Wild Roses (14 page)

“Please say there's a town just up ahead and that you intend to stop in this one,” Ella said, afraid she had not kept all hint of a whine out of her voice.

Although Harrigan had been taking it very slow since leaving the Lindons, stopping for plenty of rest periods, it had been three long days on horseback and she wanted a few extra comforts. If nothing else, it would break the monotony. Riding mile after mile after mile had to be the most boring thing she had ever done. Since they were not racing across the country like pony express riders, they were crossing a certain area for a couple of days at a time, which meant she saw far too much monotonous scenery.

The only change there had been in day after day of grasslands was the sighting of the mountains that loomed just ahead of them. They made a change, but they were not a welcome sight. She knew they were the last barrier to Philadelphia.

She and Harrigan still did not talk about Harold and Philadelphia, but that little game was getting harder and harder to play now that they could see the mountains. At times she had the urge to shake him until his teeth rattled, but even if she found the strength to do it, it would not change his mind. What annoyed and hurt her more now was that he also knew their time together was severely limited, yet he said and did nothing. There was still no hint of anything more than passion from the man. She knew that, if it was not a case of cutting off her own nose to spite her face, she would stop giving in to her desires and let him finish the ride to Philadelphia gaining nothing more than cold silence from her. Ella knew that the minute he handed her to Harold she would have more cold silence than she wanted and it would last for the rest of her life.

“We should ride into a town by evening,” he answered, breaking into her dark thoughts. “I did think I would try one last time to spend a comfortable night in a hotel.”

“There should be a fairly good one in the next town because we're getting closer and closer to established areas of settlement, older towns with far more amenities.”

She watched him closely to see if he had any reaction to her reminder that they drew near to their final destination. There was only a faint tightening of his features. It was not an easy expression to read. He could be feeling as downcast as she was or simply fearing that she was about to break her promise and start to plague him about Harold again. She sighed and firmly told herself to stop trying to guess what he was feeling. It was impossible.

They approached the town cautiously and Ella knew Harrigan was looking for her aunt. She was able to find a small touch of amusement in the fact that a big, strong man like Harrigan was going in fear of her tiny aunt. It also showed her that he feared she could succeed in rescuing Ella and that raised Ella's hopes a little. After all, if Harrigan believed it was possible, why shouldn't she?

They stabled their horses, but Harrigan did not begin to relax until they were secured in their hotel room. He ordered her a bath and then left to go to the barber's for a bath and a shave. Even though she knew it was a waste of time, Ella checked the door and window before she settled down to the business of enjoying a nice, hot, relaxing bath. Once she discovered that she was securely locked in her room, she knew there would also be a boy or two watching the hotel from the outside and she saw no point in wasting valuable time and energy trying to find an escape route that did not exist.

While her bath was being prepared, she stared out the window. To her utter dismay, the mountains were clearly visible. For the duration of their stay in the hotel she would be reminded of how close they were to the end of her journey, and, whether Harrigan chose to believe it or not, the possible end of her life. She shook away a sudden chill and hastily climbed into her bath the moment the maid left the room. If she had to, she would close the curtains. Harrigan and she did not have many nights left together and she did not want a view of the mountains to spoil them.

 

 

Harrigan took one last check of his face, decided the barber had done an excellent job, and paid the man more than he had asked. A hot bath, clean clothes, and a good shave had put him in a very good humor. He strolled back to the hotel, paid the boy who had been standing guard, and then lit a cigar.

As he slowly breathed out the rich smoke of the cigar, he caught himself carefully surveying the street again and cursed. He was beginning to see Ella's aunt around every corner. If anyone found out how hard he was trying to elude one tiny woman, how constantly he watched for her, and how fast he ran from her, he could easily become the object of ridicule. The woman had the distressing habit of popping up where and when one least expected her.

Harrigan found himself wondering what George's fascination with Louise stemmed from. George was a quiet, controlled, steady, level-headed man. Louise seemed to be all emotion. George always spoke precisely and softly. Louise said whatever popped into her head and often said it very loudly. If he had been presented with a dozen young women, including Louise, and told to pick a match for George, Harrigan would never have chosen Louise Carson. George, however, had been immediately and forcefully struck by the woman, unable to get her out of his mind from the moment he saw her. Harrigan could not see how it could work out for George, but he did wish the man the best of luck.

He rather envied George, even though the man might not get the future he craved with Louise. George knew what he wanted and had no doubts, no fears, no complications. In fact, the only hindrance George suffered from was the one created by Harrigan. As he ground the cigar butt beneath the heel of his boot, Harrigan dearly wished that his life was so simple.

 

 

“There he is,” Joshua whispered as he peered around the corner of the saloon and watched Harrigan put out his cigar. “You have some luck, Louise. You find the fool every time you step off the train.”

“But I don't catch him, do I?” Louise frowned when George peered around her to look at Harrigan. “You better not warn him. I still have that gag.”

“I gave my word that I would not help him,” George said.

“No need to puff up with insult. I was just reminding you.” She frowned again, lightly rubbing her hand over her chin as she watched Harrigan enter the hotel. “At least he hasn't seen us this time. I was starting to fret about that. Thought I had lost my touch.” She grinned when Joshua laughed softly.

“Never, m'dear,” Joshua drawled. “No one can be as sneaky as you are.”

“I suppose I'm to take that as a compliment. The best way to go about this may be to seek Harrigan out in his hotel room. We'll just go to his door, knock on it, and grab him when he opens it.”

“That's your best idea?” Joshua shook his head. “Why, that's almost as clever as sticking your foot in front of a train.”

“It could work.”

“There are a few dozen people in that hotel. We'll be seen and they'll probably call in the law. You know they always think me and the boys are just coming to steal things or cause trouble. I doubt they'll even let us start up the stairs before someone begins screaming for the sheriff.”

“I know it may be tricky.” She ignored Joshua's scornful laugh. “I do, however, believe it holds the best chance for success. Every time we've tried to grab him out in the open, he's gotten away. This time, if we can catch him inside of that room, we can corner him. Where can he go? Out the window?”

“How do we find out what room he is in?” asked Manuel, standing behind the much shorter George and peering over the man's head.

“I already know,” replied Louise, pointing to the middle window on the second floor. “I've seen Ella in the window several times already. She was probably trying to see just how trapped she was.”

“She could just be looking for Harrigan to return,” George murmured, smiling faintly when Louise whirled around to glare at him. “It was just a thought.”

“You're treading on dangerous ground, George,” Louise warned him.

He shrugged. “Merely a suggestion.”

“Well, keep that kind of suggestion to yourself. Now, Manuel, you can stay here with this fool.”

“I've said that I will neither help nor warn Harrigan.”

“Yes, for as long as you're my prisoner. If I leave you alone, you could easily desert our little camp. Once you're back with Harrigan, you don't have to hold to that promise any longer.”

“I would never desert you, Louise,” George said softly, smiling briefly when the four young men laughed.

Louise blushed, glared at all five men, and turned back toward the hotel. “It seems I've finally found a use for you, George. We failed in trying to make a trade of you for Ella. But, by keeping you with us, we deprive Harrigan of your assistance. It's a lot easier to corral one stallion than two.”

“You've not had much success in corralling that particular stallion.”

“Oh, shut your mouth.”

“When are we going in?” asked Edward. “We might as well do it now, don't you think?”

“No. Harrigan will be getting them a dinner soon. Let the poor girl have something decent to eat first. When I think they have had enough time to eat, I'll go in and charm the room number out of the desk clerk. Joshua, while I have him distracted, you, Edward, and Thomas slip up the stairs. I'll join you as soon as I can and then we'll finally get that scoundrel.”

 

 

“You dismissed the boy early tonight,” Ella said as Harrigan entered their room and locked the door.

Harrigan eyed her a little warily. “So you know about the boys, huh?”

“Of course I do. You didn't think I would just sit here all sweet and complacent when you left me alone, did you? I checked and rechecked every possible means of escape. I noticed the boys the first time you hired them.”

“I thought it would give me and George a little rest from time to time. Now that George is gone, it's a necessity.”

“This little trip is costing you a lot of money.”

He cast her a mildly disgusted look as he hung up his hat and coat. “No need to look so pleased with that. I was given money before I left to defray my expenses. At the time I thought it was far too much, but saw no point in correcting the man's assumption about travel expenses. The rich travel differently. I decided it wouldn't hurt to benefit from that a little.”

Ella could not help herself, and she giggled. “You tiptoe so carefully around that name.”

“Well, we agreed not to talk about him.”

“I hadn't realized that meant we could not even say his name.”

“Supper's here,” Harrigan said when there was a soft rap at the door.

He was glad of the diversion. It was suddenly uncomfortable to even think about Harold and Philadelphia. Harrigan did not want Ella to know that.

As he set their food on the table, he idly glanced out of the window and inwardly winced. The sight of the mountains had been troubling him since they had first appeared on the horizon. He did not like the idea that he would have to see them every time he looked out of the window.

It struck him as very contrary to work so hard to take Ella to a place he did not even want to think about. The closer they had drawn to Philadelphia and Harold the harder he had worked to keep both the place and the man out of his thoughts. Deep down he was very troubled by what he was doing, yet he saw no way to get off of the path he was treading. It was childish just to ignore it all, to push it all out of his mind, but he began to think it was the only way to keep his sanity.

“It feels a little odd to be sitting here having a quiet meal,” Ella murmured in between bites of hot, buttered carrots.

“We have had one or two before this,” Harrigan replied before taking a drink of his beer.

“Only in the beginning and at the Lindons. Every other time we stopped in a town my aunt appeared.” She was a little surprised when Harrigan laughed. “You think that's funny?”

“It is. I was standing outside enjoying a cigar and realized that I was looking all around for Louise. She looms large for such a tiny woman.” He was relieved to see Ella smile.

“Louise is a very determined woman and she loathes that man whose name we can't say.”

“That's been clear from the beginning. What amused me a little was what others would think if they knew how hard I was working to avoid her. They would look at Louise, a delicate, pretty little woman, then look at me, and laugh heartily. I could almost hear the ridicule.”

“If it happens, just find some way to set my aunt on their trail and they won't be laughing for long. Most of the townsmen near her ranch go softly around her. When I first went to live with her, I did think she rather overdid the tough and sassy woman role, but I soon saw that it was necessary. The men out there do not like a woman owning land and ranching. That's a man's job. That she does it well only annoys them all the more.”

“Is that why she has such a mixed group of workers?”

“Very politely said,” Ella murmured, and silently toasted him with her glass of lemonade before taking a sip. “Half-breeds and outcasts is what everyone else calls them. It is true that Auntie had trouble getting any of the white men to work for her. They wanted her to fail. Anytime a man considered accepting a job at her ranch, he was quickly discouraged. Then she rescued Joshua.”

“Rescued him?”

“Yes. He was beaten badly by a group of cowhands and left in the road just outside of town. Seems he had the audacity to ask for a job. Auntie found him when she was returning from getting some supplies. She took him home, healed his injuries, and offered him a job. She now has twelve young men working for her and only two are what most people would consider white men. They're bastards, and their mothers were whores. People seem to think they're somehow responsible for the bad behavior of their parents, or that they'll act the same way.”