And so he did. He lifted her in his arms and carried her out of the carriage and into the house. Marvella was calling orders to the staff and for Nora to bring Ellie tea.
“Have Cook make the special lemon tea. Oh, and put some rosehips in it.” She glanced back at Eleanor. “And honey. And be fast about it.”
Nora nodded and scrambled from the room.
Marvella’s tender smile helped ease Ellie’s shaking. “Honey is just the thing to settle your stomach and help you recover from the shock you’ve had.” She patted Carter’s arm. “Take her to the sitting room.”
Sir Theophilus came at a run. He’d been left behind for the celebration and now barked as if chiding his mistress for the offense. Marvella scooped him up and held him close.
Carter carried Ellie into the large sitting room, then lowered her to a plush couch with plenty of pillows.
She missed his firm grip on her, the solid feel of his chest against her, but at least he sat down beside her. His presence ... comforted her.
She looked to him and voiced the fear that had been pulling at her. “Do you think they’ll kill my father when they realize he’s not Louis Hill?”
His gaze was steady, his tone sure. “They’d be fools to kill anyone. It’s one thing to assault and take a man, and an entirely different thing to commit murder. I don’t think they’ll dig themselves in deeper once they know what’s happened.”
Oh, how she wanted to believe him! “But if he sees them ... he can identify them.”
“They made it clear in the note that they would release Hill when their demands were met. They would have planned to keep their identities secret so they could escape unknown.”
That made sense. She drew in a deep breath. “Would you pray with me?”
Their eyes connected. “Of course.”
As Carter lifted his heart to the Almighty, her own heart began to calm. She squeezed his hands, and he squeezed hers back.
The house soon filled with men from town. One of them nodded to the Judge as he came into the sitting room. “Mr. Hill is now being guarded by some of the deputy marshals, so we came along to offer our help finding Mr. Briggs.”
In mere moments, Marvella had them settled into the sitting room. She seemed to understand Ellie’s need to know the details, even if they were difficult to hear.
Marshal Shelton drew everyone’s attention. “We’ll form a posse and go after them. I’ve already got my deputies checking out tracks and seeing what evidence they’ve left behind. We’ll be ready to head out as soon as we’re done here.”
Carter put his hand over Ellie’s, where it rested on thecouch, and gave it a squeeze. Then he let go and nodded to the marshal. “I want to join the posse.”
“I want to go as well.”
The men all stared at her. She didn’t care. They might not want a woman along, but if her father was hurt, she would be there to help—
“I’m awful sorry, Miss Briggs, but you can’t go. I wouldn’t be comfortable putting a woman in danger.” The marshal gave her a sympathetic nod. “But I do understand.”
She lifted her chin. “I can’t just sit here! I couldn’t live with myself knowing that my father was out there hurt, maybe even dying, and I just ... sat. Imustgo. I can take care of myself. I can read a map and use a compass. I’m capable in every way of surviving out there.”
Marvella came to her and sat beside her, lifting Ellie’s hand and giving it a squeeze. “My dear, this is something we must leave to the men. They would only have their attention divided between worrying over you and trying to hunt down dangerous criminals. You wouldn’t want their attention taken from rescuing your father, would you?”
“Of course not, but...” Tears stung at her eyes. “I can’t just sit here.”
“Then we will get some of the women together and pray.” Marvella smiled. “It’s the most powerful thing any of us can do to help.”
“She’s right, Ellie.”
She glared at Carter. Him jumping into the matter just made her all the more frustrated. “No oneunderstands. I’ve been with Father on many dangerous trips. I’m not a liability. I can hold my own.”
“The answer is no.” Marshal Shelton’s tone brooked nofurther debate. “And that’s final. Now here’s what I plan to do. We’re going to see if any of our men who are good at tracking can locate signs of their trail. If not, Grant Wallace is in town, and he’s the best tracker I’ve ever known. I’ll get him to come help us.”
The conversation continued until the butler entered and announced that the marshal was needed in the foyer.
“That will be my man. Let’s go.” Several of the men followed him from the room.
