Hannah stuck her head to look up at the driver.
"Can't you go any faster?"
Really they'd been traveling at the same slow pace for half a day and still, the carriage bounced over the rocky part of the trail until it reached the flat road through the valley. He didn't respond but he'd told her when they'd stopped earlier to water the horses that last winter's rains had washed out part of the trails which made it more important to move slower. But she wanted to get to Silver Crest as quickly as possible. She knew that when Ethan returned from handing over Amelia to the judge, he'd be ready to go with her back to Paradise and back to their lives. Yes, it might be true that he had some stray feelings for his ex-fiancée but he'd face reality that she'd be hung or sent to prison for the rest of her life if she killed someone.
"Really at this rate it could be a week before we get there…"
The driver slowed even more and she heard his response.
"If you keep yapping, it'll only take longer to get there so just sit back and enjoy the ride."
She didn't feel like being quiet. It'd been more than a half day since she'd left Paradise and this tripp spent cramped up in the carriage seemed to take forever. They stopped at a small town and another passenger joined them. He looked like an earnest man, with dark hair with white sprinkled into it and wearing a stylish suit.
If she had to share what limited space she had, it could be worse than sharing it with a distinguished looking gentleman.
"Where you heading…?"
She looked over at him unaware that he'd been looking at her.
"I'm heading to Silver Crest…to meet someone."
The man removed his hat and put it next to him on the seat before stretching his legs out.
"Your beau…?"
She nodded.
"Yes something like that," she said, "We haven't gone out that long."
He tilted his face and his blue eyes had an intensity to them…he just looked so serious.
"Where are you going?"
He paused.
"Same town…I'm meeting a woman only in my case it's related to my work."
"What do you do?"
"I'm a doctor…I was called out to look at some samples taken from a mine," he said, "I started out from Stockton yesterday."
"That's interesting…I knew they had mines there but they were closed down I thought."
"The town leaders want to reopen them," the doctor said, "But it might not be safe for the workers. Many of them are apparently quite ill."
Hannah sighed.
"So you're the doctor who's going to help them?"
"Why yes…I'm Dr. Stewart, Elias Stewart…I interned out in Chicago and then went to Stockton a while back."
"I'm Hannah…I used to be an actress," she said, "but I gave it up and moved to Paradise to be near Ethan."
"Your beau…"
She fiddled with her bun.
"Yes…but he's busy transporting a prisoner to the judge," she said, "He should be return to Silver Crest soon and I'll meet him there."
"Prisoner…What is he a sheriff?"
"He's a marshal," Hannah said, "He and his only deputy rode out to help the law out there with some…problems."
"Oh…Silver Crest has always had its share of problems," he said, "Like most mining towns, for every boom there's a bust."
She nodded.
"Yes well, he's doing very important work and then he's coming back home to Paradise."
Elias smiled at her.
"I don't blame him for a lovely woman like yourself," he said, "He'd be crazy to stay away for too long."
Hannah just beamed.
"I know…and besides his niece and nephew are there with him," she said, "So they'll wait with me in a hotel somewhere."
Elias frowned.
"I heard their lodgings were worn down…I don't know where I'm staying."
Hannah shrugged.
"Every town has one respectable establishment to stay at."
Elias sighed.
"I hope so…I'm not going to have much time to rest when I'm there but I wouldn't mind a real bed."
Claire put her hands on her hips and looked at Joseph.
"Is that all you got?"
He nodded and had handed over his bag of ore samples from the mine. It hadn't been more than a small bag.
"We need more for the doctor when he gets here."
Joseph sighed.
"The place was guarded," he said, "Three security men by all the entrances…except one but then when I heard them approach from inside…I had to leave quick."
"Okay maybe we'll have another chance to go back…"
Joseph looked doubtful.
"Don't know about that," he said, "maybe we'll have to create a distraction."
Dakota walked up to them with Nellie just behind him.
"The doctor's on the stage," he said, "Already left Stockton yesterday."
Claire smiled.
"That's good," she said, "He'll get her soon and he can look at the samples Joseph brought back."
Nellie seemed excited.
"I know this guy," she said, "Elias Stewart…he's very good at his job and he'll want to help these people."
Claire looked back in the direction of the sheriff's office.
"What about Brock and the sheriff," she said, "What if they try to block him?"
Nellie smiled.
"They won't…Elias knows just how to handle men like that. He'll be more than a match for them."
Joseph looked around them but the area looked deserted. Even the buildings that should be open for business.
"We'd better get back to the ranch," he said, "Maybe Uncle Ethan will be coming back."
Claire shook her head.
"No…he's after the man who took Mrs. Lawson and she's wanted for murder," she said, "That's going to keep him too busy."
Dakota nodded.
"We'll have to do this without him," he said, "I know it's what he would have wanted."
Amelia covered her shoulder blade again and Ethan just stared at her. She knew what she showed him had shocked him. That hadn't been her intent; she just wanted him to understand why she kept everyone including him at a distance. Her feelings for him…in great conflict because she'd missed him so much but now…she's been changed.
"Amelia, my God…"
She sighed.
"I know…I don't remember all of it," she said, "They were fighting one night about what to do with me and one of them decided to mark me like I was cattle…and next thing I knew I was stuck by something very hot…it burned my skin…I could smell it…and it hurt like…but then everything went dark."
She knew that the pain had grown too intense to stand so her body had opted out.
"I woke up later…and I knew I had to get away…"
He stepped closer to her and sat next to her on the bed…she didn't move away from him but she didn't move closer either.
"You got away didn't you?"
She nodded.
"When they slept…somehow I made it far enough so that I was near Silver Crest…and Evelyn found me."
Ethan nodded remembering the woman.
"She's leading what's going on in Silver Crest isn't she?"
Amelia nodded again.
"As much as anyone is but she's just looking out for her family and the others too."
"So you helped them…"
"As soon as I got better," she said, "What the men did…it took a while to mend."
She knew he was still trying to process what she showed him, the brand that marred her flesh. It would be a permanent reminder of what happened to her…and to him because she'd wanted him back but…no it couldn't happen now could it…? She wasn't the same woman anymore; the scars had been more than skin deep
She paused for a long moment.
"Hannah sounds like a good enough woman," she said, "You can find happiness with her."
He shifted so that he could face her while they both sat on the bed.
"What if I don't want to?"
"What do you mean," she said, "Ethan she can give you what I don't have…a future."
She needed him to understand that more than likely if she went in front of the judge, she would be hung by day's end. If she were lucky, she might rot in prison. Either way she'd never see him or the children again.
"Amelia…I'm not going to let anything happen to you," he said, "and no one's taking your future away from you."
She reached up to stroke his face with one hand.
"Thank you but I don't know how to stop it," she said, "anymore than I could stop what Reade did to me…I don't regret killing him Ethan…I couldn't let him hurt anyone else…"
"I wish it could have been me that killed him."
She shook her head.
"No…no you have the children to raise," she said, "You can't leave them alone. You've got to be there."
He reached out and stroked her face back.
"You're a part of that too," he said, "I know that's why you were coming back…to tell me that."
She couldn't deny it.
"I wanted to see you again," she said, "but now…everything's changed and too much has happened…and I'm not sure that it's not too late…"
He leaned closer and one of his hands cupped her face while he kissed her, softly at first and then with greater feeling. She didn't feel like stopping him, being drawn into what he felt for her and she for him.
When they broke for air she looked at him.
"Why…I told you…"
"It's never too late," he said, "I'll do whatever it takes to show that to you…"
He drew her in his arms and held onto her tightly and she responded, not wanting to let him go. But how could they stop the future's current path?