Too Many Secrets

by Marie Higgins

  “Here you go,” he whispered as he helped her on the sofa before sitting next to her.

  “You are so kind.” She squeezed his hand. “But I shall be fine now. I assure you.”

  “What happened earlier? Did you swallow a piece of food the wrong way?”

  She shook her head. “No, I think I breathed too fast when I drank the wine. The next thing I knew, I couldn’t breathe.”

  “Well, I’m glad you’re better now.” He stroked her cheek as his gaze dropped to her mouth. He wanted to kiss her again. Their first kiss had been haunting him since they were in the moonlight. If only he could get rid of his friends for a little while. He’d take Nicole in his arms and show her how a passionate kiss was really supposed to be.

  “Uh, Ashton?”

  Turning toward Glynn’s voice in the corner of the room next to Steven, irritation grew inside of Ashton. Couldn’t he have a few minutes with Nicole to himself without being interrupted?

  Glynn stood behind him and motioned his head to the back of the room. “Could Steven and I talk to you privately for a moment?”

  Ashton nodded and looked back at Nicole. Gently, he patted her hand. “I’ll be right back.”

  She nodded and smiled. He quickly moved to where his friends were standing, hoping that whatever they had to say was quick so that he could get back to Nicole. Unease ran through Ashton as he studied his partners’ grim expressions, and he for sure knew he wasn’t going to like what they had to say.

  “Ashton,” Glynn started in hushed tones, “there’s something I need to tell you about Miss Bastian.”

  “What?” Ashton asked warily.

  “Mrs. Browning knows Miss Bastian’s housekeeper—Mrs. Phelps.”

  “What’s wrong about that?” Ashton wondered.

  “I’m not saying Miss Bastian is anything like her housekeeper, but I feel you should be aware of this, nonetheless.”

  “What, Nickerson?” Ashton raised his voice slightly.

  “Mrs. Browning told me that a few years ago, she witnessed Mrs. Phelps steal a painting from an estate. The woman was never arrested even though Mrs. Browning told the police about it.”

  “So.” Ashton shrugged. “That was a few years ago. I’m sure Mrs. Phelps has changed since then or she wouldn’t be working for Miss Bastian’s father right now.”

  “Ashton,” Steven growled in low tones, “would you pull your head out of the clouds and think about this for a moment?” He crossed his arms over his chest. “Miss Bastian is a close acquaintance with a thief. You spotted Miss Bastian and another man on the train…the very train that is being robbed. Miss Bastian hasn’t allowed you to meet her family or tell you where she lives. You have even suspected something was not right with her.” He shook his head. “Can’t you see? She searched you out at the general’s masked ball and had gotten to know you—and only you. Doesn’t this mean anything?”

  Ashton fisted his hands as he gritted his teeth. True, things were not stacking in Nicole’s favor, but she couldn’t be the thief they and the police were looking for. Could she?

  “I don’t know,” he muttered softly, pushing his fingers through his hair. “There is really no proof, just a lot of circumstances.”

  Glynn rested his hand on Ashton’s shoulder. “Don’t you see what she’s doing?” He continued to speak low. “She’s got a spell on you. This is what she does to men, I’m certain of it. I’ve never seen you so love-struck before. Larson and I think it’s because she’s purposely trying to charm you so you don’t suspect her.”

  Bitterness coated Ashton’s tongue, and betrayal gnawed a hole in his heart. He squeezed his eyes closed. Although he didn’t want to believe, his friends did have a valid point. Ashton hated to feel weak, and that emotion washed over him in buckets right now.

  He took a deep breath and looked back at his friends. “What do you suggest I do about it?”

  “Just be more careful around her,” Glynn said.

  Rolling his eyes, Ashton released a gush of irritated air between his teeth. “And what about tonight? Don’t you think she is going to become curious as to why I’m suddenly distant when only a few minutes ago I wanted to kiss her, not caring who watched?”

  Steven shook his head. “Don’t let her think you suspect her of anything.”

  “And how am I supposed to do that after what you have just told me?”

  “Pretend.” Glynn grinned. “Men do it all the time when they’re with women.”

  Not often was Ashton privileged to see Steven Larson grin, but he did so now—and even chuckled a little at Nickerson’s comment.

  Taking a deep breath, Ashton steeled himself for the performance of a lifetime, and turned back to Nicole. Worry etched the lines on her forehead and made her brown eyes dull. As he walked back to her, his heart tried to argue with his mind. Nicole couldn’t be the thief they were after. She was too innocent, naïve, and much too sweet. Unless, of course, that was all an act.

  When he reached the sofa, she gave him a small smile. “Is everything all right?” she asked, her gaze bouncing between him and the other two men still standing in the corner of the room.

  “Yes, of course.” Ashton tried to relax and smile, even though his insides were jumping with anger and distrust—and doubt. He motioned his head toward his partners. “We were just talking about business. It’s nothing that can’t wait until tomorrow.” He placed his hand on her arm. “Are you feeling better now?”

  “Much better, thank you.” She moved her attention to Mrs. Browning who sat on the cushioned chair next to the sofa. “I have just been getting acquainted with Mrs. Browning and Mrs. Larson.”

  “Splendid.” Ashton tried smiling wider. His mind scrambled for what to say next, but no thoughts came to him. Of course, it didn’t help that confusion filled his head as unanswered questions swam inside, making him think of nothing but that. Was she really a thief—or at least in cahoots with the true thief? He honestly didn’t think she could pull off a train robbery all on her own. Yet, if her companion, Mrs. Phelps, was still in the stealing business, she’d make a great partner for Nicole.

  * * * *

  Nicole hadn’t slept well that night, but she scrambled to get dressed in the morning and hurry down for breakfast to see if Gordon was there since he hadn’t been home last night when Mr. Nickerson and Mrs. Browning had brought her home.

  “Good morning, dear sister,” Gordon greeted as she entered the dining room.

  “Good morning to you.” She glanced around the room. “Is Father back from his business trip?”

  “No.”

  “Great.” She sat next to Gordon and grasped his arm. “Tell me what you found last night.”

  “Ah yes, at the dinner social you attended last night at Ashton Lee’s residence.”

  She narrowed her eyes on him. “Yes, of course. Was there another place you needed to be?”

  He flipped his hand. “Not until afterwards.” He grinned.

  She rolled her eyes, not wanting to hear again about another woman he’d secretly met up with. Gordon was such a womanizer. She feared he’d never settle down. “You were there, correct? And you were able to sneak through his study?”

  “I was there.” He bit into his scone and munched as his gaze stuck to hers. After he swallowed, he nodded. “But I wasn’t able to get much done.”

  “I don’t understand.” Irritation pumped through her. “I kept Mr. Lee’s party in the dining room for an hour, just as you had wanted. Then we stayed in the sitting room while playing a card game. Why were you not able to get much done in an hour?”

  Gordon huffed and leaned his forearms on the table, meeting her glare. “Ashton Lee has servants, were you aware of that?”

  “Well, of course. What man of wealth doesn’t have servants?”

  He narrowed his eyes on her. “I was able to get inside his study, but I was interrupted quite a few times when his servants walked by the room.”

  “Oh, that’s utter nonsense,” she
snapped. “All you had to do was close the door. That’s what I did when I was searching through General Babcock’s study.”

  “I did close the door.” His voice rose in anger. “But one of the servants opened it up. That’s when I decided I’d better not close it again or they would become suspicious.”

  She fisted her hands and set them in her lap, not wanting her brother to see how much she wanted to wallop him. “So did you find anything at all?”

  “Nothing. Mainly because the hallway was traveled so often by his servants.” He blew out a frustrated breath and shook his head. “I’ll have to find another time to go back when I know the servants won’t be there.”

  She released a sarcastic snort. “And when might that be? I wasn’t aware that you knew the schedule of Ashton’s servants.”

  Gordon’s eyes studied her for a few moments while he shoved a breakfast scone into his mouth and chomped. He finally tilted his head to the side, and raised his eyebrows.

  “Ashton? When have you started calling him by his first name, dear sister? And why did your voice soften when you said his name?”

  The irritation shooting through her was quickly replaced with panic. What had she done? Why hadn’t she remained professional when discussing the railroad owner—their main suspect?

  Taking a deep breath, she tried to calm herself, to change back into that professional agent she knew she could be. “I started calling him by his given name when he gave me permission to do so, of course.”

  Slowly, her brother shook his head, still keeping his eyes on her. “And come to think of it, when I was leaving the house, I spotted you through the window looking at Mr. Lee as if he was the most perfect man you’d ever seen.” He paused and then frowned. “Oh, please don’t tell me you have feelings for this man when Father had warned you not to get involved.”

  “Of course I don’t have feelings for him. Don’t be ridiculous.” She rose from the table, trying to do something to take her brother’s intense gaze off of her.

  “You do!” He groaned and rubbed his forehead. “Oh, Nicole, don’t you remember when I had made that mistake a few years ago, and had given my heart to a woman who we discovered was the culprit? It’s a pain in your heart you’re not likely to forget.”

  “Really, Gordon,” she snipped as she brushed crumbs off her gown. “I have not become smitten with the man. I know very well of the consequences.” She wrapped her fingers around the edge of the high-back wooden chair she’d been sitting in. “But you never did answer my question. How will you be able to find out when his servants aren’t going to be there?”

  “I’ll figure out a way.” He sipped his coffee and then set it down, looking at her. “Nicole, you’d better stop your feelings for him now or you’ll have your heart broken.”

  She scowled as an ache pierced her chest. Without answering him, she walked out of the room. What did he know, anyway? They couldn’t prove that Ashton Lee was the thief…although it was definitely starting to look as though he might be. Nothing made sense. Why would he want to steal from his own railroad? And if he were stealing from his railroad, wouldn’t he try to hide the fact better?

  Grabbing her cloak, she hurried out of the house. A walk in today’s pleasant weather would clear her mind, and hopefully, help her to think clearer. Last night was not only a failure for Gordon, but for her as well. Because she wasn’t able to get a private moment with Ashton, how could she discover anything about the man he really was? The few times they had found intimate moments, she felt that he was a very honorable man—one she could trust.

  Gradually, buildings loomed before her, and the street became busy with horses and wagons. She had to stay alert as not to run into any of the people hustling on the boardwalk, as well.

  She didn’t know where she was going except for a brisk walk. If only she had a friend to whom she could confide in, but because of what her family did for a living, that was a secret she couldn’t confess.

  Out of the corner of her eyes, a sign written in fancy ink on the lamppost drew her attention. She slowed her steps to read it. Ft. Bridger’s first ever servant’s ball had been arranged and was advertising the grand event. She’d read in the newspaper not too long ago, that the servants had rallied together a few times, hoping to get their employers to give them more time off. She could sympathize with both groups of people.

  She came to a stop in front of the advertisement. The servants were allowed to attend the ball and would not be reprimanded by their employers. The article gave the date this event would take place…day after tomorrow.

  Excitement leapt inside her. This would be the perfect time for Gordon to sneak back inside Ashton’s house, because now they knew the servants would be gone.

  Her thoughts stopped quickly. Why should she let Gordon do this when she could do it? She would have to watch and make certain Ashton wasn’t at home, either. She tapped her finger on her chin. In order to make certain Ashton wasn’t there, she might have to create a secret meeting for just the two of them. Of course, she wouldn’t show up, and her excuse would be that her father was watching her…or something like that. She’d figure out the details when the time came.

  All she knew was that the night of the butler’s ball was the evening it needed to happen. With Ashton and the servants out of the house at the same time, there was nothing that could stop her from searching his study. Nothing at all!

  TEN

  Ashton rode his horse through town slowly, looking for the beautiful blonde with the sultry eyes that hadn’t left his mind since their first meeting. Although Glynn and Steven tried to convince Ashton that Nicole was trying to fool him, he just couldn’t believe it. He’d thought of nothing all last night as he tossed and turned in bed. And this morning, he knew he had to find her and talk to her…in private, if possible.

  Why had he allowed one woman to twist his emotions so quickly in such a short amount of time? It was obvious why he’d become fascinated with her at General Babcock’s masked ball. Plain and simple, the woman was stunning, both in physical beauty and her personality. She had somehow mesmerized him, and he enjoyed being in that mental state—as if he were always floating on a cloud.

  From the corner of his eye, he saw a blonde woman wearing the same blue cloak that Nicole had been wearing last night. She walked down the street, but didn’t appear to be in a hurry. He guided his horse in the direction she was taking, but he couldn’t let her see him. Not yet.

  As his watched her, his heart melted, telling him again that there was no way she could be his thief. And if by chance, she was involved with the theft, he would listen to her excuse and then judge her. But right now, all he wanted to do was take her in his arms and kiss her.

  She turned down a road and headed toward a street of houses. He suspected she lived down this way as he continued to follow at a distance. When she turned down another street that didn’t have as many houses, he slowed his horse. She was headed for the last house at the end of the street.

  He urged his horse faster and caught up to her just as she was walking on the porch. When she saw him, she gasped. Her eyes widened in surprise, but then she smiled brightly.

  “Ashton,” she sighed, hurrying down the three steps of the wooden porch.

  He stopped his horse and quickly dismounted, holding the reins in one hand. “I hope you’ll forgive me, but I saw you in town and I knew I had to follow you. Last night’s visit with you just wasn’t satisfying enough.”

  Her cheeks reddened. “I’ve been thinking of you, too.”

  He tied his horse to the post and looked at her house. “This is where you live?”

  She nodded.

  “Would it be too bold of me to be introduced to your family?”

  She sighed and stepped closer to him, touching his arm. “My father is out of town, so perhaps it’s best if we stay outside.”

  He frowned. Being outside, he wouldn’t be able to hold her. “Very true.”

  “However,” her voice lower
ed but her eyes twinkled, “let me give you a tour of our small stable.”

  His heart leapt. Perfect! “I would very much like to see your barn.”

  She grinned and walked ahead of him. He followed, but tried not to hurry his step. Once inside, she closed the barn’s doors before removing her cloak and tossing it on a hook. As always, she was breathtaking. Today she wore a pale pink gown with white lace over the bodice which cascaded halfway down the dress. The neckline was modest, but showed him her delicate throat. Her hair hung down her back in loose ringlets instead of being piled on her head. He liked seeing her blonde curls circling her neck and shoulders.

  When their gazes met, he moved toward her as if he couldn’t control his own feet. She met him halfway. Immediately, he took her hands and lifted them to his mouth, kissing her knuckles. “You don’t know how happy I am to see you today.”

  Her face beamed, and just like last night, stars danced in her eyes. He wished his heart wouldn’t hammer so fast right now.

  “You didn’t have to work at the train station today?” Her voice was soft and alluring.

  “I do, but I’ll go in later.”

  “Ashton, I never really got the chance to properly thank you for saving my life last night.”

  He gave her a sheepish smile. “I must admit, I was extremely worried during those few moments when you were choking. I’m glad you recovered without any complications.”

  “Yes, thanks to your quick thinking.”

  “The others were helping me too, you know.”

  “But you were the one doing everything.”

  His gaze dropped to her mouth. “I hope I haven’t interrupted something you have planned this morning.”

  “Not at all. You are more important.”

  Her words soothed him, and for the life of him, he didn’t know why he had listened to his friends last night. There was no way she could be the train robber. “So did you enjoy yourself last night—other than when you were choking?”

  She nodded. “I had a wonderful time.”

  “I’m happy to hear that.”