Chapter Eleven
The instant the men took their leave, Elise rushed to her room. Mr. Cade might not be willing to stand up for what was right, but she was determined to hire a good lawyerto plead his case. It was true his situation was rather dire, for murder wasn’t taken lightly,second only to treason. Either way, something had to be done, for if what he told her was true, and she didn’t doubt that it was, his conviction couldn’t stand in the face of such tragedy, no matter who was to blame. Martha and Thomas had been innocent victims of a heinous crime. If nothing else,temporary insanitycould be suggested as the cause for his actions.At least, it had worked some years ago in an article she’d happened to read regarding a man who had lost his facilities when he discovered his wife had been having an affair and killed the man responsible.
She withdrew a battered, worn valise from beneath the bed. It had been her mother’s and had traveled many miles, but now it would serve Elise as she began to stuff it with various clothes and undergarments. She intended to start by enlisting Grannie’s help while she figured out thisproblem. The older woman had offered her the guest room in her private quarters many times, although Elise had always refused, preferring to stay at her isolated cabin. But although she was apprehensive about mingling with the townsfolk of Charming for long, she was determined to see this particular battle through to the end.
Once she had everything packed, she went about the cabin and banked the fire in the hearth, returned her mother’s love tokens back to the chest, and set the music box inside with them. She lovingly touched the lid with a fingertip and then shut the top of the wood. She hated to leave such prized possessions behind, but with any luck, she wouldn’t be gone long enough to miss them and since time was more important to her at the moment, she couldn’t tarry overlong and had to pack light for the journey ahead.
Sheprimed her rifle and threw the strap across her shoulder as shegently touched the wax flowerson the table. Shesighed,notlooking forward to thetrek down the mountain,forit was cold and dark and would take more than an hour to travel downtothevillageon foot. But although the men who had taken Chauncey were long gone by now, at least she wasn’t alone.
As she was putting on her outerwear, she looked at Beau who was staring at her in expectation. “Are you ready to meet the people of Charming, and bring your master back home?”
He offered a howl in return, which she took as a yes.
She was about to head out into the snow-covered winter wonderland, when she thought of her hothouse flowers. She swallowed and opened the door, waiting until the hound followed her outside before she shut and locked the cabin behind her.
A sense of nostalgia touched the middle of her chest, but she turned and walked away. Even if she was gone so long that she lost everything she had, and the flowers wilted and died from neglect in her hothouse, if she freed Chauncey, then it would all be worth it.
With Beau trotting along at her side, Elise held her valise in her gloved grasp and began to walk.
Her footsteps were silent in the brilliant white snow, although she could hear the soundsof things moving about in the forest. She prayed that she didn’t have another encounter with a wolf—or worse—as she hastened across the expanse toward the valley.
It didn’t take long for her feet to grow numb in her boots, but she huddleddeeperinto her cloakandkept her focus,puttingone foot in front of the other untilfinally, therivercame into view,a rather welcome sign, for the village lay just beyond. As she made her way over the bridge, she noticed that most of the water was frozen, but there was still a gentle ripple that flowed among the rocks.
Her heart nearly ached in her chest as she spied the familiar surroundings of Charming, for the first time realizing just how special this town was to her. For good or ill, it was her home, the place where shehad beenraised, and the area that her parents had fallen in love with.
Elise made her way pastbusinessesand various houses until she stood upon Main Street near the wishing well in the center of town. She paused for a moment to catch her breathand then trudged past the jail where several horses were tied up out front. She yearned to pound on the door until the sheriff allowed her to see Chauncey, but since it was late and she knew her efforts would currently be for naught, for there was nothing she could do for him without the proper reinforcements, she kept moving on until she reached Grannie’s Inn on the other side of town.
With Beau at her side, she walked inside the hotel and nearly collapsed from the welcome relief of heatfrom the fireplace in the main room, where a few patrons were seated, and who glanced up curiously at her abrupt entrance.The hound must have also been gratefulfor the warmth, for he shook himself andreleased what sounded like a relieved sigh.
She shivered andpatted her leg. “Come on, boy.”
After taking a moment to catch her breath,Elise made her way to Grannie’sprivatesalonwith Beau at her side. She’d been there many times before and knew where to go. Shehesitated but a moment thenknocked. After a brief wait,the door swung inward anda petite ladystood in the doorframe with her familiar gray bun and proper dress complete with a neckline that reached her chinand long sleeves that went down to herwrists, anda hemline that brushed the floor. However,the wide-eyed expression on her face would have been comical if Elisewould havehad the strength to laugh.
“My goodness, child!” The older ladyscolded. “What on earth were you thinking of to get out on a night like this! You must be near to freezing!” She quickly ushered her inside to a cushioned chair by the fire and took Elise’s frost covered cloak and hung it up on a nearby peg.
“I need your…help.” Elise found it was difficult for her to even form the words, her teeth were chattering so badly.
“Whatever it is can wait,” Granniereplied firmly. She grabbed a blanket off the nearby sofa and draped it around her shoulders and rubbed her arms brusquely.
Elise was grateful for all the fuss, her eyes even stung with the emotion building up within her, but since time was of the essence, she had to get Grannie to listen. She reached for the older woman’s hand and hoped her eyesconveyed her urgency. “It can’t wait. A man’s very life depends on me.”
This caughtGrannie’sattention. “Well.” She paused and regarded Elise directly. After a moment, she took the chair across from her. “I have a feeling I’ll need to sit down for this.”
Elise took a deep breath and began to explain.
Her companion said nothing until she was finished, at which point she sat back and expelled a heavy breath. “That is quite adilemma,” she murmured, and then gestured to the hound. “I suppose that explains your new friend.”
“Yes.” Elise smiled slightly at the hound that had curled up near her chair and begun to snore. “His name is Beau.” She looked back at Grannie. “I love him nearly as much as I love his master.”
The older woman’s mouth parted slightly as she put a hand to her chest. “Oh, my dear girl! Does this Mr. Cade feel the same?”
Elise pondered this forbuta moment. “I believe that he does.”
“Then we mustn’t delay!” Grannie shot to her feet, moving faster than Elise might have guessed a woman her age could. “I shalltelegrapha trusted friendat once. He is versedin such matters. Mr. Grimm is just who we need to clear up this mess. He lives in the neighboringtown, so with any luck he should be here by the afternoonstage.”She walked to Elise and put her hands on either side of her cheeks. “Take heart, dear. You will see that true love conquers all. My father believed it of my mother after she robbed him at gunpoint and took all that he had. Fate shone upon them and brought them back together where they founded this town. It will do the same for you.”
With that, Granniecrossed the room and sat at a desk in the corner. She put on a pair of spectacles before withdrawing a sheet of paper and removing the cap from the inkwell, she picked up her pen and began to writea brief missive.
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