A shadow crossed John’s face. “I had to ignore the pain I knew it would cause you. It had been my hope to direct focus away from you and provide you with protection from that vicious gang. I deeply regret my efforts were not enough to save Ralph. He came to my attention too late to intervene.”
“I could have wished to be included up front rather than lied to, but cannot say I might not have inadvertently blundered in my efforts to keep the secret. Although I gather it was my action in fleeing which triggered Harriet’s rampage.”
“Seeing how you and your sister handled yourselves, and knowing how well female agents are working for the Pinkertons, I may have to reassess my position on their usefulness within my own agency. But my own powers are limited to my division. Nonetheless, if you wish to act unofficially as your father does from time to time, I would be delighted to have either of you ladies as part of my force!”
With new husbands and new lives on the horizon, neither wished to commit to government service. Nonetheless, he asked her to be on the alert for any information which might lead to discovering who had started the rumors about Ralph.
“The hearsay, rumor, and speculation cost the life of a very fine young man and have caused a great deal of disruption in your lives. Ralph’s good sense in contacting Henry, who was able to alert me, made us aware of the danger, but I so much regret we were not able to protect him in time. The Krause Gang did not operate on its own. Karl was too much on the dark in too many areas to have been in charge. And while Karl Krause himself had, in fact, seen William at Gettysburg, he certainly never saw him involved with the heist gang, but had only been told he was.”
“So you still have an open case, searching for the mastermind behind the Gang?”
John nodded. “Although I believe you should now be out of danger. It should be obvious by now that your father knows no more of the gold’s present whereabouts than do we.”
“Thank you for sharing all this with us,” said Miranda. “I suspect this is not information you wish spread further?”
John smiled. “You are quite right, although I am sure you’ll be mentioning it to your young men. But I’ve met them both and trust them to keep the secret in order to keep you both safe.”
John agreed to stay for the wedding to support the Father of the Brides.
The Hardwick Brothers
Sylvester and Miranda found that working together was creating an issue for them.
Not that they weren’t compatible in the office. Quite the contrary. He found her quick mind a tremendous asset. Between them they could resolve issues far faster than either alone, and she had a fine grasp of the law, rapidly learning Kansas’ quirks and using them to the client’s best advantage.
But he kept wanting to touch her. Kiss her behind the ear when she turned her head just so. Nibble on those fingertips which could make the pen dash across the page in such a helter-skelter that, nonetheless, remained legible. He rather liked that quirk in the otherwise perfect-seeming miss. And he discovered it suited the surprisingly multi-faceted woman hiding beneath the cool and calm demeanor.
Her letters had teased and tantalized him, but the woman herself enchanted him.
Going out on picnics and attending church together was all well and fine, but he was ready to move on. He was, he realized, ready to be married.
He still felt a bit uncomfortable about snatching his brother’s fiancée out from under him, although he certainly seemed entranced by Miranda’s sister. He was an attorney. He knew how to negotiate and make an argument stick. Time to talk with Chip.
~~~
Chip had remained attentive to Celeste, flirting outrageously and enjoying her company, going on outings with just the two of them or with his brother and her sister as chaperones. He was giving her the space she needed to resolve her feelings for her late husband and make room in her heart for him.
He was also watching the calendar. There was no hard and fast rule for the human heart. Mourning was personal and individual. But overall, he believed, society’s niceties reflected basic human needs, and the prescribed times set aside to honor lost loved ones were not so far off for most people.
He hadn’t seen the shadows in her eyes for awhile, even when describing something they’d done together, she and her late husband. And the calendar agreed it was now time. He needed to talk with Sylvester. There was no question of his ever being interested in Miranda except as a sister-in law. As far as Chip was concerned, that boat had long sailed. But he wanted to do things right.
~~~
Sylvia Hudson placed a plate of eggs, sausage, and grits in front of each of the gentlemen, filled their coffee cups, and left the pot on the table on a specially designed pad, as they preferred, then returned to the kitchen to clean up. She certainly hoped Miss Miranda would want to keep her on as housekeeper and cook. Not that she’d done much cooking for Mr. Sylvester of late.
He and his brother were out nearly every night with their ladies. Of course they were always scrupulous about letting her know, although they didn’t always coordinate. They usually served themselves from whatever she had prepared for them, since she went back home in
