Midnight Secrets Read online

That unexpected remark took her off guard. “How do you know I’m not heading west to join my fiancé?” she queried.

  Steve sealed his gaze to hers. “You would have said something to the others. Don’t you women usually brag about snaring a man?”

  “No more than you men boast about your conquests of women.”

  He laughed and teased, “Ah, a quick and sharp wit.”

  Ginny felt he was impressed, and that pleased her. “I speak only the truth, Mr. Carr, as I see it from observation and experience.”

  “You’re right, Anna.”

  She couldn’t help but challenge, “For a change?”

  He grinned instead of replying. “Good night, Miss Avery.”

  “Steve?” she halted him, feeling overly brave at that moment. She had to know if he was only being nice or if he was interested in her.

  He glued his gaze to hers and saw her fidget. “Yes?”

  “I don’t have a sweetheart waiting in Texas or anyone left behind.”

  The scout was intrigued. “Why tell me?”

  “So you’ll know love-pining isn’t the root of my problems. Good night.” She pulled on the drawstrings of the wagon and closed the back opening, then wiggled forward and did the same with the front one. She watched him stride away as she slid down the canvas on both sides.

  Ginny straightened her bed and pillows. She located the liniment and lowered the lantern flame to a soft glow that would cast no provocative shadows on the thick covering. She sat down in the wagon bed and, her privacy guarded by the deep wooden sides, stripped off her garments. She followed Steve’s advice; the hopefully soothing preparation pained and stung for a while as she applied it. After replacing the medicine and putting on a nightgown, she doused the light and settled herself into the most comfortable position she could find. She forced her mind to clear so she could get to sleep, knowing tomorrow would be another difficult day.

  Steve saw the light go out in the Avery wagon. For the last few minutes, he had been envisioning the scene inside. His hands itched to do the chore for her. He was baffled by her enticing overtures after what he’d heard earlier. Maybe, he reasoned, he had misunderstood the talk with Lucy Eaves. Or maybe Anna had lied to him tonight or to Lucy and the other women earlier. Yet he couldn’t surmise a motive for either theory. Perhaps she required a strong hand to seize her interest and to tame her. Maybe if he backed off or acted bossy she would be intrigued and taken off balance. She seemed to weaken more toward him after he was tough with her. He’d have to test that idea tomorrow to see how she responded.

  CHAPTER 4

  Ginny awoke to the sounds of animals—mules braying, horses neighing, chickens clucking, cows mooing, and birds singingand to the voices and laughter of people. She smelled breakfasts either being cooked or just finished, especially the wafting scents of coffee and bacon and ham. Her nose wrinkled as she detected a lingering odor of liniment on her body and inside the wagon. Her complaining body protested movement. Before she could rise from bed, Ellie knocked on the tailgate to make sure her friend was awake. Ginny loosened the cord enough to peek outside and say, she was up trying to get going. “Do you ache this morning as much as I do?” she asked Ellie.

  The hearty woman didn’t want to say she was used to hard work and strenuous exercise, more so than her sophisticated friend. “I’m sore and stiff but faring pretty good. Do you have any liniment you could use?”

  “Yes, and I did so before going to bed. Mr. Carr told me it would help lessen the pain, and I’m sure it helped. So will moving around.”

  Ellie smiled and nodded. “I’ll save you some food. Come over when you’re dressed. We’re about to eat now.”

  “Thanks, Ellie; you don’t know how much your’ kindness helps me.”

  The brunette smiled again. “Yes, I do. See you shortly.” Ellie wondered if she should tell Anna that her father had paid them to help her while he was in town, then decided she would be doing it anyway, as she liked the fresh and delightful young woman. Besides, it might embarrass Anna to learn her father wasn’t certain she could take care of herself alone.

  Ginny tightened the drawstring and put aside the rumpled bedding. She washed her face and hands in the basin and changed clothes. Taking another of Steve’s suggestions, she brushed and braided her thick hair into one long plait. It still wasn’t pulled tight and severely from her face, as the abundance of tresses and the curls from root to tip didn’t allow her to do so.

  Ginny opened the drawstrings on both ends of the wagon. After rinsing her mouth with the mint-in-water liquid, she tossed out the contents of the basin and water bucket. She emptied the lantern and stored the flammable oil as she had been cautioned to do. She made certain everything was secured for practice today. After lowering the tailgate, she left the wagon and went to the designated area to relieve herself, then joined Ellie Davis and her family.

  “Good morning, Stuart,” she said, then spoke with the children. “Another lovely day for you all to play while we work our hands raw.”

  Everyone laughed at the comical expression Ginny made on purpose to go along with her last sentence. “I wish I could sneak off and play dolls or games with you two,” she whispered to the girls.

  “We’d have fun, Miss Anna; Momma made us some good ones.”

  “We’re going fishing,” the two boys told her.

  “We’ll have ‘em scaled and gutted by the time you and Momma get done so you can cook ‘em for supper,” the oldest boy planned.

  “If we have time while we’re camped here, you’ll have to teach me how to catch and clean fish,” Ginny said. “I’ve been in a ladies’ boarding school for years, so I don’t know much about living outdoors and off the land.”

  The elder boy looked smitten with Ginny. Not one to be timid, he offered, “I can teach you, Miss Anna. It’ll be fun. I’ll even put the worms or crickets on the line for you.”

  “That’s kind of you, a real southern gentleman. But if I don’t learn everything, what would I do later when you aren’t around to help?”

  “Most girls don’t like to hold worms and mess with them, but I’ll bet you’re brave enough to do it.”

  “I hope so. Maybe we’ll have the chance to find out soon.”

  “You kids get your chores done and let Miss Anna eat,” Ellie told the active children. “We have to be ready to do our lessons soon.”

  The four laughed and teased their mother about doing lessons.

  Ellie ruffled her son’s hair. “No matter how old you get, children, there’s always something new or important to learn.”

  Ginny concurred, as children often listened to others more than their parents. “Your mother’s right; never stop learning or trying new things.” She watched the children and Stuart climb inside to collect what they needed for the day in the other clearing while Ellie was gone with their wagon.

  “That’s good advice, Miss Avery,” Steve remarked.

  Ginny turned to give him a look that asked, Do you always sneak up on people? “Thank you, sir. We’ll be ready for work soon.”

  “Good, ‘cause I hate getting started late. You might want to use these today,” he said, handing her an extra pair of thick riding gloves. “They’re a mite large for you, but they’ll do the job until your hands toughen up enough to use those fancy ones you have.”

  Ginny accepted the scout’s offering. She glanced at the gloves, then looked at him. “Thank you, Mr. Carr; that’s very thoughtful. I discovered my own pair was too thin yesterday. I was expecting to find my hands covered with blisters this morning, but all I see are red spots and bruises so far.”

  “Soon you’ll be seeing calluses on those delicate hands, but I don’t want pain anywhere on your body to distract you again. The other women are using their husband’s extra gloves. A shame your father didn’t get you any.”

  Ginny felt her high spirits lower at his unexpected mood. She wondered if she had scared him or annoyed him with her enticing behavior last night. “When he comes
to visit, I’ll order the proper kind from town, then return yours. I’ll take good care of them.”

  Steve saw how his alleged motive wiped the cheerful and appreciative smile from her face. He wished he hadn’t hurt her feelings, but it seemed necessary if he was going to learn how to deal with her in the most advantageous manner. He nodded, then left the two women.

  Ginny frowned and murmured to Ellie, “Why does that man always have to have a hateful excuse for doing something nice’ for another person?”

  “Loners are like that, Anna dear.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “They use a rough air to discourage people from getting too close to them. Most have been deeply hurt in the past, so they keep people at a distance with cold actions in order that they not be vulnerable again.”

  “You’re saying that being mean is a defensive pretense?”

  “Yes. If he doesn’t let anybody get close, he can’t be hurt again.”

  “But that’s foolish and wrong. Being alone and cold hurts him, too.”

  “Yes, but someone in torment doesn’t see it that way.”

  “Why would a man like Steve Carr be in torment?”

  “I don’t know. Could be anything. Maybe something from the war. I think he’s taken with you and it makes him nervous.”

  Ginny recalled Lucy saying the same thing and wondered if it could be true. She eyed the scout who was saddling his horse. What if that was—

  “You’d better eat before he calls us,” Ellie advised. She was acutely aware of the girl’s strong interest in their handsome guide.

  “You’re right; I best hurry. I have mules to tend and harness before he thinks I’m negligent and has something new to chide me about today.”

  As Steve was walking past her to summon the women, Ginny halted him. “I didn’t get to thank you for suggesting the liniment,” she said. “It worked, and I feel better this morning.”

  “Think nothing of it, Miss Avery. I have to keep my ladies in good working condition. Get your team hitched and ready to leave while I tell the others to do the same.” He left her staring at his retreating back, as bewildered arid ensnared by him as he was by her.

  You’re a hard man to open up, Steve Carr. I wonder why…

  Ginny harnessed the team and connected it to the wagon. She climbed aboard the seat and got herself settled and ready to begin practice. She could almost hear her body grumbling already. Her sun bonnet was secured by ties under her chin, and her feet were braced firmly on the jockey box.

  She stared at the large gloves he had loaned her, worn over her smaller ones to make them stay in place better. They were new, so no hints of his masculine scent and odor of daily chores clung to them. His hands were large and strong, and she wouldn’t mind being caressed by them. She wouldn’t mind kissing him and getting to know him. If only he weren’t so contradictory, so befuddling, so frustrating! She never knew what mood he was going to be in when he approached her; but maybe he didn’t, either. If Ellie and Lucy were right about his fears, that would explain why he was sweet one minute and sour the next.

  But her friends could be mistaken. He could be telling her he wanted to teach her but not be chased by her. That shouldn’t be a problem, as she didn’t have the time to do so. Their paths would separate when this journey ended in a month or so. She couldn’t understand why that panged her so deeply; they were strangers, and he was as hateful to her as he was nice to her. So, she pondered, why did she like him?

  That was the crux of her dilemma; she liked him, too much, too soon. She hated to think of him being plagued by anguish; she knew how that felt. Perhaps that similarity was what she sensed, what drew her to him, simply the results of a too-tender heart. But if she could soften his hardness and warm his coldness by being a friend, shouldn’t she give it her best effort, no matter how he resisted? If—

  “Let’s pull out, ladies!” Steve yelled, then he signaled them forward one by one at the precise moment to establish correct distance and pace.

  Ginny pushed aside her reverie and concentrated only on her task. It did not take her long to realize and delight in discovering that she felt more confident today. Even her balance was better, and her body didn’t protest the strain on it as much as it had yesterday. She was more relaxed and in control of herself and the team.

  She congratulated herself on her new skills and independence. She had mastered her grief and worries so they wouldn’t be evident to others. Most of the travelers were enjoyable, particularly her four new friends. A stimulating and challenging adventure lay before her and she should make the most of it. As for what to do about the mysterious and enchanting scout, she’d decide that later.

  Steve galloped his sorrel back and forth along the line of wagons stretched out in the open on flat land. All but a few of the women were doing fine with their training and attitudes. He hoped they would continue to do so when other hard lessons arrived. He was restless with this part of the mission, uneasy in a camp filled with people, and wary of the way Anna Avery got to him. He was accustomed to staying on the move with only himself to worry about and away from crowds. He was torn between wanting to rush their training and depart, and wanting to go slowly and solve the case. If he finished fast, he could get back on his own, out of reach from the beauty’s temptation. He could get on to his next task, a personal one he’d delayed to accept this crucial assignment. Pretenses, lies, and cold-blooded murder—he despised them and anyone who committed them, especially against him.

  It was difficult to act the pleasant and genial scout, and often he failed to carry off that needed ruse, in particular with Anna. But if he didn’t win these people’s respect, trust, and friendship, he couldn’t learn anything useful from them pertaining to the sinister Red Magnolia he had to entrap.

  There was no thorough way he could search the wagons for gems, and he’d used his only logical excuse to do a light inspection earlier. He would have to depend on his probing skills and instincts to glean clues. He needed to increase his rapport with the men; he’d do so this afternoon.

  Steve slowed at every wagon to speak with the driver: to praise, encourage, or give helpful advice to get in the good graces of each. Most of the women smiled, chatted, and thanked him; only Mattie and Mrs. Brown frowned and merely nodded, but at least they didn’t grate on his nerves with whining. Louise told him she thought everyone was trained enough to head out the next day until Steve related the other things they needed to learn. Cathy sent him a seductive look and purred like a kitten as she talked with him; Steve pretended not to notice or be affected.

  “Any problems?” he asked Ginny as he rode beside her on the left.

  “None that I know of, Mr. Carr. How am I doing?” she asked, keeping her gaze ahead on Mary’s wagon.

  “Fine. If trouble strikes, signal me.” He galloped away, hoping she would wonder why he had spent so little time with her. With luck, she’d seen how much longer he had visited with the others. That should spark her curiosity and worry her, maybe provoke her to work harder to catch his eye and to please him. Most women, he assumed, wanted what they couldn’t have, so Anna should be challenged to chase him.

  As Steve passed her again, she ignored him. Shu, Anna looked appealing today. She had braided her hair as he suggested, then secured the end with a red ribbon. The thick tuft at the bottom swayed against her waist when she moved. She hadn’t dared look at him and lose her pace and distance requirement. That caution meant she didn’t want to annoy him with another mistake, so his scoldings, no matter their motives, were working. He had to admit she was doing an astonishingly good job. The dark-blue shirt and skirt she was wearing flattered her skin coloring, and her hairstyle highlighted her exquisite face.

  Steve signaled the wagons to halt. He rode to each one to tell the women he was ready to begin corral practice. If Anna dreaded it or was vexed with him, it didn’t show. He had told them before leaving that it was necessary to circle the wagons at night and sometimes on the trail itsel
f for safety from enemy or raider attacks.

  The scout walked his sorrel in a wide circle and the women followed as instructed, or tried to obey. He knew it was a tricky maneuver to guide the team ever rightward by control of the reins while not allowing a front wheel to jam into the wagon. When a team balked or got out of alignment, Steve halted the others to correct it. Sometimes he had to seize the cheekstrap or sidecheck and forcefully guide the team into place. As he did so, he told the woman involved how to better handle the reins to accomplish it from her seat. “Loosen up on your left rein and pull back on the right one to get him heading in that direction. Not too hard or he’ll turn his head too sharp and resist your command. He’s the leader, so the others will follow him. They have no choice; they’re linked together.”

  Ginny was relieved the “leader” was earmarked, so she knew which one to always put on the front right side. Every time she fed, watered, or worked with her mules, she tried to earn their affection and respect so they would obey her orders without balking. So far so good…

  It took a while for most of the women to get the procedure down, and some never stopped having trouble. When Steve halted his ride, the loop he had made was the perfect size for creating a tight ring with the right side of one wagon front almost making contact with the back left side of the wagon before it. Teams were on the exterior of the ring, adjacent to the front neighbor’s wagon where they would be unhitched and led inside. That left no opening for attackers to get through their barricade. If defense was needed, he’d told them, men would stand between the jockey box and seat or behind the seat to fire their weapons, using the thick wooden bed as cover.

  He shouted for the women to get down and group in the center. “On the trail, we’ll leave two wagons’ widths open for movement of animals and comings and goings of people for chores,” he explained. “The two grain wagons joining us before we leave will drive straight into the remaining space and fill it before we turn in for the night or if trouble strikes. The animals will be corraled inside the circle to protect them from outlaws. You and your families will sleep in or under your wagons, according to weather and preference. You’ll do your cooking near your wagon on the outside; keep a low campfire going at night to discourage wild animals and to prevent anyone from sneaking up on us in the dark. Any questions before we practice pulling out and doing this again?”