Chapter Two

"Everything was perfect," Roberta Gibbons called out from down the table as everyone ate their after-wedding meal.

Lucas and his mother had agreed that, since Gail's family paid for the wedding, it was only fair they provide the lunch for the guests who wished to join them after the wedding ceremony. And paying for this lunch had taken up the last of the money his family had. Thank goodness now that he was married, he'd be getting more of it.

"Gail, you made a lovely bride," Roberta continued. "Didn't she make a lovely bride, Lucas?"

Everyone's attention went to Lucas. Even Gail was looking at him with an expectant hope in her eyes. He owed it to her—especially her—to say yes.

"There was never a more lovely bride," he replied, choosing to keep his gaze on Gail while he spoke.

Gail's grin told him that he had succeeded in pleasing her.

"You have a good son there, Marjorie," Gail's father told Lucas' mother. "It was a privilege to hand my daughter to him today. I know he'll take good care of her."

Lucas would be good to her. He had vowed to love her and be faithful to her for as long as they both lived. This marriage might not have been his first choice, but it was a decision he had made. Even if he had no romantic interest in Gail, she was, in every sense of the word, a lady. She was modest, pure, and pleasant. Those attributes right there demanded his best. The more he reasoned all of this within himself, the better he felt about spending a lifetime married to her.

The lunch was coming to an end when the butler came over to Lucas. "A missive came for you, Mr. Reid," the man whispered. "It's a telegram about your sister. The person who delivered it said it's urgent."

Lucas accepted the telegram as the butler left. He couldn't read it here. Not in front of all these people. But if it was urgent, he needed to read it as soon as possible, especially since it was from his sister. Noting the looks of curiosity from those around him, he said, "Please excuse me. I've been told this is serious."

"Of course," his mother replied, a concerned look on her face.

He hurried to the library where he could have his privacy. As soon as he shut the door, he read the correspondence from Mr. and Mrs. Price. Just as the butler said, it was about Bernadette. She never made it to the man she was supposed to marry in Hardyville. The train she'd been on had been overtaken by bandits. Upon seeing her fancy dress and the few gold coins in her drawstring purse, they kidnapped her and left the train a good hour before it arrived in Flagstaff. The bandits were last seen heading up north.

Lucas read the thing three times before he realized how serious the situation was. What should he do? What could he do? He was all the way in Pennsylvania. That was far from Arizona. He couldn't just hop in a carriage and get her.

But he did have to find her. She was his sister. He had a duty to make sure she was safe. Judging by the time on the telegram, his sister had only been kidnapped for an hour, maybe a little longer. That meant his sister was still alive, and as long as she was alive, there was a chance he might save her.

He opened the door and summoned the butler to bring his mother into the library. He read the telegram one more time. How long would it take for him to get to Flagstaff? He'd heard the railway system was more efficient than it'd been in years past, thanks to the gold rush out in California.

He went over to the globe that served as a decoration in the room and spun it until he saw the United States of America. The country was larger than he remembered, but then, he'd only concerned himself with Pennsylvania and the states immediately surrounding it. He'd never bothered to look closely at anything past the Mississippi River. Sure, he'd been aware that Hardyville was close to California, but at the time he answered the mail-order bride ad for his sister, he'd also been doing everything he could to convince Gail he was in love with her. His finger went from Pennsylvania to California. That was a lot of tracks to cover.

"What's wrong, Lucas?" his mother asked.

He turned from the globe. "This telegram is from the couple I paid to accompany Bernadette on the train. A group of bandits raided the train. When they saw the money in her purse, they kidnapped her."

His mother pressed a hand over her heart. "No!"

Bracing himself against the panic in her eyes, he nodded. "I'm afraid so. I have to go out there and find her."

"Out there? You mean, you're going all the way to Arizona?"

"I have to. Bernadette needs help."

She paused then nodded. "Of course. You're right. You can't leave her out there all by herself." She clasped her hands together, a worried frown on her face. "How long has she been missing? Did the bandits demand a ransom? Surely, they figured out we're wealthy and want some money in exchange for her."

"My guess is she's been gone for an hour. No, there's nothing in here about a ransom. They aren't sure where the bandits have taken her. I have to find someone in law enforcement out there to help me. There's still a chance I can save her."

"I agree. This situation isn't hopeless. We have a chance to make sure she's fine."

"You're not thinking of coming with me, are you?"

"No. I'm a lady of older years. All I'd do is slow you down."

What a relief. For a moment there, he thought his mother was going to insist on going with him.

"I'll go with you," someone said.

They both turned, and he saw Gail standing in the doorway. Sure he hadn't heard her right, he asked, "What?"

Gail paused for a moment then stepped into the room. "I'll go with you. I'm the same age you are. I won't slow you down."

Without thinking, Lucas shook his head. "You can't go. You're a lady."

"So is your sister, and she went to Arizona."

He blinked. Yes, he had let Bernadette go all the way to Arizona. But that was different. "She was a mail-order bride. She was going out there to marry a rancher."

"And there was that older couple Lucas paid to watch over her during the trip," his mother, thankfully, added.

"That's true," Lucas hurried to agree. "I found Mr. and Mrs. Price at the train station when I was buying Bernadette's ticket. They were staying here for a couple of days after coming in from New York. They were visiting a relative. When I learned they were going all the way to California, I thought they would be good chaperones for Bernadette. I didn't let her go all the way out West alone."

"But I won't be alone. I'll be with you."

Lucas blanched. Oh, good heavens. All of this time he'd known her, she'd only talked about music, plays, and fashion. He didn't realize she could reason her way through an argument. Just what was he supposed to say?

"Maybe you should let her go with you," his mother chimed in.

Appalled his mother was agreeing with her, he said, "I thought you agreed that she should stay here."

"You'll be on the train for a couple of days with nothing to do," his mother pointed out. "It's bound to take time to find the proper law enforcement to help you track down those bandits. You're a newly married man. You should take your bride with you. When you and the law enforcement go out to rescue Bernadette, you can leave Gail at a hotel where she'll be safe."

"But the train was overtaken by bandits," he said. "I could put Gail in danger by taking her with me."

"My father owns one of the rail lines," Gail began, "and if something like that happened on his line, he would make sure it didn't happen again. He'd have railroad police on those cars. I can't imagine the owner of this rail line allowing this incident to occur again."

He searched for a good argument to use against Gail, but his mind went blank. He glanced at his mother, hoping she would offer a counterpoint.

Unfortunately, his mother said, "Of course, there will be lawmen watching the train out there after all of this."

"I can't imagine a man being so bad at business that he won't protect his investment," Gail added. "As it is, he's likely to lose some money because of this incident."

How did Gail know how money was made or lost? She wasn't privy to gentlemen's circles.

"You should take her," his mother inserted. "You two just married, and you're in love. I'm not so old that I don't remember the thrill of young love. When I married your father, I wanted to spend as much time with him as possible. Lucas, I realize you're concerned with her safety, but there will be police monitoring the train heading to Flagstaff now. You have nothing to worry about."

After a moment, inspiration struck. "I'm sure Gail's parents would want her to stay here. She's their only child. I could be gone for weeks." He turned his gaze to Gail. "Didn't your mother say she wanted to go shopping with you to decorate the home we're going to buy?"

"We don't have a house yet," Gail reminded him.

"Then you should take your parents and look for a house that will be a good fit for us," he said.

"I don't know what kind of house you want. My parents' taste in homes might not be the same as yours."

"I'm not particular when it comes to homes. Whatever house you select will be fine."

"But I want to make sure we have a home that suits both of us. This is where we'll raise our children and grow old together."

Oh, why did she persist in this constant arguing? She had been so agreeable the entire time he was courting her. Never once did she say anything the least bit contrary. Why did she have to start now? Did wearing a wedding ring embolden her to start speaking her mind, or had she always been this way but hadn't let him know it?

"The matter is settled," Gail said. "I'll explain everything to our guests while you pack for the trip. I already have my things packed in the trunk in your bedchamber."

He blinked. Her servants had brought her things over to his mother's home while they'd been at the church? He supposed he should have expected it, but it still came as a shock.

"I'll explain everything with you," his mother told Gail. "Lucas, pack enough for a couple of weeks. There's no telling how long it'll take to find your sister."

Without looking back at him, Gail and his mother hurried out of the room.