Twin of Fire Read online

  “I never made any progress,” Nina said. “It’s a wonder my father doesn’t still buy me dolls for my birthday. You said you were trying to teach Lee a lesson. How?”

  “I, ah…” Blair looked away. “He keeps telling me he wants a lady, so I’ve been trying to be one.”

  Nina thought for a moment. “You mean as in bubble baths and being helpless and crying over broken dishes?”

  Blair turned back with a grin. “And spending too much and eating chocolates and having headaches at night.”

  Nina began to laugh. “I warn you that it may take Lee ten years to realize he’s being taught a lesson. You ought to exaggerate what you do. Too bad you can’t fault at the sight of a hangnail.”

  Blair sighed. “So far, except for the headache, he’s liked what I’ve done. He doesn’t mind if I just stay home all day and give directions to Mrs. Shainess.”

  “But you’re going crazy, right?”

  “Not anymore.” Blair smiled. “This afternoon, I’ll start working out a code for the unionist material. At least, that’ll give me something to do. If I continue staying home, my mother might start sending me baskets of berries to can.”

  “I have a damson plum recipe that—.”

  “Will make your mouth cry with joy,” Blair finished. “I’ve heard of it,” she said, as she put the saddle back on the horse. “I’m not yet reduced to collecting recipes, but if I look at another fabric swatch, I may actually faint. I’ll call you tomorrow and tell you how I’m doing on our crochet patterns. I’d like to get them done before we start on the rest of the magazine, and before we let anyone know of our plans. We’ll print them and show the others what we’re talking about. When do you have to return to Philadelphia?”

  “Another ten days. It’s going to seem like an eternity before Alan finishes school.”

  “I want you to meet my aunt and uncle in Pennsylvania. I’ll give you their address and write them about you. And I have a few friends there. You won’t be entirely alone.”

  “Thank you. Maybe they’ll help make the time pass faster. Good luck with Lee,” she called, as Blair mounted and rode away.

  Chapter 33

  After four days of being the perfect lady, Blair didn’t know whether she was going to be able to stand the strain. Concerning herself with little more than the mundane duties of running a household was making her tired and cross. And the worst part of it was trying to teach a man a lesson when he didn’t even know he was in school. He’d had four days of seeing his wife as a semi-invalid, no sex, and all Blair had heard from him was a mumbled, “Guess the honeymoon’s over.”

  During the day, she worked on the code until she was nearly blind, counting words and making notes and translating Nina’s pamphlet into a bizarre combination of words and numbers.

  By the morning of the fifth day, she was sure that she couldn’t last much longer. She left the house with the intention of going shopping and purchasing something frivolous that she could show Lee but, instead, she ended up in Mr. Pendergast’s bookstore looking for anything she could find about medicine.

  She wasn’t even aware of anyone near her until the man spoke.

  “He’s to deliver the goods on Thursday night.”

  Blair looked up to see the man Lee had called LeGault standing near her. She had to control a shudder that threatened to shake her. If the man were lying on a cot, bleeding, she wouldn’t mind touching him, but, alive and well, she couldn’t bear to stand even this close to him. With a slight, cool nod to him, she moved away.

  She was looking over a copy of She by H. Rider Haggard when her head came up. What had he said to her?

  She looked around the store until she saw him about to leave. “Sir,” she called, and was aware of the curious looks she received from the store owner and the two women customers in the back. “I found the book you said you were looking for.”

  LeGault smiled at her. “Thank you so much,” he said loudly before moving toward her.

  Blair knew that now she had to think as fast as she’d ever thought in her life. She didn’t want this man to know that she knew nothing about what he was referring to. And, at the same time, she wanted to find out all that she could.

  “He’s to deliver them the same place as last time?” she asked.

  “Exactly.” He was examining the book as if fascinated by it. “There’ll be no problems, will there?”

  “None.” She hesitated. “Except that this time, I’ll be making the delivery.”

  LeGault put the book back on the shelf. “It’s not what I was looking for after all,” he said loudly. “Good day to you, ma’am.” He tipped his hat and left the store.

  Blair waited for as long as she dared, then left behind him. Since it seemed that anything that one of the Chandler twins did was news, she could almost feel the eyes of the people in the bookstore watching her as she left. Taking her time to pull her gloves on securely, she could see, out of the corner of her eye, LeGault heading east on Second Street toward Parkers’ Ladies Wear. Blair went north, behind the Denver Hotel, across Lead, behind the Raskin Building and came out again on Second—away from the prying eyes of the customers of Mr. Pendergast’s bookstore.

  LeGault was sauntering down the street, cane over his arm, looking for all the world like a man window-shopping without a care in the world. Blair crossed the street and went to look in the window of the Parker store.

  She didn’t feel that she had time for small talk with the man. “I know all about everything.”

  “I thought you did, or I wouldn’t have mentioned it to you in the first place.” He was looking straight ahead into the window. “But it’s not a place for a woman.”

  “I don’t imagine it’s a place for a man, either.”

  He looked at her. “Imagine? I thought you knew.”

  “I do. I also know that this is the last time my husband will be doing this. He hasn’t recovered from his wounds last time, and so I must take his place. After that, you’ll have to do what you must by yourself. Neither of us will be involved again.”

  He seemed to be thinking about her words. “All right then. Thursday night at ten. Meet us at the usual place.”

  He started to turn away.

  “Where should I leave my carriage? I don’t want it recognized.”

  He turned back. “I’m beginning to doubt the wisdom of this. Are you sure you can handle this? That you know what’s involved?”

  Blair thought it was better to keep her mouth shut, so she just nodded.

  “We’ll need your carriage, so park it behind the Aztec Saloon on Bell Lane. Wait there, and someone will meet you and give you the trunk. Don’t fail me. If you don’t show up, it’ll be your husband that catches it.”

  “I understand,” she whispered.

  For the two days until Thursday, Blair was utterly stupid. She couldn’t seem to remember anything, do whatever she was supposed to do, or think of anything besides what she was to do on Thursday night. On that night, she would find out what it was that her husband was doing in secret. She’d told Nina that she didn’t care if he were a criminal or not, that she loved him just the same. But soon the moment of truth would come. She was sure that Lee was involved in something illegal, and now she was going to participate in order to keep Lee out of it. She was hoping that what she did would make him stop whatever he was doing.

  On Thursday night, she dressed in her medical uniform. Lee was called to the hospital to sew up three gunslingers who had shot it out near the New Mexico border, so Blair was alone. She was frightened and nervous as she went down the stairs to the stable where her carriage awaited her.

  Only once before had she been to the part of town where she was to wait for LeGault, and that was the night she’d been with Lee when he ran to save the prostitute who’d tried to commit suicide. Ignoring catcalls at the sight of a woman alone in this area, she pulled in behind the Aztec Saloon and waited.

  Kane Taggert woke slowly, feeling that something was wrong