by Kristin Holt
Her innocence touched him in ways he’d not expected. Her awe mesmerized him. She glimpsed this small portion of the Pullman Private car— life as he knew it— and was apparently overcome by a kind of awe he doubted he’d ever known.
He’d planned to give her a tour of the car and all the amenities, but that seemed a poor idea now. She needed time to acclimate, and they did have plenty of time. No sense rushing her.
He’d show her around once the shock had worn off.
So he smiled, relaxed into this chair beside her, and met her gaze. “I’m thirsty. I’ll go get us both a cold drink, and we’ll watch the city and view of the mountains go by.”
Her hesitant smile was the only approval he needed.
Moments later, he returned with tall glasses of frosty lemonade with crushed raspberries and the rims of the glasses decorated with sumptuous autumn berries and a slice of lemon. Newly available paper straws adorned the glasses.
He set his drink upon a cork coaster on the small table situated between them and offered her a glass.
Josie’s eyes filled with wonder. Again. “It’s so cold.”
He couldn’t help but smile. “We carry ample ice for beverages, but mostly to keep the fresh food in the ice box. Rail stations have plentiful ice for sale as so many cars carrying perishable food come through, especially along the transcontinental route.”
She nodded, fingering the straw. Another simple thing she may have never enjoyed.
Karl, the lead steward, came into the dining area, just near enough to catch Adam’s eye.
Adam nodded, granting permission to set the table for their light meal. He really did like Karl and Milton. The pair worked together splendidly and did superior work.
The men opened the drop leafs of the table, spread a pristine tablecloth over it and began with place settings. They moved in and out of the dining area in silence, allowing Adam and Josie’s conversation to continue uninterrupted.
“Give it a taste. I’d like to know if you’re fond of lemonade.”
“Oh, I am.”
“With raspberries?”
“I’ve never tasted a raspberry.”
“You haven’t?”
That earned him a genuine smile. “I’m from cranberry country. And I know blueberries, but not raspberries.”
He imagined raspberries were available, at least by rail, but doubted the sisters’ finances had allowed such delicacies. Adam ached to spoil Josie, to offer the best of tempting menus, foods she’d not tried, beverages she would delight in.
She put the straw to her lips and pulled. He couldn’t help but watch the movement of her lips and throat.
Who knew a straw could be such a sensual experience, at least for a new husband?
“Oh, that’s good. Very good.”
“Not too sweet?” Adam had to clear his throat.
“No.”
The train had begun moving, pulling away from the depot and heading south. On the east side of the car, out of the sun, they didn’t have the best view of nearby Rocky Mountains. “If you’d like a better view, Darling, we might sit on the opposite side of the car. I can close the curtains at our backs to keep the heat out.”
“I think I would enjoy that. Thank you.”
Within a minute they were well situated, this time on a small sofa that would have been Adam’s whole motive if he’d thought about it. He quite enjoyed sitting so close to his wife.
“I want to hear all about you,” he told her. “Tell me about growing up in northern Massachusetts.”
Karl and Milton brought out the serving dishes, covered, and waiting on a service cart. Milton locked the wheels with care.
The men retreated to the galley and would return for the dishes and remains of the food when they’d finished. Why would anyone want to eat in the dining car when they had the ability to enjoy a private meal?
“Do you know Lawrence?”
“Not much. The parts that interest me are those that intersect your life.”
Perhaps because of her shyness, Josie’s well-mannered responses to his questions revealed little about herself.
If she didn’t think much of herself, he could fix that.
Perhaps a husband’s greatest enjoyment came from building his wife’s confidence, helping her to see what a lovely person she truly was.
“Would you care to have a seat at the dining table? Our meal is ready.”
She nodded, so he rose and took the glass from her hand, leaving it on the side table. He seated her at the dining table, holding her chair and bending to kiss her crown.
It seemed the best possible way to tend to her self worth. He would show how much he valued her.
Adam removed the lids from the serving dishes and, having shown her each dish the stewards prepared, served her ample portions of her selections. “You’re welcome to more. We have plenty.”
“What about the others? Will they be joining us?”
The glimpse of her awareness of others in the car pleased him inordinately. “Karl and Milton,” he intentionally avoided disclosing Mrs. Bushnell’s presence… yet, “have kept their portions in the galley. They’ll eat at their table. I love that you notice and care about them.”
She smiled, lowering her eyes as if his praise made her shy.
Adam filled his own plate and took his seat.
The conversation lagged as they ate, enjoying the passing view beyond the window. Yet the conversation continued in a comfortable fashion.
“I have a question for you, one I’d very much like an answer to.”
That pleased him. “Ask. I’m eager to please you.”
“Whose rail car is this? Cannon Mining’s?”
“Not particularly, though Richard and I travel in it for business, just as Grandfather did.”
“Oh.”
He felt driven to give her a better answer, open the door more and allow her to see inside. He wanted her to know him as well as he wanted to know her.
“This car has been in my family for many years, approaching a decade, I believe.”
“You speak of your grandfather as if he has passed on.”
“Yes. Nine months ago. He lived a long and happy life. My grandmother died years ago, and he missed her terribly.”
“So now your family is only Richard and you?”
Did she look for commonalities between her family and his? “Richard’s parents are deceased, and he had no siblings. But my parents live in Denver and I have a sister who is seventeen and still at home. She’ll be eighteen in December.”
Josie stilled. “Is there a reason your parents did not attend the wedding?” She spoke so low he had a hard time hearing her with the rumble and clatter of the moving train.
By her tone of voice accompanied by the subtle stiffening of her muscles, Adam realized that revelation had caught Josie off guard, and in a very uncomfortable way.
Adam’s heart clenched. He should’ve eased into this somehow, should have told her from the beginning… “Darling…”
“Why not?” She swallowed and the haunted expression in her eyes made her appear more vulnerable than usual.
“I do understand people cannot always attend valued events.”
Her words might claim understanding, but he doubted she understood at all.
“Do your parents know you married today?”
Chapter Five
According to the rumors, Jefe Dos— Boss Two, Adam Taylor— was at this very hour on his way to New Mexico.
A most unwelcome bit of news.
The explosion hadn’t been intentional, in fact this one had been an unfortunate accident.
The time had come to alert one of Robin’s Merry Men— he’d know precisely what to do.
By design, Dos would never arrive at Silver Queen Mine.
Robin smiled all the way to the Western Union Telegraph office.
The one-word directive: tomorrow.
He whistled on his way out the door.
The pain in Josi
e’s chest amplified with every indrawn breath.
With every passing second, the lack of an answer from Adam made it very clear his parents did not know.
Her appetite had dried up and blown away on the winds of betrayal.
She set her fork on her plate and clasped her hands in her lap. She wished she had the strength and courage to look her husband in the eye. If only she had half of Lessie’s pluck.
“I realize, husband, that you’re a grown man who does not tell his parents everything. Yet it has become quite important to me to understand why you haven’t told them of your marriage.”
Am I a dirty secret?
She wanted to give Adam the benefit of the doubt. Everything she’d seen of him, he showed consistent integrity. Yet she knew essentially nothing about his family. Quite possibly, his mother was very ill and excitable news was withheld from her to safeguard her health.
“Josie. Please look at me.”
His gaze was filled with such regret, such pain, she nearly released him from the expectation of answering her question. But this one really mattered to her.
He struggled for a good many seconds more to form his answer, so she asked, “Do you not have a favorable relationship with your parents?”
“That’s not it, not at all. My parents are good people. Loving. Kind. Generous. You’ll like them and they’ll like you.”
A horrible thought occurred to her with the illumination and shock of a lightning bolt. “We are legally married, aren’t we?”
“Yes, Darling. Yes.” He held out his hand, asking her to put hers in his. She considered refusing, for she still didn’t have an answer. Had she made a horrible mistake in marrying this man?
“I must trust you had a viable, reasonable purpose in either not inviting your parents to attend your wedding to me, or you have circumstances within your family that I don’t understand.”
Please, Adam, be the man I believe you to be.
If only she knew her husband better, if only she understood him.
But that desired circumstance could be arranged, couldn’t it? Ultimately, such a state of their relationship was within her control. It might not be easy for her to open up, to ask questions and to answer questions in return, but this man was her lawful husband.
She’d sworn vows before God to honor and obey this man, to live with him in sickness and in health… but all those promises jumbled up in her mind and it had all been over so quickly, she couldn’t be sure of the specifics and wording and the entire list.
But she did know one thing: if she desired to understand her husband, to know him, that was within her power.
And she did want to know him, to comprehend his reasons for a quiet ceremony with only his cousin and her sister, groom and bride in their own right, to serve as witnesses.
The best way to start was to make her intentions clear. “I want very much to know you, Adam, to understand your thoughts, your reasons, your needs and your fears. I want to recognize what pleases you and your dreams and all you hope to achieve in life.”
Had she explained herself adequately?
“I realize this will take time,” she added, “but it’s worth the work I know it will take. You’re my husband, and I want that kind of a meaningful relationship. And I want you to know and understand me in return.”
This explanation, though awkward and rambling must have given him much of what he needed, for when she put her hand in his big palm, he eagerly wrapped his long fingers around it.
“Richard and I are business associates— you know this, right?”
“Indeed.”
“As you learned in our advertisement, we sought brides of a certain background, brides who could be of specific assistance.”
“Factory or mill workers.”
“Yes.”
“Do we embarrass you, Mr. Taylor? Is that why your parents did not attend?”
“No. Not at all.” He seemed flustered, but only barely so. To him this seemed to be a minor inconvenience, nothing more. But his response stunned her.
Moneyed, successful Adam Taylor claimed to be willing to introduce her to his mother and father, wearing rags.
Adam watched the doorway into the front section of the car where Karl and Milton spent their time, apparently to ensure they were alone. He leaned closer so he could lower his voice and still be heard.
“Cannon Mining has faced significant… challenges… in recent months. In the beginning, when the problems started, we realized we didn’t naturally have what it takes to understand our employees. They’re from a different world. Some are itinerant workers. They migrate from mine to mine. They fight us on policy, they are slow to communicate safety issues, then blame us when something happens and workers are injured or killed.”
He watched her so closely, obviously needing to see she understood him.
She’d wanted so badly to cultivate an open relationship, a happy, communicative marriage where they understood one another. But all she wanted at that moment was to hide her pain, refuse to let him see her doubts as they multiplied and her glow of happiness extinguished.
As soon as she’d buried her unwanted emotion, she spoke. “I knew you wanted someone who’d worked in a mill or factory… but I didn’t know it was why you sent for brides.”
“That’s not the whole story. It makes us sound like thoughtless men who don’t value the institution of marriage.”
She turned his non-answer over in her head but couldn’t make head nor tail of it. “I don’t understand. If this is a business problem, what can wives possibly do?”
In her many years of wage-earning, she’d worked in various kinds of mills and factories. But she had no specialized training. She wasn’t an accountant, had no understanding of the law. She’d never been taught business management. And she had certainly never worked in a mine. “What can I possibly know about the running of a company?”
She fought the inevitable, but her insecurities doubled and she hated the way that made her feel.
Adam traced a vein on the back of her hand. “I’d hoped to explain everything, help you to see what Richard and I need to accomplish, before you had a chance to worry.”
He wanted to explain this away?
He’d better have a good reason.
“Please, Mr. Taylor. Do explain yourself.”
Chapter Six
All right. He needed to explain himself, something he wasn’t used to doing but for his wife, he’d make the effort. He was a married man now, and he’d have to get used to sharing.
“Early last spring, the company started experiencing a higher than average rate of problems. We had a fire break out in the Black Spades Mine, there was an elevator failure at Tea Kettle, and the Silver Queen had its waterwheels break down three times. Three times.”
He sighed. “I don’t believe that has ever happened, anywhere. Lightning does not strike twice in the same location.”
Her dark eyes studied him. “Go on.”
“Anyway, at first, we believed it was some sort of a cosmic joke. The universe testing us. Grandfather had just died, and for the first time, we didn’t have him around to make the hard decisions.”
He had her full attention.
He wanted her to understand, wanted her on board with the plan, still needed both twins to be of help. Now that they were legally wed, and on their way to New Mexico, it really was time for him to disclose everything.
He wanted her understanding.
Just when he was about to explain more, the staff came to clear off their meal. He was a little hesitant to speak of the details whenever they were nearby, especially as he and Richard had no clue who was behind all the trouble.
Quite frankly, they didn’t know who to trust.
He wanted to trust Josie.
He wanted her full loyalty, and eventually her love.
He’d hoped to have time to settle her in, before they had this conversation, but the girl was turning out to have hidden depths, and immediately zero
ed in on the important issues.
Serious conversations rarely occurred at exactly the right moment, now did they?
After a quick glance at the staff, he looked out the window at the passing landscape. “So, you’ve never been to New Mexico?”
“I’ve never been anywhere, but Lawrence, Massachusetts. And now, Utah Territory.” She glanced between him and the staff, and it seemed she read his mind as she went with the change of subject. “But I’d love to see more of the world. I have to admit, the changing scenery over these last many days has been exciting.”
After the staff had cleaned up and left, she didn’t waste any time, but looked at him firmly. “You don’t trust your own staff, do you?” Concern and something that looked a whole lot like compassion flickered in her coffee-colored eyes.
“I can’t trust anyone.” He took her hand in his, turned it over and caressed her palm. “It’s evident we have a traitor, or perhaps several traitors at different sites within Cannon Mining. We have no idea who’s communicating with who.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Richard and I intentionally waited for full disclosure until you and your sister were our wives. I have no hope but to trust you implicitly— as the closest family member I have. My fate is in your hands.” He enclosed her hand in both of his.
“So, allow me to ensure I understand you correctly.” She firmed her lips, sat little straighter, and even went so far as to glance at the hallway of the rail car and back to the galley to ensure they were alone. “My purpose as your wife is to bring to you my life experience as a wage earner. A worker.”
Disappointment slammed into him. This wasn’t what he wanted, this seriousness, the way she stated the facts and made it all business. He couldn’t dispute her, but hated that he was responsible for that expression on her face.
“No, no, Darling. I wanted a wife. I’m ready for a wife. You are, first and foremost, my bride. Granted, I selected you in part because of what you could bring me— a perspective I cannot understand. No amount of schooling can give me the insight you have.”
He trailed a forefinger along the curve of her cheek.
