But next door in his bedroom the same thoughts were going through Noah’s mind. Susannah and she was so beautiful. Susannah and did she love Blair? Susannah and thinking of being close to her was equivalent to thinking he could travel to the moon.
It was some time before either of them slept and when the morning came none of the adults were over enthusiastic about rising.
However, they had to do so and once they had eaten breakfast felt refreshed. They would go to church first, Linda said, and then wander round the town. Simon and Carole did not know the people for whom they were looking but then they didn’t know everyone in Darwin, they said.
However, they knew enough folks to be able to ask around and that was what they would do, first with their congregation then in general. The children played happily on the equipment they had in their garden until church, and at church there was a Sunday School into which they all went.
The church had the same easy atmosphere as the one in Lower Pine and wasn’t anything like churches she had attended before, Susannah told the couple. That was because they were taught by Jonathon and Linda, they said, and nobody could be starchy after being with them.
Noah once again stayed with the children as he and Simon babysat them in the absence of Linda, Carole and Susannah who went to strategic places to make enquiries. He and Noah would go later to the saloon and see what they could discover, Simon said, because that was man’s work and he didn’t want Carole in a saloon. He grinned as she narrowed her eyes, put his arms round her and Susannah did not dare to look at Noah.
But it appeared their enquiries were not going to show any fruit, Susannah felt when they finally went back to the house. That was, unless Noah and Simon could find out anything. People had heard of the couple but nobody knew where they were or if they had moved away or not. Their house was empty so maybe they were on holiday.
“We know at least where they live,” Carole said when she and Simon saw them off late in the evening after the evening service. They had decided to travel overnight once again in order for the children to sleep and the little ones already were though Dan was still awake.
“So we’ll look out for their return,” Simon replied. “You really do need to get to the bottom of this. We’ll telegraph you as soon as we can find out anything.”
“Thank you for having us,” Linda said, climbing into the back of the wagon. “I really appreciate it.”
“Yes, thank you.” Both Noah and Susannah spoke together.
“You’ve been very kind,” Susannah added.
“It’s been wonderful having you,” Carole said. “I wish we could accompany you home. I don’t like you travelling at night.”
“Noah will look after us,” Susannah said.
“And Susannah will attack anyone who dares to come near us.” Noah grinned down at Susannah.
“I will.” Susannah climbed into the back next to Dan whose eyes were beginning to glaze over. Noah shook the reins and she and Linda waved until they went round the corner.
By this time Dan was asleep, much to Susannah’s relief. If they all stayed asleep they could go to school in the morning and she was sure the children would want to do that. The horses speeded up and she moved Dan down, put a pillow under his head and covered him.
“We rarely travel at night,” Linda said. “But from the children’s point of view it’s better.”
“Do you get many holdups?” Susannah asked.
“No, but then it’s usually just wagons who travel at night.” She pointed ahead. “That’s why I chose this particular time. The stagecoach is going overnight so we’ll be safer with them near. I contacted them and we’ll be stopping at the same time as they stop to have a rest. Well, maybe not all night because they change horses.”
“And ours will need a longer rest?”
“Yes. We’ll play it by ear.”
But when they stopped the first time the stagecoach driver said they could take two of their horses in a cart which they had brought in order to give them a rest and then take the other two at the next stop.
“It’s very kind of you to do this,” Susannah said, walking over to where someone was dealing with the horses. He turned and she couldn’t quite believe it. “Joel?”
“I sometimes help out on the coach,” he said. “I used to be an assistant coach driver. Linda spoke to me and I offered to come because a sheriff accompanies the coach at all times. It’s doing me a favour really because I’ll get paid for it and money always comes in useful.”
“I must admit I feel safer with us being near you,” she said. “We were alright when we came but I was a bit nervous. Noah would protect us through thick and thin but there’s more safety in numbers, don’t you think?”
“Definitely more safety. Did you find out what you came for?”
“No. The people have either left or are away. Simon and Carole are going to look out for them.”
“We have to keep awake because it’s our job,” Joel said. “But I’ll suggest to Noah that he has a bit of a sleep and we can drive your wagon for a couple of hours. We’ll do it a bit later when he begins to get sleepy.”
“Thank you.”
Susannah went back to the wagon and was more than relieved but instead of getting into it she climbed up beside Noah.
“Why are you here and not in the back?” he asked, flicking the reins.
“To keep you company and I’m not sleepy. It will also mean Linda may sleep. When one of their drivers takes over you must sleep too. I don’t want you being all manly and saying you can manage.”
He smiled. “I won’t be manly, I promise.”
You could never be anything else. I wouldn’t want you to be anything else. Wouldn’t want? She was getting delusional.
“It was really a wasted journey, wasn’t it?”
He looked at her briefly. “I wouldn’t say that. At least we know they still have a house here. Simon says he’ll try to find out if he has bought a share in the mines.”
“They’re all closing, Carole said, so it’s doubtful. People are already moving from Darwin to go to other mining areas. Maybe that’s what they have done, which could be anywhere.”
“There must be someone who knows them.”
“Yes, but who? If we can’t find them we just have to somehow trip up Miles when we go to see him. I’m virtually sure that scruffy bit of paper he has is not genuine but it has to be proved.”
“We’ll come up with something. Well, you will because you’re the brains of the enterprise. I’m just the brawn.”
She did not dare to look at him. Definitely the brawn but she mustn’t think of that. Out loud she said, “And the brains. I’m also the brawn in a lesser way.”
“I can vouch for that.” Noah laid his hand briefly on Susannah’s. “Go and sleep for a bit and I’ll join you at the next stop.”
“It’s not fair on you.”
“It’s quite fair.”
“I’m sorry you’ve had to have so much to do where the children are concerned.”
“It doesn’t worry me. It’s quite fascinating.”
“You would make a good father.”
“I need a good mother to assist me. You make a good mother for Dan and Becky.”
“They don’t regard me as their mother, nor should they because they have one. I do hope Blair finds her.”
“So do I. Now go and rest.”
“Do you promise to sleep after our next stop?”
“I promise.”
“I’ll make a space for you with pillows and blankets.”
“Thank you.”
She turned to climb into the back. “Goodnight then, Noah.”
“Goodnight, Susannah.”
She made up his bed next to her, lay down and was soon asleep. When the stagecoach and wagon stopped she did not stir, nor did Linda and the children. Noah climbed into the wagon as carefully and quietly as he could and lay beside Susannah in the space she had left for him.
The wagon starte
d up again with Joel driving. Noah slid down, reached for the blankets Susannah had left for him and pulled them over him. He looked at her face which was very close to him and she suddenly turned. Flinging her arm over him she held him tightly.
Now what was he going to do? If he moved her arm she might wake but if he left it there she might knee him when she woke. In fact, the chances of her doing that were very high judging by her track record. His face screwed as he recalled the pain when she did it last time and how he passed out afterwards.
He was genuinely pleased that she was able to defend herself but he didn’t want a repeat of that, even though having her arm over him was really good. In fact, it was sheer bliss and it would be wonderful if such an arrangement could be permanent.
Joel turned and grinned as he saw Susannah’s arm and where it was. Noah put his arms up in a gesture of surrender, gently lifted her arm and put it next to her. She turned away from him but moved back against him and he desperately wanted to hold her. He would never sleep with this arrangement but he did need to have some rest.
He looked at the stars above them and the feeling was good. He had slept under them many times in New York and its vicinity but never with Susannah next to him. Somehow they seemed to have an added beauty because of it. It was a while before he slept but when he did he stayed that way for about four hours, sleeping through their next stop. Afterwards he took the reins and they arrived back in Lower Pine at seven.
Just the right time, Linda said as the children stretched before sitting up in the cart and looking round. It meant they could have breakfast and then go to school. At the word school Rachel and Mark were more than excited, as was Jude who would be going to the pre school class which finished before lunch. He wanted to stay for lunch and Linda would pick them all up afterwards though Mark and Rachel would be going for the whole day in a couple of weeks.
When Susannah and the children reached the ranch it was to be invited by Bruce and Hazel to breakfast. “Just get yourselves ready for school,” she said. “You haven’t really got time to cook. Did you all sleep well in the wagon?”
“We did,” Susannah replied.
“I’ll meet you in town,” Noah said.
“You could have breakfast with us,” Hazel said.
He shook his head. “Thank you, but no. I want to have a shower and change. I’ll meet you at the mercantile, Susannah, if that’s alright.”
“Okay.” Susannah looked at the children. “Let’s go and bathe and dress. Do you want to go to school or are you tired?”
“I want to go to school,” Dan said.
“Me too,” Becky added and Susannah was relieved at how much they enjoyed being there.
“I’ll tell you later what happened,” Susannah said to Hazel and followed the young people into the apartment.
Chapter 17
Noah looked across at Susannah where she was poking her steel rod into the ground a few feet from where he was doing the same.
“If the mines are closing in Darwin,” he said. “Why would anyone want to find them here? They probably produce even less than Darwin does at the moment.”
“I don’t know. Maybe it’s not for silver that they want them. Something could have been left down there which is valuable.”
“What sort of something?”
“I have no idea. It’s just a thought. If we can get down, once we find the entrance, we can look around. What is rather puzzling is that there is no proper entrance and why didn’t the Garsons know there’s mines underneath. They must know.”
“They might have thought there was nothing worth finding out because the mines were shut so quickly.”
“Yes, it could be that. We really aren’t getting round the field very fast, are we?”
“No, we’re not, but I can’t think of a way to go faster.”
“Nor can I.” Susannah knelt on the ground. “It felt like something solid down there. It could, of course, be a stone.”
“I’ll have a dig.”
Noah fetched a spade and swung it into the ground. Susannah watched him with more appreciation than she felt she should. He carefully removed a square of grass in order to be able to put it back without anyone realising the ground had been disturbed, but what Susannah had felt was a stone and nothing else. He put the square of grass back and they smoothed it round carefully.
“This will take years,” Susannah said, looking at Noah mournfully.
“At the very least weeks.” He sat beside her as she went down on the grass. “Surely there must be some kind of paperwork to denote where the entrance was.”
“There might be but where? Hazel has looked, there was nothing in the library and we found no records in Darwin.”
“It’s almost as if someone has made sure there are none.”
“Larson Miles?”
“Yes, or else he’s working for someone. You could go home and rest if you like while I carry on here for a bit.”
She shook her head. “No. We need all the manpower we can get.. We have done almost a quarter of it.”
Noah stood. “How about we ask for help? Everyone in the town wants the seminary and university to be built because, apart from being educational facilities, it will bring work and people to the area. I’m sure Arena could get the word around because she works in the mercantile.”
Susannah stood as well. “I guess we could do that. Shall we go there now and ask?”
“Anything to have a break.” Noah smiled weakly. “Sorry. It’s not hard work. It’s just tedious.”
Susannah threw her spade in the wagon and jumped on the front. “I could make loads of sandwiches and cakes and bring them. We could do it after school.”
“Today?”
“The first one today.” Noah climbed up beside her as she took the reins. “We need to do this faster than we are.”
“Yes, we do.”
And Arena had it arranged by the time the children came out of school. Benjamin walked over after people arrived to where Noah and Susannah had begun to test the ground and everyone around them was doing the same.
“Your wife is amazing,” Noah said. “I really didn’t think we’d be able to do it today.”
“She is. That’s why I wanted her as a wife, of course.” Benjamin grinned.
“The only reason?”
“There might have been a few other things. You should try it. How about Susannah?”
“I think Susannah has her heart somewhere else,” Noah said.
“Then change her mind. I did a few devious things where Arena was concerned to get her attention. That is, if you’re interested, of course.”
“I have to get back to New York in the not too far distant future.”
“Yes. Will Susannah go back too?”
“I don’t know though I’m sure she’ll stay until the children’s mother is found because she doesn’t want to upset them. She’s good with them and they think a lot of her.”
“Yes.” Benjamin walked forward slowly poking his rod into the ground. “I don’t know if we’ll cover all of this today but we’ll be able to cover quite a bit. Hopefully we’ll come up with something.”
But they did not though everyone, which included the many children who had come with parents, enjoyed the picnic and what they did afterwards. Rachel, when she finished work, joined them and Jude had been there since they started. Linda brought the children, the older three of whom wanted to tell everyone about school.
“They really enjoyed it,” Linda said to Susannah and Hazel who were working near each other. “And I even had an hour’s sleep when David and Seth dropped off.”
“Are Jonathon and Blair in Los Angeles yet?” Hazel asked.
“They arrive tomorrow morning, God willing.”
They continued to chat while they worked and everyone stayed until six, at which point Susannah asked Noah to call a halt. No entrance had been discovered but there was not much more to do which they could manage themselves, she said. But later she was restle
ss and when Hazel called in her restlessness was obvious. Hazel sat on the sofa and picked up a magazine from the table.
“Go,” she said.
“Pardon?”
“Go and fetch Noah and finish the field. The moon is out so it’s quite bright and you’re not going to be happy until this is settled.”
“That’s not fair on you.”
“It’s quite fair on me. The children are asleep and Bruce is quite capable of looking after them.”
She couldn’t resist it, Susannah knew, and she certainly couldn’t leave it for much longer. She would go on the horse, she told Hazel, and she shouldn’t be too long.
But when she had not returned by midnight Hazel knew there had to be something wrong. She climbed over the little wall separating the porches between the house and apartment and Bruce was standing outside.
“I think I need to contact Benjamin,” he said. “We can’t leave it any longer. Susannah would never come back this late.”
“We need to get Dan and Becky into our house,” she replied.
“I’ll carry them to the spare room. Let’s hope they don’t wake.”
Which they didn’t, much to the couple’s relief, and Bruce made his way to the sheriff’s office before going to Benjamin’s house. He would raise a posse, Benjamin said, but Bruce should go home to Hazel and the children in case of any trouble there.
Bruce left and it wasn’t long before a few men rode to the university and seminary grounds..
Chapter 18
Susannah looked across to where Noah was prodding the ground about twenty yards away from her. “I think it’s here,” she said. “I’ve felt hardness in a few places.”
Noah walked over with his spade and she lifted hers. “Let’s have a look,” he replied, swinging the spade into the ground and pressing hard on it with his foot. She concentrated on what she was doing as she determinedly did not look at him while she did the same, and within minutes they could see something metal beneath them.
The Detective Bride Page 18
