Chapter 12

twelve

"There is only one thing that bothers me much ... I do want to be worthy of her and do not want her to be disappointed."

~Earl Douglass

M ONDAY , J ULY 17, 1916 · J ENSEN

Eliza's head pounded.

After leaving the Meyer ranch, she stopped in to see Deborah on her way to the quarry, only to find that she was sick. When she filled her friend in on what was happening, the poor woman had cried, she was so disappointed that they couldn't dig for a while.

Then Eliza went to see Earl. After a long discussion, she still couldn't convince him to open the quarry to the public again. To make things even worse, the sheriff had stopped in and told Earl about the note she'd received. Since the head of the dig didn't wish for any destruction to come to the priceless fossils, he wanted Eliza to take a few days off, telling her that she needed to grieve her grandfather anyway.

Not what she'd hoped to hear.

Her fingers itched to be doing something.

Now, she was at lunch with Devin and Dr. Masterson. This should be a wonderful thing. But it wasn't. She needed to face facts. Wherever she went on this trip, disaster seemed to follow.

A pat on her shoulder brought her back to the moment. She smiled at Dr. Masterson and tried to focus on what Devin was saying.

Devin patted her shoulder again. "Yes, sir. We've been the best of friends since we were children."

"Ah. Well, I understand now how Miss Mills knows so much about your writings."

Devin's smile didn't reach his eyes, and he took a sip of his coffee.

Their food was brought out to them, and Eliza couldn't even remember ordering. But she dug into her meal anyway. It was delicious but sat like a brick in her stomach. With a sigh she put her fork down. Maybe a refreshing drink would help. She sipped her lemonade, smiling as Dr. Masterson joked and talked about the abundance of poorly written papers. Normally that would have Devin speaking up, but instead, he laughed along.

He was holding up his part of the bargain. And surprisingly well.

"Are you at a university?" Dr. Masterson studied Devin.

"Yes. University of Pittsburgh."

"I'm well-acquainted with it. In the paleontology department?"

Her heart jumped. They hadn't discussed what he would say if this question came up.

"English." Devin quirked an eyebrow.

"English? That's ... interesting. What made you decide to teach English instead of paleontology?"

"Seeing all the poorly written papers."

Laughter rounded the table.

Before Dr. Masterson could say anything else, Devin set his cup down on the saucer and leaned back in his seat, looking the part of the scientific academic. "What will you be studying next, Dr. Masterson?"

The older man leaned forward, an eagerness in his eyes. "Frankly, I want to do a study into the formation of coal. That's why I was so fascinated with your paper."

"Oh? For what purpose?"

The man leaned forward even more. "To be honest with you, the dinosaurs found in the coal seam. The Belgium find fascinates me."

"Yes. That's what my paper was on."

Devin wasn't having any trouble with this conversation.

"I'm a recent believer. And I was under the impression that Mr. Douglass might be? And you as well, Mr. Schmitt?"

"I am." Devin smiled. "So is Miss Mills."

The paleontologist glanced her way and nodded. "Wonderful." He cleared his throat. "As you know, it's difficult to have our viewpoint of the world and its Creator in this field of study. Mind you, the big shift has taken on great speed since Darwin's book. I was a great proponent of it. But something was always missing."

Eliza sat up a little straighter. This great man, this man of science, had grappled with the age of the dinosaurs too!

"The Iguanodons in Belgium are a key to our understanding of the truth. I believe that coal can be made from vegetation at a much faster rate than millions of years. I'd like to run some experiments on it."

"That's marvelous!" She clapped her hands together. "That's exactly what I thought when I"—she barely caught herself—"read the paper." Her enthusiasm waned. Why couldn't she simply tell the man the truth? This was her paper they were discussing. A topic she was most passionate about. And now, it put a foul taste in her mouth. All because of her own insecurities. She pasted on a smile. "Thank you for sharing that with us, Dr. Masterson. I will eagerly await your findings."

Devin nodded. "Yes, we will."

"It's been lovely to share with you both about my faith as well. Thank you for that. I have been ... hesitant to speak to people about it. But I do believe that God is growing me in this area."

A man brought a telegram to Dr. Masterson. He gave the deliverer a coin. "Excuse me, this must be urgent." He tore into the envelope and read the note. As he stood up, he sent them a smile. "If you will excuse me. My wife has gone into labor, and I must return to New York, where she's waiting, posthaste."

"Congratulations!" Eliza stood and walked over to shake his hand. "It has been an honor, sir."

"You, as well, Miss Mills. Keep doing the fine work that you are doing." Dr. Masterson turned to Devin. "Wonderful to meet you, Mr. Schmitt. If I'm ever in Pittsburgh, I shall look you up."

Devin took the man's offered hand and shook it. "Thank you, sir." He glanced at Eliza, a frown pulling at the corners of his mouth.

They took their seats again as the good doctor left. Eliza relaxed her shoulders. "That wasn't so bad? Right?" But she couldn't even convince herself of that. Guilt pecked at her, unrelenting.

"As long as he doesn't come looking for me in Pittsburgh." Devin shook his head. "You need to tell the man the truth, Eliza. Especially after he told us he was a Christian. Good grief, he's not going to think less of you, and you know it."

"But I lied to him."

"So did I." Devin widened his eyes at her. "And I hate that. So let's fess up now and you can correspond with him."

She bit her lip. "I have to admit, when I couldn't talk about the topic as the author of the paper, it lost all joy for me."

"See? We just need to tell him the truth. We should have done that from the beginning." He set his napkin down on the table. "We can probably catch him at the train. Come on"—he grabbed her hand—"let's go together."

"I don't know." Why was she worried? She loved what she did. "What if he doesn't respect the paper like he did when he thought you wrote it?"

"Eliza." He leaned in close. "You are the most fascinating conundrum. You have such confidence and fervor, and then you doubt yourself. Why?"

She couldn't answer. Especially with him so close. Her heart was attempting to pound its way out of her chest.

He squeezed her hand, giving her a warm smile. "You're the smartest person I've ever known. Look, I know you've always had to worry about whether people liked you or respected you for who you are rather than your family and their money, but I think it's time for you to stand up for your work. You're amazing and Dr. Masterson has the right to know that."

M ONDAY , J ULY 17, 1916 · J ENSEN

"Dr. Masterson!" Devin called out to the man on the platform. Thank heaven he hadn't already gone.

He turned. "Mr. Schmitt." He looked puzzled. "Did I forget something?"

"No"—he turned to Eliza—"but we've got something to tell you." He nudged her with his elbow.

Her jaw dropped a bit, then she snapped it shut.

"Go on," he encouraged.

But she wouldn't speak. What was wrong with her? This was the perfect opportunity. He widened his eyes at her. "Eliza?"

She seemed frozen.

Well, he wasn't having it. He clenched his jaw and turned back to the paleontologist. "Dr. Masterson, we have to confess that we've lied to you."

"Oh?" The man frowned.

"Eliza wrote the paper. All the brilliance you talked about, it was all her. I'm just an English professor." There. It was out. And it felt like fifty pounds had been lifted from his shoulders.

The man's frown deepened. He set his case down and his lips pinched together. "I see." He looked back and forth between them. "And why did you feel this lie was necessary?"

Devin shifted his gaze to Eliza, silently pleading for her to speak up. To share some of her story. Perhaps the good doctor would be understanding.

She licked her lips. "I'm sorry, Dr. Masterson. I've had to fight over the years for the opportunities in this field because people think I've only attained them because of my family's name and wealth. When you were asking all those questions, I got nervous. I wasn't sure whether you liked the paper, agreed or disagreed, or thought it was rubbish." She peered down at her shoes.

"So you thought it would be all right to throw your friend to the wolves because he could handle it? Just in case it didn't play out in your favor?"

Devin winced. Harsh words.

"No ... well, that is ... yes."

"This is why you wrote it under a false name. Your fear keeps you from spreading your wings, Miss Mills. And that greatly disappoints me."

Her head snapped up at that.

Devin hurt for her. He hadn't expected the older man to react this way, but at least it was all out in the open. Over time, they could mend fences.

Eliza lifted her chin. "I'm sorry for lying to you, sir."

His mustache twitched over his thin lips as he glared at her. "My greatest requirement is honesty, because, as I assume you know, so many in our field built their reputations on lies and falsehoods. You've only proven that you are just as bad as they." He turned. "Good day to you both."

"But..." Her word deflated like a balloon.

Devin took a deep breath and faced her. "Let's go." They couldn't do anything else here and he wanted to get her away from people in case she fell apart.

"I don't understand..." Her whispered words were ragged. "Why did he react that way?"

"We let him down. The man is under a lot of stress. His wife is having a baby, and I'm sure he would like to be there as soon as he can."

She scowled. "So much for telling the truth."

M ONDAY , J ULY 17, 1916 · A DAMS F ARM

Devin drove the Adams family's extra buggy back to their home.

Eliza stared at her hands, folded in her lap. For the last ten minutes, neither she nor Devin had spoken.

What had just happened? She'd never imagined Dr. Masterson would react as he did. She sighed. "I'm sorry, Devin. This mess is all my fault. You warned me and had every right to be upset with me."

"You're forgiven." He turned his face toward her, and his smile was real. "Besides, I could never stay upset with you, and I'm leaving the day after tomorrow. I don't want there to be any bad feelings between us."

"Thank you. Me too." If only he knew the turmoil he caused her now. They'd had so much chaos to deal with that she still hadn't taken the time to examine her heart. But the thought of him leaving was awful. "I guess I can't convince you to stay a bit longer?"

His wry laugh held no humor. "I should be convincing you to come back with me now. There's far too much danger for you here."

Why did he have to remind her? "I guess it might be a good idea for me to go home. I mean, the quarry is closed to the public right now. Earl doesn't need me out there. I can't dig out at the Meyer ranch." Her shoulders slumped. She really was of no use here. "Maybe you're right. I should pack up and go home."

Without accomplishing anything.

Devin was quiet for a moment. "You could help your grandmother through this difficult time. I know it would be good for you both."

She nodded and stared off into the distance. Her trip out West was a bust. "I should probably tell Earl about the fossils on the Meyer ranch, so he can explore that area later."

"That's a good idea. He'll be thrilled, I'm sure, at your discovery." The chipperness in his voice sounded forced.

"He will." But the discovery would then be someone else's. She shook her head. It didn't matter. She didn't need credit. All she'd done was make a mess out here anyway. It was time to salvage her dignity and go home. "I'd like to speak to Mrs. Adams, and then would you take me out to the train station? I might as well make arrangements so that I can pack."

"Of course." He reached over and patted her knee. "I'm glad you're coming home."

She met his gaze, covered his hand with her own, and squeezed. "Me too." And she meant it. At least she wouldn't have to deal with Devin's absence and what that would do to her heart.

They drove up to the Adams's home, and the sheriff was on the front porch.

"I hope he's waiting to give us some answers." Devin set the brake, hopped down, and came around to assist her.

The sheriff walked off the porch and over to them. "I'm glad I caught you. Mrs. Adams said you were at lunch."

"Yes, sir. Is everything all right?" Please let the news be good.

The sheriff dipped his chin. "It is. We arrested Mr. Meyer just a little bit ago."

She jerked back. "Whatever for?"

"For the murders and all the other chaos that's been happening out on that ranch all these years. Apparently, that's been his cover while he's been hunting for his father's gold."

That didn't make one bit of sense! "I don't understand. Did he confess to this? That doesn't seem anything like the man I spoke with."

"Well, no, he didn't confess. But his sister's husband brought the accusation forward last week. Horris is now dead. And when we confronted Lucas, he didn't deny it. One of his hands brought some hefty accusations against his boss as well." The man rubbed his jaw. "And his sister substantiated the rumors that Ford Meyer came here with a lot of gold. Which also disappeared when the family did."

"How does that prove that Lucas Meyer did it?" Devin scratched his ear and studied the sheriff. "Seems to me that's a bit of a stretch. Besides, the note that was in Eliza's picnic basket told her to stop digging. Why would Meyer write that when he seemed excited when she found the fossils? Why would he even allow her to search there in the first place?"

Eliza's gaze snapped back to the sheriff's. But instead of answering, his brow furrowed. Then he shrugged. "But if we do have the right man behind bars, then Eliza shouldn't be in danger anymore and no more craziness should happen out at the Meyer ranch. Mr. Friedman was pretty convincing. He seemed to think that Lucas was behind everything at the quarry as well. As a diversion."

It was great to think that she wouldn't receive any more threatening notes, but that would only be true if Lucas Meyer was truly guilty.

The sheriff slapped his hat against his leg, dust flying off it. He settled it atop his head and nodded at the pair. "I need to get back to the ranch. My deputies said that two more hired hands wanted to give testimonies."

"Thank you for letting us know, Sheriff." Devin shook hands with the man and watched him walk away. Once he was out of earshot, he turned to Eliza. "If it were just the word of the brother-in-law who we heard was a gold-digger anyway, I wouldn't believe it. But if several people have the same testimony..." With a shake of his head, he grimaced. "I guess then maybe it's true."

The sound of horse's hooves pounding the ground made her turn. It was the young boy from the telegraph office.

His horse skidded to a stop, and he hopped down. "Miss Mills, this is for you."

She reached into her pocket and handed him the only coin she had with her. "Thank you." And took the envelope. "I hope it's not from Grandmama. Prayerfully all is well at home." Lifting the flap, she opened it and pulled out the small piece of paper.

Miss Mills,

Apologize for delay. Train hit a herd of cattle. Waited on repair, but my wife has gone into labor, and I must cut trip short. I shall travel to DNM at a later date.

Dr. Masterson

"Wait a minute." She read it again and then shoved the paper at Devin. "Is that saying what I think it's saying?"

Devin took the missive and read it. Then he looked at her, his blue eyes wide. "So, if Dr. Masterson never made it out here..."

Eliza swallowed hard, pressing a hand to her racing heart. "Then who on earth was that man we spoke with?"