Chances (35 page)

Deputy Hanson stood in front of the other door in a heated argument with a group of husky men. Their voices rose, demanding entry to seek their disobedient wives.

Daniel shook his head at their hostile insistence. Their wives were probably better qualified to vote than they were. He glanced back to the crowd. McClellin had stopped again.

“Shit,” Hanks muttered.

At the other door, one of the belligerent men had downed Hanson. A second man reached for the door of the hall. Hanks’s attention shifted but he didn’t budge.

Daniel watched with growing unease. McClellin would be needed at the other door and he’d be waiting here forever while Hanks enforced his useless rules. Damn. He stepped forward. Hanks shifted with him, a solid wall.

Hanson yelled and Hanks turned toward the sound.

The second his head turned away, Daniel swung. His fist hit Hanks squarely on the jaw and dropped him. Daniel stepped over him and slipped inside.

The lobby was in as much disorder as outdoors. Daniel made his way through the busy enclaves of women, searching for his daughters’ brown ringlets.

A scream sounded through the room and he turned. Near the raffle table, Lavinia Morgan faced an angry young man with the broken neck of a beer bottle in his hand. A pale young woman cowered behind the table, still screaming. Two diminutive old women in lace collars rallied in front of the table. One of them snatched up a parasol and swung it at the man’s head. He ducked, cursing. The second white haired woman grabbed a bottle from the table and aimed it at the man. She squeezed its atomizer and the heavy scent of perfume filled the close air.

The man coughed and turned away. A handful of cherry pie filling flew from the crowd. It landed on his face, dripping onto the floor. Seconds later, Molly scrambled forward and flung a second handful of pie at him, then kicked him in the shin. Kate floundered after her and tossed a glass of punch at the man as he dropped to the floor.

Daniel’s heart skipped a beat.

Dear God.
He lunged toward the girls only to have the crowd close around him. He clawed his way through the mob, hoping Kate and Molly had sense enough to back away in time.

The hostile men who had downed Hanson were flooding through the other door, bringing their violence with them. They poured in, rushing hell-bent for the auditorium. Kate’s brown curls bobbed in the midst of them, swept along with the crowd. Molly yelled. Frantic women shouted after them and converged behind them just as others began to push toward the auditorium.

Daniel rushed with them. His jaw tightened and a chill raced down his back. He elbowed his way through the crowd, dodging fists and praying.

* * * * *

Sarah approached the stage wing and peered out at the audience, waiting for her introduction.

An explosion of sound erupted from the back of the auditorium and the rear doors burst open. A group of angry men staggered into the room. Women screamed. Supportive husbands, attending with their wives, jumped up. A tussle began among the men and shouts rose. The crowd made its way through the doors.

Sarah watched with concern. She hadn’t expected the violence to find its way inside. Surely, Lavinia had arranged for security.

The mousy woman at the lectern pounded her gavel and called for order before motioning wildly for Sarah to come on stage. “Start your speech,” she urged. “They can’t hear me. You’ll grab their attention.”

Sarah took a deep breath and stepped forward, accepting the assignment, her eyes on the back of the auditorium and the rising upheaval. Two small figures emerged from the melee and stumbled to the floor.

Sarah recognized Kate and Molly and gasped. Panic prickled on the back of her neck and she stepped back.

“Start your speech.”

Sarah choked back the urge to run forward, knowing she was too far away to save the girls. She could help them best by taking charge. People were depending on her. Besides, this was the moment she’d been waiting for, wasn’t it? She banged the gavel with force, cleared her throat, and began to speak.

From the aisle, Kate and Molly turned toward her, their eyes wide and hungry for comfort. Kate’s lips mouthed her name and Molly raised her arms, beckoning.

Sarah’s breath hitched and her speech suddenly seemed petty. She paused, stepped back, and fled down the front steps of the stage. She rushed forward, toward Kate and Molly.

A handful of women had surged from their seats, holding the throng away from the girls. The crowd split around them like buffalo diverted by a clump of trees. Sarah clawed her way toward them, only distantly aware of Lavinia’s commanding voice urging control. She reached the girls and sank to the floor, clutching them in her arms.

“Shhh, it’s going to be all right. You’re safe.” She rocked them, brushing their tear-soaked hair from their faces, kissing their foreheads.

Daniel emerged from the crowd and dropped to his knees, pain and worry etched into his face. “Are they all right?”

Sarah nodded. “Shaken up but safe.”

“And you?”

“I’m fine.”

“Then let’s get them out of here.” He scooped Kate into his arms. “Can you bring Molly?”

Sarah nodded, gathered Molly up, and followed Daniel down the aisle, away from the melee. They crossed in front of the audience and burst through a side door, into the dark hallway.

Daniel stopped and set Kate on the floor, then searched her tear-streaked face. “You’re not hurt?”

She shook her head. “No, Papa. But we’re awful scared.”

Molly clung to Sarah, sobbing.

Sarah kissed her and pulled her close. The dizzying rush of energy dissolved into numbness. With it came the realization that Kate and Molly had not come here with Daniel. Lord, whatever had they been thinking? She glanced at Daniel, unsure of what to do next.

He sat back on his haunches and examined Kate. She sported a blossoming bruise on her cheek. He touched it and she flinched. “You are hurt,” he said.

Kate offered a weak smile. “I think it was someone’s elbow. It happened when we fell.”

He hugged her, then pulled Molly close. “Let’s have a look at you.”

Kate drifted back and Sarah gathered her into her arms.

Molly sniffled and stood before Daniel. Her face, like Kate’s, was soaked with tears. She wiped her nose with her sleeve. Splats of bright red cherry pie filling dotted her dress, but no blood. Aside from scraped knees, she was unharmed.

Daniel hugged her as well then leveled his gaze at both of them. “You girls know you could have been seriously injured here, don’t you?”

“Yes, Papa,” they chorused solemnly.

“But we didn’t know that when we came,” Kate added. “We didn’t have any idea.”

Daniel nodded. “I was scared to death, girls,”

“Us, too.” Molly’s bottom lip trembled.

“What in heaven’s name were you doing here?”

They didn’t answer immediately. Kate shuffled her feet and glanced up at Sarah. Molly looked at Kate.

“Girls?”

Kate stood up straight and took a breath. “We—”

“Sarah invited us.” Molly uttered the words in a small voice.

Sarah stared, words escaping her.

Disbelief flooded Daniel’s face. “I don’t think Sarah would do that, Molly. You must have misunderstood.”

“But she did. It was when Miss Amelie asked her to give her speech. She said the rally was somethin’ nobody should miss and that she’d be honored to have us listen to her.”

The memory tumbled back to Sarah and her stomach tightened. They’d been quick words, uttered without thought. She hadn’t expected they’d really want to come, and had all but forgotten they’d discussed it. Lord, what had she done?

Daniel’s jaw clenched. He stood and crossed to the end of the hallway without saying a word.

Sarah swallowed. She hadn’t considered for a moment that the girls would take her words seriously. She glanced at their teary faces and disheveled clothes. What if they had been injured? Tears filled her eyes and she bit her lip.

At the end of the hall, Daniel checked the door, found it safely locked, and returned. “Kate, Molly, you two go wait by that door. Don’t open it up for anyone. I’ll be there in a few minutes.” He waited while the girls moved down the hall, then took Sarah’s arm and led her to the other end of the hallway.

Her heart pounded in the silence.

“Did you tell them that?”

She nodded. “But, I didn’t—”

“How could you?” he whispered. “Good God, Sarah. What were you thinking?”

She shook her head. “But I didn’t think they’d—”

“They’re just girls.” He stared at her. “And after I gave you my trust. Or was last night just a game?”

Pain slammed through her. “Your trust?” She stepped forward, her voice barely controlled. “What about trusting me now?”

“You just admitted doing it. How in God’s name can you ask me to trust you? I told you those girls are my world. I let my guard down and left them vulnerable. I should have thought with my head, emotions and passion be damned.”

Sarah reached for him. “You’re wrong, Daniel.”

He ignored her plea, and moved away from her touch. “I’m taking the girls home now. Don’t ever talk to them again. Stay out of my life, Sarah Donovan. For good.”

She watched Daniel and the girls disappear out the side door and sank to the floor. Her heart shattered and she leaned back against the wall, immobilized by guilt.

Chapter Twenty-one

Disbelief and dejection knotted together, shifting into a deep sense of resentment.

Sarah slammed her fist against the floor, damning Daniel for his ready breach of faith and refusal to listen. The invitation had been nothing more than a polite comment, made in passing, one any other person would have dismissed as meaningless conversation. Any adult.

Good lord, she’d forgotten they were children.

Surely Daniel would understand that. She jumped to her feet and strode down the hall to retrieve her coat. She pushed away her nagging apprehension. All she needed to do was catch him and talk to him about it. It would take only a few minutes and he’d realize the truth.

Except that he should have realized it all along.
The thought jabbed at her, poking holes in her analysis. She closed her eyes, willing her emotions to bow to common sense. It was the situation she needed to respond to, not Daniel’s hard-won passion.

She marched across the lobby and into the other hall, grabbed her coat and turned to leave.

“Miss Donovan?”

Sarah sighed and turned toward the familiar mousey voice. The timid young woman who had introduced her approached. “There’s a man here who wants to speak with you.” She nodded toward an elderly gentleman at the other end of the hall.

“I’m just on my way out,” Sarah hedged.

“He says it’s important.”

Sarah sighed again and nodded.

The man approached, but didn’t offer his hand. He stopped and peered at her, his baby blue eyes startling under his bushy white eyebrows. “Miss Donovan.”

“Yes?”

“I’m Harry Bowers. I’m a member of the Denver Chamber of Commerce.”

“How do you do?” She raised her eyebrows and waited.

Bowers tipped his head and took a breath. “This isn’t a social call, Miss Donovan,” he said. “I’ll get straight to the point. Over the past few weeks, I’ve overheard bits and pieces of gossip concerning you.”

Annoyance crept through her. She didn’t have time for this. “Gossip is often misleading, Mr. Bowers.”

“Quite true. That is why I normally ignore it.”

Sarah crossed her arms, forcing her voice to stay level. “Yet, you’ve stopped me in a hallway to discuss it, so I presume this is not one of those times?”

His mouth twitched with momentary discomfort, then thinned into a determined line. “I dined at the Grand Central last night and couldn’t help noticing you were there with Daniel Petterman. Petterman is a fellow businessman and the newly elected president of the Chamber of Commerce.” He sighed. “The gossip now has a potential to impact others.”

Sarah rolled her eyes. “Oh, for heaven’s sake—”

“I’ll be blunt, Miss Donovan. I’ve overheard several discussions at my landlady’s table concerning you. I’ve heard that you procured your job because you granted favors to the station manager and that you are being investigated for conducting illicit transactions via the telegraph.”

“What? I’ve never …” Shocked anger roiled inside of her. What had Frank Bates done now? “That’s ridiculous.” Heavens, had she been so wrapped up in other things that she’d missed something important at the depot? She turned to Bowers, hating that anyone would believe Bates. “Have you ever stopped to consider that the people saying such things might have motives for doing so?”

He nodded, his mouth again twitching. “I have, indeed.” He regrouped and leveled his gaze at her. “I don’t come here lightly. I wired the main office of the Kansas-Pacific and they verified that you are under investigation.”

Her annoyance skittered to a halt and a strange sense of dread swirled in the bottom of her stomach. “And how does that even begin to concern you?”

“Because you are involved with Petterman.” Bowers paused and took another breath. “I watched you last night and saw a great deal more than I should have. If you haven’t seduced him by now, I doubt it will take you much longer. If even a few other people saw what I did, his name will be linked to yours. I will not stand by and allow the Chamber of Commerce to be dragged through the mud because its president has been duped by a woman like you.”

Sarah shook her head, unwilling to believe what was happening. Her hands clenched and the knot in her stomach tightened. She swallowed and stared at Bowers. “With all due respect, you’re intruding into things that are none of your business.”

He stepped forward, wagging a finger in indignation. “Oh, but it became my business the minute you targeted a Chamber member. Scandal is bad for business. I’ve no doubt the papers will get wind of this before much longer. After all, everybody at the boarding house has heard. I suggest you take your little games on to the next town. If you choose to stay, the Chamber will use its influence with the Kansas-Pacific to assure that you are fired. You won’t find a job anywhere else in town.”