Colorado Dawn (26 page)

“Forget it.” Phin glared at her. “I’m not going. I can’t leave the city. My uncle’s coming back for me. He won’t be able to find me if I’m in Denver. I’m better off here in jail than hundreds of miles away in another orphanage.”

Familiar pain sliced through Eldora. Phin boasted often of his uncle, the one who was coming back any day now to get him. The one who had dropped him off at the orphanage five years before with a promise to return. She turned to Mr. Mackenzie. “Are you going to bring in the police, Mr. Mackenzie?”

His grip eased. “No, there’s no time for that. They’ll be calling us to the train any minute.”

“Hey.” Phin stuck out his bottom lip and lowered his brows at Eldora. “How is it you know this big skite?”

The call to trains saved her from having to answer. “We’ve got to go.” She grabbed Phin’s hand, though he tried to tug out of her grip.

Mr. Mackenzie released his hold on the boy’s collar with a scowl. “I’ll be right back. Go over to my aunt, and I’ll meet you there and see you on the train.” He turned and marched over to the bench where the redheaded woman still sat.

No wonder she’d been crying. Perhaps they were in love and going to be parted for a while. Eldora sighed and shook her head, hearing the matron’s admonition to stop her woolgathering daydreams and be practical.

She turned to go back to Tick and Celeste, but Phin dug in his heels. “I told you I’m not going on the train. I’m staying here where Uncle Myatt can find me.”

Though slight, Phin was wiry-strong, and Eldora knew she couldn’t physically force him to go. But if he didn’t go, she couldn’t deliver him to the orphanage in Denver. If she failed to deliver all three children to the orphanage, Mr. Korbin would not wire her the money for her return ticket. Desperation thickened her voice. “Phin, please. We left word with Mrs. Scrabeck at the orphanage where you could be found if your uncle should show up. I need you on this trip. I can’t do this without you. And what about Tick? If you don’t go with us, he’ll be all alone. Please, Phin.”

Phin’s tough expression crumbled a bit around the edges. If he had any weak spot, it was Tick. He rubbed his chin as if considering the situation. “I guess I could at least help you get the kids to Denver. Nothing says I have to stay there. I could hop a return train to St. Louie and be back here before New Year’s.”

Eldora’s knees went wobbly. She gave Phin a trembly smile and let his hand go. “Thank you, Phin. I knew I could count on you.”

Sam helped Yvette to her feet and escorted her to where Aunt Tabitha sat with two children. He almost laughed at the look on Tabitha’s face. Her nose twitched like she’d just smelled something foul but was too polite to mention it. “Yvette, sit here with these children for a moment while I talk to my aunt.”

Tabitha levered herself up and walked with him a few paces. “What did she want?”

Though he was loathe to spill Yvette’s secrets to anyone, he needed Tabitha’s help in the matter. “She’s going to have a baby.”

Tabitha jerked as if he’d slapped her, and he put up his hands.

“The child isn’t mine.”

She relaxed a fraction, but her eyes were wary. “Is there time to tell me the story?”

“Not all of it, but enough. From what I gather, she and her mother are broke, the father of the child has skipped town, and they’re about to be evicted from their house. I know it’s a lot to ask, and I have no real right to do so, but would you consider helping them out? Investigate her claims, since we both know what a liar she is, but maybe see if you can get them settled in a house somewhere, maybe find a job for Hortense so she can support them?” He dug in his newly reclaimed wallet, happy to see the little thief had left the cash inside. “Give her this.” He pressed some bills into Tabitha’s hand while the train whistle blew. “I’ve got to go.”

She lifted her wrinkled cheek for his kiss. “I’ll look into it. If her claims are true, I’ll see what I can do.” She folded the bills and tucked them into her bag. “Give my love to the family, and remind your father if he doesn’t come visit me soon, he might find me on his doorstep checking up on him.”

“I will, and thank you.” He squeezed her hand gently in deference to her delicate bones. The young woman from the orphanage approached, her hand on the shoulder of the pickpocket.

“Miss Carter, this is my great-nephew, Sam Mackenzie. Sam, this is Miss Eldora Carter and her charges. She’ll introduce the children once you’re on the train.”

Eldora. The name seemed too old for her. This entire enterprise seemed too much for someone her age. Wrangling a petty thief would be bad enough, but she had two others to manage as well. “Let me take your bag for you.”

The older boy—Phin, she’d called him?—snatched the battered valise and glared at Sam. “I can get it.”

“Fine.” If the boy had his hands full, he couldn’t be dipping them into others’ pockets. “Shall we?” He took Eldora’s elbow. The little boy slid off the bench and took her hand on the other side, and the girl stood up gracefully and adjusted her scarf. She’d be about ten, he supposed, though guessing little girls’ ages wasn’t something at which he was proficient. Why had no one adopted such a strikingly beautiful child?

“Are we going to the train now?” The small boy might be six or seven. He had a sort of stretched-tight, worn-thin look about him, though he almost quivered with excitement. Maybe a little mountain air and some good food would brace him up, make him a little more robust.

Yvette shot him one last pleading glance, and he had the feeling of wriggling out of a trap as he walked away from her. He’d done the best he could short of marrying her, and that he was not prepared to do.

He held the door for Miss Carter and the kids and ushered them outside, casting a thank you over his shoulder to Aunt Tabitha.

She nodded and joined Yvette on the bench, making a shooing motion toward Sam.

The conductor was picking up his stepstool when they reached the edge of the platform. “Just in time.” He replaced the wooden box and offered his hand to Miss Carter, then swung the girl after her.

The little boy scrambled up, followed by Phin and the bag.

The conductor consulted his watch. “You can board here and walk through two cars to get to your private car, Mr. Mackenzie.”

Sam nodded and grasped the cold, metal handrail. He’d just see them settled and head to the privacy and peace of the Mackenzie private car. Yvette’s condition had shocked him more than he cared to admit, and he needed a little time to sort things out in his mind.

The conductor pointed to the overhead rack tilted out from the wall. “You can stow your bag there or under the seat.” He checked his watch again as the train whistle blasted. “You might want to take your seats. We’ll be pulling out any minute now.” He continued up the car, nodding to passengers, stopping to talk to some.

Two velvet-covered benches facing each other defined a seating area. The smaller boy hopped up to kneel next to the window, his thin face alive with excitement. Phin shoved his hair out of his eyes and tossed the valise under their seat. Eldora ushered the girl ahead of herself. She looked so fragile and uncertain, as wide-eyed as the kids, though she was supposed to be in charge.

“You’ll be fine here, right? If you need anything, ask the conductor or have him send someone to my car at the rear of the train.” The train lurched, and Sam grabbed the back of a bench. Somehow it felt wrong to just abandon her here, but what else was he supposed to do? His instructions from Tabitha were to see her and the kids onto the train and maybe check in on them occasionally to make sure they were doing all right. Odd to feel this conflicted over leaving her when leaving Yvette had brought only relief. He shook his head. Addlepated, that’s what he was.

“We’ll be fine. Thank you for seeing us onto the train.”

“I won’t be far away if you need me. You’ve got your tickets, right?”

She nodded, patting her pocket. “Your aunt asked me several times.”

“All right. I’m going to go now.” He turned to Phin. “Behave yourself and watch out for the ladies.”

Phin glared back and said nothing.

The smaller boy bounced on the seat, his feet knocking into Phin’s leg. “We’re moving, Phin. Lookit how fast!” He pointed to the buildings sliding past the window as the train gained momentum. If he was this thrilled by train-yard speed, what would he be like once they got onto the open prairie?

“Tickets, please.” The conductor approached, stopping at each set of seats. Sam shifted his weight and decided to remain just long enough to be sure she had the tickets properly punched. When the conductor drew near, Eldora dug in her pocket and produced the pasteboards. Her eyes seemed to swallow up her face, liquid pools the color of caramels, and a tremulous smile touched her lips when she looked up.

While the conductor worked his hole punch, Phin swatted the thin boy’s feet off the bench. “Turn around and sit down, Tick. There’s no room for your boots up here.” He tugged his cloth cap down and folded his arms as if preparing for a snooze.

Eyes narrowed, the smaller child snatched the cap and tossed it onto the floor.

Phin jolted upright and snarled. “Tick, you rat. Pick that up!” He grabbed the boy’s wrist and forced it down toward the floor.

Tick squirmed out of Phin’s grasp and tripped over his feet, sprawling into the aisle. He popped up and whirled to face the bigger boy. “You’re acting like you think this ain’t no big deal, but I know better. You ain’t never been on a train before. You ain’t never been out of the city.” He plowed into Phin, elbows jutting, puny fists swinging. “Admit it, you’re excited and maybe even a little scared.”

In their jostling, they tumbled into the space between the seats and rammed into Eldora and the little girl.

“Phin, Tick, stop it this instant!” Eldora tried to grab a flailing arm as the boys tussled but got an elbow in the chin for her trouble. She rocked back blinking.

Heads turned. The conductor started back their way. “I say, miss, you must control these children. We can’t have them brawling in the middle of the car.”

Phin struck out and his boot connected with the conductor’s shin. The squabble had the attention of everyone in the car.

“Boys, knock it off.” Sam reached into the fray, grabbing whatever appendage he could. Little hooligans. He wound up with Phin’s wrist and Tick’s ankle. Righting the little boy, he pushed both of them back into their seats. In his efforts to get them off the floor and separated, his arm brushed the girl, snagging her scarf and dragging it off. He glanced up to beg her pardon and froze. A quiver rippled through him, and he couldn’t look away.

Below the china-blue eyes and perfect porcelain skin, her mouth was a ravaged mess. Where her upper lip should have been, a gaping hole snarled, the edges disappearing into her right nostril. Her teeth jutted at odd angles in the opening. She grabbed the muffler and tried to put it up before anyone else saw, but it was too late.

A woman let out a shriek, and a man gasped.

“Lookit that!” A boy nearly Phin’s age hung over the seat ahead of them and pointed. “What a freak!” He doubled over with laughter, and before Sam could prevent it, Phin punched the jeering boy right in the mouth.

S
am had a fraction of a second to shoot an arrow of prayer for patience heavenward before braving the fray.

Phin launched himself over the back of the seat and pinned the boy. Tick followed suit, shouting, “Stop your laughing, you skunk. I’ll beat you to a powder.”

Even as Sam hauled both boys off the offender, he marveled at their swift change from foes to allies. Evidently they could beat on each other all they wanted, but nobody from outside was allowed to without consequences.

“Ha, now you’ve got a split lip, dog face!” Tick took one last weak swing, his face pasty white and his little ribcage working like a bellows. A bluish tinge colored his lips.

The conductor’s genial expression fused into a hard mask. “Miss, we cannot allow this kind of behavior on the train. You’ll have to control the boys, or they will have to be put off at the next stop.” He darted a glance at the little girl who had tugged her scarf over her face once more and whose eyes now brimmed with tears.

Eldora put her arm around the child and drew her into her side. “Sir, please, I am sorry. I’ll make them behave. Don’t put us off, please. We’ll try not to trouble you or anyone else.”

It bothered Sam that she should be apologizing for the boys when they should be apologizing for themselves, and that the conductor had nothing to say about the poor manners of the people who gawked and jeered at a little girl with a deformed face. Before he could speak, one of those ill-mannered passengers voiced her opinion.

“Those little hoodlums should be in jail, and that girl should be in an asylum. What’s she doing out among decent people with a face like that?” A woman’s high-pitched inquiry shot through the car. She hoisted her ample self up and leaned over the seat to glare at the little girl as if everything was somehow the child’s fault. “I’ve never seen anything so awful in all my life. What is the railroad thinking putting brawling children and deformed freaks in with the regular passengers?”