Her Montana Man (24 page)

He hurried away, and she broke the wax seal and unfolded the parchment.

I’ve made an appointment at the jeweler’s this afternoon. Meet me precisely at two o’clock.

The jeweler’s? No doubt now Royce was planning to purchase or order a wedding ring. As soon as that

happened, rumors would spread. She’d be trapped into more lies and evasions.

More orders. More demands. But not for long.

She stewed until time grew near for her to go face him, then washed up, changed her clothing and

repinned her hair.

“I have an appointment,” she told Ada. “I should be back in time to go walk the boys home.”

She didn’t have far to go. The only jeweler was a watchmaker who kept a storefront on Oak

Boulevard, just around the corner and north of Main Street. On the corner opposite her, in front of the

hardware store, Luther Vernon lounged against one of the pillars that held up the wooden awnings above

the boardwalk across the street. He watched her from beneath the brim of his hat, a lit cheroot between

his teeth.

After her initial surprise, Eliza looked away and continued her journey. He was watching her, no doubt

about it. He’d probably been watching her less blatantly for a long time.

She turned the corner and continued toward the watchmaker’s. Royce’s buggy was already sitting in the

street, a glossy black horse hitched to it. The Sutherland’s previous buggy had been adequate, but he’d

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ordered this one a year ago and had it shipped from Pittsburgh.

Eliza steeled herself as she neared the building and opened the weathered door. A bell rang above her

head. The interior smelled of oil and aged wood, and the floorboards creaked as she moved into the

room.

“Good afternoon, my dear,” Royce said, coming to take her hand and press his lips against the backs of

her fingers. She wanted to yank it away, but she endured the greeting and met Mr. Atwell’s curious

bespectacled gaze. She only knew him by profession, since she’d never been in his shop before. She

offered him a stilted smile.

Royce gestured to a wooden chair. “Have a seat. Mr. Atwell will bring a few rings to gauge sizes and a

catalog for you to look at.”

Eliza took the offered seat, smoothing her skirts nervously. She guessed it shouldn’t matter what Royce

did with the money she was leaving behind. Her father’s money. Her and Jenny’s inheritance. If she got a

ring before she left, she could always sell it. Her attention wavered to the largest diamond on the display

board Mr. Atwell brought to her. She didn’t know much about diamonds, but it looked like a large one,

and eight small rubies surrounded the stone in a gaudy setting that made the ring look like a flower with a

giant center.

“I don’t keep many on hand,” he told her. “But I can order anything you like from New York.”

“Actually,” Eliza said, raising a slender finger to point. “I rather like that one.”

The older man’s expression brightened and he smiled. “The lady has excellent taste. This diamond is first

quality. One and three-quarters carat, actually. Plus Burmese rubies.”

He took it from the tray and handed it to her.

Eliza slid the ring on the appropriate finger. Odd that Royce was going through this farce after stealing

her and Jenny’s jewelry. Of course this was a display of ownership. Part of his ruthless desire to possess

Sutherland property. Perhaps the money from her mother’s jewels would pay for this ring.

“You can choose another from the catalog if you’d prefer something less ostentatious,” Royce told her.

“No, I quite like this one,” she told him with a smile. Someone as obsessed with material things as Royce

would appreciate a mercenary motive. “In fact, I can’t imagine liking one more.”

oyce gave the shop owner a peeved glance.

Eliza pretended to admire the jewels on her hand, holding the ring up to allow the light to reflect the

facets. “I’ll be the envy of all the other wives.”

Immediately, Royce recovered his display of generous affection. “Of course, my love. Only the best for

you. Does it fit? Mr. Atwell can correct the size.”

Truth was, the fit was a tad snug, but she wasn’t about to let this asset out of her sight or off her finger.

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“It was made for me,” she replied, gazing at the jewel-encrusted ring on her hand as though it held some

profound meaning.

“Our engagement is official.” Royce took her hand and looked into her eyes. To anyone else the gesture

would appear romantic. Eliza understood the intent. “You won’t remove it.”

“No. I won’t take it off.”

“I’ll purchase an announcement in the
Sentinel
to run next week.”

Did he think he was scaring her? “I’ll order invitations.” She opened her eyes wide as though concerned.

“We haven’t set a date yet.”

“Would you like to pay for the ring now, or start an account?” Mr. Atwell interrupted.

Royce turned a harsh look on him. “I’ll send my man to pay for it this afternoon.”

The shop owner nodded. “Very well. You’re a trust worthy fellow.”

Eliza stood and took the arm that Royce offered. He led her out of doors, where she raised her hand for

the sunlight to catch the diamond.

“I’m not fooled,” Royce stated.

Her heart skittered, but she kept her smile serene. “Whatever are you talking about?”

“I don’t believe for a moment that you’ve suddenly become a submissive and tolerant fiancée.” He

gestured to the buggy and took her elbow.

“You haven’t given me any choices, but to make the best of my situation.” She allowed him to assist her

and seated herself.

He came around and climbed up, taking the reins and setting the horse in motion.

“If I’m to be your wife,” she said, “I’m going to be your wife in style.” She’d caught the spirit of the

charade. “Why be glum and feel sorry for myself when I can enjoy the privileges of being the wife of the

richest man in Silver Bend? Why, I might have to start a new ladies’ society.”

Of course this one wouldn’t be women who’d seen Jonas Black naked. “How do you like the Society

of Businessmen’s Wives? That will make people take notice.”

A blank look encompassed his face for a second, but apparently the thought of a society wife held

enough appeal to delude him into thinking she could endure their marriage for the sake of money and

position. An uncertain, but smug smile turned his mustache upward on the side she could see. He turned

toward her, and she noticed his overlapping tooth, but instead met his eyes.

He could relate to someone as ruthless and driven as he, so she would work a different perspective to

keep him unsuspecting. She hoped her smile appeared as cold-blooded as his.

“I am interviewing women tomorrow,” she told him.

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“As soon as I’ve selected someone, I’ll have my things moved home. And after we’re married, she’ll be

staying on as my personal companion.”

“Maid?” he asked.

“Yes, of course, but that has such an intolerant air. I shall call her my companion.”

“See that it’s someone who will care for the boy, as well.”

“You know I want to look after Tyler myself,” she said in the insistent manner he would believe. “But it

would be nice to have help when I want to go out or entertain.”

Luther was no longer on the corner of Main and Oak, though she looked along the street both ways to

see if he was somewhere else spying.

“This is going to be an arrangement we can both live with,” he told her. “Fortunately for your sake—and

the barkeep’s—you’ve come to your senses.”

“I’d prefer we didn’t discuss what’s taken place in the past,” she told him. “If this is going to be a

suitable partnership, we have to start over.”

“Hopefully, there will be no need for me to remind you of the past,” he told her, his warning as poignant

as ever.

She cast him a disdainful look, but remained what must seem to him obediently quiet.

“What will you tell anyone who inquires about the ring, since you’re not inclined to remove it?” he asked

as they neared the hotel.

She gave him a sideways glance. “Why, the truth, of course.” After a moment of silence, she added,

“That we have plans to marry, but we’re waiting to announce our engagement publicly.”

He reined the horse to a stop before the wide doorway and grabbed her arm.

“I don’t know what your new game is, but just remember this. Whatever it is, if you make me look bad

or try to play me for a fool, you’ll pay for it.”

He always had to have the last word. She jerked her arm away. Before he could make a move to get

down, she jumped from the buggy to the street on her own. She turned to look up at him. “I’ll let you

know when I make a selection.”

With that, she turned and left him sitting with a startled look on his normally arrogant face. Once inside,

she darted to the shuttered front window, and through the wooden slats watched the black buggy pull

away.

“Everything all right?”

At Jonas’s voice, she spun to face him, holding her left hand down at her side. “Everything’s fine.” A

quick glance told her Ward was watching, too. She checked her brooch with her right hand. “I’ll be

running along to fetch the boys soon.”

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“Want company?”

She thought of Luther loitering in wait for her. She didn’t need news about her keeping company with

Jonas to get back to Royce. “We’ll do fine, thanks. Uriah will probably be watching the school from his

post across the street at the jail.”

Jonas nodded and grabbed his hat from behind the front desk, settling it on his head. He’d most likely

seen her return with Royce, but he said nothing and left, heading toward the Silver Star.

She twisted the ring inward so that the jewels were on the bottom side. After dealing with her

brother-inlaw, Eliza felt in need of a bath and a good scrubbing. She tried to shake off the feeling. She

might have confused Royce today, but she had no illusions that he was any less dangerous.

She intended to take great care with everything she did from here on out.

Nadine was delighted to accompany Eliza for a few days. Eliza briefly considered taking the woman into

her confidence; after all, many of the girls here had escaped brutal men and all would understand. Not

doing so wasn’t because she didn’t trust her. Eliza simply couldn’t bring herself to share her story or to

place even the tiniest bit of risk on her and Tyler escaping without mishap.

“Have you ever met my brother-in-law, Royce Dunlap?”

“Don’t believe so.”

“So he wouldn’t recognize you if he saw you.”

“I don’t see how.”

When Eliza told Nadine that they were going to pretend to hire her as a companion, the girl didn’t blink

an eye. “We’re going to tell him you’ve recently arrived from Boston. He wants me to have a companion,

and I’m going to stall him for the time being.”

Nadine laughed. “I can affect a Boston accent, listen to this.” And she proceeded to recite a bawdy

poem in a delightfully stilted inflection.

Eliza giggled and raised her hands to her cheeks. “However did you learn that?”

“My life before Montana was pretty much a series of cons. A beast of a man put me up to them and

took every nickel I made. Finally I ran from him and made it as far as Cheyenne before I ran out of

money and food and was ready to do something worse to survive—not that I’m passing judgment on

anyone who’s had to do that, mind you—when Jonas found me sleeping in a stable.”

“In Wyoming?”

Nadine nodded. “Talk about fortune smiling on me that night. He could have been anyone.” She shook

her head slightly as though she still couldn’t believe her good fortune. “Jonas was traveling through. He

asked where I was going, and I made up some outrageous lie. When he offered to let me ride with him, I

suspected he had an ulterior motive, but I was too tired and hungry to care, so I went along.

“We camped along the trail, and he never laid a finger on me. Never even suggested it. He bought a

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couple of horses, and I rode alone then. Once we got to Silver Bend he offered me a job. I thought I

knew what kind of job, but he assured me it would be a respectable position, and he’d count on me to

keep it that way. He’s the best man I’ve ever known.”

Eliza understood better than most the passion behind Jonas’s need to protect those who needed help.

He’d been so young when his mother had been killed. He must have felt helpless. He could easily have

learned to see the world as a cruel unjust place, and maybe he did, but he also stood up to do something

about it.

That was only one of the many reasons she loved him. “He’s the best man I’ve ever known, as well,”

Eliza told her.

Eliza had experienced an abundance of loss in her life. Leaving him was going to be yet another level of

grieving she’d have to endure.

That evening, Nadine joined Eliza and Tyler for their meal in the dining hall. They were halfway through

their supper when Eliza spotted Royce heading their way with Ed Phillips at his side.