Eli came into the room, smiling at his guests.
“Nate, Angel, so good to see you.” He motioned to the stuffed chairs by the roaring fire keeping the large room comfortable.
“Eli, we came to get your help.” Nate sat across from his host, leaning his elbows on his knees.
“Anything within my power that I can do to help my fiancée’s family is done.” He shifted his unlit cigar from one side of his mouth to the other.
“Actually Eli,” Nate said, “it’s really Sylvia who needs your help.”
“Sylvia?” Eli croaked, sitting forward. “What’s happened? Is she sick? Where is she?”
“Sheriff Travis came by a little while ago with a warrant for her arrest.”
“What?” He bellowed as he leapt from his seat. “That’s preposterous. There’s definitely a mistake. Why did you let that asinine sheriff take her?”
Nate raised his hands. “Eli, I had no choice. Now, I suggest you calm down. We think there’s been a mistake, too, but we have to follow the law.”
Angel slid forward on her seat, regarding the angry man. “The sheriff won’t give us any information except he had to arrest her for grand larceny based on information from the New York City police.”
“Marcus,” Eli bellowed, turning toward the door.
The doorman appeared, his face blank as befits all well-trained servants.
“Yes, Mr. Benson.”
“Arrange to have my horse saddled. And send word to my attorney that I want him to meet me at the jailhouse. Immediately.”
The doorman bowed, and left to carry out his task.
“We’ll go in our buggy and meet you there.” Nate took Angel’s arm.
“Don’t you worry, little missy.” Eli patted Angel’s hand. “We’ll get to the bottom of this.”
Eli slid from his horse at the jailhouse and stomped up the steps. The door flew open, and Sheriff Travis flinched as it banged against the wall. Eli pulled himself up to his full height, and glared at the sheriff.
Eying the gun strapped to the man’s hips, the sheriff stood. “You better calm yourself down, Eli, or you’ll be joining the little lady back there in her cell.”
Eli shifted his cigar and leaned fisted hands on the sheriff’s desk, as the lawman sat back down. “I understand you made the huge mistake of arresting my fiancée, Sheriff.”
The lawman ran his fingers through his hair. “I merely did my duty.”
“Eli!” Sylvia’s voice moaned from the hallway.
“I’m comin’, sweetheart.” Eli glared at the sheriff as he stomped down the hall.
Sylvia reached out between the bars to grasp his hand.
“Eli,” she sobbed, “the sheriff said he arrested me for grand larceny. I don’t even know what grand larceny is.” Hanging on the bars, her eyes red and puffy from crying, Sylvia looked pathetic. Eli’s gut clenched.
He turned to the sheriff who had joined them, and rattled the bars. “Open this damn door.”
“Now, Eli.” The sheriff shook his head. “I can’t release Mrs. Hardwick until I get instructions from New York.”
“I don’t care if you’re awaiting instructions from the President of the United States. I want her out of there. Now.”
The front door flew open, and Nate, Angel, and attorney Damian Lawton entered the front room. Damian took off his bowler hat and ran his fingers around the inside of his shirt collar.
Spotting the man, Eli shouted, “Damian, move yourself over here, and get my fiancée out of this cell.”