B00BWX9H30 EBOK (12 page)

Her chemise covered her to the middle of her thigh. Still hiding all her treasures from Nathan’s view. She sashayed over to the bed.

“Would you stand, please?”

He got up. He was breathing heavily and strained against the buttons of his pants.

She began unbuttoning his shirt. Too slow to suit his tastes, he ripped it over his head, shucking it along with his pants and drawers in record speed, the likes of which she hadn’t seen since their wedding night.

“It looks like you’re happy to see me.” She smiled coyly or at least what she thought was coyly.

“You have no idea.” He ripped open her chemise baring her to his hungry gaze.

“You’ve put on weight with the baby…in all the right places.” He bent his neck and took one turgid nipple into his mouth.

“Oh, God, Nathan. I love it when you do that.”

He let it pop out. “I know,” he said with a chuckle. “And you hate it when I stop.”

“Yes, unless it’s to kiss me elsewhere. Now stop talking and put that mouth of yours to good use.”

“Yes, ma’am. Never let it be said that I left my wife unsatisfied.”

He worked his way down her body until her knees started to shake. He backed her up and then followed her to the bed, coming down upon her bracing himself on his forearms. He positioned his member at her entrance and work his way in, sliding up her tight passage, filling her, her body and her heart. He made slow, sweet love to her. Sara and Martha were right. He loved her. No one could make love so completely, so honestly without love. She believed that. Unwilling to stay in a marriage without love, she had to believe it.

CHAPTER 7

“Hurry up, Martha. We have to get back here in time to finish supper.”

“I’m coming.” Martha appeared in the foyer tying her bonnet under her chin. “You know if you’d learn to drive the team one of us, namely me, could stay here and get some work done. And we wouldn’t always be in such an all fired hurry.”

Ella shook her head, shivers snaking their way down her spine. “I can’t Martha. You know that. I tried.”

Martha put her hand on Ella’s shoulder, “Honey, you can’t let one bad incident keep you from doing what needs doing. Keep you from living your life, with all its dangers and all its rewards.”

“You’re lucky I get into the wagon. It’s hard. First, I see the carriage accident, then the runaway buggy. I’m not even sure I should be riding in a wagon much less driving one, especially alone.”

“You will. When the time is right you’ll do it.”

“I hope you’re right, but that time is not today.”

They walked out through the courtyard to where the buckboard waited. Nathan always had one of the men harness the team to the wagon and bring it up to the front of the house for her. They climbed up and took off for town.

* * *

Martha pulled the buckboard to a stop in front of the mercantile.

“You fill our order here and then go to the feed store for the grain. Nathan wants six fifty pound bags this time because of the new cows.”

Martha nodded and started up the steps in front of the store. She turned back when she reached the boardwalk. “And what will you be doing while I’m filling our orders?”

Ella lifted her chin just a bit in a small show of defiance. “I’m going to go invite Mr. Daniel Adams to dinner.”

Martha raised her eyebrows.” Whatever for? Does Nathan know?”

“I believe he’s a cousin or something of mine. He resembles my father so much and I need to know. It would be wonderful to find out that there is more than just Joshua and I.”

“If he looks so much like your daddy maybe he’s yer brother. That’d mean yer daddy was not faithful to yer mama. Are ya sure ya wanna know?”

“Of course, I’ve thought of it. He appears to be older than both me and Joshua. So before he married Mother, Father could have had other relationships. Still if it’s true, why keep him hidden?”

“Don’t be naïve, girl. He’d be a bastard and yer father wouldn’t have wanted him around his legitimate children. He also wouldn’t a wanted to rub yer mama’s face in it, so to speak.”

“I suppose. But I’m going to find out one way or another.” She pulled out her handkerchief from her reticule and wiped her sweaty hands with it. I’ll see you at the feed store. If I’m not there, I’ll be at the Astor House. He’s supposed to be staying there, according to Mr. Jones, the clerk in the mercantile.”

Martha nodded and went into the store, while Ella made her way down Main Street then up the hill to the Astor House hotel.

Upon entering the lobby she spied Mr. Adams at the front desk.

She rushed over to him, calling as she went. “Mr. Adams. Oh, Mr. Adams. Are you checking out? I’m so glad I caught you.”

“Mrs. Ravenclaw,” he said in surprise. “Yes, I am heading back to New York.”

“I wonder if you could give me a few minutes of your time. Perhaps even join us at the ranch for the night and catch the train tomorrow. I’ve so many questions.”

“I’m afraid I don’t understand. What is it you need from me, Mrs. Ravenclaw.”

“First, please call me Ella.”

“Very well, Ella. What would you have of me?”

“Well,” she glanced down at the reticule she had in a death grip in her lap. “I believe that you and I are related. You,” she looked up at him and rushed on. “You resemble my father greatly. Even more than my brother, Joshua.”

“Who was your father?”

“His name was Robert Davenport.”

“Davenport,” they said at the same time.

“Yes,” gasped Ella.

“I carry my mother’s name. My father was Robert Davenport.”

“You said ‘was’, so you know he was killed.”

“Yes. Let’s sit down where we can talk more privately.”

He ushered her across the plush carpet in the lobby to two overstuffed chairs situated in front of the large, glass window.

“I heard,” Daniel began, “Father was killed in a carriage accident and that his daughter barely survived. That was more than a year ago. You must be the daughter.”

“I am. Can’t you tell by the scars on my face?”

“I admit I noticed your scars. I would be less than truthful had I said otherwise. The fact that you survived is amazing. Your scars are badges of courage.”

“That’s what my husband says.”

“Smart man.”

Ella thought of Nathan and a small smile played across her face. “Yes, he is.”

They spoke for a little longer and Ella knew she needed more than a couple of minutes to talk. They had so much to discuss.

“Mr. Adams….”

“Daniel.”

“Yes, Daniel. There is so much I want to ask you and that we should talk about. Would you consider delaying your trip for a day or two and come with me back to the ranch? You can stay in our guest room so you wouldn’t be putting out any more money to stay and I’m a pretty good cook, if I do say so myself.”

“Well, I…,”

“Please say yes. I would love for Nathan to meet you again and for us to get to know each other. We have a lot of time to make up for.”

He stayed silent, she assumed he mulled things over in his mind while Ella sat on pins and needles. Finally, he said, “Yes. Of course, what is one or two more days? I have some business to conclude here and then I can come out. Perhaps you can give me directions so I don’t delay your getting home. We wouldn’t want your husband to worry.”

“How thoughtful of you. Of course, I can give you directions. Do you want me to write them down for you?”

“Yes, please. My memory isn’t what it used to be.”

Ella got up and went to the desk and asked the clerk for paper and pen and commenced to putting the directions down on the page. When she was done she carefully blew on it and then folded it over. She went back to where Daniel was still sitting and handed him the sheet.

“We eat dinner at one and supper at six. There is always plenty to eat, but if you’re delayed I can fix you something when you get there.”

He nodded. “Thank you. I’m not sure if I can conclude my business in time for dinner, but I should be there by supper. Don’t worry about feeding me. I’ll eat luncheon, I mean dinner, before I come out.”

Ella laughed. “It takes some getting used to, dinner for luncheon and supper for dinner, but that’s the way it’s done in the west. There’s a lot of things that aren’t like New York.”

“I’ve discovered that. Lack of indoor plumbing is something I don’t think I’ll ever get used to. I’m lucky this place has facilities inside.”

“I better warn you then. We don’t have a bathroom in the house. It’s something I’m going to have done, but I haven’t gotten around to talking to the plumber yet.”

“Thank you for the warning,” he said and they laughed.

She had another brother. Ella hadn’t been this thrilled in a while.

* * *

Daniel left the Astor House and headed directly for the Chicago Saloon. There he met Frank and Billy Joe Baker. He’d previously hired the Baker boys to kidnap Ella, now he informed them of his change of plans.

They sat in the back of the saloon at one of the tables. All the tables were round and at many of them poker games were going on. No one paid attention to the three men talking quietly at the back of the room. Piano music played, girls plied their wiles and got unsuspecting cowboys to buy them drinks of watered down whiskey.

“I don’t want you to come into contact with Mrs. Ravenclaw at all. I am going to be staying at their ranch for a few days. What I want you to do is a little sabotage for me. Let’s see if we can get rid of her and her husband. Find a place where you can watch the going’s on of the ranch and then meet me tomorrow night in the hills behind the ranch. According to Ella’s directions, the house sets right next to the foothills. That should give you plenty of places to watch from without being seen.”

“Sure thing, boss. You wanna know afore we do it what we gonna do?”

“No. I’m going to help you. I want to help Ella and Nathan meet their maker.”

The Baker boys laughed.

Daniel steepled his fingers, elbows on the table and smiled.

* * *

Ella left the Astor House and found Martha still at the feed store. They had just finished loading the 300 pounds of grain on to the buckboard.

“Martha. Martha,” she said, breathless, as she ran up the steps to the door where Martha stood watching the men load the buckboard. “You’ll never guess. Mr. Adams is my brother.”

“Your brother! It figures. Didn’t I tell ya,” scoffed Martha.

“It’s true. He looks so much like father, I knew he had to be some relation to me. I thought it would be a cousin or something, but apparently not. Anyway to make a long story short, I invited him to the ranch for a few days.” Ella stopped to breathe. “I’ll prepare the guest room when we get home.”

Martha frowned. “Don’t you think you should’ve talked to Nathan first?”

Ella shook her head, no, and then preceded to adjust her gloves. “There wasn’t time. He had his tickets and was checking out of the Astor House to return to New York.”

“I don’t know, Ella, it seems….”

Ella raised her hand, stopping Martha’s words. “It’s fate. We were meant to meet. That’s all there is to it. Nathan will understand.”

Nathan did not understand. “
You did what?
This man says he’s your long lost brother and you don’t find that the least bit suspicious?”

“Well I….”

He raged on. “Why didn’t he come to you in New York. He’s had more than a year since your father died to step forth and make his existence know to you and your brother.”

“Nathan….”

“And what do you do? You simply accept it all like it’s nothing unusual. Just a typical day.”

She heaved a sigh. “You’re right, I acted impulsively, but Nathan, if he went back to New York, I might never have had the opportunity to get to know him.”

“Oh, I have a feeling you would have. I think he followed you here.”

“How could he? He couldn’t have known I was coming to this God-forsaken place.” Her anger rose at each of Nathan’s points. But was she angry with him or herself?

Nathan rolled his eyes. “Ella, he could have been watching you for months. Waiting to see if you survived the accident. You know nothing about him. Will you just listen to yourself?”

“Mistake or not, he’s coming here for a few days and I expect you to be civil. We are done here.”

Nathan watched her walk from the room her back straight and stiff as a board. He slammed his fist against the wall, wishing it was Daniel Adams’ face.

* * *

Ella kept her back ramrod straight until she reached their bedroom. There she collapsed on the bed and let the tears flow down her face. All the things Nathan said were true. She’d invited a complete stranger into their home. And if Nathan was right, may have put them in danger.

No. She refused to believe that. Daniel looked too much like her father. She may have hurried things along, but she knew Daniel Adams was her brother. He was family. He would never hurt her.