The Debutante’s Holiday

The Debutantes of Durango

Peggy McKenzie

Copyright 2020 by Peggy McKenzie

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means , including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

Cover Design-Dar Dixon @ Wicked Smart Designs

Editor-Trayce Layne @ 3C Edit Services

Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Epilogue

More books in the series…

Peggy McKenzie & Friends

Brides of the Rio Grande

About the Author

The End

About this book

The Debutante’s Holiday

Book Three

The Debutantes of Durango Series

(A Western Historical Romance)

Abigail Livingston is tired of the uncertainty—are her suitors really interested in her or her father’s fortune. The only way to know for sure is to pretend to be someone else. But her plan derails the moment she boarded the train to Durango.

Matthew Bellamy is on a mission. His business and financial future depends upon his ability to keep a certain wealthy debutante out of trouble. But when he loses her on the way to Durango, he realizes he’s the one in trouble.

Just because they can, doesn’t mean they should.

Chapter 1

Abigail Livingston plopped down on her bed and flung herself against the pillows. “I’m sick of being paraded around town like a prized pony.” She sighed in frustration.

Her friend, Gwendolyn Patterson, sat down beside her. “How can you say such a thing, Abbie? You are the belle of the ball wherever you go.” Gwen sighed her own sigh of frustration, but hers was tinged with envy.

Abbie shook her head. “You just don’t understand.” How could she explain to Gwen why she was tired of being chased by supposedly noble gentlemen when there was nothing noble about their intentions.

“Then explain it to me, please. How is it that you are so unhappy when you have dozens of eligible bachelors buzzing around you like bees in a clover field. I know if I were in your shoes, I’d be as happy as a pig in a peach orchard enjoying every minute.”

“Where do you come up with these strange sayings you are so fond of? Bees in clover. Pigs in peaches. Really, Gwen, talk in plain English, please.”

“I’m sorry. Gosh, you are really out of sorts today, aren’t you?” Gwen snipped.

Abbie took a deep breath. “I suppose I am.” She cut an apologetic look to her friend. “I’m sorry for my bad-temper. Will you please forgive me?”

“Of course. Think nothing of it.” Gwen dismissed Abbie’s disagreeable attitude with a wave of her hand.

“Thank you.” Abbie tried to put her feelings into words so that her friend could understand her frustration, but Gwen just wasn’t getting her message. She tried again. “Gwen, you said you would be happy in my shoes, but are you so sure about that?”

“Well, of course. Why wouldn’t I be happy? You are beautiful. Rich. And every man in town is after you. Of course, I would be happy in your shoes.” Gwen’s confidence in the matter irritated Abbie.

“You think so, do you? Very well then, if you would like to be in my shoes, here they are.” Abbie reached down and pulled off her shoes and threw them at her friend. “But let me warn you, they aren’t as easy to walk in as you might think.”

Gwen pushed the shoes off her lap and shoved them to the floor. “Abbie, what’s gotten into you?”

They heard a carriage approach the house and both rushed to the window to see who had arrived. Abbie caught sight of the carriage and its owner just before it disappeared underneath her family’s huge covered portico. She knew instantly who it was and she was in no mood to entertain its owner.

“That looked like Wesley Pepperdine. It was Wesley Pepperdine, wasn't it? Oh, we must hurry downstairs. We wouldn’t want to miss an opportunity to say hello to Wesley Pepperdi— ”

“I’m not going to say hello to that arrogant clodpoll. Haven’t you seen how he preens every time he passes a mirror in the hallway? Holmes will greet him at the door, and he can leave his calling card in the bowl like the rest of them.”

Gwen looked at her like she had suddenly grown another head on her shoulders. “What on earth is wrong with you? I’m not leaving this house until you tell me what has you in such a mood. Out with it, Abbie. Tell me what this is all about?” Gwen sat on the edge of her bed and fluffed her skirt. Abbie recognized the gesture and she knew Gwen wasn’t stepping a foot outside Abbie’s bedroom door until her friend had the answer to her question.

Abbie sat next to her and studied her friend’s face hoping for understanding. “Gwen, I’m not ungrateful for the opportunities I’ve been given. Not in the least. But with these opportunities, come hardships as well.”

Gwen frowned. “From where I’m sitting, you have the life every young woman begs for. You have a doting father, a sweet loving mother, and you are an only child. Forgive me, but as the youngest of seven, I’m not seeing your problem. What I wouldn’t give to be an only child sometimes.” Gwen lamented.

“Would you? Let me ask you this. What would you do if you had a dozen suitors all at once, and— ”

“I’ve already told you. I’d be happy as a pig in a peach orchard.” Gwen said amused by her intentional repetition of her unusual saying.

“Would you be as happy if you had to ask yourself why they were courting you?” Abbie asked then stood and paced the room.

“Why would I ask that? They would be courting me because they had fallen hopelessly and madly in love with me. Obviously.” Gwen sighed again and her eyes took on that dreamy look she got when she talked about love.

“Are you sure about that?” Abbie pushed.

The question caught Gwen’s attention. “What other reason could there be?”

“In my case, there are at least two other reasons. One is my father’s wealth and power. Any son-in-law of Winston Daniel Livingston would be assured of social standing and every financial opportunity available. You name it and it would be within their grasp.”

Gwen nodded. “Ah, I didn’t think of that.”

“And the second reason is part of the first reason. My father’s wealth. As his sole heir, I will inherit his millions. Assets beyond most people’s dreams.”

Gwen remained silent for a moment to take it all in. “So what you're saying is you don’t know which of these gentlemen vying to court you want you and which ones want your father’s fortune.”

“Yes, I don’t know if any of them want me, just for me.” Abbie sat down again next to her friend and felt the sting of frustration in her eyes. “I’ve tried to ask the right questions hoping to gain some insight as to their motives, but they are elusive creatures and their answers are usually vague. Though now that I think about it, their reluctance to answer my questions should have told me all that I need to know. Don’t you think if their feelings for me were real, they would not be so reluctant to be honest?”

“I see.” Gwen sat in silence and Abbie could tell her friend was deep in thought about something. Suddenly, Gwen shouted. “I have it. I have the perfect solution to your problem.”

Abbie was all ears.

“You need to be someone else.”

Abbie’s disappointment must have been evident on her face.

“No, wait, just listen. It’s the perfect solution. What if you pretended to be someone else? You can be anyone other than Abigail Livingston. Then when an eligible bachelor shows interest, you will be certain he is enamored with you and not your fortune.” Gwen’s face was glowing with excitement, but Abbie thought perhaps she'd had too much sun this afternoon from their carriage ride.

“Gwen, how on earth am I going to pretend to be someone else? Everyone in Philadelphia knows me. It’s simply not possible.”

“But what if you went somewhere people didn’t know you? Maybe to your cousin's place. The one who invites you every year to those balls. The ones, I might add, you refuse to attend every year saying you're too busy.” Gwen gave her a knowing look, which told Abbie she wasn't fooling her. She simply hadn't wanted to go. “Where is it she lives again? Duncan or Dunlap or…”

“Durango. Durango, Colorado. And it's my Cousin Regina, who sends me an invitation every year.” Abbie admitted sheepishly. She hadn't actually considered going before. But Gwen might be on to something and the possibilities were quite exciting. Although, it felt wrong to only be saying yes for selfish reasons. It wasn't that she didn't love her cousin. She just hadn't seriously considered her invitations over the years...until now.

Gwen interrupted Abbie's thoughts. “Your aunt, Regina's mom, what’s her name?”

“You mean my Aunt, Lila. She’s my mother’s twin sister.”

“I had no idea your mom was a twin.”

“Twins actually run in the family. My mom and Lila. And my cousins, Roxi and Mari, are twins as well.”

"Roxi and Mari's mom is your aunt Latisha, right?"

"Yes. There's Lila and my mom. Then there’s Latisha, Roxi and Mari's mom, and then there's my aunt Lavinia, the youngest. But no one has heard from her in years.”

“What do you mean no one has heard from her in years—never mind. We need to get back to the matter at hand. Will your Aunt Lila take you in and serve as your chaperone?”

“Well, yes. Of course, but…”

“But what? Abbie, it’s the perfect solution. You said yourself your cousin fell in love with a very handsome man in Durango, who also happens to be quite wealthy. Why couldn’t you do the same? And you don't even need him to be wealthy. You just need to find a man to fall in love with that is terribly handsome and has no idea who you are. It can't be that hard. It's not like your cousin got the last one. There must be more than one of his kind out west.”

“Yes, and I suppose Regina wouldn't mind taking me in either. Although, she is in rather a delicate condition right now.” Abbie said discretely.

Gwen nodded her head in understanding. “Even if she is with child, you know your cousin would take you in. Why else would she bother to keep sending you invitations if she didn’t want you to come? Now, we need a name. You could be Abigail…Abbie…”

“No. Not Abbie. That would be too obvious, but I could use my middle name, Rose. And for my last name, I could use Collins. That’s my mother's maiden name. I like it. Rose Collins. It's perfect.” She shot a look to Gwen. “And for my story, it would need to be close to the truth. I will still be Aunt Lila’s niece and Regina’s cousin. We just don’t tell anyone who my father is. This could work. Oh my goodness, Gwen, you are a genius.” Abbie’s excitement bubbled over.

Gwen’s face suddenly wrinkled in a frown. “But, wait. I see one problem on the horizon. Your parents. How confident are you they will be agreeable to you visiting your cousin and aunt in Colorado?”

“Good point. Let’s think on this.” Abbie and Gwen paced the floor, passing each other in the middle of the room. Abbie stopped short. “I have it. Mother was just speaking to Father the other day about us all going somewhere for a holiday. Father said he couldn’t go because of business commitments. I could see Mother’s disappointment, but she agreed it was for the best, so she accepted several social commitments she had been putting off in hopes of us going away. What if I insisted that I needed a holiday and suggested I attend the Harvest Ball in Durango? It would be the perfect solution because neither of my parents are available to tag along. Oh, Gwen, you are the best friend ever.”

“But there's still no guarantee your father will allow you to go alone.” Gwen reminded her.

“I’m not worried about that because I’m not going to convince him. I’m going to convince my mother and then she will convince Father.”

She turned to her friend and grinned from ear to ear. “I’m going to Durango’s Harvest Ball. The possibilities are endless, and I just know I’ll find someone to fall in love with me—well, not me—Rose Collins.”

* * *

Matthew Bellamy stepped out of the alleyway and hugged the wall of the storefront as close as he could without drawing suspicion to his actions. His hat low over his face, he looked right and left until he finally caught sight of the man he was following, Mr. Bartholomew Pennyworth.

His client, Mrs. Pennyworth, had hired Matthew’s agency to follow her husband because she suspected him of cheating with a friend of hers who lived across town.

Matthew had been sitting at his desk in his new office over the recently opened Chestnut Street National Bank at the northwest corner of Tenth and Chestnut Streets when Mrs. Gladys Pennyworth, middle-aged and heavyset, stormed into his office demanding justice. Once he managed to calm the woman down, he was able to learn what it was that brought her to him.

“Mr. Bellamy, you came highly recommend for your honesty and your discretion. It’s very important I learn the truth about Bartie without seeming to be suspicious. You understand.” The woman had sniffed into her handkerchief and dabbed her eyes repeatedly.

Yes, he understood. It seemed that at least one out of five married couples in Philadelphia was plagued by infidelity. Most of the time, it was the husband that strayed. But every once in a while, the wife jumped the fence. He hated these types of cases because most times when the offending party was found out, they turned on him as if he were the culprit. They accused him of false accusations and shoddy detective work.

Often times, his client would take the offending spouse’s word for it, mostly because it was easier than dealing with the truth that their spouse was guilty of betraying their marriage vows. So, they would pay him off and send him down the road as if he were the one who had done something wrong.

And because of his company’s flailing finances, he was forced to take cases like this. He was wasting his talents tailing a bald, middle-aged man who spent more time in the bakery than at home with his wife. Maybe the wife should look to the baker instead of her friend across town.

Matthew knew there was no way to predict one human's attraction for another, so he never discounted a person’s guilt, or determined their innocence, until he had the facts to prove it.

He watched Mr. Pennyworth turn down Vienna Street near Frankford Avenue when he suddenly disappeared from view. Where had the man gone?

Matthew trotted up the street to the spot where he had last seen his subject. A thin red door leading to a steep set of stairs left him in a quandary. Did he follow the man up the stairs to a possible dead end, or did he wait until he came back out? He decided to wait. And wait he did. For three hours, he sat on a bench across the street and pretended to read the newspaper. What on earth could the round little man be doing up there?

Finally, Matthew’s patience was gone. He walked back to the narrow red door and headed up the steep stairs only to find a group of doors. Now what?

Before he could make his decision, one of the doors to his right opened and a man came out. He nodded to Matthew and left by the stairs. The door the man had exited was slightly ajar so he took the opportunity to take a peek inside. He wished he hadn’t.

There across the room chained to the wall was his client’s husband. He was completely naked on all fours, wearing a dog collar, and howling like a lunatic. “Damn.” It was all he could think to say.

The woman standing over Bartie with a riding crop turned. When she saw Matthew through the door crack, she smiled and crooked her finger at him. It was an invitation Matthew had no intention of accepting. Instead, he made his escape. Once on the street, he made a beeline for his office. He couldn’t get the image of Bartie Pennyworth’s large naked butt out of his mind.

Twenty minutes later, he was back in his office trying to write his report. He scribbled as many notes as he could in record time because there was no way he could ever unsee that and he just wanted to put this case behind him.

A knock on the door pulled his attention away from the Pennyworth case. He shoved the report and the client’s file into his desk drawer. “Come in.” he called out.

A very well-dressed gentleman stepped inside his office and closed the door behind him. “Are you Matthew Bellamy?” he inquired.

“Yes, I am. How can I help you?” He stood, shook the man's hand, and offered him the seat in front of his desk. Once the man had settled in the wooden chair, he got right to the point of his visit.

“Mr. Bellamy, I trust that everything we discuss today is confidential and there will be no record of my visit here today.” The man studied him with intense scrutiny.

“That is correct. Anything we talk about today, tomorrow, or any other day will be kept in strict confidence, whether the conversation takes place here in my office or elsewhere. You have my word. Tell me what I can do for you?”

“I’m here to hire your services.”

“Do you mind if I get a little more information? I don’t take every case that comes my way. I’ve learned that lesson the hard way.” Matthew admitted. He pulled some paper and a pencil out of his center desk drawer.”

“Yes, I’ve heard about your rather unfortunate handling of the Beamer case.”

Matthew studied the man sitting across from him. How could he have heard about that case? Very few people knew that Mr. Beamer had hired him to protect him from an unknown assailant.

He had worked day and night to keep Mr. Beamer safe. But Matthew had mistakenly trusted his client's absolute certainty in his wife. So, it didn’t matter that Matthew had left the man safely locked inside his own home while he, his partner Gus, and two more employees spent the night outside guarding every possible way in. The killer was already inside the house and sleeping in his client’s bed.

“Yes, that was quite unfortunate. Mr. Beamer was a nice man and I hated to see him murdered, especially by his own wife. I could protect him everywhere—except from his own beliefs. The news that the man died under my watch nearly bankrupted my company, but I’m slowly making my way back.”

“I’ve heard you’re an upstanding and trustworthy man, Mr. Bellamy. If I didn’t believe that, I wouldn’t be here. I also know you’re not married. Would you mind explaining why a gentleman such as yourself has never taken a wife?”

Matthew frowned at the man. “What has that got to do with anything?”

“I’m just wondering if you have any hidden vices, that’s all. Sometimes a smart man can hide weaknesses that could be detrimental to a marriage. I just want to know if those same weaknesses could prevent you from taking on this case. You see, I want to hire you to protect something very precious to me and I want to make certain your experienced and watchful eye is on alert at all times.”

“Well, I’ve never been married because I prefer it that way.” Matthew pushed memories of Julia back to the past where they belonged. “Since you seem to know a lot about me, I’d like to know a little about you, if you don’t mind. Like I said, I don’t accept every case that comes my way.” Matthew wanted to get more information before he said yes or no. He’d had a belly full of jealous husbands and wives and wasn’t sure he could handle one more of those type cases. Especially with the image of Bartie Pennyworth so fresh in his mind.

“I’ll pay you ten thousand dollars cash, Mr. Bellamy. Half today and half when the job is done. Do you have any problems traveling?” the man asked.

Matthew sat up straighter at the mention of that kind of money. That was the kind of money he and Gus needed to revive their business.

“Um, no. I’ve had some cases that led me across a state or two, but let’s start by getting to know each other a bit better. Why don’t you tell me who I’ll be following and what relationship you are to this person.”

He saw the man hesitate for a moment and then continue. “Very well. The person I want you to watch over is my daughter. She leaves for a holiday in Durango, Colorado on tomorrow’s train. I’ve tried to persuade both her and her mother this isn’t a good idea, but I’m married to a very stubborn and strong-willed woman, Mr. Bellamy. And it seems our daughter has inherited those traits as well.” The man offered a lop-sided smile and then grew serious again. “My daughter is my only child, Mr. Bellamy. She and her mother are my whole world and despite my reputation as a ruthless businessman, I’m a hopeless fool when it comes to the women in my life. They so easily wrap me around their finger.”

“I can see how much you love them, Mister…” If Matthew was going to take this case, he needed to know who he was dealing with. The man exuded wealthy, but did he really have ten thousand dollars to pay him for this job? That was a whole lot of money—money that he and Gus could really use.

He watched the man hesitate again, but with a sigh of resignation, he said, “My name is Mr. Livingston. Daniel Livingston.” Matthew sensed he was still holding something back.

“Livingston. Livingston.” Matthew mumbled under his breath, trying to work out the significance of the name. “Daniel Livingsto— ” Then suddenly it came to him. He knew exactly who was sitting in front of him. “You’re Winston Livingston. Business tycoon and millionaire from right here in Philadelphia.”

The man closed his eyes and nodded. “Yes, I’m Winston Livingston. And now that you know who I am, I’m hoping you and I have an understanding, Mr. Bellamy.”

This case was the answer to his financial prayers. Mr. Livingston was well-known for being a savvy businessman, but he was just as well-known for being fair and honest.

“Will you take my case, Mr. Bellamy. My daughter is leaving tomorrow and since my wife and I are unable to accompany her, my sister will be her traveling companion and chaperone. And once there, they will meet up with my wife’s sister, which is where they will be staying during their time in Colorado, but I would feel much better if there was someone such as yourself nearby. In case there are any problems.”

“Are you expecting any problems, sir?” Matthew jotted down a couple of notes.

“No, but, as I said, Abigail is quite headstrong. So, although I’m not expecting any problems, there is always the possibility where my daughter is concerned.”

“I see. Well, considering your generous fee, I’d be honored to take your case, Mr. Livingston.”

“Please, call me Daniel, Mr. Bellamy.” The man stood and offered his hand.

Matthew stood too, reaching across the table to shake his hand. “I'd be honored, sir. And please, call me Matthew.”

“Very well, Matthew.” Daniel reached into his inside coat pocket and pulled out a stack of bills. That was a lot of money, the likes of which Matthew had never before seen. “Here’s the five thousand dollars I promised you now. You are to follow my daughter and my sister to Durango and back. If the trip is uneventful and my daughter and sister return to Philadelphia safe, I will promptly pay you the other five thousand dollars. Is that a fair deal, Matthew?”

Matthew took the money liking the way the weight of the bills felt in his hand. “Yes, Mr. Livingston…um, I mean Daniel. A fair deal indeed. I’ll accompany your daughter and sister to Durango and— ”

“No. Not accompany my daughter. I want you to follow her. Keep her safe, but she is not to know who you are or that I hired you.” Daniel insisted. “That’s very important. Do you understand?”

Matthew blinked to give himself time to think before he spoke. “You mean you don’t want your daughter, or your sister, to know I’ve been hired to watch out for them…over them…keep them safe?”

“That’s right. Come up with a story if you have to, but do not let my daughter know I hired you to follow her to Colorado. Under any circumstances. Understood?” Daniel Livingston was dead serious. It was an odd request, but it was his money so if he wanted complete secrecy, then who was Matthew to debate the issue. He had five thousand dollars in his hand with five more on the way.

“Look, I know this secrecy sounds—underhanded, but I’m her father and it is my responsibility to make sure she doesn’t get herself into a situation that could cause her physical harm or irreparable damage to her reputation. She’s a sheltered young woman with little experience in reading people. As you know, there are some unscrupulous characters in this world who wouldn’t think twice about causing my daughter distress to get at my money. ”

“I understand, Mr. Livingston. Under no circumstances will I let your daughter know who I am.” Matthew did his best to assure the man.

“Good, so we have a deal?” Daniel stood and extended his hand.

Matthew stood and stuck out his own hand to seal the deal. “Yes, sir. We have a deal.”

Chapter 2

Abbie had been thrilled when her mother told her she had finally convinced her father to let her go to Durango. “It wasn’t easy, Abigail. Your father is adamantly against the idea, especially when he thinks there are plenty of parties right here in Philadelphia under his watchful eye.”

“But Father doesn’t understand the problems his reputation causes.” Abbie tried to explain. She should have known her mother fully understood the situation.

“Sweetheart, sometimes your father can be blinded by his male point of view. He thinks all this ‘protection’ is good for us, but if I can get him to listen long enough, he’ll usually come around to my way of thinking. So, I am happy to say he has agreed to allow you to attend the Harvest Ball in Durango, but only if his sister accompanies you.” Her mother had accomplished the impossible. She was going to Durango for the Harvest Ball, but she wasn’t getting on that train if she didn’t get her things together.

“Gwen, hand me that hatbox please.” Abbie looked around the room to be sure she had everything.

“Where is your Aunt Jeannie anyway?” Gwen asked and handed her the hatbox.

“She’s to meet me at the train station. Mother suggested the idea because she said it would seem less dramatic that way. Father is having a hard enough time letting me go and a house full of women and traveling trunks would just give him an opportunity to change his mind.”

A knock at the door interrupted their conversation. “Come in.” Abbie called out.

Her mother swept into the room. “The carriage is here to take you to the train station. Do you have everything ready to go?”

“Yes, I have those two trunks.” she pointed to the trunks next to the bed, “and I have my traveling bag and hatbox.” Abbie turned to give her room one more look to make certain she had packed everything she wanted to take with her. “Yes, it looks like I’m ready to leave.”

Her mother lifted one of the trunk lids and rifled through its contents. “It looks like you are well prepared. I’ll have the stable boys come up and get the trunks in a moment. First, I want to say something to you.” Her mother’s tone suddenly seemed serious.

“Is something wrong?” Abbie sent a look of alarm to Gwen. She certainly hoped her father hadn’t had a change of heart. She was really looking forward to this trip.

“No, sweetheart. Nothing is wrong. I just want you to assure me that you will not take any chances with your safety or well-being. Your father would never forgive me if something were to happen to you. Even though he agreed to the proposition, he blames me for your going.” Her mother reached out and stroked Abbie’s cheek. “You are our most prized possession, Abigail. I couldn’t bear it if any harm should befall you.”

Abbie heard the emotion in her mother’s voice. “Mother, I promise you I will exercise great care and I will take every precaution to keep out of harm’s way. Besides, what could happen between here and Durango? Aunt Jeannie and I will be on the train the whole way. And when we do arrive, I’ll have two cousins along with their husbands plus Aunt Lila. I hardly think I’ll be able to get into trouble, even if I wished to, which I don’t.” Abbie assured her mother.

“I know you aren’t prone to finding trouble, Abigail, no matter what your father may think. I just don’t want trouble to find you.” Her mother smiled and reached out to tuck one of Abbie’s dark curls behind her ear. “Now, let’s get you on that train. Your aunt is quite excited to see my sister again. She just reminded me yesterday it’s been nearly ten years since she’s seen Lila.”

“Thank you for believing in me, Mother. Gwen and I will wait downstairs in the parlor until the trunks are loaded.”

The three of them took the winding staircase to the first floor. Gwen swept her shawl around her shoulders and turned to Abbie. “Now, you must remember to write to me and tell me all about the ball. And most importantly.” her friend leaned over to whisper in her ear, “I want to hear absolutely everything about all the suitors who fall hopelessly in love with Miss Rose Collins. And don’t leave out a single detail, not a single— ”

Gwen’s conspiratorial whisper was cut off by her father’s footsteps coming down the hallway.

“Good afternoon, Mr. Livingston. I was just on my way home.” Gwen gave Abbie a quick hug and a knowing look. “Not one detail, promise?”

“Good afternoon, Gwendolyn.” her father responded.

Abbie hugged her friend. “Not one, I promise.” she whispered back.

“Goodbye, Mr. Livingston.” Gwen called out and was out the door before her father could reply.

“Abigail, I want you to know I’m not exactly in favor of this little holiday of yours, but your mother has assured me all will be well.”

“Of course, Father. Everything will be just fine.”

Two young men came down the staircase bookending one of her traveling trunks. Within minutes, they retraced their steps upstairs and returned with her second trunk. With everything in hand, she was ready to go.

Glancing over at her parents, she saw her mother kiss her father's cheek and give him a reassuring smile. “All will be well, Daniel. Besides, she’s a young woman now. You can’t keep her locked behind these walls any longer, no matter how gilded they are.”

Abbie knew her mother had taken a risk in allowing her only child to go off without her parents to protect her. She recognized the worry on both their faces and felt a bit guilty that her holiday was causing them so much worry. “Please don't worry. I will take care. You'll see. Everything will be fine.” Abbie did her best to reassure her doting parents.

“Give me a kiss and then off you go.” Her father’s words were rushed, and she knew he was fighting back his emotions.

She hugged her parents tightly and kissed them on the cheek. Then, she looked them both in the eye. “I promise that I will stay away from trouble and keep myself safe. And I will return home before you even have a chance to miss me.”

With that, she picked up her hatbox and traveling bag, Holmes opened the carriage door and she climbed inside. “Have a good holiday, Miss Livingston.” their butler said.

“Thank you, Holmes. I plan to have the best holiday ever. I shall see you all at the end of September.” she promised. Hopefully with the good news that she had at long last found love with someone who had absolutely no idea who Daniel Livingston was.

* * *

Matthew shifted the weight of his knapsack onto his other shoulder and walked down the street toward the train station. His business partner, Augustus McGillicuddy, a small wiry fellow, with a giant personality and an attitude to boot, was now in charge of keeping everything running smoothly until Matthew returned. Gus was a hard worker and an honest man. Matthew considered himself very lucky to have the scrappy Irishman as a partner.

He turned his attention back to the case at hand. He had arrived a bit early in order to get the lay of the land. He checked out the train’s accommodations and tried to determine how close he would be able to sit to Miss Livingston and her aunt. Not that it mattered, of course. Wherever that young woman went, Matthew was going to be right behind her. Though, he'd remain out of sight so as not to arouse her suspicions, he'd never be too far away that he couldn't intervene should the need arise.

“Good morning, sir.” one of the uniformed conductors called out to him. “We’ll be ready to board in about half an hour.” the man assured him.

“Good to know.” he replied. “I’ll be ready.”

Matthew walked down the street a block or so. To pass the time, he glanced in shop windows to observe what the shopkeepers offered for sale. He crossed the street and returned to the train station just as the train’s steam whistle blew, signaling it was time to board.

As he arrived at the train’s platform an elaborate carriage arrived carrying a young woman. He watched her step down and greet an elderly lady. Could this be his target? Miss Livingston and Daniel’s sister, Mrs. Wentworth? They fit the limited description Daniel Livingston had provided. He wished he had gotten more information about Miss Livingston’s physical appearance, but just as he and his client were getting into that part of the case, Gus had rushed into the office and told him they were needed over at the Pennyworth mansion immediately.

It seems Mrs. Pennyworth found a leather dog collar in her husband’s pocket and she was in the process of hitting him with it when someone heard the ruckus and called the police. She insisted that he and Gus come down to the police station to tell them all about her husband’s untoward activity.

By the time he was finished at the station, it was well after midnight and Mr. Livingston was home fast asleep with his family.

Matthew leaned against the wall of the ticket office and glanced at his notes while he observed the young woman and her companion. She was about the right age to be Miss Livingston. And that carriage could certainly belong to Winston Livingston.

He continued to watch the pair as they moved closer to the train depot. Their excited chatter drifted on the hot August air and he caught drips and drabs. He strained harder to catch more of their conversation hoping to verify, without a doubt, that these women were his targets. Just as they drew close, steam bellowed out from all sides of the train’s sides preventing him from hearing anything else they said.

“All aboard.” the conductor shouted. He stood by one of the train doors with his punch in hand ready to greet the passengers and validate their ticket to travel.

Matthew rushed to get in line behind the women, but he was cut off by a family of nine. The mother was busy gathering the three youngest children while the two older children each held a middle child’s hand. The husband was buried behind a ridiculous amount of traveling bags, stumbling along after his family.

Taking in a deep breath, he reminded himself that all the passengers were going to board before the train left the station. He had no reason to hurry.

He watched as the young woman and her escort chose a seat near the back of the car. The family in front of him finally took their seats in the middle of the train car, which allowed him and the other passengers waiting to get past them to find their own seats.

As soon as he was able, he made a beeline to the seat facing the woman he suspected of being Miss Livingston.

“Excuse me, Miss. Ma’am.” He offered a polite nod to the both of them. “Is this seat taken?” he innocently inquired knowing full well it wasn’t.

The dark-haired young woman broke off her conversation with her companion to look up at him. Her eyes were the most unusual shade of brown…no, not brown, Matthew decided. Gold was a more accurate description. Gold with flecks of green—the most vivid green he had ever seen. The color of the deep rich green of the Kentucky hills where he’d been born. He was mesmerized.

“No, sir. That seat is not taken.” The humor in her voice pulled him from his daze.

He chastised himself for being so affected by the young woman. It wasn’t as if he wasn’t acquainted with his share of beautiful women, but he had to admit there was something about her that definitely caught his attention.

“Thank you.” he nodded his thanks and moved out of the aisle to let the other passengers go by. He pulled out the book he’d been reading before this trip and stuffed his knapsack under the train seat. Once his knapsack was secure, he turned to the two women across from him and introduced himself. “My name is Matthew. Matthew—Bell.” He thought that was a safe enough variation of his name.

Both women nodded, but when they didn’t introduce themselves, he pushed just to make certain he had the right two women. He needed to make it hard for them to refuse to introduce themselves. “It’s nice to make your acquaintance, ladies. And you are…?"

The two women exchanged glances and then the elder of the two raised her eyebrows. “My name is Mrs.— ”

“Please take your seat, sir.” The train’s conductor pointedly singled him out. “The train is about to leave the station and it can be a bumpy start if you’re standing up.”

“Thank you.” Matthew nodded to the railroad employee and took his seat as directed. Once settled, he turned back to the women sitting across from him hoping to finish their introductions, but the women were once again deep in conversation. Now what should he do? He didn’t want to make them leery of him by pushing to make the young lady’s acquaintance. Perhaps he would initiate a bit of small talk once the train left the station and everyone relaxed and settled in for the long ride west.

True to the conductor’s word, the train’s whistle screamed several long whistles followed by clouds of belching steam rising to block the outside world from view. The train lurched a few times as it left the station. Matthew turned and smiled in the young woman’s direction, but she was paying no attention to him at all. No matter. There was plenty of time to make her acquaintance.

Matthew picked up his book and opened it to the bookmarked page. He kept his eyes at the top of the page, occasionally turning a page to give the impression to the casual observer that he was reading when in fact, he was studying the young woman across from him by keeping her within his periphery. It was a trick he had learned a few years ago on a particularly dangerous case.

He learned a long time ago to keep his observations of someone discreet, otherwise, they may take offense and decide to take a punch…or two. At least, that's what the gentleman friend of his client’s cheating wife had decided to do. And it didn’t help the man was an experienced ex-boxer. Matthew had taken his licks with as much dignity as he could, but he hadn’t forgotten that lesson and he wasn’t likely to either.

The train was now picking up speed and the landscape changed from the busy city streets of Philadelphia to an occasional industrial building or two. Soon, those disappeared and in their place stretched rolling hills of green forests. He turned another page and guided his gaze to the top of the page to get a good look at the woman sitting across from him.

She was animated when she and her companion spoke. Occasionally, she laughed. The sound was very pleasant, not shrill or harsh like some women. No, it sounded more like a wind chime moving in a light breeze. It was a lovely sound and he found himself smiling.

“That must be an awfully interesting book, Mr. Bell.” the woman stated, the touch of humor in her smile was back.

“And what makes you say that Miss...I’m sorry. I don’t think I caught your name earlier.” he smoothly interjected. Inwardly, he was quite pleased with himself. He'd managed to get her attention a lot sooner than he’d anticipated.

“To answer your first question, you’ve been staring at that one page for a good twenty minutes so it must be very interesting.” She smiled and he saw a slight dimple dot her left cheek.

“And the answer to my second question…” He led her exactly where he wanted her to go. Good manners would demand she answer his question this time. And that's what made him so good at his job. He knew when to push and when to hang back.

“The answer to your second question, Mr. Bell is...Miss Collins.”

“Well, it’s nice to meet you Miss—I'm sorry what did you say?” Matthew thought he’d misheard the woman.

“The name’s Collins. And it’s nice to meet you too. Are you going west on business?”

Matthew suddenly felt flushed. He pulled his finger around the inside of his collar trying to get some air. How could he have made such a beginner’s mistake? He shot a quick look around the car hoping to see Miss Livingston and her aunt. No such luck.

“Mr. Bell, you look a little pale. Are you alright?” Miss Collins asked leaning forward to open the train’s window to give him some air.

“Um, yes, I’m...no, I mean— ” He mumbled, his mind raced trying to figure out where he had gone wrong.

“Are you sure? You look so strange.” The woman’s traveling companion flipped her fan open and proceeded to wave it in front of his face.

He had screwed up big time. How had he missed Daniel Livingston’s daughter. He took a deep breath and forced himself to relax. The two women were on this train somewhere and he would find them. Everything was gonna be just fine.

Chapter 3

Abigail did her best to focus her attention on her book, her aunt, the landscape passing by outside the train’s window—anything but the handsome, and somewhat strange man sitting, and now sleeping, across from her.

She had noticed him at the train depot when she arrived. How could she not? Though he had been leaning up against the depot building, his height and dark good looks made him hard to miss. And she couldn’t have been happier when he chose to sit across from her and her aunt. She had the feeling he had been searching for her when he entered the train car, but she couldn’t be sure. However, she was sure about his persistence in knowing her name. That she had witnessed countless times when a man was interested in making her acquaintance. She found the prospect exhilarating primarily because he had no idea who she was, and it was that anonymity that gave her a boldness she wasn’t accustomed to exercising.

A discreet elbow in her ribs pulled her attention away from the man who appeared to be napping. She turned a surprised look to her aunt and frowned her confusion.

“Must you be so obvious, Abigail?” Aunt Jeannie whispered.

“I have no idea what you mean.” Abbie whispered back, feigning innocence, but Aunt Jeannie was an old pro at chaperoning young women in the first blooms of love. She knew the signs of infatuation, so Abbie wasn’t going to be able to fool her.

“Don’t play coy with me, young lady. I gave your mother—and your father—my solemn vow to keep you out of trouble. Don’t make me regret having taken on this responsibility. I fear if anything were to happen to you, or your reputation, your mother would drum me out of the family. But your father, who may be my brother, but he would not hesitate to have me placed inside some dark and spider-webbed encrusted jail cell somewhere and forgotten.”

Abbie knew her aunt was teasing, but there was a kernel of truth behind her words. Her father was so overprotective it was often the talk of the town.

“I promise to behave, Aunt Jeannie. You have my word. But...that doesn’t mean I can’t have a bit of fun, now does it? I’m finally out from under the watchful eye of Daniel Livingston, the lion of Philadelphia where even the bravest of hearts tremble when he’s around.”

“And exactly what kind of ‘fun’ are you intending to have, Abigail?”

Abbie thought about her answer for a moment. She turned to her aunt in earnest and captured her gaze with her own. “I just want to have a holiday, Aunt Jeannie. I want to be free of the confines of Philadelphia’s unbreakable rules. A lady mustn’t do this. A lady shouldn’t do that. I just want to feel the freedom that comes from being someone besides Daniel Livingston’s daughter. That’s all.”

She saw the sympathy in her aunt’s eyes. “I know it isn’t easy to be my brother’s child. Especially the only one. He worries about you. And your mother. He fears his wealth places you both in a dangerous position and I fear my brother would curl up and die if either of you were to be harmed in any way.”

Her aunt reached out for her hands and gave them a comforting squeeze. “I understand your situation, Abigail, and as your aunt, who dearly loves you, I will stand back and allow you as much freedom as I can—within reason.”

Tears burned Abigail’s eyes and emotions threatened to bubble over. She hadn’t realized how anxious she had been worrying over whether her aunt would go along with her plan or not. Now, she could relax because her aunt understood her situation completely.

Abbie lowered her voice and stole a glance at the still sleeping stranger across from them. “That’s why I shall introduce myself as Rose Collins. Collins is my mother’s maiden name as you know, and of course, Rose is my middle name. Please go along with the ruse Aunt Jeannie, since any mention of my last name being Livingston will lead to questions about my father. And once they realize my father is the Great and Powerful Millionaire, Winston Daniel Livingston, I’ll be smothered in suitors who are only interested in my father’s money and couldn’t give two hoots in a water barrel about me.” Bitterness crept into her tone causing her to raise her voice slightly. She looked over at Mr. Bell to be sure she hadn't been overheard.

Another squeeze of her aunt’s gloved hand made her feel selfish about complaining. With all her father’s money came abundant blessings as well. She wasn’t blind to that fact, but she did wish she could fall in love with someone who loved her for her before they learned the truth about her family.

“Rest easy, Abigail—I mean Rose. Your secret is safe with me...within reason.” Her aunt’s brows raised in warning. “But know this, if I see something I’m not comfortable with, I will pull the strings on this little holiday of yours and we’ll be back on this train headed eastbound before you can blink. Do we understand one another?” Her aunt’s words were stern, but her tone was gentle and understanding.

Abbie’s relief was palpable. She exhaled a breath she hadn't even realized she was holding. “We do, and I promise to use the common sense the women of this family are known for. Now, to change the subject, what do you think about the handsome gentleman sitting across from us?” She grinned and wiggled her eyebrows in a coquettish gesture.

Her aunt raised her eyebrows too, but Abbie knew Aunt Jeannie was probably more surprised by her uncharacteristic mannerism than the fact she was ogling a stranger and admiring his physical attributes.

Finally, her aunt grinned back and again leaned in close to whisper her answer. “And I shall introduce myself as Mrs. Randall. I don’t think my late husband will mind if I use his first name for a little harmless holiday fun.”

Her aunt looked over at the sleeping man across from them. “I think he is quite a magnificent specimen, my dear. And he seems to be quite smitten with you if his choice of seat and numerous attempts at conversation are any indication. I say this is your opportunity to enjoy a bit of innocent fun while we are on this train—under my watchful eye, of course.”

Abbie stifled a giggle behind her own gloved hand. “Wouldn’t it be wonderful if he were going all the way to Durango?”

Her aunt turned to study the sleeping man for a moment, then turned her attention back to Abbie. “I think if that is the case, you are in for the holiday of your life...and he’s in for a lot of trouble.”

Abbie grinned at the meaning hidden behind her aunt’s bold statement. She stole another look for herself, and her joy bubbled up at the prospect of the possibilities. Her grin turned to a giggle and then a hearty laugh. The sound woke the man across from her and a pair of drowsy blue eyes raked over her face. A faint smile crooked his full lips and her heart stumbled.

She offered him a quick nod and turned her attention back to her book she pretended to read. Her aunt’s words echoed through her mind and she grinned to herself. She prayed the man sitting across from her was going all the way to Durango for that could be the makings of a wonderful holiday, indeed.

* * *

Matthew woke to the delightful sound of Miss Collins’s laughter and immediately felt a sharp pain in both his legs. They seem to have cramped up while he slept. Needing to alleviate the pain, Matthew attempted to straighten his legs. At least he tried to. His feet, attached to long lanky limbs, disappeared underneath Miss Collin's skirt. He accidentally brushed her leg with his and the warmth he felt worked its way through his pain-filled brain and he realized exactly what he was doing. Instantly, he jerked his leg back to his own side of the seat. "I do apologize, Miss Collins. My only defense is that I was a bit groggy having just woken from my nap and my legs were rather cramped.” He offered her a lop-side smile and shrugged his shoulders. She found his boyish apology quite appealing.

“I quite understand, Mr. Bell. As a woman of more than average height, I’ve known occasions where all I wanted to do was stretch my legs to the fullest. Think nothing of it.” she assured him and went back to reading her book. What was it about her that made him want to engage in conversation further? He could understand if she were Miss Livingston and he was intent on making her comfortable with his presence, but this woman was just a passing stranger...right?

He sat in silence staring out the window trying to think of something to say without sounding like he was trying to think of something to say. What on earth was the matter with him? He was usually so glib and quick-witted. He never had a problem making the ladies laugh, so what was going on today? He hadn’t a clue. Perhaps he was still reeling over his monumental mistake of tracking the wrong woman. It was so unlike him, but everything about his behavior today was unlike him.

“Mr. Bell?” the other woman spoke drawing him out of his troubled thoughts.

He turned his attention to her while keeping Miss Collin’s face in his side vision. “Yes, ma’am.” he answered offering her a polite nod. “I'm sorry. I don’t believe I caught your name earlier. I seem to remember we were interrupted by a very loud train whistle, ma’am.”

“I suppose that’s true. My name is Mrs. Randall.”

Matthew cringed. Neither of these women were the ones Livingston had paid him to keep an eye on. “It’s nice to make your acquaintance, Mrs. Randall.” He nearly groaned in frustration over his predicament. Mr. Livingston had told him that his sister's name was Wentworth, definitely not Randall. It was actually the last thing he'd told him before Gus had unexpectedly burst into the room.

“I was wondering where you hail from Mr. Bell? There’s a slight drawl in your speech. Certainly not a native of the northeastern states, that much I can tell.”

He watched Miss Collins lay her book in her lap and direct her attention to him as well. He sat a little straighter in his seat and smoothed down his tie. “I’m from Kentucky, ma’am.” He moved his body so that he included Miss Collins, who seem interested in the conversation. “I’m from a town called Bowling Green. It's a nice size town—I suppose. Big enough for a boy to grow up in and learn things, but small enough to feel like home. You know, where you know everybody and everybody knows you.”

“What kind of things did you learn?” Miss Collins’ surprising question was accompanied by a coy look. Her amazing colored eyes peering at him from under a thick fringe of dark lashes. He swallowed hard to clear the lump in his throat. “Uh...I learned— ” What had he learned? How to skinny dip in the Big Barren River? How to kiss a girl after church when her pa wasn’t looking? There were a hundred other things that ran through his head, but none of them were appropriate for a young lady such as Miss Collins. “I learned to read. And to write.” he added. He squeezed his eyes closed and gave himself a mental kick.

Miss Collins appeared amused by his lame reply to her question which was confirmed when she grinned. Her smile was as beautiful as she was and...and he needed to stop noticing. He was working, or at least he should be.

“That’s very good to know, Mr. Bell, especially since you’ve spent the last few hours reading the book there in your lap. Do you mind if I take a look at it?” she asked.

“Of course not.” He handed the book to her and their fingers touched. She gave him another look that set his blood on fire. What was it about this woman that seemed to slip past his defenses with ease?

With his line of work, he couldn’t be too careful. He had to always be on his guard. There were unscrupulous characters lurking around every corner just waiting for an opportunity to take advantage of someone. And he didn't want it to be him...or someone he cared about.

“This is quite an unusual book for a gentleman, Mr. Bell. Do you read books on this subject often?” Was she making fun of him?

“I love flowers, Miss Collins. What can I say?”

“What would make a gentleman take such interest in flowers? That’s not the kind of thing most men would usually pay attention to. At least not any I’ve been acquainted with.”

Matthew studied the woman and considered the question she was asking. She seemed sincere in her interest and there was no sign of ridicule on her face or in her words.

“Well, it’s not something I usually talk about, but I can share with you the fact that my interests in flowers comes from my grandmother.”

“Your grandmother? That’s very interesting, Mr. Bell. Please, tell us more.”

“Well, I guess it all started when my grandmother took me in and cared for me. My mother had died, and my father left to fight in the Civil War. I think I was about four at the time.”

Matthew paused for a moment lost in his thoughts. He continued, “My fondest childhood memories are of Granny Gladys pruning and weeding and planting in her flower beds and vegetable garden at the back of her house. I guess I like the way flowers bring back that happy time for me.” He shrugged and reached for the book, but she wasn’t ready to give it back.

He watched her flip through a few pages full of painted illustrations of flowers and flowering trees. She came to a spot he had bookmarked, and she took a moment to study it.

“These notes you’ve made in the margins...are you planning to grow flowers for a living, Mr. Bell?” she asked as she continued to study the page and his notes a bit more.

“I might. Someday. Or maybe I’ll just have a home that has a lovely garden that exists solely for my family’s enjoyment.” He smiled at Miss Collins as she handed him back the book and then tucked it back into the pocket of his coat.

“That sounds lovely. And do you have a family, Mr. Bell? Is there a wife waiting for you someone? Children perhaps?” she asked.

He could tell by Mrs. Randall’s shocked expression she had not been expecting her charge to ask such a personal question and a look of admonishment passed from the elder woman to the younger...who promptly ignored it.

“No. I'm not married. No wife. Or children.” Interesting. Was she curious about his marital status for a reason? He decided now that the young woman had opened the familiarity door, he might as well walk through it. “Since we are going to be traveling together for a few more days, why don’t you call me by my first name, Matthew.” He grinned when Miss Collins extended her gloved hand to him and he leaned in and kissed the back of her hand. Humor once again danced in her eyes.

“Matthew, it is. He stole a quick look at her companion who was pretending to read a newspaper. But he could tell from the amused expression on the woman’s face, she was paying more than a little attention to their conversation.

“And what shall I call you, Miss Collins?”

“You may call me Rose.”

“Rose. What a lovely name. And I'm honored that you allow me such familiarity.” He saw Rose blush.

“Being an admirer of flowers, I can see why you would like Rose’s name, Mr. Bell.” her companion pointed out.

“Yes, it’s a lovely name for a lovely lady.” he replied. He just wished it was the right name.

Obviously, he’d made a huge mistake identifying these women as his client’s daughter and sister. But he still had time to find Miss Livingston and Mrs. Wentworth before they reached Durango. He would watch every person boarding and leaving this train until they arrived at their final destination. It was only a matter of time before he would correct his error, and once he did, he could relax.

Chapter 4

Abigail peered out the train’s window. She could see the mountains in the distance covered in pine trees, green and thick along the base. The days spent on the train as they made their way to Durango had given her the opportunity to get to know Matthew Bell better. And she liked what she saw.

The train let out a long shrill blast of its whistle and rolled into the Durango station. She smiled at the passing buildings. This was going to be a holiday to remember.

After the train jerked to a full stop, the passengers gathered their belongings. However, Abbie was in no hurry to get off the train—at least not until her new friend said something about whether he planned to continue their friendship after today.

As the train emptied, Abbie no longer had a reason to linger, so she stood, and gathered her book, hatbox, and reticule. Her aunt stepped into the aisle, but Abbie hung back. When she turned to catch Matthew’s eye, he politely nodded and extended his arm. “Ladies first.” His warm smile gave her hope.

“Thank you, kind sir.” she replied with a flirtatious lilt in her voice. She stepped out into the aisle and followed her aunt’s robust form to the train’s door. Abbie knew he was following close behind, but he still hadn’t said anything about continuing their acquaintance. Surely, after all this way on the train, he planned to speak with her about making plans to see each other while they were both in Durango.

She reached the train's steps leading down to the wood platform. Her aunt waited at the bottom. Here they were, now what, she wondered.

Careful of the steps, she made her way down to the platform. When she reached the bottom, she sent her aunt a what-do-I-do-now look. Aunt Jeannie raised her eyes and Abbie knew she was studying Matthew who was descending the steps behind her.

When Matthew joined them on the platform, Abbie wasn’t sure if she should take the initiative and say something. Thank goodness, her aunt saved her the trouble.

“Mr. Bell, since we have all become acquaintances on the long train ride from Philadelphia, I feel it is certainly not too forward of me to extend an invitation to our home. I’m certain my sister-in-law’s sister would welcome you into her home. That is if you have a mind to, of course.”

Matthew looked at Abbie and grinned, then back at her aunt. “Thank you, Mrs. Randall. I would love to continue our acquaintance, but as I told you both on the train, I do have urgent business here in Durango. I suppose that will dictate how my time is spent here, and yet I find myself hoping that our paths will cross again.” She watched him cast another amused look in her direction. “And soon.”

Abbie’s breath caught at the sight of this man’s handsome face smiling at her. Oh, she was used to being flirted with by any number of handsome men, but this man was unique for he had no idea who she was, and his flirtatious manner was because of her and not her father’s money. It was a glorious feeling, indeed.

“There you are, we’ve been waiting for you.” They turned to see three women coming toward them. “Aunt Lila. And Regina and Roxanne. Oh, it’s so lovely to see you all again.” Abbie rushed to greet her family with Aunt Jeannie in tow.

She gave each of them a heartfelt hug and turned to include Aunt Jeannie. “You remember my Aunt Jeannie. If it wasn’t for her, Father would have never let me come. She’s the best friend anyone could have.” Abbie realized the words she spoke were absolutely true. She adored her aunt and appreciated her insight into Abbie’s situation. She just hoped the rest of her family would go along with their plan.

Aunt Lila greeted Aunt Jeannie. “Well, of course, I remember your father’s sister. Jeannie, how are you? I was so sorry to hear that your husband passed away since I last saw you. My condolences.” Her two aunts hugged, and then Aunt Jeannie responded. “Yes, my dear Randall passed two years ago. He was a wonderful soul.”

“Yes. I remember him. Again, my condolences for your loss.”

“Thank you.” A quiver in her voice hinted at her sadness.

Aunt Lila turned. “This is my daughter Regina. I think the last time you saw her she was in bloomers. Now, look at her. All grown up, and a soon-to-be-mother to boot.” Aunt Lila leaned in for a conspiratorial whisper. “I’m a soon-to-be-grandmother. Isn’t it wonderful?” she gushed.

Aunt Jeannie nodded. “I do remember Regina. Very nice to see you again, my dear.”

“And this is Roxanne. One of Latisha’s twins. Isn’t it odd that Lily and I are twins and we each had only one child whereas Latisha is not a twin and she’s the one with twins?” Aunt Lila remarked.

Aunt Jeannie laughed. “Quite odd indeed.”

Abbie suddenly realized they had left Matthew standing alone when her relatives arrived, but even worse than that, Aunt Lila had mentioned Uncle Randall by name. Would Matthew think it odd that her uncle’s name was Randall Randall since her aunt had used his first name for her last?

She whirled around to gauge his reaction to that fact, but he was nowhere to be seen. Relief mixed with disappointment colored her joy at seeing her relatives.

“Are you looking for someone, Abigail?” Roxanne asked, following Abbie’s search around the train depot.

“Have you lost something?” Regina asked.

Another quick look around revealed that Matthew had quietly slipped away. Well, that was different. Most of the suitors she was acquainted with wanted to be seen in Abbie’s company. Rumors were a powerful weapon for a young man who wanted to give the impression he was the chosen one of Daniel Livingston’s daughter.

She glanced around once more hoping to catch a glimpse of the handsome man she found herself attracted to—very attracted to—but it would seem he had business elsewhere. The thought he might be here to see a woman stung a bit, but she shook it off. If he wasn’t interested in her, would he have flirted so shamelessly on the train? She supposed he would if he was that sort of man, but she didn’t get that sense about him.

“Lose something?" she repeated her cousin’s question then shook her head. “No, at least, I don’t think so. But if I find later that I did lose something, then I’m sure I won’t miss it in the least.” She knew her words were a bit cryptic, and she wasn’t sure if she were trying to convince her cousins...or herself.

She saw the puzzled look her cousins exchanged and calmed herself so as not to worry them. If Matthew Bell was interested in getting to know her better, then he would figure out how to find her. And if not, then she would have plenty of time to cultivate other friendships with tall dark handsome gentlemen from Durango.

Her excitement returned. “Shall we go? I’m ready for this holiday to begin.”

* * *

Matthew left the train depot and headed up Main Street. He left Rose and her aunt in the midst of their relatives. He wanted to say goodbye but there was just no room in their excited greetings to graciously interject.

He stood at the outside door of the train station watching as the passengers left searching for anyone who could be Miss Livingston and her aunt. There were only one other young woman accompanied by an older female companion. He followed them to the hotel and checked in directly behind them. He glanced at their signatures when he signed his in the hotel register. They were not his targets. Damn. Now what?

He debated whether to sign his real name or the name he introduced himself to Rose. Better keep his story simple.

He signed his name Matt Bell, paid the clerk, and took the room key. He would get settled and then send a telegram to Mr. Livingston. Perhaps there was a change of plans and Miss Livingston hadn’t traveled after all. That would explain a lot, he concluded. Perhaps there just wasn’t time to find him and tell him. But did that mean he wouldn’t be paid the other half of the ten-thousand dollars? Maybe he should also telegraph Gus in case he’d heard something.

Once inside his hotel room, he dropped his sack on the bed, hung his coat on a wall peg, and shucked his boots off beside the bed.

The hotel staff had seen to it there was fresh water in the pitcher, and he took full advantage of it. Twenty minutes later, he redressed, locked his room, and pocketed the key. Thoughts of Rose drifted along with him as he crossed the large hotel lobby and made his way out to the streets of Durango. He wished he had gotten more information about how to get in touch with her. After all, he did have an official invite to their home courtesy of her aunt. Lack of information was not a good habit for a private investigator to get into and this week had been plagued with it. He was gonna have to get his mind on the right women and off the wrong one.

Thoughts of the wrong one resurfaced. Her laughter and golden eyes pulled at his libido. He wondered if her dark hair felt as soft between his fingertips as it looked. He couldn’t remember ever wanting to kiss a woman as much as he wanted to kiss Rose Collins, but there was no doubt about it. He did.

“Well, we meet again, Mr. Bell.”

He turned at the familiar voice and to his surprise, and delight, there stood the object of his daydreams. His eyes rose to her hair underneath her jaunty little hat resting on the side of her head.

She was with the group of women he had seen greet her at the train station. “Mr. Bell. I thought you had run away.”

He bowed to them in greeting and saw her blush.

She turned to her aunt. “Actually, we thought you had run away.” she corrected herself. He was quite pleased she seemed as interested in him as he was with her.

“No ma’am. I would have said a proper goodbye to you and your aunt, but I didn’t want to interrupt your reunion with family. Besides, I had some urgent business to attend to.”

He thought Miss Collins would introduce him to her companions. Instead, she turned to them and said. “Why don’t you all go along to the house. I’ll follow shortly.”

Matthew could tell by the surprised look on everyone’s faces, this was not something Rose Collins often did, but they gave her no argument. Instead, Mrs. Randall smiled at him and said, “Mr. Bell. I trust you will watch out for my niece while she is in your company?”

“Of course, ma’am. Rest assured I’ll take excellent care of her.” He smiled at Rose’s aunt and nodded to the other women.

“Okay, ladies. Let’s get home. I’m exhausted.” her aunt said as she led the women down the street leaving him and Rose standing on the boardwalk.

He wasn’t sure what he should do next. Send a telegraph to Mr. Livingston to tell him the man he hired to watch his daughter had no idea where she was, or escort Miss Collins to wherever she was headed when their paths crossed. Maybe he should invite her back to the hotel for an afternoon refreshment. His devotion to his company said send the telegram. His attraction to Rose said spend as much time with her as possible.

“Would you like to go back to my hotel?” The words were out of his mouth before he realized it.

The look of shock on Rose’s face was not in the least surprising after what he had just said. “What I meant to say was would you like to go to my hotel for an afternoon refreshment. I heard from the desk clerk they serve the best afternoon tea in town.” He wasn’t usually so socially inept. What was it about this woman that made a fool out of him? There were so many things he reminded himself.

“Under normal circumstances, I think that would be a lovely idea, but it has been a long train ride from Philadelphia, and I would like to freshen up and rest a bit. Perhaps you can walk me to my aunt’s house instead. That way you’ll know how to find us if you should have time during your stay to take my aunt up on her invitation. My Aunt Lila has a whole library full of gardening books. Perhaps there’s something on the shelves you might find interesting.”

Matthew was pleased with Rose’s idea. Very pleased indeed. “I would love to walk you home...and take a look at those books, of course.”

“Of course.” She gave him a teasing smile and nodded down the street. “Shall we go?”

Matthew extended his arm, crooked at the elbow. To his delight, Rose entwined her arm in his. He tucked her against his side as if they hadn't known each other for just mere days. Though he supposed they did know a bit more about each other than most who met in social encounters, given their proximity during the entire train ride out west.

He cast a glance over at the lovely young miss on his arm. It wasn’t every day he found a beautiful woman so close to his height. She was perhaps four inches shorter than his six foot, two inches. On another woman, her height might have seemed mannish, but on Rose it was very alluring. He wondered what it would be like to dance with her. Perhaps if he were lucky, he would get the chance to find out at this ball she had come all this way to attend.

They walked four blocks north of the hotel then two more blocks east talking easily as they walked. He was enjoying their time together so much, he was a bit disappointed when she stopped on the corner of 3rd Street next to an ornate iron fence bordering a yard in front of a beautiful home on the tree-lined street. He could imagine owning something like this someday.

“We’re here.” Rose announced, looking up at him with those amazing eyes of hers.

Yes, he could imagine owning a house like this and he could imagine sharing it with someone…as likable and lovely as Rose. Without a premeditated thought, he leaned in and kissed her.

Chapter 5

Rose was caught off guard by Matthew’s kiss, but she was receptive to the idea. Very receptive. She knew she was throwing caution to the wind by standing in broad daylight in front of her aunt’s house kissing a man she had met just days ago, but wasn’t that part of the allure of her holiday in Durango? To find a man who was attracted to her and not her father’s fortune?

She allowed herself a moment or two to enjoy Matthew’s lips on hers. He was very good at kissing, but shouldn’t she at least act a little bit shocked at his forwardness even though her wholehearted participation would surely disprove any outrage she might profess now. She stepped away and stole a quick glance at the house. She could have sworn the curtains moved, but the movement was so slight, it could have been the cool breeze coming through the open window that caused the flutter. Still, she was suspicious.

“Mr. Bell...Matthew, I think we should probably go inside the house. I would hate for my aunt’s neighbors to report there was a promiscuous young woman outside her door kissing a stranger in broad daylight. It would not be a good way to start my holiday as you might well imagine.”

“I’m sorry, Rose. I shouldn’t have done that, though...I’m awfully glad I did.”

“Well, just to be on the safe side, shall we go inside?” She didn’t want to let him know how awfully glad she was too. Although with his obvious experience at kissing, she should really be playing it safe. He could be a womanizing cad and she was falling right into his clutches. The truth was—she didn't want to play it safe.

Even if her new gentleman friend were a cad, she was pretending to be Rose Collins. She could have the excitement she wanted without harm to Abigail Livingston’s stellar, and often boring, reputation. Well, that is if she were discreet in front of her aunts. They would never tolerate outright flagrant behavior unbecoming her station. Of that, she was certain.

She could tell her reply left Matthew uncertain of her reaction. Good. Let him wonder. She linked their arms together again relishing the feel of his strong, lean body next to hers and guided him up the half dozen steps to a wide covered front porch. The swing at the end of the porch would be the perfect place for Matthew to come courting in full view of her guardians. Then perhaps they could go for a walk.

The thought of strolling around town on Matthew's arm made her almost sigh. Perhaps he might take advantage of the situation and lead her into some tree-lined garden where they could disappear under the drooping branches of a weeping willow and pick up where they left off just moments ago—

“There you are, darling. I thought perhaps you had forgotten how to get to the house. We were just coming to find you.” Aunt Jeannie stood just inside the door. She could see Aunt Lila near the window trying not to look like she was standing at the window.

Subtle glances from her aunts told her they knew exactly where she was and what she was doing. She didn’t see any signs of censure on their faces. Just curiosity.

“No, not at all. Matthew said he had never been to Durango before and although it’s been years since I was here as a young girl, I wanted to show Matthew as many landmarks as I could remember.”

“And were you able to remember some of them?” her Aunt Lila asked as she moved closer to the door with Aunt Jeannie.

“More than a few, in fact. Matthew and I were just...discussing them on the front stoop, if you were wondering.” She let go of Matthew’s arm and hugged her aunt close. Using the gesture, she whispered in her aunt’s ear. “Thank you, Aunt Jeannie, for not giving my secret away. Have you explained to Aunt Lila the situation?”

After returning her hug briefly, her aunt stepped back and nodded slightly. When her aunts exchanged glances, and Aunt Lila gave Abbie a knowing look, she was assured that explanations had, indeed, been given.

“Mr. Bell, please let me introduce you to Rose’s other aunt, and our host for this holiday, Mrs. Lila Beckett. Lila, this is the charming young man I was telling you about from the train. I fear without his entertaining banter, Rose and I would have died from boredom.”

“Glad to make your acquaintance, Mrs. Beckett.” Matthew responded freely.

She liked his easy way with her aunts. Some of her suitors behaved like awkward schoolboys when introduced to family members. It was as if they said the wrong thing, they would be out of the running for Daniel Livingston’s prize. She smiled. No worry there, since Matthew Bell had no idea he was standing next to one of the richest heiresses on the East Coast. And she liked that most of all.

“My darling niece, Lila and I couldn't be more delighted that you want to see all the wonderful sights while here in Durango.” Then her aunt turned to Matthew. “Perhaps you will be available to join us for dinner some evening, Mr. Bell. We would love to thank you for your kindness and entertaining conversation during our long train ride here.”

Matthew nodded and smiled indulgently at her aunts. “The pleasure was all mine, I assure you, ladies, and I would be honored to come for dinner. Thank you for the gracious invitation.”

Aunt Lila smiled. “Good. We’ll send word around to, um, where are you staying, Mr. Bell?”

“I’m staying at the— ”

Abbie interjected. “He’s staying at John’s hotel. Isn’t that a happy coincidence? He’ll be staying at the same hotel as the Harvest Ball.”

Aunt Lila’s eyes rounded in surprise. “Well, that is fortunate, Mr. Bell. John Kingston is my daughter’s husband. Please let the desk clerk know you are a special guest of John’s. You will receive the best of care. How long will you be staying in town, Mr. Bell?”

Expectant glances from the three women all turned to Abbie’s guest. He looked uncomfortable and Abbie could only assume he wasn’t used to being put on the spot by three persistent women. Poor man.

“Um...I honestly can’t say how long I’ll be in town, ma’am. It will all depend on how my...business dealings go, I suppose. And other interests.” He didn’t look in her direction, but Abbie knew instinctively, he was referring to her. So, he was interested. She preened just a bit at the news. Oh, this holiday was the best idea ever. She really must thank Gwen with a special gift when she returned home.

Aunt Jeannie cleared her throat and Abbie realized she was staring at Matthew. That wasn’t so bad, but she was grinning from ear to ear too. How much more transparent could she be? What on earth was wrong with her? She knew how to play hard to get with suitors. She’s made it her life’s mission...well, up until now that is.

Aunt Lila interrupted the growing awkward silence. “Well then, we will just have to extend our invitation to you for dinner soon. I can invite my daughter and her husband, John. And then there’s my sister Latisha’s daughter, Roxanne and her husband, Alex. He owns a beautiful horse ranch just outside of town. That might be a lovely carriage ride for the two of you to take one morning, Abi— ”

Her Aunt Lila’s mouth froze in mid-sentence when she realized she had almost called her Abigail instead of Rose. Aunt Jeannie picked up the conversation. “Well, we can discuss all of that later. Right now, I think our niece could use a relaxing bath and some hot tea. Thank you, Mr. Bell, for bringing our Rose home safe and sound. Please, stop by anytime.”

Matthew took the hint without hesitation. “It was my pleasure, Mrs. Randall. Mrs. Beckett.” Then, he turned to her and reached for her hand and bowed over it, kissing her glove. “I look forward to seeing more of you, Rose.” The look he gave her made her knees tremble with a longing she had never felt before. And when his gaze dropped to her lips, she knew he was remembering their earlier kiss. Oh, how she hoped it was just the first of many more to come.

He let her hand go. “I’ll see myself out. Until next time, ladies.” He gave them a slight bow and left, closing the door softly behind him.

Abbie pulled her hand up to her lips where he had kissed it and sighed. "Until next time.”

* * *

Matthew knew he was playing with fire. He had a job to do and he was spending valuable time flirting with his beautiful traveling companion instead of trying to locate his missing heiress. The thought of Mr. Livingston’s daughter actually being in danger while he was cavorting with Miss Collins made him sick at his stomach. He needed to find the telegraph office and send Mr. Livingston a telegram to inquire if his daughter actually got on that train.

“Excuse me, sir.” He stopped a passing man on the boardwalk. “Can you tell me where the telegraph office is?”

“Sure, it's two blocks that way. On the right side of the street.” the man replied.

“Thanks.” He nodded to the man and headed in that direction. His long strides made quick work of the two blocks, and he soon found himself standing in front of the telegraph office.

Inside, the clerk behind the counter, a little man with wire-rimmed glasses, greeted him. “Hello, how can I help you?”

“I need to send a telegram to Philadelphia.” he reached into his pocket for money to pay the man.

“Can’t do it.” The man’s response was unexpected.

“Can’t do it? Why?”

“Because the lines are down.”

“Down where?” Matthew was beginning to feel like this job was cursed.

“If I knew that, we’d be fixin' ‘em.”

“Any idea how long it’ll take to find the break and get it fixed?” Matthew’s frustration was mounting.

“I’d say from past experience about a week, give or take a day or two. But ain’t no guarantee.” the telegraph clerk said.

It wouldn’t do any good to get mad at the clerk. It wasn’t his fault the lines were down. Matthew took a deep breath. “I understand. I suppose I'll check back in a few days then.”

“Suit yerself. Ain’t no charge fer askin’.” The man grinned and Matthew realized the man was trying to be funny, but there was nothing funny about losing out on the five thousand dollars that could save his company, not to mention the ire of the Irish business partner he would have to explain all this to.

“Yeah, okay. I’ll check back.” The situation was out of his control. He just hoped Miss Livingston was safe somewhere. Otherwise, there was gonna be hell to pay.

Matthew stepped outside into the late afternoon sunshine. He didn’t really want to go back to his room and sit. Maybe a good stiff drink would help his mood. The desk clerk had said the hotel bar was known for their cocktails. Maybe now would be a good time to test their reputation.

He walked down the block to his hotel and crossed the crowded lobby to the restaurant. He chose a table at the back of the room away from the lobby’s foot traffic and noise. The waitress came over to take his order. “What can I get for you, sir?”

“I’ve heard your hotel serves the best cocktails in town. I’m a whiskey man myself. What do ya have that I might like?”

“Well, you came to the right place. Bernard there makes a mean Old Fashioned. The best in town. Wanna try one?”

“That sounds great. I believe I will. And is there anything on the menu this time of day?” He was in between lunch and supper and he didn’t want to drink whiskey on an empty stomach.

“We got leftover pot roast from lunch. I can have Cook make ya a roast beef sandwich. Maybe even find some potatoes too.” she offered.

“That sounds perfect. I’ll take it.”

“Good choice. I’ll be right back with your order.” The waitress left and headed straight for the kitchen.

While he waited for his drink and food, he took out his notebook and pencil and began scratching notes. His next step should be to visit the sheriff’s office. He could get two things out of there. One, the lawman would know if someone had been injured or killed in the area. And, two, he might know why the telegraph lines were down and when they might be repaired. He wasn’t doubting the clerk at the telegraph office, but he was just hoping the law would have more information...and have it sooner.

The waitress brought his drink. “Here ya go, sir. Your food will be here shortly.” He thanked the woman and she hurried off to wait on other customers in the restaurant.

Everything about this case hinged on finding out what the hell happened to Miss Livingston. If she had decided not to come to Durango and his client hadn’t had time to notify him of the change, then he would probably go ahead and pay him the money he had promised. He knew Daniel Livingston was a shrewd businessman, sometimes even ruthless, but nothing Matthew had heard about the man indicated he wasn’t a man of his word. Matthew’s business depended upon that fact to be the absolute truth.

Lost in his worries, his food arrived and he wolfed it down without really tasting it. He ordered another Old Fashioned and after an hour or so of making notes, he began to relax. After another hour, he had a solid plan in place which made him feel a little more in control of the situation.

Thoughts of Rose crept into his musings followed by the memory of her lips under his. A jolt of desire hit him and he was desperate to see her again. This wasn't like him. So lost to his emotions. Maybe he just needed a hot bath and a good night’s sleep to gain perspective on Miss Rose Collins. After all, he hardly knew anything about the woman.

He could admit to himself that he had never met anyone like her before, but she conjured up images of a house on a corner somewhere on a tree-lines street in Philadelphia. It had a certain appeal…more so that it had been since Julia’s betrayal.

He shook his head to clear his thoughts. He had work to do. His misplaced desires for Miss Collins would just have to wait...for now.

He paid the waitress and stood to go when he saw a man with a badge walk into the room. Now was his chance to ask his questions. He rushed crossed the room and intercepted the man on the way to the gaming room. “Hello, Sheriff. My name’s Matthew Bellamy. I’m a private investigator from Philadelphia and I’m looking for someone. Would you have a moment to speak with me?”

Twenty minutes later, Matthew’s talk with the sheriff put some of his fears to rest. No one had been abducted, injured, or killed in the last two weeks, the sheriff assured him. That was encouraging. So, now all he had to do was send that telegram to Mr. Livingston and find out if his daughter did, in fact, get on the train to Durango.

Chapter 6

Abbie spent the last week getting reacquainted with her aunts and cousins. Today, they were sitting on the covered back porch drinking iced tea. The feeling of fall in the mountains kept her thoughts straying to the Harvest Ball. It would be here in no time, and she was hoping Matthew would ask her to accompany him. That is, if his business kept him in town that long.

Her Aunt Lila’s laughter pulled her away from her thoughts. She heard the chatter of the four women and realized how much she had missed her cousins. When she was younger, she had spent time with Roxi and Mari in Boston. It was always pleasant to leave Philadelphia. At least for a little while.

She had forgotten how much she loved the strong-willed quick-witted women in her family. No wonder her mother allowed her such freedoms. How could she not when she and her siblings were as independent in spirit and deed as women these days could be. And somehow, they had all managed to maintain their reputations. Well, all of them except their youngest sister. Lavinia. No one knew exactly what had become of her. Her mother had once told her that she hadn’t seen her youngest sister in years...not since she’d left town just before Abbie’s fifth birthday.

“So, tell us all about this Mr. Bell that Aunt Jeannie and Mother keep going on about. He’s certainly handsome enough, I’ll say that for him.” Her cousin Regina was obviously hoping for some juicy details.

Aggie smiled. “I will tell you all about him, but first, when is that precious little bundle of yours due?”

Regina smiled and placed her hand lovingly on her growing belly. “My little daughter, or son, will be here at the end of January. I have about four more months to finish the nursery and settle everything at the school before this little baby comes into the world.”

“And I can’t wait,” Aunt Lila declared. “I’ve been knitting little booties and blankets ever since Regina and John married…well, not since they first married, but afterwards, when Regina came back from Roxanne’s.”

Abbie saw her cousin send a look to her mother. “I think we all know how John and I got married, Mother. Why don’t we let Abbie tell us all about the gentleman she met on the train.”

“Yes, tell us all about this mysterious stranger you met on the train.” her cousin Roxanne added.

“Of course, Abigail. Tell us about your young man,” Aunt Lila said apparently unaware her daughter was deliberately redirecting her attention to somewhere less personal.

“You already know the story. Aunt Jeannie has told you all everything there is to tell. We got on the train in Philadelphia and he sat across from us and we struck up a conversation that lasted for days. That’s all there is.” Abbie knew there was a lot more, but she wasn’t ready to share her feelings with anyone, especially when she hadn’t any indication if Matthew’s feelings for her were more than just a passing fancy.

He was attracted to her. She would be a dolt if she hadn’t seen that much, but how did he feel? That was a different matter altogether.

She was pondering the question when her aunt’s housemaid came to the screen door. “Mrs. Beckett, there’s a gentleman at the door to see someone by the name of Rose. I told him there was no one here by that name, but he insists there is. What should I do? I can send for the sheriff if you like.”

“No.” Aunt Jeannie and Aunt Lila cried out at once. The maid and her two cousins were shocked at their unexpected outbursts.

Aunt Lila recovered first.

“Gertie, just have the gentleman wait in the parlor. There's a simple misunderstanding, that’s all. No need to call the sheriff.”

Gertie looked as if she wasn’t quite convinced, but she curtsied and left to do her aunt’s bidding.

“What on earth is going on, Mother?” Regina demanded to know. “Who is this Rose and why is a strange man in your house asking for her?”

“I can explain.” Abbie offered. She didn’t want her aunts to be blamed for going along with her idea. “I convinced my parents to allow me to come to Durango to attend the Harvest Ball as long as I came with— ”

“With me as your chaperone, don’t forget.” Aunt Jeannie interjected.

“Yes, my father would only agree if Aunt Jeannie would serve as my chaperone. Anyway, my friend Gwen and I— ”

Her Aunt Jeannie stood and said. “Dear, why don’t you go and greet your gentleman friend while Lila and I explain the rest of the details to your cousins.”

Relieved, Abbie agreed and rushed inside the house towards the parlor. She slowed just before the parlor door to check her image in the hall mirror. Satisfied she was presentable, she floated into the room.

“Why Matthew, it's so good to see you again. I thought perhaps you had grown tired of my company already.” Her heart stuttered at the sight of him.

He turned at the sound of her voice and she was pleased by the way his eyes warmed when he saw her. “Nonsense, my work has kept me busy, that’s all.”

“Well, I’m so happy to hear that. I thought perhaps your time might have been occupied by some young lady you met since arriving here in Durango.” It was a rather bold statement, but she wanted to gauge his response.

“Of course not.” he replied, and she saw no sign of deceit. Her heart warmed at the thought that he was here to see her. It was a glorious feeling to know he was interested in her, and not her father’s fortune.

“That’s so good to hear. Please, sit. Tell me what has brought you by today?” She so hoped he wasn’t going to tell her that his business was concluded, and he was leaving Durango. "Can I offer you some refreshments? We're having iced tea on the back— ”

Before she could finish her sentence, he drew closer and stood in front of her. “Rose, I’m must apologize for my forwardness. My behavior is out of character for me, but…” His words trailed off and she realized she was holding her breath to hear what came next.

“But I find that I can’t stop thinking about you...and about that kiss...and I was wondering if it would be...if you would be opposed to me— ”

“Opposed to you kissing me again, Matthew.” She heard the breathy sound of her voice, but she didn’t care. Her heart’s erratic behavior was robbing her of her ability to breath. Or was it the prospect of another kiss that made her breath so elusive?

“Yes, I know it’s very forward, and I would certainly understand if you threw me out of this house, but…”

She took a step closer, close enough she could feel the heat of his body. “I would not be opposed, Matthew. I would not be opposed at all.” Abbie knew she was playing with fire, but she didn’t care. For the first time in her twenty years, she saw the want in a man’s eyes and knew he wanted her for herself alone.

Matthew reached up to caress her cheek as if she were the most precious thing in his world. When he leaned in and his lips touched hers, shivers of delight scattered everywhere across her body.

He pulled back for a moment. “Tell me to stop, Rose and I will in a heartbeat.”

She saw the passion in his eyes and knew they mirrored her own. “I don’t want you to stop, Matthew. I don’t want you to ever stop.”

She swore she heard a growl deep in his chest, but he left her no time to think about it. His lips came crashing down on hers, his fingers tangled in her hair, and he pulled her so close she could feel his desire for her through their clothes. Then he turned his mouth and plunged his tongue deep inside hers. Her knees grew so weak, she thought they might not hold her upright, but his arm encircled her waist and held her tight.

She allowed herself to get lost in the moment certain she would remember it for the rest of her life.

* * *

Matthew had arrived in Durango more than a week ago and when he wasn’t annoying the telegraph office clerk, or asking questions around town about Miss Livingston, he was thinking about Rose. He had used every excuse he could think of to see her and was thrilled her aunts seemed agreeable. He had no idea what he would do if they forbid them from seeing each other. Honestly, he didn’t want to find out.

Today, they were going to visit Rose's cousin Roxanne and her husband, Alex, at their ranch just outside of town. When Mrs. Randall proposed the idea, he had been surprised and never thought they would allow Rose to go out on an unchaperoned carriage ride with him. But apparently, he had misjudged her guardian aunt.

Thoughts of their many shared kisses sent a bolt of white-hot desire to his nether region. He had never wanted a woman more than he did Rose. But his grandmother had raised a gentleman and he would never cross the line of propriety and he would never risk Rose’s reputation. That didn't mean he didn't want her as much as any man could want a woman. Perhaps when this job was over and Rose headed back to Philadelphia, he could convince her that he was the man for her. Find a nice cozy house on a tree-lined street just like her aunt’s house here in Durango. Just like the one he’d always dreamed about owning. Maybe then, he could ask Rose to marry him. But he was getting his cart before his horse. He had a business to save or there would be no way to support a wife or the family that would come.

Matthew rushed through breakfast and arrived at the livery stable bright and early. He paid the owner for the rented horse and carriage and promised he would not abuse the horse or damage the carriage in any way. The man seemed satisfied, but still cautioned Matthew that he would have to pay for any damages. And since he could ill afford the cost, he again assured the man he would take good care of them both.

He steered the horse down the street towards Mrs. Beckett's house, but then thought perhaps he should go by the telegraph office first on the chance the lines had been repaired.

As he headed approached the telegraph office, he saw a line of men standing outside the door. He tried to reign in his excitement as he pulled the horse up short and called to the men, “Is the telegraph office open now? Can we send a telegraph?”

“Yep.” That was all one man at the back of the line said. It was enough. Matthew urged the horse close to the hitching post, set the brake, tied the reins, and hurried to take his place at the back of the line. The line seemed to move at a snail’s pace, but he knew that was just his impatience. Rose was waiting and he didn’t want to be late, but he really needed to send this telegram.

Twenty minutes later, he finally made his way to the telegraph clerk’s desk. “I need to send a telegram, please.”

“You and everybody else.” The man’s tone was pleasant, so Matthew didn’t take offense. “What do ya want to say?” The main was poised with his pencil and paper in hand.

“Daniel Livingston 2019 Delancey Place Philadelphia, PA Stop. Arrived in Durango. Stop. Need verification your daughter got on the train. Stop. No sign of her. Stop. M Bellamy.

“When will that go out?” Matthew reached into his pocket and set the money on the counter.

“That’ll go out about noon. I’ve taken so many messages this morning, I had to call my son in to help me. He'll be here shortly and I can start sending these out just as soon as he gets here.”

“When do you think I can expect an answer?” he asked and pocketed the change.

“Now, I ain’t got no control of the other end. It depends on the Philadelphia office and how fast they get a runner to deliver your message, if your person is home, and how fast he answers. Like I said, ain’t got no control over that end.” The man turned and shoved Matthew’s note onto a nail sticking out of the wall that already had quite a few other notes impaled behind his.

“I understand. So, should I check back in a day or so? Or will you send a runner to my hotel when I get a reply?” Matthew’s anxiety had kicked in again and he really just wanted some answers.

“You can suit yerself, mister. Check in. Don’t check in. That’s up to you. I’ll send a runner over to the hotel with a message when I get one, but I can’t say how quickly that’ll be. It'll depend on how many other answers I get that day.” The little man in the wire-rimmed glasses turned and gave Matthew a half-hearted shrug and pointed to the nail on the wall.

“I’ll check in. Thanks.” Matthew didn’t want to spend any more time on business this morning when Rose was waiting on him. Besides, it wasn’t like he was shirking his responsibilities to the business. He would just have to wait on a reply from Mr. Livingston before he knew what he needed to do. And if his reply said his daughter got on the train, then Matthew knew without a doubt that she had arrived in Durango. He had watched every person get on and off that train between Philadelphia and Durango, and no one matching their descriptions had done either.

Either Daniel’s daughter was tucked safely at home under his supervision, or Matthew would find her here in Durango. Though if she is here, he would have a lot of explaining to do to his partner and their client when he got back to Philadelphia. A lot of explaining.

He untied the little mare from the hitching post, climbed aboard, then steered towards the beautiful woman who held his heart in her hands.

Chapter 7

“Abigail Rose Livingston.” Aunt Jeannie spoke across the breakfast table. “Are you even listening to us?”

The tone in her aunt’s voice pulled her from her daydreaming more than her words did, well that and the use of her full name...her real name. “I’m listening.” she said, but she was certain her aunts did not believe her.

“Abbie, you have got to slow down. Mr. Bell is almost a stranger to us. We don’t know anything about him. Not really. After all, you’ve only known him a little more than a couple of weeks, if you count the days on the train. That is certainly not enough time to know the man’s character.”

Abbie could tell by Aunt Lila’s tone she was worried. “I know all about Matthew, Aunt Lila. At least, all I need to know. He’s not married. He’s from Philadelphia, and he is enamored with me. Me. Not Abigail Livingston, Daniel Livingston’s daughter. Not the heiress to a fortune. Just plain old Rose Collins.”

She pinned her aunt with a pointed look. “Do you know what it feels like to have a man as handsome as Matthew pay attention to you without having doubts about why he’s paying attention to you? For once in my life, I know when he looks at me with those beautiful eyes of his, he is seeing me...the real me, and not my father’s wealth.”

Abbie wanted her aunts to calm down about Matthew. At first, they had been open and inviting, but the more she and Matthew spent time together, the more they seemed to oppose their relationship. She would have thought it would have been the other way around.

“Abigail, sweetheart, your Aunt Jeannie and I just want you to be careful, that’s all. Be cautious with your reputation and your heart for if anything were to go wrong, she and I…we…would feel— ”

“It won’t. I’m not a little girl, Aunt Lila. And I’m not naive. I know the wiles of men on the hunt. But I swear to you, Matthew isn’t like those men. He’s gentle. And kind. And so respectful of my feelings. And my reputation. He’s an honorable man. I can feel it.”

Aunt Jeannie gave her a sympathetic look. “Abbie, sometimes a woman’s feelings can leave her blind to the truth. We aren’t saying Matthew is a bad person. We're saying that this...thing...this relationship has gone farther than we could have imagined. And so quickly. We want you to enjoy your holiday, but we also want you to take care and not do anything that you will regret later on.”

“I don’t regret anything— ”

“Not yet, but there’s still plenty of time until the Harvest Ball and I see trouble ahead. Mr. Bell has told you about his life, but how do you know he has been truthful? How do you know for sure he isn’t married? Because he told you? And, how do you know he has a good reputation...an honorable reputation that you can be proud of? And you said yourself, you don’t really know what he does for a living. Let’s just say for argument's sake , you and he do fall in love and he does propose to you. What happens when you are forced to tell him who you really are? After all, if he’s falling in love with you, he thinks he’s falling in love with Rose Collins, not Abigail Livingston. Won’t he feel a bit betrayed that you didn’t trust him with the truth?” Aunt Lila pointed out.

Abbie hadn’t thought that far down the road.

Aunt Jeannie added. “And does he make enough money to support you in the manner you are accustomed? Surely, you don’t intend to live in squalor somewhere slaving over a boiling tub of lye and a scrub board washing diapers, do you? Come now, Abigail. You are more pragmatic than that. Love is splendid, but the kind of life you are used to can only be had when a husband has a good head on his shoulders and makes something of himself in this world. Mr. Bell said he was in Durango on business, but what kind of business? That’s the kind of thing a smart young woman should know before she gives her heart away. Don’t you agree?”

Abbie soaked in her aunt’s words. She hated to admit it, but her aunts did make a good point. Abbie had money. Her father had seen to that. He had established a trust fund in her name. But did she really want a husband who relied on that money, even if he had fallen in love with her before he learned about the money? She was certain she knew Matthew’s character, but she had to admit she hadn’t a clue what his financial situation was. And no matter how much she and Matthew might love each other, her father would never allow her to marry someone who wasn’t able to provide for her, and more importantly, protect her from unscrupulous characters who might want to use her to get to her father’s money. And that kind of protection came at a high price, both in money and in freedom.

“I suppose you have a point, Aunt Jeannie. Aunt Lila. I understand what you want me to see and I will take a step back and get to know Matthew in a more logical and methodical way. I’m convinced I know the man’s character, but I admit I know hardly anything about him as a businessman.”

A knock at the door signaled the subject of their conversation had arrived. “I will use our trip to Roxanne’s today to delve deeper into Matthew’s business acumen and I am confident by the end of the day, I can report back to the both of you that he is every bit the successful entrepreneur that he is a gentleman.” she assured her aunts. Though they had managed to place a tiny seed of doubt in her mind.

She could admit she had let her guard down with him almost from the very beginning. And, she could admit, if only to herself, that she had given him many opportunities to take advantage of her. That hadn’t been her plan, but she had simply gotten carried away with the man’s attentions. It was also because she felt like she had a connection with him that had always eluded her with other suitors. Perhaps it was just the knowledge that he cared for her without knowing who she was. Whatever it was, she would follow her aunts' advice and show them that her instincts about Matthew were right.

Another knock at the door reminded her that Matthew was waiting. She did not have the time to further analyze the why's of her immediate attraction to the man standing outside her door or to consider all her aunts had said about his sense of betrayal at her lack of trust. But, she owed it to herself, and to Matthew, to learn more about the man she was giving her heart to.

* * *

Matthew guided the little mare out of town toward Roxanne and Alex's ranch. Although, he didn't really care where they were headed. As long as Rose was by his side, he’d go anywhere.

“It’s a beautiful morning, isn’t it?” Rose exclaimed and inhaled a deep breath of the cool mountain air. He liked the way the bodice of her dress stretched tight across her—

“Don’t you agree, Matthew?” she asked and turned to him giving him a sweet smile.

“I would agree about the beautiful part.” he said knowing she knew he was talking about her.

She blushed and he loved it. She snuggled a bit closer to him and he had to admit he could get used to this.

He slapped the reins in his left hand against the little mare’s rump to keep her trotting down the dirt road while his right hand circled Rose’s shawl covered shoulders. He loved the way her body fit against his side.

They snuggled together happy and relaxed in each other’s company. Rose let out a contented sigh and he pulled her even closer. “Are you having a good time on your holiday, Rose?” he asked the question before he even realized the thought was on his mind, but now that he had, he was very interested in her answer.

“Yes, I’m having a wonderful time, Matthew. I can’t remember ever having such a good time. Not ever.”

He grinned. “I’m glad to hear it. Is there anything in particular that has made your holiday...special?” He knew he was fishing, but he really wanted to know how she felt about him.

“Well, I did enjoy the lovely evening at my aunt’s house last week.” she replied. He could tell by her coy look she was teasing him.

“I enjoyed that evening as well. It was so nice to get to know your cousin-in-law. John Kingston is a man to be admired. His business savvy has allowed him to rise from the streets of Durango to the man he is today.”

“And he’s a good husband.” Rose pointed out.

“Yes, that too.” he admitted and wondered if her reference to her cousin's husband was her way of hinting there could be a future for the two of them. He was quite pleased by the thought.

They traveled along for a while in silence enjoying the beautiful scenery. The crystal clear water of the Animas River rushed over the stones worn smooth by snowmelt and rains that had followed that same path for centuries. The sound of the water along the rocks made him think of the river back home in Bowling Green. He liked it out here. He wished he could stay and make a home here with Rose, but he had a company and a partner that needed him. Besides, Rose had not given him any indication she wanted to stay in Durango. After all, she was on a holiday from Philadelphia, and he fully expected her to return home at the end of September.

Breaking the silence, Matthew said the first thing that popped into his mind, "And how about that little girl of Alex and Roxanne? She was the cutest little thing. And smart too.” Matthew made small talk while his mind wandered. Could he and Rose make a future together?

“She is so sweet. And she loves Roxi as much as she does Alex. It is a bit surprising she could have those feelings after what happened with her mother, you know.”

Matthew frowned. “I guess I don’t know. What happened with her mother? Did she pass away?”

“Well, that was the story in the beginning.” Rose admitted. “But later, after my cousin developed feelings for Alex and his little girl, she learned quite by accident that the story Alex told about his wife’s passing was a bald-faced lie.”

“A lie? You mean she wasn’t dead?” Matthew didn’t much like where this story was going.

“No, she wasn’t dead at all. It turns out she left Alex and Grace for a man. Stole all Alex's money. And nearly cost him the ranch his uncle had left him.”

When Matthew didn’t say anything, Rose continued with her story. “Anyway, Alex lied to Roxi about being a widower because he needed her help in taking care of Grace while he worked the ranch. Roxi never would have let herself fall for Alex if she had known he was a married man.” Rose stated matter-of-factly.

“So, if Alex lied to your cousin, how is it that they got married? Did Alex compromise your cousin and her father made them marry? But, wait, how could they get married if he was already married?” Now Matthew was completely confused.

“By the time Roxi found out the truth, she had already fallen in love with Alex and his daughter.”

“So she forgave him then?”

“Not at first. Roxi was heartbroken that Alex had lied to her, so she went back home with every intention of marrying her fiancé.”

“Then what happened to change her mind?” He was still confused. Rose was a lovely girl, but she sure did have a round-about-way of telling a story.

“Alex followed her. All the way back to Philadelphia. He snuck into her bedroom and found her in her wedding dress.”

“Well that must have been troubling for him.” Matthew could only imagine what it would be like to find Rose in her wedding dress getting ready to marry another man. That thought was troubling indeed. “So, he convinced her to forgive him then?” Matthew was still a bit confused.

“No. She had every intention of marrying the man her father had chosen.”

“Then please, Rose, put me out of my misery and tell me what happened that would make these two forgive each other’s lies and get married.” Matthew let out a breath of exasperation.

Rose looked at him, a hint of humor in her tone. “Why, Mr. Bell. I had no idea you were so impatient or such a romantic.”

“I didn’t either, truth be told.”

Rose smiled at him. “Alright, I may have dragged the story out, but the end does justify the circuitous route, doesn’t it?” She grinned and he leaned in and gave her a quick kiss on her mouth. He was pleased to see her blush.

“Roxanne is a twin, her sister’s name is Marianne. She’s the one who insisted Roxi follow her heart even though she is the practical twin.”

“Roxi is the practical one?”

“No, Marianne is the practical one. Follow along, Matthew. You must pay attention to the details of my story.”

“I swear I’m trying.”

“Okay, let me explain my twin cousins to you. Roxanne is interested in reading books about fairy tale romances and happy-ever-afters, but Marianne is the pragmatic one with the head for business. That’s why it’s so amusing that Mari is the one who convinced Roxi that she should marry the man of her dreams.”

The carriage crested a hill revealing a sweeping panoramic view of lush grasslands lined with fences and dotted with horses. The backdrop of the beautiful mountains and pine forests made Matthew envious of Alexander Harp.

“There it is. My cousin must be so happy here. Look, there she is waving to us from the front porch. And there’s little Grace.” Rose’s excitement was shining in her eyes.

“It’s breathtaking, wouldn’t you agree?” Rose asked sitting on the edge of the carriage seat.

Once again, Matthew turned to gaze at the woman next to him. What was it about her that had stolen his heart so quickly? He couldn’t put his finger on it, but whatever it was, he wanted to hang on to it and the only way to do that was to find Abigail Livingston and get that five thousand dollars from her father.

“Yes, I most certainly would agree. It is breathtaking.” He slapped the reins against the little mare’s rump and together they descended into paradise.

Chapter 8

After Matthew dropped her off at the house, he drove the rented carriage up to the barn so she spend the morning helping Roxi and Grace pick the last of the summer squash before the cool temperatures dipped below freezing.

“Momma Roxi, can I go in the house and color?” Grace asked while wearing the cutest pout Abbie had ever seen. “I’m tired of picking vegetables.”

Abbie watched her cousin’s tender gaze fall on the precocious five-year-old. “Of course, sweetheart. Just be careful to keep your colors on the table this time. You know what happened last time when your father stepped all over them when you left them in the floor.”

“I know. I’ll keep them on the table this time.” Grace nodded in agreement. “I’ll be careful.” She turned and ran up the hill toward the house. Abbie wondered where Matthew was and what he was doing.

Once Grace was out of sight, Roxi turned to her. “Now Abbie, tell me about this man of yours. Is he going to ask you to the Harvest Ball, or has he done that already?”

Abbie straightened her back and met her cousin’s gaze. “I assume he will, but I suppose that will depend on his business here in Durango. And please, don’t call me Abbie. I’m Rose, remember?”

She knew Matthew and Alex were up on the hill in the barn, so they couldn’t hear, but she just wanted to remind her cousin now so she wouldn’t make the same mistake when Matthew was nearby.

“I’m sorry. I forgot. But don't worry I'll be more careful when Matthew's around.”

Abbie smiled and stood up straight to stretch her tight back muscles. “I know that you of all people understand why I didn’t tell Matthew the truth about who I am. At first, it didn’t seem to matter. He was a stranger on the train that I found handsome and charming. I didn’t see any problem with a little harmless flirtation. But I found myself liking him...a little too much...and then it was— ”

“Too late?” Roxi interjected. “Yes, I completely understand that sentiment. Things start out innocent and unassuming, but when feelings get involved, it can all go south in a a very big handbasket quickly.”

Abbie laughed. “Yes, it certainly can. How much does Alex know? I mean, he knows I’m your cousin, but does he know all the details?"

“Well, yes...and no.” Her cousin stood and rubbed her lower back.

“And what exactly does that mean?” Abbie set her basket of squash down and studied Roxi.

“Well, it means he knows that you are my cousin, but he was confused about the Abigail-Rose name thing. After I heard the story from Aunt Lila and Aunt Jeannie about why you were going by your middle name, I understood. So, I explained to Alex that you were now going by your middle name because you simply liked it better. I didn’t want to lie to him since we swore when we got married we would always tell each other the truth.”

“What about my last name, Collins? Wasn’t he curious about that?” Abbie wondered.

“No, since I never really mentioned you by your last name, Alex doesn’t have a clue about that or the reasoning behind it.”

Abbie drew in a breath and let out a sigh of relief. “Thank goodness. I want to be the one to tell Matthew the truth. I just need to find the right time, that’s all.”

Roxi bent down to pick up her basket full of squash. “I would advise you to tell him sooner rather than later, especially if you think you might be in love with him. Men have a way of justifying their behavior. Lies they tell are always for a good reason and somehow it always seems to be in our best interest.” Her cousin sent her a wry smile. “But in the end, a lie is a lie and even if our intentions are honorable in the telling, sometimes the consequences can be brutal.”

Abbie picked up her basket and followed her cousin up the hill toward the house, as she pondered her cousin’s advice. Roxi knew what she was talking about firsthand, and Abbie would be foolish to discount what she said about Matthew's feelings when he found out about her deception. Brutal consequences did not sound like something she wanted to face. She knew she needed to tell Matthew the truth about who she really was because if Matthew’s feelings for her was as strong as hers, he would want to take their relationship to the next step.

“Abbie—I mean Rose. Are you alright? You seem a little dazed.” Roxi’s words pulled her out of her thoughts.

“No, I was just thinking about what you said, and I know you’re right. After the Harvest Ball, Aunt Jeannie and I will be returning to Philadelphia. When Matthew’s business is concluded here in Durango, he’ll be returning home to Philadelphia as well. I know Matthew to be an honorable man, and if he plans on asking me to marry him, he will insist on asking my father’s permission for my hand in marriage first. I have to figure out how to break the news to both the men in my life in a way that doesn’t turn my whole world upside down. Got any ideas on how to make that happen?”

Roxi shook her head. "Sorry. I don't have a clue. I was too much of a coward and waited too long to tell Alex. John told him before I had the chance to explain. Then Mari pretended to be me so Alex and I could sneak away, and I didn't have to face Father until after everything was settled. He and my mother eventually forgave me, but it took some time. And my father is not nearly as rigid in his opinions as yours, I hear. I don’t have any advice other than you should tell Matthew as soon as you possibly can because when Daniel Livingston finds out something’s been going on and he wasn’t included...well, let's just say I wouldn't want to be you.”

Abbie knew her cousin was right. She had to make Matthew aware of what he was getting himself into. If he was really serious about her, they could weather her father’s storm together because there was nothing she could do that would prevent her father from overreacting. That’s who he was, especially when it came to his only child.

“Yes, I wouldn’t want to be me either.”

* * *

Matthew spent the morning helping Alex with his ranch. When they finished feeding and watering the horses in the stalls, they saddled up and rode the ranch looking for anything that could be a problem for his herd of three hundred broods mares and their foals.

They rode up a steep rise and stopped to cast an admiring eye around the landscape. It was the most beautiful place he could ever remember seeing and that included his home in Kentucky. He was no stranger to rolling fields of tall grass and herds of horses, but there was something about the backdrop of pine-covered mountains and clear running rivers that made him want to live somewhere like this himself.

"You've got a beautiful spread, Alex. It's incredible what you’ve done here.”

He watched the man look out over his land. “Yeah, it is beautiful, but I can’t take all the credit. My uncle already has this ranch carved out of this wilderness. I just stepped in to fill his shoes.”

“Well, in my opinion, it looks like some pretty big shoes to fill.” Matthew cast another sweeping view of the mountains, river, and grasslands below.

Alex nodded. “Yeah, I’ll have to admit, my life turned out so much better than I could have ever dreamed. Better than I deserve.”

“Why do you say that?” Matthew was curious.

Alex turned in the saddle to face him. “Let’s just say Roxanne and I didn’t exactly start out on good footing when we first me.”

Matthew saw the pain in the man’s face. “Well, I won’t ask what happened then. Rose told me a little bit out your story on the way out here.”

Both men sat on their horses studying the beauty surrounding them and enjoying the quiet of nature when Alex turned to him again. “Just so you know, I’ve been instructed to find out as much about you as I can.”

Matthew grinned. “Is that a fact? Why?”

“Because my wife thinks you might be a little sweet on her cousin.”

Matthew nodded. “That might be true.”

“Well, let me give you a warning…just in case it is true.”

Matthew frowned. “What kind of warning?”

“I don’t know if you’ve noticed or not, but the women in this family are…what’s the word I’m looking for?”

“Head strong?” Matthew offered.

Alex laughed. “That’s probably a good description, but I was going to say strong-willed. Maybe even independent.”

Matthew turned to look across the pastures where he could just make out Rose and Roxanne moving up the hill toward the house from the garden. “Yeah, I’d say that’s a pretty good description.” He was thinking of Rose on the train when she introduced herself and struck up a conversation about his book. And how she’d let him kiss her that first day. She struck him as the kind of woman who knew her own mind and didn’t let rules get in her way. And yet…he sensed she held herself in high regard—respected herself enough not to take things too far unless she had strong feelings about something or someone.

“What’s your warning?” Matthew reminded Alex.

“It’s more of a prediction, I suppose, but if you’ve got your heart set on Rose, you might as well get ready for one helluva ride.”

“I guess that means I won’t be bored.”

Alex laughed out loud. “No, sir. You most certainly won’t be bored.” Alex laughed again at the thought and then cut a look across the landscape. “We probably ought to head back to the barn. My ranch hand is gonna need help getting those yearlings from that pasture,” he pointed to a group of horses in the east pasture down by the river, “to the round pen where I start my yearlings out breaking them to halter and lead rope.”

Matthew looked in the direction he pointed. “All of them?”

“Yes, sir. There’s twenty-two. It ain’t a job for sissies.” Alex turned his horse toward the barn. Matthew rode alongside.

Alex turned to him again. “You know I can’t go back to the house without some tidbit of information. Like I said before, my wife gave me orders to find out as much about you as I can. So, start talkin’.”

Matthew felt like he was on a slippery slope. If he told Alex the truth about who he was and what he was doing in Durango, would he rush back to tell his wife who would then tell Rose? What would Rose think? That his line of work was too dangerous and too unpredictable like Julia had done?

He thought about his answer when Alex asked him another question. “Mr. Bell. You ever been married?”

Well, he could answer that question honestly. “No, Alex. I have never been married.”

“Ever want to?” Alex pushed.

“Now that’s a little harder to answer,” Matthew admitted.

They rode along for another minute or so before he answered. “Yes, there was a girl I knew once. We were engaged.”

“What happened, if you don’t mind me asking.”

“She didn’t like the fact that my job took me out of town sometimes. She said if I loved her, I would quit so I could be with her all the time.”

“And I take it you didn’t want to do that?” Alex frowned his confusion.

“No. I had to make a living, especially if we were planning to get married.”

“What happened? I’m assuming something did.”

Matthew gritted his jaw as memories of that day came flooding back. “Yeah, something happened alright.”

“If it’s not something you want to talk about, I understand.” Alex assured him.

Was he ready to share the details after all this time? He cut a speculative look to the man riding beside him. He liked Alex and now was as good a time as any to talk about Julia’s betrayal. “I suppose it’s the typical old story of a cheating woman and a love-sick fool.”

“Ah,” Alex nodded as if he understood, but how could he? Roxanne was a jewel. “Yeah, I kind of know what you’re talking about. I was married before Roxanne you know.”

“I knew that. Rose told me bits and pieces of your story on the way out here.”

“Well, the part you may not know is that I was married to a cheating, conniving, selfish woman.”

“I didn’t know that. So I guess you do know what it’s like to marry someone like that. Yeah, so was Julia. I think I suspected things weren’t right between us, but I just didn’t want to admit it at the time. I thought I was in love with her. And she with me. That turned out to be a big lie.”

“Funny thing about lies,” Alex shook his head in frustration. “They start out innocent enough. I mean, I lied to Roxanne because I thought I would lose everything if I didn’t get her help. She lied to me at first too because me…this ranch, and Grace, were supposed to be temporary. But when things took a serious turn between us, we couldn’t find our way to the truth until we were forced into it. Each blaming the other. It did not go well as you can imagine.”

Matthew nodded his understanding. “Yeah, it turned out Julia was one lie after another too.”

Alex nodded. “Grace’s mother was a piece of work.”

Matthew heard the bitterness in Alex’s words. He thought about what Alex and his daughter must have gone through to get to the happy place they were now. They rode on in silence until they were about a mile from the barn when he remarked on Alex’s last comment. “That’s sounds awful. For you and especially that little girl of yours. She’s a cutie.”

Alex’s face softened. “Yes, she’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me. Well, her and Roxanne.” They rode along in silence for a few more minutes when Alex reined his horse to a stop. Matthew did the same. “Matthew, I’m going to give you a piece of advice. Take or leave it. That’s up to you, but if you are serious about my wife’s cousin, do yourself a favor. Keep everything above board. Lies and deception are the two worst things for a budding romance. Think about it.”

Matthew did think about it as they rode into the back door of the barn. “Why don't you and Rose go for a horseback ride? There's a lot more of the ranch left to see. You might enjoy it.” Alex suggested. "I can adjust my stirrups and she can take my horse.”

“That’s a good idea, but I don’t even know if Rose can ride a horse.” Matthew said as he realized there was a lot about Rose he still didn’t know.

“She can ride. Roxi said they use to ride horses together when they were children. My advice to you is to take the opportunity to spend some time alone with Rose, get to know her better, that is if that’s something you’re interested in.”

Matthew looked down the hill at the two women on the back porch shuffling vegetables and baskets. He couldn’t keep his thoughts from the kisses he and Rose shared.

“It’s obvious by the look on your face you’re interested. Why don’t you go get her and I’ll adjust the stirrups.”

"Thanks, Alex. I will. And, I'd love to see more of your ranch, and spending time with Rose is always a pleasure.” Alex dismounted and led his horse into the barn leaving Matthew to fetch Rose.

He turned his gelding toward the house when he saw Rose and Roxi open the screen door to enter the house. “Rose.” he called out. She turned at the sound of her name and he was once again struck by her beauty. How on earth had he gotten so lucky? But it was the change in her eyes when she saw him that touched him to his core. He had it bad.

He rode his horse to where she was standing and leaned his forearm over the saddle horn. “Hi.” she said her eyes pulling him in.

“Hi, yourself.” he said back.

Roxi took the dangling basket out of Rose’s hand. “Go on, you two. Have fun.” Roxi gave Rose a little push toward him and he couldn’t help himself. He grinned from ear to ear.

“Um, Alex suggested that we might like to go for a horseback ride. Are you game?”

“I haven’t been on a horse in years, but I think I can manage. Would you mind if I exchanged this dress for a pair of britches? I know it's terribly improper, but I find so much more pleasure in riding astride than sidesaddle. Besides, I'm not even sure Alex owns a sidesaddle.”

He watched the glow of happiness spread across Rose’s face and realized it mirrored his own. And he didn't care if she wanted to ride naked throughout the entire countryside, he was just happy to spend time with her alone. Although, her nakedness would pose quite a problem for his libido, not to mention the fact that he would have to kill any other man who saw her riding that way.

“I think britches are called for today, especially since we are out west instead of the manicured streets of Philadelphia. I’ll wait for you up at the barn. Take your time.” he said. Though he didn’t mean it. He wanted to get her away from prying eyes as soon as humanly possible.

He turned his horse back toward the barn and waited impatiently for Rose. He decided he could help pass the time by helping Alex finish cleanings the stalls.

He rode into the barn, dismounted, and tied his horse to the nearest hitching ring. “Where’s a shovel?” Matthew asked Alex.

“You offering to help shovel horse manure? You must really have it bad.” Alex’s amused grin said it all. “Here.” He offered Matthew a shovel and move the wheelbarrow in between them. “We’ll start at this end and work our way toward the other. How far we get will be determined by how long Rose takes to get ready. I’m assuming she’s coming.”

“Yeah, she’s coming. She wants to wear britches.” Alex turned a surprised look to him and then another amused grin. “Does she now?”

Matthew couldn’t help himself. He grinned back and Alex laughed. “That doesn’t surprise me. All the women in this family are quite independent, free-thinking females. Like I said earlier, if you’ve got your heart set on Rose, you might as well get ready for one helluva ride.”

He had sensed that independence about Rose since they first met on the train. That was part of his attraction to her now that he thought about it. He wasn’t much for clingy controlling women. They were more trouble than they were worth. Maybe that’s why he’d never really thought too much about marriage. After Julia, he just couldn't see himself trapped in that kind of life. But now, with Rose...everything had changed.

“Are you ready to go?”

He whirled around to see Rose standing inside the doorway. The sunshine behind her cast a glow around her body, and those britches made his libido jump another notch. He couldn’t wait to get her alone.

“I’m more than ready.”

“Then let’s get to it, shall we?” Her cheeky grin set his blood on fire.

He handed his shovel to Alex without ever taking his eyes off the woman standing in front of him. “Yes, ma’am.” he answered with exaggerated subservience. Or was it? He realized he would do just about anything if Rose asked him to.

“Is this my horse?” she pointed to the little mare Alex had been riding.

“Yes, would you like help getting on?”

Without another word, she walked into the shadow of the barn and took hold of the horse’s reins. Without waiting for him to help, she stepped one foot inside the stirrup and swung her other leg up over the saddle. He liked the way her slender behind hugged the saddle seat.

“Come on, cowboy. You’re burnin’ daylight.” Without another word, she turned the horse toward the barn door and trotted into the sunlight.

He heard Alex chuckle. “I’d say you better hurry if you want to keep up with that little filly.”

Matthew agreed. He took the reins of his own horse and turned it toward the door. “Don’t wait up for us, Alex.” Matthew advised.

“Didn’t plan on it.” Alex laughed as he spurred his horse toward the door...and Rose.

Chapter 9

Abbie felt the freedom of the outdoors as she loped the little mare across the grassy landscape. She had waited for Matthew until he had cleared the barn door and then she kicked her horse into a gallop and headed toward the open range.

It was beautiful here and she had never felt so free in all her born days. It was more than riding the horse across this beautiful country. And, it was more than the absence of her parent’s watchful eyes. It was knowing that she had finally found that elusive thing she had always craved—the genuine love of a man, who loved her for herself alone.

The thought was exhilarating, and she wanted nothing more than to hang on to it for as long as she could, but that might not be possible if she didn’t tell Matthew the truth...and soon.

She turned to see Matthew’s larger gelding gaining ground on her little mare. But that was alright with her.

She pulled her horse to a gentle lope and waited for him to catch up.

“Where did you learn to ride like that?” He seemed to marvel at her horsemanship skills. Should she tell him she grew up in the saddle of some of the best hunter jumpers in her father’s stables. Maybe she should ease him into the truth bit by bit.

“My parents insisted I learn how to do those things that might come in handy someday. I would think riding a horse would be one of those...things.” She answered hoping her off-handed response would appease his curiosity.

“Then I extend my congratulations to you. You were lucky to have such open-minded parents. Alex did say the women in your family were pretty independent creatures.” he teased.

She pulled her horse up short. “What do you mean? What did he say about my family?” Her heart thumped hard against her ribs. Had Alex told Matthew about her father? About who she was? But how could he? Roxi said Alex didn’t know who her father was...who she was other than his wife’s cousin. No, she was jumping to conclusions. She forced herself to relax.

“Don’t look so stricken, Rose. I was only kidding. Alex just said all the women in your family were independent with a mind of their own.”

Abbie studied Matthew’s face and she saw no sign of deception in his answer. She relaxed a little bit more. “Oh, well. He’s right about that. The women in my family do tend to be independent, and we do have minds of our own. Does that trouble you?” She found herself asking.

He pulled his horse next to hers, their knees touching. Reaching out he caressed her cheek then followed the soft curve of her neck cradling the side of her head in his palm. He leaned over and kissed her. Softly. Gently. It wasn’t the toe-curling kiss they usually shared. It was the kind of kiss that told her she was cherished, and she couldn’t be happier.

Matthew lingered at her mouth, brushing his tongue across her lips. His hand caressed her back, slowly moving to her waist. Soon, Abbie was lost in a haze of passion, and suddenly kissing on horseback was not enough. Not nearly enough.

“Matthew . . .” She barely managed to get out his name between kisses.

He pulled back and moved his horse away from hers in order to break their connection. “I’m sorry, Rose. I didn’t mean for that to happen. I guess I just got— ” He apologize.

“Matthew, please don’t apologize. I wasn’t stopping you. On the contrary. I just meant there’s gotta be a better place for this sort of thing.” She turned and scanned the horizon. “There, down by the river...under those willow trees.”

Understanding reflected in the look he gave her. “Lead the way, my beautiful Rose.” he said. He was giving her the opportunity to change her mind and turn back. She stole a look at the man riding beside her. She knew she should turn back. Her mother would be so disappointed in Aggie’s choices. And her father…oh, my. She couldn’t even fathom what her father would do if he learned that she was thinking of doing something she shouldn’t. And yet—

Matthew followed her gaze and saw the place she was pointing out. “I’ll follow you wherever you say,” he grinned and allowed her to led the way.

Abbie turned her horse toward the stand of trees. Matthew rode alongside her, close enough they were able to hold hands. This was what Abbie had always dreamed of. Here’s a man who was handsome and honorable. He was kind and he obviously cared about her. Not because she was her father’s daughter, but he cared because she was herself. And that was the most important part of Matthew Bell as far as she was concerned.

She wanted to find out more about Matthew. She wanted to know about him as a boy. As a man. His business. His first loves. She wanted to know as much about him as possible. She wanted to know his hopes and dreams for the future. She wanted to know everything about the man.

And, she had promised her aunts she would take today to do just that. Get to know Matthew better. And she would. She owed that to herself. But right now, she wanted to use her time with Michael to get to know him better in a different way and she wasn’t going to make any excuses about it.

“Almost there,” she said and let go of Matthew’s hand. “How about let’s race?”

She saw surprise on his face. “Race? I don’t think that a good idea.”

She laughed. “Nonsense.” She leaned forward in the saddle and kicked the little mare to a full gallop. Caught off guard, it took a moment for Matthew to join in, but soon they both reached the edge of the river about the same time.

“See? You thought you were going to let me win, but I beat you fair and square,” Abbie laughed at Matthew.

“Yes, you sure did.” Matthew admitted.

She looked around and pointed to a group of willow trees a few hundred yards away. “Let’s go over there, shall we?”

“Lead the way.”

She nodded and dismounted, then led her horse to the cluster of willows along the edge of the river running through Alex’s property. Matthew followed behind.

Abbie led her horse to the water’s edge and stood quietly while it drank its fill.

Matthew followed her example, all the while neither of them spoke a word. When the horses were finished, Rose moved to a downed tree in the shade where the lush green grass scraped their knees. She tied her horse and watched as the man beside her did the same.

“Now, come with me.” she whispered and pulled his hand in to hers. Her heart raced with anticipation as she led Matthew a few yards away to the grassy slope underneath the willows.

She sat down and pulled him down next to her. They sat next to each other, hand in hand, watching the horses graze, listening to the birds chirp in the nearby trees, the water bubble over the rocks in the river. After a few minutes, Abbie turned to Matthew. “I suppose you know that I’m rather fond of you.”

She stared down at their hands entwined, her fingers locked with his.

“I suspected as much,” Matthew said.

She looked up at him and met his gaze, “I might even be more than a little fond of you. What would you say to that?”

He squeezed her hand and his eyes dropped to her mouth. “I’d say that I’m a lucky man.”

Abbie leaned in. “And what would you say if I said I wanted you to kiss me right about now?”

She could see the heat in his eyes. “Again, I’d say that I’m a lucky man.” He let go her hand and reached out to pull her to him. He lowered his head and his lips touched hers.

His kiss was soft and sweet. She melted into him and kissed him back.

Matthew finally pulled back and touched his forehead against hers. His eyes closed. “We need to stop, Rose, before we get carried away.”

Rose sat back and looked at him, her hands cupped his face. “Matthew, perhaps I haven’t made myself clear. I want us to get carried away.”

* * *

His heart raced and his groin tightened as his desire for Rose grew with each kiss they shared. Sitting underneath the ancient willows, on a bed of leaves and moss, the drooping branches created an oasis of privacy even though there was no one around for miles.

Passion flared in him as her words sunk in. “Rose, we need to—you need to be absolutely sure about this. I respect you and I would never do anything to hurt you or tarnish your reputation in anyway…but I do have my limits…and I’m reaching that point of no return if we continue like this,” he whispered as Rose covered his face, mouth, and neck with kisses.

“I understand,” he heard her say between kisses.

He leaned in and kissed her, his tongue parting her lips, and ravaging her mouth. He grew harder by the minute and he knew things were about to get out of hand if he didn’t put a stop to it. He wanted Rose to be absolutely certain this was what she wanted.

He broke off the assault to her mouth and set her away from him. “Rose…” His breath was labored and he worked to catch his breath.

“Matthew, did I do something wrong?” He could see the doubt in her eyes.

“No, you are doing everything right.” He panted. “Too right, “he added.

“Then, I don’t understand. Don’t you— ”

“Want to? Of course, I want to. Rose, you never have to ask me that. I want you more than I’ve ever wanted anything in my life. But...” How could he explain that if he took what she was offering, their future together was a certainty.

He could tell by the look on her face that she was unsure of herself now. He didn’t want to put that doubt in her mind, but he did want her to be fully aware of what it would mean if they went any further down the road they were on.

“Rose, sweetheart, you must know how I feel about you by now. Don’t you? You have to know that I would do anything for you, go anywhere with you. I’ve fallen deeply in love with you, and I don't care that it's only been a short time since we met. I knew as soon as I laid eyes on you, there was something about you...a connection...a pull…that wouldn’t let me go.”

“Then why— ”

“You need to be sure about this, Rose. Because once we cross that line, it can’t be undone. I know you have feelings for me. I can see it in your eyes every time you look at me, but I don’t know how deep those feelings go. I’m not the kind of man to take your most precious gift and walk away. If we do this...if we cross that line...it means forever, Rose. Do you understand what I’m saying? If you can't see us building a life together, then we need to get on those horses right this minute and ride back to the ranch.”

He had laid his feelings—and his future—all on the line in that one sentence. Now, it was all up to Rose.

She looked at him and he could see she was considering what he had told her. He held his breath and waited. A few minutes ticked by and he realized no matter what Rose decided, he would love her until the day he left this earth.

Finally, she turned away from him. He closed his eyes in both relief and disappointment. But when she lay back against the moss-covered ground and started to unbutton her blouse, another surge of passion hit him hard. There would be no turning back.

He watched the woman he had grown to love slowly expose her creamy skin little by little as each button gave way. When her blouse fell away and her chemise was all that was left to hide her body from view, her passion-filled gaze rose to meet his. “Now, it’s your turn. Take your shirt off and come join me, Matthew, for if this is to be the start of forever, I want it to be a memorable beginning.”

Touched by her sentiment, he tugged at the buttons of his shirt, impatience in every pull. He reminded himself it was the only shirt he had with him today and he couldn’t very well arrive back at the ranch, or at Rose’s aunt’s house, with his shirt buttons missing. He inhaled a deep breath and forced himself to slow his movements. One by one, he worked the buttons of his shirt. The passion in Rose’s eyes as she watched his fingers nearly unmanned him.

Matthew couldn’t remember ever having a woman look at him that way...like she wanted him more than she wanted the air to breathe. He was rock hard and his passion urged him to hurry, but he wanted to savor every second of this moment and remember it all.

Button by button, he exposed himself. Finally, he reached the last button and he pulled the shirt off his shoulders. His eyes never left her face as he reached for the buttons to undo his britches, he saw her breath hitch and hang in suspense.

He had never before held such power, and he reveled in the feeling of having this beautiful woman’s undivided attention. “Are you certain? You can still change your mind before this goes any further.” He offered her one last chance to put a stop to this, but at the same time he prayed she wouldn’t.

“I’ve made my decision, Matthew, and I can’t understand why you’re still over there when I’m over here...waiting.” she whispered, her eyes caressed his face, then lowered to his chest, dropping to follow the dark trail that disappeared into the waistband of his britches.

“I’m here, Rose, and I won’t make you wait a minute longer.”

He lay down beside her and together, under the canopy of willows, he made love to his beautiful Rose.

Chapter 10

Rose rode behind Matthew on his horse for the ride back to the ranch. They led her mare, content to follow behind. She knew she might as well shout to the mountaintops what they had done, but she couldn’t make herself care. She was in love. Fabulously, famously, and forever...she was in love. And she was loved. She had finally found a man who had fallen hopelessly in love with her and not Daniel’s daughter. She didn’t give two hoots in a well who knew it. Not her cousin, Roxi. Not her Aunt Jeannie or Aunt Lila, not even—

Her father. She had meant to tell Matthew the truth after they had spent the afternoon making love to each other, but she just couldn’t bring herself to spoil the moment. Matthew had said this was the beginning of their future together. She didn’t want to look back on this day and have the memory spoiled by her revelation.

The Harvest Ball was in a few weeks. After that, her parents expected her home. She just needed a plan to explain them to Matthew and Matthew to them. She was glad she had Aunt Jeannie to help with the explanation. If anyone could get through to her father, it was her mother and her aunt.

The rocking motion of the horse distracted her from her worrisome thoughts. No, it wasn’t the horse’s rocking motion. It was her breasts brushing against Matthew’s back that was the distraction. She still tingled in all the right places because of Matthew’s exquisite lovemaking skills. She squeezed her eyes closed as the feelings of that moment sent ripples across her body again. She shivered.

“Are you alright, Rose? You’re awfully quiet. Are you having second thoughts about…what we did?” She felt Matthew’s voice vibrating against her chest. She wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him close, her cheek pressed against his back.

“I’m more than alright. And no, I’m not having second thoughts. I’m just thinking about...the future.” she wasn’t sure how to approach the subject exactly.

“I will always remember the time we spent...under the willow trees.” Matthew pulled on her hand and lifted it to his mouth. He gifted it with a tender kiss and a gentle squeeze.

She wondered what they should do when they got back to the ranch. She knew Roxi would have a million questions.

“Matthew, we’ll be back at the ranch in a few minutes. What should I say to Roxi. What are you planning to say to Alex?”

“We aren’t going to say anything. Let them think what they want. Although chances are your cousin will want to have a chat with you at some point before we head back to town. Let her bring it up.” Matthew’s advice seemed sound. She nodded in agreement and allowed herself to relax a bit.

She would swear Roxi to secrecy about her and Matthew’s time away from the ranch this afternoon. Her aunts would have no way of knowing what happened today. Her parents certainly had no way of knowing. She just needed to relax and pretend like today was just like any other day. Only it wasn't. It wasn't like any other day she’d ever had. It was a day she would remember for the rest of her life.

They rode to the ranch house. Matthew stopped at the back door of the house and helped her off the horse. She could tell he wanted to kiss her, but refrained. Why add kindling to an already smoldering fire. She stood and watched Matthew lead the two horses to the barn and disappear inside. She loved him so much her heart nearly burst with emotions.

“I take it by that dreamy gaze in Mr. Bell’s direction, you had a good ride?" Rose whirled to see Roxi standing in the open doorway. The knowing look on her cousin’s face gave her a moment of panic.

“Whatever do you mean?” It was a weak attempt at diversion, and she knew it. Matthew said Roxi would want to have a chat and it would be best to get it over with.

“Abbie, what have you done?” Roxi’s face wrinkled in concern.

Abbie cast another longing gaze toward the barn before she turned to her cousin. “I’ve fallen in love. And I need your advice.”

“Come inside. Alex is out riding fence and Grace is napping upstairs in her room, so we have the house to ourselves.” Roxi pulled her inside and sat her down at the kitchen table. “I’ll make some tea and then you are going to tell me everything.”

* * *

An hour after he and Rose returned from their ride, Matthew hitched the rented mare to the carriage and helped Rose onto the seat. They both waved their goodbyes doing their best to ignore the knowing looks of Roxi and Alex.

They crested the top of the hill and turned for a final wave. Roxi and Alex were still standing on the porch and waved back.

“They know, don’t they?” Matthew had wondered, but he didn’t bring the subject up with Alex. It wasn’t any of their business, but women had a tendency to meddle in stuff like this. He figured Roxi was no exception to that expectation.

“Yes, they know. Well, at least Roxi does. She was waiting for me at the back door when you dropped me off. I took your advice and told her what she wanted to know.” Rose admitted.

He reached for her hand and gave it a squeeze. “Was she shocked at the two of us?”

“No, she wasn’t surprised at all, but she hated keeping our secret from Alex.”

Matthew turned to look at Rose’s profile staring straight ahead. “I doubt it’s a secret to Alex. Did she say she would keep our afternoon ride to herself, and not tell your aunts?"

“She’s not going to tell anyone. Roxi said this is our business and it isn’t her place to share the titillating details of our personal lives with nosey relatives.”

“And does she know the titillating details?” He was rather shocked that Rose would share such intimate information. That’s a man’s job. At least, a certain type of man of which he was not one.

“No, of course not.” She grinned and slapped him on the arm, then reach over and kissed him on the cheek as if to take the sting out of her playful slap. “She’s just concerned about me, that’s all. And, she said— ”

He could tell she was hesitant to continue. “Go on, tell me what she said. I’ve got thick skin.” he assured her, but he was a bit worried about Roxi’s opinion of him.

“She said that you better come up with a proposal by the Harvest Ball or she would let my aunts loose on you.” Rose sent him a worried look. “I think she was kidding.”

“Don’t you worry, Rose. You leave all of that up to me. You just make sure you wear the prettiest dress you can find to the Harvest Ball. And that’s all I’m gonna say,” he teased.

She smiled at him with his favorite smile. The one that said how much she loved and trusted him. He would die a slow and painful death before he ever disappointed the girl behind that beautiful smile.

“This will all work out, Rose. I swear it. Now, tell me the truth. Are you having a good time on your holiday?”

She grinned. “Well, if you must know...yes, I’m having the most wonderful time of my life, Matthew. And it’s all because of you...and our horseback ride to the river.”

He chuckled at Rose’s hidden meaning. “Glad to hear I could be of service to you, ma’am.” He tipped his hat in a mock bow and he watched the becoming blush color her cheeks. “By the way, I’m quite impressed that you ride so well. Alex told me you used to ride with Regina when you were young and came to visit, but you ride as though it's second nature. Did you have a horse growing up in Philadelphia?" He snapped the reins to keep the horse moving at a good clip towards town. Their unexpected horseback ride had taken more time than they had planned. The sun was fading in the western sky and it would be close to dark by the time they got back to town.

Matthew noticed that Rose had grown quiet. Had he said something to upset her? He gathered both reins in his right hand and wrapped his other arm around her shoulders. “Sweetheart, is something wrong? Did I say something that upset you?” Whatever it was, he would fix it.

She shook her head. “No, it’s just that...well, I probably should have told you this sooner, but I didn’t think we would grow so close, and I never dreamed I would fall in love with you, Matthew.”

“Tell me what?” He wondered what could he could have said to change her happy appearance.

“It's my family. We're not like my aunts or my cousins...we're not the same...socially. You see, my family isn’t...well, we aren’t…” Rose stumbled around her words.

He saw her troubled expression and suddenly, he understood. “Don’t give it another thought. I understand completely.” He hugged her even closer.

“You do?” She looked relieved. Was she so worried he would hold her accountable for her family’s meager existence? He would let her know that none of that mattered to him.

“Of course I do. It's not your fault your family isn’t wealthy. That’s nothing to be ashamed of at all. Rich folks who have those vast estates with the high fences and iron gates to keep people like you and me out, those are the ones who should be ashamed for how they treat people like us who work for a living.”

He wasn’t sure he was making his point if the expression on her face was any indication. “What I’m trying to say, and not doing a very good job of, is that there is nothing to be embarrassed about. What your family has or doesn't have is not important to me. I will always take care of you. I will always provide for you. And should your family require it, I will be there to take care of them as well. Never doubt that for a minute, Rose.”

“You will?”

“Sure. Not everyone has been born into a privileged life. One where they are given every advantage. People born wealthy simply don't understand what it means to work for every dollar. Or to scrimp and save just to put food on the table to feed their family.”

“They don’t?”

“They don’t. But that’s alright. That doesn't make them bad people. They just don't understand what it takes to work hard for things. But we are the lucky ones because we do.”

“We do?”

“Of course. We we may be the working class, but we are the ones who have had the good fortune to know an honest day’s work. We have earned our place in this world and we aren't just taking up space without giving something back to our fellow man...or woman.”

Matthew realized he was going on and on and he hadn’t let Rose get a word in edgewise, but he needed to make sure she understood. “You never have to worry, Rose. I will always take care of you—and your family if need be. I make a good living by taking care of rich people's problems, so I will always be able to provide for you.” He hoped his words were true considering he hadn’t figured out what had happened to Miss Livingston and her aunt yet. “Anyway, I can say that my life has meaning. Most folks with money can't say that.”

“They can’t?”

By her two word response, he could see Rose was still troubled about something, though he couldn't begin to guess what. He had tried to reassure her the best he knew how, but something was still not quite right with his beautiful lady. “Rose, are you alright?”

“Yes, I’m alright. Well,…I’m not sure. You and I have never talked about this sort of thing. I just didn’t realize that you and I were so— ”

“So much alike? I think that’s why we get along so well, don’t you?” Matthew couldn’t remember ever being happier in his life than he was right at this minute.

His happiness bubbled over. “Well, we better get you home before your aunts send the sheriff looking for us.” He was teasing but he could see the worry on Rose’s face. “I’m teasing you, Rose. We’re here.”

Matthew pulled the carriage up to the front walk, tied off the brake, and rushed around to help Rose down. He wanted to kiss her, but after this afternoon’s...horseback ride, he thought the less chance of questions, the better.

“I’ll walk you to the door.” he offered.

“No, I think it best if I go alone. It’ll give my aunts less opportunity to ask you questions you may not want to answer.” She gave him a weak smile at her attempt at humor.

“Rose, something seems off. Are you sure you’re alright? Are you having regrets about what— ”

“Rose, you should come in now. It’s getting late.” Matthew and Rose turned to see both of her aunts standing at the front door.

“Um, you might be right.” He offered a friendly wave to the two women watching their every move. Were they suspicious? How could they be? They had no idea where they had been today. He suddenly realized that may be part of the problem.

“You tell your aunts whatever story you want to. Just let me know what that story is so I can back you up.”

Rose nodded and sent him another half-smile. Something was off, but he couldn’t put his finger on when precisely her mood had changed.

“I would love to kiss you right now, but…”

Rose looked up at him, her troubled gaze searching his face for something.

“Rose?”

“I don’t think a kiss would be a good idea considering that my aunts are watching us right now. I should go.” She lifted her chin and turned toward the house.

“Will I see you tomorrow?” he called out to her. He saw her hesitate and without turning around, she answered, “We’ll see.”

We’ll see? Had she said that for her aunts’ benefit? What other reason could there be? They had shared a once-in-a-lifetime moment underneath the willow trees. It had been a beautiful experience between the two of them and he had no doubt their future would be filled with happiness.

Matthew shook his head to clear his doubt. “Of course, it was for her aunts' benefit,” he mumbled to himself. He gave her aunts another wave goodbye and climbed aboard the carriage. He steered the mare toward the livery stable to return the rented property.

The proprietor looked over the horse and carriage for any damages. “Good as new.” the man reported and took them away.

Matthew walked the few short blocks to his hotel for a meal and a good night’s sleep. It was too late to go by the telegraph office to see if he had received an answer to the telegram he sent Mr. Livingston. Tomorrow would be soon enough. He had enough to think about tonight.

He entered the plush lobby of the hotel and headed to the restaurant. His mind raced with plans for the future. He hoped Mr. Livingston’s reply would reveal his daughter was safe at home and he should come on back and collect his money for a job well done.

His thoughts drifted to this afternoon and his time with Rose as he enjoyed his dinner of roast beef and potatoes. He could never have imagined feeling this way about someone again. Especially after Julia’s lies and betrayal. He’d spent most of his adult years alone, but now he could see a bright future with Rose by his side. All he needed was to locate Miss Livingston and collect her father’s fee. Only then, could he relax knowing his life would be perfect.

Chapter 11

It had been a week since she’d laid eyes on Matthew, and now she understood what her aunts had been trying to make her see. Feelings get in the way of the truth and after last week’s ride out to Roxi and Alex’s ranch, and the trip to the willow grove, she had a whole new perspective on Mr. Bell.

“Abigail, you didn’t hear a word I said, did you?” Aunt Jeanine’s voice pulled her out of her troubled thoughts. “You aren’t eating enough to keep a bird alive. What is wrong with you? Are you ill? Shall I send for the doctor?”

Her Aunt Lila came around the table and placed the back of her hand against Abbie’s forehead. “Well, whatever is ailing her, she has no fever.”

What was ailing her was self-doubt and she hated to admit that her aunts may have been right when they had warned her to slow down. She had thought she knew Matthew. The kind of man he was. And she supposed to some extent she did. He was honorable when he could have taken advantage of her, but—

“I’m not sick. I’m just…”

“Has Mr. Bell done something perhaps he shouldn’t have? Has he said something that has upset you? I assure you that although your father isn’t here, Regina’s husband will take him to task. Just say the word.” Aunt Lila promised.

“No, it isn’t Mr. Bell—Matthew. It’s...me.”

“You? What about you? Have you done something that you shouldn’t have?” Aunt Jeannie whispered. She saw her aunts exchange a worried look and then they both bookended her chair at the table which left her no room to escape their persistent inquisition.

“Abigail, I won’t ask you again.”

She turned to look at Aunt Jeannie and then at Aunt Lila. They weren’t going to let this go and she had to admit she needed their advice.

“Okay, if I tell you, will you promise not to overreact?”

The indignant look on their faces was almost comical. “We never overreact.” Aunt Lila proclaimed. Though Abbie knew full well that her cousin Regina had a completely different take on her mother’s disposition.

“Just hear me out before you...offer your opinion.” Abigail tried to soothe their wounded pride the best she could.

“Yes, we promise. Now tell us what has caused your melancholy this last week? You haven’t wanted to go shopping, which in my opinion, is unheard of.” her Aunt Lila declared. “Or out to do errands in town, or even out of the house. You have us worried, Abigail. The only thing we can think that could possibly make you this upset is Mr. Bell. And the fact that you seem to be avoiding him all of this last week is worrisome. So tell us, Abbie. Tell us what has you so upset.”

“If you will allow me to speak, I will tell you.” Abbie laid her hand on her aunt's arm to soften her words that came out more harshly than she intended. “And I am sorry for having worried you both.”

Aunt Lila had the good graces to look contrite, but she laid her hand across Abbie's to say all was forgiven.

“Well, as you know, Mr. Bell and I have been quite enamored with one another. He really is a dear man. And quite handsome.” Abbie tempered her real issue with a little bit of subterfuge.

“Yes, he is a handsome man, of that we can agree.” Aunt Jeannie said.

“You and Aunt Lila had suggested that I slow down a bit because you said we really didn’t know that much about Matthew.”

“He’s married. I knew it. A man that handsome and polite has to have a wife hidden away somewhere. I’ll bet he has kids too. A dozen...or more.” Aunt Lila’s outburst surprised both her and Aunt Jeannie.

“Lila, really. You are getting way ahead of yourself.” Her Aunt Jeannie said and turned to Abbie. “She is getting way ahead of herself...isn’t she? He isn’t a married man, is he?” The look on Aunt Jeannie’s face made Abbie laugh.

And the laugh relieved some of the stress that had been building all week. She started to giggle and then her emotions bubbled over and she couldn’t seem to stop. She laughed until her sides ached. All the while, both of her aunts exchanged looks that Abbie could read quite well. They thought she was coming unhinged. In a way, she supposed she was.

Finally, she was exhausted and out of breath. “He’s not married. He has no children. And I’m not losing my sanity. But what I am losing is my perspective. You see, I kept my identity from Matthew because I thought he would want me because my father was rich.”

Aunt Lila looked completely confused. “Isn’t that what you wanted? A man to fall in love with you and not your father’s money?”

“Yes, that’s exactly what I wanted, but—”

“But what?” her aunts looked thoroughly confused.

“He also doesn’t want me if I’m rich.” she stated the problem plainly, but she could see they still didn’t understand.

“He thinks that rich folks are just taking up space on the Earth and giving nothing back. He thinks we don’t do anything with our lives but eat and drink and...and...and be merry,” she finished.

Abbie could see Aunt Jeannie’s indignation. “How dare he make assumptions about our way of life. Obviously, Mr. Bell has not been around the right sort of ‘rich’ people. Just because your father doesn’t work with his hands, doesn’t mean he’s not a productive member of society and a compassionate human being. Why just think of all the money he gives to charity.”

“I know, Aunt Jeannie. I was just so taken back by his comments, I didn’t know what to say to him. Or think. I’ve never known anyone in this world who wouldn’t want to marry an heiress.”

“He said that? That he didn’t want to marry you?” Aunt Lila exclaimed. “You must have misunderstood him, dear.”

“No, he didn’t say he didn’t want to marry me. In fact, just the opposite. He told me to wear the prettiest dress I could find to the Harvest Ball and that he would take care of the rest.”

Her aunts exchanged confused glances and Aunt Lila turned to her. “So he is going to ask you to marry him at the Harvest Ball? That’s wonderful news. We must go shopping immediately for the perfect dress. You should wear something in gold—or green. Either of those colors will go perfect with your eyes. They are one of your best features, you know.”

“Lila, I insist that you please stop talking long enough to let the girl finish telling us her problem, for I fear she hasn’t gotten to the point yet. So if you don’t mind.” Aunt Jeannie’s exasperation was evident.

Aunt Lila huffed and closed her mouth again. She sent a pointed look to Aunt Jeannie and sat blinking at the both of them. Apparently, if she couldn’t move her mouth, then her eyelids would have to do.

Aunt Jeannie turned back to Abbie. “Now, tell us the rest. If Matthew isn’t after your money, and he’s planning to ask you to marry him, which is exactly what you wanted from this holiday, what is troubling you?”

“I fear he has a skewed view of rich people and I’m afraid once he finds out that I’m richer than most…”

“You think he’s going to head for the hills.” Aunt Lila couldn’t help herself.

Aunt Jeannie sucked in a deep breath sending Lila an exasperated look. Aunt Lila shrugged. Then they both turned their attention back to Abbie.

“My dear sweet niece. This is all a new experience for you. You are used to being in charge. By that, I mean you are the one who usually decides who stays and who goes in your life. This time, it seems you’ve fallen for a gentleman who may have reservations about you because of his own pre-conceived notions. That’s a new situation for you.

“But, if that is the case and Mr. Bell thinks less of you because of your family’s social standing, then the loss is all his.”

Abbie knew Aunt Jeannie was giving her good advice, but her aunt didn’t know the whole story. How in the world was she going to tell her aunts that she had shared the most intimate of moments with Mr. Bell before she learned the truth about his beliefs?

“Yes, that’s true, she admitted, but…we are a lot closer than we should be now, considering Matthew’s opinion of my family.”

Aunt Lila stood up and came to stand in front of her. Her aunt studied her face for a moment or two and then exclaimed, “You slept with the man, didn’t you?”

When she didn’t answer, her Aunt Jeannie came to stand beside Lila. “Abigail Livingston, what have you done?”

* * *

Matthew was worried. It had been a week since he’d sent his telegram to Mr. Livingston. A whole week and no answer. Nothing. He’d questioned the telegraph clerk repeatedly to the point the man had practically banned him from the office. “If we get an answer, Mr. Bellamy, we will let you know. Until then, just assume we have not had an answer and you should stay away. Are we clear? You should not come around this office again.”

The man had even made a veiled threat of calling the sheriff if he did. He’d also sent a telegram to Gus to see if he had had any inquiries from Mr. Livingston. No response there either. It was as if he had fallen into a deep well and there was no rope to help him climb out.

And, it had been a whole week since he and Rose had gone to Roxi and Alex’s ranch. And during that week, he had yet to lay his eyes on his beautiful Rose.

He had gone the next day to ask if she wanted to go on a picnic, but her Aunt Jeannie told him she wasn’t feeling well. “Perhaps tomorrow.” her aunt had suggested.

So, he had gone back the next day. And the next. And the next. Something was wrong and he was going to find out what it was. If she had changed her mind about him because of...the time they spent under the willow trees, he would just have to convince her otherwise, because nothing and no one was going to keep him from Rose. Not even Rose herself—at least not without an explanation.

The more he thought about it, the more his frustration bubbled. He had made his mind up, he was going to pay Rose a visit this afternoon and if she didn’t see him, he was going to demand answers from her aunts. And he was good at getting answers. He wouldn’t be a very good private investigator if he wasn’t. His current situation with the missing heiress notwithstanding he reminded himself.

Matthew left the hotel and walked toward the bank. He’d meant to cash a bank note the day after he and Rose returned from the carriage ride. He hadn't brought a lot of cash with him on this trip, and hadn't planned on using so much of what he had brought to send all those telegrams.

Twenty minutes later, Matthew had cashed his banknote to include enough money to buy Rose a nice engagement ring. He didn’t want to propose to her in front of the whole town without something nice to slip on her finger.

His business at the bank concluded, he headed toward the jewelry store, but his steps slowed as his thoughts conjured up Rose’s absence in his life this past week. He decided that he and Rose needed to talk out whatever was bothering her and get it settled before the ball. No point spending money on a ring Rose no longer wanted. The thought punched him in the gut as he walked the few blocks to Rose’s.

It was a short walk to the big house on the corner and Matthew had to admit he was nervous. If Rose had changed her mind about—everything, he would be devastated, but he supposed he would get over it eventually. But what if...what if Rose was already with child? His child. There was no way in hell he would walk away from that kind of responsibility. No way. No how.

His suspicions forced him to walk up those steps and knock on that front door. He had to admit he was a little bit terrified of Rose’s aunts, but he had to know where Rose stood when it came to him and their future.

The door swung open and there stood both of her aunts. Without a word, Aunt Lila grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him inside. He was completely caught off guard and rather surprised by the woman’s strength.

“Get in here, young man. You have a lot of explaining to do.”

“Yes, ma’am.” It was all he could get out of his mouth before Rose’s other aunt pushed him from behind and the two women manhandled him into the parlor and closed the door behind them.

Aunt Jeannie spoke first. “Sit down, Mr. Bell. We want answers. And you're not leaving this room until Lila and I are satisfied with them. Do we make ourselves clear?”

“Yes, ma’am.” he said for a second time.

Rose’s Aunt Lila circled around behind him with a silver teapot in her hand. He turned to watch her movements. She made him very nervous. That teapot could crack a man’s skull if the woman had a mind to use it on him. He knew for certain she had the strength to make it happen too. Wasn’t this the aunt with the missing husband? The thought sent caution coursing through Matthew’s body. He needed to be on high alert with this one.

“Lila, please sit down. You’re making the man nervous. And I have to admit, you hovering with that empty teapot is making me a bit nervous as well. I don’t want to have to tell our niece you’ve killed the man she loves.”

He watched as Rose’s Aunt Lila sent him a pointed look then took a chair next to the table, cradling the teapot in her lap. It was clear he probably shouldn’t turn his back on that one.

“Ladies, I’m at a loss as to what’s happening here. Would you be so kind as to tell me what is going on? Where’s Rose? I’m been trying to see her since our trip out to the ranch and she has been as elusive as a leprechaun.”

“All we want to know is this, Mr. Bell. Do you love our niece, and do you plan to propose to her at the Harvest Ball?” Aunt Jeannie demanded to know.

“We’ve talked about it.”

“But are you going to propose to our niece? It’s a yes or no question, Mr. Bell.” Rose’s aunt was determined to get an answer.

“Of course, I want to marry Rose. The problem is I don’t know if she still wants to marry me. I can’t get her to talk to me. That’s not the normal behavior of a young woman who wishes to marry, Mrs. Randall.”

“Who is Mrs. Randall?” the aunt with the teapot asked.

“It’s me, Lila. I’m Mrs. Randall, remember?” Aunt Jeannie gave the woman a look that set Matthew’s instincts on high alert. What was going on here?

“Oh, that’s right, Randall. I remember now.”

He turned to look at the aunt with the presumably faulty memory and pinned her with his best investigator stare. “Why would you question her last name, Mrs. Beckett? That seems like a strange thing to do when you two are supposed to know each other so well.”

“It’s nothing. She does this all the time. She’s losing her marbles, I’m afraid.” Aunt Jeannie assured him.

He watched as Rose’s Aunt Lila puffed up in indignation. “Now, Jeannie. I take offense to that. My mind is as sharp now as it ever was. That’s a very unkind thing to say.”

“Lila, will you please stop talk— ”

Matthew stood and used his height to tower over the two women. “Alright ladies, I want to know exactly what is going on here.”

“That’s exactly what I want to know. What precisely is going on in here?” All three occupants of the room turned to see Rose standing at the doorway. Shock stole the color from her features. When no one answered, she turned to him.

“Matthew? What are you doing in here?”

“Well, I came to talk to you and your aunts shoved me in here, and— ”

"Aunt Jeannie? Aunt Lila? You better not be doing what it is I think you’re doing.” Rose shot a terrified look in their direction. “Please tell me you’re not.” When they didn’t answer, she turned her attention back to him.

He could tell she was very upset. “Would you ladies mind if Rose and I had a little privacy? There are some things we need to get straightened out.”

Her aunts looked to Rose and she nodded. “It’s fine. Matthew and I do need to talk.”

“Very well, but we’ll be right outside, Mr. Bell.” Aunt Lila declared. Then, she picked up her teapot and followed Mrs. Randall out the door closing it behind them.

“No eavesdropping, ladies.” Matthew shouted out. He heard the teapot hit the floor and the shuffle of feet fading down the hall.

Matthew turned to Rose. “What’s wrong, Rose? Why don’t you want to see me? Do you have regrets about—what we did? If you do, I can understand, but talk to me. Tell me what has changed. Is it your feelings for me? Have they changed?"

He watched Rose. She was shaking her head. “No, Matthew. My feelings for you haven’t changed. Not in the least.”

“Then what has happened? Something has or you wouldn’t be avoiding me the past week.”

“There’s something I need to tell you.”

“Sweetheart, you can tell me anything.” Matthew assured his beautiful Rose.

“I’m not exactly who you think I am, Matthew. I should have told you sooner, but I didn’t expect to— ”

“Fall in love?” Matthew could see Rose’s love for him shining in her eyes, but something was troubling her deeply, and he wasn’t leaving until he knew exactly what that was.

“Yes, I—had planned to come to Durango for a holiday, away from my parents and experience a little freedom.”

“I’d say we accomplished that mission, wouldn’t you?” He smiled and reached out to touch her cheek. He could tell by the blush on her cheek she was thinking about their afternoon by the river as well.

“Yes, we certainly did.”

“And is that what’s bothering you? You wished we...hadn’t.”

“No, not exactly. You see, I didn’t realize that you held...a prejudice against...certain people.” she stammered.

“Prejudice? Me? Why on earth would you say that? I’ve told you of my humble beginnings. No one knows more than me about hardworking people and their struggles. What would give you that idea?” He was truly dumbfounded at her comment.

“You did.”

“I did?"

“Yes, when we were returning from Roxi and Alex’s ranch, you said that a certain kind of person was useless and didn’t deserve the space they took up on the Earth.”

Understanding punched through Matthew’s confusion. “You mean when I was talking about rich people? I was only trying to make you feel better. You seemed so distressed when you were trying to tell me about your family. I just wanted you to know that not having a lot of money was nothing to be ashamed of. That’s all.”

“But you said people with money didn’t understand what it was like to have to work for every dollar they earned, and they didn’t know what it meant to make ends meet.”

“Rose, what’s this all about? Why do you care so much about these people?” Matthew was back to confused again.

“Because my father has—money. Now. He didn’t always have money. At one time, he was a young boy living on the streets picking through other people’s garbage. When you said they don’t understand what it takes to make a living, that doesn’t apply to my father.”

“Rose, I was talking about those families who are born into money. From the day they are born, everything is handed to them. It doesn’t sound like your father is one of them. It sounds like he knows what it takes to sacrifice and to get ahead. That makes him a part of the working class because he knows what an honest day’s work feels like.”

“But I thought you meant that if he had money, then— ”

“No, Rose. That’s not what I meant at all. I’m sorry I wasn’t more clear. Good for your father. He found a way to be successful. To be able to earn enough money in order to live comfortably and have the means to spoil his daughter. He’s faced overwhelming odds and he has succeeded. He earned his place in this world. He’s not just taking up space. He sounds like a resourceful man who was dealt a bad hand, he worked hard, and he won in the end. You should be proud that he’s your father.”

“I am proud of him.” He could tell Rose meant it.

“And I know he’s very proud that you are his daughter. How could he not be?”

Matthew realized he was going on and on, but he wanted to hear that Rose understood what he was trying to say. “Rose, I would never judge another person or hold a grudge against them because they had worked hard and managed to achieve success for themselves and their family.

“That’s what I’m trying to do. I’m working hard to build my business so I can make a decent living—for my family.”

“For your family?”

“Yes. Hopefully, after the Harvest Ball, when we return home to Philadelphia, you and I can start that family.” Matthew couldn’t keep the hope out of his voice. “Do you think that’s a possibility, Rose?”

He could see tears shining in her beautiful eyes. “I think that’s a very good possibility, Mr. Bell. A very good possibility, indeed.”

Chapter 12

Abigail was deliriously happy. She now understood Matthew’s meaning and she had gotten it all wrong. He wasn’t against people with money because they had money. On the contrary, he was against people who didn’t know how to work and people who took their money and their lifestyle for granted. And even though she still had yet to tell Matthew exactly how well her father had succeeded from his days living on the streets, she was now convinced that he would be completely understanding of the matter and why she hadn’t been forthcoming from the beginning. And that was a huge relief.

She and Matthew had spent nearly every day for the past week doing something together. They had visited nearly every shop owner in town looking at furniture and dishes and other household items. Matthew talked about the possibility of buying a home after they returned to Philadelphia. She had just the house in mind and she couldn’t wait to show it to her soon-to-be fiancé.

They walked arm in arm along the river and spread a blanket beneath a giant cottonwood tree next to the river to share the picnic lunch she had packed. She had never been so happy in her life and she couldn’t wait for the Harvest Ball. Matthew had given her every indication that he would propose to her, although he hadn’t exactly come out and said those exact words.

Her thoughts often wandered to last week when she and Matthew visited Roxi and Alex. The horseback ride to the willows stole her breath as she remembered the feel of Matthew’s body against hers. His hands caressing her skin. His lips kissing her everywhere.

She smiled to herself at the memories. But then her thoughts recalled her cousin’s advice about telling Matthew the truth about her situation. She knew she needed to tell Matthew the rest of the truth about her situation. And yet, after their conversation and Matthew’s explanation, she realized she wanted to introduce him to her parents first. She wanted him to know how special they were and how much they cared about other people before he learned about their money. It was important to her that Matthew love them as her parents—as much as she did—before he learned just how wealthy they were.

She smiled to herself when she thought about Matthew sitting in her father’s study talking about business and hunting and whatever else men talked about when their ladies weren’t around. She pictured them both, the two men she loved, sitting together like the best of friends, sharing a drink and sharing a conversation.

“What are you thinking about, Rose?” Matthew’s voice pulled her from her thoughts.

His head rested on her lap and his eyes squinted against the sunshine peeking between the leaves of the giant cottonwood tree near the river that ran through town.

She ran her fingers through his hair. “What makes you think I’m thinking about anything at all?”

“You have a smile on your face.” He sat up and leaned in. “Tell me, Rose. Are you happy?” he whispered and kissed her.

When he pulled away, she looked into his eyes. “I’m so happy, I can hardly believe it.”

He grinned at her and his smile took her breath away. “I’m glad, Rose, because I’m happy too. I can’t wait to get back to Philadelphia. I’ve got a very important question to ask your father.”

She frowned. “But you are planning to ask me that question first, right?” She hadn’t bought that dress for nothing.

He laughed out loud. “Yes, my sweet precious Rose. I shall ask you that question at the Harvest Ball.” He kissed her again and stood, pulling her to her feet. “Now, I have work to do. Let me walk you home.”

He picked up the basket and she folded the blanket. They walked to her aunt’s house arm in arm talking about the future. She could just picture her wedding, oh what a grand affair it would be with all her family and friends there to watch her father walk her down the aisle and into Matthew's waiting arms. Her mother and her aunts would be dabbing at their eyes with their handkerchiefs. Then she and Matthew would disappear on a wonderful honeymoon. Maybe they would take a trip to some far off island where they could be alone and—

“There you go again. You’ve got that smile on your face. Dare I ask what you are thinking now?” Matthew teased.

She looked up at him and gave him a coy look. “I think it best if I kept that to myself…for now.”

* * *

Matthew lay on his bed in his hotel room, his spirits were soaring. After he and Rose had finally talked, it was clear there had been a huge misunderstanding. Rose had thought he would judge her father for being a self-made man. And nothing could have been further from the truth. He admired the kind of man her father was and was striving to be that same kind of man, with seemingly the same kind of success.

He had no problem working hard to make the kind of life he wanted for his wife and children. And in the years to come, when he and Rose looked back on their lives together, he wanted her to feel the same pride in his accomplishments that she did in her father's.

They had spent the last week enjoying each other’s company, and getting to know each other a little better. When they got back to Philadelphia, he would ask her father for her hand in marriage and then they would look to buy a house. Together. For their family.

He and Rose had shared a picnic lunch this afternoon and it was clear they both wanted the same thing. Rose wanted him to ask her to marry him at the Harvest Ball and he intended to do just that. Now, he needed to buy her an engagement ring. He wanted the whole world to know that Rose belonged to him.

Relieved that he and Rose were now of the same mindset, he took the money from his cashed banknote and left his hotel room. Matthew decided now was the perfect time to buy Rose that engagement ring.

The hotel clerk had recommended a jeweler in town, so he wasted no time in finding the store. When the jeweler welcomed him, Matthew explained the reason for his visit and what kind of ring he had in mind for Rose.

“I have just the ring you’re looking for. Wait here, I’ll be right back.”

Within a minute or two, the man returned and in his hand was indeed the perfect ring. It was exactly what Matthew had had in mind.

The jeweler laid the ring on a leather pad on the glass countertop. “It’s an exquisite green emerald, and as you can see, it is completely encircled with yellow gold rose petals.”

Matthew picked up the ring and studied it from every angle. “It’s perfect. How much?” Matthew hoped it was within his budget because he had to have it for his soon-to-be bride.

He and the jeweler negotiated the price of the ring. When the deal was done, Matthew walked out of the store with the perfect ring for Rose nestled in his shirt pocket. And when they were married, he would buy her a nice band to go with it. Then, he and his new bride would settle into their new house in a nice neighborhood on a tree-lined street in Philadelphia. Maybe he’d even plant a rose garden for his own precious Rose.

The only thing that would make his life perfect would be to get an answer to his telegram reporting that Mr. Livingston’s daughter was safe at home. Then he could relax and enjoy the rest of his visit until he and Rose headed back home to Philadelphia.

He needed that money Mr. Livingston promised him and he couldn’t understand how he had gotten this case so wrong. His instincts told him the obvious choices were Rose and her aunt. But that wasn’t possible, so where could the women have gone? The only logical answer was that they had never gotten on the train. If it hadn’t been for his bad luck that the telegraph lines had been downed by a rock slide somewhere near Pagosa Springs, he’d have his answer by now, one way or another.

Frustration escaped Matthew in the form of a heavy sigh. He walked through the hotel’s lobby and started up the winding staircase to his room when the desk clerk called out to him, “Mr. Bell, is that you?”

“Yes, I’m Mr. Bell.” He walked over to the hotel’s front desk. “What can I do for you?”

“I gotta message for ya. Hang on a minute.” The desk clerk disappeared and returned a moment later with a note in his hand. It was a telegram.

Matthew’s heart punched heavy against his ribs. “When was this delivered?” he asked and reached into his pocket for a coin to tip the clerk.

“Late this morning. Hope it’s good news, Mr. Bell.”

Matthew handed the man the coin.

“Thank you, sir. Have a good day.” The clerk smiled and pocketed the coin.

He turned and made a beeline for his room. Once inside, he tore open the telegram and read the message. His stomach wrenched and he thought he might lose his recent lunch. He reread the telegram again and dropped to the bed for fear his knees would give out.

Mr. Livingston was coming to Durango. He read the telegram once more just to be sure he hadn’t missed something. It read:

Mr. Bellamy. Stop. Been out of town on business. Stop. Just read your telegram. Stop. There’s been some mix-up. Stop. Ticket master confirmed both tickets punched. Stop. Abigail Rose Livingston. Stop. Mrs. Randall Wentworth. Stop. First name, Jeannie. Stop.

Abigail has dark hair. Stop. Hazel eyes with striking green streaks. Stop. They are unique and hard to miss. Stop. She’s taller than most women. Stop.

I’ll be on the next train. Stop. I’ll arrive the day after the Harvest Ball. Stop. Telegram sent to my wife’s sister. Stop. Her address 3rd and Grand. Stop. No word they did not arrive. D.L.

Matthew didn’t know what to do with all his emotion. He should be happy because, at least now he knew where Mr. Livingston’s daughter was—only too well. On the other hand, he was livid because they had played him. All three of those women had played him like the stupid hollow-headed panting fool he was. He saw a beautiful woman and he’d thrown everything to the wind. He was an idiot. And now, he had taken the innocence of Daniel Livingston’s prized possession, his daughter—his gilded lily. No, not a lily. A rose. Abigail Rose. How could he have been so blind? He was supposed to be a professional investigator. That’s why Mr. Livingston had come to him. To protect his daughter and he had gone off the rails because of a pretty face.

He paced around his room like a caged animal. Did she know who he was? Did her aunts know? Had Rose—or rather, Abigail— been playing a game all along? Is that why she had made his acquaintance so quickly? She was a debutante on holiday? She said she wanted a holiday to remember. Well, she had sure gotten one.

“Damn it.” he yelled and punched the wall. His knuckles screamed and the rose-patterned wallpaper had a very distinct dent where his fist had hit. “Rose.” It was as if the flowers on the wall were mocking him. The answer had been there all along and he was just too stupid to see it.

Now what? He couldn’t pretend not to know who she was. Well, he could, he supposed. He had made a living pretending to be someone else if the need called for deception. And usually, he was good at it—when he wasn’t distracted by a woman’s guile. Whether she knew who he was or not, his honor wouldn’t let him continue to participate in this ridiculous game Abigail Livingston was playing.

He was ruined. He sat on the bed and dropped his head in his hands. Gus was going to kill him and that wasn’t a figurative statement. Augustus McGillicuddy was straight off the boat from Ireland. He was hard core and determined to make it in this new world. He had made it clear he had nothing to go back to and failure was not an option. When he found out that Matthew had screwed up a sure thing by being blindsided by a beautiful woman, Gus would gut him.

He deserved it. There was nothing left to debate. He deserved to fail, but Gus didn’t. How was he going to fix this? Frankly, he had no idea.

The ring in his shirt pocket poked against his chest. It was a brutal reminder of his total stupidity and failure. As a private investigator. As a businessman. As a friend to his partner. And as a man. For he had taken something that wasn’t his to take and no matter how much Rose—Abigail—had insisted she wanted him to have it, he should have said no because he had learned a long time ago that just because he could, didn’t mean he should.

Misery came rushing back and he couldn’t stop his anger at himself or his stupidity. “Damn it.” It was all he could manage to say.

He stood and paced the room again, ripping his shirt off, his buttons flying. It was the same shirt he’d unbuttoned the day he and—

He threw it across the room, the ring he had just purchased fell out and bounced across the wooden floor. He saw it lying on the floor, shiny and new, waiting for him to propose to the incredible woman who had captured his heart. It’s glitter and beauty only an hour ago now looked fake and tarnished in his mind’s eye—just like the love he and Rose had shared. It was all an illusion.

He shook his head in denial and started to punch the wall again, but his knuckles reminded him of the first punch, and he decided against it.

Daniel Livingston’s daughter had come to Durango for a holiday she would never forget, and she had used him to make that happen. She had pretended to be something she wasn’t.

Suddenly, their conversation of this morning came rushing back. She had said her father was a self-made man. That was an understatement of a lifetime. Daniel Livingston may have started off as a street urchin, but he had risen above the gutters of Philadelphia or wherever he came from, to owning half of it.

Matthew realized his hopes of accomplishing those same dreams were gone. He was ruined. And probably dead if Gus had anything to say about it. He might as well get on the train and disappear before Daniel Livingston arrived.

The thought was tempting but he wasn’t a coward. Stupid, maybe. Blind, most definitely. But a coward? Not a chance. He’d be here when Abigail’s father got off that train and he would be the one to explain what the hell happened. And then he would go back to Philadelphia and tell his partner how miserably he had failed. Let fate decide what happened to him after that because frankly, he didn’t give a damn.

Chapter 13

It had been nearly three weeks since she and Matthew had committed themselves to each other by sharing their bodies under the willow trees. And in those three weeks, she and Matthew had grown closer, well, other than this last week. Matthew had sent a note at the beginning of the week that he was going to be very busy this week and wouldn’t be able to see her.

She was disappointed, but she understood. She knew how important work was to her father and she was glad to know that Matthew was dedicated to his work as well. She had asked him what he did for a living once while they were walking down the river walk through town. He said he made a living out of protecting people, but they were interrupted by a group of children playing ball before she could ask him more about it. She had to admit she was proud of Matthew. And she intended to learn all about the nature of his business on the train back home.

For the rest of that afternoon, she had watched Matthew play with the group of children. They had kicked the ball back and forth and had a grand time. Every now and again, Matthew would turn to where she sat underneath the tree and wink at her. She swear she wished they were back under another set of trees in another time and place...alone.

But today, she and Matthew would be attending the Harvest Ball. She was so excited she had barely eaten anything all day. And she hadn’t been sleeping well either, but after tonight, she would be blissfully happy and she and Matthew would be on their way home.

Thoughts of home conjured up thoughts of her father and how he was going to react. She was pretty certain her mother would understand…eventually, but her father? Now that was a different story entirely.

A knock at the door pulled her from her thoughts. “I’ll get it,” she called up the stairs to her aunts who were in Aunt Lila’s bedroom sorting through a dozen or more dresses trying to find the perfect one to wear to tonight’s ball.

Abbie opened the door to see a young boy standing on the porch. “Can I help you, young man? She asked.

“Yes, ma’am. Telegram for Mrs. Lila Beckett.” He handed her the telegram.

“Here, let me get you a coin for your troubles.” She left him on the porch and rummaged around in her reticle hanging from the hall tree. “Here you go.” She handed him the coin.

“Thank you, ma’am,” He tipped his hat and ran down the steps and disappeared down the sidewalk.

“Who is it, Abbie?” Her aunt called from the top of the stairs.

“It’s a telegram for you,”

“A telegram. That doesn’t sound like good news. I hope Henry isn’t planning on returning home. I rather like it here without that old curmudgeon under foot,” her aunt mumbled as she descended the staircase. Her Aunt Jeannie was right behind her.

Abbie held the telegram out to her and waited to see what could be so important someone would send a telegram. She hoped it wasn’t bad news.

Aunt Lila tore open the envelope and flipped open the telegram. Her mouth dropped open and she read it again.

“What is it, Lila? You look disturbed,” Aunt Jeannie asked trying to read over her shoulder.

“It’s…your brother.”

Jeannie looked at her in confusion. “My brother? Why would Daniel be sending you a telegram?”

Then Aunt Lila shot a look to Abbie that made a shiver of anxiety run up her spine. “What does it say?” She asked, but she wasn’t sure she wanted to know.

“He says he’s coming to Durango. Wait a minute. This telegram was dated five days ago. That means he’ll be here…tomorrow.”

“Five days ago? What took so long for it to be delivered?” Aunt Jeannie wanted to know.

Aunt Lila turned over the envelope it came in and read the hand scribbled note on the front. “It seems it was mistakenly delivered to a Mrs. Bennett and she only just returned it to the telegraph office to redeliver.”

Aunt Jeannie sent Lila a look. “Oh my. Well, read it to us, Lila. Does it say why he’s coming?”

Lila nodded. “It says he had received word that you and Abigail had never arrived in Durango. He is quite worried. And he’s wondering why I never sent word you didn’t arrive?” Aunt Lila looked at her and then Jeannie. “But why would I send word that you didn’t arrive when you plainly did? That makes no sense at all.”

Jeannie studied the telegram. “What on earth could have initiated such a strange message? Obviously, we are fine.”

Abbie had no idea what would cause her father to come all this way knowing that in a few days, she and her aunt would be back on the train to Philadelphia. It made no sense at all, and yet, she was thrilled to know that her father wasn’t going to be here in time for the Harvest Ball. The thought made her weak at the knees. Thank goodness she would be an engaged woman by the time he arrived in town. She just wished they had received the telegram in time to let him know everyone was fine and he shouldn’t bother coming all this way for no reason.

Another thought made her stomach churn. She had hoped to postpone her announcement to her parents until she and Matthew arrived back in Philadelphia. Now, instead of explaining everything to Matthew on the train ride back home, she would need to tell him the truth before her father arrived. Daniel Livingston was a force to be reckoned with and she didn’t want Matthew to be blindsided by his fury. She would send word to the hotel that she wished to speak with him before the ball.

She wrote a quick note and called for one of her aunt’s servants. “Millie, would you mind taking this note to Mr. Kingston’s hotel and give it to the desk clerk there. He’ll know what to do with it.”

“Yes, ma’am.” The girl curtsied and off she went.

Now, all Abbie had to do was wait for Matthew’s response. And she needed to start getting ready for tonight’s ball. It would be the night she would always remember.

An hour later, she still hadn’t had any word from Matthew. She hoped she had a chance to talk to him before they arrived at the ball. It would be so hard to talk in the crowded ballroom.

“Abigail, it’s time to start getting ready.” her Aunt Lila said as she swept into the room and removed the protective covering from the dress hanging from the armor in the corner.

“Oh, it’s so beautiful. It’s the most beautiful dress I’ve ever seen. The fabric is iridescent like a butterfly’s wings fluttering back and forth between deep rust color and dark green. Both colors are absolutely exquisite with your eyes. You will be the belle of the ball and everyone will be so jealous of you. Especially when your handsome Mr. Bell proposes to you in front of everyone.”

Abbie’s heart stumbled at the thought. Tonight would be the night the man she had prayed she would find was going to propose. It was the happiest day of her life. She just hoped Matthew would understand the circumstances and reasons behind her failure to disclose the truth about her situation.

“Where’s Jeannie? Jeannie, where are you? We need to get Abbie’s hair done.” Aunt Lila yelled loud enough to be heard downstairs.

“I’m here.” Aunt Jeannie’s voice called from the hallway. She entered the room with two lady's maids who carried the metal curling tongs, the gas burner, and enough pins and pearls that Abbie would be surprised if she could hold the weight of her head up when they were through.

“Oh, that dress was sent from heaven just for this occasion. It is stunning, my dear. Mr. Bell doesn't stand a chance.” Aunt Jeannie exclaimed. The lady's maids cast a curious glance over at the dress, but then went about setting out all the hair accessories and heating the curling tongs.

Aunt Lila spoke up. “I’m still puzzled by your father’s telegram. Honestly, I think he has let his imagination run wild and he has convinced himself all sorts of trouble has befallen you. Or, it could be simply that some men are just overbearing. Your father may be one of them. I know from firsthand experience what that’s like. You probably don’t remember my husband, Henry. And you’re better off for not having remembered him. He was an overbearing, pompous, self-important, egotistical as—”

“Lila, I don’t think you’re helping our niece with that kind of talk.”

Abbie saw the look Aunt Jeannie sent to Aunt Lila who then turned to her and issued her apology. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. I do have a tendency to get carried away sometimes. Your father is nothing like Henry. Nothing at all.” Aunt Lila insisted.

“I know that. I just wish he wasn’t coming, that’s all. I want this night to be special and I fear my worry about what father is up to is going to spoil it for me and Matthew.”

“Nonsense. Not if you don’t let it. Now, have you had a chance to explain to Matthew that your father is coming? My brother can be quite intimidating if not adequately prepared.” Jeannie asked as she brushed through Abbie’s hair.

“I tried. After we received the telegram from Father, I sent a note to Matthew at his hotel asking him to come over because I had something very important to discuss with him.”

“And what did he say?”

“He hasn’t responded,” she admitted.

“Well, he’s probably making the last minute arrangement for tonight. I wouldn’t worry about it.”

“Normally, I wouldn’t worry, but—”

“Is something troubling you, dear?” Aunt Jeannie asked. Both her aunts sat on her bed, worry etched frowns on both their faces.

“Yes—well, no. I don’t know. Matthew has seemed so distant this last week. He sent a note saying that he was going to be very busy with his business matters this past week. And I understand completely a man has to pay attention to his business, but, it was more what he didn’t say than what he did say.”

“What did he not say? What do you mean?” Aunt Lila looked at her with bewilderment.

“He was just matter-of-fact, that’s all. He said he would be busy and we wouldn’t be able to see each other, but he would be done in time to pick me up for the ball. There was no sweetheart, or I can’t wait to see you again, or I love you.”

Relief brightened her aunt’s faces and her Aunt Lila exclaimed. “Oh, Abigail. You are worrying about nothing. Men aren’t poets. At least most of them aren’t. Matthew strikes me as a man of facts. He said what needed to be said and I’m sure he’s saving that kind of sentiment for when he proposes. Now, don’t you worry any longer about this my dear.” She turned to the lady's maids who were waiting to begin and nodded. “Let’s get your hair done, shall we. And I’ve brought you that lovely topaz necklace and matching ear bobs of mine. They will match your dress perfectly. The citizens of Durango won’t know how to react when they see you glide into the hotel’s ballroom in that beautiful dress.”

Her Aunt Lila lowered her voice in a conspiratorial tone even though the lady's maids were obviously close enough to hear every word. “All the other men in Durango are going to be kicking themselves because they didn't get the chance to steal your heart like our lucky Mr. Bell.”

Abbie laughed at her aunt’s flattering words. “You are right about one thing, Aunt Lila. Matthew Bell has definitely stolen my heart. And I can’t wait to be his wife.”

Chapter 14

It was almost seven o’clock and Matthew still hadn’t arrived. He was half an hour late. What could be keeping him? Perhaps it was the snow coming down in giant flakes outside her window. It wasn’t like him to be late, but since she had only been communicating with him through messages for the last week, she wasn’t sure what was going on.

She heard a knock downstairs at the front door. “Oh, he’s here,” she didn’t even try to hide the excitement in her voice.

Aunt Jeannie admonished her. “Really, Abigail. You really should try to play a little hard to get.”

She gathered her things in preparation to be called downstairs, instead her Aunt Lila came to her bedroom door. “There’s been a note delivered. It’s from Matthew.”

She shot a worried look to her aunts. “What could be keeping him?”

“Well, we won’t know that until you read the note. Open it.” Aunt Lila shoved it at her.

She cast another worried look to her aunts and then took a deep breath and ripped open the envelope.

“I’m sorry I am unable to pick you up for the Harvest Ball. It is once again my business affairs that have detained me. However, the good news is there’s a carriage just outside your door to take you and your aunts straight to the hotel.

I know this isn’t the way you had imagined this evening. I’m quite disappointed myself at the way things have turned out, but I will be waiting for you at the ball and I can assure you, it will be a holiday you will remember.”

M. B.

All three of them expelled a sigh of relief at the same time.

“Now see, all that worry over nothing. It’s business, that’s all. And there is a carriage waiting outside just as he promised. I think we should go, don’t you? After all, your Mr. Bell is waiting and he did say it would be a holiday you would remember.” Aunt Lila gushed.

“Then let us be off.” Aunt Jeannie exclaimed, her voice quivering with excitement that mirrored Lila’s.

She laughed at her aunt’s exuberance. “I’m ready. Let’s go. Should we go by and pick up Regina? I’m sure John is probably working tonight since the ball is in his hotel.”

“That won’t be necessary. Regina went to the hotel early to help her husband direct the staff to prepare for the possibility that the storm will dump more snow and prevent out of town guests from returning home. She said the hotel was already almost at capacity. Now the storm will require even more guests to stay over after the ball,” Aunt Lila explained.

“Then lead the way, Aunt Lila. We are right behind you. Our chariot awaits.” Abbie felt as if her joy and happiness would bubble over any moment—like a glass full of champagne. It was a glorious feeling and she had waited for this moment her entire life. She was getting engaged to a man who loved her. Her. Not her father’s fortune. She was deliriously happy.

She and Aunt Jeannie linked arms and followed Aunt Lila to the carriage. The driver helped them up and closed the door behind them.

A few short blocks later, the carriage pulled up to the front door of the hotel. The lights were shining brightly, and music could be heard in the street. With all the pumpkins and flowers decorating the hotel doors, it looked quite festive. She couldn’t wait to lay her eyes on Matthew.

“Are you excited, Abbie?” Aunt Jeannie whispered as they stood on the sidewalk outside the hotel.

“Yes, I’m so excited.” Snowflakes drifted from the sky and cast a magical glow around the hotel. “It’s so beautiful. It reminds me of a snow globe father once gave me when I was a child,” she remarked. Thoughts of her father threatened to dampen her spirit. Not tonight, she told herself. Tonight was reserved for only happy thoughts. There would be time enough to deal with things tomorrow.

“Yes, it is beautiful. And cold. Let’s go inside before we catch our death.” Aunt Lila shivered and led the way.

She and Aunt Jeannie followed. They crossed the hotel lobby in unison. The decorations glittered with candlelight. Everything was so beautiful—it was the perfect backdrop for Matthew to propose.

A niggle of doubt elbowed its way through her happiness. Abbie wished she could have seen Matthew before now. She had planned to tell him the truth about who she was and the reasons behind why she had pretended to be someone else.

After their talk, he had made it clear his prejudices against people with money did not include self-made men like her father. She was certain he would understand once she was able to explain her motivations behind her deception. He was such a good man; she was sure it was a story they would laugh about in the years to come. It would certainly be a story to tell their children about the holiday to remember.

She and her aunts proceeded to the ballroom. “Oh, it’s so lovely,” Aunt Lila exclaimed. “Regina and John have gone above and beyond. They have truly outdone themselves this year.”

“Yes, they have indeed,” Aunt Jeannie agreed.

Abbie glanced around the room searching for Matthew all the while trying to not appear that she was doing just that.

“I haven’t seen him either, Abbie, but I’m sure he’s here somewhere.” Aunt Jeannie whispered in her ear. “Now, shall we go find a seat, Lila? We want to be front and center for Abigail’s big night.”

Abbie watched her aunts skim the edge of the dance floor, stopping to talk with people Aunt Lila knew, introducing her guest from out of town.

Abbie took another look around the room. She was surprised she hadn’t caught even a glimpse of Matthew. Worry tumbled in her belly. She hoped Matthew’s business hadn’t kept him longer than expected.

She decided she needed something in her stomach to settle her nerves. As she walked through the crowded room filled with partygoers, a couple of men had approached her asking her to dance. She respectfully declined explaining she was saving her dances for her fiancé. She noticed the look of regret on their faces, but she couldn’t have cared less. She only had eyes for Matthew.

She took another look around the crowded room hoping to catch a glimpse of his handsome face, but there was still no sign of him.

“Over here, darling.” Aunt Jeannie waved at her from her seat by the buffet table. “Look at all this delicious food. I swear John’s kitchen staff have outdone themselves this evening. Would you like a plate?”

Without waiting for Abbie’s reply, Aunt Jeannie shoved a loaded plate at her. “Here, you need something to eat. You certainly don’t want to faint away from starvation during your big moment, now do you?” her aunt teased. “By the way, where is Matthew hiding? I haven’t seen hide nor hair of the man.”

“I don’t know. I haven’t seen him either,” she admitted.

She shrugged off the alarmed look on her aunt’s face. “He’ll be here,” she assured her aunts.

Aunt Jeannie relaxed and continued placing bits of food from the buffet onto her plate.

“Of course he will. Don’t you worry one bit. If I’ve ever seen the face of a man in love, it’s Matthew Bell’s.” Aunt Lila assured her in a not-so-subtle voice.

“Lila, keep your voice down. Do you want to draw attention to yourself?” Aunt Jeannie chastised.

“Would that be so bad, Jeannie? After all, neither of us are attached.” Aunt Lila waggled her eyebrows at the both of them.

“Lila Beckett, you are still a married woman,” her Aunt Jeannie reminded her.

“Oh stuff it, Jeannie. Henry doesn’t count and you know it. He’s somewhere back East and not likely to ever show his face around this town again. Besides, I’m not too old to have a little fun...and neither are you.” Lila threw back.

“Lila Collins Beckett, you beat all, do you know that?” Aunt Jeannie posted her fists on her hips and rounded on her fellow aunt.

Before the two of them could cause a scene that would embarrass them all, Abbie separated them. “Ladies, please. You are causing a scene,” she admonished the both of them.

Aunt Lila’s eyes grew round with surprise.

“He’s here. There he is now.” Aunt Lila nearly shouted the news.

Abbie whirled in the direction Aunt Lila was looking. And there he was, indeed. Matthew was walking toward the bandstand.

Her heart thudded with excitement. There was the man who was going to propose to her. She had to remind herself to breathe.

She watched her handsome soon-to-be fiancé lean in and whisper something to the bandleader. The man nodded and turned to cue his band. The music stopped and everyone on the dance floor slowed their dance and then stopped altogether sensing something was about to happen.

“Abigail, look how handsome he is,” Aunt Lila whispered.

“Yes, he is quite handsome, isn’t he?” It was all she could manage to say, her excitement robbed her of her ability to speak. She couldn’t take her eyes off him.

Matthew nodded to the bandleader and then took center stage. “Can I have everyone’s attention? Please. Just for a moment.” he said, his voice carried across the floor to where she stood.

Murmurs in the crowd died away leaving only silence and a few scattered whispers of curiosity around the ballroom.

“Hello, everyone. I’m glad to see everyone having such a good time here tonight. It looks like the hotel will be full to capacity because of tonight’s early fall snowstorm. If you haven’t made plans to stay in town tonight for those of you who traveled in for this year’s Harvest Ball, I suggest you do so sooner rather than later. Mr. Kingston tells me he is just about full.”

Murmurs could be heard and heads nodding in agreement.

“I don’t want to keep you from enjoying this evening’s festivities, so without further ado, let me get to the purpose of my interruption.”

Abbie saw Matthew search the crowd. When his eyes landed on her, she could have sworn his gaze grew hard, but before she had a chance to wonder, he smiled and extended his arm toward her. “Ah, there you are. Please, come on up and join me, won’t you?”

All eyes turned to her and she felt herself blush. She could see the questions in everyone’s eyes. She felt Aunt Jeannie’s hand squeeze her arm. “This is the moment you’ve been waiting for.”

Tears burned, but Abbie didn’t want her emotions to overshadow this moment. She wanted to remember every single second of this night.

She gave a slight nod and made her way through the crowd of dancers standing still on the dance floor. Every eye was on her as she reached the bandstand and Matthew reached out for her hand and helped her up to stand beside him.

Abbie felt the warm strength of his fingers and gave them a squeeze. She wanted him to know she was more than ready for this night and the future they had planned together.

As soon as she stood beside him, he released her hand and put a step or two between them. Perhaps he needed room to get on one knee, she reasoned.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I know most of you don’t know me. I’m a stranger to this town and only arrived in Durango weeks ago on business. I can see some of you are puzzled as to why this would interest any of you. Well, let me explain.”

Abbie had no idea where Matthew was going with this, but she was certain he had his reasons, so she stood patiently by his side waiting for her big moment.

“First, let me introduce you to this beautiful young woman beside me. If you’ve had the pleasure of meeting her, some of you may know her as Rose Collins, but there are a few of you here who know her by another name.”

She watched as Matthew searched the crowd again landing on her aunts. “Ah, Mrs. Beckett and Mrs. Wentworth. I’m glad to see you here to witness this memorable night since you both have played such a large part in making it possible for your niece to have this wonderful holiday here in Durango, Colorado.”

She shot a puzzled look to her aunts who look as puzzled as she did.

“But back to my introduction. “This beautiful young woman beside me is none other than Abigail Livingston—the daughter of the wealthy Winston D. Livingston. I’m sure most of you have heard of him. He’s one of the richest men in the United States.” It was clear by the bobbing heads that everyone had heard of Daniel Livingston.

Abbie’s heart dropped at the mention of her real name. She cast a panicked look to Matthew, but he seemed oblivious to her now. Then, she searched for her aunts and by the look on their faces, they were as shocked as she was.

She leaned in and whispered to Matthew. “Matthew, I can explain.” But he went on as if she hadn't said a word.

“Those of you who are parents can well imagine Mr. Livingston’s worry when his daughter insisted on having a holiday far from his watchful eye. As you know, there are many unscrupulous people who might want to take advantage of Miss Livingston because of her father’s wealth.”

She moved closer to Matthew and pulled on his arm. He ignored her and continued.

“That’s why Mr. Livingston—Miss Abigail Livingston’s father—hired me to keep an eye on her and make sure none of those unscrupulous people I mentioned earlier could take advantage of this innocent young heiress.” She heard his emphasis on the word innocent and knew exactly what he was referring to.

Abbie couldn’t breathe. Her father had hired Matthew to babysit her? So, he had known all along who she was. He had pretended to care for her, all the while he was eyeing her father’s money. He was no better than the rest—no, he was much worse, because he pretended to care even when she offered him—she was certain she was going to be sick.

“Now that you all know who Miss Livingston’s true identity, please don’t hesitate to come down and ask the lovely young heiress to dance. But please remember, your every move will be under my professional scrutiny.”

He turned to the band leader, “Please start the music. By the line forming at the bandstand stairs, I’d say Miss Livingston’s dance card is filling up fast.”

Abbie watched the conductor turn to his band and lift his wand. The violins strummed and the harp player joined in.

Matthew turned to her, his cold glare cut her through and through, but the knowledge that he had known who she was this entire time—that he had been paid by her father to—thoughts of their horseback ride to the willows made her want to vomit.

“Miss Livingston, how are you enjoying your holiday now?” His words cut even deeper.

“Go to hell, Mr. Bellamy, if that really is your name,” she hissed.

“I’m already there, Miss Livingston. I’m already there.”

Tears stung and she knew she would rather die than let him, or anyone else, see her cry. She turned and stepped down the bandstand stairs nearly falling into the arms of several waiting young men all now eager to dance with Daniel Livingston’s daughter.

* * *

After he left Miss Livingston on the dance floor, he headed straight to the hotel’s bar. “Fix me an Old Fashioned, barkeep. And make it a double.”

The man behind the bar took his request and returned in minutes with a healthy sized whiskey. He set the drink in front of Matthew.

“Keep ‘em coming, my good man.” And the man had done just that. But every time Matthew thought of how Miss Abigail Livingston had fooled him and used him without mercy for her holiday pleasures, he ordered another double. The whiskey and the woman left a bitter taste in his mouth until he finally decided he needed to be alone.

“Put a bottle on my hotel bill,” he instructed the bartender who handed him the bottle and a glass. “Hope your evening is better than mine, my good man.”

Now, upstairs in his room, and more than a little drunk, he lay on his bed listening to the band playing downstairs. It was half past two in the morning, and he could still hear everyone enjoying themselves.

Laughter and thuds in the hallway indicated that the last of the partygoers were searching for their rooms. Somewhere between four and five in the morning, he finally succumbed to the whiskey’s influence.

Sounds from the early risers woke him at first light. He was tired and suffering from a giant hangover—no, probably not a hangover. He was pretty sure he was still drunk. The inside of his eyelids scratched like sandpaper every time he blinked. And he blinked a lot, trying to clear his blurry vision.

He squinted to get a clear look at the clock on the nightstand beside the bed. Six o’clock. His body demanded he go back to sleep, but his conscience reminded him that his client was due in on the noon train today, and Matthew wanted—no, he needed—to be as ready as possible when he made his explanations to Mr. Livingston.

He probably should go ahead and pack his bag. That way he could be prepared to leave town on the next train. He was pretty sure Mr. Livingston would insist on it, that is if he didn’t have him arrested for dishonoring his daughter and damaging her reputation.

That thought made his stomach want to empty its contents. Perhaps getting up and walking around, splashing some cold water on his face, would help him to get moving.

The moving part didn’t help at all. In fact, he was sure it made his situation worse, but the splash of cold water did help some. He decided hangover or not, he needed to get his stuff together and make plans to leave Durango, and all its troubles, behind.

He dug his knapsack out from under the bed and opened it. The first item into the bag was the suit coat he’d worn last night to the ball. Thoughts of last night pulled his eyes to the top of the side table next to the bed. There was the ring he had bought for Rose. At the time of the purchase, he thought it was the perfect ring for the perfect woman, but now he knew that woman had never existed.

What should he do with the ring now? He couldn’t return it and there was no one he could think of that would enjoy it. No sister, mother, or—thoughts of his grandmother resurfaced. She would be so ashamed of him right about now. He mentally tried to explain to her he didn’t know Rose was Daniel’s daughter, but he could hear her words just as plain as if she were sitting next to him. “Just because you can do something, Matthew, doesn’t mean you should.” She had said that to him a million times at least. Why had he failed to remember that one very important lesson? He knew the reason. He had been blinded by the woman’s beauty and her softly spoken words. He had believed in the fairy-tale life she offered. But it wasn’t real. His time with Rose was nothing but a privileged young woman’s way of having fun on her holiday.

He decided he would just leave the ring where it lay and maybe one of the hotel staff housekeepers could use it.

Matthew gathered the rest of his things and stuffed them in his bag. He didn’t bother to fold them neatly for the trip home because he just didn’t care anymore.

Packed and ready to go, he lay back on his bed with his book of flowers and flipped to the page Rose...or rather, Abigail had noticed in his book when she took it from him on the train. He had written in the margin what to do if a person was having trouble with their roses. He read the notes again, but there was nothing here that could give him the kind of help he needed.

Sometime after he opened his flower book, he must have dozed off to sleep because the next thing he knew, he heard the train’s whistle in the distance and his heart pounded in his chest. He shot a quick look at the clock and realized he’d fallen asleep. Mr. Livingston was on that train and he still didn’t have a plan.

He reminded himself he still had time to run, but his integrity as a man, and an investigator, wouldn’t let him. He would face Daniel Livingston’s wrath like the man his grandmother had raised him to be.

He left his bag in the room and headed to the train depot to meet Mr. Livingston’s train. The train bringing his client to Durango was the same train Matthew was taking back home. And that train didn’t leave until two o’clock this afternoon. That left him plenty of time to explain to Mr. Livingston, grab his bag, and pay his bill at the hotel, that is if Mr. Livingston allowed him to leave town. After the man learned that he was the one who had compromised his daughter's innocence, he would probably have Matthew shot. He figured if he was lucky, he would be in a pine box before sunset. If not, he would have to board that train back to Philadelphia to face his business partner— and he was pretty sure he’d rather be in that pine box.

He waited inside the depot and watched the train chug into the station, steam belching from the engine temporarily covering the boardwalk where impatient people waited in the snow to greet their friends and family. Matthew swallowed hard, forcing the lump of regret down into his churning gut.

The train stopped and within a few minutes, the conductor set the steps out and people disembarked. It took about five minutes before Mr. Livingston appeared at the door. Matthew watched him look around the boardwalk for a minute or two. Matthew inhaled a deep breath for courage. He could cower like a scared pup or he could step up and take responsibility for his actions.

He stepped out of the train depot and walked across the depot platform. “Mr. Livingston. It’s good to see you again.”

He met Abigail’s father on the platform and extended his hand. Mr. Livingston extended his in return. “Mr. Bellamy, what happened? I hired you because you were recommended to me as the best in your line of work. How is it that you managed to lose my daughter and my sister on a train of all places?”

“I understand your worry, Mr. Livingston. Why don’t we go to my hotel and get some food and I’ll explain.”

“I’d like to see my daughter first, if you don’t mind. I’ve been worried sick ever since I got home and read your telegram.”

“I understand, sir, but if you’ll just hear me out, I think I can relieve any doubts you may have about your daughter. She and your sister have been in Durango all along. It was just a series of misunderstandings and misinformation that had me...chasing ghosts. Please, I think you should hear my report before you speak with your daughter.” Matthew was going to make it hard for the man to refuse. He wanted to tell Mr. Livingston his side of the story before he got to Rose—Abigail.

He saw the man hesitate and Matthew again urged him toward the hotel. “It’ll only take a few minutes, sir, and then you will be fully aware of what has transpired since your daughter left Philadelphia.”

Mr. Livingston finally nodded. “Very well, Mr. Bellamy. I’d like to hear that report before I approach my daughter. I’ve known her to tell a little white lie from time to time just to get me off her trail. But I’m her father and it is my responsibility to— ”

Matthew finished his sentence for him. “—make sure she doesn’t get herself into a situation that could cause her harm or irreparable damage to her reputation. Not to mention her physical safety because of unscrupulous characters who wouldn’t think twice about causing your daughter distress to get at your money.”

Mr. Livingston frowned. “That’s exactly right. I guess I may have said that more than once, but it is a true statement. Profoundly true, at least from a father’s point of view.”

Matthew’s stomach churned. “I agree with you one hundred percent. Now, shall we go to the hotel for some lunch while we talk about my report?”

“Yes, of course. I’d like to know what I’m dealing with before I confront that bevy of women waiting for me. I managed to convince my wife to stay behind, otherwise, I’m not sure I could maintain control of four women who were determined to stand against me.” Mr. Livingston grinned, and Matthew wished he could relax. The man was formidable and Matthew knew he could crush him and his business with one swipe of his pen.

“Yes, I can understand how women can persuade a man to do things he might not otherwise do.”

He turned down the block toward the hotel and Mr. Livingston walked beside him. From an onlooker’s point of view, they were two men of equal standing talking about business. Matthew knew his situation couldn’t be farther from the truth.

They entered the lush lobby and he guided Mr. Livingston toward the restaurant. He could see that the hotel staff was busy serving all the unexpected guests from last night’s snowstorm. The waitress recognized him. “Good morning, sir, table for two?”

He nodded and she led them to a table at the back of the room.

“What’ll ya have, gentlemen?” the waitress asked.

“Coffee for me.” Matthew said. “Hot and black. I need it after last night.”

The waitress turned to his guest. “Coffee, the same.” Mr. Livingston said.

“Are y'all wantin' some lunch?"

“How about some more of that roast beef and potatoes for me?” Matthew didn’t even bother to look at the menu board on the wall. He wasn’t sure his stomach could hold down anything, but he had to try to keep up appearances.

“I’ll have the same.” Mr. Livingston smiled and nodded to the waitress.

“Be right back with your coffees.”

When the waitress was out of hearing and he was certain the patrons sitting at nearby tables were occupied in their own conversations, he took his notebook out of his pocket and flipped it open.

“Alright, Mr. Bellamy. Tell me what happened. How could you lose my daughter and my sister...on a train? They got on and if they got off, I’m assuming you would notice, am I wrong?”

“No, sir. You are not wrong. It’s a little more—complicated.” It wasn’t the way Matthew had planned to start out, but the truth of the matter was that it was complicated. Very complicated.

“I’m listening, Mr. Bellamy.”

He had to give Mr. Livingston some credit. He wasn’t going off half-cocked demanding answers which helped Matthew relax a little.

“Well, it started out— ”

“Here’s your coffee, gentlemen. Cream and sugar’s on the table if you change your mind.” The waitress was gone leaving them to savor their coffee. Matthew took a sip and then he went back to his notebook.

“On September 2nd, I boarded the train bound for Durango. I spotted your daughter and her companion, Mrs. Wentworth, immediately. Like you said, your daughter is strikingly beautiful and hard to miss. But where I made the mistake was not getting more information from you about your daughter before I left town. I think we both made a lot of assumptions that didn’t pan out.”

“Like what?” The man sitting across the table frowned at Matthew over the top of his coffee cup.

“Well, I should have asked more questions about your daughter’s physical appearance, so I take full responsibility for not doing my job properly, Mr. Livingston.

“If I had known about her stunning eye color and her tall stature, I would have known immediately that the woman I suspected initially as your daughter, was in fact her, no matter what name she used.”

Mr. Livingston frowned. “What do you mean no matter what name she used?”

“When I boarded the train, I chose the seat across from your daughter and your sister. Confident I was trailing the right people, I struck up a conversation with them both and introduced myself as Mr. Bell. It was close enough to the truth without giving myself away since you said under no circumstances did you want your daughter to know what I was up to.”

He knew he was going to have to divulge that he had screwed that part of his assignment up as well, but for right now, he wanted to get through the worst part first.

“I see. And what about Abigail? You said she used another name? Whose?”

“Yes, when I was successful in getting her and your sister to offer me an introduction, your daughter introduced herself as…” He made a show of consulting his notebook hoping he at least looked like a professional. “Rose Collins. Do you recognize that name?” Matthew gave Mr. Livingston a chance to think.

“Yes, I do. Rose is Abigail’s middle name and Collins is my wife’s maiden name.”

Matthew’s interest peaked. “Your wife’s name is Lily, correct?”

“Yes. Lily. She was a Collins before she married me.” Mr. Livingston verified the facts.

“I see. So that would mean that her twin sister, Lila Beckett, would also have been a Collins.”

“Yes. That’s correct. Lila and Lily Collins. But, why would Abigail go by Rose...or Collins? That doesn’t make a lick of sense.”

“And what about your sister? You said her name was Mrs. Wentworth. Do you mind if I ask you if the name Randall has any meaning to you?” Matthew had a hunch that was beginning to take shape, but he needed more answers before he could conclude what happened with any clarity.

“Randall? No. Wait, my sister’s husband’s name was Randall. He passed away about two years ago. Heart attack the doctor said. Why did you ask about Randall? What does he have to do with any of this?”

“Mr. Livingston, your sister introduced herself to me as Mrs. Randall.”

“But why would she...why would my daughter— ” Mr. Livingston stopped short. “Because she didn’t want anyone to know who she is. She didn’t want anyone to know that she was Daniel Livingston’s daughter. Now, it’s all crystal clear. That’s what this whole trip to Durango was about. That’s why her mother worked so hard to convince me to let her go. Abigail wanted to go somewhere that she could just be Abbie. Or in this case, Rose. It all makes sense now.”

Matthew watched the man shake his head. “I don’t know whether to be appalled or impressed by their ingenuity. My wife, her sister, my daughter, and my sister have all conspired to make this trip to Durango happen. And they outsmarted me. I had no clue what they were up to, Mr. Bellamy. Not a clue.”

“Don’t feel bad, Mr. Livingston. I’m a paid professional and they fooled the hell out of me too. I don’t blame you for wanting a refund— ”

“Nonsense, Mr. Bellamy. You did your job. You boarded that train and your instincts said you had the right women. It was their subterfuge that stumped you. And I certainly underestimated their guile. I never dreamed they would do something like this. It’s entirely my fault. I should have given you all the possibilities and complete descriptions of them. That is the only way this plan of theirs could have been thwarted. Rest assured Mr. Bellamy, I am in no way blaming you for this mess. I lay it all at my own door.”

Matthew watched Mr. Livingston reach inside his coat pocket for his wallet. He pulled it out and lay it on the table. Matthew could see the cash inside. Right there, just inches away, was his much needed five thousand dollars just waiting for him to take it. But, he couldn’t.

He placed his hand over Mr. Livingston’s when he started to take out the cash. “Wait. Mr. Livingston, there’s more, and I think you’re going to have a change of heart about who’s to blame in all of this when you hear the rest of it.”

The man across the table frowned and left his wallet where it lay. “Go ahead, Mr. Bellamy. By the look on your face and the tone in your voice, I’m afraid you may be right.”

Matthew took a deep breath, closed his notebook, and set it next to the man’s wallet.

“Mr. Livingston, you paid me to watch over your daughter. You paid me to keep her within sight and to make sure she was safe from unscrupulous characters. In that mission, sir. I failed. Miserably.”

“Then I suggest you get to explaining, Mr. Bellamy. Who are these unscrupulous characters and what did they do to my daughter?” He could see Mr. Livingston’s calm demeanor change immediately. No sense dragging this out.

“I apologize to you, Mr. Livingston. It was all a huge mistake, but...there is only one unscrupulous character in my report to you, and I’m sorry to say—that it’s me.”

“You? What the hell did you do, Bellamy?” His client’s voice rose, and Matthew noticed more than one table’s occupants turn in their direction.

“I—somehow managed...to fall in love with the woman who called herself Rose Collins.”

Chapter 15

Abbie awoke to a full onslaught of humiliation and devastation. Memories of last night’s Harvest Ball came rushing back the minute her eyes opened. Standing on the band platform next to Matthew should have been the happiest day of her life—one she would never forget. As it turned out, only the second part was correct. She would certainly never forget it.

She rolled over in bed and pulled the covers over her head. Matthew had known all along who she was. He had played her for a complete fool. And she couldn't even blame he for his betrayal because she had no one to blame but herself. How could she have been so gullible? How could she have been so blind? Why hadn’t she followed her aunts' advice to take things slow? She knew why. She knew exactly why.

She had convinced herself that this holiday was the only chance she would ever have in her lifetime to find real love that wasn’t overshadowed by her father’s money. Real love she could trust and know that it had nothing to do with Daniel Livingston and everything to do with her. But she could see that her reasoning was faulty now and love did blind a person to the truth. Lesson learned.

“Abigail, your father is due to arrive at any minute. Don’t you think you should get out of bed and get dressed? It’s always better to meet adversity head-on and hiding under your bedcovers isn’t the way to confront your father.” Aunt Jeannie’s muffled voice penetrated through the bedcovers.

“Leave me alone. I don’t care if I ever leave this bed again.” she called out from beneath the darkness of her sanctuary of quilts.

“Nonsense, you are a Collins first and a Livingston second, now get out of that bed at once.” her Aunt Lila demanded. “At once.”

Suddenly, her sanctuary disappeared and standing next to her bed were both of her aunts. Their solidarity would have been touching under other circumstances, but there was nothing anyone could do now to fix the mess she had made of her life.

They all heard the front door slam and her father’s voice bellowed up the stairs. “Abigail! Jeannie! Where is everyone?”

Abbie’s heart felt like it had stopped completely. With any luck, it would. She held her breath hoping if she held it long enough, she would simply keel over dead. That would teach her father to meddle in her life. And, as far as she could see, it was the only way out of this mess.

“Jeannie! Where the hell is everyone?” Her father’s voice ebbed in and out as he looked for them downstairs.

“You better stiffen that spine of yours, young lady. Cowering doesn’t become you.” Then her Aunt Jeannie turned toward the door and yelled. “We’re upstairs, Daniel. And please stop bellowing. You sound like a street vendor.”

Aunt Jeannie turned to her and grinned. “Always take the initiative, Abigail. Never give your opponent the advantage.”

Suddenly her father appeared in the doorway. His red face gave every indication he might be the one to keel over at any moment. There was no doubt in her mind he was as angry with her as he had ever been. She could only assume her traitorous, almost fiancé, had managed to deliver his report to her father. She had no idea how Matthew could justify his behavior to his employer, but she had a report of her own to give. Always take the initiative, Abigail. Never give your opponent the advantage.

Abbie shot a glance to her aunts still standing in her room. Aunt Jeannie looked a bit nervous, but Aunt Lila was scanning the room for something. Abbie guessed she was looking for a household item to use as a weapon to replace her trusty teapot. Well, if they were brave enough to face her father on her behalf, she owed it to them to at least try to fight her own battle.

She jumped out of bed and turned toward her father in the doorway. “So, you have the nerve to show your face to me after what you have done!" she screamed at the top of her lungs. His demeanor changed from angry to shock. Then she turned to her aunts.

“Aunt Jeannie and Aunt Lila. Will you please excuse my father and I? We have some very serious business to discuss.” She could tell Aunt Jeannie wasn’t certain she knew what she was doing by sending her allies downstairs to fight her adversary alone. She grimaced to her aunt. “I’ll be alright, Aunt Jeannie. And if you should hear loud voices or the sound of glass breaking, please don’t be alarmed. Father and I will just be coming to an understanding.” Abigail’s gaze lit on her, Aunt Lila, and then back to her father’s as her aunt’s scurried past his formidable form blocking the door.

“Please come in, Father. Sit down anywhere you like.” She invited him into her bedroom as if she were entertaining guests for tea in the parlor. She wished she had listened to her aunt and had gotten dressed this morning before confronting her father. She could admit now she would have felt more in control, but there was no going back now, so best to get on with it. She swore after today, she would listen to every single word her aunts said to her.

“Abigail, I— ” Her father said before she cut him off.

“I asked you to sit, Father. And I refuse to speak with you until you do.” She had never in all her born days spoke to either of her parents in this tone, but desperate times demanded unusual tactics.

Her father took a chair by the window. Abigail took her place on the vanity stool.

“Now, young lady, I’ve met your demands. Will you please tell me what on earth has been going on with you since you left home? I’m disappointed and worried all at the same time.”

Abbie could tell her father was both angry and concerned. Her inner little girl wanted to rush into his loving arms and tell him all about the mean man who broke her heart. But the grown-up woman in her said you did this to yourself, now be responsible.

She supposed she could take a little pity on the man. After all, he had caught the first train all the way from Philadelphia to see about her welfare. He was a good father, but—

“Abigail? Talk to me,” her father demanded.

She looked into her father’s worried gaze and realized she had too much at stake to waiver. She had to stand her ground.

“I’m sorry you’re disappointed in me, Father. That is the last thing I would ever want, but— ” She wanted to choose her words carefully.

“But what, Abigail. What’s this all about? Why did you and my sister lie about who you were? I mean, I know why you did it, but I don’t understand your reasoning behind it. Not entirely.” She could tell her father was frustrated. Well, so was she.

“I’ve explained my position to you...my feelings...to you over and over and you just dismiss me time and time again. It’s like you don’t trust me to be able to make my own decisions.”

“Well, I would think after this little holiday to Durango, you would admit that perhaps I was right not to trust you.” her father snipped.

“Touché father. But don’t you see? It’s because of you that I’m here.”

“Me? I’m the one who adamantly opposed this little holiday of yours. And when I get home, your mother and I are going to have an understanding.”

“It isn’t Mother’s fault. It’s mine. Don’t you see, Father? I’m not a child anymore. I’m a grown woman and I can no longer allow you to keep me in your gilded prison any longer.”

“Prison? Abigail, you can’t be serious. You have more opportunities than any other person on this earth. You have the best clothes that money can buy. You have the best education money can buy. You travel abroad anytime you wish...and first class, I might add. There’s nothing that your mother and I deny you, so how can you say you are kept in a prison?”

“You deny me freedom, Father. Can’t you see that? I’m not ungrateful for all the blessings your hard work has afforded me. Not in the least. But with all the money you have to spend on me, it is also a barrier to the thing I desire most.”

“A barrier? I don’t understand.” Her father’s face wrinkled in confusion.

“No, I can see how you wouldn’t, so let me explain.” Her anger had cooled, so she approached her father and stood before him. “Father, I love you and Mother more than life itself, but you know that with your money comes risks. You worry about the risk of something happening to me physically like someone kidnapping me and holding me for ransom. But what about the risk of the heart. What about the risk of me falling in love with someone who is only in love with your money.”

Her father frowned. “In love with my money? What are you saying, Abigail? That your suitors are not courting you, but my money? That’s impossible, Abigail. Look at you. Can’t you see how stunning you are? Why, a man would be an imbecile to not want an intelligent, beautiful woman like you by his side.”

She smiled at her father’s blindness. “Love can make us all blind, Father, and you, more than anyone, are blind when it comes to me. You see me as a beautiful young woman that you love, and raised to be an intelligent woman so when you are gone from this life, I can take care of myself. But that’s your point of view. Mine is quite different.”

She pulled her father’s hand in hers. “I love you and I respect you, but you don’t see what I see. Young men swarm around me like bees to honey all the while they have one eye on your wallet. I’m not faulting them for that. It’s what is expected of them just like you expect me to marry well. I don’t want to marry well, Father. I have money. You’ve seen to that. But what I do want is to marry with the certainty that the man looking at me is only seeing me. Can you understand my position? Even just a little bit?”

She watched her father’s expression. He was thinking about her situation and she just prayed he was open-minded enough to at least give her point of view some consideration.

He finally looked up at her and he saw tears shining in his eyes. “Abigail, I’m so sorry I haven’t been more sensitive to your concerns. You’ve indicated to me many times you wish you could be someone else just for a little while and I never understood what you meant.

“But I can see now just how much this holiday meant to you—not the holiday itself, but the opportunity it brought to learn what it’s like to be appreciated for the person you are and not the person you are kin to.”

He stood and opened his arms to her. She did not hesitate to walk inside his loving arms. She shed a few tears of her own as she snuggled in the warmth of her father’s love.

She wasn’t certain how long they just held each other, lost in their own thoughts when the sound of a door downstairs pulled them apart.

Her father smiled at her and wiped a tear from her cheek with his thumb. “Alright, Abigail, now that I understand more fully the reason why you lied, could you please tell me about you and Matthew Bellamy. What really happened between you two?”

Abigail turned away from her father. “I don’t want to talk about the man you call Matthew Bellamy. He lied to me. He told me his name was Matthew Bell.”

“Well, that was my fault. When I hired him to keep you safe, I told him under no circumstances was he to let you know who he was or why he was here.” Her father had the good sense to look chagrined.

“Well, he most certainly followed your instructions. Because he lied and lied and lied.”

“Now, wait a minute, Abigail. That’s not fair. You lied to him too. He had no way of knowing who you were. He didn’t know Rose Collins and he certainly didn’t know who Mrs. Randall was. All he knew was Abigail Livingston and Mrs. Jeannie Wentworth. He had spent the last few weeks worried to death that something had happened to the two of you. He inquired of every person in this town trying to find you.”

“Father, I think he was playing you too.”

“No, Abigail. He had no idea who you were until he received my telegram last week.”

Abbie’s heart stuttered. “Well, of course, he knew. He had to know. I mean— ”

Her father gave her a knowing look. “Matthew Bellamy is an honorable man, Abigail. If he had known you were my daughter, he would have never allowed himself to become personally involved. He would have never allowed things to go so far. He told me what happened, Abigail. All of it.”

She closed her eyes in embarrassment at the knowledge her father knew what she and Matthew had done under the willow trees.

She couldn’t allow her heart to soften towards Matthew. “I suppose he’s blackmailing you now...promising to keep quiet about what he and I did if you’ll pay him a ridiculous sum of money. I knew it. It’s always about the money.”

“Abigail. Stop. Not everyone is after my money. Matthew Bellamy certainly isn’t. He is as devastated as you are right now, and for the same reason.”

“Because he thinks I’m after his money? Father, please. I’m guessing he doesn't have much or he wouldn’t be so quick to criticize those who have. He has made it quite clear— ”

“No, not because of money. Because he thinks you lied so you could have your rich girl holiday. So that you could have your fun without damage to your reputation. Then, you could go back and tell all your rich friends about your tryst with a man beneath you, and you could all laugh about it while sitting inside your fancy mansions on the hill.”

“He said that?” Abigail couldn’t believe it.

“He said that,” her father confirmed.

“I don’t believe it. He had to have known who…” But now that she thought about it, he had been so open and loving until...

“He didn’t have a description of you. And he had no idea your middle name was Rose or that your mother’s maiden name was Collins. He didn’t know your Aunt Jeannie’s husband was Randall. He didn’t even have a good description of you. We had been interrupted the night I hired him by a business emergency, and he boarded the train the next day. He and I both just assumed you would be easy to pick out in a crowd. And, we were right.”

“What do you mean the two of you were right? I thought you said he didn’t know who I was until he received your telegram.” Abbie’s hopes faded a bit.

“He said he picked you and my sister out immediately. That’s why he chose the seat across from you and introduced himself as Matthew Bell. And he was right, wasn’t he?”

“Then what changed?” She had to know what had happened.

“After the train ride with you, he was convinced you were not Abigail Livingston, but Miss Rose Collins. By then, he was already smitten.”

“He was?” She hated the sound of hope in her voice, but she couldn’t deny it.

“He was. And you don’t know the whole truth.”

“I don’t?”

“No, by the time my telegraph arrived, he had already spent a small fortune on an engagement ring for you. He had planned to ask you to marry him during the Harvest Ball—well, not you, but Rose Collins.”

“Yes, I know. We had talked about that, but after his revelation at the ball, I just assumed he had planned the whole thing. He broke my heart, Father.” Abbie admitted.

“Well, you broke his too.”

“I did?”

“Yes, you did. You lied to him about who you were, and he felt like it had all been a game on your part. So, if you are serious about the way you feel about Matthew, and if you believe in your heart that he loved you before he discovered your lies, then your holiday appears to have been successful. Wouldn't you say?’

“I don’t see how, Father. I’ve ruined my reputation and Matthew hates me. He believes I was just a rich girl playing games with his heart.”

“Or you could look at it this way, daughter. A young man fell in love with you when he had no idea about my money.” her father pointed out.

Abbie’s heart fluttered. “You’re absolutely right, Father. But what can I do now? I’ve ruined everything. Besides, you will never give me permission to marry the man.”

“And why is that?” Her father frowned at her.

“Because he’s not…you know, he doesn’t come from money.” She stammered.

“Why, Abigail Livingston. If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were a snob.” Her father said. She could tell by his surprised expression he was shocked by her words.

“Not me. I’m not a snob. I just thought…you might be.”

“Abigail, I want you to be happy and if Matthew Bellamy makes you happy then I’m his best champion. I haven’t always had money and you know that. Matthew is a good man and I obviously trusted him enough to send him after you, although not exactly how I had in mind,” her father joked.

When she didn’t find the humor in the situation, he took pity on her.

“Sweetheart, I’m not going to advise you on matters of the heart, but I will say this, if you love Matthew as much as you say you do, then why don't you propose to him?

Abigail stared at her father as if he had suddenly grown a second head. “Propose? To Matthew? But how? He would never—I mean it’s unheard of...it would be a scandal...wouldn’t it?”

Her father grinned and shrugged. “Would it? I suppose this is where my money comes in. I can make it happen if that’s what will truly make you happy. It’s your decision.”

Abbie stared at her father. She still loved Matthew with her whole being, but she was scared. What if she gathered her courage and proposed to him and he didn't accept? What if he turned his back on her like he did at the Harvest Ball?

The only way she would know for sure was...she looked up into her father’s face. “Make it happen, Father. Please make it happen.”

* * *

Two weeks later...

Matthew sat in his office staring out the window. He heard a train whistle off in the distance and it reminded him of the ring in his desk drawer he had bought for a beautiful young woman with gold and green eyes—and a black heart.

He had left the ring in his hotel room hoping the housemaid would take it. Instead, she turned it in, and John Kingston had returned it to him. He had shoved the envelope with the ring inside into his desk drawer and hadn’t laid eyes on it since. But he knew it was there mocking him as the fool he was.

“And what about yourself? Still moonin' over the Livingston lass?" Gus’s Irish brogue cut into his misery.

He didn’t answer his partner’s rhetorical question. Instead, he took another long sip of whiskey from the glass sitting on his desk. And he knew when it was empty, he had a bottle just waiting to refill it.

“Mattie, me boy, tis over. Herself broke yer heart. Nothin' more to be done. She's sat up there in that fine mansion with himself and her fancy friends drinking her fancy champagne. She's not after fixin' the problem. Let her go. We got work waitin' on us, we do.”

Gus slapped him on the back and sat down across from him eyeing his glass. “Filled with drink, and not helping yourself at all. Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. Should be thankin' yer lucky stars. Didn't himself let you off without burying you or our business? Says a great deal about the man. And how do you repay him? By falling into a bottle. Unless you want to be the one who does this business in, then pull yourself out of the bin and gets us back to work.”

Matthew knew Gus was right. Daniel Livingston could have shut them down completely and run them out of town with his influence. And without a way to make a living, he and Gus would be living out on the streets.

“I know that.” Matthew grouched. “Don’t you think I know that? What I did was unethical...unconscionable...unforgivable, and— ”

“I would agree with you on all of those points except the last one.” A male voice spoke from the doorway.

He jumped up from his chair at the familiar voice and knocked it over with a loud clatter. “Mr. Livingston.” It was all he could manage from the shock of seeing his former client again. He smoothed his mussed hair and tried to smooth the wrinkles out of his shirt. Nothing he could do at this moment was gonna make his appearance any better—not after two weeks of brooding. “What are you— ”

“Doing here? Let’s just say I’m here to talk business. Let’s start there, shall we?”

Gus rose from his side of the desk and nodded to Mr. Livingston. “Tis good to see yourself in such a fine state. Can't be saying the same for my partner. There's such a heartache in him, he can't feel past it. A right grump as well, fair warning.”

He then sent Matthew a look. “Keep your head on straight and mind your manners.” his partner advised. “I’ve got some work down on Vienna Street so I better get to it.” He sent Matthew another look of warning and then left the office closing the door behind him.

As soon as Gus was gone, Matthew apologized again. “I’m sorry, Mr. Livingston. I can’t apologize enough for what happened with—in Durango.”

“I understand. And now that I’ve had a heart-to-heart talk with my daughter, I understand exactly what happened and how it happened. There was a lot more going on with my daughter than either of us could have known.”

Matthew frowned. “I’m not sure what you mean? What more is there?” Matthew wondered exactly what Abigail told her father. He’d already taken all the blame. What more could there be?

“My daughter and I have come to an understanding. It seems there were some things we’ve needed to say to each other...for a long time, Mr. Bellamy...may I call you Matthew?”

“Yes, sir. Please do, Mr. Livingston.”

“And if you don’t mind, call me Daniel. I think this conversation will go a lot better if we are on a first name basis.”

Matthew’s nerves were on edge. “What conversation?”

Instead of answering Matthew’s question, Daniel switched topics. “Have you ever been a father, Matthew?”

Matthew frowned at the man’s question. “No, sir. I most certainly have not. If I had a child out there, I’d be taking care of him...or her.” What was the man getting at? Was Abigail with child? His child? His heart punched him in the ribs. It could happen, he reminded himself. All it takes is one time, and—

“I’m sorry, Matthew. I didn’t mean to offend you. Let me rephrase my question. Have you ever loved something so much that you didn’t want to let it out of your sight for a minute and that you practically built a prison around it so nothing could ever hurt it?” Abigail’s father stared down at his own hands, a sad and defeated look on his face.

Matthew knew he was talking about Abigail, and yes, he did know what it was like to love someone and want to protect them more than anything. But he also knew the pain of losing her. It was a pain like no other. “Yes, sir. I know exactly what you’re talking about.”

Daniel looked up and met Matthew’s expression. He offered Matthew an understanding smile. “Yes, I suppose you do.”

Abigail’s father stood and paced the room for a few minutes stopping to stare out the window once or twice before he returned to his seat on the other side of Matthew’s desk. He looked at Matthew and seem to be searching for something.

“Mr. Livingston—I mean Daniel. I don’t know why you’re here, but I can assure you that I’ve told you everything there is to know about me and Abigail. Everything. If there’s something troubling you, please tell me and I’ll do anything I can to make it right. You’ve been very understanding to me and my partner. And I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your generosity because I damn sure don’t deserve it.”

“I don’t usually beat around the bush, Matthew. I think you know that about me. And I’m not usually wrong, but when I am, I don’t mind sayin’ it.”

“Wrong about?” Matthew was still in the dark. He wished the man would just say what he had come here to say. This conversation was torture.

“I was wrong about a lot of things, but mostly I was wrong to keep my daughter under lock and key. I thought I was protecting her, but instead, I robbed her of her identity. And I robbed her of the chance at happiness. Her own definition of happiness. Not what I thought would make her happy. She’s a unique individual and she has an equally unique definition of what happiness means to her. And, I kept that from her.”

“You did?” Matthew was so confused, but he would stay here all night if he had to in order to hear him out.

“Yes, as it turns out, there seems to be only one man on this earth that is able to give my daughter the happiness she wants—the happiness she deserves, and I plan on giving him the opportunity to do just that.”

Matthew’s heart plunged deep into the pit of his stomach. Daniel had found someone he approved of that would make Abigail happy. That’s why he was here. He wanted to make sure that he didn’t do anything to spoil it.

He inhaled a deep, painful breath. He knew he would be watching in the shadows when his beautiful rose married someone else, but the pain sliced right through him.

He eyed his glass of whiskey on the desk but decided against taking a drink. Abigail’s father had come to him for a reason, especially knowing his and Abigail’s—history. Gus’s words came rushing back. “Herself broke yer heart. Nothin' more to be done. Let her go.”

“No problem, sir. Whatever it is you need me to do to do, I won’t let you down. Do you want me to investigate this man? Gus and I will make it our top priority and there’s no charge. We’ll be happy to oblige.” Matthew took his notebook from the desk drawer. “Let’s start with his name and description. Tall? Where does he hail from? Color of his hair? Folks?” Matthew was reading to jot down every last detail even though he knew this case was going to kill him.

“Whoa, there son. There’s no need for all that.”

“Well, I don’t want to disagree with you, Daniel, but lack of details is what tripped us up last time, remember? And if this man is important to Abigail, then I want to make sure every rock is overturned so that Abigail—can be happy.” He meant every word even though the thought of Abigail getting married made him sick.

“I’m glad to hear that, Matthew. And the fact that you care so much about my daughter’s happiness makes this next few questions so much easier to ask.”

“You name it, sir. I’ll do my best.”

“Matthew, do you love my daughter?”

Matthew would swear he heard the man wrong. “What?”

“Do you love my daughter?”

“Um, well, I— ”

“That’s a yes or no question. Do you love Abigail or Rose or whatever name you want to call her.” Daniel searched his face for answers.

Did he want to tell Daniel how he felt about his daughter? He had already when he admitted how he had screwed up the most important case of his life, and how he had screwed it up. Why did it matter now?

If Daniel had his mind set on someone for Abigail’s future, was he afraid Matthew would sabotage it? Surely, he knew by now that Matthew’s integrity was very important to him.

“Daniel, I’m not sure how me answering this question is going to make a difference. I hope you know that regardless of my feelings for your daughter, I will do my very best to support whatever you ask me to. You know that, right? I would never put Abigail’s happiness or safety in jeopardy for my own gain.” Matthew did his best to reassure Abigail’s father that he would do nothing to harm her or her reputation.

“Matthew, as I said when I first arrived, my daughter and I had a heart-to-heart the day I arrived in Durango. I was angry with you and I was angry with her. So much so, I was prepared to say some pretty harsh things to my daughter and her co-conspirators.” Matthew watched Daniel’s serious countenance change to amusement. “But Abigail reminded me in no certain terms that she was Daniel Livingston’s daughter, and for better or worse, she was not going to be sheltered ever again.

Matthew smiled at the mention of Abigail’s statement. “Yes, she was rather hell-bent on having her holiday, wasn’t she?” The thought of Abigail and the time they spent together tore at his open wound. He had been so close to happiness only to lose it. Damn. He wanted to reach for that glass again.

“So, you never answered my question, Matthew. Do you love my daughter and was the time you spent with her . . .life changing?”

Matthew thought about his answer. “Yes, sir. I love your daughter with my heart and soul. I would die for her if I had to. But more importantly, I want her to be happy with the man of her choice.”

Daniel grinned. “That’s what I wanted to hear. Now, I know I’m asking a big favor, but I would consider it an honor if you would be in attendance at Abigail’s engagement party tomorrow night. It’s formal, so dress accordingly.”

Matthew took a deep breath at the mention of Abigail’s engagement party. He had known it was just a matter of time before…but he never dreamed she would get married so soon after...and that he would be forced to witness it all. Was this Daniel’s way of punishing him for his transgressions with his daughter? From the man’s tone, he didn’t think so. Why did he want Matthew there on his daughter’s big night? Whatever the reason, Matthew would do whatever he had to do no matter the personal cost to himself.

“Yes, sir.” It was all Matthew could manage as thoughts of regret and confusion chased each other inside his head.

“Good. Here’s the address. Eight o’clock sharp. And Matthew, please don’t be late. Your future depends on it.” Daniel grinned and slapped him on the back. “See you tomorrow night.”

After Daniel left, Matthew sat in his office trying to make sense of his visit. It bordered on bizarre, but he sensed that Daniel Livingston did nothing without a lot of consideration.

“My future depends on it? What in the world did he mean by that?”

Matthew hadn’t a clue, but whatever Daniel’s purpose was in having him at his daughter’s engagement party, he would rise to the occasion and stand in the background while his precious Rose was promised to someone else.

He opened the top drawer of his desk and pulled out the envelope from John Kingston. Inside was the emerald rose engagement ring he had bought for the woman he had fallen in love with.

Matthew stuck it in his pocket as a reminder of all that was lost to him.

Chapter 16

Abigail Livingston plopped down on her bed and flung herself against the pillows. “I’m exhausted. I swear I tried on twenty dresses today trying to find the perfect dress for my party tonight.”

Her friend, Gwendolyn Patterson, sat down next to her. “Well, I would say it was worth the trouble. That dress is the most beautiful dress I’ve ever seen. And you will look perfect in it tonight.” Gwen frowned. “By the way, your invitation to the party didn’t say why you were having the party. Is it someone’s birthday? It’s not your birthday, that much I know.”

“No, it’s no one’s birthday. The party is a surprise.” She answered her friend with a vague fact.

“A surprise party for who?” Gwen insisted.

“Maybe it’s a surprise for you.” she teased.

Gwen looked shocked and then realized she was teasing. “I never get surprises. And besides, even if it was a party for me, you would still be the center of attention. You are the only one anyone pays attention to.” Gwen sighed.

Abbie took off her shoes and tossed them on the bed beside her. “Nonsense. Why, just two days ago, I saw Reggie Wickersham staring a hole through you at the Orphan’s Christmas Fundraiser Gala. He nearly tripped over the potted plant trying to catch a glimpse of you.”

Gwen’s eyes rounded in surprise. “Reginald Wickersham? Was staring at me? I don’t believe it,” she said. Although, Abbie could see the hope in her eyes.

“Well, it’s true. I saw it myself.”

Gwen grinned at Abbie and she grinned back.

“So, if it isn’t someone’s birthday party, what else can it be?”

“If I tell you, do you promise not to tell anyone else? Do you promise, Gwen?”

Her friend took on a solemn expression and raised her hand. “I swear. Now tell me.” Gwen lowered her voice to a conspiratorial whisper.

“It’s an engagement party. I’m getting engaged.” Abbie said to her friend. She just prayed her statement would come true by the end of this evening.

“Engaged? But...to whom?”

“Matthew.”

Gwen’s look of shock was almost comical. “But, I thought you said he was furious with you when he left Durango? Has something happened between you two that I don’t know about?”

“No. As far as I know, he’s still very angry with me,” Abigail admitted.

“Then what makes you think he’s going to propose to you tonight?”

“He’s not. I’m proposing to him.”

Abigail laughed out loud at the shocked look on her friend’s face. “What? Why, that’s unheard of, Abbie. No woman proposes to a man. It’s scandalous.” Her friend’s tone was tempered by her grin. “And so exciting. You are proposing to him? What did your father say?”

“He’s the one who set it up. At least, that’s the plan and I haven’t heard any different, so…”

“Oh, my goodness. My best friend will be the first woman in town to do the proposing. It will be the talk of the town by tomorrow and everyone will come to me because they will just assume that I have the inside story, which I suppose I do.” She squealed with delight at the new perceived status she had just acquired.

“But what if he says no? I mean, not that he would. There’s no man in this town that could say no to you, but what if he’s still mad at you and he does…you know…say no?”

It was a thought that worried Abbie ever since she and her father had begun to plan for this. But she wanted Matthew enough to take the chance. She wanted a future with the man she had always dreamed of, the man who fell in love with her because…because she was simply herself.

“That’s a chance I'm willing to take.” she admitted.

“Well, I wouldn’t want to be in your shoes, Abbie. Not for any amount of money. Not even to be an only child.”

She grinned at her friend’s comment. It was just a month ago that she and Gwen were sitting right here in this same spot talking about how if Gwen were in her shoes, she’d be as happy as a pig in a peach orchard. Apparently, her friend’s sentiment had changed.

“Did you invite Reggie to your party tonight?” Gwen wanted to know.

“I did.”

“Oh, then I must get home and get dressed. I want to look my best for Regg—um, your party tonight. And I truly hope everything goes according to plan, Abbie.”

Gwen rushed out of the room and Abbie smiled at her friend’s excitement. It was something to focus on other than her own worries. Would her father be able to convince Matthew to come tonight? Would Matthew understand the reason behind her deception? Would he understand how very much she needed him and loved him? If he didn’t, then she would make him understand.

A knock at the door pulled her out of her doubts. “Come in.” she called out to her unknown visitor.

Her father walked in. “I just wanted to let you know everything is in place for tonight’s party.”

“And Matthew? Will he be here?”

“He’ll be here, sweetheart. The rest will be entirely up to you. And, if you decide to change your mind at the last minute, that too is entirely up to you. I didn’t tell him why he was to come tonight, just as you instructed. And whatever you decide, I will stand behind whatever decisions you make,” her father assured her.

“Thank you, Father. Your support means the world to me. Now, fingers crossed.”

“Fingers crossed, my sweet, sweet Abigail Rose. Fingers crossed.” Her father leaned in and kissed her on her cheek. “Now, I have to see to your mother. She’s a wreck. You would think her daughter was getting engaged tonight.”

She laughed at her father’s humor knowing full well her mother was in full mother-of-the-bride velocity.

Four hours later, the grandfather clock at the end of the hall struck eight o’clock. The party was in full swing and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves, except Abbie. Matthew still hadn’t shown up even though he had promised her father he would.

Her nerves were frayed, and she kept sending worried glances to the ballroom door where visitors were announced. Matthew had not been among them.

Her father leaned into whisper in her ear. “Matthew’s here, Abigail. He’s standing over by the musicians stand. See, there, next to the cellos.”

She carefully turned her head in the direction her father had directed as if she were simply enjoying the music.

“He’s here, Father. He came,” she was almost giddy with relief.

“Easy, daughter. You don’t want to send him running for the hills just yet,” her father advised.

“You’re right.” She took a deep breath for courage and another minute to remember the words she had rehearsed, and then she notified her father. “I’m ready. Shall we go?”

“I’d be delighted.” Her father offered her his arm and together they made their way to where the man of her dreams was hiding out.

When she grew closed enough, she called out to him. “Matthew, I see you came. It’s so good to see you again.” She could barely get the words out, her heart was beating so fast it nearly robbed her of her ability to breathe.

He looked like he’d rather be anywhere but at her engagement party. She just hoped his opinion on that matter had changed by the time the evening had ended.

Matthew bowed to her and her father. “Yes, your father asked me to come. I hope you don’t mind.”

“Not at all.” It was all she could manage. She needed a moment to catch her breath.

An awkward silence invaded their space. Thank goodness her father still had his wits about him.

“Matthew? Would you like to dance with my daughter?”

Without waiting for his answer, her father handed her off to Matthew. Her father left him no choice, so he held out his hand to her, and she took it. His arm felt stiff as he led her to the dance floor. They faced each other and took their places with the other partygoers.

They started their dance with the music, and for a few awkward moments of silence, they simply danced in each others arms. She was about to say something, when Matthew spoke up.

“You look beautiful, Rose…I mean Abigail,” he corrected himself.

“No, please. Call me Rose. I—like it when you call me Rose. I miss it.”

She saw the surprise on his face. “You do?” He nodded as if he understood, but she could see by the confusion marring his handsome face, he had no clue. “I would think your husband-to-be would take offense to another many calling you Rose.”

She watched his eyes dip to her lips and then rise again and scan the room trying to avoid direct contact with hers. “Especially another who knew you so well,” he added.

Abigail smiled. “Well, I can’t say what he would take offense to. Why don’t we ask him?”

Matthew’s eyes rounded in surprise. “Abigail, I’m not here to start any trouble. Your father asked me to come and that’s the only reason I’m here,” he stammered.

She reached out and pulled his face to look her squarely in the eye. “Is it, Matthew? Is that the only reason you’re here?”

The pain in his eyes stabbed her deep knowing she was the reason behind that pain. “Abigail, please don’t. It’s hard enough to see you with someone else…to see you get…” His words trailed off as if he couldn’t bear to hear himself say them.

“As I said earlier, I think we should ask my fiancé what kinds of things he takes offense to. Shall we?” She turned and motioned to her father the signal he’d been waiting for. He in turn signaled the band to stop playing. And once again, just like at the Harvest Ball, everyone on the dance floor was full of curiosity as to what was happening around them.

“Can I have everyone’s attention please?” She called out trying to make everyone pay notice. “Please, everyone. Can I have your attention please?” She spoke a bit louder this time.

“Abigail, what are you doing?” Matthew’s worried face confronted her. She ignored him like he had ignored her during his announcement at the Harvest Ball.

She once again addressed the crowd around her. “Thank you.” She said and pulled Matthew into the middle of the dance floor. “Ladies and gentlemen, thank you all for joining us here tonight. This is a very special night for me, that is if things work out as I hope.

“I want to introduce this gentleman standing next to me. His name is Matthew Bellamy. “ She turned to Matthew and held tight to his hand for fear he would pull away.

“Abigail, I don’t understand.”

She turned to the man standing next to her, his hand still in hers. “Matthew, I never meant for my holiday to hurt anyone, especially not you. I love you. I love you with all my heart and my soul. You are the kindest man, besides my father, of course,” she cast a quick glance to where her parents were standing, love for her shining on their faces, and I cannot imagine my life without you in it.”

“Abigail?” She could see Matthew was shocked by this evenings turn of events. When he didn’t say anything, she went on.

“My father told you that tonight is my engagement party. Well, it is. That is, if you’ll have me as your wife. Please say you forgive me for my deceit and allow me to become your wife.”

Matthew looked at her in stunned silence. Then, he turned and looked at her father. Both her parents were nodding their approvals.

She saw him hesitate for a moment and she worried he was still too angry to forgive her. Her heart punched at her chest. But then, without warning, he reached into his coat pocket and got down on one knee. Between his fingers was the most beautiful ring she had ever seen.

* * *

Matthew was in the Livingston mansion, on one knee, holding the beautiful engagement ring he had bought for his Rose. He never thought he would even get to lay eyes on her again, much less be inside her father’s home proposing to her. At yet, that’s exactly where he was.

“Abigail Livingston, I love you more than anything or anyone I have ever loved in this whole wide world. Since the moment I saw you on the train going to Durango, I was mesmerized by your beauty.

“But what was even more tempting to me than your beautiful face, was your beautiful soul. You are kind and loving and sweet. You are smart and funny and…you are everything to me. I would be the happiest, luckiest, wisest man in this whole damn world if you would do me the honor of agreeing to be my wife.” He heard the murmurs of the crowd and knew they were as surprised and shocked as he was by this evening’s turn of events.

“Wisest?” Abigail laughed as he held her hand in one hand and the ring in the other.

“Yes. The wisest, for how many men can say they started out in their marriage already having learned the valuable lesson not to keep anything from their wives.”

He saw Abigail looking at him with love and tears in her beautiful eyes. “And have you learned that lesson, Mr. Bellamy?”

“Yes, ma’am. I most certainly have,” he grinned at her barely able to contain his joy.

Abigail laughed at him and squeezed his hand. “Ask me again, Matthew. Ask me your question again.”

“Abigail Rose Livingston, will you be my wife for as long as we both shall live?”

“Yes, Matthew Bellamy, I will be your wife for all our tomorrows to come.”

His heart was beating so wildly he almost couldn’t breathe, but somehow he managed to slip the ring on her finger. Abigail gazed at it for a moment and then reached down and pulled him up off his knees by his coat lapels.

He laughed. “I forget how strong the Livingston women are.”

“Don’t forget those Collins women too, Mr. Bellamy. We are a force to be reckoned with.” Abigail’s mother and father joined them in the middle of the dance floor.

“And don’t forget us.” Aunt Lila and Aunt Jeannie joined their little group arm in arm.

He laughed as he pulled Abigail against him, relishing the feel of her body next to his. “How could I ever forget you two.”

Matthew reached out and shook Abigail’s father’s hand. “Mr. Livingston, how can I thank you enough…” He started then stopped, his emotions too strong to rein in.

“Nonsense, son. You’ll realize soon enough after living in this family of women, it is I who should be thanking you. Matthew, welcome to this crazy family. I’m glad I’m getting at least one male reinforcement I can depend on.”

He watched Abigail’s aunts and mother laugh at Daniel’s humor, but he sensed there was some truth to his words.

“Matthew, it is customary that the engaged couple share the first dance,” Abigail pulled him to the dance floor away from her family.

He pulled her into his arms and laughed. “This dance and every dance hereafter my beautiful Rose.”

Epilogue

* * *

Two years later…

Abbie and her mother carried the tray of iced tea out onto the veranda of her and Matthew’s beautiful home. When Abigail rounded the corner, she elbowed her mother to gain her attention.

Her mother followed her finger and shook her head in amusement,

“Daniel, you mustn’t spoil the boy. He is going to have so many toys, Abbie and Matthew won’t have anywhere to put them,” her mother admonished.

“Nonsense, Lily. He’s going to be a builder. Look how he’s able to stack those blocks. And so high,” her father exclaimed.

Abbie watched with great affection as her father, feared by many in business, crawled around the floor on his hands and knees pretending to be a pony for his little grandson.

“Father, you really do spoil the boy,” she said to her father without the slightest hint of censureship.

“I spoiled you and you turned out alright, didn’t you?” Her father grinned at her taking the sting out of his words.

“Yes, she most certainly did turn out alright. I’d say absolutely…perfect. My perfect Rose.”

She turned at the sound of his voice. “Matthew, you’re home from work. We were waiting dinner for you.”

Her handsome husband leaned down and gave her a chaste kiss on the corner of her mouth, but she could tell by the look he gave her, he wanted much, much more when their son had gone to bed, and his grandparents had gone home.

More books in the series…

To read more about the residents of Durango, Colorado, look for these other books in

The Debutantes of Durango

Their parents want them to find good husbands…

They have other ideas.

The Debutante’s Scandal-Book 1

The Debutante’s Gamble-Book 2

The Debutante’s Revenge-Book 3

The Debutante’s Escape-Book 4

The Debutante’s Secret-Book 5

The Debutante’s Holiday-Book 6

And look for

The Debutante’s Christmas

Available on Amazon Kindle Unlimited

This Christmas!

Peggy McKenzie & Friends

BRIDES OF THE RIO GRANDE

Grace – Book One

Faith – Book Two

Hope – Book Three

Charity – Book Four

Mary - Book Five

Aggie – Book Six

The ALPHABET MAIL-ORDER BRIDES

Olivia’s Obligation-Peggy McKenzie-Book 15

And Twenty-Four other authors

Available at Amazon.com

LANGLEY’S LEGACY SERIES

Finn’s Fortune – Book One – Kathleen Ball

Patrick’s Proposal – Book Two – Hildie McQueen

Donovan’s Deceit – Book Three – Kathy Shaw

Aidan’s Arrangement – Book Four – Peggy McKenzie

Heath’s Homecoming – Book Five – Merry Farmer

Colin’s Challenge – Book Six – Sylvia McDaniel

ANGEL CREEK CHRISTMAS BRIDES SERIES

2018

Charity – Book One – Sylvia McDaniel

Julia – Book Two - Lily Graison

Ruby – Book Three – Hildie McQueen

Sarah- Book Four – Peggy McKenzie

Anna – Book Five – Everly West

2019

Caroline - Book One - Lily Graison

Melody - Book Two - Caroline Clemmons

Elizabeth - Book Three - Jo Grafford

Emma - Book Four - Peggy McKenzie

Viola - Book 5 - Cyndi Raye

Ginger - Book 6 - Sylvia McDaniel

2020

Coming October 2020 On Amazon Kindle

Angel Creek Christmas Bride Series

Brides of the Rio Grande

To read more about the residents of Creede, Colorado, look for these other books in

The Brides of the Rio Grande Series

Grace-Book One – Available now on Amazon

Faith-Book Two – Available now on Amazon

Hope-Book Three – Available now on Amazon

Charity-Book Four – Available now on Amazon

Mary-Book Five - Available now on Amazon

Aggie-Book Six - Available now on Amazon

Olivia’s Obligation - Available now on Amazon

About the Author

ABOUT THIS AUTHOR

Peggy McKenzie was born and raised in Oklahoma. She has been in love with books since as far back as she can remember when her earliest memories are of her summers spent roaming the Ada Public Library. Cool marble floors and polished oak tables transformed the quiet halls into the perfect place to fuel a young girl's imagination.

Fast forward to a few decades later when a move to the romantic southwest of Colorado lit the fire to write once more. Now, she is living her dream in the beautiful mountains surrounded by Ponderosa pines in her home she shares with her husband, Jim, and their three fur babies, Augustus McCray (Gus), Miki (Mickie) and Maddie.

Please follow Peggy on her journey of writing happy endings and second chances one story at a time. She is always excited to hear from her readers. Email her at peggymckenziebooks@gmail.com. Visit her website for updated news and releases.

www.peggymckenzie.com

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