Chapter 10

10

Letty’s cheeks flushed so hot, she could have used them to reheat the tea kettle. Until this moment she’d always appreciated her grandmother’s plain speaking, but with a handsome Pinkerton agent sitting two feet away, she had to fight the sudden urge to use her apron as a gag to keep her grandmother from blurting out anything else humiliating.

Her honor? Good heavens!

She snuck a peek at Mr. Carmichael and found him shifting uncomfortably in his seat, his tan taking on a ruddy undertone. He’d shaved since she’d seen him last. Yesterday, he’d looked rather untamed and rugged when she’d come upon him in the forest. He looked more civilized today without the whiskers. And significantly more handsome. Not that she should be noticing such a thing when her grandmother was quizzing him about protecting her honor.

Mr. Carmichael cleared his throat and rubbed his palms on his dark-brown trousers. “Well, ma’am, my mama and daddy raised me to follow the Good Book. I don’t have any character references to offer you, but I can give you my word as a man who has made a commitment to follow the Lord that I’ll treat her with utmost respect and consideration. She will not suffer any harm or ... dishonor at my hands.”

His gaze shifted to her, and Letty was struck by the sincerity shining in his gray eyes. Perhaps she was na?ve to trust a man she’d just met based on nothing more than her mother’s recommendation and a worn Bible she’d found in his coat pocket, but when his gaze met hers, trust blossomed in her heart.

“You have my word, Miss Hood, that you’ll be safe in my care.”

A tiny frisson shivered through her at his words. She found herself trapped in his eyes as she absorbed his vow. It took a moment for her to recover, but she eventually tugged her attention away from him and turned it on her grandmother.

“I don’t understand why we have to be in such a hurry. Uncle Drake’s men haven’t found me in fifteen years. Surely, we can postpone a few days until you’ve had a chance to recover. Then we can all go together.”

“If we had the luxury of traveling by train, that might be an option,” her grandmother said, “but train travel would expose you to too much risk.” She thumped her palm against the chair arm. “No, Mr. Carmichael is correct. You need to leave as soon as possible. You’ll be safest traveling cross-country, and I just don’t have the stamina for that type of trip.”

Letty’s heart squeezed. She couldn’t do this without her grandmother. She was the one who remembered Mama, who remembered Houston and the life they’d left. More than that, she was the only person who truly knew Letty. Perhaps the only person who truly loved her. Mama’s letters said she loved her. Missed her. But those were just words. Grandmother had been the one at Letty’s side every day after Mama sent her away. She could have come with them. But she’d chosen to stay behind. Had it really been necessary, as Grandmother claimed? Or had Mama chosen to sacrifice her daughter in order to hold on to her businesses? Either way, Letty needed Grandmother to bridge the gap. To smooth away the rough edges of a relationship that had deteriorated with disuse. She’d never find her place back in her mother’s life without Grandmother to lead the way.

“We can take the wagon.” A straw-grasping idea if ever there was one, but Letty tried it anyway. “You can lay in the back. I can make you a bed of pillows and quilts.” Shoot, she’d go pluck every chicken they had right now to make a feather mattress if it meant her grandmother could accompany them.

Grandmother shook her head. “My bones are too old for that kind of rattling day after day. Besides, a wagon will slow you down. After your foray into town yesterday, we can’t delay. I know you were careful, but it’s possible someone saw you. And if Drake is posting pictures of you in town, an innocent telegram sent with good intentions could result in a swarm of men descending on Queen City.” She rocked forward and clasped Letty’s hand, her weak grip a ready reminder of her condition. “I’m not going to leave you alone, sweet girl. As soon as you are safely delivered to your mama, and she and Stefan work their legal magic to tie Drake’s hands, all you have to do is wire Mr. Darby. I’ll put myself on the next train to Houston. I’ll be there for you, Letty. Just like we planned. I promise.”

Mist filmed Letty’s eyes, but she blinked it away and nodded, holding tight to Grandmother’s hand. She was right. The trip would take an unforgiveable toll on her. The note Mr. Darby left after the doctor visited made it clear that rest was essential to her recovery.

“But who’s going to take care of you?” Letty lowered her voice. “What if you have another spell?”

Grandmother smiled in the way she did whenever she had a plan in mind and wouldn’t be dissuaded. She patted Letty’s hand, then leaned back in her chair. “Mr. Carmichael’s going to deliver a note to Mr. Darby for us when he goes back to town. Stewart offered me the use of a room in his home for my recouperation. I intend to accept. It will give me a chance to catch up with Charlene and the kids. Might even make it to Sunday services.”

Her eyes lit, and guilt stabbed a hole in Letty’s chest. Grandmother had given up her entire life to protect her. She’d made the sacrifice willingly and had told Letty on several occasions that she harbored no regrets. Loving someone meant putting their needs ahead of your own. Still, Letty hated that someone she loved had been forced to pay such a steep price for loving her in return. But perhaps, it was her turn to feel the sting of sacrifice. To forfeit the security of having her grandmother near in order to ensure her beloved mentor received the care she needed. Maybe she’d even restore some of Grandmother’s freedom in the process.

Letty straightened in her chair and lifted her chin, determined to make her grandmother proud. They’d been preparing for this day for over a decade. She’d do what needed to be done. Just as her grandmother had fifteen years ago.

Turning to regard the stranger in their midst, Letty folded her hands in her lap and offered a polite smile. “Why don’t you join us for breakfast tomorrow, Mr. Carmichael? We can leave immediately following. I’ll be packed and ready.”

“Excellent.” He clapped his hands to his thighs and leaned back a bit in his seat, the tension draining from his face. “I’ll return in the morning with a packhorse and a couple weeks’ worth of supplies.” He glanced around the room as if cataloging the meager contents. “Pack light,” he said. “Your grandmother can bring the majority of your belongings later by train.”

How many belongings did he imagine she had? Did her heiress status lead him to believe she was hiding a secret stash of valuables in the cellar? Trunks stacked three high on every wall, filled with keepsakes, jewelry, and fancy gowns? How disappointed he’d be to learn she owned a grand total of two skirts (one of them split for riding), three blouses, a cape, and five pairs of stockings—two of which she’d already decided to leave behind.

A touch of mischief stirred.

She batted her lashes at him in manufactured innocence. “I’ll only bring the essentials, Mr. Carmichael. I promise. I’m sure I can make do with a mere dozen books and six pairs of shoes. I’ll need my chair, of course,” she said, tapping the arms of her rocker, “but it’s small. Easy to strap over the packhorse’s back. Hats are another matter. A lady can’t scrimp there.” At least that’s what fashion articles in Peterson’s Magazine proclaimed. “Bandboxes aren’t the easiest thing to transport on horseback, but I’m sure we’ll find a way.”

She scrunched her eyebrows as if in deep contemplation, an expression that proved hard to maintain when her escort suddenly started coughing like a man whose insides had seized up on him all at once.

“I know!” Letty proclaimed. “I’ll string the boxes together so your horse can wear them like a garland around his neck. None of my hats weigh very much. He’ll hardly notice they’re there.” She preened like Rusty did whenever he thought he deserved a pat. “You’ll find I can be quite resourceful when it comes to packing.”

Grandmother chuckled. “Quite resourceful when it comes to teasing unsuspecting Pinkertons as well, it seems.” Her eyes danced, and Letty rejoiced at the evidence that her heart condition hadn’t depleted her spirit. “Goodness, child. A garland of hatboxes? Where do you come up with such outlandish notions?”

Letty grinned. “You’re the one who insists I keep up with the latest fashion trends by reading your ladies’ magazines. The editors of those publications make it quite clear that a well-trimmed bonnet is an essential piece of any lady’s wardrobe.”

Mr. Carmichael’s bootheels scraped the floor as he sat forward, his complexion a tad paler than it’d been when he’d first arrived. “Please tell me you were teasing about the chair, too.”

Letty laughed. “Yes.” She met his gaze, relieved to see reluctant humor spark in his stormy eyes. “I shouldn’t have teased you so. I apologize. When you looked about the room as you gave your instructions to pack light, I couldn’t help thinking you expected me to try to bring some of the furnishings.”

Her amusement gradually faded. “You need to know something about me, Mr. Carmichael. You’ve been hunting the Radcliffe heiress, but that’s not who I am. I’m Letty Hood, a simple girl who’s spent most of her life running free in a forest. I have no interest in fortunes or claiming a place in society. I want only to reunite with my family and protect my father’s legacy.” Her throat clogged a bit at the thought of her daddy, but she stiffened her spine and swallowed the grief before it could bruise her heart. “I’m not a helpless damsel looking for a man to slay my dragons,” she said, her gaze locked on the man before her. “I’m a woman heading into battle who needs an experienced warrior at my side. One I can trust to guard my back. One who will discuss his plans with me and treat me like an equal. Is that arrangement acceptable to you?”

She watched his eyes carefully for any sign of dismissal or placation, but she found only honor as he nodded and gave her his vow.

“It is.”

“Then I expect we’ll get along just fine.” She stood and held out her hand to him. “Shall we shake on it?”

He rose to his feet, the width of his shoulders nearly blocking the entire mantel from view. Yes, it was a small mantel, but that didn’t take anything away from the size of the man she’d be spending a significant amount of time with in the very near future. He was a head taller than her without an ounce of softness anywhere on his person. Except, perhaps, in his eyes as he grasped her hand.

The oddest sensation coursed through her when his fingers touched hers. Tiny flutters shot up her arm, then dipped down into her belly. Giving his arm a quick pump, she yanked her hand back and turned away from him as an unwelcome warmth crept into her cheeks.

Gracious. She pressed her hand against her belly, trying to dispel the quivery feeling before turning to face the group again. Unable to banish the sensation completely, she settled for moving behind her rocker and grasping the back of the chair tightly enough to mask the trembling of her fingers. The flutters had just started to settle when he smiled and stirred them all up again.

“I’ll bid you good day, then, ladies.” He nodded to her, then turned his attention toward Grandmother. “You mentioned a letter you wished me to deliver?”

“Yes, to Mr. Stewart Darby. I set it on the table there.” She turned in her chair and pointed in the general vicinity of the kitchen. “You’ll find him working at the depot.”

“I’ll take it to him straightaway.” Mr. Carmichael covered his short-cropped blond hair with his hat, then reached for his coat and tucked the letter inside.

Letty was so consumed with watching the Pinkerton that she nearly missed Grandmother’s head-tilt signal, reminding her of her rusty etiquette training.

Abandoning the steadying influence of her chair, she hurried to the door and opened it for him. “Until tomorrow.”

He tugged on the brim of his hat and dipped his chin. “Miss Hood.”

He sauntered over to his horse, patted the animal’s neck, and murmured something in a low voice. The gray tossed his head as if agreeing to whatever his master had said. Letty smiled, recalling many such conversations she’d had with Shadow over the years. When Mr. Carmichael swung into the saddle, she lifted a hand in farewell.

Rusty didn’t bark, but he did offer their visitor an escort to the edge of the yard.

“You planning to take that wolf of yours with you?” Grandmother asked after Letty finally closed the door and returned to her chair.

“Yes. I thought we could use the extra protection. Plus, he’ll guard the camp well at night.” And she really couldn’t bear to be parted from everyone she loved.

“Good,” Grandmother said. “I think I’ll have a word with the furry fellow regarding chaperone duties as well.”

The wink that followed that statement only set Letty more on edge.

“Chaperone duties?”

Her grandmother pinned her with a knowing look. “I saw the way you blushed after shaking that man’s hand. I’m guessing your insides went all quivery, too, didn’t they?”

Letty sucked in a breath. “How did you know?”

“Sweet girl, there’s nothing new under the sun. Strong, handsome young men have been making young ladies’ knees wobble since Eve first got a look at Adam. Happened to me a time or two myself. Even before I met your grandfather.” She leaned forward and took Letty’s hand. “Attraction is a natural thing, honey, but it can lead people into trouble. Don’t let all those fluttery feelings dismantle your good sense. Mr. Carmichael strikes me as an honorable man, but even honorable men fall victim to temptation on occasion.” Her grip on Letty’s hand tightened. “Promise me you’ll bed down with Rusty every night. He’ll guard you almost as well as I would.”

“I promise. But I really don’t think there’s anything to worry about.” Mr. Carmichael had given no indication that he’d felt any kind of flutters on his part, after all. “I’m just a job to him. A package he’s been paid to deliver.”

Though a tiny part of her couldn’t help wondering what it might be like to be wanted as something more than a paycheck.