Page 83 of Mail-Order Viscountess

“All right.” He gathered the reins tighter. “But Enoch—be careful. These men have been hired to kill, and they won’t hesitate.”

“Neither will we.” Enoch’s expression hardened. “Get Kate. Keep her safe. And Thomas?” He paused, his gaze locking with Thomas’s. “Be careful.”

Then he was gone, his horse’s hooves throwing up sprays of snow as he galloped toward the ranch.

Thomas snapped his own reins and urged the tired team forward. The wagon lurched into motion, and he pushed them as fast as he dared on the treacherous road.

Hold on, Kate. I’m coming.

Walnut Springs emerged from the mountain pass like a collection of snow-dusted boxes scattered along the frozen river. He scanned the main street as he aimed the team toward the livery. No sign of his wife’s familiar figure.

The boardwalks were mostly empty, the cold driving everyone indoors. The livery stood open, and he pulled the wagon to a halt.

“Howdy.” The livery owner—a short fellow named Rufus who’d been shoeing horses in Walnut Springs for at least five years now—looked up from a harness he was mending. “Everythin’ all right, Mr. Balfour?”

“I need a horse saddled.” Thomas set the brake and jumped down. “I’ll leave the wagon here and come back for it later, if that’s all right.”

Rufus set down his work and pushed to his feet, moving toward the row of stalls with the unhurried calm of a man who’d spent decades around horses. “Something wrong?”

Everything. But he couldn’t explain now.

“Family business. My wife came into town earlier—have you seen her? A pretty blonde woman wearing a blue dress.”

Rufus shook his head as he led a sturdy bay gelding from its stall. “Can’t say I have. Been in the back most o’ the afternoon, though.”

Thomas forced himself to breathe. Kate was probably still at the cafe next to the clinic. Still safe. Still waiting for the doctor.

Please let her be waiting.

“Let me know if she comes by.” He started toward the door. “I’ll be back for the horse soon.”

As he trotted to the doctor’s office, the building sat dark, the windows reflecting nothing but the pale afternoon sky. He tried the door anyway. Locked.

His pulse kicked higher. Where was she?

The boarding house sat next door, Mrs. Patterson’s neat sign swinging slightly in the wind. He covered the distance in a few long strides and pushed through the door.

Warmth hit him first, then the smell of coffee and bread. Mrs. Patterson looked up from behind the small desk, her lined face creasing into a welcoming smile.

“Mr. Balfour!”

“My wife.” The words came out in a bark. “Kate. Was she here?”

“Oh yes.” Mrs. Patterson nodded to the tables by the window. “She was waiting for the doctor. Had some tea. But she left—oh, must be twenty minutes ago now. Said the doctor had returned.”

Twenty minutes.

His stomach dropped. “Did you see where she went?”

“Just out the door, I’m afraid. I assumed she went to the doctor’s office.” Mrs. Patterson’s expression shifted, concern creeping in. “Is everything all right?”

No.

If Kate had gone to see the doctor twenty minutes ago and the office was locked, where had she gone?

He forced his voice to stay calm. “Did you see anyone else on the street? Two men, maybe? Strangers?”

The lines at Mrs. Patterson’s brows gathered. “There were a couple of fellows I didn’t recognize. Rough-looking types. They were standing near the doctor’s office when I glanced out earlier.” Her eyes widened. “Why? Mr. Balfour, is your wife in some kind of trouble?”