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Chapter 15
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2021-09-02 22:33:44Nate stepped out of the general store and adjusted the vest, jacket, and wide brimmed hat he just purchased. After talking with the bartender, he and Oliver decided it was best to shed their Pinkerton suits in favor of more casual western wear. Their clothes looked a little stiff and new, but, since they were headed back onto the trail, it would not take long for them to become dusty and lived in.
He smiled to himself as he thought they finally might be able to pull one over on the Jefferson gang. Oliver even went so far as to see a barber and have most of his hair cut off. Once Nate recovered from the shock, he agreed Oliver looked better. Even so, when Oliver suggested Nate do the same thing, his friend declined most vehemently.
Refreshed and feeling a new sense of hope, they headed back to where they left the trail of the kidnappers. It had only been a few days so Nate was confident he would be able to pick up where he left off.&n
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“What are you smiling about?” Nate asked as he led his horse out of the stable and climbed into the saddle. “You look like the cat who swallowed the canary. Was the whore house that good?”“The sacrifices I make for this job,” Oliver said through his grin.“I’m not in the mood for riddles,” Nate said with a scowl. “I’m glad we’re not staying in that poor excuse for a hotel. I’d been better off staying in the stables with the horses, I think. My back aches from the lumps in the mattress and I picked several critters off my person this morning.”“Did you find out where the ranch is located?” Oliver asked.“If you’d get on your horse, I’ll show you,” Nate practically barked.“Be nice to me or I won’t share my news with you,” Oliver warned in a friendly tone.“I hate it when you do this
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Angus paced the porch nervously while he listened to Garth regale the new arrivals with stories of his growing up on the ranch under the watchful eye of rough and tough ranch hands. They seemed like a decent enough sort. He tested them with handling a few horses and some stock and they held their own just fine. Even so, there was something about the way they looked at him that made him uncomfortable.Maybe it was all in his head. After all, he had only just sent Tom and his gang of hooligans off with their hostage that morning. Maybe he was feeling a little guilty about forcing himself on that helpless widow like he did and then packing her off to be sold as a whore. Garth was sure furious with him. In fact, the boy promised never to forgive him for it. Then, he was young yet. Angus was positive that once he had a few whores under him he would forget all about that dainty widow and maybe even have a good laugh at the puppy
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Tom sent a few men ahead to the store at Doan’s Crossing with a supply list. Angus provided them with enough food to last a week. Because they were mostly traveling off the main roads, he expected the trip to Mexico to take almost a month and he wanted to make sure they could hold out at least during their weeks of traveling through Indian territory without having to search for a supply post. It was bad enough worrying about Indians without worrying about food as well.“Seems like every time I turn around she’s pukin’,” Mike said as he positioned his horse next to Tom’s. “If she keeps it up, I can’t think how much actual we’ll get for her below the border.”“She’s carryin’,” Tom said with a shrug, “it’s to be expected.”“I thought she was untouched?” Mike said with surprise.“Keep our voice down,” Tom urged.
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The few choice words Angus had for Nate and Oliver when they informed him that they were quitting, after only just arriving, sat sour in Nate’s craw. He could understand the man’s irritation over having to shift things around to accommodate the gap in the work detail, but, since he and Oliver were only hired the day before, it shouldn’t have been such an inconvenience to warrant the fit the overseer threw. This showed Nate yet another side of the overseer that he did not like; as if his forcing a poke from Elise was not enough.They were half way into town when they decided it was better to wait until they were in a town that was less apt to report back to Angus that Nate was the new ranch owner and he was wiring the lawyer for Angus’ replacement. It would not do to be absent when Angus learned of his dismissal plans. After seeing the temper Angus harbored, Nate did not trust what he might do if left to his own devices. He could
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Angus scowled as he watched Nate and Oliver slowly walk their horses up the long drive with the Paper Widow sitting snug in front of Nate. As they drew closer, he sucked in his breath at the sight of Elise and Nate. They were clearly in a fight of some sort. Was that blood from a battle with Tom and his gang? His body twitched with nervous anxiety as while he waited for them to get close enough to give him answers.“I’m surprised to see you fellas back here,” Angus growled as Nate and Oliver pulled their horses to a halt just feet away from him.“Help me with her,” Nate said to Oliver.Oliver quickly dismounted and held out his hands for Nate to carefully lower the still traumatized Elise to him. Although she could stand, it was not without assistance, so he held her close to his chest while he waited for more instruction from Nate.Angus watched with silent angst as Nate slid off his horse and r
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Elise sat on the porch of the great house and gently rocked in the rocking chair that was placed there just for her. Her eyes were locked on the doctor’s buggy as it made its way down the long drive toward town. She was given a clean bill of health and was now able to travel.The news that her parents had paid the ransom and not tossed her to the wolves invigorated her spirits and aided in her speedy recovery from the ordeals she endured over the last few months. She was anxious to leave the wild west and return to the more civilized east. If she never saw a cowboy or a cow again, it would be too soon. She longed for pretty dresses, beautiful hairdos, glittery jewelry, and elite balls filled with pomp and circumstance.The closer she got to full recovery, the less she saw of Nate and Oliver. In the beginning, Nate was practically glued to her side with Oliver not far away. After speaking with the doctor for a considerable lengt
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Joseph’s upbringing on the farm, combined with few opportunities to rub elbows with the Philadelphia elite gave him a different perspective of the ranch than Nate and Oliver, who were raised in the middle of social society and had no comprehension about the advantages of bonding with the land and had difficulty comprehending it. He was in such awe of the ranch’s grandeur and smoothness of operation that he could not stop complementing it. He spent a great deal of time mingling with the ranch hands while asking questions about the ranch’s general operation and learning all he could about how a ranch differed from a farm.He was surprised to discover that, at one time, cotton was grown on the ranch. Old man Kincaid got rid of it when he took Angus McCormick on as overseer. Angus had no idea how to grow cotton, nor did he have the desire for it. So, for the last fifteen years, the cotton fields lay fallow. Although Jose
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Nate, Oliver, and Joseph stepped off the train with a spring in their step. After a long and frustrating assignment out west, they were finally back in their homeland of Philadelphia. Joseph planned on heading to his farm just as soon as they checked in with the Philadelphia Pinkerton office, while Nate and Oliver had plans for long baths, good meals, and a visit to the gentleman’s club. They did their best to coerce Joseph to join them, but he was adamant about getting his family together and discussing their future plans. The more he considered Nate’s offer to oversee the ranch out west, the more attached to the idea he became. He wanted to waste no time getting started.Nate and Oliver quickly settled into their homes, kissed their families hello, made themselves feel and look human again, and then headed off to the Philadelphia club for a night of good food and cards. They were seated in the dining room at a table near
Last Updated : 2021-09-02
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The house was abnormally quiet as Nate knocked on the door. He was surprised by the length of wait he had between pulling on the knocker and the footman answering the door.“I wish to see Mrs. Smithfield,” he said as he handed the footman his card and stepped into the foyer.The first thing he noticed was the lack of décor. Although still finely decorated, it looked barren in comparison to the way it looked the last time he visited. He followed the footman into the parlor, but did not take a seat. He wired his condolences to Elise when the train stopped in Kansas several weeks earlier, but this was the first he would give them to her face to face. He could not explain why, but he was nervous.The sound of her soft slippers on the foyer’s marble floor caught his attention. He turned just in time to see her enter the room with the assistance of a cane. She looked tired and saddened, but still very
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Joseph stepped out onto the porch and rolled himself a cigarette. Remembering that his friend never developed the skill of rolling a good cigarette and pre-rolled cigarettes were scarce in the west. He followed Oliver’s example and handed the cigarette to Nate before rolling another for himself.“I should quit these things,” Nate mused as he took a long drag. “There’s a lot of scuttle that the nicotine in these things is poison.”“When it’s proof and not scuttle, I’ll believe it,” Joseph said as he formed a ring of smoke with his mouth.“Can you believe I have been here five months already?” Nate mused.“Time flies when you’re planting cotton,” Joseph chuckled.”“I’m mighty proud of what you did with the place,” Nate said. “My uncle used to grow cotton. He gave it up when that bastard Angus came
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Nate stepped onto the train and waved goodbye to his mother and sister. They never came to the station to see him off before. It felt good, but odd.He confided in his mother about his actions where Elise was concerned after swearing her to secrecy. She had a level head on her shoulders. He hoped she would not be overly shocked, but he needed the advice of a woman with a level head. It was upon her advice that he was going to live on the ranch he inherited from her brother, Richard.As a typical mother would be, Margaret Kimble was concerned for the mental health of her son. He was not in the habit of exposing his emotions to her in such a way. The fact that he felt the need to seek her advice on such a sensitive topic made her mind up that what was best for her son was for him to get as far away from Elise and the child she carried as he could. It was sad to think that she would be denied the pleasure of her first
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Elise did her best to disguise her discomfort over the fact that Nate Kimble was seated directly across from her. To his left was Lilith Bertram and to his right was the beautiful Melissa Jameson. Melissa recently came out and was actively searching for a union with an eligible man. Unlike the Pratts, the Jamesons considered Nate Kimble to be an excellent catch. Therefore, Melissa was working hard to gain his favor. Considering Lilith was on his opposite side and she was certain he wanted to avoid any and all conversation with her, it made sense that Nate would pour all his attention on Melissa. The fact that she was a beautiful green-eyed redhead only served to sweeten the situation.The man seated to the left of Elise was an elderly gentleman whose name forever escaped her no matter how many times she found herself in his company. To her right was Oliver Sullivan. To Oliver’s right was the beautiful Amy Owens.
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The Philadelphia House felt especially crowded. Nate pushed his way past the gaming table as he made his way to the dining room. He was to meet Oliver for dinner and drinks and hoped his friend was on time. He spotted him seated at a table near the window and smiled while waving a greeting. He was only gone a few months, but it felt like years. It would be good to spend time with a close friend; especially after such an unsettling visit with the Smithfields.Oliver was full of positive energy and juicy gossip. Before they knew it, they were done with their meal and making their way to the smoking room.“Well, hello there,” called Sidney Joselyn. “I declare, I didn’t expect to meet up with one of you fine gentlemen this evening, let alone both of you. What a great surprise.”“It’s good to see you again, sir,” Nate offered.Oliver echoed his sentiments while they vigorously shook hands.Sidn
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It was an easy week before Nate found the courage to pay his respects to the newlyweds. Although he was happy to be able to have an excuse to be near Elise, he found it odd that they did not go off on a honeymoon as was generally the case amongst the privileged. He just could not shake the fact that there was something amiss with this marriage.He found their home extraordinarily large, but tasteful. The Georgian style mansion was located near the banks of the Delaware River. It was set far enough away from the declining seventh ward, yet still convenient to the hub of things. The sprawling garden gave the illusion of a country estate. Nate longed to have been the one to provide such a lovely home to the woman he loved. His heart felt heavy at the thought that he would never have that opportunity.“You frown so, Mr. Kimble,” Elise said as she gracefully descended the grand central staircase. “Does the house offend you?”“Certa
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Nate stepped off the train and then turned to offer his assistance to Catherine. Her step was light and filled with joy. She was once again on familiar ground. As much as she thrived in the wild west, she had to admit to herself and to others that she was, at heart, an easterner. Her brother was so very happy running the ranch for Nate that she could never tell him how much she longed to be back east. The dilemma of trying to focus on such a large operation while keeping a watchful eye on her safety in a world peppered with ruffians proved her ticket to freedom. Not only was she back east, but her brother’s good friend was paying for her to go to finishing school.The time she spent on the train with Nate helped her to understand why Joseph was so fond of him. Beneath that surly look that seemed like it was pasted on his face was a kind, gentle, and sensitive individual. She thanked him profusely for becoming her family’s benefa
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“This is a most surprising telegram,” Alexander said as he sat unceremoniously on the divan in Elise’s bedchamber. “Is this new?” he asked as he smoothed his hands over the floral tapestry.“It was delivered just this morning,” Elise replied.”“I have to say, I like the way you have decorated our new home,” he said admiringly as he looked around the tastefully decorated spacious room.“I have to say that I adore the house you chose for me to decorate. It’s easy to fill it with beauty when you begin with such splendor,” she said with a smile.“What’s money for if not to spend?” Alexander asked.“We seem to have a lot of it,” Elise pondered.“We are incredibly, shamefully, rich, my love,” Alexander said as he stretched his arm across the back of the divan and crossed his legs at the ankles.“Oh, good,
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Alexander paced the parlor while Elise sat quietly on the settee.“He seemed like an upstanding fellow,” Alexander said worriedly. “It makes no sense for him to completely ignore my wire.”“Are you sure the wire reached him?” Elise asked.“I checked,” Alexander replied testily, “it was picked up by a ranch hand that very day.”“Joseph struck me as the conscientious sort. I imagine he would make sure Nate received it as soon as he arrived,” Elise said thoughtfully.“If that’s the case, then the man’s a scoundrel,” Alexander spat.“He said he loved me and I believed him,” Elise pouted.“Men say all sorts of things when they’re drinking and having their way with a woman,” Alexander said thoughtlessly. “Has he declared his love to you while sober and not in the throes of passion?&rdquo
