by Mona Ingram
“You might as well come in,” he said reluctantly. “Teresa is making quesadillas for dinner tonight and I’m sure she can make some more. It’s simple food, but filling.”
“Teresa?” She entered the house and looked around.
“Yes. My foreman’s wife.” It angered him that he felt the need to explain. “And they are also my friends.” He led her into the house. “Which bag has the things you need for overnight?”
“That one,” she said, pointing to the smallest of the suitcases. “Why?”
He sighed. “You can’t stay here, Letitia. You must know that.”
“But I’ve come all this way.” Tears pooled in her eyes as she looked around. For the first time since she’d stepped out of the buggy, he sensed that her emotions were real. Her tears were tears of acceptance.
Jamie pitied her, but he wasn’t about to let her manipulate him. “I know, Letitia. I made the trip too. But I didn’t ask you to come, and just because you’ve made up some story for your friends in New York, that doesn’t mean you can waltz in here and take over my life.” He started to reach out for her, to soften his words, then thought better of it. She would interpret any sign of affection as giving in. The corner of his mouth lifted in a wry grin. “You can tell your family and friends that you couldn’t possibly stay here, that it wasn’t up to your standards. I can live with that.”
“That part is true.” She gave a small laugh that sounded more like a hiccup. “This place is dreadful.”
Jamie shook his head. “You see, that’s where we differ. I love everything about this ranch. I have plans to expand. Diego and I have already picked out sites for a couple of new adobe homes for our future workers and their families. I can’t remember the last time I enjoyed something as much as this.”
Letitia looked at him as though she’d never seen him before. And maybe she hadn’t... at least this version. “I’m happy for you, Jamie. I really am.” She looked away, unable to meet his eyes. “I can’t believe I said that, but it’s true.” Silence stretched out for several long moments. “How can I explain going home so quickly?”
“That’s a fair question, but I don’t really think anyone is keeping track. By the time you find a ship to take you back, and make the voyage, it will be almost a year. People forget.”
She nodded her head. “I suppose so. Now did you say something about food? I haven’t eaten all day.”
Jamie cleaned up and opened a bottle of claret. “Come on, let’s sit outside. It will be a while until Teresa brings the quesadillas.”
They drank claret and talked like old friends, a candle flickering on the table between them. Letitia brought him up to date on his family, and although he was happy to hear her news, he realized that he wasn’t homesick in the least. This was his home now.
“I’ll leave tomorrow,” she said after they’d finished their meal. “I think I saw a sign about another steamer tomorrow.”
“Yes,” he said. “Transport up and down the river is becoming big business.” He lit a cigarillo and leaned back. The scent always reminded him of Sarah, and he found himself hoping that she didn’t find out about Letitia’s visit. “Either myself or Diego can take you to the boat tomorrow. What time will that be?”
“It’s an evening departure.” She hesitated. “I think I’d rather have Diego take me. I want to remember you here.” She touched him lightly on the hand. “Good luck, Jamie.” She stifled a yawn. “If you’ll show me where I can sleep, I’ll say goodnight.”
Letitia’s disinterest in the ranch the next day confirmed what he already knew... that she didn’t belong here. Diego sensed that he needed time to think, and as they worked on the pig enclosure, Jamie realized how lucky he’d been to get rid of her so quickly. It was almost a miracle that she’d been willing to turn around and go back, and yet he had no doubt that she’d come up with an amusing story to explain why she hadn’t stayed. He shouldn’t have to feel guilty about that, but he did, and he pushed himself even harder, willing the hours to pass until her departure.
“I’ll take the lady now.” Jamie had been tamping down the earth around a pole, and Diego startled him. “She’s waiting out front.”
Letitia lingered in the shade of the front entrance, examining the thorns on the bougainvillea. Jamie was struck by her cool beauty as she stepped out into the sun.
“Goodbye, Letitia.” His smile was genuine as he took her arm and led her to the buggy. “I’d say thank you for coming, but somehow that doesn’t sound right, does it?”
“No, I’m afraid not.” They paused beside the buggy and she looked sadly into his eyes. “I hope you find happiness here, Jamie. I really do.”
A soft breath of wind stirred the curls at her temple and he brushed them back. Then she was in his arms, clinging to him, kissing him, and he didn’t have the heart to push her away. She rested her head on his shoulder for a moment, then backed up with tears in her eyes. “Goodbye, Jamie,” she said, and stepped up into the buggy.
He watched as Diego drove past the row of firs that shaded the driveway. Should he have accompanied her? Good manners said yes, but he knew Letitia too well. No, he told himself. It was better this way. He walked slowly back to the house, wondering what Sarah was doing today.
Chapter Twenty
The horse from the livery stable was slow and plodding, but that suited Sarah just fine. A feeling of calm overtook her as she approached the ranch. The row of fir trees a short distance from the courtyard offered welcome shade and she drew up, eager to see if she could spot any changes.
Movement in the courtyard caught her eye. Jamie was there, and her heart did a little tap dance of joy as she recognized him. But who was he with?
It was a woman. Even from a distance, the woman’s beauty was arresting. Tiny prickles of apprehension danced down Sarah’s spine, and as she watched, Jamie reached up and brushed back a piece of the woman’s hair. Her heart plummeted. How many times had he done that with her? She’d thought it was something special between them, but she hadn’t imagined the tender gesture.
Diego was in the back of the buggy, reaching for the woman’s luggage. He spotted her, and froze, his hand on one of her suitcases. She closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, he was still looking at her. He seemed to be trying to convey a message, but her attention was drawn back to Jamie, who had now enfolded the woman in his arms and was kissing her.
A strangled laugh escaped Sarah’s lips and for a moment she thought her heart would break. She had only herself to blame for coming here unannounced. Unable to watch any more, she turned slowly around and headed back to town.
“Are you sure, ma’am?” The man at the livery stable gave her an odd look. She didn’t remember riding back from the ranch, only that she needed to get away as quickly as possible.
“Yes, I’m sure. Thank you very much.” She grabbed her bag and managed to walk to the steamer without stumbling. If only she could get on board, she might survive.
“You’re in luck.” The man in the ticket office took her money and handed her a ticket. “We only have a few cabins left.”
“Luck?” Sarah didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “Right, thank you.” She made her way on board, found her cabin and fell onto the bed.
* * *
Jamie raised his face to the water. It felt good to wash away the dirt and grime of the day’s work. He must install showers like these in the new buildings he and Diego were planning. He stepped out and towelled himself off, thinking once again how lucky he’d been. Letitia could have ruined everything, but that danger was now out of the way. The possibility that she might show up had been in the back of his mind ever since receiving Aidan’s letter. Now that the worst had happened, he could proceed with his life.
“Jamie?” At the sound of Diego’s voice he stepped into the living area, a towel wrapped around his waist. “Did you see Sarah?”
“Sarah?” Diego took a tentative step into the room.
“Si, she was here.”
“She’s here? That’s great.” He walked into the kitchen and looked outside. “Where is she?”
“No, Senor Jamie. She rode up on a horse when you were saying goodbye to Miss Letitia.”
The ground shifted under his feet as he recalled Letitia’s departure. He gripped the work table for support. “Sarah was here? And she saw Letitia kiss me goodbye?”
Diego nodded. “Si, and then she left.”
“Good Lord.” Jamie scrubbed a hand over his face, trying to organize his thoughts. “Do I have time to get on the boat?”
“No. I heard the whistle as I was on my way back.”
He lowered his head. It had been too good to be true... to think that Letitia could come and leave not a ripple on the mill pond of his life. He was tempted to laugh, but there was nothing funny about this situation. He spoke his thoughts aloud. “What am I going to do?”
He’d forgotten that Diego was there, standing quietly. “I checked the schedules, and one of the smaller boats leaves at first light.” He held up a ticket. “You will get there by late afternoon.”
“Thank you, my friend.” Jamie accepted the ticket. “I should have done this a long time ago.”
* * *
Sarah woke to pale daylight, and for a moment she didn’t know where she was. Then the sounds of the ship filtered into her consciousness. Before she could gather her thoughts, the incident at Jamie’s ranch slammed into her.
Painful as it was, she played the scene over in her mind. There’d been a definite familiarity between Jamie and the woman; it stood to reason that she was the woman from New York he’d spoken of. He must have lied when he told her that their relationship ended before he left. She had believed him, but his actions yesterday indicated differently.
“What did you expect, Sarah Howard?” She rose and looked at her reflection in the mirror. The woman looking back had dark circles under her eyes. They were the eyes of a woman who should have known better than to fall in love with a man who had never expressed affection toward her. She wouldn’t make that mistake again.
* * *
Sarah paid the driver and stood for a moment outside the house, gathering up her nerve. Even though she knew that Addie and Anna would be supportive, she hated the idea of explaining why she was back so soon, not to mention the sympathy she knew she’d see in their eyes. At least they’d be busy preparing to serve the noon meal. She took a deep breath.
The moment she stepped inside, she knew that something was wrong. Senses on high alert, she made her way to the kitchen, where Anna, Addie, Caroline and Lizzie huddled around the work table. They looked up as she entered, their faces reflecting shock and disbelief.
“Addie? Anna?” Her gaze moved back and forth between her two friends. “What’s going on?”
“It’s Lily.” Sarah could tell she was fighting for composure. “Hiram took her.” Her fingers closed around a knife as though she’d like to bury it in the brothel owner.
Sarah’s personal problems disappeared in an instant. “When did this happen?”
Addie looked to the others for confirmation. “An hour ago?” They nodded, and she turned back to Sarah. “About an hour ago. We were all busy working. He came busting through the front door with two men, walked into the kitchen and grabbed her.”
Tears started to spill down her cheeks and she brushed them away impatiently. “I promised myself I wouldn’t cry, but oh, Sarah. You should have seen the look on her face.” Her gaze turned inward. “She was afraid, I could tell that much, but it was as if she’d expected it.... as if she knew it was inevitable.” She pushed around a few pies on a baking tray. “And to make things worse, I did nothing to stop them. I should at least have tried to fight.”
“Addie, no.” Anna gave her a quick hug. “Don’t blame yourself. They were here and gone before any of us had a chance to react.”
A sudden thought struck Sarah. “Where was Devon?”
Addie spread her hands in a gesture of hopelessness. “I’d sent him out to find some apples and carrots. If I had been more organized, this wouldn’t have happened.” She raised her eyes to Sarah. “He came home about fifteen minutes later, and when we told him what had happened, I thought he was going to tear his hair out. He’s out looking for her now.” She started to cry again. “What are we going to do?”
It was Sarah’s turn to be strong. “First of all,” she said, summoning every ounce of confidence she could muster, “you’re going to stop blaming yourself. Devon gets supplies for you almost every day. It wasn’t your fault he had to go out.” She turned to Anna. “Anna, have you seen Angus today? He might have some ideas.”
“Not yet. I usually see him in the plaza around noon when Missy and I sell pies.” She brightened somewhat. “We should go. There are a lot of people milling around every day, especially now that the Post Office is open again. Someone may know something.”
“Good idea.” She turned to Caroline and Lizzie. “And we might as well serve the noon meal. You never know, the men might know something and talk among themselves.”
Sarah had never seen Addie like this. The calm, confident woman had disappeared. She poured her friend a cup of coffee and pressed it into her hands. “Here, drink this.” She tried to smile. “It would be even better if we had some brandy.”
Addie motioned to the top shelf of the spice cupboard. “Up there, in the back.”
Sarah poured, her movements followed by Addie’s dulled eyes. “I really need that, but I’m afraid I’ll become addicted again.” Addie reached for the cup. “Do you think that’s possible?” She didn’t wait for an answer, but drank, her eyes closed.
She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and looked at Sarah as if she’d just noticed her. “Why are you back so soon?”
Sarah shrugged. “It didn’t work out.”
Addie took another drink.
“He had a woman there, but I don’t want to talk about it.”
“That doesn’t sound like the Jamie I know.” Addie narrowed her eyes. “I guess that means no potatoes, huh?”
Sarah looked at her blankly for a moment, then burst into laughter, releasing the tension in the room.
Addie poured some more brandy into her cup and handed the bottle to Sarah. “Put this away,” she said. “I’m all right now.” She tossed back the remainder of the brandy and let out a shuddering breath. “Devon is devastated, as you can imagine. He blames himself, of course.”
“Seems like there’s a lot of that going around.”
Addie acknowledged her comment with one raised eyebrow, then turned to check the menu on the chalk board. “We can stand around here all afternoon feeling helpless or we can get started on supper.” She handed the knives to Sarah. “You’d better do the chopping.”
They worked silently for several minutes, each lost in thought. Caroline and Lizzie came and went, serving the hungry miners. “Has anyone said anything?” asked Addie as Lizzie loaded more fruit pies on a plate.
“No.” Lizzie shook her head. “Just the usual talk.”
They worked silently for a few more minutes, then Sarah put her knife down. “I wish we knew more about her. There are so many things about her that don’t add up. For example, she speaks excellent English.” She grabbed a carrot and started chopping again. “How does someone with that level of education get sold? It doesn’t make sense.”
“People fall from grace for various reasons. Trust me, I know.” Addie’s words were bitter with regret. “I just hope we can find her before...”
“Sarah, there’s someone here to see you.” Lizzie stood nervously in the door of the kitchen. “She says it’s important.”
“Oh, Lizzie. I don’t know if I can deal with it today.” The number of women coming to Sarah’s informal clinic was increasing daily.
“She says she knows you.”
“Oh, all right.” Sarah followed Lizzie to the dining room, where a woman stood just inside the door, a bonnet covering most of her face.
/> “Can I help you?”
The woman looked up. One side of her face was badly bruised. “Hello, Sarah. Remember me?”
Sarah took the woman by the arm and led her into the kitchen, away from the curious eyes of the diners. “Madeleine, is that you?” It was the prostitute she’d been visiting when she spirited Addie out of the hospital.
“Yes.” The woman recognized Addie and gave her a brief smile. “I came about the Chinese girl.”
“You’ve seen her?” “You know where Lily is?” Addie and Sarah spoke at the same time.
“No, but I heard that Hiram took her.” She gestured to her face. “He did this to me last night.” She winced, and took a steadying breath. “I wanted to tell you how he operates when he gets a new girl.” Something defiant flared in her eyes. “When he gets a new girl, he always shows her off. You know, to build up interest.”
Sarah fought back nausea, but motioned for Madeleine to continue.
“He plays poker almost every night at Parker House, and when he has a new girl, he takes her with him.”
Sarah thought for a moment. “Addie says that when he came here this morning, he had a couple of thugs with him. I suppose they’ll be there, too.”
“Oh, yes. He always has someone with him these days.”
Sarah probed further. “I have no idea how this works, but Lily said he owned her. That he had a bill of sale. Is that possible?”
Madeleine exchanged glances with Addie. “Unfortunately, yes. It happens all too frequently.” She looked around nervously. “I’ve been gone too long. I really have to get back.”
“Is there anything I can do for you?” Sarah raised her hands in a helpless gesture. “I can’t offer to let you stay here, because it’s obviously the first place he would look, but I could probably help you get away.”
Madeleine’s eyes softened. “No, but thank you. I’ll be all right.”
Sarah doubted that, but there wasn’t much she could do. “Thank you, Madeleine. I know you’ve put yourself in danger by coming here.”
