by Joni Keever
Memories of their intimate night together rushed at her; the feel of his strong yet incredibly gentle hands sliding over and caressing every inch of her, the taste of his luscious lips and the thrilling exploration of his teasing tongue, the overwhelming need to not only press every part of her body against his but to melt into him, blending together, becoming one being.
A sharp knock on the door brought Carly from her reverie. She had no idea how long she’d sat there on the windowsill, remembering, dreaming, longing. But she felt grateful for the abrupt return to reality. She couldn’t allow her mind to be seduced by such fanciful musings. The truth was, she had thrown herself at a stranger, a half-breed, an outlaw. Like a common whore. She had tossed away her purity, the one shred of dignity and civility that she had managed to miraculously maintain throughout this whole ordeal. Carly had allowed this savage land to turn her, to reduce her, and she could never regain what she lost. No, she could not allow such memories to overtake her. She had to remain keenly aware of her own unforgivable actions and Kade’s rejection. She deserved nothing more.
Outside the door, Carly found a tray of food and a bucket of water. Neither was warm, but she barely noticed. The washstand offered only a pitcher of water and small towel. As Carly unbuttoned her dress bodice, she retrieved what was left of her precious lavender soap. How she wished for a deep tub of steamy water! Her shoulder ached and her scalp itched, but beggars could not afford to be choosy. So she bathed as best she could and then washed her clothing in the used, soapy water.
After only a few bites of cold ham and corn muffin, Carly could no longer suppress a series of yawns. She drank the small cup of milk, then climbed into bed, ignoring the scratch of the sheets and groan of the bedsprings. Closing her eyes, she tried to picture the green of Virginia, the morning mist slowly lifting from the majestic Blue Ridge Mountains, the frothy churn of the Shenandoah River as it carried the spring melt southward. Yet, as the blanket of slumber covered her, the images evolved into endless fields of golden grasses swaying in the gentle breeze, brilliant pink-and-purple brushstrokes that painted the clear blue sky at sunset, and fathomless brown eyes that swam in warm cinnamon skin.
#
Just as Carly’s lashes fluttered open to greet the blooming dawn, a timid knock at the door dissolved her debate of whether to roll over and chase a bit more sleep.
A scruffy boy of no more than ten years stood in the hallway. Two parcels wrapped in brown paper and tied up with twine rested on his outstretched arms.
“Yer mister sent me over with these here items. Said he’d meet you downstairs for vittles just as quick as you can git dressed.” The lad shoved the bundles off on Carly, then spun and scampered down the stairs two at a time.
Curiosity immediately chased away the last shred of drowsiness, and she hurried to unwrap the unexpected delivery. Like a young child on Christmas morning, Carly tore through the paper, too anxious to carefully untie the twine and fold back the wrapping. The first revealed a neatly folded cotton dress. With a gasp, she snatched it from the packaging and held it at arm’s length. The material unfurled to reveal a simple but pretty frock with petite buttons and a bit of lace trim adorning the bodice. Hugging the thoughtful gift to her, Carly whirled about the room, wishing she had a long mirror. The fabric was the shade of spring grass, and for a silly minute, Carly wondered if Kade chose it to match her eyes. She dismissed the idea and eagerly attacked the next parcel. It offered a veritable treasure trove of delights! Modest undergarments, shoes, a brush for her hair, and a new bar of soap! Carly squealed as she examined each of the precious gifts.
Why had Kade done all of this for her? Yes, he’d won a fair sum of money from Tiny, but these purchases seemed a bit extravagant, all things considered.
A small voice inside Carly chided, You would’ve turned up your nose at every one of these items back in Virginia. She immediately shushed the intruder, not wanting anything to spoil this moment. She couldn’t wait to don her new feminine apparel and give her long, honey locks a proper brushing.
As she moved the tattered paper aside, a third package caught her eye. The smaller wrapped item had been included with the shoes and hairbrush, but Carly hadn’t noticed it before. Within the folds of brown paper lay a pair of beautiful matching hair combs. Shaped like little birds, the combs’ design was inlaid with delicate accents of green, gold, and blue. Carly rushed to the window to view them in the morning light.
They were stunning! What a lovely, generous gift. Again she wondered why Kade would’ve splurged on her. Then she realized his motive. He must surely want to make her as presentable as possible in the hopes of handing her off to some kindhearted soul here in Marshall, someone who would assist her in finalizing her aunt’s affairs and securing transportation back to Virginia.
Well, Kade Roberts need not worry! New dress or not, Carly Dawson could take care of herself. She’d have no need of him now. He’d fulfilled his promise and accompanied her to Marshall. Carly could certainly see Banker Hawthorne on her own and quickly conclude her business in this godforsaken wilderness. As far as she was concerned, the sooner she put Kade Roberts and Texas behind her, the better.
#
Carly’s bluster hadn’t lasted long. Her delight at having all her pretty new things sugarcoated any irritation she felt over Kade’s motivations. She floated down the creaky staircase as if on a grand balustrade in the finest eastern mansion. On the last step, she faltered.
There in the small lobby, Kade had stopped his impatient pacing and matched her steady stare. He, too, had on new clothing, just a simple shirt and dungarees, but they hugged his muscular frame like corn husks on a ripe ear. Carly fumbled for a word or two of greeting and tried in vain to turn away, but in the end, she just stood there and stared, unable to function or make sense of her behavior.
Finally the cowboy cleared his throat and uttered a simple “Good morning” but not before Carly noticed a barely perceptible rounding of his eyes and catch of breath in his chest. Or had she only imagined the reaction she’d secretly hoped for?
“Ready for breakfast?” Kade closed the distance between them and offered Carly his arm.
She arched one tawny brow in surprise but accepted the gentlemanly gesture and let him escort her out the door and up the street toward the main thoroughfare they’d passed last night. They walked in silence for a moment before her sense of decorum returned.
“Thank you, Kade, for the pretty dress and other things. That was quite generous and unexpected.” She smoothed the skirt of the simple fabric and wished again she’d had a mirror to check her appearance.
“You couldn’t very well wander around town dressed as you have been.” Again he cleared his throat. “You are lovely.”
“These hair combs are exquisite.” Carly patted one side of her head where she had swept her hair upward and secured it with a brightly colored enameled bird. “My room didn’t have a mirror, so I’m not sure if I’ve managed . . .” She let her voice trail away as she realized the man didn’t want to hear about and certainly didn’t care about her grooming concerns.
They’d reached the town square and blended inconspicuously with the other morning strollers on the boardwalk. Though Carly felt anxious to visit the bank, she realized the earliness of the hour as she noticed several shop owners unlocking their doors or readying their wares.
A firm hand at her elbow brought Carly up short. “What is it? What’s wrong, Kade? Bounty hunters?” She dropped her voice to a whisper as she glanced around furtively.
With both hands on her shoulders, Kade turned her toward a mercantile they were passing. “What is it? Is someone inside?” Carly moved to take a step nearer, intent on peering through the glass. He halted her movement.
“No, nothing like that. Look at yourself, at your reflection.”
She adjusted her gaze and clearly saw their images staring back from the smooth glass. Her jaw dropped a notch in surprise. There stood a striking couple, perhaps not the most el
egantly dressed pair on the street, but striking nonetheless. Kade smiled slowly as Carly’s gaze traveled the length of them.
The dress he’d chosen for her fit quite nicely. The shoes were fashionable, perhaps a tad bit big, but she would never admit as much. She loved them. She turned her head deliberately from side to side, inspecting the simple style she’d commanded of her long tresses. Her hair glowed like freshly harvested honey in the morning sun, and the little birds nestled within sparkled.
“As I said, you are lovely.” Kade’s smile matched her own.
Suddenly Carly felt the warmth of a blush as she realized the shop owner inside the store stared back at them quizzically. With a giggle, she turned toward her companion and tugged at his arm. “Where shall we go for breakfast? I’m starving.”
#
Placing a hand over Carly’s smaller ones, Kade stilled her fidgeting. After a hearty and delicious meal, the pair had arrived at the bank just as the doors were being unlocked. They’d asked to speak with the bank manager and were now seated in his office on comfortably padded high-backed chairs. A large mahogany desk anchored a handsome rug dyed in rich blues and golds. A moment later, a well-dressed gentleman in his early sixties entered the room, and the pair rose for proper introductions. The banker directed his greeting toward Kade.
“I am Nicodemus Hawthorne. I’m told you wanted to speak with me regarding something of a personal nature.”
Kade shook the outstretched hand. “I’m John Smith. This is Miss Carly Dawson of Virginia. It’s Miss Dawson who has business with you today.” He hoped she didn’t notice the way the banker took measure of her, gauging her worth by her dressing and demeanor. Kade held the back of her chair as she settled once again into one of the seats before Mr. Hawthorne’s massive desk.
With a nod and smile that didn’t quite reach his pale blue eyes, the banker took his position in his own chair, fixing his gaze on Carly, apparently eager for her to get right to the matter at hand.
She cleared her throat. “Thank you for seeing us so promptly, Mr. Hawthorne. I’ve come in response to your recent telegram regarding the passing of my aunt, Ruth Berringer.”
“Ah yes, dear Ruth. Everyone loved Ruth.”
Kade noticed the banker’s small smile did reach his eyes this time. They twinkled for the briefest moment behind his wire-framed spectacles. He leaned forward, resting his arms on this desk, lacing his fingers.
“What can I help you with, Miss Dawson?”
“Well, as I am Aunt Ruth’s only living kin, I’ve come to settle her affairs. Your telegram mentioned an estate.”
The word hung in the air, and Kade noticed Carly held her breath as she waited for Mr. Hawthorne’s response.
“Ah yes, very good.” Reaching into a drawer on the side of his desk, he extracted a ledger book, flipped it open and leafed to the page he sought. With a pointed finger, he tapped a neatly scrawled number in a column of many and continued. “Yes, indeed, Ruth Berringer, right here. One hundred and twenty dollars.”
Kade waited for Carly’s reaction. He had no idea how much she’d hoped for, but that amount would surely get her home to Virginia. His companion shifted her gaze from the banker to Kade, then back.
“Very well then. Are there papers you need me to sign? Will I be able to collect the money today?” She waited expectantly.
Mr. Hawthorne’s thin gray brows drew together, and he blinked several times before he delivered a measured clarification. “You seem to misunderstand, my dear. Ruth Berringer did not have one hundred and twenty dollars in this bank. Your aunt died owing one hundred and twenty dollars to this bank. I hope you are here to settle that debt.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
“Your uncle had requested the sum as a loan not long before his unexpected passing. Your aunt had no way of repaying the debt on her own.” Mr. Hawthorne paused as Carly absorbed the news. “In addition, the Berringer mortgage loan has not been paid in full. It’s now several months in arrears, due to Ruth’s passing.”
Kade noticed only a slight droop to her shoulders. He couldn’t help but feel a certain amount of pride in how well she handled the blow of such devastating news. The hope of returning to her precious Virginia had kept Carly driven and strong.
“I don’t know what to say, Mr. Hawthorne. I had no idea. I had merely assumed that my aunt and uncle had done well for themselves, and . . . that . . .” Her fingers once again fidgeted in her lap.
“That is unfortunate, Miss Dawson, but I’m afraid the situation is indeed a bit worse. The debt to the bank is not the only debt your aunt left behind. I do believe you’ll find that she has delinquent accounts at the mercantile and at the dairy.” Mr. Hawthorne removed his glasses and pulled a white linen handkerchief from his breast pocket before continuing.
“If you’re unable to settle these debts yourself, the bank will have to take possession of the Berringer house and its belongings to offer at auction.” Each spectacle lens was rubbed clean and polished to perfection. With the glasses now back in place, the banker waited for Carly’s response.
Kade noted the slight quiver to her chin as she drew in a shaky breath. He stood deliberately, helping Carly to her feet. “Miss Dawson will consider the situation and her options. We’ll let you know of her decision before nightfall tomorrow. Thank you for your time, Mr. Hawthorne.”
With a quick handshake, Kade turned and led Carly through the crowded lobby. He had one arm around her small, narrow waist and could feel the ragged, shallow breaths that warned of threatening tears. He maneuvered her through the busy town square to a quieter corner that offered a wooden bench positioned in the shade of a mighty live oak. As they sat, plump tears spilled from caramel-colored lashes to course down Carly’s cheeks. She stared at the ground without saying a word, and Kade decided to let her finish considering the disappointing news.
After a moment, she looked at her companion. “I never dreamed . . . There is no money, Kade. What ever will I do now? Not only do I not have the funds with which to return to Virginia, I now need money to settle my aunt’s affairs and pay her debts.” Carly shook her head and searched his steady gaze for an answer.
Kade folded her trembling hands in his own. “Carly, you don’t have to repay your aunt’s debt. As Mr. Hawthorne mentioned, the bank will sell the house and its contents to pay those debts. Perhaps there is something of value in the house that you can sell or trade for passage back to Virginia.”
Again she shook her head. The tears had stopped, and Kade could almost hear the fast pace of her mind as it worked to formulate a plan.
“Perhaps,” she said without any amount of hope or conviction. Pulling her hands free of his, Carly stood and began pacing the grassy area in front of the bench. “There is that possibility, but the obvious truth is if Aunt Ruth had anything of value to sell, she probably would’ve done so to take care of her obligations. And I can’t ignore those debts. That’s just not the right thing to do, not what Papa would’ve wanted me to do.”
A deep breath ended in a shaky exhale but left behind a resolve that Kade noticed in the squaring of the shoulders, the set of the jaw, the fire in the eyes. Carly stopped pacing and turned her determined green gaze on him.
“I must determine the exact amount of Aunt Ruth’s debt. I must go to her home and take account of what’s there. I must decide on a course of action and be prepared to meet with Banker Hawthorne tomorrow.”
Kade drew a deep breath of his own. “And if the value of the house and any other belongings isn’t enough to pay the loans, settle the debt and return you to Virginia?”
Carly’s gaze never wavered. A full minute passed before she answered the question he asked, the question that clawed at the thin cloak of hope she tried to wrap herself in. “Then I live in Aunt Ruth’s house, I find employment, I work to pay her debt, and save money for transportation. And perhaps, God Almighty willing, I will return, someday, to my beloved home in the Shenandoah Valley.”
#
Two hours later, the pair walked slowly through the clean, simple home of Ruth Berringer. After several inquiries, they’d learned that Nicodemus had been correct. Ruth had open accounts at the mercantile and the dairy, as well as an account to settle with the town’s doctor. At each stop, Carly received the same heartfelt condolences, the same affirmation of affection for her aunt, and the same bad news. Ruth died owing them money.
Carly also discovered that Aunt Ruth did not live alone. She’d taken in a couple of boarders, a war widow and her spinster sister. The ladies shared the larger of the two bedrooms in the home, the one intended for the home’s owners. Ruth slept on a small cot in an area just off the kitchen. Carly assumed the women paid her aunt a certain sum for room and board. Perhaps they paid enough to cover the actual mortgage payment itself. Carly and Kade had learned of the arrangement from the shopkeeper and had also been told that the sisters were currently staying at a nearby farm. Seemed the farmer’s wife was having a very difficult time of it with her seventh pregnancy. The widow and spinster had gone to care for the house and six small children since the expectant mother had been confined to her bed.
Kade stowed a box he’d taken from a closet. It had offered nothing of value, only a quilt carefully wrapped in brown paper, a strand of hair tied with a yellow ribbon, and a handful of old maps; undoubtedly keepsakes from her husband’s professional days. Treasures for sure but only of an emotional nature.
With a heavy sigh, Carly lowered herself to a threadbare, tufted settee in the parlor and smoothed a delicate crocheted doily that decorated one of the armrests. She looked around the small but welcoming room and tried to imagine her aunt and uncle here. Although she’d barely known them, they were her family. She hoped they’d been happy here, that this home had been filled with laughter and their years together with love.