A New Beginning (9 page)

Adam pressed his lips together for a moment, trying to hold back his anger. “And when they speak to you, what sorts of things do they say?”

Miss Caldwell glanced at the window, and Adam wondered if she would answer. “They comment on my . . . person, sir,” she said at length. “They asked if I had come to town to work at the saloon.”

Adam couldn’t contain himself any longer. He jumped up from his chair and began striding around the room. How could any man put a woman through such a thing? Accosting her on the street, questioning her moral fiber, making her fear for her safety, and then willfully trying to harm her? He stopped in the corner and took several deep breaths.

“And how are you now, Miss Caldwell?” he asked as mildly as he could.

“I’m all right, but shaken, sir.”

Adam returned to his desk and noticed that she still looked frightened. He didn’t suppose his angry reactions were helping any. “I’ll speak to the marshal about this,” he said. “You can tell me what these men look like?”

“Yes, I can. They’re very familiar to me by now.”

He blinked. “Just how long has this been going on?”

“Since the day I applied for work here, sir.”

Adam pounded one fist on the desk. “That’s been several days now. Why didn’t you say anything before?”

She lifted one shoulder, her eyes helpless. “I didn’t think it was your problem, sir.”

Adam stood up again. “Don’t you suppose that anything that troubles one of my employees is my problem?” He realized he was shouting and sat down again, trying to soften his tone. She certainly didn’t deserve his anger. “And don’t you suppose that as a decent man, I would hate to see a decent woman be treated in this way?”

She looked down at her hands again, and he noticed that she’d been ramrod straight this entire time. The poor girl was terrified—of what, he didn’t know. He prayed she wasn’t frightened of him—he wouldn’t be able to bear that. He came around the desk and took one knee in front of her, placing his hand on the armrest of her chair.

“Miss Caldwell, let us be friends. I would like you to feel as though you can come to me with any problem you might have, and I’ll do whatever I can to help you.”

She raised her eyes to meet his gaze. “Friends, sir?”

“Friends, Miss Caldwell. We will attack this situation together, and we shall conquer it. You must promise me, though, that you’ll tell me everything from now on. I can’t help you if I don’t know you need help.”

Her eyes flickered away from his, but then came back, clear and bright. “I would like that very much.”

“Good. I’m glad to hear it.” He stood. “I’ll go meet with the marshal now. Please write down a description of the two men on the paper I set on my desk.” As she reached for the pen, he added, “And Tom will pick you up in the mornings and escort you to your home each day.”

She came to her feet so quickly, she almost knocked over her chair. “Oh, no, sir. That’s not needed. I’m sure I’ll be fine.”

Adam was confused at her reaction, but he couldn’t allow her to have her way in this. “Miss Caldwell, your safety is the most important thing at this moment, and you cannot argue with me.”

She opened her mouth as if to say something else, but then clamped her lips together again. She gave a quick nod and then said, “Thank you.”

“Get to work on that description. I’ll tell Miss Hampton what’s going on—she must know, not only for your safety, but the safety of all the girls in the house.” He paused. “There’s no way for you to move into the hotel? Your house is hardly located in a safe place.”

“I can’t leave my mother, sir.”

Adam thought about that for a moment. There was an old caretaker’s cottage on the property, and he knew that Tom planned to fix it up. Perhaps . . . but he was moving too quickly. The first step would be to report the incident to the city marshal.

Miss Caldwell turned and handed him the sheet of paper. Her penmanship was neat and tight, evidence of good breeding and education. And yet she worked at a hotel—what circumstances had brought her here? Girls with her background usually married young and kept fine houses for their husbands. He was almost curious enough to ask her, but then his thoughts returned to the matter at hand.

“I’ll return in a bit. In the meantime, see what tasks my aunt has for you. I’ll speak to her on my way out.” Clutching the paper, he strode down the hallway, willing his anger to subside once again. These men would not get away with this.

* * *

As Adam walked toward the city marshal’s office, he kept alert for two men who matched the description Miss Caldwell had given him. He didn’t see anyone, but that was just as well—if he had seen them, he might have taken off after them himself, and he knew that the best thing would be to let the marshal handle it.

He explained the situation to Colonel Gordon in detail and handed over Miss Caldwell’s note.

“That’s a very curious thing,” Colonel Gordon said, nodding several times. “Very curious indeed.”

“What do you mean?” Adam asked.

“I just had a Mr. Wyatt Earp in here not two days ago looking for some men who match this description. He’s the deputy city marshal for the town of Wichita and has been traveling to surrounding towns, asking for help.”

“Just what are these men wanted for?”

Colonel Gordon scratched his head. “One of ’em, not sure which one, shot and killed a saloon keeper in Wichita. There was some kind of dustup about a card game, and things got a little heated. They’ve also got a history of being unkind to the ladies.”

Adam cursed under his breath. If these were the same men, Miss Caldwell might be in even more danger than he’d thought. “Do you know where Mr. Earp is now, what town he was visiting next? I’d like to talk this matter over with him.”

Colonel Gordon shook his head. “I don’t. We could send a telegram to his office in Wichita and tell him we might have more information for him, though. They’d know where to find him.”

Adam nodded. “I suppose that’s our best option at this point. Thank you, Colonel. In the meantime, will you help keep an eye out for these men? I now have five women under my care, and I don’t want anything else to happen to a single one of them.”

“Absolutely. I’ll call my men together immediately and get them on the lookout.”

Adam left the marshal’s office feeling completely frustrated. Colonel Gordon had been nothing but agreeable, but Adam wanted answers, a solution. He looked up and down the street again and decided to pay the saloon a quick visit. If these men were to be found in public, that was probably the most likely place.

He pushed through the swinging doors and was immediately met by a thick cloud of cigar smoke. He’d never picked up that habit—cigars reminded him of a detested great-uncle, and he’d never been tempted to try one for himself. As he glanced around, he noticed a few card games in progress, but the establishment was relatively quiet. It would most likely become busier later in the day and into the night.

He walked up to the bar and rested his foot on the brass rail that ran around the bottom of it. “Afternoon. May I speak with the owner, please?”

The bartender looked up from the glass he was polishing. “Who should I tell him has had the pleasure of calling?”

Adam bit back a smile at the man’s attempt to sound formal. “I’m Adam Brody. I bought the Garrison mansion down the street, and I’m converting it into a hotel.”

“I do believe we’ve heard of you, Mr. Brody. I’ll go get Tim Barton. He owns this place.” The bartender set down the glass and flipped his towel over his shoulder before walking into a back room. Adam looked at the glass without picking it up. For all the polishing it was getting, it didn’t look very clean.

A portly gentleman in a striped vest came from the back room and held out his hand toward Adam. “Mr. Brody, it’s a pleasure to meet you. I’ve heard nothing but fine things about you since you arrived in town . . . when was that, again?”

“I’ve been in Topeka about six months, sir. The pleasure is all mine.” Adam shook the offered hand, noting how fleshy it felt.

“I’ve been meaning to pay you a visit.” Mr. Barton gestured toward a table near the bar, and Adam took a seat. Mr. Barton lowered himself into a chair just opposite him and unbuttoned his vest. “Tell me a little bit about your hotel.”

“Our aim is to serve the travelers on the railroad. We’ll have hot meals ready for them when the train pulls into the station, and if they need a place to spend the night, why, we’ll have those ready for them as well. We realize we aren’t the only hotel in town, but we hope to serve the railroad specifically, and the town too, if they have a need.”

Mr. Barton nodded. “And . . . entertainment?”

Adam understood the concern. “We aren’t in the entertainment industry, Mr. Barton. A hot meal and a clean bed are all we aim to provide. If any of our guests are in the mood for a card game or some other diversion, we’ll send them down your way.”

Mr. Barton nodded. “And likewise, I imagine I could send some of my customers up for a meal from time to time.” He leaned back in his chair and wove his fingers together across his stomach. “What brings you by today, Mr. Brody? Can I offer you a drink? On the house, of course.”

“No, thank you. I’m here on somewhat urgent business, not pleasure, I’m afraid. One of my female employees has been targeted by two men who have been hanging around town, most often near your saloon. One is tall and dark, with a drooping mustache, and wears a gun holster slung low around his hips. The other is shorter, also dark, with a fairly large nose. Both men wear shabby clothes, and their boots are nearly worn through the toes.”

“That’s quite a detailed description,” Mr. Barton commented.

“My employee takes notice of things.”

Mr. Barton looked thoughtful. “I think I might have seen those two men. I did spot a couple of fellows like that out front several times over the last week. I tend to pay more attention to the looks of the ladies, myself.” He chortled. “I haven’t seen the men today, though.”

“Would you please let Colonel Gordon know if you do see them? They’re wanted men—they killed someone in Wichita. In fact, it was a saloon keeper.” Adam didn’t know if this last bit of information would make Mr. Barton more or less likely to help him, but it couldn’t hurt.

Mr. Barton laughed. “I’d best be on my toes, then. Yes, Mr. Brody, I’ll be sure to let the colonel know. I’m not any more eager than the next man to see our town get overrun by outlaws.”

Adam rose and shook Mr. Barton’s hand again. “I appreciate it, and I’m glad we had a chance to meet. Maybe one of these days, when I have a little more time, I’ll come back and have that drink.”

“Any time. You’re always welcome.”

As Adam left the establishment, he caught sight of one of the saloon girls as she came downstairs from an upper level. She waggled her fingers at him, but he did nothing more than tip his hat and walk back out through the swinging doors. He couldn’t help but wonder what had brought her to such a life—had she been orphaned? Left penniless by the death of a husband? He felt compassion for her, even though he had no desire to spend time with her.

Then his thoughts went to Elizabeth—er, Miss Caldwell, rather. How those men could even insinuate that she would ever take a job at the saloon? His anger boiled up inside him again, and he made a decision. He would visit every business along this street and make everyone aware of what had taken place. Miss Caldwell, and every other woman in town, deserved to feel safe.

Chapter Twelve

Elizabeth sat on Jeanette’s bed up in the ladies’ dormitory, telling her story to her three enraptured friends.

“You must have been frightened out of your wits,” Harriet said, grabbing Elizabeth’s arm. “I probably would have fainted on the spot.”

Elizabeth smiled. “No, I don’t think so. You would have hopped off the horse, driven the nail back in by the sheer force of your will, and then blasted those men across the fields and into the nearest river.”

“I don’t know about that,” Harriet protested.

“You’ve certainly got Tom White afraid of you,” Abigail inserted, and everyone nodded.

Harriet pressed her lips together, trying to hide a smile, but Elizabeth could see it twitching at the corners of her mouth. “All right, perhaps I am a bit of a handful. But I still don’t know how Elizabeth managed to be so brave.”

Elizabeth shrugged. She didn’t know how to answer that question—it had all happened so fast, and she hadn’t given any thought whatsoever to what she should do. “I’d better go. Tom’s going to give me a ride home, and I’m sure he’s waiting.”

“Just watch yourself with him,” Harriet warned. “He just may be the biggest danger around this place.”

“I’m positive I’ll be just fine,” Elizabeth said, telling everyone good night. She shook her head as she went down the stairs to the second floor. Harriet and Tom would have to make peace eventually or things would never run smoothly at this hotel.

* * *

Elizabeth slid off the back of Tom’s horse, Ginny, and smiled up at Tom. “Thank you for the ride. I’m sorry for taking you away from your tasks.”

Tom grinned. “You gave me the chance to get away from Miss Martin for a few minutes. I tell you, those eyes of hers are like daggers in my back. One little smooch on the cheek and she thinks I’m the devil himself. Anytime you need a ride, day or night, just let me know. And I’ll be here early in the morning to fetch you as well.”

Elizabeth rested her hand on the saddle horn. “I’m very grateful that you’d do this for me, Tom. Have a good evening, and I’ll see you tomorrow.”

He gave her a friendly nod and remained outside until she had bolted the door. Then he wheeled the horse and rode back the way he’d come. Elizabeth watched him go through the window, a smile on her face. Harriet had been very hard on him—that was to be sure. Maybe with a little more time, the whole incident would blow over. Then she chuckled. With Harriet’s temper, it would take more than time.

“Was that a man I just saw riding away from the house?” Agatha asked.

Elizabeth sighed. She hated to tell her mother what had happened, but she knew that she couldn’t keep it to herself. The safety of her family was her first priority. She turned, took Rose from her mother’s arms, inhaled her baby’s sweet scent, and then said, “Come over to the fire with me, Mother. I need to tell you something.”