Undaunted Love (PART TWO): Banished Saga, Book 3.5 (15 page)

“Good riddance!” she shrieked at my back. “If I never again see the likes of such malicious people who were supposed to be my family, it will be too soon.”

“Save your tears for someone who actually believes your theatrics,” Colin said as he followed me out the door. We walked up the stairs to the third floor, noting the furniture becoming more sparse in the hallway as we left the public areas. The wallpaper had bright patches, highlighting where pictures used to hang.

“Col?” I asked.

“I have a bad feeling about what’s going on. Let’s find Melly.”

We reached her door and pushed it open. She sat in a corner, playing silently with a rag doll. She turned toward the door with wide, fearful eyes that became curious as we entered. I moved toward her, sitting on the floor next to her to be more at her eye level. Colin pulled over a small chair, his knees near his shoulders, looking ridiculous.

I giggled. “Col, you look a buffoon.”

He winked at Melly. “I know.” He watched her with serious eyes. “We’re your brother and sister, Melinda. I’m Colin, and she’s Clarissa. I doubt you remember us, as we left a long time ago. But we’ve never forgotten you and wanted to visit you when we were home.”

She watched us wide-eyed, glancing from Colin to me, but not speaking. “Do you think she can speak, Col?”

He shrugged his shoulders in response and pulled out a wrapped present from his pocket. “We know you just celebrated your second birthday the end of November and wanted to bring you a present.”

“Present?” she whispered in a childish lisp, reaching out to touch the box before grabbing her hand back.

“It’s all right,” I said, softly touching her arm. She pulled her arm away from me, although she sat in the same place. “Here. Open it, Melly.”

She bit her lip, tracing the paper and pink ribbon. I nodded encouragingly, and she smiled shyly. When she pulled off the pink ribbon, she tried to pull the paper away, little by little.

“No, Melly. Like this,” Colin said as he ripped the paper and made a loud tearing sound.

She shook her head with her eyes going round. She darted a glance toward the door and whispered, “No noise. No noise!”

I frowned, reaching out to rub my hand down her head and over her shoulders, while sharing a worried glance with Colin. “A little noise is all right, Melly,” I whispered. “Let’s see what the box holds.”

She leaned forward, pulling off the lid and clapped her hands together without making any sound. As she bounced in place in excitement, I helped her pull out the small porcelain doll. “We thought you might like this. I had a similar doll when I was your age,” I said.

She turned eyes filled with wonder and delight to Colin and then me. “Mine?”

I blinked away tears as I nodded and again stroked her head. “Of course. You are our sister. Although we haven’t seen you since you were a baby, we wanted you to know we miss you and love you.”

She smiled, and it looked like she was giggling, but again she made no noise. She traced her doll’s dress, and I picked up her rag doll. Soon we were having a doll tea party. Although my greatest desire was to make a racket, I knew that would not help Melinda, as she was trapped in this house.

I turned as the door opened, and Bridget entered. “It’s time for the little miss to prepare for dinner. You are asked to leave.”

I watched all the joy and spirit leave Melinda at these words. “We’ll try to come back,” I whispered. She nodded, staring at the floor, her rag doll clutched to her.

I leaned forward, kissing the top of her head. “Take good care of yourself, darling sister.”

Colin ruffled her hair and then followed me out the door. We descended the stairs and exited onto the front steps. “We have to see her again,” Colin said with thinly veiled anger. “She shouldn’t be living like that.”

“I know, Col. We have to do what we can, although I don’t know as there’s much to be done. We won’t be here that long. It’s already the beginning of December, and I want to be in Missoula with Gabriel for Christmas.”

We walked toward Sophie’s, worrying about Melly, and what we could do from Missoula. “As to that, Rissa, I think I’ll stay here for a bit to help Richard run the forge. I’d like to work with him, and I need to do this before returning to Montana.”

“But you will return?” I asked, unable to hide my anxiety.

“That’s my plan.”

I frowned, because I knew how quickly plans changed, especially for Sullivans.

“Come. You need to focus on your meeting tomorrow with Cameron,” Colin said. I shivered, and all thoughts of Melinda fled as fear and trepidation filled me.

CHAPTER 13

I ENTERED THE TEA SHOP and glanced around. Nearly every table was filled, and waiters scurried from table to table, carrying empty plates, teapots or heavy platters of sandwiches. The dark wood paneling, high coffered ceilings and orbed light fixtures lent the room a European feel. I saw Florence seated at a table next to Cameron, fiddling with a camera, acting the part of a vapid society matron. I bit back a nervous smile as I approached Cameron and avoided glancing in Florence’s direction. The seat open to me was the one that put my back to Florence, allowing Florence to have a decent view of Cameron.

“You’ve finally seen reason and decided I am your better option,” Cameron said. He asked the waiter to bring tea for me and coffee for him. “I was most gratified when I received your note.”

“I wasn’t certain where to send it as I did not know where you are staying.”

“My mother passes along any messages she deems important.” Cameron clasped my hand, and I hoped he failed to note my instinctive flinch at his touch.

I nodded at the waiter as our tea, coffee and cakes were delivered. I prepared my cup, tapping the spoon with such agitated force I worried I’d chip the fine china. “How did you do it?”

“Ah, you are curious about the most inconsequential details. All that should matter to you is that I’m adroit enough to escape the net of one such as Mrs. Bouchard.”

“And turn a profit.” I heard a clicking sound behind me and hoped Florence was taking photos.

“You wouldn’t think I’d return a pauper? My family was in need of funds.”

“And the poor man you killed?” I asked.

“I shouldn’t think he would have survived the winter, what with the amount he drank every day. He would most likely have died of exposure at some point.” Cameron grinned, appearing satisfied with himself. “I’d always thought that Sebastian Carlin was too honorable for his own good. And then, when he entered the mill in an attempt to save who he thought was me, it was perfect.”

“Why?” I asked with a bright smile. I leaned forward, loosening my hand from beneath his and stroking the top of his hand. His eyes flared, and I had to battle my inherent fear at being near him.

“Because he left his office and I had easy access to the safe. Just that week, Mr. Bouchard had given me the combination to it. I couldn’t have found a better way to distract the people of the mill and have access to the mill’s safe.”

“You killed a man and intentionally ruined the reputation of another.”

Cameron shrugged. “It allowed me to come home. Not as triumphantly had we married.”

“Had you obtained my dowry.” I was unable to hide the bitterness from my voice.

“Of course. It’s why men like me would ever be interested in women from your class.” He studied me. “I would have kept you in much better style than that laborer. Look at what he’s made you. A frumpy woman in last year’s style, with little to no hope of betterment. It’s rather pathetic.”

“You’re pathetic,” I said as I leaned away from him and gripped my hands together on my lap. “You who think that the pursuit of money at any cost will bring you happiness. I loathe you.”

“Think what you will, Clarissa, but I’m here, sitting in a tea shop with you rather than rotting in some jail in Missoula.”

“As I told Jonas, you too will receive what you deserve, and when you do, no one will come to your aid,” I hissed. I rose, bumping the table and sloshing the tea and coffee, spilling a bit of both onto his suit. At his hiss of displeasure, I smiled with bitter satisfaction. “All you hold dear is nothing but a mirage, and someday you’ll rue the time you’ve wasted.”

I marched out of the tea shop without a backward glance.

***

FOUR DAYS LATER we gathered again in Sophie’s sitting room. I waited for Florence and Richard to arrive, as they were coming with the developed pictures. Jeremy and Savannah were already present, seated on the settee. Colin paced in front of the fireplace while Sophie and I sat next to each other in matching lady’s chairs.

“Florence, show us the pictures,” Sophie demanded as a breathless Florence entered the sitting room. “Once you are settled,” Sophie amended, taking in Florence’s flushed face and labored movement.

Florence eased herself into a chair and took a few moments to calm her breathing. She smiled in gratitude at the proffered cup of tea from Savannah, taking a small sip as she relaxed fully. Richard stood beside her. He fidgeted from foot to foot and waved away the offer of a chair.

“I’m afraid not many are any good. They’re very grainy. However, I do have a decent one, when he is leaning in.” She extracted the photos from a brown paper wrapping and handed the top one to me. I blanched as I stared at it. In it, Cameron was staring at me intently, holding my hand.

I handed the picture to Sophie. “Well, this looks a bit … intimate,” she said as she raised quizzical aquamarine eyes to me.

I flushed and lowered my gaze.

Richard stopped fidgeting and placed a hand on Florence’s shoulder. “Care to tell us what was going on in that?” Richard demanded.

I flinched at his cold tone.

Colin walked behind the settee and he, Savannah and Jeremy looked at the picture at the same time. Jeremy glared at Richard. “Are you all right, Rissa? I know it couldn’t have been easy for you to be near him, and, to have him act like he was, it must have been difficult.”

I let out a pent-up breath of air on a gasp. “Thank you, Jeremy.” I rubbed at my temples. “It was awful to be so close to him. To be expected to act like I was interested in him.”

“He’s a fool to ever think you would be,” Colin said.

“I think he thought I’d want him now. Now that I was away from Montana and Gabriel,” I whispered. “That I’d come to realize all I was missing by living there.”

“The only problem with the photo is it doesn’t show the newspaper. We can’t date him,” Sophie said.

Colin cleared his throat and spoke. “Well, I’d heard all the trouble Sav’s been having with the newspapermen here, so I thought I’d visit one of the more intrepid ones. He seemed intrigued by the story I spun, and wanted to come and witness what occurred. Didn’t seem to believe what I could be saying was true.”

“Why would you do such a thing without discussing it with all of us?” Sophie asked, her eyes flashing.

“The idea didn’t come to me until early on the morning Rissa was to meet with Cameron. I also knew that a picture of Cameron alive wasn’t going to condemn him and exonerate Seb.”

“So you took it upon yourself to meddle with our plan?” Sophie asked.

“Yes.” Colin matched her steely glare.

“Good. I always knew that boy would be hard to trap. I’m glad you had the initiative to turn our bad plan into a better one.” Sophie cackled and the tension in the room dissipated.

“What did he say, Col, afterward?” I asked.

“Did you not see a man sitting near you, writing?” Colin asked.

“I … no,” I said. “I was focused on getting through this. On what Cameron would or wouldn’t do. I had no ability to be aware of anything else. If I hadn’t seen Florence on the way in, I would have thought she’d forgotten about the entire thing.”

“Well, as it turns out, he heard everything you spoke of. Thought it fascinating. Plans on writing an exposé in an upcoming article, after he writes the newspaper people in Missoula.”

“He only has our word that the man I met was Cameron,” I said.

“No, there were others there who recognized him. Cameron’s not worried about being seen for who he is here. Thinks Montana is a backwater and that he’ll not be brought to justice.” Colin smiled triumphantly.

“Thank you, Col,” I said. “Thank you, everyone.” I took a deep breath. “Now I can return to Montana, knowing that this is as resolved as it can be.”

“Rissa!” Savannah cried. “I thought you’d remain here for a longer visit.”

“I’d hoped you’d stay until the baby’s born,” Florence said as she patted her stomach.

I shook my head. “No, I need to return. Although there is always more that I would like to do, such as visit my sister Melinda again, I must travel home. I promised Gabriel we wouldn’t spend another Christmas apart after the Christmas when he lived in Butte. I need to return now so we can prepare for our second Christmas together.” I blushed at Sophie’s satisfied smirk.

CHAPTER 14

Montana, December 1902

I STOOD ON THE PLATFORM at the Northern Pacific train depot, watching as the crowd thinned. Unlike my arrival in June last year, a breathless Gabriel did not appear. I smiled at the porter, handing him the tags to my trunks and explained where they were to be delivered.