He helped her into the carriage and handed her a blanket. Tilly laid it across her lap and enjoyed the few minutes’ ride. The driver stopped at the depot and graciously helped her down. She reached into her reticule for a coin, but he held up a hand.
“No, thank you, miss. The hotel insists,” he said.
“All right.” Tilly closed her reticule. “I thank you for the ride, then.”
“Any time.” He doffed his hat.
She crossed the platform and stood looking out over the tracks. She ought to start by paying a visit to Liam, if only to ensure he hadn’t already found a place for them.
Stepping down gingerly from the platform to the dirty snow-covered road, she crossed the tracks to the other side of the street. The land office wasn’t very far at all, and just a moment later, Tilly entered the inviting warmth of the building.
“Mrs. Hannan, what a pleasure to see you again.” Mr. Gilbert smiled at her from behind the counter. He was holding a pen over a stack of papers, but he set it down as he stood to greet her.
“It’s lovely to see you again too, Mr. Gilbert,” she said. She glanced behind him, but no one else was there. “I’m looking for my husband. Is he here?”
Mr. Gilbert crinkled his forehead as if her question confused him. “No, not since this morning. He said he needed to makesome arrangements, and he wasn’t certain how long it would take.”
“Oh . . .” Tilly trailed off. He must have gone looking for a new place for them to live.
“He headed to the depot first. I gave him some mail to take with him,” Mr. Gilbert said.
“The depot?” That caught Tilly by surprise. “Did he say what he was planning to do there?”
“He didn’t. I’m sorry I can’t be of more help.” Mr. Gilbert paused. “Is everything all right?”
“It’s just fine.” Tilly forced herself to smile. There was no need to worry Liam’s boss, not when he needed this position at the land office.
He smiled back at her. “I’ll tell my wife you stopped in. She enjoyed meeting you at the Gardiners’ the other evening.”
“As did I,” Tilly replied. Dora Gilbert had been one of the kindest people she’d ever met, and Tilly hoped to get to know her better.
Maybe after all of this mess with Dutch Rodgers came to an end. And to do that, she needed to find Liam.
Tilly hurried to the depot, but the stationmaster was gone for the day, and the place was manned by a boy who barely looked fifteen. He knew nothing at all of Liam coming by that morning.
Outside, on the platform, Tilly took a moment to think. Liam hadn’t anything to mail—except what Mr. Gilbert had given him after he learned Liam was planning to come by the depot. He could have gone to the depot to send a telegram, but to whom? Tilly wasn’t aware that Liam had any family or contacts outside of town.
The only other option was to purchase train fare.
She chewed on her lip as she looked out onto the road, where teams of horses and wagons had churned through the snow. Where would he want to go? And why wouldn’t he say anythingto her? Perhaps he meant to tell her tonight. Maybe he planned for them to leave town in the morning. Or . . .
Maybe he planned to send her away.
That thought ate at Tilly, and she wrapped her arms around herself. He could purchase as many tickets as he wanted—she wasn’t going anywhere without him.
Or . . . perhaps he’d bought the ticket for himself and already left.
That hurt more than thinking about him wanting to send her away.
Tilly lifted her chin. She wouldn’t entertain that thought, at least not until she’d searched this entire town for him.
Mind made up, she stopped by a couple of shops. He wasn’t at any of them, of course. She didn’t know why he might visit the hardware store or the general store at this moment. Standing on the sidewalk, she turned around. A few people were out, hurrying as they made their way through the cold. She could hear music coming from the church, and it buoyed her hope.
Liam did not disappear. He had to be here somewhere. And if he wasn’t, well . . . she’d cross that bridge when she came to it.
As she turned around, trying to figure out where to go next, her gaze landed on Fred Polson’s Boardinghouse. Despite the stories she’d heard, it didn’t look so intimidating with snow on the roof and the late afternoon sun making the wooden siding glow.
It was a place to stay, and if Liam had run out of all other options, he might have reluctantly decided upon it. Surely it wouldn’t hurt if she stepped inside for just a few minutes to speak with the proprietor.
