Chapter Twenty-Five

S he dreamed of Ben . Her Ben. The one she'd loved since she was eighteen. The one she'd been married to for nearly six years. In her dream, they were dancing on a beach. He swung her around in circles. When he set her down, he took her hand, and they played tag with the waves.

The scene changed to a Civil War reenactment. Ben was by far and wide the most dapper man in his uniform. None of the other ‘soldiers' came close. They were driving down a road. A storm. Her heart raced. Their car spun. Charlie. Where was Charlie? The baby kicked in her bulging stomach. Then everything went black.

Libby jerked awake, knocking her book to the floor with a thud.

"What was that noise? I thought you said no one was home."

"I saw them drive past. I swear it was the witch, Brad, her brats, and Joshua."

A man's voice rumbled a reply.

Someone was in the house. No one was supposed to be here but her. As quietly as she could, she unwrapped the blanket from her legs, and stood. The fire had died down, so the air was chilly.

"Where did you say they were?"

"In a hidden room in the library."

Crap. It was obviously Belinda and Taylor who were coming into the library. What should she do? If she opened the hidden door, they'd hear her. Their voices grew louder. They weren't far away. The closest place to hide was behind the couch. In the nick of time, she squatted behind the piece of furniture. The temptation to peak around the corner was strong. But those blasted skirts always swished when a woman moved. They'd for sure hear her.

"How do you open the damn door?"

"Oh, be patient, Taylor. I simply need to push this button." The door creaked open.

"Shhh."

"Oh. Be quiet yourself. I told you no one was here."

Their voices became muffled when they entered the room. Now was her chance. She stood, picked up her skirt in her arms and made a dash for the library door. Where to go? Once they realize the plates were gone, they'd not only be angry, but might tear the place apart. She ran for the dining room, opened the hidden door, stepped inside, and closed it. There were no lights, and with the door closed, no light came from the dining room.

She needed to find the lamp and matches Brad kept in here. With her arms outstretched she felt her way to where she recalled a table was. She struck a match and, in the dim light, located the lamp. She removed the glass chimney, raised the wick, and touched the almost burned-out match to it. Voices rose from outside the room.

"I told you I don't know where they went."

"You're lying. If I find out you're working on your own, I'll kill you."

"I swear, Taylor. You have the paper and press, so there is no way I can make money on my own. The last time I saw those plates they were in the room off the library."

"You'd better not be lying to me. Hey, do you smell something?"

"Smell what?"

"Smells like a burning lamp. Someone is here. If you lied about that, you're lying about the plates."

"I'm not lying. You were with me when their sleigh went past. You saw them."

A crack and cry came into the room.

"You didn't need to hit me, Taylor."

"Well, there's more where that came from if you don't find those plates. I think the smell of burning lamp is coming from behind the wall. Is there another room behind the wall?"

"Yes."

" Open it."

Damn. This was as good a time as any to swear. There was a stairway leading to the upstairs. She blew out the lamp and, as the door swung open, ran to the bottom of the stairs, and took them two at a time.

"See, I told you no one was here."

"Feel it. It's hot."

Breaking glass filled the room and up the stairs. Thank goodness she'd put the lamp out or he'd set the house on fire.

"All right. So maybe there is someone here. I'm not sure who it could be."

"Are those stairs?"

"Yes. I forgot about them. Must be where the person disappeared."

"Light, we need a light."

"Well, if you hadn't been such an ass and broken the lamp, we'd have one, now wouldn't we?"

Again, a crack and yell. Taylor was not one to mess with. At the top of the stairs, she slid open the door enough to slip through. On the other side, she turned the lock. At least this would give her time to find a place to hide.

Pounding came up the stairs. "Whoever you are, you'd better show yourself." Taylor banged on the door.

Libby turned left and pushed a button for another door. It slid into the wall. She ran through then closed it. There was no lock, but hopefully, if he got through the stairway door, it would take him a bit to figure out where she'd gone. But Belinda knew the house, so she was sure to know about this secret door.

She tiptoed down a short hallway, pushed through Brad's clothes in his closet, and entered his room. She slipped off her skirt and tossed it on his bed. It would be easier to run without the material twisting around her legs.

Thankfully, his door didn't make a noise when she opened it. Glancing down the hallway, she eased across the hallway to the back staircase leading to the kitchen. If she got there, she could find something to use as a weapon. Like a skillet or large knife. She held her breath when the top step squeaked. Why hadn't Brad fixed it like he always said he would? The next three also creaked.

"I hear something." Belinda's voice came from the upstairs hallway. "Whoever is here is using the stairway to the kitchen."

"Well, get your ass moving."

Taking two steps at a time, Libby raced down the stairs. Thank goodness she wasn't wearing her skirt. In the kitchen, she spun in a circle. Where to go? She didn't have time to get to another secret room. Outside. She was still in her stocking feet, which meant her feet would get wet and cold, but it was better than being dead and cold. She opened the back door and closed it as quietly as possible. Now where? The summer kitchen? The smokehouse? Outhouse? All those buildings were too small to hide in but were the closest to the house. The barn would offer more hiding places.

Taylor's voice roared from the kitchen. She dropped down below the back porch. If there weren't so much snow, she'd crawl underneath it. The back door opened.

"I don't see anyone out here."

"Stupid bitch. He could be anywhere out here. But there are too many footprints in the snow to tell if the person had come out here."

"They more than likely hid in another secret room. Plus, there are so many rooms in this house, it would be like a cat and mouse game."

"Since we are the cats and this person is the mouse, we'd better get on with the hunt. If he doesn't have the plates, he certainly knows where they are."

"Why do you keep saying ‘he?'"

"I can't imagine a woman being smart enough to elude me."

"Idiot," Belinda muttered as she closed the door.

Libby had to agree with Belinda. While things had changed a lot for women since 1870, living back in a man's world was frustrating. But she could use it to her advantage. She crawled to the side of the house and peered into a kitchen window. No one was in the room. She took a minute to organize her route to the barn.

First a mad dash to behind the summer kitchen. Another to the smokehouse, and then the outhouse. From there, she'd have to sprint to the barn and hope neither Belinda nor Taylor looked out a window. There was no cover and a much longer route to the barn.

Taking several deep breaths, she made it to the first building, then the second. Behind the outhouse, which because it was winter didn't smell as bad as in the summer, she took a moment to slow her racing heart.

"One. Two. Three." She wasn't in as good a shape since she'd had Lucy and it didn't take long to become winded and her legs to tire. Back in Wisconsin, running was a part of her routine. Since being here, her life had become more sedentary. Something would have to change if she remained.

Instead of opening the large barn door, she stopped at a side door and yanked it wide. The scent of horses, cows, hay, corn, and manure brought back memories of her grandparents' farm. Even though Brad and Joshua kept the barn clean, it wasn't easy to get rid of the odors. Especially in the winter when they couldn't open up the barn.

She took a minute to catch her breath before heading to the steps to the hayloft. It was probably an obvious place to hide, but if they'd seen her, it would take them time to check all the places good for hiding. It would be warmer if she hid among the horses. Right now, she was freezing. Her wet, stockinged feet were like blocks of ice.

After climbing the stairs, she crawled to the farthest corner and piled hay around her. Now all she had to do, if they came into the barn, was to keep from sneezing. Time dragged. The hay was surprisingly warm. Heat rises, so it was fairly warm in the hayloft from the body heat of the animals. After what seemed like hours, the barn door was thrown open. Libby held her breath. It wouldn't take much movement for pieces of hay to fall between the uneven boards and float to the first floor of the barn.

"Get in there and look for him."

"You don't have to push me. You don't even know if the person we saw running actually came to the barn."

"Where else would he have gone? The other buildings were empty. Splitting up in the house only proved he wasn't there. Start checking the stalls."

"But I don't like animals. They stink and horses and cows are so big."

Taylor groaned. "Good Lord, woman. Will you please stop whining. No wonder no man wants to marry you."

"Bradley does."

"Like hell, he does. And if you were the last woman on Earth, I wouldn't."

"You're mean."

"And you're a witch. Now start searching."

"Where are you going to look?"

"The hayloft."

Libby sucked in her breath. Taylor couldn't find her. He'd more than likely kill her.

"Wait. I think I heard something at the other end of the barn."

"Well, go look."

"I can't. I'm scared."

"Or for crying out loud, Belinda. It's probably pigs or something."

"Or it could be rats."

If there were rats, maybe they'd scare Belinda and Taylor away from the barn.

"See, you dumb witch. It was pigs. Now I'm going into the hayloft."

Her reprieve was over. Don't move. Don't breathe. And for heaven's sake, don't sneeze.

The floor shook as Taylor climbed the stairs. Of course, her nose began to itch. She ran a finger beneath her nostrils. Closed her eyes. Thought about her children and Brad. Wondered how she was going to get out of this situation. And . . . sneezed. Damn it.

"Belinda, he's hiding up here. Come on out. You'll be sorry if I have to crawl through this damn hay to get you."

Libby didn't move. Maybe he'd think he'd heard a cow or cat. Okay, so the man was an idiot and arrogant, but probably not enough to believe a cow could sneeze. No one was so dumb, were they?

"Damn it. I said get out here."

Did he have a gun? A knife? Why hadn't she brought one of the pitchforks up here with her? After all, they were hanging right beside the steps. Which means, Taylor could have one.

"I'm going to count to three. If you don't come out by then, I'll take this pitchfork and start stabbing at the hay. Too bad if I manage to hit you."

"Taylor, you moron. If you kill him, he won't be able to tell us where the plates are."

Thank you, Belinda.

"Don't worry. I'll make sure not to stab too hard. Just enough to injure him."

She couldn't stay here forever, and she had to go to the bathroom. "All right. Hold your horses. I'm coming out." She pushed away the pile of hay and stood.

"Mrs. Daniels?"

"In the flesh."

"Who is it, Taylor?"

"You'll never believe it. It's Mrs. Daniels."

"Libby? That hussy? Maybe you should poke her with the pitchfork. Several times. But wait until she tells us where the plates are."

"Get over here, Mrs. Daniels."

Libby pushed her way through the hay. Loose hay was harder to get through than hay bales, but just as prickly. Not only did the bottoms of her feet hurt from running through the snow, but pieces of hay poked through her socks.

Taylor was standing on the top step glaring at her. "If you want me to come down, you'll need to move."

"No funny business." He disappeared.

What did he think she was going to do? Throw handfuls of hay at him? At least if these were bales, she could drop a few down on him and maybe knock him out. Instead of going down the stairs backward, she turned around so she could watch him as she descended. Maybe she could kick out her legs and bash him with her feet.

Luck didn't seem to be with her today. Both Belinda and Taylor stood several feet away from the steps. Taylor held a pitchfork in his hands. Belinda giggled.

"Looks like we got the almighty Libby in our hands. After we get the information we need, we can kill her and Bradley will be mine."

Libby chuckled. It may have been wobbly, but hopefully they wouldn't notice. "Do you think he'll want you? If he did, why did he marry Lucinda? Why has he been kissing me?"

"He's been kissing you? What else have you been doing?" Belinda stabbed a finger at Libby. "You hussy. He's mine."

"What were his words the other night?" Libby tapped a finger to her lips. "Yes. I remember. "If she were the last woman on Earth he wouldn't marry her."

Belinda's face went red. She narrowed her eyes. "You're a liar. He'd never say such a thing about me. He loves me. And when he finds out how much money we can make, he'll definitely want me."

"I have a feeling all the money in the world wouldn't make him love you."

Belinda took a step toward her. "You're a liar. I'm not sure where you came from, but you need to leave. Leave Brad and me alone so we can make a life together. Besides, he'd never marry a scrawny thing like you."

Libby shook her head. "How long have you known Brad?"

"Nearly all my life."

"Has he ever kissed you? Said he loved you? Said he wanted to marry you?"

"Well, no. But I know he does."

"Enough, you two. I'm tired of listening to you fight over the man." Taylor waved the pitchfork at Libby. "We're going back to the house where it's warmer and you can show us where the plates went."

They followed her out of the barn, ignoring Belinda's taunts about Brad. Truth be told, she couldn't wait to get into the house and warm up. Hopefully, none of the fires had gone out. "By the way, I have no idea what plates you are talking about."

Taylor poked the pitchfork into her back. "You're a liar."

She couldn't say anything because he was right. They reached the back steps. How was she going to string them along? It shouldn't be long before her family returned. But how to warn them? The heat of the house wrapped around her like a heavy quilt. Her feet tingled as they began to warm up.

"Now show us where the plates are."

It would more than likely make them angry, but she couldn't resist. "Kitchen or dining room?"

Taylor frowned. "What are you talking about?"

"Plates. You asked where they are. We have plates in both the kitchen and dining room. There are the everyday plates, and the fancy Sunday and company plates. Which do you want?"

"Stupid woman." His jaws flexed.

Maybe he'd clench his teeth so tightly they'd fall out or he'd fracture his jaw. "Well, you asked."

Belinda smirked at her. "I have to agree she's stupid. We're not talking about plates for eating, but plates for making money."

"You mean counterfeit money?" Hopefully, they'd believe her act. "I had no idea people made fake money." She sat in a chair and aimed her feet at the stove. "How is it done? Can you really fool people with it?"

"We don't have time to explain it to you." Taylor grabbed her arm and yanked her to her feet. "If the plates aren't here, where are they?"

"I still have no clue what you're talking about, so, I have no idea." She certainly wasn't going to put Caleb's family in danger.

Taylor squeezed her arm. "Then Bradley must know."

Libby shrugged. "I wouldn't know."

"Taylor. Maybe we should wait until Bradley returns. We can threaten the children if he doesn't tell us. In fact, Libby, if you don't tell us, we'll kill your children."

Bile rose to her throat. "You wouldn't."

"Of course we would. I know how much he wants children. I'm sure Bradley loves your brats and would do anything to keep them safe."

Oh, Lord. What should she do? There was no way she'd endanger Caleb and his family, but the safety of her children was important, too. She yanked her arm from Taylor's grip. "Fine, I'll show you."

Taylor chuckled. "I knew she was aware of where the plates were."

"They must have re-hid them." Belinda frowned. "But how did you know about the plates?"

How much should she tell them? Enough to keep her children safe. "Caleb, Brad, and the authorities know there are counterfeiters in the area. They've been trying to find them. At the ball, Colleen and I were sitting outside a slightly open door. We heard you two talking about making money. We relayed the information to them. We spent weeks trying to find the plates. Since we've had so much snow, we couldn't get them to the authorities and put them someplace else."

Taylor growled. "Where?"

"I'm afraid I wasn't privy to the information."

"Then your children die."

"Libby? Where are you? We're home."

No! They couldn't be here already.

"Tell him where you are." Taylor shoved Belinda up the stairs. He grabbed a knife from the counter and followed her but remained on the first step. "Warn him and you're dead."

How did he think he was going to kill her? Unless he hoped to take Brad unaware and was going to stab him. But then he wouldn't get any information from him. Obviously, they hadn't thought out their plan very well.

"I'm in the kitchen. I'm making hot chocolate. Do you all want some?" Wait. Something was wrong. If Brad had the children with him, Charlie would be racing through the house yelling for her. Excited to tell her about their adventure in town. But other than Brad calling out to her, it was quiet. No stomping feet. No crying Lucy. No Cora scurrying into the kitchen with baskets full of food.

Brad pushed the swinging kitchen door open and mouthed where? With Taylor watching her every move, she couldn't let him know where they were hiding. And how did he know Taylor and Belinda were here? What should she do? Then it came to her.

"Brad, darling. I'm so glad you're home. I missed you so much. Come give me a kiss."

He raised an eyebrow but walked across the kitchen to her. "Of course."