Beloved Counterfeit (29 page)

Dumont launched himself at the stranger, surprising the militiaman, who’d eased his grip. In the resulting fray, Clay Drummond made short work of pinning the schoolteacher down despite being handicapped by his bandaged arm.

“Enough of this,” Micah shouted as he yanked the stranger back. “You’ve proved to me who you are, Drummond,” he said. “What I haven’t decided is what to do about it.” He gestured to the militiaman. “Escort Mr. Dumont home; then help him find a ticket back to New Orleans.”

He gave Remy a look that dared him to respond, then felt more than a little disappointed when the schoolteacher left without comment. A thought occurred, and he turned to see Clay Drummond inspecting his injured arm.

“You’ll be needing medical care.” He paused. “But will Viola be willing to help you?”

Drummond surprised Micah with a grin. “I’d like to think she’d be glad to see me.”

“I’ll take that letter of yours until everything’s sorted out.” Micah kept his palm on his weapon until Drummond handed over the document.

“Is this where I march off to jail?” he asked with a sarcastic tone.

“I’m tempted,” Micah said, “but only to keep tabs on you.” He shrugged. “I’ll send you over to the clinic with two of my men. After Vi patches you up, I’d like you to meet me back at my office to discuss a few things.”

Drummond lifted a dark brow. “Such as?”

Micah shook his head. “You’ve got to survive your reunion with Viola Dumont first.”

“Fair enough.” He reached to offer his hand in a firm handshake. “One more thing, Tate. In my line of work, I hear things.” A pause. “Recognize the name Thomas Hawkins?”

A blow to the gut, that name, yet he’d not let Drummond know this. “I do,” he said as indifferently as he could manage.

Drummond seemed reluctant to continue. “You can take my advice or leave it,” he finally said as he turned to leave, “but if I were you, I’d keep close tabs on that family of yours.”

Micah caught the man by the shoulder and spun him around. “What do you know?”

“Talk is you’ve made him mad.”

The Frenchman.

“We’ll continue this conversation later, Drummond.” He stepped back. “Understand if you’re with Hawkins, you’ll go down with him.”

Drummond gave him a curt nod. “If you don’t mind, Tate, I’d prefer to stand with you and yours.”

Chapter 34

Ruby raced toward the beach, tears stinging her eyes. Long as they’d been married, Micah had never raised his voice to her. Now she’d really done it.

She turned off the lane, looking past the stares of those whose greetings she ignored. What if Mr. Drummond had been sent by Tommy to fetch her?

And she’d just chased off the only husband she’d had. The only man who’d been willing to stand by her and not ask for anything but her future. The man whose baby she might be carrying.

At the water’s edge, she paused and tossed away her shoes and stockings, then moved forward, her skirts lifted above the tide. Rather than look to the horizon, she lifted her gaze upward. The words stuck in her throat, so she let the tears fall as the water lapped against her bare ankles.

Salt water flowing to salt water. Something appropriate in that.

And then the prayers rose up and burst forth, words spoken to a loving God who would neither forget her nor forsake her. By degrees, she backed up and sank to her knees in the sand, caring not for the mess she made of her frock.

Praise stung her lips until she let the thoughts find voice. Two lines from a song she’d learned only last Sunday bubbled forth. “ ‘Lo, here I fall, my Savior! ’Tis I deserve Thy place,’ ” she sang into the surf. “ ‘Look on me with Thy favor, vouchsafe to me Thy grace.’ ”

She tried to remember more of the song. Failing that, Ruby repeated the lines twice more; then spent, she rose. To her surprise, though she knelt on what felt like wet ground, her dress was only slightly marred by sand that easily dusted off.

This Ruby did quickly as she reached for her shoes and stockings. Beneath them she spied the sand dollar, and the tears began again. “Even if Micah no longer wants me, Lord, I know You do.”

Slipping the treasure into her pocket, Ruby carried her bundle down the beach then donned her stockings and shoes to hurry toward home. Likely he’d be even more upset that she’d ignored his demand for her to go straight home.

“Ruby, wait.”

She picked up her pace, unwilling to speak to whatever woman called her name.

“Ruby!”

Viola. This time Ruby stopped to allow the midwife-turned-doctor time to catch up. As she leaned into the cool shade of the mercantile, her gut began to protest again. Before Viola could reach her, Ruby had gone behind the store to relieve her stomach of what little contents it still held.

“Ruby?” Viola came to stand behind her. “Oh, Ruby, are you?”

Turning to face the midwife, Ruby held up her hand. “Don’t say it. I cannot even consider that I might be. . .” She looked around. “You know.”

Viola’s grin was broad, her laughter immediate. “Honey, what’s wrong with being, well,
you know
? You are a happily married woman, after all.”

“I thought I was,” she said as she swiped at the corner of her mouth with the back of her sleeve. “Now I’m not so sure.”

“What do you mean?” Viola shook her head. “Of course you are.”

“No, Micah’s mad at me and deservedly so,” she said, fully aware of how silly it sounded once the words were out.

The midwife shrugged then greeted one of the townsfolk. “And?” she asked when the matron had passed.

Ruby started walking toward the boardinghouse, anger renewing her purpose. “I thought you of all people would understand. Considering, I mean. He’s
mad
.”

Her expression changed. “Ruby, does he. . .that is, has Micah been. . . ?”

“What?” Ruby jerked her attention to Viola as the realization of her unasked question found its mark. “Oh no, not at all. Micah’s gentle as a lamb. It’s just that now, well, I thought he loved me, but now, what with the. . .” She paused to suck in a breath. “I’m rambling.”

“No,” Viola said slowly, “you’re panicking. Take a deep breath. Now let it out slowly. Feel better?” she asked when Ruby had complied.

“Not really.” She glanced up at the boardinghouse. “But I have to get back. Dinner won’t wait.” Ruby set off walking then stopped short. “Viola?” she called to the midwife’s retreating back.

Viola returned to her side. “Yes?”

“Micah’s got a prisoner at the jail who needs doctoring.” She paused to decide how much of the odd saga of Mr. Drummond she should reveal. “He’d like you to come and see to him in an hour.” She paused. “Less than that now, actually.”

“Any idea of the extent of his injuries?”

Ruby shook her head. “His left arm. Cuts, maybe.”

“I see. I’ll do what I can, then, but I’ll have to go and fetch some things at the clinic first.” Viola’s dark brows gathered as she gestured to Ruby. “About that. . .well,
you know
?”

Ruby felt heat rise in her cheeks. “What of it?”

“You’ve been through this twice already, so I don’t have to tell you that you’ll know soon enough if there’s to be a babe come spring.” Viola winked. “Let’s hope this is just one baby and not two. Though I do love twins, they aren’t always the easiest to birth, and they’re often smaller than. . .” She shook her head. “Well,
you know
.”

“Viola, please,” Ruby said as she glanced around at the heavily populated sidewalk. “Do you mind?” she asked in a forced whisper. “If I am, I’d prefer Micah hear it from me and not any old somebody who happened to pass by.”

“Of course.”

Ruby made to walk away then stalled when Viola caught her by the arm. “About the other thing. Micah being mad?”

Ruby fidgeted with the edge of her sleeve. “What of it?”

“Honey,” she said softly, “didn’t anyone ever tell you that sometimes people who care about one another—friends or family, let’s say—have differences of opinion? Say a sister you might have squabbled with or a mama or papa you didn’t get along with.”

“Well, sure, I guess,” Ruby said as too many images tumbled forth. She chose one, a memory of Opal accusing her of not watching for Papa, and hung tightly to it, her fingers itching for the sand dollars that recalled that time in her life.

“And you still love that person, correct? I mean, one doesn’t just up and leave a sister or a mama or a papa because of something like that.”

“No,” she said slowly, “not for something like that, I suppose.” Again her gut roiled. Ruby swallowed hard and sniffed, her back straight. “A sister’s always a sister, no matter what,” she admitted.

Viola nodded. “That’s right. Then you need to understand that you and Micah will sometimes squabble. That does not mean he’s ready to stop being your husband.” She paused to search Ruby’s face. “You don’t believe me, do you?”

Ruby took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I want to.”

She looked past the midwife to see her husband making his way up Main Street. “Ruby, wait,” he called.

An uncharacteristic feeling curled in her gut, replacing the unsettled nausea. Was that a smile he wore? Then she saw it was for the fellow who ran the funeral home, a man he now had stopped to shake hands with.

Ruby watched her husband nod then tip his hat to a pair of matrons. How tall and proud he stood.

“So now that you’ve got a minute to spare, tell me about this prisoner. Should I bring Remy with me, or is he harmless?” Viola paused. “What are you looking at?”

Ruby blushed as Micah met her gaze.

“Honey, if you don’t stop wearing that expression, the talk of the town is going to be how Ruby Tate is smitten with her own husband.” Viola giggled. “What would that do to the other women who are married to mere mortals of less than Micah’s caliber? Or worse, to single women like me who have no hope of snagging a—” She pressed her index finger to her lips as Micah neared. “I’ll just be going now.”

“Vi, wait. Did Ruby tell you about the fellow who needs attention?” Micah called.

She added another wink at Ruby before putting on a serious face and turning toward Micah. “Yes, she did. Anything I should know about him?”

Micah’s gaze collided with Ruby’s, and she felt the impact down to her toes. “No,” he said to Viola. “Except that the plan’s changed. I sent him to the clinic.” His gaze never moved from Ruby as he went on to describe the attention Mr. Drummond might need. “Ruby, it’s time to go home.”

His voice held firm, though his eyes strayed downward from her face to slowly scorch a trail that she felt more than saw. Without warning, he pressed past her and headed for the boardinghouse.

“Yes, Micah,” she said before reaching to grasp Viola’s hand. “Thank you,” she whispered as she kissed her friend’s cheek then set out to follow her husband’s broad back up Main Street.

Viola’s nod bid her to walk fast enough to catch up with Micah’s long strides. Until he reached to grasp her hand, a gesture both bold in its forwardness and welcome in its familiarity, she still wasn’t sure what she was to face.

“We must have a serious discussion with Carol,” he said.

“Yes,” she said, though she would offer nothing more.

“Lies are lies.” He opened the gate for her. “Carol must learn that there are consequences to keeping secrets, even if she felt she did it for a good reason.”

“Consequences to keeping secrets. Even if she felt she did it for a good reason.”

Again the words to the beloved hymn came to mind.
“Look on me with Thy favor, vouchsafe to me Thy grace.”

Yes, Lord, please.

Chapter 35

Ruby trailed Micah up the stairs until they reached the door to their third-floor apartment. On the other side, the three girls chattered and giggled. As the door opened, however, silence reigned, and three innocent-looking girls sat cross-legged on the floor, a picture book between them.

At the sight of Ruby and Micah, Tess bounded up and threw herself into Ruby’s arms. Maggie, however, turned to stare at Carol, who rose. “I’m in big trouble, aren’t I?”

Ruby shifted Tess to her hip and looked to Micah. His nod was almost imperceptible.

“Your mother and I will talk to you about this after dinner.” He gestured to the door. “For now, you may go downstairs and take down the laundry. Once you’ve folded everything and put it away, you may sit in the kitchen and wait for your mother.”

It was all Ruby could do not to stare at the man who’d so easily slipped into the role of father to the girls. A smile began, but she tamed it lest she be misunderstood.

Carol opened her mouth, seemingly to protest, and then clamped it shut again. Without a word, she turned and left the room to head downstairs.

He turned his attention to Maggie. “Would you please take your sister outside to play? Inside the fence only and making sure you always see at least one of the militiamen.”

Maggie climbed to her feet. “Want to get your dolly, Tess?” she called as she reached for a book. “I’ll read to both of you.”

Tess skittered from Ruby’s arms and raced into the room where she now slept every night without exception. A moment later, she returned with her ragged baby doll and yanked at Maggie’s free hand. “Hurry before we have to help Carol.”

Ruby covered her smile with the back of her hand until the girls were safely out of the room. Micah stepped into her line of vision, his expression stern. “I fail to see the humor in any of this, Ruby. Perhaps you will enlighten me.”

“I just, well. . .” She let out a long breath and dropped her hands to her sides as Micah closed the door. “It’s just that Tess makes me smile.”

“Ruby.” The warning in his voice was impossible to miss. “Come here.”

She did, though each step toward Micah felt as if she were walking to the gallows. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I shouldn’t have said anything, and I know I was in the way when—”

He stopped her babbling with a kiss.

“Never,” he said, his voice rough and his breath warm against her neck as he held her against him, “never frighten me like that again.”

“Frighten you?” She leaned up to look into his eyes. “I frightened you?”

Micah’s hands met at the small of her back; then slowly he traced the length of her spine with his palm until he reached the back of her neck. “Men are assigned to see to your safety when I am not here. Until the issue of Hawkins and his crew is settled, you will not leave this place without someone with you. Do you understand?”