14. Deputy's Assistant

Rose listened to Dimitri's heartbeat as she hid in his arms; its steady, reassuring tempo grounding her when she felt she might have otherwise floated away. Standing this close to him, she became acutely aware of every little detail. His chest was firm and unyielding, yet his hands were gentle on her back, and his scent... hmmm. Her head was spinning from the heady combination of citrus and spices, leather and dust.

There was a scratchy feeling against her cheek, and when Rose opened her eyes she was surprised to discover the deputy's brown waistcoat was made of an inexpensive woollen weave (not velvet or silk brocade as the current fashion dictated). Her attention was pulled upwards then, to the knotted necktie that had been set askew during their scuffle. As she crept a hand up to adjust it, her eyes came to rest on something else unusual. Dimitri's collar was a shade whiter than his buttoned, linen shirt. He must have had it turned when it became worn at the edges to save the money on buying a whole new shirt.

Some people might have found such disregard for fashion quaint or amusing, but in Rose's eyes the deputy's shabbiness only made him more attractive. The fact he was willing to sacrifice many small comforts in order to save money and bring his family to America proved he could be selfless and tender-hearted – not just fierce and strong – and she wouldn't have him any other way. Feeling overwhelmed by his all-consuming presence, Rose dipped her head again and closed her eyes, letting everything else in the world simply fall away.

Sensing that the embrace was quickly moving from comfort to something else, Dimitri fought a tense inner-battle. He wanted so badly to remain with his Roza, soaking up the closeness that had settled between them in the wake of their argument, but in the end it was the fear of ruining her reputation – not a lack of desire – that gave him the will to refrain. No matter how right it felt to have her in his arms, or how willingly she clung to him, it was foolish to take such liberties. The truth of the matter was that they weren't engaged, and until he was in a position to declare his intentions, he had no claim on her affections and no right to behave so intimately. Fighting his baser instincts, the deputy unwrapped his arms from around the wild, beautiful creature and shifted her off his chest.

Rose blinked her eyes open to see Deputy Belikov gazing down at her, his expression soft and serious.

'Your hair came loose again,' he observed quietly, moving to fix the offending pins, and that's when they heard the sound of someone whistling in the hallway.

The pair sprang apart at once, and Rose turned guiltily to see Alberta entering through the half-open door, not batting an eyelid to see the deputy standing in the room alone with her daughter, with only a foot of space between them.

'So she found out then,' the sheriff concluded matter-of-factly, taking note of the flush in Rose's complexion and the fading handprint on Dimitri's cheek.

The man took a step forward. 'I apologise, Sheriff Peterson. I didn't mean for Miss Hath—'

'Oh, shut your pie-hole, deputy. You don't need to apologise for every little trick Rose gets past you. I'm just glad to have you back. The girl was a right miserable pain in backside while you were gone. Maybe she'll perk up a bit now you're here again.'

Dimitri hovered uncertainly, trapped by the woman's knowing gaze, while Rose flushed a deeper shade of red, mortified by Alberta's insensitive remarks.

The sheriff lingered a moment or two longer, glancing from one wary face to the other, then plonked herself down on her bed. 'So, Belikov. I believe you have news to report... Rose. Give us a moment please,' she nodded towards the door.

'Actually, I'd like Miss Hathaway to hear what I have to say,' the deputy disagreed, drawing up a pair of chairs for them to sit by Alberta's bedside. 'While I was at the bordello, I came across some information that may be connected to the death of your daughter's tutor, Sonya Karp.'

The sheriff eyed him carefully. 'Are you sure this is a conversation appropriate for a young lady's ears?'

Dimitri shook his head. 'No. It's not appropriate,' he said grimly, 'but I believe Miss Hathaway is mature enough to hear the truth and trust she will keep the information to herself.'

The deputy cast a sidelong glance at the girl beside him and caught her brief, grateful nod.

Alberta watched the exchange with interest, studying Rose's solemn, determined expression. She didn't like the idea of filling the child's mind with talk of death and darkness, but clearly Deputy Belikov had a way with the girl and she trusted him to be prudent with his account. 'Very well. Begin.'

'Well, I apprehended the man who was making a nuisance of himself at the brothel,' Dimitri chose his words carefully, not wanting to concern Rose with too much detail.

'And the mongrel was?' Alberta pressed. Patience wasn't her strong suit.

'Micky Tanner.'

'Sheriff Tanner?' the older woman squawked in disbelief.

'The one who was engaged to Miss Karp?' Rose added, horrified.

'The same.' Dimitri laced his fingers together in his lap, frowning as he explained. 'He was drunk and angry, but I managed to remove him from the premises and get some sense out of him. It turns out he's been attending the brothel for several months, visiting with the madam's daughter, Ambrosia. The girl bears an uncanny resemblance to Sonya Karp, and it seems Micky was paying for the pleasure of speaking with her as a way to ease his grief over the loss of his fiancée.'

Alberta's expression was dark. 'I remember he had a rough time of it when Sonya passed,' she confirmed. 'Poor man didn't find out she was dead until two months after the fact because the mail coach carrying my letter of condolence was held-up by outlaws. I'll never forget the look on his face when he walked into my office asking for the whereabouts of his sweetheart and I had to tell him the girl had taken her own life.'

She paused and reached into the top drawer of the bedside table to retrieve a small flask, screwing up her face at the blossoming burn of gin against the back of her throat before continuing.

'He went berserk - blamed Reverend Karp for failing to protect his daughter and nearly killed the preacher when he found out that no funeral had been held due to the church's stance on suicide. Tanner insisted we put out another search party to locate the body, but I'd already dedicated weeks to the task and turned up nothing so I had to deny the request. We haven't been in contact since.'

Rose chewed fretfully at the inside of her lip. All of this had taken place while she and Lisa were away, and hearing the details now made it feel as though it only happened yesterday.

The deputy cleared his throat. 'Micky told me he has reason to believe Sonya's death wasn't self-inflicted.'

That had Alberta's attention, and Rose braced herself against the armrest of her chair. Murder? It was too horrible to even consider.

'Last Saturday, Micky was on his usual visit with the girl, Ambrosia, when she disclosed something that made him suspicious. Apparently, one of Ambrosia's customers told her that she reminded him of someone he knew. Sheriff Tanner questioned her further but she clammed up. It seems the madam doesn't like her doves discussing personal information about their clients.'

Alberta scoffed. 'Unless there's some gain in it for her, that is.'

'I wouldn't doubt that,' Dimitri pulled a distasteful expression. 'I managed to convince Rhonda to allow us back the next day and question the girl. Ambrosia was extremely reluctant to talk, but she eventually revealed that her client's colleague had been negotiating a deal with a feisty redhead from Saints Town who had given him some trouble.'

Rose had been listening quietly, her mind working overtime as she tried to make sense of the information. 'What kind of deal?' she asked, earning a look of respect from Dimitri.

'That's what I wanted to know too,' he replied. 'Ambrosia said she wasn't given any specific details, but she got the impression it could have been a business contract or possibly a marriage proposal. I tried to press her further to get a description of the man, but she made it clear the interview was over so we left.'

'So...,' Alberta frowned, 'Micky Tanner thinks this man may have, in some way, been responsible for Sonya's death?' she clarified.

'Micky said Sonya wrote to him a few months before her death,' Dimitri replied. 'She said a man from out of town had been making advances towards her but she turned him down. Micky thought the matter was over, but now he's wondering if the would-be suitor might have taken the rejection badly. It's possible he could have subjected the young lady to harassment or physical assault, leading her to commit suicide, or he might have killed her outright. Either way, I believe there is enough doubt to the case to warrant further examination.'

Sheriff Peterson was quiet for nearly a minute before she responded. 'So what do you plan to do with the information, deputy?'

Dimitri had spent the whole ride home pondering that exact question. 'Well, for starters, I'd like to go over any records you may have kept regarding Miss Karp's presumed suicide. I will need to speak with the reverend to see if he remembers any young men paying special attention to his daughter, and also question any of the townsfolk who had close contact with Sonya around the time of her death.'

There was movement next to him, and he turned to see Rose leaning forward in her chair.

'What is it, child?' Alberta asked, not in the mood for a foolish interruption.

'I had an idea but I'm not sure if—'

'Well spit it out then, or let the grownups talk,' the sheriff huffed. She didn't mean to sound so harsh, but this Sonya business had her ruffled, and the Great Sheriff Peterson was not accustomed to feeling out of control.

Rose looked cautiously at Dimitri before she spoke. 'I don't think Mr Ivara was here when Sonya died but he might have heard something. Practically everybody in town uses the saloon at some point. If anybody has let something slip, he'll be the one to know.'

There was no judgement or suspicion on the deputy's face. 'A sensible idea,' he eyed her thoughtfully. 'Perhaps we could do the interview together? Mr Ivara isn't exactly fond of me but he might be more forthcoming if you're the one asking the questions.'

It was his way of telling Rose he trusted her, and the girl returned a thin smile to show him she understood.

Deputy Belikov turned to address Alberta. 'Would you mind if I appointed Miss Hathaway as an assistant on this case? The investigation will be much easier if I have somebody with me who is familiar with the situation and the people involved.'

The sheriff fixed her daughter with a warning eye. 'I'll only allow it if you feel you are well enough. If Micky Tanner is right and we have a murderer lurking about town, then I can't have you slowing the deputy down.'

Rose stood up and did a lap of the room to demonstrate how much her ankle had improved, being careful to keep her face relaxed. In reality it hurt like the blazes – during her earlier fit of rage she'd managed to stamp on Dimitri using her injured foot, jarring it further, but she wasn't going to give Alberta any excuse to say no.

'As good as new, see?' she lied.

'Hmm. It was a different story when I asked you to fetch me a cup of coffee this morning,' the sheriff peered suspiciously at the girl. 'It seems our Deputy Belikov is a veritable miracle worker. Very well,' Alberta glanced to the man at her bedside. 'Rose can move her things back home this afternoon so she can be closer to the office as you undertake your work. But if I hear of any monkey business,' she aimed that comment at her daughter, 'then it's straight back here, yes?'

Rose replied with a tight hug, whispering her thanks in Alberta's ear.

'Enough of that, scamp,' the older woman pulled back from the embrace, taken off-guard by the sudden display of affection. 'Get packing. I think I'll be well enough to join you within the week, so enjoy your freedom while it lasts.'

Rose beamed, shifting her attention to Dimitri. 'Would you mind helping me carry my things back home? I don't have much to pack. I've just got to go and get something I left out in the saloon. I'll only be a minute,' she finished, speaking so quickly she almost sounded like Natalie.

Dimitri's eyes followed Rose as she exited the room and Alberta's eyes followed Dimitri's.

'I'm trusting you with her, Mr Belikov,' the old sheriff confided when they were alone, nodding in the direction that Rose had just left.

The deputy stiffened, unsure of her meaning. 'I would never let any harm come to the girl,' he replied professionally.

Alberta wasn't falling for his act. 'Don't play coy with me, boy. I see the way you look at her. I'll speak of this once and once only. Don't break her heart.'

A thin layer of perspiration sprung up on Dimitri's forehead. 'I would never—'

The woman eyed him steadily, leaning closer and lowering her voice to a menacing growl. 'I know you won't. Because if you do I will hunt you down and hurt you. Badly. Do you understand?'

The man was twice her size but he shrunk under her gaze. 'Yes ma'am.'

Sheriff Peterson kept him squirming for a little while longer then released him with a wave of her hand. 'Good. Now go and catch me a murderer.'

'Where do you want these?' Dimitri asked as they entered the sheriff's building, squeezing through the doorway with a pair of bags and a hatbox.

Rose followed close behind, carrying two gifts she'd received earlier – Adrian's perfume and a package wrapped in coloured tissue paper from Natalie. 'Can you put them straight in my room? It's just up here.'

She took the staircase slowly, being careful to favour her injured foot, and pushed open her bedroom door, dropping her items on the bed.

There was a creak of wooden floorboards and Rose looked back through the doorway to see Dimitri standing awkwardly at the top of the stairs, peering into her bedroom but not wanting to step inside without permission.

'Oh, just come in. I'm not going to bite you,' she teased, hastening to help him with his burdens then letting out a hiss of pain as her injured foot caught the edge of the heavy wooden glory box at the end of her bed. 'Dadgummit!' she yelled, hopping around on one foot until she collapsed onto the upholstered reading chair, gingerly massaging her throbbing ankle.

'I thought that was a quick recovery,' Dimitri shook his head, secretly admiring her stubbornness.

Rose shot him a wearied look. 'Anything to get out of sharing a room with Alberta. That woman snores like a steam train, I swear.'

The deputy chuckled and unburdened himself of the bags then took a cautious step back towards the door. There was something extremely unnerving about being in a lady's bedroom. He'd been in his sisters' rooms countless times, of course, but this was completely different. The rosewood countertop was covered in mysterious, heavenly-smelling jars and a small bowl of potpourri. The lace edging on the eiderdown was so delicate Dimitri was sure it would fall to pieces at the slightest touch, and he nearly tripped over his own feet at the sight of Rose's silk dressing gown hung on the clothes rack by the washstand.

'Nice room,' he looked around nervously. 'It's very... feminine.'

Rose eased her foot back to the ground, watching him with amusement. 'You've killed more than twenty outlaws but a little lace and lavender has you spooked? You're priceless, cowboy!'

Dimitri was out of his depth and he knew it. 'So what's in the tissue paper?' he asked, neatly changing the subject as he edged closer to the exit.

The girl stood and crossed the room to her bed, turning the parcel over in her hands. 'Prepare yourself. It's from Natalie,' she said with a grimace.

Natalie Dashley was renowned for giving thoughtful, handmade gifts, which Rose generally found to be useless, ghastly or both.

Ripping the paper back, she clapped a hand over her mouth and beckoned for Dimitri to come closer.

'What on God's good earth?' he stood at her elbow, a look of mild revulsion on his face.

Rose's own expression lay somewhere between perplexed and disturbed, and a smile twitched at the corners of the girl's mouth as her eyes wandered over the hideous needlepoint rendering of a black and white kitty; its eyes rimmed with an unfortunate choice of red silk embroidery thread that made the animal look possessed.

'What did you do to make Miss Dashley hate you so much?' Dimitri asked, raising an eyebrow.

The girl's mouth broke into a grin. 'You're really going to have to teach me how to do that,' Rose attempted to mirror his expression but failed. 'Look. A note,' she unfolded the scented paper and read the flowing script aloud.

Dearest Rosy, (She pulled a face.)

Lisa told me that you stayed with a family who owned a cat when you were away last year. I know you must miss him so much, so this portrait is just for you. Now Oscar will always be with you, to watch over you and keep you safe.

Hugs and kisses,

Natalie

'You want to know the funniest part?' Rose turned to the deputy with a smirk. 'Oscar hated me. I'd be happy if I never saw the snobby little furball again in my life, and now I'm stuck with his demonic twin forever!'

Dimitri loved how she always managed to see the funny side in things and he smiled along with her. 'I'm not much of a cat person myself, but after seeing that picture I'm pretty certain I won't be able to sleep tonight!'

Rose was feeling wicked. 'If you do get scared, I can always come down to your fire and take care of you,' she brushed his arm, her face the image of concern but her eyes sparkling with fun.

Yes please, the deputy thought, but immediately regretted his weakness of will. Less than an hour ago he'd promised Alberta he would be on his best behaviour with her daughter, yet here he was, standing in Rose's bedroom joking about a midnight rendezvous. If it was any other man doing the same thing he would have punched him to kingdom come. It was definitely time to establish some boundaries.

'I'd better head back downstairs,' Dimitri said abruptly, stepping backwards towards the door. 'I'll see you down there when you've unpacked.'

He was gone in a moment, and Rose looked after him, feeling confused and empty in his wake.

When Rose entered the sheriff's office a half-hour later, the deputy was sitting behind the desk poring over a pile of papers, but he looked up when he heard her enter.

'Come. Sit. We need to talk about something,' he beckoned her over, shifting a spare chair next to his so they were facing one another.

'Is this going to be a lecture, cowboy?' she asked, the tone of his voice making her uneasy.

'No. If we are going to work together as partners, then this is something we need to discuss as equals,' he looked at her intently and her heart set off at a hundred miles an hour.

Partners. She liked the sound of that. Rose smiled in gratitude but the look quickly melted from her face at the deputy's next words.

'I don't want you coming out to my fire after dark anymore, Roza.'

'Why not?' she looked hurt. After everything that had happened between them over the past few days she couldn't believe he was pushing her away.

'Why not?' Dimitri echoed in exasperation, his voice low in case somebody should choose that moment to walk into the office. 'In what situation would it ever be suitable for an unmarried woman to meet with a man after dark? It was risky enough you coming to see me last Sunday night when you baked the sesame brittle, but that night at the ranch... If anybody caught us - how we were lying,' he glanced away, ashamed, 'your reputation would be in tatters. I should never have allowed it to happen.' He leaned his elbow on the desk and pinched the bridge of his nose.

'Argh. Reputation! You, Alberta, Madam Kiroy. It's all I ever hear these days,' Rose ranted, standing restlessly and circling around her chair to lean with her hands on the seat's backrest. 'It's just a bunch of stupid rules put on young women by people who are too old to have fun anymore.'

'They're not stupid rules, Roza. They are in place to keep you safe. What I did was wrong, and I want to promise you I won't put you in that position again.'

Rose knew what he was getting at, but she was feeling contrary. 'You didn't put me in any position, cowboy. I was the one who chose to come and visit you that night, and I was the one who refused to go back to the house after you took care of my injuries.'

'And I was the one who put my arm around you and held you while you slept,' he said through gritted teeth.

She was getting annoyed now. 'We were asleep, remember?' Rose waved her hands in the air to mark her point. 'Neither of us meant for that to happen so I can't see why it's such a big problem.'

'It doesn't matter how innocent it might have seemed. Some things lead to other things, Roza - you're old enough to understand that, aren't you?' he implored her to listen to reason. 'I made a promise to Alberta that I would treat you properly and safeguard your reputation, and I'm not going to betray her trust. More importantly, you deserve better than that, and I can't afford to lose my job either. From now on, we need to keep things completely professional and above board. Can you help me, please? No more midnight visits?'

Rose hated that he was right. She'd felt the odd tinge of guilt about that night ever since it happened, and the last thing she wanted was for Dimitri to get into trouble. 'I understand where you're coming from, but I still think you're overreacting,' she conceded, pacing a few steps away then returning to grip the back of the chair. 'Alright, then. I promise I won't come to your campfire anymore if you promise to let me negotiate my own request.'

Dimitri shifted his posture, sitting taller and crossing his arms to reclaim the balance of power. 'What request?'

'Just say yes and then I'll tell you,' she insisted.

The deputy narrowed his eyes. Rose drove a hard bargain but at least she was considering his proposal seriously, and right now Dimitri felt he should be grateful for any small victory. 'Alright, yes.'

Rose sat back down on her chair, the satisfaction of her triumph setting a glow to her face that made the man nervous.

'What have I just agreed to?' he asked warily.

'You're going to teach me to fight,' she grinned. 'That punching bag you made me is crying out for a good pounding.'

'I would think you already proved yourself quite a capable fighter,' the deputy remarked meaningfully, remembering their altercation at the hotel. 'And don't you think combat training would be pretty high on the list of things that might prove problematic to a woman's reputation?'

She rolled her eyes. 'Think about it, cowboy. If Micky Tanner was right and there is a murderer out there, then I should be as prepared to protect myself as possible. I might even be able to defend Lisa if it turned out she was in danger. So you'd be failing in your duty if you didn't teach me to fight. Not to mention what a wicked sin it would be letting all that flour go to waste.'

Dimitri sighed. It was a train of logic only Rose Hathaway could come up with but she had a point. 'Very well. We'll continue with the training – provided we do it first thing in the morning before everybody is awake – I don't want to stir up unnecessary questions. Shall we start at 5:00am tomorrow?' The deputy knew she wasn't an early riser and thought the extreme hour might dissuade her.

Rose nearly told him he was mad, but she bit her tongue and nodded. It wasn't just about having the privilege of private time with Dimitri. She really did want to learn to defend herself and those she loved, and she wasn't going to let a few early starts ruin her chance of that.

'You've got yourself a deal, partner,' she stuck out her hand.

'A deal,' he shook her hand and smiled at her with his eyes. The next few days were going to be the real test, but if she stuck to her word he knew they could make it work.

They agreed to commence their investigation into Sonya's death the following day, and the remainder of the afternoon passed quickly as the deputy caught up on a few local issues that had arisen while he was away. Before long, the light through the window glowed a deep, burnt orange, and Dimitri rose from his place behind the sheriff's desk. Dusk was fast approaching and he still needed to set up his camp for the night.

'I'd better head off now,' Deputy Belikov informed his assistant, retrieving his hat from the desk and preparing to leave. 'I'll get some dinner cooking and leave a plate on the front porch for you when it's ready.'

Rose followed him to the door, already feeling the loss of him, even though he would be camping just outside in view of her bedroom window. 'Would you like me to make another batch of sesame brittle for dessert?' she offered. 'It's no bother, really.'

Dimitri looked down at her, a smile teasing at his lips. 'I'm not sure I can manage chewing anything that hard tonight. Something hit me in the face today and my jaw is still smarting,' he massaged his cheek for extra effect.

Shame descended on Rose like a ton of bricks and she covered her face in her hands. 'I'm so sorry, cowboy. I should never, ever have hit you. I'll feel awful about that for the rest of my life.'

The big man took her hands gently and removed them from her face. 'Please don't feel bad, Roza. I deserved everything I got. Now make sure you get a good night's rest. We'll have a busy morning ahead of us.'

'My first official day as deputy's assistant,' she bit her lip nervously. 'I'm so jittery I don't think I'll be able to sleep.'

Rose was pretty when she smiled, radiant when she laughed, and dazzling in her wild, brazen moments. But when she was in this quiet, introspective mood she was so beautiful it almost hurt Dimitri to look at her.

He didn't abandon his rules about propriety – he just bent them a little. 'Try. For me?' he brushed a stray lock of hair from her face, the back of his fingers lingering on her cheek for just a fraction of a second.

She somehow managed a nod and Dimitri left the room with one final look back at her – one look back at the woman who was certain to haunt his dreams.

.

Author's Note:

Thank you to the dearest people who gave extra encouragement to help me get through this chapter – Lea, Annie, Tacky, Fangurl. (And I'm indebted to Lea for helping me iron out a few creases in the upcoming storyline.) This chapter was extra hard to write because all future plot-points had to be set in stone from now – crucial plot decisions had to be made, and I was jumping between chapters to make sure I didn't miss anything important. Hopefully that means the next few instalments won't take so long :)

On a positive note, my slowness has allowed lots of viewers to catch up with us, so welcome on board to the newbies.

I know I've mentioned my stupid OCD brain before, but I want to share with you that I spent a ludicrous amount of time researching the first two paragraphs alone. I am now an expert on mid-19th Century men's fashion, including fragrances and undergarments.

Poor Micky. And poor Sonya. We're building to some good reveals in the upcoming chapters so watch this space.