by Bobbi Smith
The following days passed in a blur of activity for Trace and Elise, and the nights passed in a haze of heated passion.
As the day of Claire's and George's return neared, Trace grew more and more tense and watchful. Elise noticed the change in him.
"Everything is going to work out, you'll see," she encouraged him as he sat at his office desk going over the plans yet another time.
"I hope so. We've gone over every detail often enough. Between you posing as a maid in the hotel and Trent's deputies stationed nearby, we're going to be watching the entire building. There's no way the gang could get in or out without one of you seeing them."
"So you need to relax and quit worrying. Grandmother and George are going to show up looking quite unlike themselves, and I know they'll have come up with a perfect case for the family jewels," she told him smiling. "All we have to do is sit and wait."
"That's what I don't like. I like being in control. I don't like surprises."
"This time the surprise is going to be on Harris and his men. Our plan won't fail. It's too perfect!"
Trace knew she was trying to make him feel more confident, but he also knew that the moment you let yourself get too confident, mistakes happened. He didn't want anyone hurt. He just wanted Harris brought to justice.
"You spoke with Fernada about keeping an eye out for strangers in town, didn't you?"
"Yes, and I even gave her an extra copy of the Harris gang's wanted poster, so she could show the other girls and tell them who to look for."
"Good." His mood was grim, but he was satisfied that they had done everything possible to make this work. "Now, all that's left to do is pray."
Elise smiled at him. "I've already been doing that for days."
"Well, what do ya think?" Terp Wilson asked Matt Harris as they sat in their hideout up in the mountains. "That lord and lady showing up is all the talk of Durango." He had just passed through Durango and had stopped at a saloon long enough to hear the news about the royalty and their family jewels coming to town.
"We ain't never paid a visit to Durango before. I think I'd like to stop in and see these royal folks, what about you?" Harris gave an evil chuckle.
"Sounds good to me. Those jewels they'll be bringing with them must be worth a lot of money."
"I know," Harris said, his smile cold and determined. "This could be fun."
"And we ain't had much fun lately," Terp said, smiling back.
"Who's the law there?"
"Jared Trent, last I heard. He's a pretty good lawman from what I understand."
"I guess we ought to find out just how good he really is," Harris said thoughtfully, already planning the robbery. "What do you think?" Harris looked at his two other men, Al Brown and Tom Edwards. Max and Jim had been killed during the escape from Canyon Creek, and he still missed them.
"Let's do it!" Al and Tom agreed quickly.
"All right, we ride for Durango first thing in the morning. We'll have to be careful when we get there. Al, Tom, one of you boys will have to go in and take a look around. We don't want to risk being seen before we make our move."
Al and Tom nodded in agreement. "Whatever you want us to do, we'll do."
"Good. Tomorrow, we're heading for Durango."
The train carrying Lord and Lady Winston to Durango was right on time.
Trace, Elise, and Andy were at the train station eagerly awaiting their arrival. They were there only as newspaper reporters. A good number of curious townsfolk had shown up hoping to get a glimpse of them, along with Mayor Brown, who planned to greet them with Marshal Trent.
Elise wasn't surprised by their presence, considering the amount of excitement the story had generated. She was just glad that she didn't know many of those who had turned out. She was concerned that George and her grandmother might be recognized and ruin everything before they even got started.
Elise soon discovered that all her worries were for naught. When Claire descended from the train, aided by George, Elise gasped in surprise along with the rest of the crowd. She barely recognized either one of them. George was wearing a very lifelike fake dark beard and mustache, and he had somehow managed to make himself look much heavier. It was almost as if he'd padded his stomach. The changes in her grandmother's appearance were equally amazing. She was wearing an auburn wig and had taken a hint from Trace and donned eyeglasses. Her disguise was perfect.
George moved into the crowd, escorting Claire on one arm and carrying an ornately carved chest, which everyone could see was securely locked, under the other. As planned, they wanted everyone to believe that it contained the Winston jewels.
George and Claire smiled politely and nodded to those gathered there.
"Welcome to Durango," Mayor Brown greeted them. "We are honored to have you here."
"Thank you," George answered in a reasonable copy of an English accent.
"If there's anything you need, just contact Jared Trent, here-he's our marshal-or get in touch with me," the mayor offered.
"It's nice to meet you both," George said, giving the lawman a bland smile. "We appreciate your generous offer."
They exchanged pleasantries a moment longer, and then spoke in passing with the others who had come to meet them.
"We appreciate your warm welcome," Claire said with dignity, her accent as convincing as Georges. "We'd heard that the Dorchester Hotel was one of your best-is that true?"
"Yes, ma'am," one of the men told her. "It's right on down Main Street a few blocks."
"Thank you so very much."
They moved gracefully off in the direction of the hotel, leaving the crowd excitedly staring after them.
Once they'd registered, they retired to their room.
"It worked!" Claire told George in a hushed yet thrilled voice when they were safely alone.
"I couldn't believe it! Did you see Elise's and Trace's expressions? They were quite impressed with us, my dear Lady Winston," George intoned in his best British accent.
"I'm quite impressed with us!" she insisted. "We actually did it! We had everyone convinced that we really were a lord and lady from England."
"Well, so far, so good. I'm sure Trace and Marshal Trent will be showing up soon to let us know what to expect next. According to the itinerary we've set, we're only staying in Durango for two nights, so whatever is going to happen is going to happen soon."
Claire paled at the thought of the possible danger they faced. "I'm so afraid something bad is going to happen."
George went to her and put his arms around her to comfort her. "Don't think that way. We're going to have Marshal Trent and his deputies close around us twenty-four hours a day. Not to mention the fact that Trace is here. We'll be protected. Everything is going to work out just fine."
"I hope you're right."
Silently, George hoped he was right, too:
The balance of the day passed quickly. George and Claire left the hotel to walk the streets of Durango, seeing the sights and enjoying the town. They returned to the hotel to fmd Trace and Elise waiting for them in the lobby.
"Lord Winston? Lady Winston?" Trace said as he approached them.
"Yes?"
"I'm Gabe West, and this is Elise Martin. We're with the Durango Star newspaper, and we wondered if you'd have time for us to interview you."
"Why, of course," George deigned to speak with them. "We'd be delighted. Would you care to come upstairs to our room?"
"Well do whatever you'd like."
"Come, then. We can relax better there." George led the way up the staircase with Claire on his arm.
They made general small talk until they were safely in the room. As soon as they were certain no one else could hear them, Elise hugged her grandmother.
"You are so wonderful! Both of you!" She looked over at George as she held her grandmother close.
"You think so, do you? I make quite a lady, don't I?" Claire asked.
"I never had a doubt, but the wig and spectacles are a touch of genius!
No one's even had an inkling about your true identities. It's amazing."
"We've been practicing our accents," George told them.
"And you've done a fine job."
"Lets just hope this all pays off," Trace said solemnly. "I've arranged everything with Marshal Trent. He's going to have deputies out front and in back of the hotel, along with one man in the lobby all night. Elise has volunteered to work as a maid, so she'll be `on duty' in disguise until midnight. Is there anything else you need to know? Anything else I can do for you?"
"It sounds as if you've covered everything," George said thoughtfully. "I've got my sidearm in my suitcase. I'll keep it handy just in case all the precautions aren't enough."
"And what about your jewels?" Elise asked, a twinkle in her eye. "Do you have the fabulous Winston jewels with you?"
"Yes, my dear, we do," George said pompously. "Come here, and I'll give you a look at our treasure chest."
He had left the chest on the bed, and he went to it and unlocked it.
"Come, have a look at our priceless gems."
He lifted the lid, revealing a white satin lining in the chest. Within the confines of the box were a magnificent assortment of jewels unlike anything Elise had ever seen before.
"Oh, my," she said softly. "Where did you find these?"
George's eyes were twinkling with devilment as he watched her reaction. "The same place we found the wig, beard, and mustache. We got them from a troupe of actors in Denver. We were quite fortunate to meet up with them. They were most helpful."
"Indeed they were," Claire agreed.
"The jewels are paste, Elise, but unless one is truly knowledgeable about precious gems, there's no easy way to tell the difference."
"You'll have to wear some of these to dinner tonight," Elise told her grandmother. "We want the townspeople to see them and start talking about them."
"I'll do whatever you want me to do if it will help you," Claire offered.
Later that evening, Claire and George dined in the hotel's dining room. Claire wore a sparkling, `diamond-encrusted' heart-shaped pendant, huge `diamond' earrings, and what looked to be a diamond ring at least three carats in size. They were aware that everyone was watching them, and they enjoyed playing out their little charade.
When they'd returned to their rooms to retire for the night, they found Elise hovering near their room, disguised as a maid. They invited her in for a few moments to talk some more.
"What do you think? Does everyone still believe we're royalty?" Claire asked.
"Oh, yes. It's going great. Just make sure you keep this door locked tonight. We'll be close by outside, keeping watch over you."
"Good night, Elise," Claire told her as she hugged her close.
"Sweet dreams." Elise was smiling as she left them. They were, after all, still newlyweds.
Lord and Lady Winston retired for the night as Trace took up the watch outside with Marshal Trent.
"It looks like everything's in place," Jared told him. "Now, all we have to do is wait."
"This is the hardest part," Trace said in a low voice. "I've been waiting months for a showdown with Harris. I hope this draws him out."
"I hope it does, too. I want to stop the Harris gang once and for all."
They remained where they were and kept watch in companionable silence. They were the best of the best, these two lawmen, and they were determined to get their man.
It was decided that Tom Edwards would make the trip into Durango. He was the least well known of the gang, and that would give him an advantage as he moved around town.
Tom stopped at the first saloon he could find. He made himself at home at the bar, drinking quietly and not doing anything to draw undue attention to himself. When the talk in the bar turned to the rich English folks who were in town, he listened closely. By the time the locals were done talking, he even knew the hotel where the Winstons were staying, and he knew that the townfolk thought the jewels were locked up in an ornate wooden chest they saw the lord carrying as he came off the train.
No one seemed to notice as Tom finished off his drink and left the saloon. He rode on farther into Durango, looking for the hotel they'd mentioned. He needed to find out just how difficult it was going to be to get to the jewels. If the hotel was quiet, and it looked as if they weren't expecting trouble, it would be a simple thing to break into their room the following day and take the jewels. Tom just had to be sure that it really was going to be that simple before he could go back to Harris with a plan.
Tom rode past the hotel, studying the area. He couldn't see anybody, but he had the feeling that there was someone around watching everything that was going on. He rode onward, acting as if he was just passing through.
When he was out of sight of the hotel, Tom reined in and tied up his mount. Silently, on foot, he entered the alley that ran behind the hotel. He stayed to the shadows, ever cautious, as he approached the two-story building. He was only half a block away when he caught sight of the deputy guarding the back entrance. The man had taken up a place in a darkened area near the back door. If Tom hadn't actually been looking for him, he would never have seen him.
The presence of the guard around back convinced Tom that he'd been right about the feelings he'd had out front. This hotel was being very heavily guarded. He began to wonder if their idea to rob the royals of their jewelry might be a bad one. They'd lost two men on the last robbery in Canyon Creek. There were only four of them left now. They couldn't afford any more deadly trouble.
Determined to try to convince Harris to give up the idea of stealing the jewels, Tom returned to his horse and mounted up. He would meet Harris at their agreed-upon meeting place and explain everything he'd seen. It was not going to be as easy as they thought, robbing the lord and lady at this hotel.
The long hours of the night passed slowly for Trace. He was tense and anxious as they watched and waited, but it was a quiet night. There were no surprises. Things remained calm. He had watched as Andy escorted Elise from the hotel when her shift as a "maid" had ended, and he'd been glad to know that she was safe.
As the sun finally edged above the eastern horizon, Trace stirred from his vantage point and stared out across the landscape, trying to judge the new day.
"That was one long night," Jared said.
"I'm glad it's over, but it only makes me worry more about the rest of the day and tonight," he returned. "I'm going to head on back to the office now and try to get some sleep there. If you need anything, just let me know."
"I'll be in touch, but plan on doing the same thing tonight. I'll meet you here at sundown."
"All right."
When Trace got to the office, everything was locked up and quiet. Though he was ready for trouble if it happened, he didn't want any unwelcome surprises. He was tempted to go to Elise, but held himself back. He needed some sleep if he was going to be alert all day, and he definitely wouldn't be getting any sleep if he went to see her.
Trace smiled at the thought of waking her up this early in the morning to make love to her. He denied the desire that urged him to go and locked the office door behind him. Soon, he would make Elise his lady, and then they would never have to spend another night apart.
The cot he'd set up in his office offered little in the way of comfort, but he was too tired to care. He fell asleep quickly, but it was a restless sleep. He kept waking up, his heart pounding, tense and in a sweat. He knew he was worried about Harris, but this was different. There was something he was missing, and he couldn't figure out what it was.
"So you're saying the place is too heavily guarded?" Harris repeated back to Tom.
"There were guards everywhere. It's almost like"
"Like a setup?" Matt supplied, his gaze narrowing at the thought of all the lawmen watching the visiting royalty and their hotel real close.
"Yeah."
"But that's what makes it perfect." Harris laughed.
"What are you talking about? There's no way we could get
out of that hotel with the jewels without getting shot up bad."
"Who said anything about the hotel?" he sneered. "The reason we're so damned good is because we're a whole helluva lot smarter than those dumb-ass lawmen. We ain't going after the jewels. We're going to do what we do best. We're going to rob the bank."
Tom, Al, and Terp all smiled savagely at the thought.
"That's perfect! They're gonna be watching the jewels. They ain't gonna be thinking about the bank."
"That's right. We're going to be making a withdrawal from the Bank of Durango-a big withdrawal!"
The gang was hooting with laughter as they got ready to ride.
It was late morning when Trace finally got up. What little sleep he'd gotten had not helped. If anything, he was more tense now than when he'd retired. He'd always trusted his instincts, and he wasn't about to ignore the feelings that were driving him now.
"I'm going to find Marshal Trent. I'll be back later," he told Andy and Elise as he came out of his office.
They had both shown up for work on time, but had taken care to keep things as quiet as they could to let him sleep.
"Is something wrong?" Elise asked worriedly, seeing his dark expression.
"No. I just want to check with him and make sure that we've thought of everything. I don't trust Harris, and I wouldn't put anything past him."
He started to leave, then went back into his office. When he came out again, he was wearing his gunbelt. He strode from the newspaper office, a look of grim determination on his face.
Jared was already at his desk when Trace came in.
"You had the same kind of night I did," the lawman said, taking one look at him.
"It wasn't pretty," Trace told him with a grimace that didn't pass for a smile. "There's something I think we need to take a look at. How many deputies are working today?"
"Right now, two."
"While we've been so busy worrying about the jewels, the banks are doing business as usual."