The Outlaws (4 page)

“Why Mr., Halloran, she exclaimed, taking his hand, “you’re a man of hidden talent, aren’t you?”

Still holding his hand, she turned to Tessa. “Be a dear and ask Rosalita to bring in some wine and cake.”

As Tessa left the room, Susie said to Jules, “Run along now. You’ve practiced enough for one day. Rosalita will give you your cake in the kitchen.” “He’s a dear boy,” she said after Jules hurried away. “But children can be tiring. My sister has five and I swear I don’t know how she manages. “ She drew Mark toward a settee, seated herself and patted the place beside her. “Right here. We can have a cozy little chat.”

Mark sat down, but protested, “I came to see Tessa--that is, Miss Nesbitt.”

“Of course. But Tessa simply insists on helping Rosalita—she’s so concerned about paying her way—so we might as well talk until she returns.” Susie leaned toward Mark , her bodice gaping slightly so that he could almost see her nipples.

The scent of jasmine surrounded him. Susie looked up at him through her lashes. “It’s a shame we didn’t meet before now,” she murmured as her hand brushed along his thigh, as if by accident.

Mark swallowed. He’d been a long time without a woman; Susie might be obvious, but she was tempting. He wondered how much was teasing and how much she meant.

“I only hope you’ll stop by to see me after we return from St. Louis,” she said. “We’re going there for Christmas. You and I have music in common already.” She ran her tongue along her lips. “I wonder what else we might find to share an interest in?”

Damn it, her nearness was having its effect. He smiled at her.
“I’ll keep your invitation in mind.”

“See that you do.” Her voice was husky.

I’ve got to move away from her. He looked up.

Tessa stood in the archway to the foyer with a tray in her hands, staring at Susie and him.

* * *

A knot tightened in Tessa’s stomach as she carried the loaded tray to the table at the far end of the room. She knew Susie liked to flirt, and if Alex didn’t mind, it was certainly none of Tessa’s business. But Mark didn’t have to sit so close to Susie with such a silly smile on his face. What was the matter with him? He knew perfectly well Susie was a married woman. Maybe he’d really come to see Susie instead of her. The knot inside Tessa twisted.

“May I help you?” Mark’s voice asked, close to her.

“No, thank you. I wouldn’t think of troubling you.” He stood beside her, but she didn’t look at him.

“You’re angry.” He spoke softly, almost in her ear.

Susie began to play “Joy To The World,” with frills and flourishes.

Tessa turned toward Mark. “I am not angry.” She spit the words through her teeth. “I haven’t had a chance to talk to you since the first time we met,” he said.

‘“That’s hardly my fault.”

“This was my first chance to get into town. I’ve thought of you all the time. Worried

about you.”

Tessa looked into his eyes, eyes as deep and rich a brown as an English chestnut. The knot in her stomach dissolved as a tingling warmth shot though her. She wished he would touch her and yet at the same time feared he would, for she didn’t know what would happen if he did. Nothing in her entire life had prepared her for the way Mark affected her.

“Tessa,” he said. “Tessa.”

She felt as though she couldn’t breathe.

Susie finished the carol with a thundering chord and turned on the stool. All the gaiety had drained from her face.

“Isn’t there something you can do to persuade Mr. Dolan to stop persecuting Alex?” she asked Mark.

“Persecuting him, ma’am?”

“Oh, don’t call me that. I’m Susie. But, yes, it’s obvious his intention is to force poor Alex to leave Lincoln. Alex is so kind. A God-fearing man. He wouldn’t harm anyone. Yet the man you work for makes him out to be a criminal and threatens to have him put in jail. I’m quite beside myself.”

“Susie and Alex are making a trip to St. Louis in a few days,” Tessa put in.

“Alex insists. He knows how nervous all this makes me.” Susie raised her chin. “But I’ll be back. My duty is to remain at Alex’s
side. “I’m afraid I’m not in Mr. Dolan’s confidence when it comes to his personal affairs,” Mark said. “I’m just the ranch foreman.

“Your employer is a devious man.”

“That’s as may be, ma’am.”

“Don’t call me that!” Susie’s voice rose almost to a shriek as she got up abruptly from the piano stool.

She was upset. When she’d seen Susie flirting with Mark, she’d thought Susie had quite forgotten all the problems Alex shared with her.

Tessa didn’t exactly understand, except it seemed Mr. Dolan claimed Alex had kept insurance money he should have paid out to Mr. Murphy, who was Mr. Dolan’s partner. It was somewhat confusing.

“I’m sorry,” Mark said. “Susie.”

“That’s better.” Susie smiled at him but it was plain to see her heart wasn’t in it. “I find I’m more tired than I thought, so if you’ll excuse--”

The front door opened. Alex strode in, followed by John Tunstall. Alex went on past them, and Susie trailed after him. John advanced on Tessa, ignoring Mark.

“I’ve come to persuade you to go east with Alex and Susie,” he said. “Until this affair with Dolan blows over.”

“Oh, I couldn’t do that,” Tessa said. “I’m staying here with my brothers.”

John eyed Mark, frowning, before turning again to Tessa. “You could bring Jules with you. Ezra can stay on my ranch. He and Billy Bonney get along famously.”

Tessa shook her head. “That’s kind of you but no.” She felt panicky at the notion of separating the family. Besides, she was already obligated to the McSween’s and wouldn’t dream of having them pay her fare from the railhead at Trinidad, Colorado, to St. Louis. “I’m certain Mr. Dolan isn’t going to harm me,” she added

“Not directly perhaps,” John said. He looked at Mark. “It’s hard to understand why a decent sort of chap, as you appear to be, would continue to work for such a conniving and unscrupulous man.”

Mark scowled. “I don’t think I need to explain myself to you or anyone else.”

“No?” John took a step closer to him. “The way things stand, neither Alex nor myself can trust any man who works for Dolan.”

“But, John,” Tessa said, “he came here to see me,”

“Did he? Or was he sent as a spy?”

Tessa saw Mark clench his fists. Not another fight! she thought in dismay. “Maybe you’d better leave, Mark,” she said hastily.

“And I suggest you don’t return,” John added.

Mark brushed past John, picked up his hat and jacket. At the door he turned to look at Tessa. “I’ll come back if you want me to,” he said.

She bit her lip. Glancing from him to John. She was staying with the McSween’s, so she mustn’t cause trouble for them. She wanted to see Mark again, but…“It’s obvious you’re embarrassing the lady,” John said.

Mark nodded his head in farewell and went out. Tessa took a quick step toward the door but stopped when John spoke.

“You’re better off without that chap, my dear,” he said.

She smiled uncertainly at him. Her head told her John was right, but her heart ached all the same.

Chapter 3

A northeaster swept in the second week in February, the icy winds piling the snow in drifts, and no one left their firesides unless they had to.

Alex McSween, who’d wound up spending Christmas in a Las Vegas jail, had been released on eight thousand dollar bail was back home. He sat with Jules by the fireplace, telling him stories from the Bible, while Tessa sewed.

Susie was still in St. Louis. Once he’d gotten out of jail, he’d seen her safely there but came back to Lincoln early in January. He’d traveled to Mesilla, on the Rio Grande, the first of February for a court hearing and had just gotten back to Lincoln before the northeaster blew in.

Tessa rather enjoyed the coziness of being shut in. It reminded her of when Papa was alive. Ezra, though, grew restless after the third day.

“I could make it to Tunstall’s ranch,” he said after she’d left the fireside to polish silver in the dining room.

“It’s Mr. Tunstall.”

“Aw, nobody says mister when he’s talking about a fella.” “Your father tried hard to teach you good manners,” she said.

“English manners.” Ezra looked at her defiantly. “I’m not English now, I’m American.”

“Whatever you think you are, you’re not to try riding to the ranch in this weather. You spend too much time there as it is, You mustn’t presume on Mr. Tunstall’s kindness.”

“I do chores for him.”

Tessa raised her eyebrows. “In the winter? With all the hands he employs? I can’t believe even half of them keep busy this time of the year.”

“Well, I did do chores before Christmas. Besides, Billy says when a man’s practicing his shooting, he ought not to miss a day. I have to get better so I can protect Tunstall, because Dolan threatened to get him soon.”

Tessa frowned. “Did Billy tell you that?”

“Everybody knows about how Dolan and Jesse Evans and his gang threatened McSween and Tunstall on the way back from Mesilla last week.”

“I didn’t know it.”

“Dolan threw down on Tunstall, but some deputy stopped him. “How terrible!”

“So you see I have to practice with Billy. He’s the best shot Tunstall’s got.”

“I realize he’s an excellent shot. I’ve never forgotten he and Mark saved our lives. But, Ezra, I don’t thinks it’s good to tag after Billy all the time. You need to make friends your own age, too. What about Ira Fowler, here in town? He’s fourteen and I thought he was a nice boy.” “Yeah, he’s okay,’ Ezra’s tone lacked enthusiasm.

“Okay? What kind of a word is that?”

“You know what it means. I’m going to talk like I want to.”

Tessa felt helpless as she looked at her brother. He’d grown so these past couple of months. John had given Ezra some of his old clothes and already they were almost too small for him, He was going to be a big man, like their father. He’d be a good-looking man, too, she thought, surprised, for she’d never considered him as a man.

“You just want to keep me away from Billy!” Ezra burst out. “You’d rather I acted like

Halloran, I suppose. Playing the piano. Keeping company with liars and thieves like Dolan hires.” “Ezra!”

He spun away from her and flung out of the dining room, stomping off to the east wing where he shared a room with Jules.

Tessa sighed. What was she going to do with Ezra? So far he hadn’t openly disobeyed her, but she sensed he soon would. Then what? He needed a man’s influence. Not Billy, who was only three years older than Ezra and, according to what she’d heard, wild and wise beyond his years.

Ezra liked John, Maybe if she talked to John about him, John would be able to help.

There was Calvin Rutledge, too. Ezra didn’t know him well, but she’d been seeing a great deal of Calvin since Christmas and he struck her as an upright man.

Alex quoted Bible verses to the boys in lieu of discipline. He’d asked both of them to call him Uncle Alex, and that’s what he seemed to be, a benevolent uncle to them. Too easy-going.

Resolutely she kept her thoughts from Mark. She hadn’t seen him since his December visit. Even though she’d asked him to leave that time, she’d thought he’d come again.

Tessa couldn’t believe Mark was a liar. She wanted to believe he’d come to the house that day to see her and for no other reason. But she’d seen him flirting with Susie and it surely was a coincidence he’d picked the day before McSween’s left town.

And then Alex had been arrested, on Dolan’s order, on Christmas Eve. How could Mark have had anything to do with that?

If only she could prevent herself from dreaming about Mark--strange unsettling dreams where he held her in his arms, his hands caressing her until her entire body throbbed with delicious pulsations. Shameful dreams.

For the next week Ezra obeyed her order to keep away from the Tunstall ranch, although he moped sullenly about the house until she longed to shake him. But on the eighteenth, when he didn’t appear for breakfast and when she went to call him, he was gone.

Tess ran back to the west wing and into the kitchen where Jules sat at the scrubbed pine table eating one of Rosalita’s tortillas. As soon as he saw her, he ducked his head.

“Where’s Ezra?’’ she asked.

“He left,” Jules mumbled.

“When?”

“I don’t know. It was still kind of dark.”

“Jules, why didn’t you come and tell me?”

“Ezra said not to. Said I’d be a tattler and no one likes tattletales.” Tessa sighed. “Did he tell you where he was going?” Jules shook his head.

Tessa knew where Ezra had gone. To John’s ranch. I’ll ride after him, she decided. And while I’m there, I’ll see that John understands what the problem is.

If I let Ezra get away with this, I’ll never be able to control him again.

* * *