Brides of Arizona, page 25
“Luisa is here for a fitting. I’m making a dress for her and one for her mother. They want them done by next week. I also have to finish Mrs. Monroy’s dress. She’s talking about ordering another.”
“Sounds like you’re getting busy.”
Kathleen’s sewing business was taking off. He knew she would feel better about herself if she were able to make her own way in the world.
“The ladies here are very excited about getting the newest styles. Mrs. Monroy says they sometimes don’t see the catalogs for two years after they’ve come out. I brought some with me, so several of the women in town have taken to dropping by and looking at the patterns.”
Quinn mumbled something he hoped was appropriate. He couldn’t understand women’s fascination with fashion. Who cared whether you had the latest design or not? As long as the clothes fit and wore for a good length of time, what more did a person need?
“I’m told there are a couple of freighters in town who might be able to get me materials if I order by the bolt. Do you know them?”
“Of course.” Quinn frowned, trying to decide who would be more likely to fill Kathleen’s order. “Pinkney Tully and Estevan Ochoa would be the ones to talk to. Charles Lord and Wheeler Williams do freighting, but theirs is mostly government contracts. They haul in a lot of the lumber and outfitting for the new fort.”
“Then I’ll seek out Mr. Tully and Mr. Ochoa tomorrow morning.” Kathleen folded her hands in front of her.
“Are you ready for our outing?” Quinn didn’t want to be rude, but he could picture some dog wandering down the street and smelling that basket full of chicken. There would go the lunch his stomach was calling for.
“Oh, the picnic.” Kathleen’s hands crossed over her breast. “I’m not at all ready to go. In fact, with all the work I’ve just been given, I don’t know how I can get away right now.” She pursed her lips as if she were thinking. Her hands clapped. “I know. You can take Luisa with you. That food shouldn’t be wasted. Luisa, are you free to go?”
At the Mexican girl’s bright smile and nod, Quinn knew he’d been set up again.
Chapter 11
The last leg of chicken sat like a rock in the pit of Quinn’s stomach. He glanced at the sweets Luisa popped into her mouth with great abandon and almost groaned. With maturity, Luisa would make some man a wonderful wife. Right now, she couldn’t seem to think beyond the next meal to fix or the next dress to purchase.
“I just adore pink. Don’t you, Deputy Kirby?” Luisa batted her impossible eyelashes and gave him a coquettish smile. “I believe I’ll have Kathleen make me a gown of bright pink for next summer. With winter approaching, I prefer darker colors. Perhaps a red or even a burgundy. One with plenty of those fashionable satin ruffles. What do you think, Deputy?”
“I’m sure the young men will enjoy them. You’ll be the belle at the next fandango for sure.”
Luisa moved closer, careful not to leave the shade of the huge mesquite tree they rested under. “But what about you, Deputy? Will you enjoy seeing me in those dresses?”
Quinn tugged on the collar of his shirt. Glancing at the sun, he saw they hadn’t been here nearly as long as it felt like. “I’m sure you’ll be beautiful in any color, Miss Espinosa.” He began to gather the food. “I hate to end the fun we’re having, but I need to meet the evening stage.”
Luisa laughed, a high-pitched giggle that grated like Patty McGregor’s nails on the blackboard. “We have plenty of time, Quinn. You don’t mind if I call you by your given name, do you?” He stared, speechless, and she continued. “The stage won’t be in town for another two hours. That gives us the chance for a little stroll along the river.” She simpered, “We have to do something after that delicious meal, don’t we?”
Quinn rose and gave Luisa a helping hand up, trying to keep his disgust from showing. Kathleen would hear about this. He thought his plan to pretend to be a Christian was foolproof and she would fall for him in a minute. There must be some other obstacle to deal with before she would succumb. Gritting his teeth as Luisa sidled close and clung to his arm, he determined to discover the problem between him and Kathleen. He would let her know in no uncertain terms he wasn’t looking for anyone else.
For another thirty minutes, he endured Luisa’s chatter about clothing, styles, and colors. She talked about the fandango, how many boys she’d danced with, and how she would rather dance with him than any of them. Once she even knocked his hat into the river with her parasol. He had to clamber down the bank, soaking his best pair of boots in the process. All in all, his mood was foul and getting worse by the minute.
A steady drum of hoofbeats thundered on the road. Quinn peered toward town and saw a rider racing for them. Ed Fish pulled his big roan to a stop, scattering sand over Quinn’s damp boots.
“Quinn, you got to hurry.” The tall man was breathless with excitement.
Grabbing the reins of the prancing horse, dread raced through Quinn. He was Tucson’s protector. What happened while he was out here wasting time?
“What is it, Ed?”
“One of Lord and Williams’s wagons just pulled into town. They got attacked by Apaches and lost most of the men and all of the rigs but this one. Lord and Williams are in a bind. Those wagons carried all the supplies for the officers’ housing in the new fort. The cavalry is being notified. They want to get a detachment ready to see what they can salvage.”
Ed’s horse pranced sideways, as if it sensed the excitement of the news. “The townspeople are riled up. They’re talking about a posse. William Oury’s trying to stir up trouble again.”
“Ed, will you escort Miss Espinosa home for me? I’ll take your horse.” Quinn gestured downriver. “Our things and the buggy are in that stand of trees just down a ways. Luisa can show you.”
Swinging down, Ed nodded to Luisa and offered her his arm. Quinn made his apologies and swung up onto the tall roan. As he raced away, guilt began to eat at him. He shouldn’t feel so relieved when a tragedy was the reason he’d escaped such an uncomfortable situation. Never again would he escort Luisa Espinosa anywhere.
A crowd of angry men surrounded the remaining Lord and Williams freight wagon as it stood in the street outside Doc Meyer’s drugstore. The team of horses was being unhitched. Their heads hung low. Looking at them, Quinn wondered if they’d even make it to the livery where Lord and Williams kept their stock.
Without dismounting, Quinn faced the angry townsmen. “Boys, I want you to go home. I’ll look into this matter, as will Lieutenant Sullivan from Fort Lowell. We’ll get this resolved. If we need to deputize some of you to help out, we’ll be letting you know.”
“What about the woman?” one of the men shouted.
Quinn glanced around. “What woman?”
“The one who was injured.” Manuel spoke up from the front of the crowd. “Doc Meyer has her inside, trying to fix her up.”
“I didn’t know a passenger was with the freight wagons.” Quinn was puzzled. How had a lady come to be with the Lord and Williams party? “I still want you gentlemen to return to your work or homes. I’ll check in with Doc Meyer. We’ll make an announcement about what happened as soon as we know. You might watch for the article in the Citizen. I’m sure John will be reporting on this.”
Grumbling and talking among themselves, the crowd broke into small groups and headed in different directions. A sigh of relief escaped Quinn. He could see William Oury glaring at him as the big man stalked off, surrounded by a few of his cronies. Quinn didn’t want trouble. This would be a matter for the cavalry, and Conlon would be the one to get things going.
The door of the drugstore creaked as he stepped inside. He blinked, giving his eyes a moment to adjust to the dim interior before he moved toward the rooms where Doc Meyer saw patients. Usually, Charles Lord took care of the serious injuries, having been a physician in the Civil War, but he’d traveled east to make arrangements for more government contracts. When Dr. Lord wasn’t in town, everyone’s welfare fell to Charles Meyer.
Low voices spoke in hushed tones as Quinn entered the room. Conlon stood on one side of an examining table and Doc Meyer on the other side. A young woman lay between them, her face waxy, her appearance disheveled. She seemed to be unconscious. Blood soaked the right side of her dress from the shoulder to the waist. Doc Meyer was in the process of cutting away the sleeve and shoulder of her dress.
“Afternoon, Conlon, Doc. Who’s this?”
Conlon’s smile looked more like a grimace of pain as he glanced up at Quinn. Doc Meyer kept working.
“We’re not sure who she is.” Conlon’s words were so soft; Quinn had to step closer to hear. “The driver said she talked to the head man about riding along with the train for safety purposes. He said she kept to herself, and he hadn’t even heard where she was headed for sure. She had a traveling companion—a younger woman who appeared to be a servant. The servant died in the attack.
The men working with the train were told to stay away from her and her companion.” The three men studied the silent form as Doc exposed the wounded shoulder. He eased her up, exposing the exit hole for the bullet. Doc grunted. “At least I don’t have to dig out a bullet. I’ll get the wound cleaned and dressed. She should be fine in a few days. She’ll be a little sore.”
The woman groaned as Doc eased her down on the table. Sweat beaded on her forehead, but she didn’t open her eyes. Her lips moved, but even when he put his ear close, Quinn couldn’t make out what she tried to say. He figured she wasn’t really aware of what was happening, but she wasn’t all the way under, either. When Doc started working, she would probably lose consciousness completely.
Light brown waves of hair had once been pulled into a bun. Sometime during the attack or the flight afterwards, her hair had come loose. It now flowed down off the table. Lines creased the corners of her eyes. An old, jagged scar streaked across her right cheek, adding a mystique to her beauty. Her maroon traveling dress was ruined even before Doc cut the shoulder away. A maroon hat with a veil lay on the floor beside her. He assumed it had fallen there. Who was she? Why had she been traveling with freighters in dangerous territory? Where had the Lord and Williams train encountered her? Questions raced through Quinn’s head at a dizzying pace with no answers forthcoming. He would have to wait to ask her until at least tomorrow. He knew Conlon had some inquiries of his own. The cavalry would need to know where the attack occurred and as much information as this woman and the driver could provide. Then they would be looking for this renegade band of Apaches.
Chewing didn’t help. The bite in Kathleen’s mouth refused to be swallowed. A lump in her throat blocked the way. She couldn’t understand how Quinn and Conlon could eat so calmly, as if nothing unusual had happened … as if several men and at least one woman hadn’t died a violent death out in the desert. Another woman lay in the last room at Mrs. Monroy’s, severely injured. If infection set in, she could die too.
The bite seemed to grow larger. Kathleen thought she would be sick if she didn’t get it out of her mouth soon. Glorianna sat across from her, pale and silent, stirring her food on her plate. She, too, had been affected by the sad story of the attack. At least the twins slept. Babies and men. Maybe the two had something in common—the ability to shrug off catastrophic events. Then again, perhaps Conlon and Quinn had had more time to adjust to the horror. She knew they felt badly for the woman who lay wounded and unconscious. Comparing them to infants who had no knowledge of right or wrong hadn’t been fair.
With a force of will, Kathleen swallowed. She could feel the slow path the bite took down her throat. Closing her eyes, she hoped it wouldn’t want to come right back up. Pushing away her plate of food, she took a small sip of water.
“Did the woman have any belongings with her?” Glorianna’s soft question came at a lull in the men’s conversation.
“The driver said they didn’t have time to gather anything. He said he whipped the horses to leave, and the woman jumped to grab the wagon. She was almost up when the bullet hit her shoulder. If he hadn’t grabbed and pulled her aboard, the Indians would have killed her too. I don’t think she even has a valise of her personal things.” Conlon frowned. “Maybe when the men and I ride out there in the morning, we can recover some of her belongings.”
“It would be nice to have her regain consciousness so we can find out some more about her and her companion. I’m sure there will be others to notify. Do you think she could have been traveling here to meet someone she knew or some family?” Quinn asked.
Conlon shrugged. “Hard to say. I haven’t heard anything, but then I don’t have the contact with townspeople the way you do.”
“Well, I don’t remember anyone saying anything about expecting relatives or company.” Quinn drained his coffee. “I’d better get on patrol. I want to keep an eye on some of the men. There are those who would stir up trouble just for the sake of hunting down Indians, whether they’ve done anything or not.”
Quinn’s blue-gray gaze caught Kathleen, sending a jolt of awareness through her. He studied her, then looked at Glorianna. “I apologize, ladies.” Conlon seemed to follow his lead in noticing Kathleen and her cousin. His forehead furrowed.
“We’ve been talking about matters that are upsetting to you without thinking.” Conlon reached across the table and cupped Glorianna’s pale cheek. “I should have known when you were so quiet.” He smiled, trying to lighten the mood. “We should have saved this discussion for later, when Quinn and I could be alone. You all right?”
A strand of Glorianna’s hair tumbled down as she nodded. “I wish we could do something. Do you think Kathleen and I should take turns sitting with the woman? I’m sure Mrs. Monroy can’t be there all the time.”
“That’s a fine idea, Sweetheart, but I think you’ve got plenty of your own to do. Andrew and Angelina might have something to say about you running off and leaving them—no matter how good the cause is.”
“Let me get these dishes done, then I’ll go right over and offer to sit with her.” Kathleen rose and began to gather the plates. She hadn’t meant to stay for supper, but she’d been helping Glorianna when Quinn and Conlon showed up with the news. Somehow they all ended up sitting down together, although only the men ate.
“You’ll do no such thing.” A bit of the old fire tinged Glorianna’s tone. “The least I can do is wash up a few dishes. You go right on over and see how that woman is doing. When she wakes up, she’ll need someone to be there to care for her.”
“I’ll walk you home.” Quinn stood and reached for his hat. “I’d like to see if she’s regained consciousness. Maybe she’ll feel like talking a bit.”
“Quinn Kirby, don’t you dare tire that woman. She’s been through enough.”
Eyes widened, Quinn gave Glorianna an innocent look. “If she’s too tired, I promise to hold off asking questions until tomorrow.” He plunked his hat on his head and held out his arm to Kathleen. “Besides, Kathleen will be right there, watching to see that I behave myself.”
“That’s right.” Kathleen bent over and kissed Glory’s cheek. “Don’t you worry about her. Just pray.” She reached for her hat and veil, which she hadn’t been wearing during the meal—proof that she was beginning to feel very comfortable with Quinn and Conlon.
A cool evening breeze made Kathleen draw her shawl closer. She hadn’t expected to be out this late.
Quinn held her hand on his arm and tugged her close. Lifting her veil, he smoothed the gauzy covering over her hat. He moved around until he was gazing into her eyes. “There isn’t anyone around, and I want to see your face. I believe you and I have some talking to do. I don’t appreciate you sending me off with other women. I want to spend time with you, and I think we need to clear this up.”
Kathleen felt a chill race through her that had nothing to do with the weather.
Chapter 12
Through the cool night air, Quinn could feel Kathleen’s hesitance. He knew she didn’t want to talk about her deception. She was putting up a barrier between them, and he intended to bring it down before the wall grew too high to breach. This woman was special. She cared so much for other people. He could picture her being the kind of daughter-in-law his mother would love. She had spunk, but she also had compassion and a strong faith. Even though he didn’t need the faith she believed in, he had no reservations about her clinging to her beliefs.
Moonlight peeked through the trees, bathing the ground with a golden glow. The night brought quiet to this part of Tucson that was rarely disturbed. Most of the action was closer to the downtown area where the businesses were. Quinn knew he couldn’t stay here long. He needed to check on the men and make sure they weren’t getting stirred up unnecessarily. Walking slowly, he tried to sort his thoughts before he began.
He cleared his throat, the sound loud and coarse in the darkness. Kathleen started. He patted her hand. “I want to know why you agree to do something with me, then back out. At the fandango, you ran off and left me dancing with Maria. Today, you promised to attend a picnic with me, something you’ve never done with anyone before. When I came to pick you up, you had Luisa ready to go.”
He could almost see Kathleen cringing at his words, but he refused to stop. “When I ask you to go somewhere with me, it’s you I want to spend time with—not anyone else. I believe you’ve enjoyed my company. Perhaps I’m wrong, though. Are you trying to say you don’t have feelings for me?”
Her head bowed as if she were mulling over her answer. Silence stretched between them as they strolled closer to the boardinghouse.
“I do enjoy your company.” Kathleen tugged on her hand, which he held fast. “No matter what I feel for you, this relationship can’t go anywhere other than with us as friends.” Quinn thought he caught a glimmer of tears in her eyes as she met his gaze for a moment.
“Why do you say that?”
