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“Yes, ma'am. It seems to be helping the pain.”

“Then it's working.”

Fontaine said, “We may have found you a cook, Sylvie.” He inclined his head Eddy's way.

“You're a cook, Eddy?”

“Yes. Learned from my mother and spent most of my working life as one.”

Sylvie clapped happily. “Hallelujah. But let's get you on your feet first before we discuss that. We can move you in this evening. My boarder left last night, but I want to get the room aired out and cleaned up before turning it over to you. Do you think you're well enough? My place isn't far.”

“Yes,” she said firmly, and shot a quick glance over at Fontaine and was snared by his expressionless eyes.

“Rhine, can you drive her over after dark? Apparently word is already out about you and Jim rescuing her. When I went to Lady Ruby's yesterday to get my eggs, she asked about it. I told her the young woman was at my place in my care.”

Jim cracked, “No secrets in Virginia City.”

Transferring his gaze from Eddy to Sylvia, Rhine replied, “I'm taking Natalie and her parents to dinner this evening, and then to Piper's, but I'm free to help out when I return.”

“Okay, good. I'm going to finish up my errands, Eddy, I will see you this evening.”

“Thanks for taking me in.”

“You're very welcome.” With a wave she departed.

Jim stood. “I need to get going, too, and start the day's food. Miss Eddy, it's been a pleasure.”

“Likewise.”

He nodded. “I'll send up something for lunch later.”

“Thank you.”

He gathered up their used dishes, piled them back on the tray, and left her alone with Fontaine. Eddy wondered who Natalie might be and her relationship to Fontaine. Not that it was any of her business. “Thank you again for taking me in, too, Mr. Fontaine.”

“As Jim said, it's been a pleasure. More than likely Sylvie is going to confine you to bed for a few more days, so be prepared.”

“I'm not at full strength yet, so that'll be okay.”

“You two will get along well.”

“She seems nice.”

“If she hires you, you'll enjoy working with her, too.”

“We'll see what happens.”

“Her house isn't very large and the men she takes in are always respectable.”

“That's good to know,” Eddy said, watching him.

“She originally owned this place. It was much smaller back then of course. She and her late husband Freddy have been here since the first big Comstock strike in 'fifty-­nine.”

If Eddy didn't know better she'd think he was prolonging the conversation in order to delay leaving. She hoped she was wrong. That they might actually be attracted to each other was too outrageous to even contemplate. “You should go and do whatever it is saloon owners do. I'm a bit tuckered out. I think I'll get some sleep.”

“Do you need anything?”

“No, I'm fine for now.”

But instead of leaving he stood there silently, just as he had last night, his gaze holding hers, and the sensations shimmering over her were getting harder and harder to ignore.

“Rest up,” he said softly.

After his departure, Eddy made her way back to the bed. Lying there, she thought the sooner she left Fontaine the better off she'd be. California was her goal, not exploring whatever was calling to her from a pair of smoldering green eyes.

D
escending the stairs, Rhine wondered again what the hell was wrong with him. Instead of leaving her when Jim had, he'd stayed behind babbling inanely as if he hadn't wanted to part from her. Had she not politely sent him on his way, he'd probably be still there searching for something else to talk about. Frustrated, he entered the kitchen were Jim stood chopping vegetables for the evening's stew. “I'm going over to the orphanage.”

“Will you be back in time for lunch?”

“Probably not.” Limiting his contact with Miss Carmichael would hopefully stifle this kernel of attraction that seemed determined to blossom in spite of his protestations.

“Okay. I'll look in on our guest while you're gone. Give my regards to Sister Mary, Willa Grace, and those troublemaking boys of yours.”

“Will do.” Confident that by the end of the day Eddy would be with Sylvie and he'd be returning to his well-­ordered life, he stepped into his new Rockaway carriage, gathered the reins, and drove away.

The orphanage run by Mary Fulmer and her assistant Willa Grace was housed in an old mansion on the edge of town. Mary used to be Sister Mary of the Sisters of Charity, a local Catholic Order, until she locked horns with the Mother Superior over the Order's refusal to allow children of color into their orphanage. Mary found no charity in that, so three years ago, after much back and forth, she renounced her vows, left the Order, and established her own orphanage. The children under her care were of various races and ages. Over the years, she'd taken in as many as seven. Presently, there were four. Two of the four were eight-­year-­old twins Micah and Christian Sanford, the troublemaking boys Jim referenced. Rhine had come to care for them a great deal.

When he pulled up in front of Mary's place, the twins came tearing down the steps to greet him and his heart swelled.

“Did you bring us something?” Micah asked excitedly.

“Soldiers, candy, a yo-­yo?” his twin chimed in.

“That depends. How much trouble have you been in since I saw you last?”

They went silent and shared a look as if deciding how much to confess. His last visit had been a few days before his trip to Reno with Jim and coming across Eddy in the desert.

Smiling, Rhine stepped down and tied the horse's reins to the post. He knew they'd gotten into some kind of mischief because trouble was their middle names. They'd arrived at the orphanage a year ago following the death of their father, and they were both so solemn and filled with grief Mary worried about their well-­being. She asked some of the men in town like Rhine, Doc Randolph, carpenter Zeke Reynolds, and others to spend time with the boys in hopes it would help them adjust to their new life. Everyone pitched in. Doc helped with their lessons, Zeke Reynolds showed them the rudiments of carpentry, which they took to instantly, and Rhine concentrated on making them smile. He brought kites and drove them out to the desert to fly them. They hunted lizards, pitched horseshoes, played marbles, and had foot races. In many ways his times with them were reminiscent of the fun he and his half brother Andrew shared before assuming the roles forced upon them by slavery.

“Still waiting on an answer,” Rhine prompted as the silent twins accompanied him up the steps to the front door. Much to Mary's delight, the boys did adjust to life at the orphanage, and there'd been hell to pay ever since. They were rambunctious and so bursting with energy that someone without Mary's patience and love might have taken them out to the desert, tied them to a cactus, and driven away. Which is exactly what Lady Ruby wanted to do the night they snuck over to her place in the middle of the night to play with the chickens in her coop and left the coop unlatched when they snuck back to the orphanage. “Were any snakes or lizards involved?”

They shared another look, and Christian admitted, “Maybe?”

Rhine knew that meant yes.

The interior of the cavernous place was cool. Thankful to be inside and out of the sun, Rhine pulled out his handkerchief and mopped at his neck. Even though he'd been in Virginia City for years now, he still found the desert heat oppressive.

“So where is Miss Mary?”

“Out back. It's wash day.”

“And you're not helping?”

“She told us to stay inside so we wouldn't get dirty.”

Ten-­year-­old Susannah Bird walked up. “Hello, Mr. Fontaine.”

“Hello, Susannah.” She was of Mexican and Paiute descent and smarter than some of the adults Rhine knew. He handed her the bag of penny candy he'd picked up on the way. “Will you put this in a safe place?”

Micah cried, “How come you gave it to her?”

Susannah answered, “Because I am the oldest and the most trustworthy.”

When Christian silently mimicked her, Rhine struggled to keep a straight face. She was right though. In her hands the sweets wouldn't be hidden under her bed and eaten secretly, as the boys had done the first and last time they'd been entrusted with the bag.

She then added, “You two can't have any anyway. You're both on punishment.”

Rhine swung his attention their way and they squirmed under his scrutiny. Before he could ask for an explanation, Susannah confessed for them. “They put a baby snake in Miss Willa's bloomers drawer.”

The spinster Willa Grace was the housekeeper, and like Mary, had a heart of gold. Rhine said to the twins, who now looked like they wanted to disappear, “Correct me if I'm wrong but didn't Miss Willa Grace make you two a birthday cake a few months back large enough to feed half the town?”

Heads bowed, they nodded.

“And when you came down with those terrible colds last winter, didn't she stay up three nights straight nursing you back to health?”

Shamefaced, they nodded again.

“So, do you think someone who cares for you the way she does deserves to be scared half out of her wits by a snake?” he asked pointedly.

They whispered in unison, “No sir.”

“What's your punishment this time?”

They mumbled.

Susannah translated. “No sweets, desserts, and early to bed for the next three nights.”

As much as they loved desserts, he knew they were very unhappy with their sentence.

“Mr. Fontaine. Do you want me to tell Miss Mary you're here?” Susannah asked.

“Please.”

She departed, leaving Rhine with the guilty boys. “Have you apologized to Miss Willa?” he asked.

They nodded. Before he could interrogate them further, Mary appeared holding the hand of her youngest charge, a three-­year-­old girl named Lin whose parents had returned to China and left her behind. Mary was short and stocky and had a face weathered from the desert sun. Her gray hair was cut short as a man's. Having worn a nun's habit most of her adult life, she said she preferred it that way. “Mr. Fontaine, how are you?”

He met her kind blue eyes. “I'm well. I hear Trouble One and Two have been living up to their names.”

The boys stared down at the toes of their brown brogans.

“They have, and unless they'd care for a full week of no dessert they will be on their best behavior while with you today. Is that understood?” she asked them.

Rhine was taking them into town for haircuts.

“Yes, ma'am,” they said in unison.

Still unhappy with their prank, Rhine said, “Susannah told me what happened.”

“Poor Willa,” Mary said. “As always, she's the model of grace and forgiveness, but she did add a writing component to their punishment.”

Since Susannah hadn't mentioned anything about writing, Rhine was confused. It must have shown on his face because Mary said to the boys. “Tell Mr. Fontaine what you are writing.”

Micah replied, “
‘Dear Miss Willa Grace. I will never play mean tricks on you again.'
”

“And how many times do you have to write it?” she asked, turning to Christian.

He answered glumly, “One hundred times.”

“That should keep you out of trouble for a while,” Rhine said.

“We can only hope,” Mary replied. “Now, go and wash your hands so Mr. Fontaine can take you to Mr. Carter's for your haircuts.”

Once they were gone, Mary sighed. “May the Good Lord give me the strength to survive those two. I'm sure they didn't mean her any real harm, but they're like wild colts sometimes. Don't you want to do an old lady a favor and take them off my hands?”

Rhine laughed. He was sure she was pulling his leg but he wondered what his fiancée's response would be were he to suggest they add them to their family. He also wondered what the state of Nevada would say about a White man wanting to take two little Colored boys into his home. “How did the interview go with the couple who wanted Lin?” He reached down and gently chucked the girl's small chin. She smiled shyly and leaned into Mary.

“Not well. They wanted to raise her to be their housemaid, so of course I told them I wouldn't allow it.”

She'd driven up to Reno to meet the couple. He found the outcome disappointing.

“So I guess my little family will stay intact for now,” she said. “Not that I mind.” She picked up Lin and nuzzled her neck. The child giggled.

The twins returned.

“Ready to go?” Rhine asked.

“Yes, sir.”

Mary reminded them, “Best behavior, remember.”

“We will,” they promised in unison again.

Rhine told her, “We'll be back as soon as we can.”

“There is no need to rush. Believe me.”

Chuckling, he led the boys outside to his carriage.

They were indeed on their best behavior, but then again, Rhine rarely had to rein them in when the three of them were together. They seemed to enjoy his company as much as he did theirs. As always, they asked him a hundred questions or more about everything from how the gaslighting worked, had he ever seen Jesus, to how old they had to be to drive the carriage. They then speculated on what kind of dessert they wanted Willa Grace to make for them once they shook off the shackles of their punishment and she started speaking to them again. Listening to their happy and endless chatter, Rhine thought back on Mary's request that he take them off her hands, but he doubted the state would approve even if Natalie did agree to the adoption.

Inside the barbershop, Mr. Edgar Carter greeted them coolly. “What is this about snakes and Willa Grace's bloomers?”

As Jim noted, there were no secrets in Virginia City.

The boys stopped. Christian, the slightly taller of the two, asked, “Who told you?”