late afternoon heat to fray Maddie's temper. "I think I'll go outside and call him. Almost anything could happen to such a little boy. If Father were home more, I'm sure Benjamin wouldn't be so quick to misbehave!"
Susan sighed as she watched her granddaughter hurry out of the kitchen, skirts raised against the very thought of dust, every modest curl pinned neatly in place. Madeleine was certainly right about Stephen. Ever since they'd arrived, he'd been away more and more. Two days ago he'd announced that he had to leave Deadwood, muttering about mining supplies. Who knew when he'd return? The situation outraged Susan. What if she hadn't come with the children? And even so, this was not the sort of town where an old woman, a beautiful girl, and a scamp of a boy ought to be left all alone to fend for themselves.
* * *
It was cooler outside and there was a faint scent of pine up here above the town. Gazing down the path, Maddie saw no sign of her brother and knew a sharp pang of worry. She called his name in a high voice that sounded foolishly inadequate. Her face felt warm.
Then came the sound of hoofbeats against packed mud.
Maddie made out the roan first, turning past the stand of pine trees, then the familiar sight of Benjamin's pale, freckled face and spiky hair. When she looked at the big man who held him captive in the saddle, she immediately felt a tightness in her breast.
Never in her life had she seen a more appealingly, overwhelmingly masculine man.
The details were blurred: he was tall, lean but brawny, deeply tanned with an approachable white smile. Bearded, yet possessed of a ruggedly chiseled face. His eyes were a saturated blue, like a mountain lake. His hands were large, strong, long-fingered.
"What are you doing with my brother?" Maddie demanded as he drew near. "I must insist that you release him and identify yourself!"
Dan looked bemused. "For God's sake, lady, I'm doing you a favor!"
When Benjamin fought to scramble down from the saddle, Dan let him go and the boy nearly landed face first in the mud.
"Maddie, he practically kidnapped me! He just grabbed me up on his horse! Isn't that against the law? He could've sold me to the Injins or something!"
The man found Benjamin's last bit of business extremely amusing. When he stopped laughing and looked down, he met the flashing green eyes of the most exquisite woman he'd seen west of Washington, D.C. "My young friend has a flair for melodrama," he said, "honed perhaps during visits to the Green Front...."
"The... Green Front?" Maddie repeated, wrinkling her brow. "What is that?"
"Well, it appears to call itself a theater, ma'am."
Thoroughly confused and alarmed, Madeleine looked down to find that Benjamin had scurried behind her. "But, surely you don't mean to imply that my brother was in... that part of town!"
"We've reached the point where I ought to speak to the boy's father." Dan swung down from Watson's back and stood towering over her. "This really isn't a matter for your delicate sensibilities."
"I've no doubt that you are correct, sir—"
"Please, call me Fox... Maddie." He felt like Fox now, comfortable in the name.
Before she could reply, his strong dark hand reached out and lightly captured her slim fingers. To her dismay, his touch caused her heart to beat harder and her hand seemed to tingle in his. Instinctively, she pulled free.
"You may address me as Miss Avery," she replied primly then glanced down at Benjamin. "Go into the house and wait for me, young man." When the door had slammed behind him, Maddie lifted her chin and met Fox's compelling gaze. "My father is away and I must deal with Benjamin in his absence. I will be honest with you... Mr. Fox. We are new to Deadwood, recently arrived from Philadelphia. I am quite out of my element."
Cocking an eyebrow, he said laconically, "You're a city girl? I never would have guessed."
"Of course you are in jest, but humor is quite inappropriate at this moment. I don't know who you
Susan sighed as she watched her granddaughter hurry out of the kitchen, skirts raised against the very thought of dust, every modest curl pinned neatly in place. Madeleine was certainly right about Stephen. Ever since they'd arrived, he'd been away more and more. Two days ago he'd announced that he had to leave Deadwood, muttering about mining supplies. Who knew when he'd return? The situation outraged Susan. What if she hadn't come with the children? And even so, this was not the sort of town where an old woman, a beautiful girl, and a scamp of a boy ought to be left all alone to fend for themselves.
* * *
It was cooler outside and there was a faint scent of pine up here above the town. Gazing down the path, Maddie saw no sign of her brother and knew a sharp pang of worry. She called his name in a high voice that sounded foolishly inadequate. Her face felt warm.
Then came the sound of hoofbeats against packed mud.
Maddie made out the roan first, turning past the stand of pine trees, then the familiar sight of Benjamin's pale, freckled face and spiky hair. When she looked at the big man who held him captive in the saddle, she immediately felt a tightness in her breast.
Never in her life had she seen a more appealingly, overwhelmingly masculine man.
The details were blurred: he was tall, lean but brawny, deeply tanned with an approachable white smile. Bearded, yet possessed of a ruggedly chiseled face. His eyes were a saturated blue, like a mountain lake. His hands were large, strong, long-fingered.
"What are you doing with my brother?" Maddie demanded as he drew near. "I must insist that you release him and identify yourself!"
Dan looked bemused. "For God's sake, lady, I'm doing you a favor!"
When Benjamin fought to scramble down from the saddle, Dan let him go and the boy nearly landed face first in the mud.
"Maddie, he practically kidnapped me! He just grabbed me up on his horse! Isn't that against the law? He could've sold me to the Injins or something!"
The man found Benjamin's last bit of business extremely amusing. When he stopped laughing and looked down, he met the flashing green eyes of the most exquisite woman he'd seen west of Washington, D.C. "My young friend has a flair for melodrama," he said, "honed perhaps during visits to the Green Front...."
"The... Green Front?" Maddie repeated, wrinkling her brow. "What is that?"
"Well, it appears to call itself a theater, ma'am."
Thoroughly confused and alarmed, Madeleine looked down to find that Benjamin had scurried behind her. "But, surely you don't mean to imply that my brother was in... that part of town!"
"We've reached the point where I ought to speak to the boy's father." Dan swung down from Watson's back and stood towering over her. "This really isn't a matter for your delicate sensibilities."
"I've no doubt that you are correct, sir—"
"Please, call me Fox... Maddie." He felt like Fox now, comfortable in the name.
Before she could reply, his strong dark hand reached out and lightly captured her slim fingers. To her dismay, his touch caused her heart to beat harder and her hand seemed to tingle in his. Instinctively, she pulled free.
"You may address me as Miss Avery," she replied primly then glanced down at Benjamin. "Go into the house and wait for me, young man." When the door had slammed behind him, Maddie lifted her chin and met Fox's compelling gaze. "My father is away and I must deal with Benjamin in his absence. I will be honest with you... Mr. Fox. We are new to Deadwood, recently arrived from Philadelphia. I am quite out of my element."
Cocking an eyebrow, he said laconically, "You're a city girl? I never would have guessed."
"Of course you are in jest, but humor is quite inappropriate at this moment. I don't know who you
Similar Books
The Mutant World
Darryl T. Mallard
Loss of Innocence
Richard North Patterson
Winner Takes All
Erin Kern
Killing Time
Andrew Fraser
Cauldstane
Linda Gillard
Karl Marx
Francis Wheen
Edge of Time
Susan M. MacDonald
Game Theory
Barry Jonsberg
Dead City - 01
Joe McKinney
Night & Demons
David Drake