Chapter 38

38

How could six months feel both like an eternity and a blink of an eye? Letty tied the string on her hooded cape, then pressed a hand to her twittering belly. Probably the same way she could be both excited and terrified at the prospect of seeing Philip this afternoon. It seemed she was destined to be a study in contradictions. Heiress and simple country girl. Society’s darling and society’s outsider. Known to the world as Scarlett Radcliffe yet known to the man she loved as Letty Hood.

That was how he addressed his letters to her. She smiled as she ran a finger over the blue ribbon that bound the collection of letters sitting on the dressing table in her room at Grandmother’s house. More than two dozen, all addressed to Letty Hood. Not because he wanted to keep her from becoming Scarlett Radcliffe, but because he understood who she was at her core. Yes, she’d donned the Radcliffe name to move about in society and to help her mother take over the management of Radcliffe Shipping now that Uncle Drake was in prison, but that name didn’t reflect her true self. Society, wealth, and prestige meant little. At her heart, she was a simple girl who loved to romp in the woods, tussle with wolves, and dedicate herself to her family and her Lord.

Besides, if everything went the way she hoped today, her last name would no longer matter. Neither Radcliffe nor Hood would have a hold on her any longer. Carmichael would become her new identity.

“Are you ready?” Mama’s soft voice carried from the doorway to her chamber.

Letty pivoted, knots tightening in her belly. “Do you think I’m being too bold? What if he thinks I’m trying to run his life without giving him a say in the matter? He’s made it clear that he wants to be the one who provides for me, not the other way around.”

Mama crossed into the room and clasped both of Letty’s hands in hers. “There is little in this life we can be sure of beyond God’s authority and goodness, but when that young man looks at you, I’m reminded of the way your father looked at me. Philip loves you, Letty. Deeply. With that kind of love, nothing is impossible. If two people as opposite as your father and I could find a way to create a happy life together, you and Philip should have no trouble at all.”

They might not have had a lot of practice being mother and daughter, but somehow Mama still knew exactly what Letty needed to hear. Squeezing her mother’s hands, Letty pulled her into a hug. “Thank you.”

Daddy had been wise to designate Mama the owner of their subsidiary companies. Over these last months, Letty had the chance to see Mama interact with her employees firsthand. Not only did she lead with wisdom and a keen business acumen, but she genuinely cared about her workers. She walked the mill floor and addressed people by name, asking after their families and taking the time to listen to their concerns. No wonder so many had rushed to help when Uncle Drake had threatened her. Letty might have inherited a trust containing more money than she would ever need, but Mama had inherited the people. Of the two of them, Letty considered Mama the richer.

When they separated, Mama brushed a finger under her eye, then patted Letty’s shoulder. “Your grandmother’s on the porch swing. She and Rusty are waiting for you.”

Worries tamed for the moment, Letty allowed her excitement to take over as she trotted down the hall and out the front door. Birdsong greeted her as did a vista filled with stately pines and the calming trickle of a creek fed by the San Jacinto River.

She never grew tired of the view. Her mother’s home in Houston sported beautifully manicured gardens and the wonders of modern comforts, such as electricity and regular ice delivery, but Letty’s soul hungered for the wilds of the country and came alive whenever she visited Grandmother’s home.

“There you are.” Grandmother stilled the motion of the swing with the toe of her shoe against the porch floor. “I thought I was going to have to send Rusty in after you.”

The wolf must have sensed Letty’s anticipation, for he immediately jumped to his feet, hurried over to her, and began circling her legs. Letty chuckled and reached down to pat his head. “Ready for a run, boy?”

Rusty bounded down the porch steps, then turned back to spear her with an impatient glance.

“All right. Go fetch Carter.”

Rusty took off for the barn, where Carter would have Shadow saddled and ready.

Grandmother watched the wolf run, a nostalgic smile blooming on her face. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’m going to miss that creature when you move into your new place.”

Letty laid a hand on her grandmother’s shoulder. “The two of you really bonded over the last few months, didn’t you?”

“Yes. I might have to consider getting a dog after you go. Mr. Foreman down the road was telling me about his blue lacys. Said he’d be willing to sell me one. Might be nice to have the company.”

Once the doctor had declared Grandmother fit enough to return to her home, she’d taken Rusty to her property outside of Houston, where he’d had lots of room to run and explore. Letty visited as often as she’d been able but not as often as she would have liked. Philip had been right about the responsibilities that came with being an heiress. The carefree adventuress she’d once been had been forced to mature into a woman of business and schedules.

She’d learned much about herself in the past six months. She didn’t care for society dinners or the gossip people seemed to feast on more than the food being served. Yet she adored worshipping in a church where hundreds of voices lifted in unified song to praise the Lord. She didn’t enjoy dress fittings or overcrowded shops where people seemed to press in on every side, but browsing the shelves of a quiet bookshop or splurging on tea and cakes with her mother in the middle of the day felt like the height of luxury.

Making friends had proven more challenging. People seemed to have a hard time seeing past the sensation of the return of the lost Radcliffe heiress. Some sought her acquaintance out of curiosity. Others were attracted to her wealth. There were a few who seemed genuinely interested in getting to know the woman behind the rumors, but Letty struggled to find time to nurture those relationships. Nurturing her relationship with her mother had taken precedence. And brought her great joy. Especially when Mama agreed to help her bring a special project to life. One very dear to Letty’s heart.

Selecting the property for the venture had been easy, but the construction had progressed more slowly than expected. She’d wanted it to be finished for her grand unveiling today, but she’d have to settle for an outer shell with an empty interior. At least the sign she’d commissioned had been completed in time to be installed.

“You know, both you and Mama will be welcome at our home as often as you can come. Heaven knows we’ll have plenty of room.”

The new place wasn’t that far. An hour by buggy at the most. Less than that on horseback, which would make regular visits easy for her as well. Shadow already knew the trail by heart, and Letty had no intention of ever losing touch with her family again.

Grandmother chuckled. “Be careful about extending open-ended invitations. I just might make a pest of myself.”

“As if you ever could.” Letty bent down and kissed her grandmother’s cheek.

“All right, all right. Enough of that.” Grandmother shooed her toward the edge of the porch. “We don’t want you to be late.” Grandmother’s eyes twinkled. “Go catch yourself a Pinkerton.”

Letty grinned as her pulse thrummed inside her veins with barely contained enthusiasm. “Yes, ma’am.”

Feeling a bit like Rusty, she bounded off the porch and over to the barn, where Carter had just brought Shadow out along with a mount of his own. Mama insisted she have a proper escort, and Letty didn’t balk. She needed the stable master’s help this afternoon to ensure her plan went off without a hitch.

Carter detached Shadow’s lead line and nodded to Letty. “Ready, miss?”

“Think you can keep up with me this time?” she teased.

He grinned. “Doubtful. But I’ll do my best.”

She laughed as she mounted, then patted her mare’s neck and clicked her tongue. Shadow took off like a shot, not even waiting for Carter to get his foot in the stirrup. Rusty kept pace, the two running in tandem as their mistress exulted over the wind in her face and the dream taking flight in her heart.

****

Meet me at the old stagecoach inn where we met my mother’s carriage. Two o’clock in the afternoon on April 23. I have a surprise for you.

Devotedly yours, Letty

P.S. After six months of conversing with eligible gentlemen and living as the Radcliffe heiress, my heart still belongs to you. So if you don’t show up, I’m sending Rusty to fetch you.

That postscript made Philip smile every time he read it, and he’d read it at least a dozen times since he’d received her letter two days ago. April 23. Exactly six months to the day since they’d shared that earth-shattering kiss. A kiss he’d relived hundreds of times in his mind during the intervening weeks.

He’d done his best to keep his emotions in check when writing to her, talking more about his work and his family than his dreams of making her his bride, but his feelings had been harder to mask during their handful of in-person visits. It hadn’t helped that she’d not felt similarly compelled to demonstrate restraint. She’d spoken openly of her love and went out of her way to touch his arm or brush his fingers with hers or lean into his side whenever they found themselves in a carriage together. An occurrence she seemed to arrange whenever possible. Made it quite challenging for a man to focus on friendship instead of betrothal. Not that he was complaining. He’d prayed that she would choose a life with him—that he would be enough for her, even after she’d seen all that her new world had to offer. Her letter hinted—all right, more than hinted—that she had, and with his self-imposed deadline passed, he intended to give his feelings free rein and perhaps present her with a surprise of his own.

Philip folded the letter and returned it to the inside pocket of his buckskin jacket, taking a moment to ensure the other item occupying the space was still where he’d placed it. The softness of a small velvet bag offered confirmation.

He pulled his watch from his vest pocket and checked the time. One fifty. Close enough. Heart pumping at the thought of seeing his love in a few short minutes, Philip tucked his watch away, took up the reins, and nudged Steele into a trot. As he left the thickest section of forest behind, Philip sought out the old stage stop. But it wasn’t there. The broken-down corral had been replaced by new fencing attached to a large, newly constructed barn. And there was no sign of the dilapidated inn. Instead, a two-story structure large enough to house a small army rose up from the ground.

Slender vines of unease wove their tendrils around his heart and began a choking squeeze. Was this where she wanted to live? In a giant house that would likely require a half-dozen servants to run properly? His gut clenched. Maybe she had changed. More than he’d realized. He’d pictured them sharing a small cabin in the woods. Someplace intimate. Someplace he could afford.

He set his jaw as he urged Steele into a canter. Don’t go jumping to conclusions, Carmichael. You don’t know what this is. And even if it is where she wants us to make our home, living with her in a big house is better than living without her any place else. You can make it work. Might have to swallow a chunk of pride , but that’s doable. Heaven knows you got plenty to spare.

As he rode into the yard, a welcoming bark made him smile as Rusty ran out to greet him. Philip reined Steele to a halt and dismounted, chuckling when the wolf immediately jumped and planted his front paws on Philip’s hip.

“Miss me, buddy?” He grinned as he patted the wolf’s side. “I missed you, too. ’Course I missed Letty more. She’s a fair sight prettier than you, after all.”

A woman in a familiar red hooded cape stepped out of the front door of the structure, and Philip lost all interest in Rusty. Gently pushing the wolf aside, Philip straightened and fixed his gaze on Letty. His breath caught as it always did when he first laid eyes on her after a long absence. She didn’t rush out to greet him as usual, however. Instead, she hung back, walking her fingers along the unpainted porch railing while nibbling on her lower lip as if she was nervous about something. Probably afraid he’d hate the house.

Well, he’d just have to put her mind at ease. Working undercover had its advantages, after all. Taught a fellow how to hide his true reactions. He scanned the sweeping edifice that somehow seemed even larger up close and stuffed down his dread. Plastering a wide grin on his face, he strode forward, keeping his eyes on the woman he loved.

An answering smile bloomed across her face and spurred her out of her hesitancy. She hurried down the steps and came into his arms as if she belonged next to his heart forever. A situation he fully supported. Hugging her close, he pressed a kiss to the top of her head, then loosened his hold enough to peer into her face.

“Looks like you’ve been busy out here. Had me thinking I was in the wrong place. Is this the surprise you warned me about?”

The lip nibble returned. A rather cute lip nibble. Though it made him hungry to get in on the action himself. Clearing his throat, he forced his gaze away from her mouth.

Letty took his hand and led him a few strides away from the house, then she turned him to face the monstrosity.

“Do you remember that night on the trail when we talked about what you might want to do with your life if you ever left the Pinkertons?”

Philip thought back, trying to recall that particular conversation. Something about troubled boys and a school to rehabilitate delinquents before they grew into hardened criminals. His gut clenched as he examined the structure before him with new eyes. His heart beat a little faster. “Yes.”

“Well, I’ve got a proposition for you.” She raised her outside arm to cup a hand around her mouth. “Now, Carter!”

The stable master poked his head and shoulders through one of the upstairs windows and grabbed the edge of a large brown tarp hanging over the roof eaves. He gave a sharp tug, and the tarp fell away to reveal a carved wooden sign that declared the building’s identity in bold letters.

THE LOWELL RADCLIFFE HOME FOR BOYS

“Claiming my inheritance was never about me,” Letty murmured next to him. “It was always about stewarding my father’s legacy. But I wasn’t sure how to do that. When we ran into Dennis and Calvin Bullock, I felt an instant connection with those boys. Not only did I want to help them, but I wanted to continue to be a part of their lives, watching them grow into the men that God designed them to be. Then I encountered the widow who opened her home to us during that awful storm. Once she learned of our need, she didn’t cast judgment or ask questions about why I would be traveling alone with a man not my husband. Instead of handing out criticism or hiding herself away, she offered kindness and compassion. She opened part of her home, shared her food and supplies, and likely saved your life.

“And then there’s my mother. Over the last several months, I’ve seen her passion for protecting and educating children play out in so many ways. Everything from advocating for new legislation to buying books for underfunded classrooms to hosting a picnic for the families of her employees.”

Philip twisted slightly in order to see her face. She gazed at the house, a nostalgic look in her eyes. Yet when she turned her attention to him, it wasn’t visions of the past glowing in the hazel depths of her eyes but a dream for the future.

“That night on the trail when you spoke of your desire to change the life trajectory of boys headed for trouble, you planted a seed in my mind that has taken root. An idea for a home that offers kindness instead of judgment, structure instead of criticism, love and family instead of ostracism and loneliness. A place to honor the two men I’ve loved most in my life. My father and you.”

She shifted to stand in front of him and reached for his other hand. His pulse thrummed and his breathing shallowed, making him a bit light-headed.

“Philip Carmichael, will you marry me and help me bring this empty home to life?”

Leave it to Letty to throw convention to the wind and take care of business herself. Man, but he loved this woman. She was definitely going to keep him on his toes over the next fifty or so years.

His smile stretched wider than the building behind her, but it was his heart that expanded the furthest. “Nothing would make me happier than to marry you, Letty Hood Radcliffe.”

A small squeal erupted followed by a leap into his arms and a kiss so filled with love, it nearly buckled his knees. Or maybe that was Rusty ramming him from behind.

Philip braced his legs apart to ensure no canine enthusiasm ruined the moment, then invested his full attention on the woman he loved. His palms ran over her back, and he pressed her tightly against his chest, his heart thundering with such force, his ribs ached. He deepened their kiss, his mind awash with amazement that Letty had chosen him. She could have had any man she wanted, and she’d chosen him . A cynical, soon-to-be ex-detective with a penchant for stubbornness. Love could indeed accomplish miracles.

Recalling the little velvet bag in his pocket, he eased away from the kiss, keeping one arm firmly around her waist as he reached into his coat. Her hands slid from his neck to rest against his chest as her heels found the ground once again. Still slightly breathless from their kiss, and his pulse galloping all over creation, he fumbled a bit as he extracted the gift. The betrothal ring boasted no gems or detailed designs. It was a simple band of silver, but it glittered in the sunlight with a purity that matched the love pulsing in his chest.

“I know it can’t compete with a house, but I brought a symbol to offer for our future, too. One that pledges fidelity, honor, and unending devotion.”

Her fingers trembled as she took the ring. She must have caught a glimpse of the inscription on the inside, for she tipped the ring sideways and craned her neck as she slowly twisted the band.

“‘At your side, wherever the road leads.’” She glanced up at him, tears dampening her lashes. “It’s perfect.”

She held up her left hand in silent request. As he slid the ring onto her finger, the last of his doubts surrendered to certainty. Life with Letty would be an adventure. There’d be ruts to navigate and new trails to blaze, but with the Lord’s guidance, they’d find their way—together.