Still, Elizabeth felt ill at ease in his presence, aware of the lie as though it were a tangible being among them.
“It’s been a rough trip for Liz,” Cutter explained, as though sensing her unease. He rubbed her back soothingly, the gesture affectionate.
“Imagine so,” Elias returned, scraping his beard with his long fingers. He coughed abruptly, glancing quickly at Miss Mimi, and then cleared his throat, looking directly at Elizabeth. “You folks take the train at all?”
Elizabeth tried in vain to tamp down the panic she felt. His look penetrated so deeply that she was certain he could see the lie. Her thoughts and voice fled. She tried to speak, to tell him no... but her voice wouldn’t materialize. Good night! She’d lose Katie for certain! It just wasn’t possible to fool Elias Bass! She couldn’t! How had she ever considered it?
Cutter gave her a gentle shove at her back, urging her without words to speak up. When that didn’t work, his hand slipped down to cup her rear, squeezing softly.
“No!” she gasped, leaping away, her hand going behind her to swat Cutter’s away. Unobligingly, he didn’t release her, but when she would have leapt inadvertently into Elias, his firm grip on her skirt kept her from it, and so she let it pass without another word.
Elias took a wary step backward. He coughed and cleared his throat, glancing with raised brows at his housekeeper.
Miss Mimi looked guiltily away, obviously having seen the gesture as well, and Elizabeth felt flooded with shame for shocking the woman so.
“Well,” Elias began with a slow-spreading grin, “I reckon you two are pretty tuckered.” He and Cutter shared a knowing look, and Cutter returned his lopsided smile, along with a nod.
Elizabeth plainly understood what Elias hadn’t asked aloud. Need time alone? But before she could utter a protest, he was ordering Katie off the bed and shooing her out the door. “Out, Katie,” he said gently, and then, looking to Cutter, still grinning, he added, “We’ll let you folks be for now. Reckon there’ll be plenty of time to get acquainted later.”
Cutter nodded once more. “Reckon so.”
“But I wanna stay!” Katie objected with a single stamp of her foot.
“You can come back later,” Elias promised. “Now, go on.”
Elizabeth opened her mouth to say that there was no reason Katie shouldn’t remain with them when Cutter’s hand slipped down to her bottom once more. She jolted at his touch, spinning about to pierce him with venom in her eyes. Just you wait, she promised silently. Just you wait. Turning again, she saw that Elias was already shoving Miss Mimi along before him. And Katie was gone; her lithe little running footsteps were fading down the hall. Her protest died in her throat.
Miss Mimi shook her head. “That child never walks,” she complained. “One of these days she’s going to kill herself on those steps!” She sighed wearily, and then realizing what she’d said, and the reason for Elizabeth’s visit, she looked to Elizabeth, her expression both a little sad and pleased. There was a moment of profound understanding between the two as Miss Mimi handed over the reins to Elizabeth, and then she smiled and turned away. “I’ll run the bath for you,” she called out, trying to sound cheery.
“No, you won’t, Mimi,” Elias rebutted, winking at her. “Can’t you see these two young people need some time alone? It’s been a long trip for them—poor woman’s as jumpy as a toad. Give ‘em time to breathe, for Pete’s sake. Don’t worry about the bath, Mrs. McKenzie,” he called out from the hall. “We’ll warm it when you’re ready. Take your time.” Their footsteps echoed on the wooden floor, and then suddenly they halted abruptly.
Miss Mimi shrieked. “Elias—stop it!”
Elias wheezed, the sound part laughter, part rasp.
“Don’t think I missed that cough in there!” Miss Mimi cried. “You’re not well! Didn’t I tell you that ride to and from St. Louis would be too much in this heat!”
“I’m fine,” Elias assured her.
Miss Mimi snorted in disagreement, and then sighed in resignation. “Don’t you think she looks the spitting image of Katherine?” she asked, changing the subject.
“Reckon a little,” Elias conceded.
“Oh, Elias,” Mimi chided, her voice becoming faint with distance. “You must not have been looking at her face! I say she looks just like Katherine!”
Elias’ chuckle was barely audible, and then Miss Mimi squawked again, yielding a final giggle.
When they were gone at last, and there was no danger of anyone returning, Elizabeth swung to face Cutter, her look indignant. “How could you? They saw you do that!”
His movements as agile and muscular as a mountain cat, Cutter closed the door, turning to lean his thick shoulders against it, his grin clearly predatorial. “Saw what?” he asked, his eyes sparkling with mischief.
“Don’t pretend you don’t know what I’m talking about, Mr. McKenzie! How could you do such a thing?”
“What?” he asked huskily. “Be so familiar with my wife?” He shrugged. “Reckon I couldn’t think of a better way to get them the hell outta here. Chrissakes, Liz, given another moment, you might have confessed every sin you ever committed to the man. Couldn’t have that, now could we? Besides, I wouldn’t worry about shocking those two,” he said with a twisted grin. “They could probably teach us a thing or two.”
Elizabeth’s expression was first appalled and then disbelieving. She asked, “Elias and Miss Mimi?”
Cutter shrugged noncommittally, raking a hand across his sweat-dampened bangs, sweeping them out of his eyes.
