Scars of the Heart (33 page)

“I suppose one does, Mr. Tennison. In that case, I suspect that some lovely lady finds herself the lucky recipient of your wit and charm. Am I right? Come now. Your secrets are safe with me.” Carly slanted her eyes and grinned, coaxing the man to bring her into his confidence.

“Oh, well, no, not really, Miss Dawson.” The banker twittered and blushed. “I mean, there may have been one or two ladies interested, but I, uh, I—”

“That’s all right, Mr. Tennison. I understand. A gentleman does not kiss and tell, now does he?” Carly set her glass down and rose gracefully. They had already discussed the additional funds she was expecting, and the banker had assured her he would take care of everything, notifying her immediately once the funds had been received. “I shall take my leave and let you get out of here. I’m sure you’ve had a long and trying day, taking care of all of these townspeople and their money.”

The man hurried to his feet, his smile dissipating. “Oh, I’m in no hurry, Miss Dawson, really. No need to rush off.”

Carly made her way slowly to the door. She heard the banker rush to join her. He walked her through the lobby and to the front steps. She shook his hand and thanked him for his expert assistance. He beamed in the wake of her most captivating smile. She could almost hear him sag as she turned and descended the first step.

“Oh, Mr. Tennison?” Carly swiveled to look back up at the man and saw him straighten.

“Yes, Miss Dawson? Is there something else I can help you with?” He leaned forward expectantly.

“There might be, sir.” She stepped back up to his level and place a hand on his arm. She spoke low, conspiratorially. “I’m hoping you can recommend an opportunity for me to dally in one of my favorite pastimes while I’m visiting your fair town. I’m afraid you’ll think less of me, Mr. Tennison, but I must confess to you that I have a fondness for gambling.” Carly glanced around, as if to ensure no one overheard the little secret she shared with the banker. “I know it’s not very ladylike of me, but I do enjoy a lively round of poker from time to time. I don’t suppose you could introduce me to someone who might allow me to join their game one evening soon?”

Mr. Tennison’s smile faded, and he studied Carly’s face. “Why, no, Miss Dawson. I’m afraid I will not.”

Her stomach dropped. She had felt sure she’d had the banker right where she wanted him. How was she going to tell Kade that she’d failed?

“I will not introduce you to any such person, Miss Dawson.” A sly smile split the man’s face. “Why would I when I play in just such a game each week and can invite you myself? You’ll be my guest tomorrow night. I insist.”

Kade paced nervously. He’d been waiting near their designated meeting spot for almost fifteen minutes, and he’d dropped Carly off to handle her assigned task long before he’d gotten to his. Just as he convinced himself she was in trouble and needed help, he spotted her strolling down the planked walk toward him. Her gait seemed leisurely. Her demeanor spoke of breeding and confidence. He could not tell whether any of that conveyed success in her endeavor or if she simply played her role well for any onlookers.

The evening shadows hid Carly’s face, but lights streaming from windows along the walk behind her silhouetted her petite figure perfectly. For a moment, that sashay held Kade captive. With effort, he broke free of the spell she unwittingly cast and moved deeper into the shadows. She would continue to a side street near the edge of town then turn and make her way to the road behind the church where he would be waiting.

A few moments later, Kade took Carly in his arms and kissed her soundly.

“Well, Mr. Roberts . . . I missed you, too.” She grinned playfully.

He lifted her to sit sideways atop the stallion, then climbed up behind, adjusting her legs so they draped over his left knee. “Let’s get out of here. Then I want you to tell me everything.”

Slow-rolling clouds blocked the moon and most of the stars. A storm brewed to the north, occasionally treating the couple to a rumble of thunder and a display of distant lightning as they traveled back to their temporary home.

Carly loved riding this way. She practically sat in Kade’s lap, and he encircled her with his arms as he skillfully steered the stallion. He had started out at a gallop and had been checking over his shoulder every few minutes. But now he slowed the horse to a walk, and she felt him relax a bit.

“Okay, Little One. I’m dying of curiosity. Tell me about your conversation with the banker. Were you successful?”

Sparing no detail, Carly recounted the entire exchange. “I truly thought I had failed there at the end. My stomach grew instantly queasy. My mind was scrambling for a way to counter attack, but then I received the invitation, just as we had hoped.” She smiled broadly, pleased with her performance and ability to help him.

He, too, smiled. “Perfect. I’m proud of you, my love. I was equally successful. I couldn’t get into the attorney’s office, but I peered through a window and am sure they use a room at the rear of the building for their game. And though I can’t be inside to help you, I’ve come up with another way. There’s a tree near that side of the building. The branches brush the window in the wind. If you can manipulate where you and Junior sit, I can hide in the tree and position the leaves on different corners of the glass pane to give you clues.”

Carly furrowed her brow and shook her head. Kade explained. “You sit where you can see the window. Make sure Junior sits at an angle, with a shoulder to the window, not his full back or I won’t be able to see his hand. With luck, I will be able to see his cards and follow his bets. If he’s bluffing, I’ll move the tree branch to the upper left of the window pane. If he’s playing a strong hand, upper right. If I think you need to make an excuse and get out of the game all together, I’ll scratch the branch across the lower part of the glass.”

A slow smile tugged at the corners of her mouth as she visualized the plan in action. “Kade, that’s brilliant! You’re brilliant!” She hugged him, then took his face in her hands. “This will work, Kade. I just know it will. Our little plan will work perfectly. Not only will your good name be cleared, you’re going to get your ranch back!”

He chuckled at her enthusiasm. “Settle down a bit, Carly. Let’s not get overconfident. We’re not there yet.”

“Oh, come on, Kade. Be at least a little bit excited with me.” She gave him a quick kiss. “I mean, honestly, what could possibly go wrong?”

“Gentlemen, may I present Miss Carly Dawson of Virginia?”

Mr. Tennison held the door open and stepped aside so she could enter the lawyer’s office. Two men stood near the desk. Each held a drink; one smoked a cigar. Both turned to stare at the newcomer.

Carly took a deep breath and engaged her most charming smile. This was it. Too late to back out. She must rise to the occasion and help Kade. His very future hung in the balance. She knew she had to remain cool, calm, and confident to not only waltz her way through this poker game but to get Junior to confess the truth about the night his father died.

The taller man spoke. “Lyndon Adams, Miss Dawson, and this scoundrel is James Buckley.”

Adams gave Carly’s extended hand a shake, but Buckley immediately added weight to Adams’s introduction by grazing her knuckles with a kiss. Carly resisted the urge to check the window where she imagined Kade perched on the tree limb just beyond.

“Mr. Adams, Mr. Buckley, I do so appreciate you allowing me to join your little game this evening. As I confided to Mr. Tennison, I do enjoy testing my luck from time to time.” She noticed Junior had yet to arrive but was relieved to see that the men hadn’t taken their seats. She removed the shawl she wore around her shoulders and placed it across the back of the chair squarely facing the room’s only window. Carly allowed herself a quick peek in that direction and could see nothing but murky darkness beyond.

“No reason to be so formal, Miss Dawson. Lyndon and Jim will do. May I offer you a drink?” Mr. Buckley stood poised near the beverage cart.

“You must call me Carly, and, yes, whiskey please.” She decided the drink might, in fact, help calm her nerves a bit. She wished she could see Kade, could feel a connection to him. She suddenly envisioned herself as a plump rabbit disguised in a wolf pelt, trying to run with the pack. A lump formed in her throat.

“Ah, Proctor, perfect timing. We were just introducing ourselves to Tennison’s guest for the evening.” Buckley turned his attention toward the door.

Carly swallowed back her fear and turned to meet Kade’s stepbrother.

Nelson Proctor Jr. advanced a couple of steps as a smile took shape across his round, ruddy face. Then he faltered. The smile wilted, and his eyes narrowed. Carly braced herself.

“Mr. Proctor, I’m Carly Dawson. How very nice to meet you.” She moved across the room to offer Junior her hand, which he shook woodenly.

“Don’t I know you, Miss Dawson?”

“I don’t believe so, Mr. Proctor. I’m new to this area and usually have a fine memory for names and faces.” She smiled sweetly and forced herself to meet his scrutinizing gaze.

“Are you not the stranger who posted bail for the outlaw Kade Roberts last week?”

Proctor’s blotchy cheeks turned a deeper shade of crimson. “Why, yes, I am, Mr. Proctor. Were you in the courtroom that day? How very observant of you.” She sipped her whiskey and hoped the little tremor in her hand went unnoticed.

“I was most certainly there, Miss Dawson. And like the rest of Fort Worth, I was quite surprised that anyone would stand in support of that barbarian, let alone a lady of your obvious stature and breeding.”

Proctor let his gaze travel the length of Carly, and she quickly suppressed a shiver. “Oh, Mr. Proctor, I wouldn’t know a thing about any of that. I simply owed Mr. Roberts a debt and chose that opportunity to repay it. I don’t even know the man, really. He merely assisted me out of a predicament in Kansas some time ago. I am not a woman who enjoys being indebted to anyone. I saw an opportunity to settle up and did so. It matters little to me what he’s done or been accused of doing.” Carly offered her warmest smile and gripped her glass with both hands.

Proctor studied her for a moment, eyes still narrowed, crimson from his cheeks inching down his neck. Carly could feel the other men gawking behind her. For a second she considered bolting, just dropping her drink and running for the door. Then she thought of Kade. She pictured him outside, hiding in the dark, concealed by the branches of the tree. She knew he felt every bit as anxious as she did.

“Helped you out of a predicament, huh? That certainly doesn’t sound like Roberts. That bastard cares for no one but himself.”

“There now, Proctor. Let’s not get the evening off on the wrong foot. Let’s show Miss Dawson some Texas hospitality, shall we?” Tennison came forward to take Proctor by the arm. “Have a drink, won’t you?”

Junior walked with the banker toward the cart but kept his sights trained on Carly. She moved to position herself near the chair Kade had designated as Junior’s. She still wasn’t sure how she would get him to sit there. Their initial meeting hadn’t gone quite as well as she had hoped.

For the next few minutes, Tennison and Adams engaged Junior while Jim Buckley regaled Carly with stories of his heroism during the recent war with the North. She nodded politely, gasped in all the right places, and made a show of sipping her drink. She couldn’t help but look more than once at the window separating her from Kade.

“Shall we get started?” Adams patted Proctor on the back and turned toward the table.

When Carly saw that Adams intended to take the chair reserved for Junior, she quickly perched casually on the back of the seat and cleared her throat. “Mr. Proctor, do I detect an eastern accent in your speech? Please tell me that we are kindred spirits, sir. I do so miss Virginia.” Though Carly kept her gaze focused on Junior, she noticed Adams hesitate, then move toward another chair.

“I, uh, we hail from Pennsylvania originally.”

Junior seemed hesitant but less hostile. “Ah, yes, I thought so! How lovely. We must compare stories later and see if we know any of the same families.” Carly noted the other men had taken their seats, so she quickly moved to the chair where she had draped her shawl. Junior lowered himself into his designated seat as planned, and Carly exhaled slowly as she cast another peek at the window. To her immense relief, she was rewarded with a little shimmy of leaves against the pane. She hid a smile behind her whiskey glass.

Almost two hours passed, and Carly managed to hold her own. She’d lost most of Kade’s money, which she felt terrible about. But she continued to remind herself that winning at poker was not her objective tonight. Kade’s assistance from outside the window helped, though they couldn’t control what the other players did.

Carly certainly didn’t need to put any effort toward getting Junior inebriated. He saw to that task himself. He’d actually proven to be a very good poker player. His problem lay in the drink. The drunker he became, the worse he played. And he didn’t know when to stop drinking or stop losing.

Sizing up the situation, Carly decided her prey was primed. He slurred his speech and sloshed his drink. It was time to move in for the kill, before one of the two of them lost their way right out of the game.

She looked toward to the window and folded. She leaned back in her chair to watch the gentlemen finish the hand. Throughout the evening, as the other men vied for her attention, Carly continued to direct most of it Junior’s way. She chatted about life on the eastern coast and feigned curiosity about European politics once Proctor revealed that as an interest. He’d remained a bit skeptical of her, but eventually she put him at ease.

“Nelson, you never said earlier what your interest is in the Roberts’ case.” Carly hoped she sounded casual. She took another sip of her whiskey and cautioned herself. She’d begun to feel the effects of the liquor sometime earlier and certainly couldn’t risk losing her edge.

Junior turned red-rimmed eyes toward her. He leaned across the table, and Carly had to force herself not to pull back from the sour smell of too much drink.