Somebody Wonderful (26 page)

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Authors: Kate Rothwell

BOOK: Somebody Wonderful
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Chapter 28
 
Timona lay with
her eyes shut, listening to the murmur of voices on the front porch as Mick sent Travis off to get the sheriff.
A soft voice by her ear made her smile and open her eyes again. “Time for the photos, love. What do I do?”
Mick took photos of Timmy in her ripped dress, making sure her bruises showed. They took a picture of the bed where she lay with the ropes clearly displayed.
Solly was practically incoherent with the riches, and only managed to stop talking after Mick threatened him with violence if he didn’t hold his tongue.
Even Araminta was full of delight as she recited the list. She settled next to Timona who lay on the purple couch. “Your testimony, Timona. My testimony, Frank Travis’s testimony, a list of witnesses as long as my arm, and Mick’s little book of names. It will be enough,” gloated Araminta, who looked positively bloodthirsty. “I can hardly wait. Good-bye, you bloody Blenheim. And terrible Taylor too.”
“I’m using that!” Solly chirped. “You know the editors absolutely adore alliteration, Araminta!”
After they finished with the pictures, the sheriff arrived. Travis had given him a rough idea of the kidnapping and the others filled him in on other parts of the plot.
Mick jerked a thumb towards the back room. “You’ll find Taylor and Blenheim tied up in there. When they start their big noise about being important men with Calverson Company, tell ’em you expect Griffin Calverson any minute. And he already knows all about them. Should shut their mouths fast.”
He helped Timona to her feet and said, “I’m taking Miss Calverson to a place in town. The Calverson outfit is too far away for her to travel just now. I promise you a doctor will take a look at her and then give you a report.”
The sheriff, a large man with serious dust-brown eyes frowned. “I have some more questions.”
But Mick was heading out the door, his arm wrapped tight around Timona to support her limping steps. “You can find me in town if you need to ask any more questions. Wait a day or two at least. We’re not going anywhere.”
In the supporting circle of his arm, Timona took a deep, shuddering breath of pure happiness. She ached all over and throbbed with pain. But she was home. For the moment, that seemed more than enough. It was perfection.
 
 
They sat outside the small but grand and newly built brick courthouse and town hall. Mick and Araminta perched on the wide granite stairs out front. They scribbled furiously, making copies of the notes from Mick’s book and his and Travis’s descriptions and lists of witnesses.
One for the law, one for Griffin Calverson.
Timona rested on an iron bench near them, her face turned towards the sun. Solly sat nexhen they er and cajoled her for details of the kidnapping, since Mick refused to allow him to help with the copying. Timmy seemed able to ignore Solly, but Mick could not.
“Cease the palaver, Tothman, no more bothering Timona, or I shall turn you inside out,” Mick growled at last.
Solly sighed lugubriously. He was silent for several whole seconds together, then said, “Fine, then, listen! I shall turn the tables and relate my own adventures, Timona.” And he launched into the story of his latest failed
affaire de coeur
, as he called it. Apparently the grand passion hadn’t lasted more than several hours.
People strolling down the wooden sidewalk of the short main street stopped to stare. Mick idly wondered what passersby made of the four of them: A pretty young woman who’d obviously been beaten, a jabbering string bean of a city slicker, a shabby Irishman with a black eye, and an imposing, beautiful Negress. And Botty who slept with his head on Mick’s foot.
Araminta paused writing and nudged Mick. They looked over at Timona sprawled on a bench in a position Mick saw was most unladylike but entirely appealing. She lay with her injured foot up, her eyes closed.
“We really should find a place for her to stay,” Araminta said to Mick.
“Already have done,” he said. “While you fetched her a proper dress from the dry goods shop, Solly and I went over to the local hotel. I booked a room. More of a large house than hotel, but at least there are no Calverson types about the place. I’m about fed up with them. Yourself excluded, of course.”
She grinned. “Of course. But why didn’t you simply allow her to go directly to the hotel?”
He picked up his memo book from New York. He frowned at it, trying to discern his own notes. “She said she’d much rather not. She went on about how she has to stay busy after she has one of her ‘adventures.’ She gets an attack of the nerves, I’d say. Besides, I need her here,” he said absently.
When they finished their copying, Mick helped Timona stand up, and they started towards the front door.
“Come on then, love, we want to drop off the package for the sheriff to pick up. Or is it the local prosecutor, we want, Tothman?”
Solly started a lecture about different municipalities’ methods of dealing with crime, when Mick held up a hand. “Never mind.”
He held open the door for Araminta. Then he smiled down at the woman holding his arm for support.
“And since we’re here, Timmy, will this do? Or did you want a grander wedding?”
“Oh, please. Yes, this will do,” she said. “Mick. This is perfect. And I don’t even give a- a damn whose turn it is to ask whom.”
“Now do you see?” he said to Araminta, an exultant grin plastered across his face, a smile so wide it almost hurt. “That is just why I needed to drag her along.”
He reached into the back pocket of his dusty trousers and pulled out a tattered piece of paper, the application for a marriage license.
Any strain from her discomfort vanished from Timona’s face as she beamed at Mick and then at Araminta. “Will you be my maid of honor, Araminta?”
“Ha. You understand that I would slay you if you asked any one else.”
Mick’s own blissfully happy smile diminished slightly as he eyed Solly. “I suppose you shall do as the other witness.”
“I’ll put that in the sry! God! Please let me be best man!”
Timona answered. “Yes, of course, Solly. The wedding, yes, and maybe some sinister hints of a plot, if you must. But you leave out all specific mention of the unfortunate mess with Mr. Blenheim and Mr. Taylor for now. We don’t want to run the risk those men might go free.”
“Timona, I remain your faithful correspondent. As long as I will get that too. I want the exclusive on it!”
Timona considered for a moment. “Yes, you get it, especially if you stay in town and chase off any of your wretched brethren, as you call reporters. Stay away from Papa and the compound, Solly, or I shan’t grant you an interview ever again.”
“Will I eventually get the photographs from the scene for the newspaper artists to copy? Promise? Cleaned up, naturally. You’ll look as lovely as usual, Timona. And only a bit disheveled!”
“You get it all,” Mick growled. “Now put a stop to your blabbering, lad. I wish to get married.”
Timona giggled and they made their slow, limping way toward the judge’s office, watched all the while by a disapproving clerk.
Chapter 29
 
After the short
ceremony, and a long conference with the deputy sheriff, Mick handed the second heavy package of evidence to Araminta.
“I trust you with the glass plates of Timmy, rather than handing them over to that ham-handed sheriff’s assistant.”
“Mick! I’ll hold them for you!” Solly exclaimed.
Mick merely gave him a long look, then turned back to Araminta.
He spoke in a low voice. ”You’ll be seeing Griffin before us. Could you give him this? If ’tis at all possible, could you explain how Timmy wants to use the regular, er, forces of law for this affair?
“It should even up the score, tell Calverson, since he cares about that sort of thing. And we’ll take a few days for ourselves Timmy and I. We will come back to fetch Eddy and face the music.
A Dhia
, Araminta! I didn’t even ask you. I hope you won’t mind if we leave Eddy with you?”
“Of course. I adore that boy. And it will be good for him to see that when you leave you come back. I shall give him your love.”
“Thanks for that.” Mick scratched at his unshaven chin. He hadn’t slept in a day or two. “Saints. I expect Griffin any minute. Ah well, if anyone can face up to the man, you can, Araminta. Tell him Timmy is not his responsibility now. She is mine. As I am hers.”
Timona, who’d been shaking the hands of municipal well-wishers, now leaned on Mick. She must have overhead the last few quiet sentences for she frowned up at him. “I think we should tell Griffin, Mick. Really. He won’t bite.”
“Yes, you are right,
a grhá
. ’Twasn’t cowardice on my part.” He grinned. “Eh, not entirely. More, I wondered could it wait. It can. So we tell him face-to-face.”
“No, please, I insist. Allow me to. Mick, Timona,” said Araminta. “It would be my pleasure to explain this to Mr. G. Calverson.”
Mick saw the meditative smile on her face and almost had it in his heart to feel sorry for Griffin. Araminta seemed to hold a special grudge against Timmy’s brother.
He forgot Griffin, he forgot everything when Timmy pulled on his arm.
He bent down so she could whisper in his ear. “Remember the first time you nursed me, Mick? I believe the best cure was lying in a bed in a room alone with you, for a month or two. Or at least a few days and nights. Might we find a room somewhere?”
He nodded and whispered. “We already have a room for just us. And this one has a very good bed indeed.”
They smiled at each other. She took a step towards him and grimaced. He swept her up into his arms. “Still as light as a bag of feathers,” he remarked to no one.
“This is so undignified,” she squeaked and tried to wriggle out of his grip, but he had a firm hold on her.
“Stop squirming, Mrs. McCann. D’ye wish me to sling ye over my shoulder as I did the first time I came upon you? . . . I thought not.”
He nodded to Araminta, Solly, the now-grinning clerk, and the others who stood in a semicircle, watching. Every worker in city hall seemed to have heard all about the strange events a few miles outside of town.
Mick overheard their muttering. Another Timona Calverson adventure. Right here in their small town.
Mick supposed the stationmaster couldn’t keep his mouth shut. He knew Solly couldn’t.
“So. Well, er. Good-bye, all,” Mick said to the group and strode towards the door.
Timmy wrapped her uninjured arm around his neck.
“I shall see you soon, Araminta,” she spoke over his shoulder.
“Not too soon, I hope,” said Araminta with a grin.
Timona smiled back. “Do not allow Griffin or Solly to be nuisances. No, don’t bother to look so amazed and hurt, Solly. I know you will be after Araminta to feed you. Just, please, leave Papa alone. Maybe he won’t even notice Mr. Blenheim is gone. If he does, he becomes your responsibility. Oh, and, Araminta, please don’t let anyone unload my photo equipment from the cart until Mr. Kendall returns.”
Mick nuzzled her ear and quietly growled, “Say your farewells.”
“Good-bye! And thank you, darling Araminta, for everything.”
The door creaked shut behind them.
Mick’s boots thudded on the wooden sidewalk as he carried her from the courthouse, along the main street, past the three storefronts, to the hotel at the end of the block.
The hotel’s bell clattered at their hurried entrance, bringing the startled hotel clerk to his feet. Mick nodded a brief hello and Timona grinned happily to the man. Botty raced after them.
“Welcome, Mr. McCann, oh, and Mrs. McCann,” the man said. “Er, I’m sorry but we don’t allow dogs in the best room.”
“He’ll stay in the hall,” Timona called over Mick’s shoulder as Mick bounded up the stairs, taking them two at a time.
Mick cursed under his breath as he tried to open the bedroom door, keep a firm clutch on her, and shove Botty into the hall.
Timona didn’t bother to stifle her giggle. “I can walk,” she pointed out.
Mick smiled down at her. “Ah. But I think it best if you save your strength for your cure.”
His face filled with tenderness and passion. Something in her chest twisted, and sweet heat spread and settled all the way down to her belly.
She remembered the night she’d met him and fallen in love with his friendly grin. Good thing she hadn’t seenhis face beaming with love, or she would have spontaneously combusted. A woman had to be acclimated to smiles this powerful.
In the room, he carefully shifted her from his arms onto the tall bed then hoisted himself up to stretch out next to her.
She had turned onto her side to face him when a thought struck her. “Oh, Mick! I forgot to ask Araminta to give Eddy a kiss from us. She’ll probably remember but what if—”
Mick stopped her words with a gentle but firm kiss. He ran his fingers through her hair, loosening it from the makeshift bun she’d made. He kissed her cheek, then nipped at her ear.
She frowned, wondering if she should have sent a comforting message to their child.
Mick must have sensed her distraction. She could hear the mix of passion and amusement in his whisper, “D’ye know what? Even with your poor arm and cracked head and my beauty of a black eye, this is a honeymoon. So give over worrying, my Timmy.”
Timona’s frown vanished. She pushed her face against the lovely dip where his throat met his collarbone and felt his pulse beat against her lips. It had been too long since she’d been alone with her Mick.
She gave over worrying.

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