A Love to Last Forever (15 page)

“We can put the laudanum in the coffee.” Lacy motioned to the pot. “Did you make it strong? That will mask any bitterness.”

“It
is
strong.” Beth looked at the cupboard where the laudanum was hidden on the top shelf. “Do you think we dare?”

Lacy shrugged and went to retrieve a chair from where it stood by the back door. She quickly climbed atop, despite being in a skirt, and glanced over her shoulder. “It’s the only answer. We can give coffee to everyone, and once they’re asleep, it will be too late for them to do anything about it.”

Beth frowned. “What about the others—the ones already over at Rafe’s?”

Lacy took down several bottles of the medicine and placed them on the counter before answering. “Maybe we can put it in their liquor.”

“How?”

Her younger sister smiled. “Cubby. We’ll get him to help us. He’s not had a quiet moment since that bunch arrived, and he’s bound to be exhausted. We’ll tell him what we’re doing and why. I’m sure he’ll help. After all, most of the men pass out at some point. No one has to be the wiser.” Lacy shrugged.“I’ll hide this on the back porch, and after we deal with our fellows, we’ll head next door.”

Beth bit her lip. “But Rafe won’t let us on his property. And even if he did, we’re not allowed in the saloon. If he saw us there, he’d know something was going on.”

“Then he can’t see us.”

Beth looked at Lacy’s confident expression. “What do you have in mind? We have to be able to at least get the laudanum to Cubby and explain how to use it.”

“Leave that to me. We’ll just borrow some of Pa’s old clothes from out in the shed. We’ll braid our hair and tuck it up under a hat and rub our faces with dirt. No one will know the difference in the middle of all their partying.”

“But what if they do?”

Lacy shrugged. “It’s not well lit at Rafe’s, on account that it’s not as easy to cheat folks when they can see clearly. Plus, it’ll be smoky, and they’ve already been drinking for a spell and that clouds a man’s vision. I don’t think anyone is going to even notice us.”

Beth could see the possibilities in Lacy’s plan. It was daring, but frankly, she was willing to risk it. She couldn’t bear to think of Ellie and the others being used throughout the night.

“Hey, where’s the food and coffee?” a cowboy demanded. He filled the entryway to the kitchen, grinning. “You two are cuter than baby bobcats. Wanna dance with me?”

Beth shook her head. “I’m making the coffee, and Lacy has to make more sandwiches.” She glanced to where her sister stood, blocking any view of the bottles on the counter.

“It’d sure be nice to dance,” the man persisted. “I think we need to have a dance.”

“There’s no one to play any music for us,” Beth reminded. “Now, just go on back, and we’ll have everything out for you in a few minutes.”

The man begrudgingly complied, but Beth knew it would only be a matter of time before the men became more demanding. She looked at Lacy and nodded. “Let’s get to it.”

Half an hour later, Lacy teased and smiled as she poured coffee for each of the dozen men who were still at Gallatin House. “This is our special coffee,” she told them. “We only make it for our very favorite customers.”

“Then pour me two cups,” one of the men said and patted his lap. “I’ll drink ’em both while you sit here and tell me how come you’re so pretty.”

Lacy laughed. “One cup per man for now. I wouldn’t want anyone to miss out on getting a chance to try this.”

Beth delivered a tray of sandwiches and one of cookies. Generally, they didn’t allow for eating in the front room, but she and Lacy had decided earlier it would be simpler to meet the men where they were, rather than try to herd them into the dining room.

Waiting for the men to nod off seemed like a painfully long affair, though in reality it didn’t take that much time. She was glad Hank had returned earlier with the needed supplies. He’d hurried upstairs to check on Gwen and had reported she was sleeping peacefully before he returned to the store once more. With any luck at all, Beth and Lacy would be free to do what was needed.

One by one, the men yawned or rubbed their eyes. They would look uncertain for several moments, then nod off. Where once-rowdy conversation and loud voices had reigned supreme, now only snoring interrupted the silence of the room—that and the ongoing party at Rafe’s.

“Well, this went well enough,” Lacy said, stepping carefully over one cowboy who’d stretched out in front of the fireplace. “We’d better go change and get next door.”

It was nearing ten o’clock when Beth and Lacy walked into Rafe’s place. As Lacy predicted, the heavy smoke and dim lighting allowed them to pass unnoticed through the room. With their hats drawn low and their long coats disguising their figures, no one even took note of the newcomers.

Lacy walked up to the bar as though it were something she did all the time. Beth marveled at her sister’s composure and glanced around anxiously to make certain all was well.

In the far corner Rafe was dealing cards to a number of scruffy-looking, half-sober cowboys. On the opposite side, Wyman held court with his own group of rowdies. Beth had no idea what game they were playing, but the men seemed quite worked up over it when Wyman turned a card over and presented it for their consideration.

“Cubby,” Lacy said in a low, husky voice.

Cubby was just returning with a new crate of whiskey. He looked at her oddly, then put the case down. “You fellas want a beer?”

Lacy nodded and put several coins on the bar. Beth’s jaw dropped, but she quickly recovered and hunched over the bar as some of the other men were doing. Cubby drew two beers and practically thrust them into their hands.

A couple of the prostitutes came up and began sweet-talking the men to Beth’s right. When they moved off from the bar with the women, Beth breathed a sigh of relief and stared down at the beer. For just a split second, she gave consideration to taking a long drink to steady her nerves.

Lacy made quick order of things. “We need your help,” she told Cubby and smiled. “A little adventure.” She offered the last without attempting to disguise her voice.

He stared hard at her and blinked several times. “Miss—”

“Never mind. Come in the back room with me.” Lacy went around the bar and took hold of Cubby’s arm. “You wait here,” she instructed Beth.

Feeling the blood drain from her head, Beth couldn’t believe Lacy was just leaving her alone to face . . . well . . . whatever happened to come her way. She held the beer and tried to figure out what to do next.

Minutes seemed like hours. Beth longed to bolt for the door but knew she couldn’t just leave. Lacy wouldn’t know where she’d gone or what had happened to her.

A ruckus broke out behind Beth, and she turned, beer in hand, just in time to avoid a glass being hurled her way. She ducked to one side and was just coming back up when Simon and Nick Lassiter made their way into the bar.

Beth felt a sense of dread and disappointment at the sight of the men. Nick had claimed he no longer came to Rafe’s to drink, but here he was. She kept her head down and wondered what she should do. If they took a table or joined one of the card games, then she’d be all right—at least for a time.

The fight intensified as two more men got in on the action. Rafe bellowed at them above the din, but the men ignored him. They were feeling their whiskey and had no thought for anything but their altercation.

Simon and Nick moved deftly around the fight and headed closer to the bar. Beth froze in place, watching and waiting to see where they would go. She was just about to turn away and follow Lacy into the back room when Nick met her gaze. The recognition was immediate.

Beth dropped the beer, and liquid and glass sprayed across the dirt floor. Uncertain of the layout of Rafe’s Saloon, she skirted the opposite side of the fight and rushed for the front door. She didn’t have to look behind her to know that Nick would follow. The thought of him catching her and demanding to know what was going on only served to fuel her steps.

But she had no idea where to go once she’d made it outside. There were several men milling about and a great many horses tied to the posts just off Rafe’s porch. Beth hurried to put the horses between her and the door to the saloon, hoping that if Nick couldn’t see her, he’d give up and go back inside. Never had she prayed for Nick to head into Rafe’s den of iniquity like she did just now.

She knew she couldn’t simply go home. That would be what Nick would expect. So without giving it any more thought, Beth cut a path to the forested area across the road. The night hid her well as she slipped into the thick new foliage.

Beth was panting by the time she reached the far edge of the forest, where the roadway made a bend. It hadn’t been all that far to travel, but nervous excitement caused Beth’s heart to race.

Cautiously, she peered out of the trees to examine the situation. The Lassisters’ livery and stables were just across the road. A dim light shone from the front room of the house. A lamp had probably been left burning for Simon and Nick, as Millie, Evan, and Forrest were, no doubt, already in bed.

A thought came to Beth. Her father used to joke about how most of the things he lost were found hiding right in plan sight. Beth noted there was light coming from the open stable door. Maybe some of the cowboys had secured their mounts with the Lassiters, and the stables had been left in such a way for easy access. If Beth could make it to the barn unseen, she could hide there. Nick would never expect her to be in his own stable.

She smiled to herself. It was the perfect plan—one that even Lady Effingham or Justice Halbrook could be proud of. Looking back toward Rafe’s, Beth couldn’t tell if Nick was still among the men outside or not. She hoped he’d given up pursuing her.

Creeping toward the stable, Beth crossed the road. She climbed over the fence and crossed the corral, where the horses stood ready and waiting for tomorrow’s noon stage. They moved to the far end of the pen as if to show they’d have nothing to do with her escape plans.

It didn’t matter. Beth hurried in through the side door and quickly made her way to a hiding place behind a stack of hay bales. Prepared to wait out the situation as long as was necessary, Beth breathed a sigh of relief.

Without a watch, Beth had no way of knowing how long she remained hidden. But when no one appeared in the stable and sufficient time passed uneventfully, Beth decided to make her way home. Surely Nick had gone back to the bar. The thought irritated her, but now was not the time for contemplation.

She looked around the corner of the bales to see if the way was clear. She’d thought about returning the way she’d come but figured that might be more dangerous. If Nick had followed her, he might still be out there. No, she’d slip around behind Rafe’s, closer to the river. There might be the additional danger of meeting up with that rogue bear, but even that failed to frighten her as much as confronting Nick Lassiter and explaining why she’d been in the bar.

Beth took a deep breath and headed for the stable door. She’d only made it about five feet, however, when she felt someone crash into her back, forcing her to the ground. She tried to fight, but it was useless. Her hat fell away and her hair tumbled out around her.

Even before being rolled over, Beth knew her captor was Nick. However, she wasn’t prepared at all for the anger in his expression as he held her in place.

Nothing seemed to make sense in her mind, but Beth—ever willing to stick her foot in her mouth—matter-offactly said, “I didn’t think you went to Rafe’s anymore.”

CHAPTER ELEVEN

“Have you lost your mind?” Nick bellowed. He hauled Beth to her feet but held her securely, though he noticed she wasn’t even trying to fight him. “I can’t believe this. What in the world are you doing dressed like this—and at Rafe’s!”

“If you yell loud enough, maybe Rafe will come over to investigate, as well,” Beth replied.

When Nick had first seen her in the saloon, he’d thought his heart might actually stop beating. Why would she have ever ventured to put herself in harm’s way like that?

Still, she had a point. He had to calm down or he’d say something he’d regret.

“This has got to be one of the most dangerous nights at Rafe’s, and yet there you were . . . dressed like a cowboy—a man—and with a beer. What got into you, anyway? Do Gwen and Hank have any idea where you are? Do you know what would have happened to you if Rafe figured out who you were?” He barely took a breath before continuing. “I’ll tell you what would have happened. He would have given you over to those cowboys, and you would have lived out your craving for danger and adventure. I think you need a new philosophy, Miss Gallatin.”

He stared hard at Beth, hoping she might be intimidated by his strength and anger. Better he scare her out of such stupidity than someone else who cared nothing about her.

“Are you going to tell me why you were there tonight?” he asked.

Beth raised her chin ever so slightly. “I can’t see that it will help the matter at all. You’re just going to keep ranting and raving at me.”

She tried to pull away, but Nick tightened his grip and held her close against him. “You aren’t going anywhere until I get some answers.”