She didn't know how long they might have stood there, kissing like two youngsters who'd just discovered what it was, if they hadn't heard the elevator opening.
She had to give him credit. He didn't flinch. She was the one who jumped back. She was glad she had. It was Iris and Monty.
"I thought you'd be back in your office up to your elbows in work by now," Iris said.
"Miss Goodwin and I were just discussing the traits she looks for in a husband."
"Why? The two of you couldn't have anything in common."
"Intellectual curiosity."
Iris eyed Jeff distrustfully. "When he gets like this, he's dangerous. I'd lock myself in my room if I were you."
"She's safe from Jeff," Monty said. "She's from Massachusetts, remember?"
Iris's gaze hadn't left Jeff. "I still wouldn't trust him. None of you Randolphs are really trustworthy."
"Not even me?" Monty asked.
"Especially you. Why do you think I never let you out of my sight?"
"Because you can't wait to jump my bones."
Iris blushed faintly. She opened the door to their suite and pushed Monty in ahead of her. "The Randolph men are so modest," she said.
"But we have so much to be immodest about," Violet heard Monty say before Iris closed the door on the rest of their conversation.
Violet felt the need to be safely on the other side of her own door. She had some thinking to do, and she couldn't do it in the hall, especially not with Jeff staring at her.
"I want to thank you for giving me these two days," she said, extending her hand to Jeff in an effort to put some distance between them. "It isn't all that hard to put up with the twins, but it's nice to have my efforts appreciated.
Jeff took her hand, but he didn't shake it or let it go.
"If I don't see you tomorrow, I want you to know I appreciate the way your family welcomed me." She smiled despite her nervousness. "I don't imagine they are any more comfortable with a Yankee than you are."
"Three of them married Yankees."
"Iris told me about that. I was the only real Yankee in that room tonight."
"You were the prettiest."
"See, I told you it was easy to recite memorized phrases. You did that just like you meant it. Keep it up, and you'll soon be ready for moonlight and magnolias. That is the favorite tree down South, isn't it?"
Jeff released her hand. "I'm rather partial to honeysuckle."
"See, it comes naturally, just like making all that money. Now I've got to go. It must be close to midnight. I know I'm not Cinderella, but I don't trust this night not to end with mice and pumpkins."
The muffled sound of laughter and some thumping noises from Iris and Monty's suite distracted Jeff long enough for her to open her door.
"Thanks again." She slipped inside and closed the door behind her. She leaned against it, tears beginning to run down her cheeks. She felt like Cinderella all right. Maybe her gown hadn't turned to rags, but her evening had turned to ashes.
* * * * *
Violet had been telling herself all morning not to expect Jeff to escort her back to school. Just because he had kissed a Yankee to find out what it was like didn't mean he had any other experiments he was anxious to conduct. She kept telling herself she didn't want him to be downstairs, but she knew she was lying to herself. She realized how much when she saw his empty carriage waiting for her.
"It's been wonderful having you," Iris had said.
"You'll have to come stay again," Daisy offered.
Violet smiled, thanked them, and settled back against the cushions. She would never be back, and she knew it.
* * * * *
"I want those loan agreements on my desk in fifteen minutes," Jeff said to one of his clerks. The man stood before Jeff's huge desk, his body stiff, his eyes wider than normal. "The mine reports, too. And stop looking at me like you've come face to face with a wounded cougar, Caspar. Anybody would think you were afraid I was about to cut your throat."
"Yes, sir."
"And don't say yes, sir! like you're in the army. This is a bank. I pay you a damned good salary, and you still get to go home to your wife and family for dinner every night."
Caspar's gaze didn't waver.
"Well, almost every night."
It was Saturday morning, and Caspar had worked with Jeff through the night. Jeff had worked through every night since he left Violet at the hotel four days ago. A different clerk had stayed each time. They didn't complain. They expected it. It had been part of their job from the beginning. It accounted in part for the size of their salary.
Jeff kept reminding himself of this so he wouldn't feel guilty about Caspar's bleary-eyed stare, his lagging footsteps, or his wife who had eaten her dinner alone, and his children who had gone to bed without seeing their father.
It was all because of that Goodwin-Yankee-woman. He'd never given a thought to keeping his men working around the clock or through the weekend until she had jumped all over him. Now one or another of her numerous criticisms was constantly popping into his head when it was least welcome.
"Is there anybody else in the office?" Jeff asked.
"Young Bledsoe came in a little while ago," Caspar replied.
Jerry Bledsoe didn't know his head from the rest of him just yet, though he was coming around fast. He was so new, it would take Jeff more time to tell him what to do than do it himself.
"Go on home," Jeff said to Caspar. "I'll use young Bledsoe."
"But doesn't know where anything is," Caspar said. "Besides, I don't think it's wise to trust him with some of the documents. His loyalty hasn't been proved yet."
"Don't worry, I'll handle anything sensitive myself." Conscience. When in hell had he gotten one? Had the little bastard been hiding inside all along just waiting from some busybody like Violet Goodwin to come along and give it a swift kick in the pants? "You help him find the files I need and go on home."
He could tell Caspar wasn't sure he had heard correctly, but he could also see the man wasn't going to stand around and give Jeff a chance to change his mind. The speed with which he disappeared was a further prick to Jeff's newly awakened conscience.
Violet! Why in hell couldn't he forget that woman!
Because he didn't want to. Wasn't that a real pisser! Here he was, mesmerized by a woman for the first time in his life, and she was a Yankee from goddamned Massachusetts. Massachusetts, of all Godforsaken places, the hell-hole where he'd been forced to waste two years of his life being treated little better than a penned animal.
He forced the memory of those years out of his mind. It had nothing to do with Violet. And to be perfectly honest, it had little to do with him any longer. He would never forget, and he would never forgive, but he had put it behind him. He had seen enough of Violet to know if she had been a nurse there, she'd have given Captain Sedgwick an ear full.
He smiled at the thought of Violet bullying the commander of the prison camp until he let her do just about anything she wanted. She'd have seen the men got decent food, clean beds, and medical care for the diseases that killed more than festering wounds.
Once more he jerked his thoughts back from those terrible years. He didn't know why he kept trying to put Violet on some kind of pedestal. He didn't like managing women. They might be useful now and then, but they were still to be avoided.
But Violet didn't exactly manage. True, she wasn't reluctant to say how she felt about something, but she didn't try to force him to do anything. She just brought it to his attention and left it up to his conscience to do the dirty work.
Which was just the same as managing.
He wondered why she managed to stir up his conscience when no one in his family had. He'd met more beautiful women, but their beauty had never affected him the way Violet's did. It did something to him every time he thought about her mane of red hair. It wasn't the right color. It was too dark, too stark, but for some reason it stuck in his memory.
And her penchant for b
right colored dresses was a definite aberration in taste, yet he could still hear the rustle of her skirts as she moved about the dormitory. He could remember the feel of the stiff satin the night he kissed her outside her room in the hotel. He could remember the smell of her perfume.
It was impossible to miss. He couldn't imagine her wearing any scent that merely hinted at its presence. He wondered when she learned to be so assertive. He wondered why it had been necessary.
A knock sounded at the door, and Caspar entered. He dropped several folders on Jeff's desk.
"I thought I told you to go home."
"I just wanted to make sure you got the papers you wanted."
"No, you wanted to make sure I hadn't changed my mind," Jeff said, knowing Caspar realized what he was doing was completely out of character. He wanted to make certain he could come back to a job on Monday morning. "Now get out of here. If Bledsoe can't handle the work, it's time I found out."
Caspar disappeared, closing the door soundlessly behind him. Jeff settled down into his chair and opened the first folder. Several minutes later he realized he'd been staring at it without having any idea what was in front of him. His mind had been wandering over the first evening he and Violet had had dinner together. He had to admit that no matter how much he might try, he could not forget Violet Goodwin.
He laughed at the irony of it. If he hadn't been for his stubbornness and his temper, he'd never have forced his way into the dormitory. And they were the very qualities she disliked the most. He wondered if his bad news angel ever went off duty. He'd already had enough trouble to last a lifetime.
He was interrupted by Bledsoe entering the office without knocking first. That was one thing the boy would have to learn right away, or he'd been looking for a new employer before the next week was out.
"Mr. Randolph, there's a wrought-up female out here to see you," Bledsoe said, looking completely unsure what to do in the situation. "She says it's urgent."
To Jeff's astonishment, Violet pushed her way into his office.
"I'm sorry to bother you," she said, "but the twins have disappeared."
Chapter Fifteen
Jeff was out of his chair and around his desk in an instant. To his surprise, he wasn't thinking about the twins. He was more concerned Violet should be so upset. He tried to offer her a chair, but she wouldn't take it. She was too agitated. Some of the color had drained from her face, and her hair showed signs of escaping from its pins again.
"I don't have time to sit. We must go after them."
"When did you miss them?"
"Not until nearly ten o'clock. I should have known Essie wasn't telling the truth. The twins never sleep late. Sometimes I think they never sleep at all. They're as bad as you."
Jeff steered her toward a chair while telling Bledsoe to call his carriage, but she didn't sit. Her Jade green skirt rustled noisily as she moved about with short, jerky motions.
"We'll find them, and they'll be all right," Jeff said. He offered her some of the coffee he kept hot on a small stove, but she refused. "They're more likely to have half of Denver at their beck and call before noon."
"It shouldn't have taken me so long to find they were missing."
He steered her back to the chair. She sat down and immediately got to her feet. "We've got to leave right away. We can't walk. I've exhausted myself coming this far."
"You should have asked Miss Settle to lend you her buggy."
"I didn't dare. She was so upset when I told her I was afraid she would fire me on the spot."
"Nobody's going to fire you over anything the twins do. If that were the case, the entire staff would have been gone by now."
Violet smiled, and Jeff felt a little less tense.
Bledsoe stuck his head in the door. "The carriage is coming around right now." Violet headed for the door immediately. Jeff had no choice but to follow.
"Tell everyone to keep on as they are until I return," Jeff instructed Bledsoe. "Where do you think we ought to look?" he asked as he helped Violet into the carriage.
"I was depending upon you to know that," Violet said.
"To the hotel," Jeff told his driver. "It's the closest place they know."
But they weren't there. Daisy hadn't seen them. Monty had gone out, but Iris was still in her room.
"You've got to find them before Rose gets here," Iris said. "We can't let her know half a dozen adults can't keep track of two little girls."
"A half dozen Pinkertons couldn't keep up with those infidels," Jeff said.
"What are you going to do now?" Iris asked. "And whatever it is, it had better not upset Fern."
"I think we ought to talk to Essie," Violet said. "I suspect she knows more than she's telling."
Violet didn't wait for him once they reached the school. Without even thinking, Jeff attempted to follow her into the dormitory. Beth made him wait while Violet found Essie. The child looked scared when Violet marched her into the parlor.
"She still says she doesn't know where the twins went, but I don't believe her."
Neither did Jeff. Guilt was written all over her face. He was certain the twins had sworn her to secrecy. Since they had taken it upon themselves to become her champion, it wasn't likely she would rat on them.
"Come here, Essie," Jeff said.
The child approached reluctantly.
"You know where the twins went, don't you?"
She didn't move.
"They told you to tell Miss Goodwin they were sleeping so nobody would catch them until they were far away, didn't they?"
Still Essie didn't answer, but Jeff could see in her eyes that he was right.
"They could run away if they wanted, but it wasn't right to make you lie for them. That forced you to do something wrong, too. They took advantage of your loyalty."
Essie was watching him now with big eyes.
"You can't let the twins use you. They'll be sorry when you get into trouble, but they'll do it again. I know. They're my nieces. My whole family is like that."
He didn't look at Violet. He didn't want to know how she reacted to that statement.
"We've got to find them before something terrible happens to them."
Essie still didn't respond.
Jeff leaned back. "If you're not going to help me, I guess I'll just have to stop helping you."
Essie didn't say anything, but she looked apprehensive.
"Do you want to know that I'm going to do?"
She nodded slowly.
"I don't want to take advantage of our friendship. I want you to know exactly what I'm going to do. I made you father come visit you, didn't I?"
Essie nodded her head.
"I can also make him stop."
Jeff heard a sharp intake of breath. He knew Violet didn't approve of that he was doing, but he couldn't think of any other way.
Essie's lip started to tremble. Seeing it made Jeff feel rotten. He knew what it was like to feel deserted. He would have taken a beating rather than rat on one of his friends. He could only make Essie break her promise, risk losing the twins' friendship, by threatening to take away something even more important.
"That's how important it is that you tell me where the twins have gone," Jeff said.
Tears ran down Essie's cheeks. Jeff had to stifle a desire to pull her to him, give her a big hug, and promise he would never do anything that terrible.
But Essie was made of stern stuff. She didn't show any signs of breaking down. Jeff admired her will, but he couldn't afford to let her win.
"Miss Goodwin, I want you to go to the window and watch for Essie's father. When he comes, please go outside and tell him what has happened. Explain why he can't see Essie today."
Jeff had never felt so much like a snake in his life. Essie looked at him with shattered faith in her eyes, and Violet looked at him like he was a murderer. He wasn't certain she would do what he asked.
"Please," he said. "It's the only way."
Violet cast him an angry lo
ok, but she moved to the window. He settled back in the sofa. Harold Brown would be here in a few minutes. They had passed him several blocks from the school.
Jeff watched Essie, hurt and distrust in her eyes. For the first time in his life, he felt the loss of someone's liking for him. He'd never felt that way before, not even with his family. He'd fought for them many times, but he never expected their thanks, never missed the feeling of warmth that didn't exist between them. He did what he did because they were family.
Only it wasn't so simple now. Violet had turned her back on him as well. He had given up trying to convince himself what she felt didn't matter to him, but he didn't know what else he could have done.
He saw Violet's back stiffen.
"Mr. Brown is here," she said.
"Go talk to him."
She looked at him, her gaze begging him to find another way, not to make her part of this.
Essie started forward. Jeff put his arm out to block her path. "Please, go," he said rather sharply to Violet.
She cast him an angry look and went outside to meet Essie's father.
Essie hurried to the window. She watched her father, her lower lip between her teeth, as he talked with Violet. She gasped when they started walking slowly down the walk back to the road. Jeff knew he ought to be talking to her, putting pressure on her, but he couldn't. He sat quietly, waiting.
Violet and Mr. Brown reached the road, stood talking for a moment, then Mr. Brown started back toward town.
"They wanted to go riding," Essie blurted out. "They told me they'd hand me over to Betty Sue if I told."
"Where did they go?" Jeff asked.
"Somewhere with lots of horses."
"But where?"
"I don't know."
"Who were they going to see?"
"I don't know."
"Did they say it was their cousins?"
Essie shook her head.
"Did they mention any names, James or Tazewell?"
Essie shook her head again.
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