“I did,” John replied. “It sure looks like Corrigan met up with the man you’re wanting, all right. If the Texan keeps to the northwestern trail, he’ll have to come through this area, and you just might run into him too. If you don’t mind my asking, what’d he steal from your mother?”
“A compass she was going to give to one of my brothers.”
“A compass don’t seem valuable,” Jack said. “Is it?”
“It is to my brother,” Travis told him.
“Maybe I’ll steal it off the Texan and keep it for myself,” Jack boasted. “Which brother was supposed to get the compass?”
“Cole.”
“Never mind, then,” Jack hastily decided. “I don’t want him trailing me.”
“You don’t want any of the Claybornes trailing you,” John said, clearly exasperated. “Not if you want to live to be an old man.”
He turned back to Travis again and shook his head. “It isn’t unheard of for a lawman to turn bad, but it sure makes me sick to think about it. It just isn’t right.”
“John, it’s real doubtful the marshal is the man I’m looking for. I can’t imagine a lawman putting his reputation on the line for such a petty crime. The compass is valuable, yet it’s insignificant compared to the gold shipments and banknotes the marshal has surely recovered in the past.”
Emily had listened to the discussion and couldn’t resist offering her opinion. “If the marshal has your mother’s compass, I’m sure he’ll bring it back to her.”
Travis couldn’t resist teasing her. “That’s what Mama Rose believes, and it’s going to break her heart when she finally realizes she’s been duped. The Texan has had plenty of time to bring it back. He’s keeping it, all right. Still, I’m not certain the marshal is Daniel Ryan.”
“I sure wish I’d gotten his name from Corrigan,” John interjected.
Emily was becoming passionate about the matter. She shook her head at both men and said, “If the marshal accidentally took the compass, returning it is probably the last thing on his mind. Remember, he’s searching for criminals.”
“If he accidentally took it? What kind of an argument is that, Emily? No one accidentally steals anything.”
“It could happen,” she argued. “You’re making assumptions based on nothing but a few paltry coincidences. Surely you can see that I’m right.”
He hid his smile. Emily was filled with righteous indignation as she defended the man she had never even met. She was correct about jumping to conclusions, of course, but he wasn’t going to tell her so. The debate would end then, and he was having such a good time arguing with her, he wanted to continue on. He liked the way her eyes sparkled whenever he said something she took exception to, and she found it impossible to make a point without waving her hands around, a trait he thought was delightful, even though he had to dodge getting hit a couple of times. He also liked the way her voice turned so earnest and trembled with her demand that he be reasonable.
Come to think of it, he liked just about everything about her. She was going to be difficult to leave in Golden Crest, and handing her over to another man was going to be almost impossible. The smile left his eyes as he pictured her in the arms of Clifford O’Toole.
With a good deal of effort, he was able to block the dark thought and turned back to John. “Did you ask me a question?”
John nodded. “I was wondering if the Texan told your mother he was a lawman.”
“No, he didn’t tell her what his occupation was.”
“That’s odd, isn’t it?”
He saw Emily roll her eyes heavenward and decided to goad her by agreeing with John. “Yes, it sure is odd. I can’t help but wonder why he’d hide it from her.”
“You cannot know if he deliberately kept his occupation a secret or not,” she cried out, her frustration apparent. “Neither one of you is being the least bit reasonable. I suggest that you stop believing the worst and have a little faith in the man.”
“What for?” Travis asked. “He robbed my mother.”
“It sure sounds like he did,” John agreed.
“We take care of our mothers out here,” Travis said.
“You’re right about that,” John said, and even Jack had to grunt his agreement.
“No one dupes our mothers and gets away with it,” John said.
Emily gave up. There simply wasn’t any way she could make them see how illogical they were being.
The men continued to discuss the situation for several more minutes, and then Travis asked John to keep Emily company while he saw to the horses.
“You don’t need to worry about that chore. I hired a new hand, Clemmont Adam’s boy, and I saw him through the window leading your horses into the barn. He’ll take care of them and bring in your baggage too.”
Emily wanted to wash before supper, and since Travis wasn’t about to let her out of his sight, he went with her and made her wait while he washed up too. By the time the two of them returned to the dining room, Millie had already served the food and was sitting at the end of the table.
There was thick stew with biscuits and jam, coffee for those who wanted it, and cow’s milk for those who didn’t.
“I like to sit by myself when I eat,” Jack told Emily. He lowered his head and stared hard at her when he added, “Then I got to get down to Cooper’s place before dark.”
She gave him a wide smile. “You’ve been very patient, Jack.”
She turned to Travis and put her hand out to him with her palm up.
“I believe you owe me five dollars.”
He was surprised she wanted to be paid her winnings in front of Hanrahan and Perkins. While he dug through his pocket for the money he owed her, he glared at Jack for disgracing him. From the curious look on John’s face, Travis knew he was going to want to know why he owed her the money, and if Emily told him, Jack would know he’d been taken in by a woman.
There’d be real trouble then.
He put the money in her hand and was just about to tell John any questions he had would be answered later, when Emily turned his attention.
She handed the money to Jack. “Here you are, and thank you so much for your assistance.”
“It wasn’t too bad,” Jack muttered. “Can I stop smiling now?”
“Yes, you may.”
He looked relieved for a second or two before his scowl was back in place. Then he shoved his chair back, stood up, and carried his plate and his cup to the table at the opposite end of the room. Like Travis, the mountain man preferred to sit with his back against the wall so he could watch people coming and going without fear of being caught unaware.
Jack hunched over his plate and began to eat his stew with his fingers, but Travis noticed his full attention was centered on Emily. He seemed so taken with her he missed his mouth twice. The man had the manners of a pig, and Travis knew he wouldn’t be able to eat his supper if he continued to watch him. He turned back to Emily.
“Let me get this straight. You told Jack what our bet was?” he asked, trying to sound outraged.
“Yes, I did tell him.”
“Then I can only conclude you didn’t think you could pull it off without his cooperation.”
“I most certainly could have, but I didn’t want to,” she replied. “It wouldn’t have been right to use Jack to win the bet. The men in Boston expect women to flirt with them, but Jack wouldn’t have understood. No,” she insisted, “it wouldn’t have been right.”
“Aren’t you changing your tune?”
“No.”
“Is that right? What makes Jack any different from Clifford O’Toole?”
“Let’s leave him out of this, shall we?”
“Who is Clifford O’Toole?” John wanted to know.
“The man Emily’s supposed to marry. Stop kicking me,” he told her. “She hasn’t met him yet.”
“That doesn’t seem right to me,” Millie interjected. “Why would you marry a man you don’t know when you’re wanting ano
ther?”
“I don’t want any other man,” Emily said.
Millie snorted. “It’s as clear to me as a clap of thunder that you’re taken with Travis. Are you blind, girl?”
Emily could feel herself turning red with embarrassment. “You’re mistaken, Millie. I barely know him. He’s just my guide to Golden Crest.”
Millie snorted again. Emily quickly tried to turn the topic back to the wager. She refused to look at Travis until she was certain he wasn’t thinking about Millie’s remarks.
“I won fair and square,” she announced.
“You broke the rules.”
She forced a laugh. “There weren’t any rules, remember? You made that choice, not me.”
“What was the wager?” John asked.
Travis paused to glare at Emily for kicking him again before he answered. He explained their argument and how he wanted to prove she was wrong.
“It was a foolish wager,” Emily said. “But I did win, and it’s all your own fault, Travis. You should have been more specific, like the moneylender in a story I read called The Merchant of Venice. Have you ever read it?”
“As a matter of fact, I have.”
“I don’t recall reading the story,” John said. “Of course, I don’t know how to read yet, and that could be why I don’t recollect it.”
“I don’t recollect it either, John,” Millie said. “But I’m wanting to hear about it.”
“It’s a wonderful story,” Emily began. “A gentleman borrowed money and made an agreement to pay it back within a certain amount of time. He also agreed that if he wasn’t able to repay, then he would give the moneylender a pound of his flesh.”
John’s eyes widened. “That would kill a skinny man, wouldn’t it?”
“It would kill any man,” Travis told him.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Jack get up and move to a table in the center of the room. It was apparent he was trying to get closer so he could hear every word Emily said, and he was also trying not to draw any attention to himself. It took all Travis had not to laugh, but, honest to God, seeing the savage up on his tiptoes really was comical. His brothers weren’t going to believe him when he told them about it.
“Don’t leave my John hanging for the rest of the story,” Millie said in her usual abrupt tone. “It seems mighty foolish for a man to make such a rash promise, doesn’t it, John?”
“Yes, Millie, it does seem foolish. Now, if the moneylender gave him time to put some weight on around his middle, well then, I’m thinking that promise wasn’t so rash after all. Did he give him time?” he asked.
Emily shook her head and tried not to laugh. “No, John, he didn’t give him time.”
“He never should have made that promise,” Millie insisted with a shake of her head. “He obviously wasn’t from around these parts. Men out here would never do such a foolish thing.”
“He was desperate,” Emily explained. “And he was certain he would have the money in time to repay. He didn’t though.”
“I had a feeling that’s what happened. Did he get cut up?” John asked.
“He died, didn’t he?” Millie asked at the very same time.
“No, he didn’t get cut up, and he didn’t die,” she answered.
“He welshed, didn’t he? It just doesn’t seem right to me,” John said. “A promise made is a promise that’s got to be kept. A man’s word is sacred, after all. Isn’t that right, Millie?”
“Yes, John, a man’s word is all he’s got in these parts. How did he get out of his promise?” she asked Emily. “Did he go into hiding?”
“No,” Emily answered, smiling over the Perkinses’ enthusiastic response to the story.
Travis was also smiling. Although he had read the Shakespearean play at Adam’s insistence, he liked hearing Emily tell it much better. Her animated expressions made the characters seem real.
He happened to glance over at One-Eyed Jack then, saw what he interpreted to be a genuine smile on his face, and knew that Emily really had won the bet fair and square after all. The proof was hanging on her every word. Hanrahan was definitely smitten.
“If he didn’t run away, what happened to him?” Millie asked.
“He refused to give a pound of flesh, and the moneylender refused to let him out of his promise or give him any more time, and so a trial was held to determine the outcome.”
John slapped his hand down on the tabletop. “Leave it to the law to interfere.”
“An attorney saved the man, of course,” Travis said.
“Who just happened to be a woman,” Emily reminded him. “Her name was Portia.”
She and Millie shared a smile over that interesting fact before she continued.
“I’m wanting to know what in tarnation happened to the man who borrowed the money,” Millie said. “What did the judge have to say?”
“He decided the agreement was legal and binding and that the moneylender was entitled to his pound of flesh.”
“I knew it, Millie. Didn’t I tell you a promise made is a promise that’s got to be kept?”
“Yes, you did, John.”
“But,” Emily hastily added before she was interrupted again, “it was also ruled that while the moneylender could take his pound of flesh, he couldn’t take a single drop of blood.”
John rubbed his jaw while he mulled the judgment over in his mind. “Well now, I don’t believe you can take any flesh without taking some blood.”
“It’s a fact you can’t,” Emily explained. “If the moneylender had been more specific,” she said with a meaningful glance at Travis, “the outcome might have been different, but he wasn’t specific, and neither were you with our wager, Travis. I won fair and square.”
He admitted defeat, told her there were no hard feelings, and even suggested that she gloat if she felt like it.
“Want me to kiss you to prove I’m not mad?”
He realized he’d embarrassed her as soon as she lowered her gaze to the tabletop and shook her head at him. He reached over and put his hand on top of hers.
“You’ve got a lot in common with Portia,” he whispered. “But I don’t think she blushed when she won her case. You have her passion though.”
Emily was pleased by the compliment. She wasn’t given time to thank him, however, for a loud thumping sound interrupted all of them.
Someone was trying to break through the front door. John jumped up and ran to the entrance. Travis was right behind him.
“Are the men from Murphy’s ranch here, Millie?” Emily asked.
“From the way they’re banging on my door, I’d have to say it’s them all right.” She hurried over to Emily’s side and latched onto her elbow. “You can finish eating in the kitchen tonight. You’ll feel much safer, and Travis will make sure the ranch hands stay in my dining room. I don’t know how I’m going to get you up those stairs though, but I’ll let John worry about that. Come on, girl. This isn’t the time to dally. Lord, I sure hope they aren’t all liquored up. There’s nothing worse than a drunk,” she added with a shiver. “And if any of them steal my valuables, I swear I’ll shoot them myself. Oh, I hope they aren’t drunk.”
Millie really was frightened. Emily wasn’t about to take any chances. She picked up her plate of stew, followed Millie into the kitchen, and then offered to help her get the ranch hands’ plates ready.
“You sit on down at the table and eat. I’ll see to the chore after I put some more biscuit dough into my oven. After you’ve finished, you can scrub my frying pan if you have a mind to. It’s been soaking in the basin long enough.”
Emily was happy to have something to do. She quickly ate, then rolled up her sleeves and attacked the pan with a vengeance, smiling to herself as she tried to picture her mother’s reaction if she were watching her daughter now. She would probably have heart palpitations, Emily supposed, for none of her daughters were ever allowed to do common housework—there were maids for that—but after she’d gotten over her initial shock
, Emily didn’t think she’d be disappointed in her.
“Millie, do you have anyone to help you with your chores?” she asked.
“No, but I’m getting used to the notion of hiring someone. My John’s been nagging me to slow down, and lately our house has been packed with guests more often than not. After washing and cleaning and cooking and fetching all day long, by nightfall I’m so weary I can hardly get myself ready for bed.”
“Have you ever thought about moving to a town?”
“No, I’d never want to do that. Folks have to come through here to get north or west unless the season’s dry and they can cut through the gullies, and even though we have lots of company, we’re still isolated enough to feel free. I don’t think I could abide having neighbors living right on top of me, knowing my business. John wouldn’t like it either.”
Emily had lifted the heavy pan out of the soapy water and begun to dry it with the towel Millie handed her when she suddenly noticed the pounding had stopped. She also noticed Millie’s hands were shaking.
“Do you think Murphy’s men have left?”
“We aren’t going to be that lucky. Their kind never gives up.”
“Exactly what is ‘their kind’?”
“Ignorant drunks who steal anything that will bring a dollar for more liquor and break everything else. Can’t reason with a drunk, Emily, but don’t fret about it. Your man won’t let any harm come to you.”
“He won’t let anyone hurt you either. He isn’t my man though,” she said.
“You’re wanting him to be, aren’t you?”
Her bluntness made Emily smile. “Why would you think that? I’m on my way to marry another man,” she reminded her.
“Don’t seem right to me,” Millie muttered. She shut the oven door and turned so Emily could see her frown. “You seem smart enough, girl. You’d best rid yourself of your pride and tell him what’s inside your heart before it’s too late.”
“But, Millie . . .”
“Won’t do you any good to argue with me. There were sparks flying between you two, and anyone with half a brain would know what’s going on. Ask him to court you.”
Emily shook her head. “Even if I did want Travis to court me, it wouldn’t matter. He told me he isn’t the marrying kind.”