Charlotte held his gaze until he looked away, back to Ruby.
Ruby.
She must have heard that Charlotte was searching for her and shared that information with her husband. And he had then concocted this scheme with Polson. Ruby appeared remorseful for her part in all of this, but had she been all along? Or only when she realized what might happen to Charlotte if her father didn’t follow through with payment?
Charlotte swallowed hard at that thought. He would do as the letter requested, wouldn’t he? And then she’d be indebted to him for the rest of her life. That thought left a bitter taste in her mouth. She’d remain alive, but she’d be obligated to live that life back in Baltimore, married to Mr. Lindstrom. Her heart ached at the thought of leaving Mark behind.
“Good,” McNab said, breaking into her thoughts. He handed the slip of paper back to Ruby, who was now standing. “Take that straight to the telegraph office. Then wait till you get a response, even if it takes all night.”
Charlotte’s stomach turned at the thought of sitting here alone with the two men for the duration of the night.
Ruby started for the door, but McNab grabbed her arm, hard enough that she almost tripped. Charlotte gritted her teeth at the action, wishing she could stand and give Mr. McNab a good slap across the face.
“Don’t dawdle. And for the sake of Miss Montgomery, don’t talk to anyone.” He let her go and then nodded toward Polson. “Give her some money.”
Polson scowled, but he reached into his pocket and withdrew some bills. Ruby walked almost silently across the floor, shooting a quick, desperate glance at Charlotte before taking the money Polson held out.
Ruby left, and Charlotte tried to be thankful they were sending by telegraph and not by post. And she prayed for a quick response, trying to shove aside the growing understanding that it would mean giving up her newfound freedom—and Mark.
As Polson and McNab conversed in whispers near the door, Charlotte fought to keep tears from her eyes. What if her father refused to pay? He likely thought of her as an ungrateful daughter, after all. If their scheme didn’t work, she may not live much longer. That was terrifying enough, but if it did work, she would need to leave Mark behind.
And somehow, that felt even worse. Because if she left Mark here, she would be leaving her heart too. The woman who returned to Baltimore would be but a shell, an empty, obedient daughter.
Charlotte lowered her chin to her knees. She didn’t pray this time.
Because she didn’t know what to pray for.
Chapter Seventeen
LIGHTS WERE ABLAZEin the sheriff’s office when Mark arrived. He shoved the door shut against the wind, and when he turned to greet Sheriff Young, he stopped still.
The sheriff wasn’t alone. One of his regular deputies, Harry Caldwell, an older man who looked as if he’d tangled with more than his fair share of outlaws, was there, arms crossed and feet planted in a stance that would withstand the wind outside. But it wasn’t Caldwell’s presence that caught Mark off-guard.
It was the woman.
Petite, blonde, and without a hat, she looked as if she’d crawled out of a canyon on her hands and knees.
