The students rushed outside, talking excitedly as they hurried toward their homes. Tom Grove lingered in the back a moment before walking up to Alex’s desk.
“What can I do for you, Tom?”
“Do you need my help tonight?” The boy gave her a hopeful glance.
She hated to disappoint him, but she didn’t want to put him in harm’s way. “I won’t tonight or tomorrow, but I definitely need your assistance at the carnival. Have you been practicing what I showed you?”
“Yes, ma’am.” Tom took a penny from his pocket and placed it on the back of his hand then made it disappear.
“I’m impressed, Tom. You better be careful or I might make a magician out of you, yet.”
The boy grinned and tipped his cap to her before hurrying outside.
Alex rushed to grade the assignments on her desk and tidy the classroom before leaving the school and locking the door. She raced across the schoolyard to her own home, ate a quick supper from leftovers, and changed into one of her costumes.
Swiftly removing the pins from the French twist she’d fashioned that morning, she ran her hands through the dark locks, giving them a shake to loosen the curls as she let her hair fall around her shoulders and down her back.
Picking up one of her top hats, she set it at a jaunty angle on her head. As she stared at her reflection in the mirror above the dresser, she heard her father’s words echoing in her head. “You can do this, Alex. You’re a brave, talented girl. Believe in yourself.”
“I believe, Papa,” she whispered as she tugged on a pair of gloves.
On her way out the door, she snatched a long, dark cloak from a hook and settled it around her shoulders then made her way to the livery, where Douglas promised to have Bill hitched to her wagon, ready to go.
Alex insisted he join in their plans. The sheriff agreed another man to keep an eye out couldn’t hurt.
“Don’t forget, we’re all watching out for you, Miss Alex.” Douglas gave her hand a squeeze as he helped her up to the wagon’s seat.
“I know and I’m thankful for you all.” Alex grinned at him as she picked up the reins and drove her wagon around the edge of town, making it appear she entered from the south.
Most everyone in town knew she was a magician, but few had seen her dressed in performance attire and no one had seen her do a complete show.
As she drove through Hardman, she took in Arlan and one of the deputies discreetly following behind her while Luke and Blake made sure everyone knew a magician’s wagon rolled into town.
Outside Bruner’s Mercantile, Alex pulled the wagon to a stop and set the brake then wrapped the reins around the handle. She gave Bill a pat on his back before tripping a latch that released the side of the wagon and allowed her to lower a makeshift stage. Grateful for the street lamps that illuminated the gathering twilight, she braced the stage legs then stepped on top of it.
Quickly setting out a variety of items, most as props, she mentally prepared herself to offer a stunning performance.
The sounds of a gathering crowd made her turn around and smile at her audience. Encouraged to see Luke, Blake, Arlan, Douglas, Chauncy, the sheriff, and two of the deputies in the crowd, she knew no harm would befall her while she gave the show.
“Good evening ladies and gentlemen of the splendiferous town of Hardman, Oregon!” Alex swept the hat from her head and executed a grand bow, eliciting a round of cheers and applause from the crowd. “Are you ready for miraculous, mysterious, intriguing feats of phantasmagorical wonder?”
Her gaze traveled over the crowd, taking in the animated faces of her students and their parents, including many who lived out of town on the surrounding farms. Filly, Ginny, and Abby Dodd offered encouraging smiles as she acknowledged them with a slight tilt of her head. Filly’s part-time housekeeper, Mrs. Kellogg, kept watch over Maura and Erin at Granger House since it was far too cold for the little ones to be out.
Bolstered by so many of her friends supporting her despite the chilly temperatures, Alex didn’t let the sight of Mr. and Mrs. Decker at the edge of the crowd disturb her.
Instead, she launched into her performance, combining sleight of hand, illusion, and guided misperception to draw gasps of astonished excitement from the crowd.
At the end of her performance, she took a plain, ordinary iron washer from her pocket and held it in the palm of her hand.
“I need a volunteer from the audience.” Alex gazed out over the crowd and pointed to a farmer who observed her show with a look of skepticism on his face. “You, sir, there in the green coat. Would you please come up on stage?”
The man shook his head, but those around him gave him a shove, urging him up onto the stage.
“What’s your name, sir?” Alex asked as he stepped beside her, uncomfortable at being the center of attention.
“Curtis, ma’am. Dan Curtis.”
“Well, Mr. Curtis, would you please look at the object I hold in my hand and tell the crowd what you see?”
Alex held her palm out to him. He lifted the washer into his fingers and held it up to catch the light from one of the gas lamps. Thoroughly examining it, he turned it over twice before returning it to her.
“It’s a washer, ma’am. Looks to be a new one, too.”
“What type of washer, sir?” Alex gave him a charming smile. Mr. Curtis seemed somewhat distracted by her engaging appearance, so she repeated the question. “What type of washer do I hold in my hand?”
“Like you’d use on a piece of machinery. Just a plain ol’ iron washer.”
“Excellent, sir. Thank you.” Alex tossed the washer into the air, caught it in her hand and made it disappear. “Would any of you like to see me turn that washer into a gold coin?”
The crowd cheered and Mr. Curtis looked on with interest. She held both hands out to him.
“Mr. Curtis, do I have anything in my hands?”
“No, ma’am.”
She pushed up the sleeves of her topcoat. “How about up my sleeves?” Shaking her sleeves, the fabric rustled but nothing fell out of the material.
Mr. Curtis cracked a grin. “No, ma’am.”
Alex lifted her arms in the air with a dramatic flourish, snapped her fingers, and opened her palm to show Mr. Curtis a five-dollar gold piece.
“Please examine the coin, Mr. Curtis.”
He took if from her hand and held it up to the light.
“Is it a real gold coin?”
“It sure appears to be, ma’am. Do you think you could come out to my farm and do that with all my washers?”
Alex grinned and shook her head. “Now, now, Mr. Curtis. Let’s not get carried away.”
The audience laughed and Alex took the gold piece from him.
Blake and Luke positioned themselves near the front of the stage. When the audience laughter died down, Blake slapped Luke on the back. In a loud voice that carried through the quiet of the evening, he offered a challenge. “Bet you wouldn’t have the courage to let her make a pot of your bank’s gold disappear.”
“Who says?” Luke turned to Blake with a frown.
“I do. You hang on to your pennies too tightly to let any of them get out of your sight.”
“There’s no call to be insulting.” Luke gave Blake a shove and he bumped into two farmers standing beside him. They gave him a push back toward Luke.
“I dare you to bring your gold here tomorrow night and let her make it disappear.”
“Your challenge is accepted.” Luke glowered at Blake as they shook hands, doing his best to seem out-of-sorts and agitated before turning to Alex. “Alex the Amazing, would you gift us with another performance tomorrow and see if you can make my money disappear, but more importantly, reappear?”
“It would be my pleasure, sirs. If you enjoyed the magical, captivating, mesmerizing spectacle tonight, please be here tomorrow for more marvelous wonders!”
Alex waved one last time to the crowd then imperceptibly dropped something on the stage that landed with a bang and
created a great puff of smoke. When it cleared, she was nowhere in sight.
The crowd quickly dispersed, anxious to be out of the cold. Luke and Blake pretended to argue their way back to Granger House with Ginny and Filly following along behind. Arlan disappeared around the corner of the mercantile where he could keep an eye on Alex’s wagon while the sheriff covertly followed Decker and his wife.
As Arlan waited for Alex to come out of her hiding spot and pack up her things, his thoughts lingered on how enticing she looked on the stage in her costume. Attired in the same outfit she wore the first day he met her, the peacock blue of the jacket turned her eyes the color of a summer lake - sparkling blues and greens with mysterious depths and shadows.
When Alex swept the hat from her head and bent over with that curtain of dark hair falling around her, his mouth went dry while his heart thumped in his ears. He thought his knees might buckle when she settled the silk top hat at a sassy angle on top of her head and began the magic routine.
Interested in how she executed each trick, he became so enthralled with Alex, he forgot to pay attention until the end when a curtain of smoke cloaked the stage. Arlan caught a glimpse of her as she dropped through a trap door and disappeared.
He assumed she hid inside the wagon, waiting for the crowd to leave.
At least Decker left with the rest, escorting his wife home. Neither one of his partners in crime appeared, but that didn’t mean they wouldn’t attend the following night’s show.
The daring plan the sheriff concocted frightened Arlan. His own safety was of no concern, but it put Alex directly in the line of danger. One misstep by those involved could end tragically for the woman who possessed more bravery than many men he knew.
Without giving a thought to the risk involved, she’d readily agreed to the plan to catch Decker and his partners red-handed, guaranteeing they’d go away to prison for a very long time.
Casually stepping out into the empty street, Arlan walked over to Alex’s wagon and tapped on the back. The door opened and he looked up into her smiling face.
“Hi,” she said as she hopped out of the back and walked around to the side. “Can you help me put this up?” She began folding the collapsible stage and pushing it upward so she could lock it into position. Arlan helped her lift the stage and held it while she secured the locks that kept it in place.
“I didn’t realize the entire side folded down like that. This wagon truly is one-of-a-kind, isn’t it?”
“Yes, it is. The story my father always told was that Gramps drove the wagon maker nearly mad while he built this for him but when it was finished, they became life-long friends.”
Arlan chuckled and helped Alex store her props inside the wagon. “How’d you make the smoke at the end?”
She shrugged her shoulders. “It’s just a mixture of saltpeter, sugar, and little sodium bicarbonate. Nothing special. I’d teach my students how to make it as a science project, but something tells me I’d probably regret arming them with that knowledge.”
The grin Alex gave him made Arlan’s heart trip around in his chest. “Most likely. I could envision someone dropping one of those into the outhouse when it’s occupied or sneaking it into the classroom to get out of studying.”
“Exactly.” Alex stowed the last of her things and climbed up on the wagon seat.
“Do you want me to ride with you to Luke’s?” When she took the reins from the handle of the brake and released it, Arlan fought back the urge to hold her in his arms and protect her from the world.
“It’s probably best if I go alone, just in case I’m being watched. Thank you for your help, Arlan, and for being someone I can count on.”
“You’re welcome, Alexandra. Be safe.”
She nodded her head and clucked to Bill, directing him to the end of town and Granger House. Part of the plan was for her to spend the night at Granger House as a guest. Luke could keep her safe that way without rousing any suspicion.
As she parked the wagon in front of the house and strode down the walk, she noticed two shadowy figures at the edge of the tree line.
Whistling a lively tune as she walked up the steps, she offered Luke a distinguished bow when he opened the door and invited her inside.
“I think Decker’s friends are camped out by the trees,” Alex whispered as Luke shut the door and motioned her into the parlor where Ginny and Blake visited with Filly.
The three occupants of the room smiled as she entered. Her gaze went straight for the cradle where Maura slept.
“They’re definitely keeping an eye on me. Are you sure you want me here, Luke. It could endanger you all.”
“I’m sure. I don’t think any of us would rest well worrying about you at your little house on the other end of town. Besides, I know you’ll shoot first and ask questions later if one of them breaks into the house.”
“True.” Alex flopped down on a side chair and stretched out her legs, exhausted after a long day of teaching then mustering all her energy for the performance.
“Let’s go put away the wagon.” Blake rose to his feet and headed out the door, followed by Luke.
While they were gone, Ginny and Filly took a moment to admire Alex’s costume.
Ginny reached over and ran a thumb over an embroidered scroll along the hem. “That jacket is just exquisite, Alex. I’m sure Abby would love to study it. I bet the women in town would just go mad for it.”
“Your mother is the one who would go mad for it,” Filly said, giving Ginny a knowing look. “She’d definitely want the hat.”
Ginny and Filly both laughed until their eyes watered.
Alex stared at them in confusion. “I think I missed the joke.”
Filly dabbed at her eyes and let out a calming breath. “I’m sorry, Alex, it’s just that Dora tends to wear the most unusual hats.”
“We love your top hats, but mother would add so many baubles it would turn into a garish nightmare.” Ginny glanced at Filly. “Remember that awful lavender hat she wore that Dad threw under the wagon.”
“There was never any conclusive evidence he tossed it beneath a passing wagon. Ripped off her head, it somehow happened to sail beneath a wagon wheel. Dad was the only around so naturally he shouldered the blame.” Filly grinned and turned to Alex. “It was a dreadful hat. To this day, I still have no idea how she managed to get it through doorways. It was that wide.” Filly held her arms out at her sides to indicate the breadth of Dora’s hat.
Alex’s eyes twinkled as she pictured the hat her friends described. “Aren’t Mr. and Mrs. Granger due to arrive soon, along with Blake’s parents?”
“Yes. They should all be here tomorrow. Goodness, I think we forgot that little detail. The stage will arrive just before your performance, Alex.” Filly cast a concerned glance at Ginny. “The two of us will have to make sure they stay out of the way. Maybe we can hurry them back here and say it’s too cold to take Maura out.”
“That should work.” Ginny nodded her agreement at Filly as Luke and Blake stamped snow from their feet on the front step and walked inside the entry foyer.
“Are they still out there?” Alex asked, looking from Luke to Blake.
“Yep. Looks like they have a little campfire back in the trees. I’d run them off, but since we want to catch them, I just pretended not to notice. Your wagon should be safe in the barn.
“I removed anything of value anyway, just in case.” Alex gave Luke an appreciative nod. “Thank you for your help and letting me stay here tonight.”
“You’re always welcome at Granger House, Alex.” Luke smiled at her then glanced at his wife. “I don’t suppose you have any hot tea and maybe something sweet for two frozen men who’ve been prowling about in the cold?”
“I might be able to find something.” Filly got to her feet and winked at Alex as she breezed out of the room.
Later, Alex retired to the guest room she’d used when she’d stayed at Granger House in the fall. Sliding between the cool sheets, she close
d her eyes and tried to quiet her turbulent thoughts, finally surrendering to a fitful sleep.
Chapter Eighteen
“Class! Please settle down.” Alex had an idea the students would be hard to handle today.
Between the carnival, her magic show, and the fact Christmas was just a few days away, every single one of her students excitedly squirmed in their seats as they whispered and chattered.
Percy Bruner looked around the classroom and grinned. “But, Miss Alex, it’s just so hard to be still and quiet. We’ve never seen a real magic show before and you disappeared in the smoke. Poof!” The boy thumped his hands on his desk for a dramatic effect and the classroom erupted into another round of everyone talking at once.
“Students! Please!” Alex slapped a ruler on top of a book, making a loud smacking sound that resounded throughout the room, drawing everyone’s attention.
“Now that I have your attention, here is how things are going to go today. In the next five minutes, I’ll answer five questions. You will work through the assignment I’ve written on the blackboard then we’ll have recess. After that, we’ll finish any remaining projects for the auction tomorrow. If you’ve already completed your project, please help one of your classmates with theirs. Following the lunch break, we’ll read the last chapter from our current book then I have a surprise planned for you. Can you settle down and get your work done this morning?”
Heads bobbed up and down and quiet settled over the room.
“Now, I’m thinking of a number between one and twenty. I want each of you to write a number on your slate. The five students who guess the closest number may each ask me one question. You may begin.”
Some students hurried to write a number on their slates while others thoughtfully mulled over their options. When all the students finished, Alex walked around the room once, gazing at each number. The second time she walked around the room, she picked up the slates bearing the five winning numbers and carried them to the front of the room.
She wrote the number twelve on the blackboard and turned back to the class with a smile.
“Tom Grove, you guessed the correct number, so you may ask the first question.” Alex gave the boy an encouraging nod.
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