must not take a chance of exposing her contact’s involvement and imperiling his life. For a moment, her actions reminded her of long past days at the hotel when she had performed such daring deeds for Ben and General Grant. She almost wished Lily were there to stand guard for her again, as she certainly could not ask Emmaline to do so and endanger her new friend. She was lucky she hadn’t gotten Lily and herself caught during their many challenging adventures.

  As soon as she replaced the paper and closed the desk drawer, she heard boots approaching along the planked walkway beneath an overhang. She hurriedly put her ruse into motion, ready just as the door opened and Captain Bart Reno entered the room. She glanced at the traitorous officer and noted his hesitation and odd expression. She heard the gruffness of his voice when he questioned her.

  “What are you doing in here, Miss Adams?”

  “I came to leave a surprise for Uncle Jake. Those treats,” she claimed, pointing to a cloth-covered basket. “They’re freshbaked sugar cookies and peach jam. It used to be one of Uncle Jake’s favorite, so I hope it still is. I thought he would enjoy a little touch of home and fond memories since he’s been in this wilderness for so long. I was also leaving him an invitation to Sunday dinner with me and Father. It’s there on his desk where he’ll find it when he returns. I wanted to make him hot coffee to go with the cookies, but I didn’t see a pot or any supplies in here. I suppose he can get coffee from the mess room or have a soldier bring it to him. Were you looking for me? Did you need to see me about something?”

  “No, I was just coming to leave a report on the colonel’s desk.”

  Laura knew that Jake was a lieutenant colonel, a rank below her father’s, but the men called both officers “Colonel Adams.” She smiled and said, “I’ll be leaving now, but if you’re still here when Uncle Jake returns, please make sure he sees my note on his desk.”

  “I will, Miss Adams. Do you need an escort to your cabin?”

  “I don’t think so. I assume it’s safe to walk around the fort at will, but thank you for asking. Good-bye, Captain Reno.”

  “Good-bye, Miss Adams.”

  Laura knew the man was watching her with a dark gaze that caused goosebumps on her flesh. Yet, she doubted he was suspicious of her actions, as she knew how to play the innocent and charming southern belle with ease when a situation demanded it. Even if he didn’t trust her, there was no way he could prove she had misbehaved. As she crossed the parade ground, she paused to look up at the American flag on its tall pole and took a deep breath to settle her nerves. Yes, she admitted, guilt and sadness over her deceptions were mingled with pride and joy. Despite the risks of her furtive work, it was necessary and patriotic. And it was also selfish, since she wanted to help end the war so she could marryJayce, and so her family and friends would be safe.

  “Well, Father, how did your talk with Uncle Jake go?” Laura asked curiously.

  “He appears to have settled down, but I don’t know if I trust him.”

  “Then you should keep a close and careful eye on him. I’ll give you a chance to study him better on Sunday, because I’ve invited him to dinner. I hope that was all right.”

  “It’s the perfect opportunity, my dear; thank you.”

  “If Uncle Jake is being sneaky in public, in a social situation where he might relax, he may expose any hidden resentment and motives.”

  “You’re a clever girl, Laura Adams.”

  “Of course,” she quipped with a merry laugh, “my father taught me well. Oh, yes, I almost forgot to tell you; Private Durance is escorting me to town tomorrow. Is there anything I need to purchase for you?”

  “No, just enjoy yourself, and obey Private Durance’s orders.”

  “I will, Father; I promise.”

  * * *

  As Laura and Jayce were about to mount their horses, Emmaline hurried over and joined them.

  Almost breathless from her rush, she asked, “Do you mind if I ride along with you today?”

  The only thing a disappointed Laura could do was to smile and say, “Of course you’re welcome to come with us, Em. Do you know Private Durance, the guard and escort Father assigned to me?”

  “We haven’t met, but I’ve seen Private Durance around the fort.”

  Jayce suspected that the woman, who had just deceived Laura with her response and who knew his identity and purpose for being there, was worried about him exposing those two secrets to Jake’s niece. Since Jim had not appeared to be concerned about the situation when they discussed it recently, he assumed Jim had not suggested his wife’s unnecessary behavior today. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Wright. Your husband is a good superior officer. I’m happy to be serving under him.” But I’m displeased you’re going along today; it isn’t smart to be seen socializing with me, andyou’re intruding on my private time with Laura.

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you, sir. I hope you take your duty with Miss Adams seriously; she’s the pride of her father’s life.”

  Jayce noticed Emmaline’s pleasant expression and tone, but the woman did not smile warmly or extend her hand for him to shake it. “Yes, ma’am, the colonel made that clear to me upon arrival. Now, if you ladies are ready to leave, we’ll mount up and be on our way.”

  Within a short time, they reached Prescott, which was situated on the rather level terrain of Goose Flats above Granite Creek and in the shadows of the Bradshaw Mountains, the towering and gold-laden Mount Union, and Granite Mountain Wilderness. Many roads entered and exited the town, all in good to excellent condition, Laura was told, as a result of the soldiers’ labors.

  They walked their horses down wide and busy streets named for deceased or still-living figures of importance to the town or encompassing territory: Coronado, Alarcon, Cortez, Lerous, Aubrey, Walker, Whipple, Montezuma, Union, Goodwin, and others. As they did so, Jayce and Emmaline pointed out places and people to Laura and told her about them.

  Laura learned that Secretary McCormick had brought along a printing press and started the Arizona Miner, a daily and weekly newspaper located on South Montezuma Street, with the brewery next door. In a town where many saloons abounded, including the first one named Quartz Rock, she saw the infamous Whiskey Row, also on Montezuma Street.

  She was fascinated by a boardinghouse owned by Caroline Ramos and nicknamed Fort Misery; it also served as a church on Sundays and as Judge Howard’s court during the week. On its outside was a sign that read: Room and board, $25 in gold, in advance. That reminded Laura of her rule at the Southern Paradise; she had collected payment upon registration and had been delighted when it was given to her in gold coins. That memory sparked others about Lily and their past days together. She missed her best friend and hoped Lily and Richard were safe and well; that was something she couldn’t check on until the war ended.

  Laura glanced at Jayce from the corner of her eyes, aroused by just being near him. He was so appealing that he nearly stole her breath. She yearned for the day when she became Mrs. Jayce Storm Durance and tormenting secrecy was no longer necessary. She was glad her beloved was riding between them so Emmaline didn’t have a good view of her expressions, which could expose her innermost feelings. Though Emmaline had not said anything more about Jayce or his assignment to her, Laura sensed the woman was not pleased by the situation and perhaps was worried about it causing complications with her covert task; for that reason and because of their short acquaintance, Laura refused to reveal her feelings for Jayce to Jim’s wife.

  “Look over there, Miss Adams,” Jayce said to stop what he perceived to be an overly intense and furtive study of him. With his head turned in Laura’s direction, he grinned and winked without Emmaline seeing. He noticed how Laura quickly looked in the other direction to conceal her reaction to his impulsive behavior.

  Laura viewed the Governor’s Mansion, a huge and lovely log cabin w
ith many windows. It was two stories high, shingled, and had a porch running along the front and one side. It stood empty now, since the Goodwins, she was told by Emmaline, were in Washington where John was serving in Congress as the Arizona delegate. She continued to eye the dwelling until she was certain the blush on her cheeks had faded and she’d regained control of her poise and wits that had scattered as a result of Jayce’s mischief.

  During the outing, so unlike the one she had shared with Jayce in Richmond, Laura learned that Fort Whipple had been situated farther north in the beginning to protect prospectors not settlers. It had been moved to this site and given additional protection duties when Prescott became a capital after Arizona was made a separate territory from New Mexico. The town, with a busy central plaza, had countless saloons, gamblers, gunmen, fleecers, brothels, shops and businesses of all types, and several banks for storing gold and silver and the savings of local citizens. She listened closely as Jayce and Emmaline talked about a subject of intense interest to her.

  “Places like Prescott either become larger and more prosperous with time or they become ghost towns after gold or silver is removed or they’re too hard and expensive to get out of the ground and territory. Prescott is lucky she has other advantages to lure people here: timber, grass for ranchers, fertile soil for farmers, ample water for both, and a fort for protection. She has several freighting companies, Miss Adams, but the Miller brothers have the largest and most successful one. They use mule trains because mules are faster, stronger, and require less feed than horses or oxen. They make runs to Hardyville and Ehrenberg on the Colorado River. Sometimes my unit rides as escort for their pickups or deliveries. With lots of mountains nearby, we have plenty of timber for logs and firewood. We also guard sawmill or hay hauls on occasion.”

  “But guarding gold and silver shipments are some of your main duties, right, Private Durance?”

  Laura assumed Emmaline had asked that question so Jayce could unknowingly enlighten her on that crucial subject. Yet, she wondered if the woman had tagged along for enjoyment or to be certain she herself didn’t make any errors with the ex-Confederate soldier, now a Galvanized Yankee. She suspected that Jim had no idea about his wife’s plan and might be annoyed with Emmaline for putting both of them in hazardous positions. She assumed that the major wanted his wife to keep as distant as possible from the dangerous villains, and he wouldn’t want Emmaline to risk dropping clues to an ex-Rebel about them by accident.

  Jayce related, “That’s right, ma’am. They’ve had big strikes and small finds on Mount Union at Big Bug and on Granite, Turkey, and Lynx creeks nearby, and they’ve had others along or close to the Hassayampa River, less than a day’s ride southward: Rich Hill, Weaver, and Antelope Creek. Some of those miners or prospectors can dig or pan out thousands of dollars of gold in a short time; that’s mighty tempting to thieves and to claim jumpers, and those metals are important to our country.”

  As they took a different route back to the fort, Jayce, who worried that he had made a slip with his last sentence, changed the subject. “There are lots of amazing sights nearby, Miss Adams, if you’re interested in viewing them one day: Chino Valley, Granite Dells, Thumb Butte, Mingus Mountain, Del Rio Springs. Have you been to Tuzigoot or Montezuma Castle and Well, Mrs. Wright?”

  “No, but my husband has told me about them.”

  “What are they?” Laura asked to keep Jayce talking with the hopes his revelations would distract her from his enticing proximity and her sudden anxiety. She enjoyed hearing the information he relayed, but she wondered if it was only her wild imagination or if he had sounded patriotic during the final part of his sentence as they were leaving town, and if he had changed the subject abruptly. If that were true, she should be worried, since he was an ex-Rebel officer whose loyalty had been with the Confederacy, feelings that might still linger within him…

  Jayce continued, “They’re ancient Indian ruins, Miss Adams, thousands of years old and quite impressive from what others have told me. Tuzigoot is about thirty-five miles away; it’s an interconnected village of pueblos sitting atop a high ridge. Montezuma Castle is about forty miles away; they’re multi-storied dwellings set into the face of a towering cliff.Montezuma Well is a few miles northeast of it, with cliff dwellings and pueblos above a limestone sink. Tuzigoot is in the Verde Valley where farmers and ranchers have settled, but Apache rancherias and Yavapai pueblos are also located in that fertile basin. The other two sites aren’t far from the Valley. When the weather is nicer, perhaps in late spring or early summer, maybe you can persuade your father to let you two ride along with him and his troops to visit them. Or the colonel could assign me and a guard unit to escort you ladies over there. I wouldn’t mind seeing them myself before they’re destroyed or I leave this area after the war’s over and prisoners are freed. Of course we’d have to be careful not to tangle with those Apaches and Yavapais if they’re still riding and camping in those locations.”

  “It sounds like a wonderful idea, Private Durance. I shall ask Father about our going one day. Doesn’t that sound exciting to you, Em?”

  Emmaline said, “If Jim grants me permission, I’d like to go.”

  “What do you mean by that?” Laura asked as they dismounted.

  “He’s my husband, so he’ll have to tell me if it’s all right to go.”

  “I see,” Laura murmured as she handed her reins to Jayce and winked. “Since I’m unmarried, I didn’t realize a husband was a wife’s boss.”

  Emmaline laughed and said, “I can tell from your tone of voice that you’re only teasing me. If not, Laura dear, you have a lot to learn about men and marriage. Isn’t that so, Private Durance?”

  Jayce couldn’t help but chuckle. “I wouldn’t know either, ma’am, since I’m not married and lack experience in that area.”

  “Would you boss your wife around, Private Durance?” Laura asked.

  “I guess it would be according to if I thought she required it, Miss Adams, and if I thought it was safe in doing so. If I wed a strong-willed woman, I wouldn’t want my home to become a battleground by trying to tell her what to do if she had her mind set.”

  “I’m sure a man like you would find a clever way to convince her you only had her best interests at heart,” Laura quipped, laughing.

  “Perhaps, Miss Adams, but that sounds like a hard and futile job to me. If it’s advice and guidance you need in that area, Mrs. Wright should be able to supply them, since she appears to be a happily married woman.”

  “I am, Private Durance. Well, I’m sorry to intrude on your diversion, Laura, but I should be getting home. Would you like to come along with me?”

  Laura suspected the woman was getting nervous about the bantering between Jayce and herself and wanted to separate them. “Yes, that sounds nice,” she complied. “Thank you for an enlightening and enjoyable outing, Private Durance.”

  “You’re welcome, Miss Adams. Good-bye, Mrs. Wright.”

  “Good-bye, Private Durance, and thank you for your escort today.”

  Jayce, who also sensed the woman’s tension, led the three horses away to be unsaddled, curried, watered, and corraled. His heart beat with joy and love for Laura Adams. She was an absolutely delightful and unique woman, and he could hardly wait to make her his legally.

  As Laura accompanied Emmaline to her home, the woman asked, “Why did you joke around with him like that? He could misunderstand.”

  Laura laughed and asked, “Are you scolding me for having fun, Em?”

  “No, Laura, I’m just cautioning you to be careful around lusty and perhaps embittered ex-Rebels. You don’t want him to mistake politeness or friendliness as romantic overtures.”

  “Was I being too friendly or perhaps flirtatious?”

  “Perhaps a tiny bit, Laura, if you don’t mind my saying so.”

  “In that case, Em, I shall be more careful around him in the future.”

  “I believe that would be wise.”

  “Thank you for yo
ur advice and concern; you’re a true friend.”

  “I am your friend, Laura, and I want only what’s best for everyone. You must be more careful with your behavior and words under these unusual circumstances than you would be under normal conditions.”

  “I understand and agree with you, Em; thanks.”

  In the Wrights’ quarters, Jim awaited them. Laura listened as Emmaline related news of their outing, observed its effect on the major, and witnessed his reaction—a firm but gentle one.

  “It was foolish and dangerous of you to go along, Em, and I don’t want you to do that again.”

  As her husband caressed her cheek, Emmaline said, “I’m sorry, Jim, but I thought it might look improper for Laura to be alone with him.”

  “Since he’s the soldier who’s assigned as her escort by her father, no one will question that relationship. Besides, my dear wife, Laura is skilled and experienced in her work. All it would take is one slip from you to put one of our Galvanized Yanks on alert. Since Private Durance is in our suspects’ unit, perhaps she can glean clues from him about them. With you along, that could be difficult or impossible for her. Why don’t you prepare some coffee for me while I speak with Laura?”

  After Emmaline left to obey her husband, Laura revealed what she had done yesterday and asked Jim’s opinion about Jake’s list.

  Jim stroked his chin. “It isn’t odd for him to have information concerning payroll shipments, but he doesn’t need a list of freight or gold shipments. It’s up to me and other officers to handle those assignments. In my opinion, that’s suspicious, but doesn’t provide hard evidence. That was a big risk to take, Laura, and you’re lucky Captain Reno believed you. If you asked me, he’s a cold and dangerous man, so watch out for him.”