"Thank you, Mr. Barley," Charlotte said to him, then turned to Eliza. "You'll be in good hands."
Coincidentally, Eliza's glance fell first on Thaddeus, sitting in a high-backed chair, idly spinning his hat on one hand while he waited. He jumped up from his seat when he saw her. Good hands, indeed, thought Eliza, recalling how he'd caressed her that morning. She blushed as he stood and walked toward her.
Before she could think of what to say to him, Reed came downstairs and, spotting his wife, outrageously took her in his arms and kissed her in front of everyone without even seeming to notice anyone else in the room. Only after Charlotte gave him a lingering farewell glance and closed the door behind her did he seem to remember where he was. Mr. Barley coughed once.
Reed straightened, took in the sight of Eliza and Thaddeus quietly standing in the middle of the waiting room, and with a sheepish smile, he gestured for them to follow him up to his office.
An hour into it, Reed had all the details—dates, names, circumstances—and a case for coercion to marry that he said should result in an annulment.
"Miss Prentice, I have to ask you something quite personal, and please don't take offense at my question. Would you like Thaddeus to leave?" Reed asked before continuing.
Eliza couldn't think of anything he could ask that Thaddeus didn't already know. She shook her head.
"Did you have any physical relations with Mr. Stoddard after—?"
"Reed," Thaddeus interrupted the offending question.
But Eliza held up her hand to stop him. "It's fine to ask me, Mr. Malloy. I know it would alter my case. I'm quite pleased to be able to tell you the answer is unequivocally no. At no time, either before or after I married Jack Stoddard, did I have any relations with him, physical or otherwise."
Reed nodded. "That's good news. It makes this case easier all around. An annulment is going to take a little while, though, months even. A divorce might be quicker."
"No," she said firmly. Both men stared at her.
"Why, Miss Prentice?" Reed asked.
"I thought you wanted to be free of him," Thaddeus said.
"I don't care if it takes longer. An annulment means the marriage never happened," Eliza said. "Otherwise, I'll be seen as having a failed marriage." They had to understand how undesirable that was.
"There are worse things, Ellie, than being divorced," Thaddeus interjected.
"Stoddard could refuse to divorce me anyway, or say I'm at fault."
Reed steepled his fingers. "True. Either way, he can fight, but if you want a clean slate, then we should go for the annulment. Meanwhile, you two need to behave," he added, out of the blue, surprising her.
"Excuse me?" Thaddeus asked before Eliza could react.
Reed leveled them both with a stare, eyes narrowed. "It's obvious to anyone that the two of you have feelings for each other."
Eliza glanced at Thaddeus, who gazed back at her a long moment, then uncrossed and re-crossed his legs, fidgeting.
"If Stoddard were so inclined as to accuse you of adultery, Miss Prentice, then this case might go another way."
"But I know for a fact that he committed adultery," Eliza said, thinking of Josephine's night with him on his boat.
"That doesn't matter. We're not trying to prove what he did after the marriage. We're trying to prove that you're a saint whom Stoddard coerced into this marriage with the object of stealing your fortune." He tapped his pencil on his desk. "And no offense to my brother-in-law here, but he's not the kind of person with whom a saint socializes."
Thaddeus chuckled, but Eliza didn't think it was funny at all. "So what are you saying exactly, Mr. Malloy? How do we proceed from here?"
"Thaddeus moves on to wherever he's going next and—"
She felt a rush of fear and her heartbeat galloped. He was supposed to abandon her?
"Wait a minute, Reed." Thaddeus leaned forward in his seat. "I'm not going to leave her unprotected."
Releasing her breath, Eliza's pulse slowed again. He didn't want to go.
"We'll keep her safe," Reed assured him.
Thaddeus stood up and paced. "I'm not concerned with whether she can cross the road without getting run over, damn it! I'm thinking about men coming after her with guns, like this." He opened his coat to show his weapon. "Are you carrying one?"
Reed shook his head. "That's not done here, Thaddeus, and you know it. But I'll hire a marshal to protect her. That'll be his sole job. He won't get distracted by Miss Prentice's charms or my wife's chatter."
"And I'm supposed to do what exactly?" Thaddeus asked.
"As I said, move on. You have your own delicate issues with Stoddard, correct?"
Thaddeus glanced at Eliza, then back at Reed. "Yes."
"Unfortunately, I can't help you, not like I can help Miss Prentice. But your being in close contact with her, especially when you have property that belongs to Stoddard if I understand the situation rightly, and after you've posed as her husband," Reed shook his head, "that only damages her case."
Thaddeus ran a hand through his hair. "I can see that, I suppose."
"Charlotte will have my hide for this," Reed continued, "but I'm going to advise you anyway. If I were you, I'd dispose of whatever it is you shouldn't have, or let me do it."
Thaddeus shook his head. "I can't let you get involved, Reed."
"That hot, eh?" Was that a glint of curiosity in the devilish blue eyes of Thaddeus's brother-in-law? Eliza supposed it was; after all, she wanted to know, too.
Thaddeus half-grinned. "Let's just say that my future is resting on it, and I don't intend to jeopardize my future."
"Even if it means your life?" Reed asked.
Eliza couldn't help gasping, especially at the way they bantered around talk of life and death.
"I won't let it get to that," Thaddeus insisted. "Actually, could you steer me in the direction of a reputable pawnbroker? I had one picked out in Chicago, but my life has taken a detour of late."
He glanced at Eliza, and she wondered if all she was to him was one big nuisance. Then he winked and sent her a rakish smile.
But Reed wasn't finished cross-examining Thaddeus. "Your future is resting on something you can pawn?"
"Only for seed money," Thaddeus said. "For the capital I need to get everything else going."
Reed raised an eyebrow, but then he grabbed a piece of stationary from inside his desk drawer and wrote on it. He folded it and handed it to Thaddeus. "Tell Randall that I sent you. Now, I'm going to hire a marshal, and you're going to get ready to leave."
Reed stood up, and Eliza looked from man to man, both gazing back at her and both satisfied by what they'd discussed. It would appear their meeting was over. She got to her feet with the unsettling impression that everything in her life was going to change and that she had no control over that change, whatsoever.
Still, she held out her hand to Charlotte's very capable husband, who clasped it. "Thank you, Mr. Malloy, for all you're doing."
"You're welcome." Reed walked them to the door. "Don't forget, Thaddeus, you can't linger in Miss Prentice's company any longer than necessary. I'll start the proceedings tomorrow."
Thaddeus stared hard at her. Perhaps, like her, he'd been thinking of joining her in her bigger bed that night.
"And the ring you mentioned," Reed added, looking once more at Eliza. "Would you please turn that over to me to keep in a strongbox here at my office? It will be safer for you, and I'd prefer not to have it in my home."
"Yes, of course." How thoughtless of her! The presence of Stoddard's ring could bring danger to the Malloys. "I'll give it to you tonight."
Thaddeus shook Reed's hand, and they left.
Outside, enjoying the salty Boston air and the fragrant yellow flowers hanging from the linden trees, they walked along in companionable silence for many minutes. Out of the corner of her eye, however, she noticed Thaddeus glancing at her every few steps.
"What is it?" she asked him when she could stand his scru
tiny no longer.
"You," he said. "You seem worried. Don't be. Reed will get your annulment."
"Mr. Malloy knows what he's doing. That's obvious," she agreed. However, despite believing that Reed could get her an annulment, she didn't think he could get rid of Stoddard for good. She knew Thaddeus was a better bet for accomplishing that feat.
"What's bugging you, then, Ellie?"
"You know Jack Stoddard."
Thaddeus sighed. "I know. And I meant what I said. I'll make sure he lets you go, even if he doesn't agree with the legality of it."
They walked on without speaking until they were nearly back at the wharf.
She had to tell him what was really bothering her before they got back to Charlotte's.
"I don't want you to leave your sister's house." She sounded desperate, which she despised. Was that a smug smile forming on his face? "What I mean is that I should be the one to leave. I'm sure there are many fine hotels in Boston."
"Forget it, darlin'. My sister loves me to pieces, but she'll never let you go to a hotel now that she's opened her home to you. You're here for the long haul."
"And what about you?" She needed to hear his answer, because she had a horrible inkling that he was going away, far away.
"If Reed thinks I should stay away from you, then I guess I'll stay at my Aunt Alicia's."
Eliza breathed a sigh of relief, but then he added, "Though I'm only staying in Boston for another night. I have something I need to take care of."
At her shocked expression, he added, "I'm behind schedule. Remember?"
Her stomach knotted. She didn't want him to slip out of her life again, but she wouldn't beg—not even after what they'd shared that morning. She knew it hadn't meant to him what it had to her. Men were just different that way, and Thaddeus was more detached than most men. If he could walk away from her, then she would let him. Her pride left her no other option.
She realized she had said nothing in response when he took her by the arm and stopped her before they entered Charlotte's house.
"Reed's hiring a marshal, Ellie. I wouldn't leave you if I didn't think you were safe. You know that?"
She nodded. Then a thought flittered through her brain.
"Why?"
"Why what?"
"Why do you care if I'm safe?" She lifted her chin. She'd asked the question as plainly as she could, but she wasn't sure she wanted to hear his answer.
"Jesus, Ellie, you know why."
A little hope blossomed in her heart. "Why?"
He removed his hat, then replaced it, all the while, looking at their feet. "We grew up together. We're old friends."
That was all? Friends? The same answer he'd given when she'd asked him why he'd helped her out of the boxcar weeks ago. He'd do the same for anyone from Spring City whom he encountered with a vicious fever in a boxcar. Their unbridled passion that morning turned sordid in her mind. She'd been just another one of his willing females, like Jo.
"I know we're friends," she said, pushing the words past the lump in her throat. "And I appreciate all you've done for me and how you put your plans on hold." But she wanted so much more. She wanted him to love her wholeheartedly and to put her first above anything else in his life.
During the hours and days of traveling, she'd dreamed he would grow so attached to her that he wouldn't be able to move on with the plans he refused to share. At this moment, that dream was dashed.
She couldn't take a deep breath, not while looking at his handsome, beloved face. Why couldn't he—the one man who'd always held her heart—fall in love with her?
She'd allowed him all sorts of liberties, even though he had never even hinted at a long-term relationship with her. She had no one to blame but herself for being left behind with a broken heart and nothing to show for it. After all, she'd known Thaddeus's reputation all her life.
The front door opened and Charlotte stepped out.
"There you two are," she said, dividing an astute gaze between them. "I'm heading to Alicia's to pick up Lily and Thomas. Would you like to join me?"
Silence hung thick for a moment.
Eliza spoke up first. "If you don't mind, I'll stay here."
Then she considered the big empty house, with just the two of them. That could be irresistible trouble because her brain seemed to give complete dominion over to the long-held desires of her body as soon as Thaddeus got too near.
"However, I'm certain Thaddeus wants to say hello to his aunt."
He flicked Eliza a quizzical look that she imagined became all-too knowing as if he read her concern. Then he turned to his sister.
"Actually, Charlie, I'm going to spend the night at Aunt Alicia's, and then I have to leave town tomorrow. I'll get my bag and go with you."
"Was it because of the small bed?" Charlotte asked as he scooted past her.
Again, his gaze locked on Eliza, though he answered his sister. "No, I found the bed to be quite satisfactory."
Eliza averted her eyes and tried not to blush at his loaded remark.
He disappeared inside, leaving the women in silence, glancing at each other uncertainly.
Charlotte rocked back and forth on her heels a moment before speaking. "Did you have a fruitful meeting with Reed?"
"We did. Your husband seems certain he can help me."
"I'm glad."
"You've both been very nice to me," Eliza blurted out, and to her horror, she felt herself choking up. "I'll go in, now," she said, her throat thick with unshed tears. She had to get to her room and have a good cry.
She fled through the front door. How would she manage to live in Charlotte's home for however long it took? Without him? She knew it was what she deserved—the peculiar torment of receiving kindness from someone whom she'd wronged most of her life.
In addition, Charlotte would be a constant reminder of Thaddeus; Eliza imagined it would pain her every time she saw the similarity in their features.
Thaddeus's footsteps on the stairs halted her train of miserable thought. He stopped in front of her.
"I'll be seeing you, darlin'."
Standing in the hall, his bag in his hand, he spoke as though they'd meet again the next day. He was unmistakably excited to get going and that hurt even more. "Be good," he added.
"Of course I'll be good." She tried not to snap at him, but without him to tempt her, how could she be otherwise?
He took her chin in his hand and made her look at him. "Be nice, too."
"I'm trying," she muttered.
"I know. I've seen it."
Was he going to kiss her goodbye? She blinked. She would not cry.
He gave her a wry smile. "Don't go getting engaged again or marrying anyone else."
Why? Was that an indication that he wanted her for himself?
"I won't." The lump in her throat thickened. What if she never saw him again?
As if answering her unspoken question, he said, "I'll come back, Ellie, when Reed gives me the all clear, if not sooner."
Did he mean it? Or was he just saying that to prevent a sentimental situation in his sister's hall? Perhaps he gave every woman, including Jo, the notion that he would return. She had no declaration of his feelings or any promise of intent.
She lowered her eyes to hide her feelings. Despite how he'd dismissed her words before, she would find it so easy to tell him that she loved him. Again. But how terrible if in response, he gave back only awkward silence.
"What did I tell you on the train?" he asked, taking her chin in his hand and making her look at him.
She frowned. "I don't know. What?"
He bent low and brushed his lips quickly across hers, as if he had the right.
"You stay right here. Don't go anywhere." He kissed her again more firmly, but before she could sink against him, he lifted his head. "And don't do anything rash."
Then he slipped past her and was gone.
A month later, she realized she was pregnant.
Chapter 12
&nbs
p; With a sense of satisfaction, Thaddeus left the pawnbroker Reed had referred him to. The meeting had surpassed his expectations, resulting in his unloading all but four gold coins, which he'd decided to keep—one each for his adopted cousins, Thomas and Lily, one for Emory, and one for Charlotte's new baby, who was still seven months away from coming into the world.
His heart felt lighter, not to mention his bag. It had been risky to take the coins in payment for a debt that Stoddard had not wanted to pay. But the man was the worst kind of sore loser. Hell, the man was even a sore winner! And when the coins had fallen into Thaddeus's lap, so to speak—by way of his charming a certain dancing girl into giving him access to Stoddard's office so he could crack the safe—well, he'd had to take them, hadn't he?
And she'd wanted only a kiss or two, and a few coins that she deposited down her exposed cleavage.
However, the deed to the land that he'd also grabbed—that was another matter. He didn't want to sell it. No, Thaddeus wanted that land with its potential for a metal mine, probably not gold but hopefully copper, and the new life it represented.
Though he liked Spring City well enough, he'd never imagined himself going back to his parents' home. He wanted something of his own, and the land was a place to start. It was a sweet parcel in southwestern Montana territory, right in the heart of where the last gold rush happened. Land and maybe a fortune in the ground. Not a bad deal!
So why did a reluctance to start west again slow his footsteps to the train station? As he found a seat on the express, he felt loathe to travel in any direction that took him away from Ellie and her ability to take the edge off the endless loneliness. However, by traveling with her, not to mention the many detours she'd caused, he'd almost run out of time. He had to get to the surveyor's office in Butte's town hall before the deed expired.
He supposed he could have discussed the matter with Reed though land law was not his specialty. Besides that, Thaddeus didn't want Reed or Charlotte trying to dissuade him from his latest venture.
As it was, Charlotte had had words with him the day before on their way to their aunt's house. "Tell me what's in the bag, little brother," she'd started, with a firm tone.
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