Morgan shook his head at her. “Don’t ever put your gun down while apprehending a villain. If he got away, he could grab it and shoot you with it.”
“So what am I supposed to do with it?” Rilla picked it up and moved to Leroy’s feet.
“Put it in your holster.”
“It’s your gun. I don’t have a holster.” She was kneeling with the gun in one hand and the rope she was going to tie Leroy with in the other.
Morgan gave a sigh. “Tuck it in the waistband of your trousers. Didn’t they train you better than this?”
Rilla did as he instructed and proceeded to tie Leroy’s boots together. “That’s what this first case is supposed to do. You train me. Seems like you haven’t done that great a job of it so far.”
“You going to let her talk to you like that?” Leroy interjected incredulously.
“Shut up,” Morgan and Rilla said at the same time.
CHAPTER NINE
They rode to the main road going from Boulder City to Denver with Leroy and Abram tied to their saddles, their horses attached to Morgan’s. Rilla now had Jack trailing her.
Morgan was understanding Rilla’s attitude about women being treated as property better now. She’d told him of her father promising her to Leroy without her knowledge or consent, even though she was an adult. It was the last straw for her in a long line of controlling behavior toward her by her father. It was clear she wasn’t planning on staying married to him after they found the gold. He’d have to see what he could do about that.
People stopped and stared at their convoy as they rode into Denver. Two men tied to horses with a man and youth keeping close watch over them. When they got to the police station, Morgan sent Rilla in to get the sheriff.
Sheriff Cook came out and looked Morgan and the others over. A couple of deputies followed him. “Seems you made my job easier, Mr. Weston. This youngster says you’ve brought me Bastion and Hickman.”
Morgan raised an inquiring eyebrow.
“They’re wanted in regard to some thefts and cheating in Cheyenne. They were on their way to becoming notorious in the territory. Your boy, here, says they kidnapped him.”
Leroy started to say something, but Morgan swatted the back of his hand on the man’s chest.
“You keep quiet. Let’s get these men behind bars and we’ll fill in the details for you, Sheriff.” Morgan swung down as the deputies took care of Leroy and Abram.
Morgan closed the door to Cook’s office, giving them privacy as he and Rilla explained what had happened yesterday. “You understand our reasons for keeping Rilla’s identity a secret for now, Sheriff?”
“I do. We’ll give the basic details to the press, but keep the rest within the department. They’ll need to be taken to Cheyenne, but that can be delayed for a while.” Cook was tapping his fingers on some papers on his desk. “You know there’s a reward for their capture?” He turned the papers over and handed them to Morgan.
“No, we didn’t.”
“Five hundred apiece. You’re entitled to it, Morgan. Since you’ll be leaving town shortly, I’ll have it forwarded to the Pinkerton office in your name.”
Morgan felt Rilla slump as she sat next to him. If she’d been a boy, the reward would be split between them. Just another example of women being disregarded. He’d make sure Archie knew half went to her.
When they were finished filling out the reports, they headed to the Pinkerton Agency. Rilla stopped him before they left the livery. No one else was nearby.
“I thought Pinkertons didn’t take rewards.”
“Not more than the contract is agreed to. We didn’t have a contract for those two. We brought them in but not as Pinkertons. The reward is for whoever brings them in, so we get the reward.”
“You get the reward.” She turned away, but Morgan took her arm and had her face him.
“We get the reward. You’ll get half of it, no matter how it’s delivered. You were a vital part of the capture. You’re entitled to your share. I’ll let Archie and Marianne know that.
“Come on. Let’s go tell them about being sidetracked. We can get some good food, a bath, and a good night’s sleep.” He walked out of the stable with long strides.
“Hey, the food I cook is good,” Rilla ran after him.
“Not as good as Pearl’s,” he shot over his shoulder.
“Well, I can’t disagree with that.”
~~~~~
Again, Marianne had taken one look at Rilla and hustled her up to the bathing room. She’d ordered Morgan to get a bath in the carriage house then come back for a meal.
“You look bedraggled. A nice hot bath will do you good.” Marianne kept up a line of chatter as she filled the bathtub. “I’ll get you something to wear from the trunk of your things. It’s just down the hall. You’ll sleep there tonight. Oh! Do you want Morgan to sleep here with you?”
Rilla felt herself blush. “No. He can stay in the carriage house.”
“Oh, all right.” Marianne sounded disappointed as she closed the door behind her.
The water felt wonderful, but Rilla didn’t dawdle. She knew Morgan would make short work of his bath and she wanted to be included when they made their report to Archie.
The dress Marianne laid out for her was a simple day dress. Just a bodice and skirt. No bustle or overskirt, for which Rilla was thankful. She wasn’t planning on going anywhere. She was tired and wanted some food and then some rest.
As she was buttoning the bodice, a knock sounded on the door and Marianne stuck her head in. “Do you need any help? Supper is just about ready. I’m afraid Archie will want your report as we eat. Not the most pleasant meal conversation, but that’s the way he is.”
“It’s fine. It will get the report over earlier so I can go to bed. It’s been a tense few days.” Rilla tugged the bodice in place and followed Marianne down the stairs.
~~~~~
Morgan leaned back in his chair. Supper was nearly over, and Pearl’s dishes were the best he’d had since he and Rilla had left Denver. He couldn’t wait until she served dessert. He’d been told it was oatmeal cake with brown sugar, pecan topping.
Rilla was telling of her experience the day before with her kidnapping. Had it really only been yesterday? Irritation, excitement, and pride laced her words. She waved her hands as she spoke. Morgan hid his smile behind his coffee cup.
“I’d nearly escaped when Morgan let me know he was there.” He could tell she was proud of herself for using the valerian root in the coffee to make the men drowsy. He was proud of her ingenuity. How she handled herself during the whole episode.
“I wasn’t planning on capturing them. All I was going to do was take both horses and go find Morgan. If I couldn’t find him, I would have come back here. He’d most likely show up sometime.”
The comment made them all laugh. Pearl brought in their dessert, so they paused in the discussion to enjoy it.
“You said you knew this Leroy Bastion from before?” Archie asked.
Rilla’s tone took a downturn. “Yes, he worked in the theater troupe I grew up with. My father promised him he could marry me. That’s when I left.”
“You didn’t want to marry him?”
“No.”
Morgan entered the conversation. He could tell Rilla didn’t want to elaborate, but knew Archie wanted more explanation. “Bastion was a petty criminal even before he joined the troupe. Marshal Cook had a report listing the activities he was a suspect of. Pickpocketing, petty theft, cheating at cards and other gambling. Seems without Rilla’s presence in the troupe, acting and the work involved paled, and he left soon after she did. I don’t know if he was looking for her or just decided to move on.”
“He was pretty lazy. The manager would always be hounding him to get his jobs done,” Rilla added. She tried to stifle a yawn, but Marianne noticed.
“I think we’re done here. Rilla and I will go upstairs and leave you gentlemen to yourselves.”
Everyone stood, and the lad
ies left the dining room. Archie waved at Morgan, leading him into the parlor. He poured them each a cup of coffee and they settled in the wing-back chairs in front of the fireplace.
“So, Morgan, how are things going between you and Rilla?” Archie took a sip, then held the cup between his hands.
Morgan wondered at Archie’s question. He didn’t want to talk about his feelings for her and wondered if that’s what his boss was referring to. “We seem to get along well enough. I know she doesn’t like all the camping out. You might want to remember that when you put her on other cases. Rilla doesn’t truly complain, but sometimes I could hear her grumbling to herself about it. She’s always delighted when we get to a town with a hotel or boarding house. For that matter, I am too, but not to the same depth.” Morgan chuckled, and Archie joined in.
“That’s one of the adjustments that you male agents will have to make. The gentler sex likes their accommodations gentler too.” Archie took a sip of his coffee.
“Rilla’s pretty reticent about talking about herself. Her growing up years and the theater troupe. I don’t think it was necessarily that good. She’s passionate about helping women out of desperate situations. She believes men think of women as property; her term. Her father was making her marry Bastion and with him thinking she belonged to him, I can understand somewhat. That’s what she joined the Pinkertons to learn, how to legally, or not, help women and their children escape from abusive relationships.”
“She’s not totally wrong,” Archie said. “Laws in many states tend to inhibit what women can do. I know of a few places that shelter women and children. Mostly they are widows, orphans, abandoned girls, reforming soiled doves. I’m not sure if the ones I’m thinking of would shelter women who ran away from their husbands. In most states, the law wouldn’t let the women stay if the husband came for them and forced them to go back. If she didn’t, she forfeits her children. If the wife can obtain a divorce, she loses the rights to her children. To make things more complicated for them, women don’t have legal standing separate from her husband. It’s called coverture.”
“Rilla mentioned that, though not using the term. She mentioned that she couldn’t open a bank account on her own. She didn’t think she’d be entitled to any of the reward for Bastion and Hickman.”
“I hope you plan to share it with her.” Archie’s thoughts on the matter were plain in his tone.
“I told her we would divide it equally, even if it was all sent to me. She deserves it after what Leroy put her through.”
“Legal standing aside, you know that many of the agents who accepted marrying their female agent have stayed married to them. At this point in your case, how are you leaning, annul or stay married?”
Morgan was surprised at the straightforward, rather intrusive question, but answered honestly anyway. “I’ve come to regard Rilla as someone I want to stay married to. When she was kidnapped, I found that my feelings toward her were stronger than I’d anticipated.”
Archie’s lips pulled into a slight grin, though his mustache tried to hide it. “Congratulations.”
“It’s a little early for that, given Rilla’s thoughts on being property of a man. I’m hoping to convince her, but the idea of remaining married to her, in every sense of the word, is only a couple of days old. They’ve been pretty hectic days as well. I haven’t had time to think about how to convince her.”
Archie grinned. “I might just have a few ideas to share with you.”
CHAPTER TEN
AFTER BREAKFAST, ARCHIE, Rilla, and Morgan studied the map of Colorado. With a protractor, they drew lines from the Flatirons on the compass degrees to scale. Archie tapped the end point on the map. “That’s near Stones Creek. I’d say go there. What’s the next clue?”
“Jacob Owens,” Morgan said.
“That’s the man who stole the gold we’re searching for,” Rilla said. “Do you suppose it’s similar to the clue in Jefferson?”
“You think he wrote a letter to himself and sent it to Stones Creek?” Morgan asked.
“Maybe, but are you sure the clue leading from the Flatirons is to Stones Creek?” Rilla asked.
Archie ran his finger along the line he’d drawn on the map. “Nothing else in that area. Sure, there are some ranches, but no other towns.”
“We can go to Stones Creek and see if there is a letter for Jacob Owens. If there’s not, we’ll have to see if we can figure out where else there might be a clue.” Morgan picked up his compass and tucked it into his vest pocket.
“What is the next clue after Jacob Owens?” Archie asked.
Rilla picked up the paper with the clues. “It says, ‘Forty-five to Home.’ That could either mean miles or degrees.”
“But whose home? Jacob Owens never lived in the Colorado Territory, that we know of. He only robbed trains and banks here.” Archie began folding the map.
“I think we need the clue from Stones Creek,” Morgan said. He looked at Rilla. “You ready to head out?”
“Any chance we can take the train to Stones Creek?”
“Horses don’t like the train, and donkeys hate it. Too much noise and rough movement.” Morgan picked up his saddlebags. “You want to ride as a woman or a boy?”
“I don’t suppose I could get you to ride as a woman?” Rilla asked with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes.
“Um, no.”
“You know, it might not be a bad idea for you to use a disguise,” Archie said, his eyes dancing with mirth. “Not as a woman. There’s not a person who would ever mistake you for one. You could go as an older man, though. Maybe Rilla’s grandfather. She could put cosmetics on you and maybe a gray wig. She could coach you on how to talk like an old geezer.”
“I can do that,” Rilla said.
“I’ll think about it.” Morgan wasn’t as thrilled with the idea as Archie and Rilla seemed to be. He tossed his saddlebags over his shoulders and stalked out of the office. “Rilla, dress how you want. I’ll get the horses. We can saddle yours when I get back.”
Archie and Rilla looked at each other and laughed.
Marianne came into the room, a quizzical look on her face. “What has Morgan scowling so much?”
That made Archie and Rilla laugh harder.
“He’s not enthusiastic about using a disguise. Not any that we suggested anyway,” Rilla said. “I’m going to change. I think I’ll be a lady and ride sidesaddle today. Stones Creek isn’t that far. It may be the last chance I have for a while.”
Rilla dressed in her grey riding habit. It didn’t show the dust very much. It was a bit wrinkled from being in the carpetbag for so many days, but she shook them out of the wool before putting it on.
By the time she was ready, Morgan was back from the livery with the mounts. He took one look at her, frowned, and took the sidesaddle out of the load on Jack’s back. Archie saddled Biddy while Morgan tied the Western saddle on Jack and covered it with the tarp.
Rilla allowed Archie to help her mount and waved them off. Rilla followed Morgan on Condor, with Jack trailing behind. She was glad to be a woman again. As much as she hated how women were considered property, the way men generally treated them was better than they treated teenaged boys.
Around boys, men didn’t watch their language, they passed gas and spit. None ever helped her as a boy do anything whether it was too much for her strength, and they expected her to fetch and carry and tend to them, just like they did women. At least the teenage boy would grow into a man and gain the power they had. In Stones Creek she’d be treated like a lady.
They’d gotten a late morning start leaving Denver, so they didn’t take many rests along the way, only long enough to let the horses drink when they came to a creek. They even ate the lunch Pearl had packed for them while they rode. The day was warm with big puffy clouds overhead. Morgan was quiet, so Rilla entertained herself by imagining what the shapes of the clouds looked like.
It was dusk when they rode into Stones Creek. Rilla was glad to see a hotel alo
ng Main Street. She wished she could request a room while Morgan stabled the horses, but many hotels didn’t want to rent one to a lady alone. She stood behind him as he registered with the desk clerk.
“Is the café across the street good?” Morgan asked.
“Yes, we have a dining room also that serves from six in the morning to eight at night.” The clerk handed a key to Morgan.
They climbed to the second floor and entered the room. Morgan dropped the saddlebags, as he always did. “I’ll tend the horses. Let’s eat in the dining room here tonight and at the café in the morning. My guess is the café is less expensive.”
Rilla wondered why Morgan was being so short with her. He wasn’t treating her badly, but he wasn’t his usual cheerful self. She hoped it wasn’t because of the teasing she and Archie had done to him that morning. She’d have to apologize to him.
~~~~~
“Are you mad at me?” Rilla’s timid words took Morgan by surprise. They’d had supper and were back in their room.
“Why would you think that?” Morgan asked.
“You’ve been so quiet all day. I thought maybe you were upset with Archie’s and my teasing this morning. I’m sorry if it made you angry.” She was standing almost in the corner as if she was a child being punished.
“Oh, honey, no.” He came to her and drew her against him. Rilla didn’t resist, but she did stiffen a bit. “I’ve just been preoccupied with the thought that we might actually find the gold and then have to get it back to Denver. That could be much more dangerous. We’re going to need a way to get it to Denver without people knowing about it or we could be attacked along the trail.”
“Oh, good, I didn’t want to have hurt your feelings.” Rilla backed away. She picked up her nightgown and went behind the dressing screen to change.
Morgan stared at the screen as he began unbuttoning his shirt. He didn’t like that Rilla seemed fearful that he’d be overly upset if she hurt his feelings. He’d have to do what he could to reassure her. He did like that she’d let him hold her, even though she’d been stiff in his arms. She’d also not objected when he called her honey. But that could have been her not wanting to upset him.
An Agent for Rilla (The Pinkerton Matchmaker Book 32) Page 7