The Bride's Prerogative (104 page)

When the stage rounded the corner and rolled down the street toward him, Griffin let out a great sigh. Vashti was on time, coming in from Nampa. On the box beside her sat Florence Nash, her red hair flying. Vashti kept the mules at a spanking trot to the very last second. They pulled in and stopped on a dime, with the door of the coach directly in front of him. Ben Nash ran to take the near leader’s bridle.

“You help with the bags,” Griffin said to his nephew. He opened the door and mustered a smile he didn’t feel.

“Welcome to Fergus, folks.”

Jessie Tinen, Ellie Nash, and Isabel Fennel exited first.

“Ladies, thank you so much. If you can stick around for a few minutes, I’d love to have a word with you all.”

They nodded and smiled and allowed they could do that. Griffin turned to the other passengers.

“Thank you for riding with us, gentlemen. I trust you had a good trip up from Nampa.”

“Couldn’t have asked for a smoother ride or more congenial company,” said the first man out. A dapper man with graying hair peeking from beneath his derby, he walked over to Isabel. “Miss Fennel, may I offer you lunch? I’d love to talk with you further about your fine town and the real estate you’re considering selling.” He carried a black case, and Griffin pegged him for a drummer.

Isabel’s face went pink, and she fluttered the fan she held. “Why thank you, Mr. Madden. My boardinghouse, just across the way, offers a fine luncheon.”

“Excellent. Let me fetch my suitcase.”

By this time, three other men had climbed out of the coach. Justin had scrambled to the roof and was tossing luggage down to Silas. The boys were doing a first-class job, Griffin noted.

When the passengers had cleared, he took out the mail sacks. Peter had arrived by then and hugged his returning wife and daughter.

“Did you have a good time?” he asked.

“Yes, we did.” Ellie’s eyes glowed with satisfaction. “We got in a little shopping, and we ate in a restaurant fancier than the Spur & Saddle, if you can believe that.”

“Wait until you see what I brought you, Papa.” Florence bounced on her toes.

“I shall have to,” Peter said. “I need to take care of the mail first, but I’ll do it with great anticipation.”

“Your boys can help you take the sacks to your house,” Griffin said. He looked up at Vashti. “Anything in the box?”

“Just Mrs. Tinen’s handbag.”

“Oh dear, I nearly forgot. I asked Vashti to put it in there so I wouldn’t have to keep track of it.” Jessie stepped over and accepted her leather purse from Vashti’s outstretched hand.

“Well, ladies, we’re very grateful that you were along on this run. As I’m sure Miss Edwards told you, our shotgun messenger disappeared on us in Nampa.”

“Shocking,” said Isabel. The drummer waited near her, listening avidly.

“Yes. Well, I’m happy to say that in a couple more weeks we should have a military escort for the mail coaches. Meanwhile, we appreciate your services more than I can tell you. And as a token of my gratitude, even though I said I couldn’t pay you, I’d like to give you each a silver dollar, which I’m docking from Cecil Watson’s wages—if he ever shows up to collect them.”

“You don’t need to do that, Mr. Bane,” Florence said. “We had a grand time.”

“Yes, we did,” Jessie said.

“I’m glad that you enjoyed yourselves. Because we had no regular messenger aboard, and because you were willing to step in and fill the role of protectors for our passengers if needed, I want to do this.” Griffin reached into his pocket and distributed the four silver dollars he’d put there for the purpose.

The ladies accepted gracefully and said good-bye. The Nash family headed up the street toward their house, carrying the mail sacks and the ladies’ luggage. Isabel walked across to the Fennel House with the drummer, and Jessie waved to her husband, Arthur Tinen Sr., who was just rumbling into town in his buckboard.

Griffin walked around the coach and climbed up beside Vashti. Justin had taken over the tender’s place from Ben.

“Hold them long enough for Justin to jump in,” Griffin said.

“Yes, sir.” Vashti nodded to the young man, and he released the mule’s bridle.

“Climb aboard and ride over to the livery with us,” Griffin yelled.

The mules fidgeted while Justin ran to the side of the coach, scrambled in, and closed the door. Vashti eased up on the reins and clucked to the team.

When she stopped the coach a minute later in front of the livery, Griffin said, “Let the boys unhitch the team. I need to talk to you.”

“All right.” She eyed him uneasily.

“I just want to know what happened with Cecil.”

“I don’t know.”

“Uncle Griff?” Justin was out of the coach and looking up at him. “You want me to take the team in?”

Griffin had forgotten the Nash boys went home with their parents. “Start unhitching. I’ll be right there.” He looked back into Vashti’s green eyes. “Everything go all right on the way to Nampa?”

“Yes, sir. And Cecil and I ate our supper first thing when we got there.”

“Then what?”

“I’m not sure. Cecil went out.” She frowned. “He did say something earlier about going to see a minstrel show in town.”

“Did you tell Mr. Gayle that?”

“Yes, sir. When he came back this morning and said he hadn’t found Cecil at any of the saloons or … well, other places he’d checked, that’s when I remembered. I told him, and Mr. Gayle went to see the people in charge of the show.”

“But he didn’t pick up Cecil’s trail.”

“No, sir.” She gritted her teeth.

“What aren’t you telling me, Vashti?” He tried to keep his voice gentle, so he wouldn’t spook her, and quiet enough that Justin wouldn’t hear.

“Nothing, really. Just … he wanted me to go to the show with him. He asked me on the way if the ladies were staying in Nampa with me. Said we might want to see the show. I thought he meant all of us at first, but it turned out he meant just me and him. He wanted to make sure the others wouldn’t be there, I guess.”

“That snake.”

“Why do you say that? He wasn’t too obnoxious about it.”

“But I told him to leave you alone.” How much should he tell her? He’d given Cecil the same ultimatum he’d given Marty last fall: Keep away from Vashti or be fired. Had he walked off the job to avoid being fired?

She scrunched her lips together—shapely lips no boy would ever own up to—and looked down at the whip in her hands. “I can—”

“I know. You can take care of yourself.”

She glanced up. “Actually, I was going to say, I can appreciate your doing that. As an employee.”

He nodded slowly. “Let me know if you think of anything else, all right?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Good. Let’s get these nags unhitched.”

He clambered down, and Vashti unwound the reins from the brake handle.

When Vashti walked to the livery in her driving outfit on Thursday, she looked about the shadowy barn. Justin and Griffin were bringing in the coach horses. Dr. Kincaid was saddling a dun gelding in one of the stalls, and the Nash boys were filling a wheelbarrow with manure.

Vashti walked over to meet Griffin. “Who’s my messenger today?”

He hitched the near leader’s halter to a tie rope. “You’re looking at him.”

“You?”

“Me.”

“Bitsy plans to ride inside,” she said.

“Good. The Dooleys are riding along, too.”

“Hiram and Libby are coming?”

“That’s right,” he said. “They’re taking a little trip.”

Vashti bit her lip.

“What?” Griffin asked. “You don’t like it?”

“It’s so soon after their wedding.”

“That’s the idea. It’s called a honeymoon.”

She glared at him.

“Well, we’re not getting stopped,” he said. “Right?”

“Right.”

“And the lovebirds will be well armed; you can count on that.”

“No doubt. So … no word on Cecil?”

“Nope. Maybe Jeremiah Gayle will have some news when we get to Nampa.”

Vashti went to get the pot of axle grease. When the team was harnessed and she’d inspected the fittings on the coach and horses, she climbed to the box.

Griffin sprang up beside her. “The boys can ride up the street inside.”

“All right.” Vashti waited until Justin, Ben, and Silas were inside the stage, then set out for the Wells Fargo office. “Where will Justin stay tonight?” she asked. “At the Fennel House?”

“No, the Nashes invited him to spend the night. Ellie sent a note over with Ben saying it was all right.”

“It’s nice that Justin’s made some good friends.”

“Yes. I’ve had a few talks with Peter and Ellie about raising boys. They know heaps more about it than I do.”

“I’m proud of you. You’ve made great progress with Justin.” She smiled at him. “Are you starting to feel like a father?”

Griffin’s lips twitched. “Maybe more like an uncle should. I admit I wasn’t keen on the setup when he first arrived.”

“It’s obvious things are going better. You’ve both come a long way.”

He nodded soberly. “I think we turned a corner back around Christmastime.”

“I’m glad.”

She pulled up at the office, and he said offhandedly, “I’ll load the treasure box.”

“We’re carrying money today?”

“A deposit for Ted Hire and another for the Paragon.”

He climbed down, and Vashti noted that the sheriff stood near the office door. Griffin must have told him they’d be carrying treasure. The Dooleys and Bitsy waited to one side with a couple of other passengers. Justin hopped out of the stage and ran to the horses’ heads. Ben and Silas approached the passengers.

“Load your luggage, ma’am?” Ben asked Bitsy.

“Thank you, but I just have this little bag, and I thought I’d keep it with me.”

“You may load ours, Ben,” Libby said, and he took a tapestry satchel Hiram held out to him.

Vashti wrapped the ends of the reins around the brake handle and climbed down. She walked over to her friends. “I’m glad you folks are coming along.”

“Thank you, Vashti,” Libby said, all smiles.

Bitsy elbowed Libby. “That’s Georgie,” she whispered, a bit too loudly for a secret.

Libby covered her mouth with one dainty, gloved hand, and Hiram’s lips twitched.

One of the male passengers, a cowboy from the Tinens’ ranch, peered at her through half-closed eyes. Vashti looked away, but he took a step closer and stared at her openly.

“You can’t be that gal from the Spur & Saddle.”

His comment flustered Vashti. “You’re probably right,” she managed.

He pulled his head back and frowned. “You ain’t the one that plays the pianner.”

“Right again.” Hiram and Libby laughed.

“That there is George,” Bitsy said sternly. “He’s one of Mr. Bane’s best drivers.”

“Are you folks traveling on to Boise?” Vashti asked Libby.

“Yes, we decided to spend a few days in town.”

Griffin came out of the office carrying a sack, and Ethan straightened and scanned the waiting passengers and the street beyond. Peter walked toward them carrying a mail bag.

“Excuse me, folks.” Griffin nudged the cowboy aside and climbed partway up to the box.

“Maybe we’d ought to pray together.” Bitsy looked around at them timidly, as though expecting her suggestion to be rejected.

“Good idea.” Vashti looked toward Libby and Hiram.

“I could lead us if you wish,” Libby said. “My husband can join the sheriff in keeping watch.”

“Thank you,” Vashti said.

Hiram nodded and took a step away, cradling his Sharps rifle in his arms and gazing out over the quiet town.

Vashti bowed her head, determined not to think about the other waiting passengers and their opinions.

“Our heavenly Father,” Libby said softly, “we thank Thee for this opportunity to help our friends and to travel. We ask Thy protection as we go. Bring us safely here again. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen.”

“Amen,” said Vashti and Bitsy.

Vashti opened her eyes and turned around. Griffin was locking the treasure box in the driver’s boot. Since he had bolted the chests to his coaches, he couldn’t lift them down to load and unload them. It made the transfer of treasure a little awkward, but that was a minor inconvenience.

When he’d finished, Griffin stepped down to the boardwalk and glanced at the boys. All the luggage was loaded. He took the mail sack from Peter and placed it in the coach, then walked over to Vashti and the volunteers.

“Folks, we thank you for offering your services. Just remember, lives are the most precious thing we’re carrying, then the U.S. Mail. The front box is important, but it’s nothing to die for.”

They nodded.

“I suggest you keep your weapons loaded and close at hand, but ride with them pointing in a safe direction. I’ll be on the box, watching the road all the time, but it wouldn’t hurt to have you folks paying attention, too.”

“You want me to ride on the roof?” Hiram asked.

Griffin smiled. “I think you should stick with your bride. I don’t anticipate trouble today, but lately things haven’t been exactly predictable.”

They all nodded soberly. Griffin turned and walked to the coach and opened the door. “All aboard.” The men stood back to allow the ladies to enter first.