by Natalie Dean
Jimmy pulled the wagon to a stop at the fence and hopped down.
“Soon to be,” Jimmy told him as he moved to Victoria’s side of the wagon. She felt more than a hint of relief when Jimmy put his arms around her and brought her down from the wagon. This gave her reason to take her eyes off John’s harsh demeanor and find Jimmy’s much more pleasant eyes smiling at her.
“Victoria,” he said setting her on her feet. “This is John Marx. He’s been helping me out on the farm.”
“Doing more than that,” John Marx said darkly. “I’ve practically been running the place by myself. I hope that’ll change now that you’re here.”
Victoria’s eyes widened anxiously. When Jimmy had told her John was direct, she had imagined a talkative and excitable youth. Certainly not this harsh contrarian.
She glanced to Jimmy who gave her a small, apologetic smile.
“I am always pleased to help in any way I can,” she said.
“You’re from New England, aren’t you?” John asked.
“Boston,” Victoria answered as evenly as she could.
“Didn’t think Boston ladies knew anything about life on farms.”
“Victoria is not like most other Boston ladies,” Jimmy said confidently. “She ran an entire household on her own when her father fell ill.”
Victoria flushed and looked down at the ground. She had told Jimmy about looking after her father and the household in her letters. She had not mentioned the half dozen servants at her disposal to help her.
“Well, I hope she’ll be able to cook,” John said still sounding skeptical. “I haven’t had a decent meal since I came to this farm.”
Now it was Jimmy’s turn to blush, and he let out a half-embarrassed chuckle.
“It’s true my cooking skills leave something to be desired,” Jimmy said. “But, from what Bernadette’s written to me about the meals she’s served in Boston, we’ll be able to eat very well from now on.”
John’s dark eyes moved quickly from Jimmy to Victoria. They narrowed skeptically as though he sensed the lie that Victoria had told her fiancé.
Victoria almost allowed her face to flush again before she remembered what Jimmy had told her about John. This man had not been able to hold a job despite his experience. Jimmy had taken him in out of kindness. When she thought of that, she realized that John had no reason to look down on her.
So, straightening herself up, she looked John straight in the eye and answered the way she imagined her sister-in-law, Julia might.
“We did hope to see the horses,” she said primly. “Perhaps you could show us to them?”
“I’ve got work to do,” he said. “The fields still need plowing, and I’ll have to gather the eggs from the coop. That’s something you will do when you move in here.”
With another glance, John turned towards the small coop just on the other side of the house.
Victoria watched his lumbering gate with an uneasy feeling in her stomach.
“It’s all right, Victoria,” Jimmy said. “I can take you to the barn.”
She looked over to Jimmy, and her heart settled as he smiled at her. The memory of John’s brash words nearly faded.
“Don’t worry about John,” Jimmy said quietly. “It has nothing to do with you. As I told you before, John is…odd.”
“It’s no matter,” Victoria said. Though she shrugged and gave Jimmy a small smile, she did not believe her own words.
Jimmy led her to the stables where he introduced her to the beautiful white horse she had seen grazing in the pasture earlier.
“That’s Albus,” Jimmy told her. “Billy’s wife Lizzie named him. She says it means white in Latin.”
“He’s beautiful,” Victoria said moving to touch the horse’s mane. The great animal shook slightly at the touch but did not protest.
“He’s yours if you like,” Jimmy said. “I bought him just before you arrived. You told me how much you liked to ride, so I thought a riding horse of your own would suit you well.”
Victoria turned to Jimmy, eyes widening once more in surprise and gratitude. This gift was much more than she had expected from him.
For a moment, another hint of guilt came over her when she realized that she had absolutely nothing of value to give to him. She didn’t know how to gather eggs. Could not cook. Could not clean house.
“If you like, we could go for a ride now,” he said hesitantly as though hoping his gift would be accepted.
Swallowing hard and putting her fears aside as best she could, she gave Jimmy a big smile and nodded.
“I would like that very much, Jimmy,” she said. “Thank you.”
Jimmy returned her wide grin. And, when a pleasant thrill came up through her chest, she told herself to forget all her shortcomings. At least for this one afternoon.
Chapter 5
The sun was beginning to climb low in the western sky, and Jimmy and Victoria had just made their way back to the barn when John’s large frame threw a shadow in the doorway.
Victoria saw him first, and she suppressed a shudder when his narrowed, suspicious dark eyes met hers. He glared at her for a moment before turning to Jimmy.
“Boss,” he said. Jimmy nearly jumped at the voice and turned.
“Mr. Miles is here to see you.”
Jimmy’s ever-present smile vanished to be replaced by a look mixed with suspicion and confusion.
“Did he say what he wanted to speak to me about?”
John shrugged.
“He never tells me anything,” John said. “It was the same way when I worked for him. Thinks he’s too good for me.”
Jimmy heaved a sigh as though he should have expected this answer from John.
“All right, John,” Jimmy said. “Tell him I’ll be right in.”
John stared at the two of them for a long moment before nodding.
“All right,” he said gruffly before turning and making his way back to the little house on the top of the hill.
As soon as he did, Jimmy turned back to Victoria with another apologetic smile.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “Do you mind if I speak to Mr. Miles for a moment before we head out to Billy and Lizzie’s for dinner?”
“Of course not,” Victoria said. She hoped she did not sound too eager.
She’d heard a great deal about this Mr. Miles in Jimmy’s letters. Apparently, he was the largest landowner in the county. And, if all accounts were to be believed, a fascinating character. Like the greedy landlord villains she’d read about in penny novels back east.
“What do you think Mr. Miles wants to talk to you about?” Victoria asked as they made their way up to the little house.
“God only knows,” Jimmy said, she could see his furrowed brow as though the question troubled him.
“Whatever it is, it seems that he and John are not on good terms.”
“Mr. Miles was John’s last employer,” Jimmy said. “He was fired from Miles’ ranch, and no one really knows the reason why.”
“If I’m to be frank,” Victoria said. “It isn’t difficult to see why someone might fire John from any profession. There is something about him that is more than a little off-putting.”
“I told you he was odd,” Jimmy said with a shrug as they reached the house.
“It’s more than that,” Victoria said. “There’s something…I don’t know…dark about him.”
Jimmy let out an uneasy chuckle.
“That’s just the hair and the eyes,” Jimmy said. “You get used to them after a bit. I don’t think there’s anything darker than that.”
Victoria bit her lip, wondering if she should say something more. If she should give him a warning. Let him know how she could tell people’s intentions within minutes of meeting them.
For instance, the moment she’d met her sister-in-law Julia, she could tell she’d only married her brother for his inheritance. And, from the first time she saw Jimmy’s picture in that booklet, she felt nothing but goodness from him.
When John had met them by the fence that morning, she felt a darkness she had never felt before. She felt as though this man, if he wanted, could cause massive destruction.
Still, in the end, she left it too long. And the chance to give a warning died as they entered the house.
Moving through the kitchen, they turned the corner into the dining room just as John was retreating through the wide-open doors.
Victoria felt the darkness leave with him.
As it did, she saw another man stand from a chair by the fireplace. He turned and smiled at them. It wasn’t the same sort of smile that Jimmy gave her. It was not filled with goodness or kindness.
This was an oily sort of smile. The smile of a man who was always thinking about what he could get out of any given situation.
“Jimmy!” he said silkily. “A pleasure to see you, m’boy!”
“I have to say, I’m surprised to see you here, Mr. Miles,” Jimmy said. “After I left the ranch I didn’t think you wanted anything to do with me.”
“Nonsense!” Mr. Miles said. “I’m happy to see you’ve started your own little farm. And I’m happy to see you didn’t go into ranching instead. That won’t compete with my business. And I’ve got plenty of boys on my land to help me. Ah, I see you’ve even found yourself a wife. Pleased to meet you, Ma’am.”
Mr. Miles gave her a slick little bow. Not knowing whether she should say anything, Victoria only nodded to him and kept silent.
“You still haven’t answered my question, Mr. Miles,” Jimmy said not bothering to introduce his fiancé. “What are you doing here?”
“Well,” Mr. Miles said, the smile fading a bit. “Believe it or not, Jimmy, I came to give you a word of warning.”
“Warning about what?”
“Your new man, John,” he said.
“What about him?”
Miles looked to the left where John had disappeared a moment before, as though making sure that he wasn’t in the vicinity.
“After I…let him go,” Miles said quietly. “I discovered several valuable items missing from my home. Not to mention quite a large sum of cash from the vault I keep in my room.
“And you think John took them?” Jimmy asked skeptically.
Miles’ slick smile returned to his face, and he shrugged.
“I’ve checked all my other boys,” Miles said. “I haven’t found anything. And, John always was a bit…unstable.”
“That doesn’t make him a thief,” Jimmy said defensively.
“I didn’t say it did,” Miles said. “And even if he did take the cash and the valuables, it’s not much to me. I’ve got plenty. I only thought the neighborly thing for me to do would be to come and tell you my suspicions.”
Miles looked at Jimmy with a smug expression, as though the older man had won a competition. Jimmy pursed his lips and Victoria could tell he was trying to keep his temper under control.
“Thank you for your concern,” Jimmy said. “But, I can take care of my own farm.”
Miles shrugged, the smug smirk remaining on his face.
“I warned you,” he said. “I suppose that’s the best I can do. Just keep an eye on him. For your safety and your new wife’s.”
Miles glanced to Victoria and gave her a small nod. Once again, she nodded back, unsure what to say.
“As I said, thank you for your concern,” Jimmy said coolly. “I’m sure you can see yourself out.”
The two men looked at each other for a long moment before Mr. Miles made his exit.
“I can at that,” he said. “Good evening, Jimmy. Ma’am.”
With one last nod to Victoria, he turned and walked out of the parlor in the same direction John had left shortly before.
“That man has all the nerve in the world,” Jimmy said. “Coming here, pretending he knows my hands better than I do.”
“What if he’s telling the truth?” Victoria asked. “About John, I mean.”
Jimmy turned to her, and his hard, angry expression softened.
“Victoria, you don’t know Mr. Miles like I do,” Jimmy said. “He’d say anything to sabotage someone else’s business. And he has it out for me because I used to work for him.”
“I believe you when you say he’s not the most honest of men,” Victoria said. “But, frankly, I’m not sure how much you can trust John either. I’ve got a strange feeling about him.”
“I told you, he’s just a little- “
“It’s more than him being a little odd,” Victoria said earnestly. She knew that only her father took her feelings or sense about people seriously. And she didn’t expect Jimmy to either. But, with the new information Mr. Miles had given them, she felt she had to tell him what she knew. Or felt.
“The way he speaks, the way he looks at us…there’s something dark in him. Something not right,” she said. “I’m afraid he may…do something.”
Jimmy’s eyes widened, and he moved over to her.
“Victoria,” he said gently. “You’re…you’re pale. Are you all right?”
“I’m fine,” Victoria said. “I’m just…John worries me, I suppose.”
She looked up at Jimmy expecting him to scoff at her for being dramatic as Julia did. Or, perhaps, to pat her head patronizingly and tell her there was nothing to worry her little head over like her brother Robert always did.
But, when Jimmy looked at her closely, his green eyes narrowed, she could tell he was taking her seriously. At least as seriously as her father had taken her premonitions.
That was enough to make her breathe a small sigh of relief.
“All right,” he said. “I’ll keep a close eye on him. If we catch him doing anything untoward, we’ll let him go. Will that be all right?”
With another sigh of relief, Victoria nodded, feeling her shoulders relax. Jimmy smiled at her and put both his hands on her shoulders.
“Now,” he said. “We’d best head over to the Lizzie and Billy’s for dinner. They’ll be wondering where we’ve got to.”
She smiled as his warm hand moved down to hers. She tried her best to allow the feeling of his skin touching hers to eclipse all other thoughts. But, now, she found her mind was too full of worry.
This worry came back in full force when they turned out of the parlor and found John standing in the corridor, his arms folded, blocking the way to the front door.
“John- “Jimmy said surprised. “What are you- “
“You know Miles is a liar, right?” John asked gruffly, cutting Jimmy off.
“I know he can be less than trustworthy,” Jimmy said in a conciliatory voice. “But- “
“You won’t believe anything he says, will you?” John asked. “Anything he says about me is a lie.”
“How do you know we were discussing you?” Victoria asked from behind her fiancé, sounding much braver than she felt. The bit of bravery she had bolstered withered when John fixed her with a dark glare.
“Heard you from the hall,” he said. “And, Jimmy, I’d keep a tight leash on your new woman. She starts believing Miles over me, she’s bound to get into trouble.”
At this, Jimmy’s face darkened. And he moved to Victoria, putting a protective hand around her shoulder.
“Let’s get one thing clear, John,” he said in the harshest tone Victoria had yet heard from him. “I won’t have anyone threatening my fiancé. You do it again, I’m going to have to let you go.”
John’s expression didn’t change, and though he addressed Jimmy, his eyes remained locked on Victoria’s.
“Wasn’t a threat at all,” John said. “Just a piece of friendly advice. God doesn’t like people who spread gossip. Bad things happen to people like that.”
With his eyes still focused on Victoria, he moved away from the door and down the hall.
As soon as he was gone, Jimmy’s hand slipped down from Victoria’s shoulders to her waist as he guided her to the front door and outside.
Under different circumstances, Victoria would have been thrille
d at the feeling of Jimmy’s protective arm wrapped around her. But, when she remembered John’s dark expression, the way he’d looked at her, it was all she could do not to shudder.
“Can’t tell you how sorry I am about that, Victoria,” Jimmy said as soon as they’d climbed back into the waiting wagon and headed down the road.
“It wasn’t your fault,” Victoria said. “But, now I hope you see what I mean about John. There’s something not right about him.”
She looked over at Jimmy who nodded, his lips pursed tight in thought.
“I suppose I didn’t want to see it,” Jimmy said. “I’m so used to not believing Mr. Miles after everything he’s done. But now…”
He glanced over at Victoria and gave her a small smile.
“I’ll just give John his notice in the morning,” Jimmy said. “Time to start looking for another farm hand.”
Victoria smiled and nodded.
“I think that might be best,” she said. “It would certainly make me feel more comfortable without him here.”
He reached over and touched her hand lightly, and she allowed her heart to settle.
There was no more talk about John or Mr. Miles that evening. And, after a lovely dinner at Mr. and Mrs. Peter’s home, she bid goodnight to her fiancé and went back to her room at the hotel feeling that, maybe, she could be of use to Jimmy just as she was.
Maybe her gift made her valuable. Even if she couldn’t cook, gather eggs, or clean house.
This feeling of contentment carried her off to a peaceful sleep filled with nothing but good dreams.
It was not until she woke up to the sound of shouts through the hotel that the nightmare truly began.
Chapter 6
Mrs. Matthews was the first to pound on the door of her hotel room. Victoria, still groggy from a peaceful sleep, blearily put her feet on the ground and opened the door for her.
When she did, she found the older landlady’s usually rosy face pale with terror. Her wrinkled hands fluttering about her waist.
