Chapter Two:
Meetings
When the stranger walked into the saloon the next day at noon, Chris Larabee was struck with a sense of familiarity, though he could not explain why.
While he did stand out amongst the other patrons of the Standish Saloon, in his expensive clothes, blond hair and refined features, a few seconds of deep scrutiny by the gunslinger produced no memory of ever meeting the man and yet the familiarity remained. Seated at the table with the rest of the seven, except for Vin who'd ridden out of town this morning to begin his hunt for Ambrose Wayne and JD who was doing his morning patrols, Chris had come in for Inez's lunch time menu.
Although he and Mary were engaged, he was not so presumptuous as to assume she would automatically drop everything the instant he hit Four Corners. After all, she was still the editor of the Clarion News and her days were busy, writing her articles and being involved in community affairs. What was more likely, was after he was done with his duties as lawman of Four Corners for the day, he would share supper with her after a few drinks with his friends at the saloon.
By the evening, the establishment would stink of stale liquor, cigar smoke and sweaty bodies from the trail, but at this moment, what wafted through the place was the aromatic scent of cinnamon, scorched chilli, oregano and epazote. Aside from being able to plan a wedding like a deranged militant, Inez was a fine cook and the main reason why the saloon performed as well as it did. Of course it would take being dragged by wild horses across the Panhandles before Ezra admitted it.
"When did he get in?" Chris asked, waiting for his food while nursing a cup of hot coffee.
"The stage last evening," Josiah Sanchez rumbled, noticing the man's arrival before his meal of chilaquiles was served. "Apparently he's interested in buying the hotel."
Chris raised a brow at that. He was certain Mary would have mentioned it if someone was interested in buying the hotel. As one of the town's recognised community leaders, Mary kept an eye on new people who would leave a significant mark on Four Corners.
"Really? I didn't know the German was interested in selling."
"Everyone's got a price Chris," Buck pointed out, his eyes following Inez flouncing around the room, serving customers, waiting for her to come back his way before he could make another ritualistic attempt to gain her attention. "I spoke to the filly he came to town with. Prettiest thing you ever saw, seems she's going to be singing at the place when Heidegger sells."
"Filly?" Nathan Jackson asked peering over his copy of Hanaoka Seishu's Surgical Casebook which Alex loaned him for his studies to reach accreditation. "Man, do you have a divining rod for women or something?"
"He does," Chris drawled with a wicked sneer, "it's just below his belt."
The comment drew a sudden burst of guffaws from all those present, with Buck wearing a grin on his face that revealed he was neither offended or unrepentant by his ability to find female company, no matter where he was. Leaning forward, he added with an equally triumphant smirk, "and the ladies all love it."
Inez who happened to be walking by at the time, overheard the remark and snorted derisively, "sure they do."
"Inez, once you get a taste of me, I'll ruin you for other men!" Buck hollered after her, aware of her affections for him, even if she wasn't prepared to fall into his arms like every other woman he encountered. Buck considered this a challenge that would only make their eventual coupling all the more unforgettable when she finally succumbed to his charms.
Inez paused long enough to retaliate. "Yes, I will enter a nunnery and swear off them forever."
With that, she turn her back on him, her red skirt flouncing like the flag of surrender on the discussion, before slipping behind the bar to return to the customers waiting to be served.
"Anyway, you were saying Buck?" Chris rolled his eyes, more interested in hearing about the stranger and his plans to buy the hotel than the continuing saga of Buck and Inez's non-existent romance.
"Sorry," Buck snapped back to the subject at hand. "Seems that fellow over there," he gestured to the stranger who seemed to be studying the mug of beer he had been served, trying to decide if he was going to drink it or not. "Has been writing to the German, talking about selling the place and it looks like he's here to make it all final."
Ezra Standish who had been at a different table, engaged in a game of cards with some trail hands that had come in for the day, concluded his game and joined his friends, once he'd stuffed his winnings into his pockets. Taking up the empty seat next to Nathan, he glanced at Inez and gestured for her to bring him a fresh drink, which the seven had come to know, took the place of lunch in the gambler's world.
"Hey Ezra," Chris asked quietly, "you know anything about the hotel being sold?"
The gambler could be a veritable fountain of information when needed. Aside from fleecing money from those he'd conned into poker, Ezra had a tendency to mine his opponents for information without them being aware of it.
"No, but I did chance upon the stranger you're so interested in, while I was at the hotel yesterday," he declared sitting down. "I was engaged in a delightful game with some poorly skilled salesmen who were eager to part with their hard earned commissions, when the stage came in. Certain you'd be interested in any intelligence regarding the man, I decided to strike up a conversation."
"And?" Chris asked, trying not to get impatient. At times like this, Chris wished Ezra could use his words with the same economy as Vin.
"His name is Riley Marshall and he hails from Australia. Apparently, he's here to invest in the area. I am afraid I didn't learn much else, other than he's a recent widow and wished a new start from his native country."
"Australia?" Buck looked around. "Where is that? Near England or something?"
"A little further south," Josiah deadpanned. "Long way to come for a new start. I thought Australia is where you went for that sort of thing."
"Grief does strange things to a person," Nathan commented, not looking away from his book.
It seemed like every time they looked at the healer these days, he was hunched over one of the thick books from Alex's library. Not that any of the seven minded at all. Nathan was such an exceptional healer, it felt only right the man should transition his skills into becoming a real doctor. Everyone of them looked forward to the day they could call him Doctor Jackson. Chris knew Vin was especially proud of Alex, as he was too, that she'd paved the way for Nathan to gain his qualifications.
"Amen to that," Buck raised his glass of beer at the remark, more sensitive to that fact than anyone else at the table, save Chris. "Anyway, Miss Cassandra, that's the filly's name," he said smugly, "let me walk her around town last night and she told me the whole story."
"Miss Cassandra?" Ezra asked, having missed this part of the tale.
"Mr Marshall's travelling companion," Josiah answered helpfully.
"Naturally, you reached her first," Ezra exchanged a knowing look with the others regarding Buck's prowess to find female company as soon as it hit town. "Go on."
"Well apparently, Miss Cassandra and Mr Marshall are family friends from England. When he decided to come out here to buy the hotel, he invited her along because he knew she wanted to break from her family and be independent."
"You got a sense of something wrong Chris?" Josiah asked as Inez returned to their table, carrying a plate full of mollettes.
"Thanks Inez," Chris said gratefully, his stomach twitching happily at the sight of the food.
"You're welcome Senor," she flashed him a smile and a scowl at Buck in quick succession before heading off again.
"Just interested," he answered Josiah's question once she was gone. "Mary's heard nothing about the hotel being sold and she usually has her ear to the ground about this stuff. Besides, if he's buying the hotel, that means he's sticking around for a bit."
"It would seem that way," Nathan lowered his book for the first time and took stock of the man. "Seems familiar though." The healer stared at Marshall for a moment as the stranger spoke to one of the barflies at the counter. "Though how, I can't say."
"You're not the only one," Chris grumbled, even more uncomfortable now he knew Nathan shared the feeling. Somehow, it felt important he remembered why, his gut insisted on it.
"Well let us satiate your curiosity," Ezra remarked, looking over at the man before calling out, "Mr Marshall!"
The first order of business Riley Marshall had in mind the next day after conducting some perfunctory discussions with Mr Heidegger regarding the purchase of his hotel, was to visit the saloon. After his discussion with Cassandra at breakfast this morning, he listened to the information she gleaned from Buck Wilmington about the way things functioned in the town, in particular to its constabulary and the seven men who protected Four Corners.
During his conversation with Heidegger who didn't appear all that eager to sell his hotel, even if Riley were remotely interested in purchasing the place in such a location, he learned the story of the men the town called the Magnificent Seven. Outlaws and reprobates all of them, they had blown into town and somehow become installed as the law in the community by the local Judge. According to the German proprietor, the coming of the seven heralded the arrival of the town's prosperity and were seen as the community's saviours despite being little more than armed thugs.
The seven, one of which was Ezra Standish, whom Riley met the night before were known to frequent the gambler's establishment on most days. Once Riley concluded his business with Heidegger, he decided to take a look at the place himself and the men who would give him the most opposition in his plans at Four Corners. Cassandra had her own errands to run today and once he gained the necessary intelligence from her tasks, would decide how they would proceed next.
As expected, the saloon was as rough and squalid as he imagined. Even though he'd lived in colonial Australia, the towns of the American West seemed on the verge of outright dilapidation. The saloon whose only saving grace seemed to be the lovely Mexican bartender and the cuisine she provided, did little to impress Riley. Still, he was here for a reason. Even though he struck up a conversation with one of the barflies at the counter, he was more interested in the men who guarded this town, seated at their table. The one that captured his notice most however, was the black garbed gunslinger, with the pearl handled weapon tucked in his holster.
Without being introduced, Riley knew immediately this was Chris Larabee.
Riley knew him not simply because of the descriptions of the formidable man but also because his name appeared in the short list of people who had compelled Riley's journey to Four Corners. From the scrutiny Larabee had placed him under upon his entry into the saloon, Riley knew he would have to tread cautiously around the man. If Larabee for one moment, discerned his purpose in Four Corners, Riley's suspected he would not be long for this world.
Fortunately, the appearance of Ezra Standish calling to him, diffused the situation and allow Riley the opening he needed to introduce himself to Larabee directly.
"Mr Standish," Riley joined him and his companions at their table where it appeared they were partaking of the lovely barmaid's lunch time menu. "I thought I'd take a look at your establishment myself after our meeting yesterday."
"Do join us," Ezra kicked out a chair, making the invitation so Chris could ask his questions directly.
"Well if I'm not imposing," Riley lowered himself into the seat and surveyed the table carefully. Larabee was no longer staring at him but instead, returning to his meal but somehow, the new arrival still felt the scrutiny.
"These are my associates," Ezra began introductions, moving around the table, starting first with Josiah, before moving on to Buck and Nathan.
"Mr Wilmington," Riley spoke up. "You made the acquaintance of my friend Cassandra, last evening. I am told you escorted her during her turn around the boardwalk."
"That's right," Buck replied with a little smile, glad to see he was the subject of discussion after he'd left the lady. Considering how taken Buck had been with her, this bode well for their future association. "It ain't safe for a beautiful woman to be walking around on her own after dark. I felt it my civic duty."
"Well Cassandra appreciated it," Riley returned, wanting the lady to cultivate her association with this primitive. After their conversation last night, it appear Mr Wilmington was a veritable fountain of information if given the proper inducement to speak. In this case, Cassandra's very considerable charms. "I'm sure she'd like you to call on her when she's settled."
"Is that right?" Buck grinned, offering his companions at the table a smug smile. "Never let it be said that I'd disappoint a lady."
Everyone except, Riley and Chris rolled their eyes respectively. "And this is Mr Nathan Jackson, our resident healer and doctor in training." Ezra concluded.
"Nice to meet you," Nathan greeted politely.
"So you're Nathan Jackson," Riley stared at the man closely, hiding his recognition. This name as well as that of Chris Larabee was one he was familiar with. Inwardly, he stiffened at the notion, this black man, who wasn't even a real doctor played a part in the incident that brought him to this community. "I have heard good things about you."
It was at this point, Chris lifted his gaze and met Riley's eyes directly. "Australia huh?"
"Yes," Riley nodded. "On the other side of the world. It is not that much different from America actually. You have outlaws, we have bushrangers, you have cattle hands, we call them drovers. We have our version of the Territory, homesteads and stagecoaches."
"And you plan on settling here?" Josiah asked. "Seems like a long way to travel, to settle in place that's more or less the same as home."
"Well America is the land of opportunity and this regions seems to be where the money is. I plan on being here for quite some time. I'll start with the hotel and see where we go from there. I take it the prosperity of this community is due to your presence? Was I correct in Heidegger mentioning seven of you are the constables protecting the town?"
"Lawmen," Chris corrected.
"He hates being called constable," Ezra quipped.
"And your other two lawmen? They're not here today? I hope there is no trouble in town requiring their attention."
"Well JD's at the jailhouse," Buck answered readily enough, not seeing any harm in revealing the information. "Vin is probably off somewhere with Alex."
"No he ain't," Chris said giving Buck a sharp glare, warning him off revealing anything further about Vin's present whereabouts. He wanted no one to get wind of the fact that Vin was out there right now, tracking Ambrose Wayne.
"Alex?" Riley inquired, "is that another lawman?"
"No he means Miss Alex," Nathan laughed at the thought. "She's his fiancee. Doctor Alexandra Styles."
"I heard you had a female doctor in this community," Riley remarked. "How very progressive. You know I've never come across one who was female in all my travels. They're mostly relegated to assuming roles as nurses in hospitals. I never encountered one who actually had a practice."
"That's why the lady came here," Josiah explained. "We got a shortage of doctors in these parts so folks aren't liable to complain if whoever is doing the healing is a man or woman."
Or black, Riley thought looking at Nathan briefly.
"Truer words were never said Sir," Riley agreed and got to his feet. "Well gentlemen, I will take my leave of you. I have other errands to run today. It was good to meet you all."
"Likewise," Buck replied and the others around the table offered similar acknowledgement before Riley stepped away and headed through the batwing doors, to the noon day heat outside.
For a few seconds after Chris watched him go, his eyes narrowing in deep deliberation. Something about that man gnawed at him and Chris hadn't missed the subtle nuances in his features and his eyes when something struck a chord. The question was, what did the man want?
"He knew you by name Nathan," Ezra, who was as astute a student of behaviour as Chris Larabee, observed.
"What?" Nathan stared at the gambler. "What makes you say that? I ain't never laid eyes on that man before."
"Yeah but Ezra's right," Chris declared. "He knew you and I think he might have even known me."
"I must concur with Mr Larabee," Ezra said in support of Chris's statement. "He's here for something and I don't think it's the hotel."
Julia Pemberton was pleased.
It was the first time, Mary Travis and Alexandra Styles had come to her house for tea. After her rocky beginnings with both ladies in Four Corners, Julia felt inordinately pleased their relationship progressed to the point, where they were calling in on her. Much of this improvement had to do with the recent tragedies both she and Alex suffered, enabling them to rally to each other's cause and forget the enmity that began their association.
In Julia's case, despite once having treated Alex most cruelly by announcing the end of the doctor's romance with Ezra Standish in the worst way possible, Alex come to Julia's aid when she was at her most vulnerable. When she found herself pregnant during the period Nicholas Serfonteine and his Klan was causing mischief in Four Corners, Julia had taken herself to Purgatorio to get an abortion.
She had been so terrified by the idea of having Ezra's child, she believed it was the only course left to her. Only when she saw those filthy instruments, in that squalid little shack, had she come to her senses. Sadly, her so called 'doctor' opted to perform the procedure anyway, knocking her out with chloroform to ensure her cooperation.
When she returned to Four Corners, bleeding and mangled, Alex came to her aid, not only providing her with medical treatment, but keeping secret what had happened. Where it would have been easy for Alex to destroy Julia's relationship with Ezra with the truth, the doctor instead lied, claiming Julia suffered a miscarriage. Eventually, Julia would tell Ezra the truth but for those first few weeks, when she was fragile and raw, the lie had served its purpose to smooth the way for that difficult conversation.
Julia never forgot what Alex did for her, even when Julia had given her no reason to be kind. So in the aftermath of the Klan's abduction of Alex, where Alex had been subjected to physical and mental abuses by Francis Lamont, Julia extended the same support to the doctor. While she had been taking care of Ezra who'd suffered horrific injuries himself, Julia dropped in daily to see how Alex was doing. After seeing Alex's state when she was found, nearly stripped naked, bruised and bleeding, Julia heard a far worse account of her ordeal from Ezra and knew what kind of scars could be left behind.
While the doctor had been uncertain of how to take Julia's gestures of friendship at first, it was clear she needed the company. Thanks to Serfonteine's attempt to damage Alex's reputation because of her relationship with Vin, the tracker found it difficult to maintain a vigil at her side without creating more gossip. Thus he was grateful when Julia, Mary and Inez took turns being with Alex when he was absent. Julia was glad to see, she wasn't the only one who was shaken at Alex's fragile mental state after becoming accustomed to the confident, headstrong doctor.
The self-assurance that was so much of Alexandra Styles's personality had been broken by Francis Lamont and whether or not Vin Tanner noticed, it had not been rebuilt.
"You know," Julia remarked as they sat in her parlour, decorated in deep, rich colors of blues and dark greens. There were heavy drapes across the windows, keeping the harsh Territory sun from damaging the deep rosewood furniture and expensive Persian rug. "Where I come from, an engagement is usually followed by an engagement party."
Alex, who was in the middle of sipping Oolong tea from a cup of fine bone china, nearly choked at the suggestion. "You must be joking."
Mary smirked as she filled her cup from the lovely, china teapot with its lavender pattern tendrilled across the bone surface, understanding Alex's horror at the suggestion. She tried to imagine Vin at an engagement party and could not complete the image without the sight of the man riding out of town on Peso, headed for the Mexican border. Still, observing Julia closely, Mary suspected the titian haired beauty was not serious about the suggestion.
"Why not, nothing elaborate, just you and Vin, the men, Inez, Casey, Rain and Nettie, having a picnic lunch somewhere? After all, we've missed the chance with Mary."
"Please do not give Inez anymore ideas," Mary stiffened at the idea of an engagement party piled on with the rest of Inez's ideas for the wedding. "Chris and I have given serious thought to eloping and she's just in the planning stages. When she first offered to plan the wedding, I imagined something simple with Mexican food. I had no idea it was going to be...
"...a royal wedding?" Alex smiled, having made the silent decision should she and Vin ever decide to plan a wedding, Inez was not going to be involved.
"This problem would resolve itself if she just had sex with Buck," Julia deadpanned and silenced everyone at the table. "What?" She stared at Mary and Alex's shocked expressions. "You know I'm right!"
Mary, who knew Inez the longest, tried to appear outraged but even as she rallied up the arguments to claim Julia was wrong, she also knew there was a kernel of truth behind Julia's assertion.
"Of course you are," Mary finally confessed, "but we're not supposed to say that outloud!" The news woman's cheeks burned with embarrassment at having to make that confession.
"If not Buck, with someone." Alex pointed out. "As a doctor, I can tell you it's not good to be so high strung, especially if you don't know how to take care of it yourself." She winked at Julia and Mary.
The three stared at each other, catching her meaning before bursting out laughing for a good minute.
When they finally settled down, Alex said seriously. "Honestly, it's going to be a very long time before Vin and I can ever get married. I couldn't even put his name in the engagement notice. I think its enough we are engaged so the town can go back to gossiping about Jilly Harris and what she's supposed to be getting up to with the Baker boys."
Both Mary and Julia caught the slight shadow over Alex's eyes as she made that statement and knew the reason for making the engagement announcement still bothered the doctor.
"Are you alright Alex?" Mary reached for her hand and squeezed it.
While Julia did not know if her relationship with Alex had extended far enough to such a gesture, her emerald green eyes showed her empathy nonetheless. "Are you still thinking about what those Klansmen did?"
Alex stiffened and shifted her gaze away. "I hate it that the reason we had to get engaged was because of those bastards. It wasn't enough that Lamont..." she paused, closing her eyes to force away the memories of what had taken place inside that filthy shack. She could still remember how he tasted when he'd forced his tongue down her throat, that disgusting mixture of alcohol and tobacco that still turned her stomach. Amidst his sadism was his fierce desire to have her, just like Randall Mason, who'd killed her father to possess her and would have killed Vin, if she hadn't acted first.
"Alex, Vin loves you and you love Vin." Mary stated firmly. "There are good people in this town who know what you two mean to each other, more than the narrow minded fools who believed the Klan's vile words."
Then again, Mary had stood on the street with Alex that day and saw the words 'WHORE' painted across her clinic walls. Not to mention the talk about the kind of half caste children she and Vin would produce. Mary was still staggered by the unbelievable cruelty of those sentiments and the fact, they had come from her own neighbours.
"I know," Alex shrugged it off and stood up abruptly. "Julia this was lovely," she smiled at the Emporium owner. "We should do it again. I have to go however, I have appointments."
Before either woman could protest or bid her to stay, the doctor swept out of the room and left them behind, staring after her in concern.
"She's not as recovered as she'd like us to think," Julia stated the obvious.
She'd seen Alex the night of the attack and was horrified by the state of the doctor. Lamont had pursued her across the woods in the darkness and the rain, forcing Alex to take refuge in a well where she'd gotten trapped. According to Buck Wilmington, he and Vin had found Alex screaming hysterically. Yet despite that ordeal, Alex still managed to treat Ezra, as well as Lamont, citing the need to work to overcome her trauma. In the weeks that followed, even with the gossip dying down about Alex and Vin's relationship, it was clear to her friends she wasn't recovering even if the seven, including Vin and Nathan, being men, hadn't seen it.
"No," Mary agreed, disturbed by Alex's reaction and hasty departure. It had taken Inez months to recover from what had been done to her and while Alex hadn't been raped, she had come damn close to it. "When it happened to Inez, it took time but as terrible as what happened, the attack wasn't personal. Victoria Kendall was trying to get at Buck and Inez was the easiest way. Also Inez is better at expressing her feelings than Alex is. Alex is too much like Vin, she likes to keep it to herself which is not always the best thing."
"Should we tell Vin?" Julia asked, unable to imagine the tracker not wanting to know if Alex was still traumatized by what happened. Julia and Ezra had a rule about no secrets and she couldn't imagine Alex and Vin didn't have a similar pact.
"I don't know," Mary shook her head, easing back into her seat. "This is more than just what happened with the Klan. I mean it's Randall Mason too."
Julia nodded, remembering Randall Mason, the Englishmsn who had come to Four Corners, not long after Julia's arrival in town and the start of her relationship with Ezra. At that point, Vin and Alex were just begining to explore their relationship openly, even though Julia had suspicions they had feelings for each other long before that. Mason had been an old friend of Alex, who harboured a desire to marry the doctor and would not take no for an answer.
"Yes, Mr Mason was most persistent," Julia frowned, remembering how the man had orchestrated hers and Inez's kidnapping to distract the seven while he attempted to drag Alex away from Four Corners. "She's had two men willing to go through extraordinary lengths to acquire her. If they weren't so deranged, it would almost be flattering."
"Let's just keep an eye on her for now," Mary replied, "and hope everything settles down for awhile."
Alex felt foolish.
She knew she reacted badly but she couldn't help it. All of a sudden, the memory of Lamont and Randall surfaced so violently, she'd almost gagged from the intensity of it. Stepping onto the boardwalk once she'd reached the main street of town after leaving Julia's home, she had made the walk, taking deep breaths. As she returned to her clinic, she took note of Josiah's church and wondered if the preacher would be there. Perhaps talking to him would help.
He wouldn't be there, Alex realised when she glanced at the town clock and saw it was noon. At this time of the day, Josiah was probably at the saloon getting lunch, which was why Inez was absent from the tea with Julia and Mary this afternoon. Taking a deep breath, she looked at her hands and realised they were shaking. A sense of longing for Vin filled her then, wishing he were here so he could take her hands in his and ease the anxiety out of them, like he had once done so at the creek in Nettie Wells's property. That one innocent gesture had changed everything.
It had barely been four weeks since the ordeal at Lamont's hands and Alex was angry at why she wasn't recovering faster. She was more resilient than this and hated her weakness. Her father didn't raise her to be weak, to be susceptible to all those useless emotions women displayed when they lost control. She was a doctor. She couldn't be fragile. Lamont was in a prison, rotting in a cell for the next twenty years, while Randall...
Well she made sure he would trouble her no more, that was for certain.
She'd just walked past the saloon when suddenly, she heard footsteps come up alongside of her and half expected it to be one of the seven, when a voice spoke to her she did not recognise.
"Good afternoon, you must be Doctor Styles."
Alex paused and turned to the speaker and realised she did not know this person. Aside from the fact he was dressed like a very proper English gentleman, with his blue eyes and dark gold hair, his hat was not American. She studied it for a moment, before realising she recognised the style. It was an Akubra. She'd seen it when she and her father travelled across Australia some years ago.
"I am," she said cautiously as he tipped the hat at her. "I do not believe we've met."
"I am Riley Marshall," he introduced himself. "I'm new to Four Corners as of yesterday, to invest in the area and during my conversation with Mr Heidegger, learned this town had a beautiful lady doctor of exotic origins. I just knew I simply had to meet you." He flashed her his most charming smile.
"Welcome to Four Corners, Mr Marshall," Alex stared at him for a moment, trying to remember if they met before. There was something about him that seemed familiar. She shook the thought out of her head. "Am I wrong to assume you are Australian?"
"Very good Doctor," he gave her that disarming smile again. "Most people think I'm English."
"Well there is some English there," Alex returned, deciding he was going to be very popular with the unattached women in town. He was very handsome, she had to confess although she found ruggedly, dusty lawman with too soft voices, were more to her taste these days.
"And a trace of Yorkshire?" She ventured a guess, as she resumed walking with Riley falling into step with her.
HIs face brightened. "I did come from Yorkshire but I've spent most of my time in Melbourne. You've been to Australia?"
"I have family in Derbyshire," Alex answered, although she'd never actually met the relations who made William Styles an outcast without outright disowning him. "And I travelled to South Australia about seven years ago with my father."
"South Australia?" Riley's eyes widened in mild surprise. "That's hardly anything there but the tribes!"
Indeed, the area in which she described had done the impossible, beaten back the white settlers and pastoralists to the point the government simply abandoned the terrain to the tribes who'd lived there for the past 20,000 years. If not for the magnificent monolith called Ayers Rock, there would be no reason to travel there at all. The area was as close to wasteland as could be imagined, with nothing to recommend it, save the landmark.
"My father wanted to see the Rock," she explained. "So we travelled to see it on our way to the Indies."
"Long way to travel just for that," he remarked, starting to realise why a man might lose himself in her. She was very beautiful and there was intelligence behind those brown eyes, just as compelling. Still, as lovely as she was, he could not forget his reason for travelling to this locality and reminded himself, this meeting was part of a larger plan which had yet to come to fruition.
"My father loved to travel. Australia was just one place in the journey," Alex said with a sad smile, once again hating Randall Mason for taking him away from her. Four weeks ago, she wrestled with her decision to end him, telling herself revenge was never justified. However, the encounter with Francis Lamont had changed her perception of vengeance. Moments like this, when she thought of her father, who would never meet Vin or any of the children they would have together, she felt less guilty.
"He sounds like an interesting man," Riley complimented. "He is not with you?"
Alex's expression hardened in light of what she was just thinking of a moment ago. "He's dead."
"I am sorry to hear," Riley noted the fury in her eyes and wondered what was at the heart of it. "Well I won't keep you Doctor Styles, I just wanted to introduce myself. I plan on being in town permanently and wanted to make your acquaintance. Perhaps I could call on you sometimes." He reached for her hand and held it to his lips before she had a chance to stop him.
In any other situation, it would have been a charming gesture but in this instance it was intrusive, mostly because her affections were already promised elsewhere. "Mr Marshall, I'm afraid that wouldn't be appropriate. I am engaged to be married." Alex pulled back her hand, her cheeks blooming in colour, though her dusky skin concealed it.
His expression revealed nothing less than mortification. "Please forgive me Doctor Styles, I didn't mean to insult you. I did not see a ring on your finger and assumed you were unattached."
"We haven't gotten around to that yet," Alex answered quickly, hiding her hands behind her skirt.
"If you were mine, dear lady, that would be a necessary first step." Riley pointed out. "However, that is none of my concern. I wish you all the best and hope we can at least be friends."
Accepting the sincerity of his apology, she supposed she couldn't blame him for the mistake. The announcement in the paper was only a week old and he was new to town. There was no reason for him to know she was attached and Alex felt some measure of gratitude no one was talking about her relationship with Vin anymore.
"I would like that too," Alex returned politely and was glad when her clinic came into view and she needed to cross the street. "Until next time Mr Marshall."
"I look forward to it," Riley tipped his hat at her as she stepped off the boardwalk, intending to cross the street, while there was a lull in the traffic. He watched her as she made her way to the two story building that served as her clinic and her home with interest. Riley noted she didn't look back at him.
From the swing doors of the Standish Saloon, Chris Larabee watched the exchange in silence.
In actual truth, Cassandra Heglund wasn't just a singer, she had also another more profitable skill.
Indeed, when she arrived at the town of Cimarron, a few hours after Riley Marshall met Alexandra Styles for the first time, she appeared nothing like the genteel English woman that so charmed Buck Wilmington, on the boardwalk the night before. Now she was dressed like a grand lady, ready to enjoy the delights of a night out.
While Riley was a stranger to the Territory, Cassandra was not. She was here almost a month before Riley arrived in America, needing to pave the way for his ultimate plans in Four Corners. They had known each other in England, that had not been a lie but Cassandra's fortunes had been far different then. Bad investments and too many games at the card table by her father had dwindled her family fortune and unless she married well, was facing destitution. She'd come to America to make her own opportunities and achieved some success as a singer.
Where she was most successful, however, was a procurer.
If a service was required, an object found, a person silenced, she was the one who could connect people to see it was done. Beauty had allowed her to make connections and if she could facilitate a service between two parties, shouldn't she profit with a small percentage? It kept her from submitting to the desires of any man to make her way in the world and placed her in the perfect position to help Riley carry out his plans in Four Corners.
Entering the establishment in Cimarron known as the Maxwell House, Cassandra was wearing a shimmering gown of taffeta, with an off the shoulder bodice and lace trims out of the neckline and double puffed sleeves. With gloves and jewellery to suit, she looked every bit the lady of importance and having 'procured' for Lucien Maxwell, the owner of the establishment in the past, Cassandra had earned enough reputation to be afforded every courtesy.
Having come from London, Cassandra had to admit being impressed by the size of the structure in this otherwise dreary town, surrounded by mountains on a flat plain with nothing but tumbleweeds and windstorms to recommend it. The interior of the building came with high, molded ceilings, deep piled carpets, velvet drapes, paintings in gold frames, and four pianos — two for each floor. It was a place where one could enjoy the attention of working girls, be entertained by dance halls, get drunk at the saloon and of course lose money in the gambling rooms.
It also had a parlour where business was conducted with only one rule. The Maxwell House was neutral ground. Maxwell tolerated no violence in these halls. He was perfectly content if disagreements took place, but the first person to raise a hand, blade or a gun to another would die for the incursion.
The man was called Johnny Miller, a known outlaw who had a tendency to kill with a shotgun and seldom left witnesses alive. Responsible for raiding stages, banks and the odd gambling house, he'd been operating mostly in Kansas, though he'd been moving south with his party of twenty men in recent years. On occasion, Cassandra had found he was quite the efficient hired gun, which was why they were meeting today.
"Damn Cassie," Miller studied her as he waited in the wing chair, a working girl on his lap while he swilled the whisky in his glass. "You do look fine."
The saloon girl he was holding in his arms, was clad only in her undergarments with a silken bed jacket draped over her shoulders. She regarded Cassandra with a bit of jealousy, taking note of the foreigner's expensive clothes.
"Later Annabelle," Miller pushed her gently off his lap. "I got business to conduct."
She sniffed unhappily but obeyed, giving Cassandra another glare from her dark eyes before disappearing out of the room, no doubt to join the stable of girls in the main floor of the brothel. Cassandra waited until she was out of earshot before taking up the chair in front of Miller.
Despite his reputation, Miller was no more than thirty years old and the bleached bone Civil War jacket of leather he was wearing, belonged to his father. With blond hair cut close to the scalp and blue eyes so light they were the colour of the sky, he was a pure sociopath who was not only patient, but exceedingly vicious, as many of his victims could attest.
"Nice to see you again Johnny," Cassandra smiled. "I take it you've been enjoying yourself here?"
"On your dime Cassie," he drawled. "Easiest job I ever done, waiting around for you to get your shit together."
"Well don't get too comfortable," Cassandra replied. "My client is in country and he's ready to proceed."
"When do you want us?" He downed his glass and raised his eyes to her.
"In three days," Cassandra replied. "If everything goes well, we're all going to take a ride to the ocean."
