Defiant Hearts

by Janelle Taylor

  She saw his adoring gaze and was convinced he spoke the truth. Her fingers traced his sensual lips as she said, “I love you, too; I always will.”

  They kissed and embraced for a few minutes before Jayce reluctantly pulled away. “We should get dressed and back into sight in case somebody comes along; that way, we can pretend we were only taking a look at this pretty area.”

  “Ever the cautious and intelligent one of we two,” she teased him.

  As he buttoned his long Johns and shirt and pulled up his lowered pants to fasten them, he grinned and lightly explained, “Not so, woman of mine. You’re so distracting, they could have laid railroad tracks and sent a train through this area minutes ago and I wouldn’t have taken notice.”

  As Laura’s fingers worked at her camisole and shirt and jacket, she quipped, “And all that time, you had me believing you generously were staying alert for intruders while I was lost in passion.”

  Jayce chuckled and caressed her cheek. “You’re really something special, Laura Adams; I enjoy you every time I’m with you, and crave to be near you when I’m not. How will I ever get any work done after we’re married and you’re around and available all the time?”

  “I suppose we’ll just have to learn to restrain ourselves at times, or you’ll have to take the lead, since you’ll be the husband and boss.”

  “I can’t imagine anybody bossing you around, my independent lass.”

  “Oh, I can take orders when it’s necessary and from somebody I love. It’s just that the stakes have to be high enough.”

  “That’s good news, but I think we’re compatible and unselfish enough to be partners in every area of our future lives.”

  “I’m certain that can be arranged. Now, may I borrow your canteen so I can freshen up in case we encounter someone?”

  After he fetched it, he gave her privacy to complete her personal task before she donned her skirt.

  “All finished,” she soon told him, and he turned to take the canteen.

  Jayce’s gaze traveled her face and body. “Beautiful, and all mine.”

  Laura stroked his jawline and said, “Handsome, and all mine.”

  “Don’t you dare look at me like that or use that enticing tone, woman, or I’ll be pleading for seconds at your delicious meal table.”

  “I’ll try to behave like a lady, sir, but it’s difficult around you.”

  “Come along, you mischievous temptation, before we’re missed and somebody sends out a scouting party to search for us.”

  As they walked side-by-side and holding their horses’ reins, Laura told him about the letter she had received yesterday, omitting only parts that would be detrimental to her at that point. “A friend of ours told Lily an intensive search was on for Union sympathizers and spies. Since I’m a Unionist and you were a Confederate officer and she doesn’t know you as I do, it was only natural for her to mistrust you and fear for my safety. Many important civilians and military men stayed at my hotel, so it would be the perfect place for a spy to use. There was an incident last year where two of my guests, disguised Union soldiers, were arrested for an abduction plot against the wives of General Lee and others. I was even questioned after they were exposed.”

  “I had a gut feeling Lily wasn’t being honest with me, but I’m certain Richard was. Lordy, I was desperate to find you before I left the area.”

  Laura halted and faced him. “Don’t be angry with her, Jayce, she was only trying to protect me and her relationship with Richard. After all, he’s also a Confederate and she’s a Northerner from Pennsylvania, though she can portray a Southerner most convincingly. Lily had a hard life and trusting any man was difficult for her until Richard came along.” She related some of the grim details of Lily’s past and how the woman had changed. “She’s a good person, and I’m lucky we became best friends.”

  “I’m not angry, and I understand her reluctance to trust me.” Jayce wanted to swear he would never have deceived or betrayed Laura if he had discovered she was a Unionist, but he could not make that vow when, in a way, he was doing that now and she might recall his claim later and think he had lied to her.

  “We’d better mount up and head back, my love,” Laura said reluctantly, “time’s passing fast.”

  “I know,” but not fast enough to suit me, to end this damn secrecy!

  Two days later, word was sent to Fort Whipple about a band of hostiles who had raided a sawmill outside of Prescott, stolen mules and supplies, and killed two men. A bugle call summoned soldiers from drill practice, assignments were made, and men prepared their mounts and gear to meet the challenge.

  As Jayce departed with a company of soldiers to pursue the Indians, Fayetteville, North Carolina, fell into Yankee hands.

  Also on that day, Howard and Laura received letters from Henry and Tom letting them know they were all right. Laura replied the following day with the news about their adventures in Arizona. She also wrote to Nora, Henry’s wife, in Pennsylvannia.

  * * *

  During the six days Jayce was gone, Howard continued seeing Charlotte on a regular basis. Though he kept his romantic feelings about the woman to himself, Laura perceived how strong they were from his behavior and expressions.

  The day after Jayce returned to the fort, Jake asked Laura to take a ride with him. It was her beloved she wanted to be with that day, but since she was fully aware of her task to unmask Jake, she couldn’t refuse an opportunity to glean clues. Since her arrival, she had done little to solve this mystery and halt the alleged crimes. She was a little puzzled as to why Jim wasn’t vexed by her lack of progress and seemed to understand that her hands were bound to a point. Jayce’s absence had seemed a perfect time to work on Jake, but her uncle had ridden along with the men.

  “Did you catch the Indians, Uncle Jake?” Laura asked him now as they rode slowly over the rolling terrain.

  “No, I’m afraid not, but we recovered the stolen stock and supplies where they had to leave them to escape our pursuit. That’s one thing about mules, Laura, you can’t make them run fast, and those heavy supplies were slowing down those hostiles. Those redskins can be elusive when they set their minds to vanishing; they know this territory better than we do. We could have used Pauline Weaver as a tracker, but he’s off looking for color.”

  “What’s that, sir?”

  “Gold, Laura dear, searching for that beautiful and shiny metal.”

  “It would be nice to make a big strike, wouldn’t it, sir?”

  “Yep, mighty nice. A man could get rich in a few days if he knew where and how to look for it.”

  Laura’s mind retorted, Or where and how to steal it?

  “Of course, prospecting and mining are hard work, dangerous, too.”

  But easy when you let others do the labor and safe when you get your culprits to take all of the risks to steal it. “But if it pays so well, the time and efforts one spends to collect such riches are worth it, right?”

  “I imagine so, but I’ve never caught gold or silver fever. Grubbing in the dirt or chapping my hands in icy streams doesn’t appeal to me. Neither do the hardships a man has to endure. Nor the perils. I don’t want to be looking over my shoulder every minute for Indians, claim jumpers, or robbers who can stroll in and take what I’ve worked so hard to collect.”

  “That’s why the soldiers are here, Uncle Jake, for protection.”

  “Protection doesn’t mean anything if a man’s dead; gold, neither.”

  “Then, sir, the secret is for him to stay alive to spend his wealth.”

  Jake grinned and said, “Speaking of secrets, I suspect a big one, Laura.”

  She tensed and asked, “What secret is that, Uncle Jake?”

  “I think my brother’s in love with that pretty laundress in town. From what I see and hear, he’s spending a lot of time with her. Looks to me as if you might be in store for a stepmother soon.”

  A relieved Laura smiled and said, “Perhaps you’re right, sir, and it wouldn’t dismay
me in the least. For years, I’ve hoped Father would find someone special to love and marry. If what you say is true, I hope they’ll be happy together. What about you, sir? Will you marry again? And where do you plan to live after the war?”

  “I think I’ll probably stay here. Maybe I’ll try to become the next territorial governor. Goodwin’s term will expire in early ’66. If you ask me, Lincoln should go ahead and replace him now that he’s in Congress.”

  “Secretary McCormick is acting in his stead, isn’t that right?”

  “Yep, but he’s got plenty of other work to do, including running that newspaper of his. I could give this territory more and better attention than either of them.”

  “I didn’t know you had political aspirations, but I’m glad you’re making plans for your future.” Laura wondered if he would try to kill the acting governor to get that coveted position. Perhaps she should keep her eyes open in that direction, in case McCormick’s life was in peril. She made a mental note to pass that information along to Jim Wright.

  “It’s just a thought for now; I can’t do anything about it until this war’s over. Now, tell me, Laura, are you taking a shine to that handsome escort of yours?”

  Laura glanced at him, wide-eyed and open-mouthed, that query unexpected and confusing. Even so, she knew how she should respond to dupe him. “Surely you jest, Uncle Jake, he’s a Confederate, a prisoner of sorts! I didn’t select him; Father assigned him to me. I asked for a Union soldier to replace him, but Father refused.”

  “I know how Howard can be when he makes up his mind about something, but it doesn’t look proper.”

  Laura wondered if Jake wanted to lure Jayce into his service and was probing to see if they were getting too close for him to do so. “That’s what I told him, sir, but he thinks it’s a good way to show the Galvanized Yanks he has faith in them, so they’ll trust him.”

  “Well, he shouldn’t risk your life to get his way.”

  “Risk my life, sir? How so?”

  “I didn’t mean risk your life in that way, Laura; I meant, a lonely and bitter man shouldn’t be trusted around such a beautiful and tempting lady.”

  “Thank you for the compliments, Uncle Jake, but I doubt Private Durance would do anything that would land him back in prison. He seems to like this territory also, and surely must enjoy his freedom again. I don’t really know that much about him or his feelings; it doesn’t seem proper to converse with a man in his lowly rank and offensive status.”

  “If the tables were turned, Laura dear, it could be me or your father in that young man’s place.”

  “If so, I wouldn’t be here to witness such an outrage. Besides, there is no way the weakened Confederacy is going to win this atrocious war. How could they, sir, without adequate supplies, weapons, and ammunition? The South is crippled economically and financially, and their currency is worthless, or so Father told me. Unless the Rebels miraculously make one of those big gold strikes, they can’t afford to purchase their supplies, and no foreign country is going to give a dying cause a line of credit.”

  “You’re a very intelligent woman, Laura, but desperate men often find ways around obstacles.”

  “Not one this tall and wide, though I don’t mean to sound as if I’m being disrespectful, sir.”

  “Don’t worry, my dear, you didn’t. You were only expressing your opinion, and I like a woman who can think for herself.”

  Laura feigned an expression of concern as she asked, “Do you really think the Confederacy can be revived and they can prolong this awful war?”

  “I hope not; I’m past ready for it to end; it’s taken enough from me.”

  “I’m sorry, sir, if I reminded you of your many losses. It’s a shame the government can’t find a way to repay you for them, not that lives have a monetary value. Union soldiers are responsible for the destruction of your home and property, though, so you should be recompensed in some manner.”

  “I don’t know how they could do so, even if they were willing.”

  “They could make you the next territorial governor,” she hinted with a grin. “It’s an idea worth pursuing, isn’t it, sir?”

  “Laura Adams, I do believe you have a sly streak in you.”

  She faked another grin and responded saucily, “Perhaps, I do. Why, is that a bad trait?”

  “Not in my opinion, but I’m certain Howard would disagree with me.”

  “I suppose I acquired it during my separation from Father. I was forced, as a Unionist, to use my wits to dupe the Confederates in Richmond and use them to support myself while I was trapped there. I doubt few men would have stayed at the hotel if they had known of my true loyalties. But I must confess, my courage lagged every time they searched for Unionists.”

  Jake gazed off into the distance as he murmured, “I can imagine how frightening it was to be among enemies and to fear exposure.”

  “Are you ever afraid, Uncle Jake? Or is that only a feminine trait?”

  “Everybody is scared by something some time in their life.”

  While he seemed distracted and talkative, Laura probed with cunning, “I suppose so, especially during war when one is forced to do things one wouldn’t do under normal circumstances.”

  “On the contrary, Laura dear, a man rarely strays far from himself.”

  “I don’t understand your meaning, sir.” She tried to elicit more information, but Jake appeared to recover his lost concentration.

  “Well, I’ll explain it to you during our next ride. It’s too late and I’m too tired to get into that deep subject today.”

  Too tired? Laura scoffed a minute later when Jake suggested they race back to the fort and galloped off in that direction. It’s more like you don’t want to give away clues or deal with your guilty conscience!

  On the first day of spring, the temperatures ranged from high fifties in the daytime to the upper thirties at night. Persistent and precocious flowers had pushed their heads through the hard ground and were either blooming or about to bud. Grass was abundant and green, luring seasonal animals back into the area and they were sighted frequently nearby.

  Laura eyed the wild beauty of the land and fretted over her inability to gather hard evidence in the matter assigned to her. Yet, that failure had its good side: as long as she didn’t have success, she and her father would be kept there, allowing her to be near Jayce.

  She didn’t, Laura reminded herself, have any tangible proof yet, just mounting suspicions, but a payroll was expected in two days, a notation she had discovered when she searched her uncle’s office almost three weeks ago. Somehow, and despite Jim’s cautions to the contrary, she had to find a way to trail Jake or his cohorts when they left the fort on Wednesday…

  * * *

  Howard was the first to leave that day, accompanied by a large troop. He headed for Wickenburg to tour the town and Vulture Gold Mine, the richest vein discovered so far, and located ten miles south of the town of over three hundred inhabitants.

  With her father to be gone until tomorrow night or later, Laura reasoned, it was an ideal time to further her mission. She watched Jayce and the four suspects load horses—U.S. Army branded on their rumps—with field equipment: blanket roll, slicker, rope, horse forage sack with corn, saddlebags with personal belongings, weapons and extra ammunition, canteen and mug, and haversack with rations and cooking gear.

  Those preparations told Laura they planned to be gone for more than a day, so she hurriedly packed a few supplies of her own and readied her weapons. Of course, she deduced, she couldn’t shadow them for more than one day or she would be missed and questioned.

  As soon as the men left, Laura requested a horse and, after telling the soldier at the corral she was going into town to shop, rode in the opposite direction to dupe anyone who might be observing her. As soon as a ridge cloaked her from the fort’s view, she circled around and located the men’s trail and followed it, giving silent thanks to her father and brothers for teaching her how to track when she h
ad gone hunting with them many times in the past.

  Laura kept a safe distance from the men and used rugged landscape to obscure her presence, as she worried about Jayce being with her targets. If they were heading to rob the payroll shipment, that meant he had become one of them or hadn’t been told what was about to happen. If he was in the dark and reacted unfavorably to the deed, would the villains try to silence him with death? If so, she needed to be close enough to rescue him.

  Within two hours and hidden behind rocks and scrubs with her rifle at the ready, Laura received the answer to her mental question about his guilt or innocence, and it tormented her heart…

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Laura used her father’s fieldglasses to observe the troubling episode in progress, a precaution which allowed her to see what was going on while keeping out of sight and at a safe range. With the sun to her back, she knew the instrument’s glass ends did not give off revealing reflections. Her blond hair was covered and controlled against whipping about in the wind by a scarf, which, along with her garments, were chosen purposely in terrainblending colors. The borrowed mount grazed in a ravine, and she hoped nothing spooked the animal and provoked revealing noise.

  After her preliminary study and agonizing deduction, she knew there was no need to move closer in the event Jayce needed rescue, as it was clear to her that he was participating of his own volition. Her foolish lover, along with his companions, had donned civilian clothing and concealing hoods with holes cut out for viewing. Their horses—with Army brands—were ensconced among boulders beyond their current location. She watched the five men talk and point, no doubt planning their strategy, then secrete themselves behind rocks and trees along the trail. As with them, she waited for the arrival of the payroll and its subsequent theft.