He smiled at her. “And what were your sisters’ titles?”
She knew this was a trap. As little as she knew, she knew there was only one duchess to a family. “I find I have a terrible headache, Captain.”
“Shall I massage your head for you?”
“I’d as soon play with a rattlesnake,” she answered, leaning her head back and closing her eyes, not even opening them at his chuckle. She wasn’t sure what game they’d just played, but she somehow felt as though she’d lost.
It was noon when they reached Denver City, along with a few hundred other people. It was a “town” consisting of a couple of hundred log shacks, some tents, and a few thousand men who were all bent on making their fortunes.
As soon as their coach stopped, men ran to greet them with the news: There was no gold whatsoever; there were nuggets as big as hen’s eggs in the streams. There were men begging for grubstake money, others who were just curious. There was a camp of Utes not far on the outskirts of town and they came to see the red coach and the woman wearing the bright blue dress.
Maddie was unruffled by the noise and confusion and the questions about her name and the legend “Singing Duchess” painted on the side of the coach. She smiled at all of them graciously, then instructed Frank and Sam to erect her tent, then to start passing out handbills announcing tonight’s performance. When the tent was up, she went inside to change into a dark wool skirt that was only ankle-length and a plain white cotton blouse. Captain Montgomery was waiting for her outside the tent.
“Good day, Captain,” she said, and started past him, but he blocked her way. She sighed. “All right, what is it you want?”
“Where are you planning to go?”
“Not that it’s any of your business, but I plan to eat luncheon and then take a walk around town.”
“With whom as your guard?”
“I plan to go all by myself, just as I’ve been walking all alone since I was about a year old.”
“You can’t go out among these ruffians alone.”
She pressed her lips together, tried to walk past him, and when he got in her way, she elbowed him in the ribs. He gave a grunt and she walked past him. Edith had the table set. All along the way from St. Louis to Denver City they’d stopped at farmers’ houses and purchased fresh produce, and they’d brought smoked, preserved meat. Now she ate ham and green beans.
“If you must stand over me and glower, Captain, at least have the courtesy to sit down. Have something to eat.”
He sat down on the stool, but he shook his head when Edith offered to fill a plate. “I mean no offense, ma’am, but I wouldn’t touch food or drink you’d been near.”
For the first time Maddie gave him a genuine smile. “At last, some wisdom from the perfect Captain Montgomery. Too bad you’re so timid. The ham is excellent.”
From out of nowhere Toby came and stood by the table. Maddie nodded to Edith and she heaped a plate full for him.
“I hope you like it, Private.”
“I do. I surely do,” Toby said, his mouth full as he took a seat on the ground near them. “And it’s Toby, just Toby. I ain’t a private, not a real private anyway. I don’t have nothin’ to do with the army if I can help it. The army’s what the boy here does, though why he’d want to leave Warbrooke—”
“Toby!” ’Ring snapped. “Forgive him, ma’am, he sometimes talks too much.”
“Oh?” She smiled at Toby. “And where is Warbrooke?”
“In Maine. The boy here left—”
“Toby!”
Toby put down his fork. “Hell, might as well stop tryin’. I don’t know what’s got stuck in his craw.” He stood up, took his plate, and went out of sight behind the tent.
“What is in your craw, Captain?”
“Just trying to keep you alive, that’s all.”
“Alive? Who would possibly want to harm me?”
Abruptly, he took her hand, holding it even when she tried to pull away, and turned it palm-up. There was a deep scratch across her palm and a bruise on her wrist.
She snatched her hand away, then stood. “Now, Captain, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to take a walk around town.”