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Emma
cleared her throat. "You have something of mine,
sir. Something that's very dear to me."
There was
the slightest tug to the corners of his mouth, as if
he'd wanted to smile then thought better of it.
"You must be mistaken, Ma'am."
"No.
I'm not. It's a silver brooch...William took it from me
without my knowledge or consent. He had no right to
gamble it away."
"That
sounds like something you need to take up with your
brother, then."
There was a
menacing quality behind his ice-blue gaze. Emma didn't
understand the change in him.
"I
already have, Mr. Reinhardt. That is why I'm here.
Please return it. I'll pay you whatever sum you deem
just."
"Miss
Sarris, keep your money. Your brother gambled and lost.
That is the end of it."
He boarded
the stagecoach and closed the door behind him.
Emma remained staring at the empty space he'd occupied. He'd
shrugged her off as he would an annoying gnat. It
took a moment for her initial shock to convert to anger.
With fists curled, she marched to the stage and opened
the door. The woman with the plumed hat gave her an
irritated look. Beside her, a skinny, spindly-limbed man
close to her father's age, wiped sweat from his reddened
neck. Emma realized the woman's uncompromising rotundity
had blocked him from view earlier. Luke sat on the
leather seat opposite the mismatched couple. Apparently
engrossed by the newspaper in his hand, he failed to
glance in Emma's direction.
She had the
sudden urge to rip that newspaper to shreds and make him
eat every strip. Of course, he wouldn't be very
cooperative after that. She must reason with him, that's
all. "Mr. Reinhardt, I assure you, you will be
adequately compensated."
"It's
not for sale, Miss Sarris."
With a
cluck of her tongue, the old woman gave Emma a
recriminating stare. "Young lady, we need to be
going soon."
Nibbling
her bottom lip, Emma saw the driver emerge from the
hotel. He climbed into his seat and looped the reins
around his gloved fists. Panic mushroomed in her belly.
In a matter of minutes, her brooch would be lost. She
couldn't just stand there and do nothing. Without a
second thought, she ran to the front of the coach.
"Sir,
please don't leave without me. I'll just be a
moment."
"You
got a ticket little lady?" the driver asked between
bites of tobacco.
Emma nodded
in reply, then ran inside the hotel. The clerk at the
counter informed her the stage was headed to Santa Fe.
That gave her plenty of time to talk Mr. Reinhardt into
returning her brooch. After purchasing roundtrip
tickets, she hurried back outside and handed one to the
driver.
The man
cast her a quick glance over his shoulder as she climbed
on board. "No bags?"
"No."
Gathering
her flouncing skirts, Emma took a seat beside Luke.
"What
do you think you're doing?" he asked, a mixture of
surprise and amusement glimmered in his blue eyes.
"What
does it look like?" Emma arranged her skirts, ran a
tremulous hand over her hair. "I will not leave
your side, Mr. Reinhardt, until you return what belongs
to me."
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