Texas Rose TH2 (14 page)

He was doing it again. He was smiling and being charming and Evie wanted to touch his hand and feel him touch her. On the brink of a discovery she had sought all her life, she was as nervous as a mama cat. But reassurance wasn't what he meant to offer.

Steeling herself, Evie drew her back up straight. "It isn't proper for us to linger here like this. The whole town will be talking, and I won't get that job as schoolteacher. If this takes too long, I might very well need the money. Let me know when Daniel returns. We can talk then."

Tyler made a slight bow of acquiescence and moved out of her way. "I'm looking forward to it. And Evie?"

She halted in closing the door on him and gave him a questioning look.

Tyler smiled. "Wear something blue tomorrow, will you? That blue sash looks real good on you."

Her eyes widened, and then realizing what he was doing, Evie shut the door in his face. She heard his chuckle as he walked off, and she wanted to throw and smash things, but that would only give her away. Tyler had years more experience at charming the opposite sex than she did. She would have to learn from him if they were to work together.

But those very sensible thoughts didn't keep her body from tingling in unexpected places as she imagined what it could be like if she let Tyler Monteigne charm her into his arms again. Not his bed. She hadn't liked that. Just his arms. She wanted his mouth on hers, and she wanted to know that he wanted the same thing. But then, he wanted that with any woman he saw.

Cursing to herself, Evie went to the window and watched as Tyler stepped down from the hotel veranda and headed for the cafe. He was going to go get Daniel and Ben and eventually drag the story out of her. She wasn't at all certain that she was prepared to give it to him. Would Tyler's eyes light quite so nicely when he discovered she was a bastard instead of a lady?

She watched as the sheriff intercepted Tyler's determined path. She breathed a sigh of relief as the two men wandered back to the sheriff's office. Maybe they would get caught up in men's talk and leave her alone. There was time to look into a few things on her own.

Chin set in determination, Evie consulted the distorted hotel mirror, adjusted her hat, found her gloves, and set out on her own.

By the time she returned, Daniel was sprawled across her bed reading a book, waiting for her. She kept her expression carefully blank, but he still worriedly set the book aside.

"I thought you were with Tyler," he accused.

Evie removed her hat and lay it upon the dresser. "All this time? Shame on you."

"You went looking for that lawyer, didn't you?" His eyes widened. "You didn't try talking to him yet, did you?"

"He wasn't there." Evie sat down on the padded seat of a wooden chair and began to unbutton her gloves.

"It's kind of late in the day. I suppose he went home. But you found his office, didn't you? We can go back tomorrow."

"He won't be back tomorrow." Evie peeled off the gloves and examined a chipped fingernail. Perhaps she ought to cut her nails back. It was hard to write on a chalkboard without scratching them against it.

"What do you mean he won't be back tomorrow? Is he dead?" Daniel sat up and stared at her with horror.

That summoned a small smile. "I certainly hope not. After coming all this way, it would be terrible if he were, wouldn't it? I hadn't thought of that. But he's not dead. He's just away on business. They don't expect him back for weeks, maybe months. It's just so terribly disappointing to come so far to sit and wait."

Daniel didn't exactly express relief. "Months? I don't think our funds will hold out for months. Pecos gave us as much for our help in that game as he's charged us, but even so, this hotel isn't cheap, and neither is food. What happens if our families find out that Nanny is dead and they stop sending our monthly allotments?"

"I've thought about that. Knowing Nanny, I should think she must have sent them some report on how we fared, so the chances are very likely they'll get nervous if they don't hear from her. On the other hand, since they didn't want anything to do with us, just cashing their checks might be enough notice. If we keep on forging her signature, they might never know. But we can't take that chance."

Daniel waited for the inspiration she always provided.

Evie smiled at his loyalty. "I'm going to get that job as schoolteacher. I found out who to apply to, and I'm going there tomorrow. I'm sure the pay will be very small, but we don't need more clothes. You know that. And surely they'll pay enough for room and board. We'll just have to find a less expensive place to stay than this hotel."

Daniel's face reflected his misgivings. "We can't keep paying Pecos for months. What if the lawyer won't tell you anything?"

Evie shrugged. "Tyler resigned. I can't imagine what he could do in any case." Her eyes brightened. "Maybe you could get a job in the lawyer's office as his clerk! We wouldn't even have to tell him who I am that way. You could go through his files and find out everything. I'm certain there's more money where my checks come from. Maybe we can get our hands on some of that, and then we can go looking for my parents on our own."

"That's probably about the craziest thing you've ever dreamed up." Daniel collapsed against the pillows he had propped against the wall. "The chances of anybody hiring me are about nil. I imagine a law clerk has to run all over town doing errands and things. If I thought I could do that, I'd hire on at the newspaper. I've always wanted to work on a newspaper."

"Have you really?" Evie contemplated that idea for a while, her head cocked at a thoughtful angle. "Well, I don't see any reason why you shouldn't. Tomorrow, we'll set out to become self-supporting workers. We're quite old enough now to be on our own anyway."

Evie frowned at a thumping on the door. She sent Daniel a thoughtful glance, then nonchalantly began to file her nails as she called for their visitor to come in.

Tyler entered, hat in hand. He glanced at Daniel lounging across the bed, then to Evie sitting innocently in the corner making herself beautiful. He wasn't entirely fooled by her display. Many women were so vain that they thought of nothing but themselves. This one had too devious a mind for that.

"The sheriff's posse just returned. They didn't find any trace of the thieves. I told him I'd go back out with them tomorrow. If we're having that little talk, it had best be tonight."

Evie set her file aside and made a graceful gesture at the other chair in the room. "Won't you have a seat, Mr. Monteigne? That's mighty kind of you to offer your services to the local sheriff. I do trust he isn't expecting you to single-handedly catch the outlaws, is he? He seems to be under the impression that you are someone that you aren't."

Tyler sent Daniel another look. The boy still believed he was his hero, Pecos Martin. And it looked like the sheriff had read the same silly novels. He could guess where the sheriff had got the notion.

Shrugging, he set his hat on the table and crossed his legs. "I know how to shoot a gun as well as the next man, I reckon. Southerners learn to shoot and ride before they can walk. Don't worry your pretty little head about me, Miss Peyton."

Evie smiled and batted her eyelashes and pretended to be the simpering idiot he was playing up to. "Why, Mr. Monteigne, how could I not? I'll say a prayer for you tonight before I go to bed."

"You do that." Tyler sent her a smoldering look that spoke of what he would prefer she do in that bed, but he played the part of gallant for the boy's sake. "Now, you were going to tell me how I could help you here in Mineral Springs."

"I thought Evie said..."

Evie sent Daniel a quenching look and looked regretful. "I'm afraid you won't be able to help, after all, Mr. Monteigne. It appears we'll have to stay here for some little while, and we wouldn't wish to delay your return to Natchez."

Tyler swept his frock coat back and shoved his hands in his trouser pockets as he considered the evasive little witch across from him. He had no reason to demand that she assuage his curiosity other than that she had dragged him all the way out here and he wanted to know why.

But he was damned tired of hearing her lies, and he could tell by the set expression on her face that was all he was going to get right now.

So he rolled his shoulders and shrugged. "I'm not planning on returning to Natchez anytime soon. There's no profit in reaching a new territory without exploring it first. I mean to look into a few business enterprises while I'm here. You just let me know if I can be of any help, you hear?"

She smiled sweetly in mocking reply. "Why, of course, Mr. Monteigne, I wouldn't hear of anything else. Now you take care tomorrow, won't you?"

Tyler slowly unfolded himself from the chair and rested his hand on the doorknob. His gaze fell on the lovely bird of paradise perched on the worn bedroom chair, then flickered in the direction of the boy on the bed. Daniel was tense and upset, but he was keeping his mouth shut.

Tyler nodded at the kid. "You tell me when your sister gets herself in too deep. And if there's anything else you want to tell me, I'll be keeping rooms here for a while. You just come find me."

Daniel looked relieved. Satisfied, Tyler bowed farewell and walked out.

Evie kicked the washstand. "Who does he think he is? I didn't hire him for a nanny. Why doesn't he just go away and leave us alone?"

Daniel sent his "sister" a look of curiosity and raised himself from the bed. "I don't know what you've got against the man, Ev. He's only trying to help. Maybe he could be looking around for you while he's here. It's a lot easier for a man to snoop and ask questions than for a lady."

"Don't be ridiculous." Evie rose and helped Daniel find his cane. She wasn't at all certain that she liked the idea of sleeping in a strange hotel room without Daniel nearby, but she supposed if they were going to stay here, she was going to have to get used to the idea. They had shared rooms when they were little, and it had seemed natural enough when they started out on this journey, but Daniel was close to being a grown man now. She couldn't continue to pretend he was a little boy. "I'm perfectly capable of asking all the questions I need."

Daniel took the cane and limped to the door. "And getting your nose bit off doing so. Let's just wait until that lawyer gets back. It could all be very simple."

Evie didn't think so, but she let Daniel leave with her reassurances. Nothing was ever simple in her experience, and Tyler Monteigne's decision to stay in Mineral Springs was only just one example.

Closing the door after Daniel and staring at her empty room, she tried not to think of how Tyler had looked when he sat in that chair, or the way his eyes had all but undressed her. She knew why he had stayed all right. A man like Tyler couldn't stand rejection.

Like a dog after 'coon, he had his nose to the scent—and she was his prey.

Chapter 11

Evie clasped her gloved hands in the lap of her blue serge skirt. She hadn't worn blue for Tyler's benefit. This just happened to be the most schoolmarmish outfit she could find. And it seemed to be working very well. She smiled meekly for the benefit of the stout, graying man across the desk from her.

"I had references from the school where I taught in St. Louis, but they were lost in the confusion of the robbery. I can give you their address, and you are free to confirm them." She spoke with just enough soft Southern charm that she would be believed without making her seem like a meek-mannered Milquetoast who couldn't handle a schoolroom full of children.

The man across from her folded his hands over his ample belly. He wore a gold watch chain across his vest, but he hadn't consulted his watch as yet. Evie thought that might be a point in her favor.

"I understand you arrived here in the company of a gunslinger, Mrs. Peyton." Disapproval rippled through him as he spoke these words.

Evie widened her eyes and touched a gloved hand to the discreet cameo at her throat. "A gunslinger?"

The school board chairman shifted uncomfortably in his wooden chair. "I wasn't born yesterday, Mrs. Peyton. My brother Alan is the sheriff here. He told me you rode in with Pecos Martin."

Evie scrambled for the man's name. Powell. He'd said his name was Powell. And the sheriff was Alan Powell. She was going to have to remember that this was a small town and everybody was related to everybody else. She gave a small smile that should indicate something vaguely embarrassing but amusing.