How Miss West Was Won

by Lexie Clark

  Something like this, in other words, another incident with Constance. Would this ever end? Would they ever find out who hired Constance and why she was here? The Four Fours was valuable land, true, but it wasn’t enough to cause all this trouble, was it?

  What would happen if he marched into Constance’s hotel room, announced that he knew she was a fake and demanded to know who had hired her and what they wanted? Constance seemed very stubborn, and he wondered if she would give in to his demands; maybe if he offered her money, or threatened to have her arrested.

  He needed to talk to Jacob and see if anyone had been to see her in the last few days. If they had not, then Eli’s new idea might have merit.

  In the meantime, he needed to think of a way to get back in Cordelia’s good graces. The spanking hadn’t been that hard, just tough enough so she would remember this if she ever decided to dump liquid on Constance’s head again.

  He thought about ways he could court her. Then decided there was one way he could get her to smile again.

  Or so he hoped.

  * * *

  Cordelia shifted in her chair. As usual, Mrs. Dunlap refused her offer to help with the cleaning after breakfast, or at any other time, and Eli had left the house as soon as their morning meal was over. Their conversation had been civil, but limited. She was still angry about last night, but not as angry as she had been.

  When she had gotten out of bed she was surprised to find her clothes from the night before on the chair in her room. They had been neatly folded and she wondered if Eli thought she would forgive him for doing her that small favor. She certainly hoped not, because there was no way she was giving in that easily.

  After she had gone upstairs last evening, she had thought about making notes for her story, but she had not done so. Instead, she had wrapped herself in a robe and stared out the window at the wide expanse of Colorado sky, lit up by the beautiful stars and the quarter moon. The scenery at the Four Fours always managed to make her feel at peace, even in the dark of the night when she’d just been spanked by a man whom everyone thought was her husband.

  In the eyes of those who thought she and Eli were married, he would have the right to spank her as punishment. But she knew the truth, and to her he had no right to spank her, unless it was that incredible time where he’d included it in their coupling. Just thinking about that made her tingle.

  “Would you like more coffee?” Mrs. Dunlap asked, casually. Cordelia glanced up at her. The older woman was packing up a satchel with food and a few containers of water.

  “No, thank you,” Cordelia said, wondering how Mrs. Dunlap would react if she asked why she was packing the food. Would she tell her to mind her own business, or would she say that Eli had decided to stay away for the rest of the day, and before he left for the fields, he was stopping by to pick up his lunch?

  Cordelia decided she did not want to know the answer. She pushed back from the table and stood. “Thank you for breakfast.”

  As she headed toward the door, Mrs. Dunlap said to her, “You do own trousers don’t you? It will be easier to ride in pants.”

  Cordelia turned and said, “Excuse me?”

  Mrs. Dunlap pointed to her skirt. “There isn’t a sidesaddle here, at least I don’t think there is. Plus, the area where you are going is not exactly an easy ride. You will need to change before Eli returns.”

  The words made sense, but Cordelia had a small problem computing them. “Eli and I are going somewhere?” she finally asked.

  “You’re riding along the water, to see if he can find the trail of the person who was in the house the other evening.” The housekeeper sounded confused, as if Cordelia should already know that information. “I do believe you should be getting ready, don’t you? You do have trousers, right?”

  “I do have a pair,” Cordelia said. She had bought them on a whim in New York, telling the sales clerk that they were for her husband, who needed them for work. She had tried them on once, and felt naughty as she was walking around the room in them. But she had never worn them in public.

  She did not want to tell Mrs. Dunlap that Eli had not informed her of his plans. It was supposed to be a surprise, she was sure, to make up for last night’s spanking.

  Cordelia would accept the outing in the spirit he would offer it, but she would not change her clothing until Eli was here to tell her what was happening. With that in mind, she went into the library and perused the shelves. She took down a novel that she was sure Eli’s mother had read, sat down and started to read.

  The clock in the hallway counted off the time, much as she had counted if off during the spanking the previous night. It was an hour and a half before Eli appeared in the doorway. “How has your morning been?” he asked, his tone guarded.

  “Fine,” she said as she turned a page. “My ass twitches a little from time to time, but other than that, I am enjoying this book very much.” Cordelia did not look up at him. Instead she kept her gaze focused on the page, even though she had trouble making out the words because she could not concentrate on the book. All she could think about was what Eli was going to say next. Would he apologize and then suggest the ride? Or suggest the ride and then apologize? It would be interesting to see which way he went.

  “I want to take a ride along the creek to check for tracks from our intruder,” he said. “I would like you to come with me.”

  So that was the way it was going to be, Cordelia thought, an invitation with no apology. She thought about saying no, but that would mean she would spend the rest of the afternoon in the house, wondering what Eli was doing. “I do not know how to ride a horse very well,” she said.

  “I’ll teach you,” he said. “Go and put on those trousers that are hanging in your wardrobe.”

  This time she did look up at him. “Have you been snooping?”

  “Of course,” he said, shrugging. “I didn’t know you, and you are in my house. I admit to looking at your things when you came into the house.”

  Cordelia thought about protesting his actions, but she realized it was probably something she would have done if she were in Eli’s shoes. “Very well, I will change and meet you in the barn.”

  “I can hardly wait,” he said with a wink. Then he turned and left. Cordelia thought he would probably apologize when they stopped to eat. It would be an interesting conversation.

  * * *

  “Where are you going?” Stuart’s voice seemed to fill the barn. Eli had just saddled his own horse and was picking out the gentler, but still sturdy, mare for Cordelia to ride.

  “Up the creek,” Eli answered. “We should have done this sooner, to see if we can find evidence of who came in the house.”

  “You’re right, we should have, but I have something I need to talk to you about,” Stuart said. “Can’t the ride wait till tomorrow? Melody and I had an interesting conversation the other night, and—”

  “She’s married, Stuart,” Eli said, hoping he didn’t sound as shrill as he thought he did. “Look somewhere else.”

  “I’m not talking about that,” Stuart said, his anger apparent. “She told me that—”

  “I hope this works,” Cordelia said from the opening to the barn.

  Eli shifted his attention to her. She wore the brown trousers he’d seen in her wardrobe, and a white shirt that she usually wore with skirts. On her feet she wore a dainty pair of slippers.

  “The shoes,” he said, pointing to her feet. “Those are not going to work very well.”

  “It is all I have,” Cordelia said.

  “Then we’ll just have to watch where you step,” Eli said. “Stuart, will you help me get her settled in the saddle?” Eli looked at Stuart, whose arms were crossed in front of his chest. His cousin looked like he wanted to punch someone. “We’ll talk when I get back,” Eli said. “I’m sure whatever you want to say can hold until then.”

  It was as if a cloud passed over Stuart’s face, and Eli thought about changing his mind. Until Stuart said, “Fine, it’s
lasted this long. Why not a few more days? Let’s get her in the saddle.”

  It took the both of them to get her settled. Stuart held the reins while Eli helped her to put one foot in the stirrup and lift her leg over the side. Once she was on the horse, she tensed up like someone was pointing a gun at her.

  Eli gently patted her leg. “Don’t be nervous. The horse will sense your unease and it will respond in kind. Relax and let me guide you.”

  “All right,” Cordelia said. “But Eli, I do not think this is the mode of transportation for me.”

  “It’s going to be fine. Stuart is holding on to you while I get my horse.” He mounted his horse quickly and trotted over to her. It took a few minutes to explain how to manage the reins. “Don’t turn the reins hard,” Eli said. “This horse, whose name is Emily, will react much better if you are gentle with her. Left to left, right to go right, pull back to stop. Keep your hands away from the horn unless there is an emergency. Mostly, just let Emily follow me, and things will be fine.”

  “Fine,” Cordelia said, her voice a little wobbly. “But I might feel better walking.”

  “Not in those shoes,” Eli said. “We need to see about getting you a pair of boots. Perhaps we will go into town tomorrow.”

  “Perhaps we should go today and forgo this little excursion,” Cordelia said.

  Eli leaned toward her, and for a moment he thought about kissing her. But he was sure she hadn’t forgiven him enough for that. Instead, he glanced down at Stuart. “If we’re not back before it gets dark, come looking for us. And check on Mrs. Dunlap from time to time to make sure no one is bothering her.”

  Stuart nodded, and Eli could tell his cousin was not happy. When Eli and Cordelia returned, he would have a talk with Stuart so he could find out whatever was bothering him. It couldn’t be more important than what Eli and Cordelia were dealing with right now.

  * * *

  By the time they had ridden an hour, Cordelia’s already sore bottom felt as if it might separate from the rest of her body. “Eli,” she called out, hoping he would hear her. “May we stop, please?”

  He didn’t answer and she yelled out his name again. This time he pulled to a stop, and when Emily followed suit, Cordelia felt as if she might slip from the saddle. She grabbed the horn and moaned softly. “My bottom cannot take anymore of this,” she said. “I am already sore, for obvious reasons, and for which, I might add, I have not received an apology. We need to take a break.”

  They were deep into the woods now, following a tiny path that cut through them. She could hear the water running to the right, the sound calming, but not quite calming enough.

  Eli was on his feet before she knew it. He offered her his hand and she took it, dismounting gingerly. She fell to her knees as he worked with the horses. Moments later, he took her hand. “There is a little clearing up ahead. Be careful where you step in those shoes, and we’ll go up there and eat the food Mrs. Dunlap packed for us.” He smiled at her. “It’s not too far. I’ll take both the horses, you just be careful.”

  He started off down the path and Cordelia fell into step behind him. The path was fairly smooth, with little rocks here and there. After about ten minutes they came to the clearing he had told her about. It was beside the creek, and Cordelia glanced down at the water.

  It seemed calm in this area, and she wondered what it would feel like to take a dip in the cool waters. A glance behind her showed that Eli was spreading out a blanket; next to him was the satchel of food Mrs. Dunlap had prepared that morning.

  “Would you like some water?” Eli asked her as he sat down on the blanket. He opened the satchel and took out a jar. “I’m sure it’s fairly cold.”

  Cordelia dropped down on her knees. She thought about sitting down, but knew it would not help ease her soreness. After she took the jar and swallowed a good portion of it, she lay down on her side.

  “I’m sorry you’re sore,” Eli said.

  “But not sorry you spanked me?”

  “No.”

  Cordelia sighed. “You and I are very different people, Eli,” she said. “Do you mean to tell me your father spanked your mother, and thought it was a good thing to do?”

  “I have no clue,” he said. “I know both my parents spanked me, and it kept me from doing bad things again.”

  Cordelia did not answer him. Instead she sighed heavily. They were obviously not going to agree on this, and it would not matter in a few weeks anyway. “Have you seen anything that gives you a clue as to the intruder?”

  “No.” He started to unpack the bag. There were slices of bread and some meats.

  Cordelia took a slice of bread and started to eat. After one bite, she asked, “Is there any jam in that bag?”

  “Yes, here it is.” He handed it, and a knife, to her.

  She slathered the bread and took another bite. That was better. “We never did make a list of people we thought might be responsible for our problems,” she said.

  “You’re right.” He reached into the bag and took out a piece of paper and a quill and ink. “Let’s do it now.”

  Cordelia finished her bread before she took another drink of water. Then she picked up the writing utensils and labeled the page as Suspects. “Of course the name at the top of the list is Constance,” Cordelia said as she wrote the name down.

  “That’s a given,” Eli agreed. “What we need to do is figure out who brought her here, and I hate to say who is at the top of my list.”

  Cordelia lifted up slightly. “Who?”

  For a moment, she thought Eli would not respond, but then he said, “Nathan.”

  “Are you serious?” Cordelia hesitated, refusing to write the name down. “Why would you think your own lawyer would do something like this to you?”

  Eli was silent for a moment, and Cordelia thought he might not give her a reason for his blurting out the name. After a few moments, though, he proved her wrong. “The papers I received looked very legal. Who else could have set them up?”

  It sounded logical, but did not quite convince her. “Someone else could have hired a lawyer in Denver to make out the papers and hire Constance.”

  Eli shook his head ever so slightly. “You’re right.”

  Still, he should be considered, so Cordelia wrote his name down. “Where do we go from here?” She pointed to the new name on the list. She could tell thinking about this was hard, because these were friends of his, people that he had known for a long time. “Eli, if this is too hard for you, we can do it another time.”

  “It won’t be any easier,” Eli said. “I’ll name them off quickly. I think Reese might have something to do with it, and I also wonder about Jacob.”

  Before she could voice her dissent, Cordelia wrote down both names. “I have trouble thinking Reese is involved, since his store was burglarized the other evening. Why would he call attention to himself that way?”

  She watched as Eli took a piece of bread and slathered it with jam. He ate it in three bites, and then prepared another one. After he’d taken one bit of it, he said, “It could be a way of covering his tracks. Maybe he thinks someone wouldn’t suspect him if he suffered problems.”

  The idea had merit, but Cordelia was still uncertain if Reese would try to cause trouble for Eli. “What about Jacob?” Cordelia picked up an apple that Eli had unpacked from the bag. “Jacob is a lawman, and that means he would do nothing wrong.”

  Eli laughed. “He’s also human.”

  They were both silent for a few moments. “Do you think you were meant to marry Constance, and then she would in some way see that you were killed, and she would take control of the Four Fours?”

  “Obviously,” he said. “My only question is what she, and whoever she is working with, hope to gain from it.”

  Cordelia put down the items she had been holding. She stood and stretched. Near the trees, the horses grazed on grass. Cordelia looked over to the creek. She walked to it slowly and knelt down. She lowered her hand so she could run her f
ingers through the icy water. “Where does this stream begin?” she asked.

  “Up in the mountains,” Eli answered. “When the melting starts in the spring, you’ll see how heavily it flows. It is a beautiful sight.”

  His words made Cordelia’s throat tighten just as little. As angry as she was with Eli about last night, she still would like to see the rolling creek during the spring.

  “I won’t be here then, will I?” She turned to him. “By then we will have solved your problem, and I will be in New York. The only problem after that will be how you will explain my absence to the people you care about, like Mrs. Dunlap.”

  “Maybe you’ll still be here.” He stood and walked to where she still knelt next to the running stream.

  “No,” she said. “We will have solved it by then, and I will have completed my employment here.”

  For a moment she thought he would protest. Instead he just grinned at her. He offered her his hand and she took it and stood.

  “I guess we’ll just have to see how things go, won’t we?” Eli said. Seconds later he lowered his face to hers and claimed her mouth in a fiery kiss that made her toes curl.

  Chapter 15

  The kiss was soft, yet demanding, and for a moment, Cordelia submitted to his touch, letting herself relax into him as his tongue gently pushed into her mouth. The feeling was intoxicating, and for a moment she gave into the incredible feel of him. She leaned into the kiss, grabbing his shirt in her fists, partly to pull him closer, but mostly to let his strong body keep her from losing her footing.

  His hands were on her cheeks now, holding her in place as he continued to claim her. “Cordelia,” Eli whispered against her lips after the kiss had broken. “I want you to stay with me.”

  “Umm,” she managed to say before she kissed him. But as the kiss took hold of her senses, his words wormed their way into her brain, and made her pull away. She couldn’t go very far back, because he had hold of her.

  Eli leaned in for another kiss, but Cordelia turned her face from his. “Let me go,” she whispered.

  “Why?” He kissed her cheek now, his lips moving over her skin in a gentle caress, making their way down to her neck.