Chapter 18
Rose had been looking forward to finding a house, but for the next two days a steady rain prevented her from leaving the hotel. She had plenty to do. Unable to work in a downpour, miners had flocked to town, filling every hotel room, crowding two- and three-deep around the gambling tables. She welcomed the extra work. It helped keep her mind off Deke, but even so, she spent far too much time agonizing over questions she couldn’t answer. Why hadn’t she spoken up the last time she saw him? Why had she walked off like a ninny and left him standing there? But what if she had spoken and he looked at her with that flat, hard look in his eyes like he had the other night? Once was enough. She’d been wise to hurry off.
Or so she kept telling herself.
Should she really be concerned over Mason Talbot? Mr. Field seemed to think so and had taken the trouble to warn her. But why worry? There was nothing she could do about it, and besides, the thought that Mason could actually harm her seemed so outlandish she couldn’t take the solicitor’s warning seriously.
After two days, the rain stopped and a bright sun broke through the clouds. Late that morning, she was in the lobby talking to Howie when Mitch Carter walked in. Other than the night of the shipwreck, she’d never seen him in the hotel before. After a greeting, she had to add, “This is a surprise.”
“I’ve come to see Cherry.” He usually looked so serious, but today an easy smile played at the corners of his mouth. “Must have been those Bible verses you quoted.”
How wonderful that her little ploy had worked! Or at least, she guessed it had. Mitch was a man who carefully guarded his emotions, though. He wouldn’t appreciate the ecstatic hug she wanted to give him, so she settled on a casual shrug instead. “Whatever the reason, I’m glad you’re here. Follow me up the stairs, and I’ll show you her room.”
Cherry was cradling the baby in her arms when she opened her door. Dressed in a plain muslin gown, she bore little resemblance to the brazen ladies with their garish feathers and spangles who lived on the third floor. Seeing Rose, she smiled. “Hello, Mrs. Peterson.” Her gaze shifted to Mitch. After a long, silent, sizing-up moment, she cried, “It’s you!”
Mitch spoke softly. “It’s me.”
Tears welled in her eyes “I wondered what happened to you. I’ve wanted to thank you for all you did that night.”
“It wasn’t anything.”
“Yes, it was. I never met a man as kind and generous as you. You saved my life that night, me and”—she glanced down at James who lay asleep in her arms—“my precious baby. Where have you been? Why haven’t you—?” Her eyes went wide, as if she’d been struck by a revelation. “It’s you! You’re my benefactor—the one who’s kept me and James off the street.” She looked at Rose. “Am I right?”
“Yes, you are.” Cherry’s joy was so contagious that Rose felt like crying, too. “I must go,” she murmured. “A million things to do.”
Neither one appeared to notice she was leaving, and she wasn’t surprised. Mitch was peering at Cherry with a tender, heart-rending gaze. She was regarding him as if he were her handsome Prince Charming, not the ordinary-looking man Rose saw.
She returned to her office with an extra bounce in her step. Her own love life might be in a mess, but a wonderful new life had opened for Cherry and little James.
Later on, Jake came by and said he’d heard she was looking for a house to rent. She told him she was. “Then you’d better get over to M Street. One of my dealers is quitting and going back East. It’s not a bad little house, if you’re interested.”
Indeed she was!
She hastened to find Drucilla who said she’d be delighted to come along. Because of the heavy rains, she’d been stuck in the hotel for days and hadn’t gone anywhere, not even home to the farm. Now, with her sister-in-law by her side, Rose drove the buggy to see the house on M Street. Because they’d been extra busy, they hadn’t had a chance to talk. As they drove along, Rose caught a lilt of happiness in Drucilla’s voice she’d never heard before. “You sound in good spirits,” she said.
“Oh, I am.” Her sister-in-law brought up her hand to stifle a giggle.
She’d never heard a giggle from Drucilla’s taciturn mouth in all her life. “May I ask what’s going on?”
“Gaston has invited me to the American Theater tomorrow night to see Othello.”
“Ah, Shakespeare. And you want to go?”
“Of course.”
“Does this mean you have an interest in him?”
“It means I have an interest in Othello.”
Drucilla had reverted to her usual cynical self. Obviously she didn’t care to pursue the subject any further. She hadn’t fooled Rose, though, not for a minute.
* * * *
The house on M Street sat behind neatly trimmed hedges in a front yard surrounded by a white picket fence. Lilac trees and rose bushes bloomed along a walkway. Two stories high, the house was completely furnished and contained two bedrooms, a big kitchen, dining room, and parlor. “What do you think?” Rose asked Drucilla after the owner had shown them through.
“I love it, and I think Lucy will love it, too.”
That settled it. In a week she could move in. Sheer joy flooded through her. For the first time in her life she would have a home of her own. At long last, she would be mistress of her own kitchen without her mother, Coralee, or anyone else telling her what to do.
If only Deke could see it...
Days had gone by and she’d neither seen nor heard from him. Their romance was over, if indeed it was ever a romance in the first place. She must move on, find comfort in knowing she and Lucy would soon be together again. She would not waste her time looking back. For years she’d grieved over Anthony, only to finally realize he was nothing more than a young girl’s stupid mistake. But Deke? She’d never get over him but she’d try.
On their way back to the River Queen, Drucilla asked, “When are you going to let Ma and Pa know you’ve found a place to live?”
Rose glanced at the sky. “What about right now before it starts raining again? I’m glad you thought of it. They’ll have a week to adjust to not having Lucy around. As far as I’m concerned, bygones are bygones. They’ll always be welcome to visit any time they want.”
“That’s awfully considerate, considering how they treated you.”
“They’re Lucy’s grandparents. How could I hold a grudge? Do you want to come with me?”
“Of course, I need to get some more clothes.”
As they traveled the two miles to the farm, Rose couldn’t remember when she’d been in a better frame of mind. The miserable days of living without her daughter were almost at an end. Best of all, because she’d restrained herself and acted in a reasonable manner, she’d managed to get Lucy back without creating an ugly scene. Maybe even the thing with Deke didn’t seem quite as hopeless as it had been. She’d just solved one difficult problem over Lucy. Why couldn’t she do the same with Deke?
A mixture of hope and determination filled Rose’s heart as she turned into the long driveway that led to the farm. They had to watch their step as they climbed from the buggy. The sky might now be clear, but the heavy rains of the past few days had left countless muddy puddles.
They hurried up the steps. Drucilla opened the front door, swinging it wide. “Ma? Pa? I’m here and so is Rose. She brought some good news.” She muttered to Rose, “At least I hope they’ll think so.”
“We’re in the kitchen,” Coralee called.
When they entered the kitchen, they found her in-laws having a cup of coffee at the table. To her relief, Ben gave her a friendly nod. Coralee smiled. “Sit down and have some coffee with us, Rose. I trust all is going well?”
“Couldn’t be better.” Rose pulled out a chair. “I just rented a house on M Street. It’s small but very nice and in a nice part of town. Lucy will have her own bedroom. I’m going to start looking for a good school to enroll her in. I can hardly wait to tell her.” Her gaze swept the kitchen. “Where is she? I hope she’s not outside playing in all this mud.”
Ben frowned in puzzlement. “But doesn’t she already know?”
“What do you mean? I’m here to tell her.”
Coralee looked even more baffled than Ben. “But Lucy’s not here, Rose. Surely you know that.”
“What do you mean, she’s not here?”
“Well, I guess there’s been a mix-up.” Coralee took a sip of coffee, not yet concerned. “Mason Talbot came by yesterday. He said you’d found a place and were too busy to pick her up yourself, so you asked him to do it.”
Rose’s breath caught in her lungs. She could hardly speak above a whisper. “So what you’re saying is, Lucy’s not here and Mason has her?”
“Of course, that’s what I’m saying.” Coralee’s pleasant expression slowly faded. “Oh, dear, is something wrong?”
Ben spoke up. “I don’t understand, Rose. You’d warned us you were about to take Lucy, so when Mason stopped by, we assumed you sent him. Never gave it a thought, otherwise. What’s this all about?”
Rose pushed back from the table and stood, nearly knocking her chair over in the process. “I did not give Mason permission to take my child. He’s kidnapped her!”
“What are you talking about? Mason Talbot is highly regarded in this town. Surely he wouldn’t—”
“He would! You don’t know him, Ben. Of course, he would.” Rose turned to Drucilla, who’d been listening in stunned silence, coffee cup halfway to her mouth. “I must get back to town. Are you coming?”
Drucilla set down her coffee cup with a bang. “I’ll get my clothes and meet you at the buggy.” She practically ran from the kitchen.
Coralee pressed a hand to her heart. Finally she understood. “He seemed so sincere, like he was doing you a favor. We should have realized—”
“Not your fault.” Rose headed out of the kitchen. Over her shoulder, she called, “Mason’s totally to blame, but don’t worry, I’ll soon get her back.”
But could she? Fear and anger knotted inside her as she climbed into the buggy. How could she deal with a man as evil and ruthless as Mason Talbot?
Clutching an armful of clothing, a harried-looking Drucilla climbed in beside her. “What will you do?”
Rose picked up the reins. “I don’t know why he’s done this, or what he wants, but I’ll soon find out. I will do anything to get my child back, Drucilla. Anything.”
* * * *
Upon arriving at the River Queen, Rose hastened to Jake’s office, where he sat working on the books. After a quick look, he asked, “What’s wrong, Mrs. Peterson? You look upset.”
She wasn’t about to confide in Jake, but he could be helpful. “I need to know where I can find Mason Talbot, and I need to know right now.”
“Well, let’s see. He hasn’t moved into that fancy mansion of his yet, so he must be still living at the Egyptian. That’s my best guess, anyway. He lives in suite 310 on the third floor.”
“Thanks, Jake.” He might have his faults, but he knew when not to ask questions. She turned to leave.
“Can I help in any way?”
“No!” she called as she hurried out the door. “This is something I must do by myself.” Next stop, the Egyptian. She took a deep breath against the panic. Not easy, considering never had she been so consumed with rage, as well as sheer terror, both at the same time.