Games (Timeless Series) (23 page)

“Yes, but with winter almost upon us, it does
not require much time on my part. Please, Simon. Surely there is something I can do.”

Simon sighed
. Eyeing her, he determined the tenacious part of her wasn’t going to back down. He might as well give in now, or else she’d just badger him into it eventually. Besides, he had taken her virginity. Giving her a task to keep her out of the way seemed the least he could do to compensate, especially since he wasn’t offering marriage.

“Maybe there is something that isn’t too dangerous for you to do.”

“Really!” Giselle squealed excitedly. “You mean it?”

“Yes, why not?”
He stopped for a few minutes, thinking of some innocuous chore to occupy her time. Coming up with an idea, he asked, “How friendly are you with the hands around here?”

“Friendly enough
.” She shrugged. “Some more than others. Why?”

“I’d like to know more about one of the new hands without him knowing I’m asking questions
. Maybe if the questions came from you in a roundabout way, I’d learn more.”

Her smile brightened
. “Oh, I understand now. Just like you did the other night. Keep the conversation going without volunteering anything. You really are good at that.”

“It’s a handy skill to have at times
,” he said, chuckling at her perception.

“
And something I can mimic, I am sure.” Her ardor for the task was apparent in the statement. “Just tell me who you are interested in and I will do my best.”

Simon shook his head, not wanting to be amused by her enthusiasm
.

“Well?
Are you going to tell me or not?”

The stubborn tilt to her head drew his attention, and noting the determination in her expression, all amusement fled
. My God! He’d taken leave of his senses and was actually giving in to her.

“Giselle, if you do this, please be careful,” he warned
. “It is a game, but I wasn’t kidding when I said it can be deadly.”

“Simon, trust me
.” She waved off his concern. “I am Marcus Franklin’s daughter.”

“Oh? And you think
that will keep you safe?”

“
Non
. But what he taught me will,” she stated boldly, meeting his worried expression.

Simon raised his eyebrows, totally unconvinced
. “What he taught you? Pray, enlighten me.”

Giselle heaved an unconcerned shrug
. “When Marguerite and I were younger, he made sure we could defend ourselves in case we ever got into a situation we did not want to be in.”

“Really?” he asked, his amusement returning
. He’d all but stopped eating at this point, more interested in what she was saying. “So you think his lessons will be enough to keep you safe from hardened men who think of killing in the same vein as spitting?”

“Since I
have never met anyone quite so nasty, I cannot say. He taught me enough to keep my head and do my best to use my wits to stay alive.”

“
You aren’t going to need those skills because you’re not going to be in any danger.” He met her gaze. “Do you understand what I’m telling you?” he said firmly. “Ask questions. Nothing more.”

“
I am not an idiot, Simon. Of course I understand.” She dismissed his warnings with a shrug. “So, who are you interested in? Let me guess. I bet it is Black, the new guy. I have heard he is a bit of a rough character.”

“What have I gotten myself into?”
He rolled his eyes heavenward, counting to twenty. Ten wasn’t near enough. “Giselle, look at me.”

“What?”
She met his stern gaze with a defiant one.

“I need to know you’re taking this seriously, or you can forget about helping
.”

“
Of course I understand. I do take it seriously and I will help you, I promise. Have a little faith, will you?”

“Not when I see that scheming look in your eyes
.” He heaved a heavy sigh. “I’m responsible for this case, and I’m not about to let anything happen to you because of it.”

“You really are worried about me?”

Simon grunted. “I’m worried because I’m beginning to know you.”

“That
is so sweet.” Giselle smiled warmly, patting his hand. “And since you are so worried, I promise all I will do is ask questions, innocent ones at that. It will not be any harder than flirting,” she assured him.

His
gaze stayed fastened on hers. What he saw eased his mind, and he went back to eating.

“So
, tell me a little about the case,” Giselle said. “Then I can think about what kind of questions to ask in order to help you.”

Simon shrugged
and brought her up-to-date on all that had been happening. Before he finished, he gave her a rundown on his suspicions about Black and why. He ended by warning her to be careful once again.

When Simon stopped talking, Giselle got up from the table
.

“Well,
I have a busy day planned and I am late getting started,” she explained when his eyebrows rose. On her way out of the room, she paused. Another beautiful smile lit her face. “Thank you, Simon, for allowing me to help you. You will not regret it.”

She then came around the table and bent to kiss him on the cheek before hurrying out of the room.

Stunned, Simon stared at the empty doorway. Her scent still hung in the air. Shaking his head, he wondered what had gotten into him. Giselle Franklin was like no other woman he’d ever met. She could be beguiling and flirtatious one minute, and unaffected and innocent the next. She was a fascinating woman/child and his attraction to her was stronger than ever.

Putting his hands on his face, he rubbed, working to clear the memory invading his brain, the one of her in his bed last night
. He should stay away from her. She was enticing him further into her trap. Despite enjoying the experience, he had no intention of finding himself locked in to something he couldn’t get out of. He was smarter than that, for God’s sake. He’d resisted women’s lures before. He’d simply do it again.

Simon
finished his breakfast, more determined than ever to quickly resolve his case and get the hell off the farm and well away from the tempting woman. Thank God he had enough to keep him busy from sunup until sunset for the next few days. He’d use the time to both distance himself from Giselle, and to solve the case.

Giselle rushed
up the stairs, excited to actually be involved in Simon’s case. She was determined to make a difference in its outcome. Upon entering her room, she went over to her bureau and opened the top drawer. Lying neatly inside was a small handgun, a derringer her father had taught her to use so many years ago in Paris. She picked it up along with several bullets and placed them in her pocket. Next to a scarf was a sharp nail file, which she also stuck into her pocket.

After a glance
in the mirror to make sure she was presentable, she headed outside.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw
Gus and veered in his direction.

He
grunted and looked up. “You’re later than usual today. Is everything all right?”

“Things could
not be better, why?”

His shoulders lifted in a slight shrug
. “You seemed a little put out the last time I saw you.”

She
tendered an unladylike snort. “I was not happy about riding with Simon at first, but we worked it out.”

“
Ja
?” Gus wiped the sweat off his brow, seeming relieved. “That’s good to hear. I didn’t mean to push him in your path if you didn’t want him there.”

“How sweet of you, Gus,” she said
with a smile. “You need not worry about me. He is a bit irritating at times, but nothing I cannot handle.”

“
Figured as much, but I needed to make sure. I’m glad things worked out. The horses got some exercise and Simon got his questions answered.”

Giselle
bit her cheek to keep a straight face. Gus had no idea of the questions that had gotten answered in the last twenty-four hours.

“
Ja
,” Gus went on. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you quite so rattled, Giselle.” His lips curled at the edges. “I’d be wary of Simon Harrington if I were you. He’s not someone to trifle with. He’s nothing like those other young wastrels who come pounding at your door.”

“
What are we doing today?” she asked, changing the subject, not wanting him to know she had already figured that out.

“I thought we’d exercise all of the thoroughbreds this morning
. Run them around the track a couple of times each. The weather can’t hold much longer. Might as well make use of it. Since Libby’s not here and we’re only exercising, not training, I’ve asked a couple of the other hands to help out. They’re meeting us at the track.”

A surge of
anticipation swept over Giselle as she followed him. Her opportunity to do some sleuthing just got easier.

At
the track, Giselle walked over to the group of men standing around, talking and joking while waiting for direction.

Without raising any suspicions over her behavior, she
teased and flirted with the four fellows, hoping to loosen their tongues during the session. She knew each of them well enough, so none would suspect her actions.

After a few comments back and forth, the talk turned to the poker game three of the men had participated in the night before.

“You played poker last night,” she asked innocently.

“We do most every Saturday and Sunday nights, Miss Giselle,” said Bucky Hill, a good-natured fellow who got his name from breaking horses on a Texas ranch.

“I bet you’re all great poker players,” Giselle said in her sweetest voice. “Did you win?”

“No
. We all lost money to Black last night. He sure was on a winning streak.” This comment came from José Herrera.

Giselle
caught the name. “He is the new man Gus hired, right?”

Jos
é nodded. “He’s been here about a month now. Been keeping us entertained, too.”

“Oh?
How so?” she asked, more intrigued than ever.

“Usually he loses and loses big
. At least from what I hear. I don’t play much, just listen to all his complaining,” said Jamison, also part of the group.

“
Yet last night he won?” Giselle inquired mildly, trying to keep the interest out of her voice.

“Yea
h, the only one who did.” José spit out a stream of tobacco juice. “The rest of us won squat.”

Shaking his head, Jack Paulson chimed in
. “I sure as heck ain’t seen nothing like it. He couldn’t lose. ’Course, his winnings’re just a drop in the bucket compared to what he’s lost these past weeks.”

She gave an indifferent shrug
. “Maybe he was just lucky because it was his turn to win. I wonder where he gets his money, though, if you say he loses all the time.”

“I
dunno where he’s getting his coin, but he’s always got some to lose lately. And we sure like winnin’ it.”

Gus walked up and b
arked, “Quit your yammering and get to work.”

All five
jumped and spread out to do his bidding.

Giselle worked
side by side with the men and flirted whenever she got a chance. At lunchtime, she walked back to the main house with the four, who were on their way to the bunkhouse.

When the
y neared the stables, Giselle noticed two men in deep conversation.

Turning to Bucky, who was closest to her, she asked, “Who is that over there?
I have never seen either of those men before.”

Bucky looked to where she
pointed and squinted.

“That’s Black.”

She shrugged. “Humph. He does not look like he is smart enough to take all your money at poker. You fellows must have been having a bad night.”

Bucky grunted
. “I just hope it doesn’t happen again.”

Noddi
ng, she asked nonchalantly, “Who is he with?”

“Some fellow who’s
workin’ on the new railroad tracks in Lou’ville. But I don’t know why he’d be here on a Monday.”

“They look like they
are good friends. Maybe he is working here now.”

“I don’t think
so, else I’d a heard about it.”

“How do you know he works on the tracks?”

“He’s a friendly sort and told us so. He’s sat in on the poker games once or twice. We don’t mind ’cause he’s as big a loser as Black is. And when I see Black in town, the fellow’s like his shadow, always around.”

He stopped talking and she changed the subject,
unwilling to let him think she was too interested in Black and his friend.