Midnight Secrets

by Janelle Taylor

  “Stay out of sight, woman, until I call your name. Don’t answer anybody else. There are dangerous and desperate men in this territory. They’ll pull any kind of trick to get up there. Even if they say they’re wounded or starving or whatever, don’t come out or help. Understand?”

  “Yes, sir. Be careful and come back soon.”

  “I’ll do both,” he mounted his sorrel, then, vanished into the trees.

  Ginny closed the front door and looked around the cabin. The campfire had been put out to prevent smoke from alertinganyone to her presence. Yet if someone came close, her horse would expose her. If she didn’t respond, he could be stolen. At least she could fire her rifle and frighten away a thief.

  You heard him: he said don’t show yourself or talk. Obey, woman. Woman, that was his motive, she decided; he didn’t want anybody to know a female was here by herself. Men alone for months could become just as hungry and greedy for a woman as they could for gold. She remembered how Bart and his gang had lusted for her and what they’d planned for her. Stone was right: She must stay hidden no matter what she saw or heard.

  It was late afternoon when he returned. She hugged him and kissed him the moment his boots touched the landing. “I’m so glad you’re safe.”

  “If this is the welcome I’ll get after a short separation, imagine what it would be like if I were gone for a week!”

  Ginny poked him in the stomach. “I’d take a brush broom to your backside, Mr. Chapman, if you deserted me for that long.”

  He threw back his head and laughed. “I can feel it. Ouch. I’ll confess now that it’ll be necessary to leave you once a year when we return to the ranch. Ever hear of cattle drives? They take several months.”

  She had read about them in dime novels. “Yes, but I’ll go with you.”

  He kissed the tip of her nose. “You can’t bring babies and children along like on a wagontrain. It’s too dusty and dangerous.”

  “That’s a sneaky trick to get time away from your wife.”

  “Maybe Father will leave me in charge of the ranch until he’s too old and feeble to make such a long and hard trip.”

  “Is that another sneaky way of enticing me to give in to letting you go?”

  “Of course not,” he vowed with a broad grin.

  “We’ll see if you tire of me and start joining the boys for diversions.”

  “Where do you get ideas like that, woman? I’m your man.”

  “In England, many men have mistresses and lovers. In America, too.”

  “Not Stone Chapman. One woman is enough for him: you, Ginny.”

  She blushed. “I suppose I sound silly and jealous. I just love you so much and winning you was so hard. I don’t want to lose you for any reason.”

  He cupped her face and locked their gazes. “I promise you’ll have me forever, woman. I love you. Besides, no other female would want a man like me. I’m too stubborn and tough. Look what a time you’ve had with me.”

  “Any woman would give a fortune to have you. And I’m glad you were too blind to realize that truth before we met. If you asked me to walk away from this strike to have you, I would.”

  Stone knew she was telling the truth and it touched him deeply. “I wouldn’t ask you to give up what’s rightly yours.”

  “And half yours,” she reminded.

  “The claim wasn’t filed while Clay was alive and it’s in your name. He’s not here to dispute it. By law, it belongs solely to you if Matt’s…”

  “That doesn’t matter to me. Clay was a partner and he willed his share to you. Now, either you and my father are partners or we are.”

  “Do you realize what some women would do with what you own? I don’t think you understand how much it’s worth.”

  “Frank said millions over time. Money is wonderful, Stone, especially when you don’t have any. But wealth doesn’t make one happy. My family had plenty of money and prestige, but it didn’t keep us from losing everything. Love and friends are more important. I would give up this claim if I could bring my Johanna and your Clay back to life and have my father returned.”

  “I believe you, Ginny, so would I. We’ll have everything we need at the ranch and we can work for anything else we desire.”

  She brightened. “We could help your mother’s tribe. A fortune could buy a large cattle spread where they could live in peace and pride. It can buy clothes and food and a school. We don’t have to turn them into whites, but we can help them adjust to the strange world engulfing them.”

  Love surged through him. “You’re amazing, woman, always thinking of others, like you did with your friends on the wagontrain. It could work.”

  “Then we’ll do it.”

  “What if your father’s still alive? The strike would be his, not yours.”

  “But half will be yours, remember?”

  “Not if Matt refuses to acknowledge Clay’s partnership and will.”

  “If he wants to keep his daughter, he won’t contest your claim.”

  “You would do that for me, for my people?”

  “Yes, Stone. When I marry you, we become as one. I owe you even more loyalty than I would my father. The same is true for you: a husband, the Bible says, cleaves to his wife, not his parents. It’s cruel, damaging, and wrong to side with parents against your mate. I hope you agree.”

  “Yes, my beautiful and precious love, I do with all my heart.”

  “Now, tell me what you found out there.”

  “No signs of anyone nosing around. Even if ore was found, nobody can stake a claim or start a mine; that’s what’s needed to remove the silver.”

  “Did you find the second map Father mentioned to me?”

  “Nothing to even hint one had been there. Must have changed his mind about drawing out the locations of the veins. It would have been a dead giveaway if it had been found. He must have figured if the property fell into your hands, all you had to do was hire a skilled miner to find them. Smart action.”

  “Yes. Now what about putting a little food in our stomachs for energy?”

  He grinned. “Just what I need about now: nourishment and you.”

  Thursday morning, they were ready to leave for Denver. The shutters and doors were closed and the cabin was straightened. Stone lifted their supplies, lingering to say, “It’s only seventy miles, but it’ll be slow traveling. It’s high mountains and rugged passes all the way. We’ll be heading into heavy prospecting and mining country, so we’ll have to stay alert.”

  “No fooling around on the trail?” she hinted with a grin.

  “That’s right, woman, but we’ll be there soon. Denver has good food and hotels with soft beds. We can do those things we missed in Vicksburg. We can—” Stone pressed his fingers to her lips before she could question his action. “Somebody’s out there,” he whispered, on full alert.

  She heard Chuune neigh in warning, then a bone-chilling shout.

  “Come on down, Mr. Chapman, Miss Marston. If you don’t, we’ll starve you out or burn you out if you force my hand. We can camp here for as long as it takes. There’s no escape. Be smart and don’t rile me further.”

  Ginny panicked. “My heavens, Stone, it’s Frank Kinnon! This soon?”

  CHAPTER 20

  “We’ll bluff our way past them, love. Once we’re in the forest, we can lose them. Trust me and obey.” Stone explained his daring plan in a rush.

  “Come out, you two, or we’ll start firing!” Kinnon shouted again.

  Stone pulled Ginny into his arms and fused their lips as if saying a bittersweet farewell. Frightened for their lives, she clung to him and kissed him with feverish desire, stormed by a mixture of emotions. She wished there was time for more words and another union of bodies. She didn’t want to break their holds on each other. She didn’t want to challenge impending danger. She didn’t want to lose him forever. When he murmured his love, hugged her tightly, and meshed their mouths again, she trembled and prayed it wouldn’t be the last kiss they ever shared. />
  “You’re provoking me to attack, Chapman!” Frank shouted.

  She realized Stone hated to separate and endanger them as much as she hated for him to do it. The tender look in his dark eyes made her heart beat faster. “I love you so much. We have to survive this.”

  “We will, my love. Be strong and brave. We have to begin our ruse.”

  Stone opened the door and yelled, “Hold your fire, Kinnon, until you see what I’ve got to bargain with. Attack and your fiancée will be the first one to die.” He shoved Ginny into sight with faked roughness, a pistol pointed at her head, and her hands appearing to be bound behind her back.

  “Help me, Frank!” Ginny shrieked. “He kidnapped me Friday night and said he would kill me if you don’t do as he says. Don’t let him hurt me.”

  The banker ordered his men to be calm, but to stay alert.

  “Better listen to her, Kinnon, or your future bride is dead.”

  “You can’t fool me, Chapman. I know who she is.”

  “So do I: your woman, the one you plan to marry. If you love her, you’ll save her hide by following my orders. I’ll trade her to you for a confession that you killed Clay Cassidy and Matt Marston.”

  “Are you crazy? I know this land is in her name. She’s Marston’s daughter, isn’t she? You two came to town to trick me. You disappeared together because you knew I was on to you. I received some interesting news from Denver on Saturday. Told us where to come to find you two.”

  “You’re a fool, Kinnon. Virginia Marston Blake is in London: She doesn’t know the strike is filed in her name, and I didn’t plan to tell her either about that or her father’s death until I had his killer behind bars. I trailed you to the telegraph office Friday, so I knew you wouldn’t be fooled much longer. Course you got here sooner than I expected.”

  Stone was at the ready to return gunfire and to yank his love inside if the desperate ruse failed. His keen eyes took in the attackers’ number, positions, and arms; and he mentally plotted how to respond to an assault. “I was about to leave you a note on the ladder with my offer, then hide her in the woods. I did some checking in town and learned you’d found yourself this pretty thing to wed. Everybody knows you’ve staked your claim on her and dared any man to come near her. You even talked with a jeweler about furnishing gold to make her a wedding band. That sounded like mighty serious intentions to me. I gambled you’d do about anything to save her skin and get her back. We both know you murdered Matt and Clay. Give me a confession and she’ll live.”

  Ginny clutched a loaded pistol in her hidden grasp as she entreated, “Please, Frank, help me. He’s crazy! He means it. He thinks you killed those two men. I told him he was wrong, but he doesn’t believe me. Do something to convince him he’s made a terrible mistake.”

  “You lied to me and duped me, woman!” Frank accused. “You’re in on this scheme to entrap me! You’re Matt’s daughter, aren’t you?”

  Ginny feigned astonishment, terror, and distress. “No, I didn’t, I’m not; I swear. I can prove I’m Anna Avery; telegraph my aunt in Savannah. I’m not that Miss Marston. I’d never heard of Mathew Marston or the silver until you mentioned them to me. I’m not part of your quarrel with this lawman. You can’t let him harm me, and he’ll do it. I’m so afraid. Please help me.”

  “I can’t trust you, woman.”

  Ginny noticed doubt in the man’s expression. She pressed the tiny advantage. “You said you loved me and wanted to marry me. Now you won’t do anything to save my life. This silver strike you both mentioned means more to you than I do. To think I was going to say yes to your proposal. You’re as wicked and mean as he is.” She glared at Stone and challenged, “A lawman can’t do something like this. Let me go, you beast!” She pretended to try to jerk free of the grasp of his arm across her chest.

  Stone struggled with her a moment and visually tightened it. “Not so fast, woman. Be still and shut up or I’ll give you a blow on that lovely face. Better make a deal fast, Kinnon, she’s annoying me.”

  “There’s nothing to work out, Chapman. You can’t escape.”

  “If I die, so does she.” As Stone stroked her flushed cheek with the weapon’s cold barrel and she flinched, he said in a defiant and cocky tone, “Mighty young and pretty to have her face and body smashed on those rocks down there. If you want her back unmarred and alive, better do as I say.”

  Ginny screamed and thrashed as if in panic. “You can’t do this! Frank, please, do something, anything. You have lots of armed men. Force him to release me.” She began to cry, relieved she could summon the fake tears.

  “Shut up, woman!” Stone ordered. “I can’t think with you bawling like a calf who’s lost its mother. You picked yourself a sorry man, so accept the truth. What’s it to be, Kinnon, a shootout or a trade?”

  “The only thing I’ll trade is your life for hers.”

  Stone sent forth sarcastic chuckles. “That’s not the deal I want. As long as I have her, you won’t attack and risk her taking a stray bullet.”

  “You can’t remain up there long, Chapman. Supplies run out. I bet you only have enough for a few weeks. I can send for more and outwait you.”

  “If I run out of food, Kinnon, I’ll have to feast on something else. I’ll have me a taste or two of your sweet thing.” Stone nuzzled his head against hers. “Yep, if you don’t cooperate, might as well enjoy myself before I die.”

  Ginny wriggled in his grasp and jerked her head away from his. “You animal! You wouldn’t dare touch me! I’ll kill you first!”

  “That’ll be a little hard, Miss Avery, all tied up and at my mercy. I’ll probably give you more pleasure than a stuffy old banker could.”

  “Leave her be, Chapman, or you’re a dead man! We’ll compromise. I’ll give you half of this strike in exchange for her. It’s worth millions. Touch her and I’ll have you sliced into little pieces and fed to buzzards.”

  Stone comprehended that he had infuriated his target and that Frank was no longer positive she was Virginia Marston. “You ain’t in no position to make that compromise, Kinnon. Matt’s daughter in England owns half of this land. Clay left me the other half before you did him in.”

  “He what? You knew all along where this claim was located?”

  “That’s how I knew where to come. I guessed you’d be along soon. You just messed up my schedule a mite. It’s the confession or nothing.”

  “If you think I’m confessing to murders I didn’t commit, you’re crazy. I’m not going to prison for something I didn’t do. Sure, I want this claim, but I didn’t kill Matt and Clay to get it. You think I’m fool enough to shoot the only two men who knew where the silver is?”

  “Then who did kill them?” Stone scoffed.

  “If you’ve been doing any clever investigating, lawman, you’d know I’ve been trying to learn that same thing. At first, I guessed it was a claim-jumper. When time passed and nobody started a mine the size this one would be, I decided I was wrong. It must have been bandits, or maybe they shot each other in a dispute.”

  “You expect me to buy that load of empty barrels? Do better, Kinnon. Put something valuable and tempting in them. I already own half of this claim, so that isn’t an acceptable trade. What I want is Clay’s killer. If one of your men exceeded his orders, turn him over to me and we’ll be settled.”

  “If you harm her, you can’t get away, and the law won’t look kindly on a Special Agent for kidnapping and abusing an innocent lady, and certainly not on murdering one. You wouldn’t dare harm her. You’re bluffing.”

  “Sorry, love,” Stone whispered as the hand over her chest snaked to her hair, seized a handful, and yanked her head backward.

  Ginny screamed in surprise and pain. “Stop it! You’re hurting me! Frank, do something!” She wiggled her shoulders and head to break free as she pleaded with her captor to halt his torment and release her. She was relieved that during her shock she hadn’t exposed the weapon behind her.

  “You’ll pay sorely for
hurting her! I’ll rip you apart with bare hands!”

  Stone eased his grip on the light-brown mane as he chuckled and taunted, “You’ll have to capture me first, and that ain’t likely to happen. I think we’ll go inside, Kinnon, while you give your choice some thought. You have two hours to make a decision. Take any longer than that and I’ll be overly tempted to sample your sweetie’s treats.” Stone backed her into the cabin and closed the door as Frank shouted another warning.

  “You’re dead, Chapman, if you touch her!”

  Stone holstered his pistol and guided Ginny to the floor. “Let’s stay down in case they start shooting. These thick walls are impenetrable but these shutters and front door aren’t. We’ll let him stew a while and get worried about what I’m doing to you in here. At least we’ve got him baffled about who you are. He’s mighty hungry for you, my love, so he won’t act rashly.” He looked into her eyes. “Sorry about pulling your hair.” His fingers massaged her tender scalp. “There was no way to warn you of what was coming. You were quick-witted to keep your pistol hidden. I’m proud of you.” He closed his mouth over hers and kissed her deeply.

  Ginny responded as if her survival depended on his nourishing nectar. When their lips parted, she gazed at him. “Will we get out of this alive? Do you believe he’ll let us leave when you demand to use me as escape cover?”

  “I think so, but I’m not sure. That silver has him crazed. He wants it and you, my love. If it comes to taking one or the other, I just don’t know which he’ll choose. He’s already rich, but he’s greedy. He should think he stands a better chance of getting you away from me if we’re on the ground.”

  “I pray your cunning ruse will work. You think he believed my act?”

  “I hope so. You did a good job out there of confusing him about your identity.” He trailed his fingertips over her silky skin and smiled. “If I weren’t retiring soon, we’d make a good pair of agents.”

  Ginny knew he was attempting to calm and distract her from their peril. She ruffled his sable hair and teased her fingers over his strong features. “If this is similar to your regular missions, no thanks. One day you’ll have to tell me about your past adventures. From the ones I shared with you, you’ve certainly led a dangerous and exciting life.” She had to be persuaded of imminent success. “What now?”