“He’s a good dog.” Tony scratched Tiny behind his massive ears, and the tail sped up a trace. With a grin, he said, “I think he might make it, Mari.”
“I sure hope he does.” She leaned over and gave the giant pooch a careful hug. “I love him so much. I’d be lost without him “
“You wouldn’t be lost, Mari,” Tony said tenderly. “You’d be sad, but I don’t believe you’ll ever be lost. You’re too strong for that.” Besides, he’d buy her a dozen Great Danes if she wanted them. A hundred. A thousand. He could almost see them in his mind’s eye, spreading across the landscape like a herd of cows.
He was a little disconcerted when she glanced at him over the dog’s huge black head. He detected a hint of bleakness in her eyes, and he didn’t understand it. She should be gloating. After all, no other woman in the world had ever succeeded in roping Tony Ewing.
“Yes,” she said slowly. “I guess I’m strong, all right.”
She didn’t sound awfully thrilled about it. Tony decided she was merely undergoing a few moments of maidenly—formerly maidenly—qualms. He smiled at her to make up for them. After a moment, she smiled back.
Gazing at the dog, he asked, “Do you think we ought to dose him with another couple of drops of laudanum’?” He thought it might be nice to get a few hours of sleep, since the film crew was supposed to arrive bright and early in the morning. Martin wanted to get the shots of Mari in her mine done in one day because of the intense heat. He didn’t want anyone dying of sunstroke, a policy with which Tony agreed wholeheartedly.
She stroked the gigantic black beast thoughtfully for a second or two. “I think so. I don’t think it would hurt him, and it might help him rest better. If he gets too frisky, he might open that wound, so it would probably be better to keep him sort of sleepy for a while.”
“Probably wouldn’t hurt us, either,” Tony mentioned.
“We ought to get some sleep, I suppose.”
He wouldn’t mind losing a night’s sleep in pursuit of a good cause, and he couldn’t think of a better one than making love to Mari all night. However, she probably shouldn’t do any more exercise of that nature for a day or so. No matter how much she professed to having not been hurt, Tony didn’t want to take any chances.
When he brought his gaze away from Tiny and directed it at Mari, he was surprised by the expression on her face. She appeared troubled. Unable to help himself, he reached across the dog and touched her cheek. “What is it, Mari? What’s the matter?”
She licked her lips. “Um, does that mean you want to stay here? All night?”
He stared at her, thunderstruck for a moment. It hadn’t occurred to him that she might want him to leave her after that spectacular bout of lovemaking. He wasn’t sure, but he thought his feelings were hurt “I figured I would. Why? Don’t you want me to?”
She swallowed. “Um, it’s not exactly that I don’t want you to. It’s—” She stopped speaking and licked her lips again.
“It’s what?” His euphoric mood suffered a puncture. Dammit, she was supposed to be as in love with him as he was with her. Although Tony was willing to entertain some pretty novel eventualities with regard to Mari, given her background and all, the notion that she might not love him hadn’t occurred to him until this minute.
She stopped petting Tiny and made a small gesture with her hand. “Well, I mean . . .” Again, her words faded out.
“You mean what?” He felt his temper begin to rise and tamped it down with difficulty.
Her temper was evidently having the same trouble as his, because she snapped, “Well, for goodness’ sake, Tony Ewing! What will everyone think if they know you spent the night here? I’d be run out of town!”
Tony could hardly credit the sensation of relief that washed over him. So that was her problem! It was foolish of him not to have thought of it first. After all, he had grown up abiding by a stuffy society’s many rules and regulations. He was so comforted to know she hadn’t merely used him for her own ends that he laughed. Tiny’s tail started thumping again.
She scowled. “I don’t think it’s funny. You might not be ruined by something like this, but I’m not rich and famous like some people.”
Shaking his head, he again reached across Tiny to touch her. She jerked away from him, incensed. “Mari, it’s not that. I’m not laughing at you. And I don’t think your worries are unfounded or nonsensical. I’m only relieved that you don’t want to kick me out because you hate me.”
She opened her mouth, shut it, then opened it again, as if at a complete loss for words.
Tony said humbly, “May I please stay here with you tonight? When the crew shows up tomorrow, we can tell them about Tiny being shot. I can say I stayed here to help you with Tiny and because I didn’t want you to be alone out here in the middle of nowhere without anyone to guard you, knowing there’s a gun-happy lunatic somewhere in the area.”
She looked skeptical. “Do you think they’ll buy that one?”
“Why not? It’s the truth. Martin knows me well enough to understand that I’d never desert a lady in distress.”
“I wasn’t in distress,” she said stiffly. “Tiny was.”
Tony only nodded. “Of course. That’s what I meant to say.
She thought about it for another several tense seconds Tony realized he meant the part about not leaving her alone. If she kicked him out of her cabin, he’d sleep in the Pierce Arrow He’d be damned if he’d leave her at the mercy of whoever was trying to ruin the making of the picture.
At last, she said, “Okay.” She stared at him with those gorgeous, solemn brown eyes and added with a hint of reserve in her manner, “I’d like you to stay.”
Thank God. He smiled back. “Good. Then it’s settled. We can be up and about before the crew arrives, and nobody will ever know a thing.”
“Okay. Let me get some more laudanum down poor old Tiny.”
Together they doctored the dog, who was an admirable patient. Then they retired to Mari’s extremely small bed. Because he didn’t want any more temptations to attack him than were absolutely necessary, Tony kept his trousers on. Mari donned a big flannel nightgown, a hand-me-down from her deceased mother unless Tony was much mistaken, thereby putting another barrier between the two new lovers.
That was all right. Tony fell asleep almost instantly once they’d wrapped themselves comfortably in each other’s arms. He had the rest of his life to make love to Mari. The rest of his life. He was so happy, he was surprised his body even touched the bed because he was floating on air.
Right before his brain shut off and sleep claimed him, he realized he hadn’t got his proposal of marriage made.
Tomorrow morning, he assured himself. There’d be plenty of time to propose tomorrow morning before filming started.
It was the rattle of wagons and the purr of motorcar engines that awoke Mari in the morning. Blinking into the sunshine streaming through her window, it took her only a heartbeat to realize they’d overslept. She rolled out of bed with a gasp, flew to the window, and peeked outside, holding the curtain so that no one could see inside the cabin.
Yup. There they were. A caravan of motion-picture people. Darn it all. She raced back to the bed and shook Tony as hard as she could. “Tony! Wake up this instant! They’re here!”
“Grrmph. Wh-huh?”
Lord, the man was gorgeous. But at present he was a blasted lump. She shook him again and growled, “Get up! Martin’s here!”
“Mm-Martin?” His eyes flew open. “Good God, what time is it?”
“I don’t know.” She saw Tony’s pocket watch on the table next to her bed and snatched it up. “It’s seven-thirty.”
“Seven-thirty?” He flung his long legs over the side of the bed and yawned hugely. “Good God, picture people get up early. It’s a damned uncivilized profession, if you ask me.”
“Yes,” she said through clenched teeth. “Don’t they though. Will you get moving? I have to see to Tiny and get dressed.”
“Right.” Tony stood up and stretched.
Dear Lord in heaven. Mari wished he hadn’t done that. He was as much like a Greek god as made no matter, and she really just wanted to stay here and look at him all day. She’d give anything not to have to work.
As if she had anything to give. Which was the whole point, she reminded herself sternly. She was working on this picture in order to earn money, and she’d better get ready to do it. This was supposed to be a big day for her character, and there’d be a lot of climbing in and out of the mine to do.
In other words, it would be almost like a normal day for her. But she wasn’t normal. She was a whole new Mari after last night. She wanted to sing and dance and whistle and tell the world how happy she was.
She did none of those things; she retied her bathrobe and went to her dog. She had to wash up, but Tiny came first. Praying like mad that no one from the picture crew would knock at her door, she inspected Tiny’s wound, gave him some water, and hand-fed him a few bites of food.
“Don’t give him too much,” warned Tony from the far corner of the room.
When Mari turned to see what he was doing, she was gratified to note that he’d already dressed and was brushing his hair with her hairbrush. Her heart gave a brief leap, and it crossed her mind never to wash that brush again. Which was patently stupid.
“I won’t,” she said. “But I’m sure he needs to eat a little something.”
Tony walked over and grinned down at the girl and her dog. “I suppose so. He probably eats more than you do.”
“He does,” she said dryly.
Tiny wagged his tail and whined. Mari was pleased when Tony correctly interpreted this message as an invitation to say good morning in Dog and leaned over to pet him.
“You’re going to be all right,” Tony assured Tiny. “Just rest up today and don’t do any rabbit chasing or anything.”
“I’m going to leave him inside the cabin,” Mari said. “Although I suppose I ought to take him outside to do his duty first.”
“Why don’t you let me do that,” Tony suggested. “I’ll walk him outside, explain everything to Martin, and you can be getting ready in here. Then he can stay outside with me if he wants to. Tiny,” he clarified, “not Martin.”
If he wasn’t the kindest, most thoughtful man in the universe, Mari didn’t know who was. “Thanks, Tony. I—” Good God, she almost said I love you. Fortunately, her brain was quicker than her tongue, and she said, “I appreciate it.”
He tipped her a wink and went to where Tiny’s leash hung on a hook beside the door. Seeing this, Tiny struggled to his feet, whimpering only once. Mari helped him to stand, wincing for his pain. “That’s a good boy,” she whispered in his big pointy ear, exaggerating somewhat for the sake of Tiny’s self-esteem. “You’re such a very good boy.”
“Come on, you big lug,” said Tony, who evidently wasn’t worried about the dog’s ego. “Let’s go outside and show off your battle scars.”
Mari’s heart seemed to swell in her chest. She’d believed she had only one male to love in the world: Tiny. As she watched Tony carefully guide Tiny out the door, she realized her capacity for love had grown by one. She sighed and wondered dreamily where it would end. No matter how many fantasies she spun in her head, she had no doubt whatever that it would end, and that the end would hurt her deeply.
In spite of her doubts and fears, Mari washed and dressed in record time, rushing outdoors to see Martin and the rest of the Peerless crew huddled around Tiny, who was obviously enjoying the attention. Although his tail sagged slightly—when he felt really well, he held it in the air like a flagstaff—it was wagging, and his huge doggy grin was visible from where she stood.
Martin waved to her. “Mari! Tony’s just been telling us what happened. Good Lord, I can’t believe it!”
She walked over to the clump of people. “I couldn’t believe it, either, but I saved the bullet I tweezed out of him. It’s in a jar in the cabin.” She hooked a thumb over her shoulder.
A troubled frown marred Martin’s handsome face, and creases appeared in his brow. He’d already begun tugging on his worry lock. “This has got to stop. We can’t have someone shooting dogs.”
“I’m sure Mari won’t agree with me,” said Tony, “but I suppose it’s better than shooting people.”
Mari shot him a scowl “Whoever it was might have thought he was shooting people,” she pointed out. “It was getting dark.” She was almost sorry for losing her temper when Tony paled in front of her eyes.
“Good God.”
Martin clapped him on the back. “Buck up, Tony. The detectives are here, and I’ll post them at Mari’s cabin tonight.” A thought struck him, and he turned to Mari. “Unless you’d rather take a room at the Mojave Inn until this thing is in the can. Peerless will be happy to pick up the tab.” He saw Mari glance quickly down at her dog and hurried to add, “I’m sure they’ll let Tiny stay there, too.”
“That might be a good idea, Mari,” Tony said.
She eyed him narrowly, wondering if he had her interests at heart, or merely thought it would be easier to get into her drawers if she stayed at the hotel. Then she told herself not to be silly; he’d have had no trouble in that regard, no matter where he attempted a seduction. If seduction it had been. Mari didn’t even know at this point. All she knew for sure was that she’d been willing. More than willing. Eager.
“Let me think about it, please,” she said after lecturing herself severely about the futility of afterthoughts.
Martin readily agreed with this plan
Tony sat on a chair in the shade of an umbrella with Tiny lying on a blanket at his side. They both watched as the Peerless crew filmed scene after scene featuring Mari and her mine. Reginald Harrowgate staggered into the picture here and there, playing his part of Mari’s drunken father to the hilt.
Another actor, a handsome devil named—or renamed, if Tony knew anything about actors—Xavier Joaquin, acted the part of the gent who’d won Mari in a poker game. He swaggered and strutted, and it was all Tony could do to contain himself when Joaquin pretended to manhandle her in one scene.
“It’s only a picture,” he grumbled to Tiny in an effort to subdue his raging temper. “It’s only a picture.”
Tiny lifted his head and gazed at him mutely, but Tony felt sure he understood.
Around one o’clock, a wagon arrived with sandwiches and lemonade, and everyone was happy to rest for a half hour or so. They all tried to stay out of the scorching sun, using the umbrellas Peerless had provided, but the heat was still enervating. Tony made sure Mari ate her lunch with him. Although he wasn’t overjoyed when Martin joined them, he didn’t protest, understanding Mari’s reluctance to advertise the change in her and Tony’s relationship.
He was going to propose to her as soon as they were alone together. He could kick himself for not doing it last night.
Filming continued after lunch. Mari looked exhausted as she rested on the sidelines, and Tony was proud of how well she hid her tiredness as soon as the cameras commenced their ungodly racket.
At one point, she had to enter the mine, climb down the rope ladder suspended from the mine scaffolding—scaffolding that had been reinforced by Peerless carpenters before filming had ever begun—and pretend to hide from Joaquin. Scenes depicting her escape from Joaquin would be filmed later on a set George Peters had designed specifically to resemble the intricate tunnels inside the mine.
Tony watched, frowning, as, with every evidence of terror, Mari disappeared into the mine shaft. He didn’t like thinking of her in that damned hole in the ground. No matter how much effort Peerless had put into making it safe, Tony didn’t trust it.
He knew he was being foolish. Mari had worked that blasted mine all her life. She knew it like the back of her hand. If anyone was safe in that damned pit, it was she.
When a frightened cry rose from the hole in the ground, he was on his feet in an instant and racing toward the mine entrance.
Martin called out, “Hey, Tony! What are you—”
His question was drowned out by a series of loud crackling noises that sounded like fire from a Gatling gun, followed at once by a huge boom, and another louder, and more frightened scream from Mari.
Tony’s heart lurched sickeningly when a noise like an avalanche issued from underground, and a gigantic cloud of dust rose from the mouth of the mine. “Mari!” he shouted. “Mari! Mari!”
He heard someone running up behind him, and then Martin’s voice joined his. “Mari! For God’s sake, what’s happening in there?”
Tony feared he knew exactly what was happening. Or, rather, what had happened. The saboteur had been at the mine; that was why he’d been here last evening, and why Tiny had scared him so much that the vandalizing bastard had shot him.
Both men halted at the mine opening. All Tony saw from where he stood was rubble. The entrance to the mine was completely blocked by shattered scaffolding and rocks. Everything inside of him throbbed with fear and pain. “Mari,” he breathed.
Martin grabbed his arm. “Good God, Tony. This is terrible.”
It was worse than terrible. If anything had happened to Mari, it would be the worst tragedy of Tony’s entire life. After pausing for no more than ten seconds, trying to assimilate the magnitude of his possible loss, he fell to his knees and started heaving rubble away from the mine entrance. “For God’s sake, help me!” he cried, his throat so tight the words barely squeezed out.
“Wait, Tony,” Martin said in a calm voice. “Wait a minute. Let George take a look. He’ll know better than we what should be done, since he’s the construction expert.”
“Expert? I swear to God, Martin, if he’s responsible for this, I’ll kill him.”
“He’s not,” Martin said crisply. “And if you weren’t so scared, you’d know it “
Sitting back on his heels and taking a deep breath, Tony breathed in and out twice before he whispered, “Right.” He buried his face in his cupped hands, feeling as though his heart were being hacked in two with a dull ax. “You’re right. Of course, you’re right.”
Miner's Daughter Page 28
