Some classic Romitri & Alberta moments, and a bit of more of our mystery unfolding... Hope you like it :)

15. Answered Prayers

'What in the blazes?' Rose sat up, startled awake by a sharp plink at her window.

Plink! The sound came again.

Feeling annoyed rather than intrigued, she swung her legs over the edge of the bed and tested her ankle. It felt much better today and she was able to bear her full weight on that foot as she made her way across the room to investigate the origin of the noise. Peering out the open window, Rose could just distinguish a figure standing below her in the early morning dim.

'Finally,' a voice floated up to her, warm and rich in contrast to the chilly morning air.

Rose eyed the sleep-thief blearily. 'Why are you throwing rocks at my house, deputy?' she asked, rubbing her eyes. 'Do you even know what time it is? It's practically dark.'

'I know exactly what the time is,' he answered, drawing a silver watch from his waistcoat pocket and tapping the case meaningfully. 'It's ten past five, which means you're late.'

Rose was too tired for games. 'Late for what?' she frowned, then the penny dropped. 'Oh… Training! Dammit! I completely forgot,' she fussed, and in a horrifying moment of self-awareness, she realised she was standing in full view of the window in only her nightclothes, her hair in wild tangles around her face. Moving on instinct, the girl grabbed a fistful of the window drapes and drew them across in front of her to protect her modesty.

The half-darkness hid Dimitri's smile. 'You've got five minutes,' he chastised, pocketing his watch and shoving his fists into his duster. 'And wear something comfortable that you won't mind getting dirty.'

Rose nodded and retreated into the shadows of her bedroom, flinging open her wardrobe door and sighing in resignation at the scant selection. She only owned four dresses; the plaid, puffy creation that Natalie had bought for her, a calico day dress with a floral print, the pale muslin kept for best, and her bottle-green riding dress (the latter sporting a long, puckered scar where the dressmaker had repaired the recent tear to its skirt). Of the lot, the riding dress was the most obvious choice – at least it didn't require a caged skirt underneath – but with all the extra petticoats it was still so bulky. Gah! Why were women's clothes so impractical?

And that's when Rose was struck by a brilliant idea. Shoving the reading chair over next to her wardrobe, she climbed up to balance precariously with one foot on the backrest and one on the arm, her hand searching blindly in the recess at the top of the wardrobe until she found what she was looking for. The flat parcel was coated in layers of dust and she untied the string around the brown paper with a sense of nervous anticipation.

'Thank God for Mason Ashford,' she muttered, as she uncovered the treasured item of clothing.

When she was fourteen, Rose – annoyed at the unfairness of having to ride side-saddle – had convinced her chum Mason to let her practice riding astride on his horse. Madam Kiroy would have had a purple fit to see her young student galloping around the neighbouring stockyard in a pair of hand-me-down trousers, but the thrill of being caught only made the game more exciting. Even when Alberta put a stop to the shenanigans Rose couldn't bring herself to throw the pants away, and now the humble cast-offs were waiting just where she'd left them – an answer to her prayers.

Ducking into the next room to borrow a white blouse from Alberta's cupboard, she slipped the trousers on, performing a series of acrobatic gyrations to get them over her hips. They fit a good deal more snuggly than they used to – her once-boyish figure having sprouted some additional curves in the intervening years – but she managed to fasten the zipper after lengthening the adjuster at the back to its full extent. Pouching her shirt over the top of the trousers to afford herself more freedom of movement, she slipped on a pair of laced ankle boots then took a minute to braid her hair, pinning the ends into a low bun.

When she was done, Rose stood back and grinned at her image in the mirror, wishing she possessed a neckerchief and chaps to complete the effect. She didn't have long for self-indulgence, however. The sound of another rock bouncing off the window jolted her into action and she hurried to collect her mantle from the wardrobe, hurtling down the stairs and out the back door to where Dimitri was waiting for her.

'That was ten minutes,' Deputy Belikov greeted her when she emerged, stealing a curious glance at what she was wearing.

The black, velvet mantle was ankle length, neatly concealing what was underneath, but Dimitri thought it odd that he couldn't make out the hem of her dress. After a few puzzling seconds, he dismissed it from his mind. What did he know about women's fashion anyway?!

'I'll be quicker next time,' the girl promised, and she followed him toward the tree-line where the punching bag awaited them.

When they arrived at their destination, the deputy bypassed the bag, shrugging off his leather duster and bending to lay it over a nearby log. 'We should start by revising the basics,' he commenced without any small-talk. Moving to the canvas punching bag, he lined up his body to demonstrate the opening exercise, but paused first to look over his shoulder at his student. 'It will be your turn next, so watch closely.'

She didn't need to be asked twice. Rose stood dumbfounded at the sight of him. High-waisted trousers clung to muscular thighs and buttocks in all the right places, while the tight fit of Dimitri's waistcoat accentuated the broad slope of his shoulders. And his biceps… Sweet sassy molassy! If he extended his arm one inch further, his shirt-sleeves were bound to pop under the strain.

Oblivious to the intense scrutiny, the deputy commenced his assault on the bag, starting with several right-hand jabs before adding in a one-two combination with his left. 'The power comes from your back foot, remember?' he instructed, slowing the action down so his student could follow the path of energy flowing up through his body. 'Legs, hips, torso, shoulder, arm, fist – then land with conviction.' He did. 'Watch again, faster this time.'

The man's frame might have been large but there was nothing ungainly about his movements, and each blow he delivered upon the canvas was a thing of precision and grace. He seemed to be enjoying himself and it was a full minute before he remembered they were there for Rose to practice, not for him. 'Okay. Your turn now,' he said, stepping back from the punching bag and stretching out his neck to loosen any residual tension. 'Show me your—'

He was going to say fist, but he turned his head at the exact moment that Rose swirled the mantle from her shoulders, the soft fabric unfurling to reveal something Dimitri would never have expected in a hundred years.

'—pants,' he stuttered, drinking in the sight of Rose Hathaway in form-fitting trousers and a blouse.

Why isn't he saying anything? Rose wondered, her nervousness manifesting as sarcasm. 'Well you did tell me to wear something comfortable!'

The man gaped. A soft grunt may have escaped his lips. In a desperate attempt to keep his cool, he leant a hand casually on the punching bag and nearly pitched to the ground when it swung away from him under his weight. Correcting his balance, Dimitri shook his head to order his thoughts and commanded his tongue to obey him.

'Apologies. I apologise if I seemed rude, Miss Roza,' he managed to form a string of words in approximately the correct order, being careful to keep his eyes focused on the safe zone above her neck. The deputy was vaguely aware that he had no idea what to do with his hands. His body felt gangly and awkward like he was a teenager again. 'You caught me by surprise. It is a very sensible choice for physical activity, though I have a feeling Madam Kiroy would not agree. I'm sure I'll get used to it with time...'

His glance flashed down to her voluptuous hips and round, firm thighs.

'…A lot of time,' he added under his breath, quickly turning to resume the lesson – if only to distract himself from the image that was now burnt indelibly into his mind's eye. 'Come. Show me your fist.'

Thrilled at his reaction, Rose followed his commands like a lamb until, forty minutes later, they were both seated on the ground, finishing up the training session with some lower body stretches.

Having had time to acclimatise to the idea of a woman wearing trousers, Dimitri took the lead in their conversation. 'You're strong, Roza, and I can see you've got the guts to be a great fighter. The technique will come with time, and the more you train the more your physical fitness will improve also.'

'Are you saying I'm unfit?' she asked, feeling miffed.

A smile played at his lips. 'Not at all. You are more agile than a lot of men I've fought against, but your endurance still has room for improvement. I saw you drop your hands to your knees at least five times today. If you can't breathe, you can't fight. No?'

'I guess there are a few things I can still work on,' she admitted reluctantly before pressing on, a hopeful quickening to her voice. 'But pretty soon I should be ready to take on a real person, not just a bag of flour, right?'

'Woah. One step at a time,' he stifled her enthusiasm. 'The bag is your friend. He will take a beating and won't punch you back. A real, live opponent isn't likely to be so accommodating.'

'He?' Rose clarified, tickled by the idea. 'The flourbag is a boy?'

'Of course,' Dimitri replied immediately. 'I'd never hit a woman.'

'That's lucky for me then, isn't it?' the girl looked mischievous. 'I think I will call him Boris.'

The deputy raised an eyebrow, waiting to hear whatever crazy explanation she'd come up with this time.

'Boris is the strong and silent type,' Rose stood and approached the bag to give it a pat. 'He cops a lot of flak but he doesn't let anything get to him – he kind of reminds me of you, actually, cowboy – so I think a nice, solid Russian name suits him perfectly.'

Dimitri was pretty sure she was making fun of him but he chose not to be offended and dazzled her with one of his rare sweeping smiles. 'Well, how about we leave Boris to his own devices and head back to the office. People will be up and about any time now, and the last thing I want is somebody seeing you in… those.' His eyes dropped to her trousers, his attention lingering on her shapely legs before he forcibly tore his gaze away.

'Why? Do you think I'd endanger my reputation?' Rose called after him as he went to collect his duster, returning a few moments later with her cloak over his arm.

Deputy Belikov shook out the fabric then wrapped the mantle around her shoulders, leaning close to murmur something in her ear. 'I think you'd endanger the whole town.'

Having washed-up and changed into her day-dress, Rose breakfasted with Alberta at seven then returned to the sheriff's office to begin the day's work.

'Howdy, partner,' she announced playfully as she opened the door, still buzzing from their earlier training session.

Dimitri was sitting on the edge of the desk, completely absorbed in the sheet of paper he held in his hands. When he finally looked up, the deep furrow between his brows softened a little but didn't disappear entirely.

'What's wrong?' Rose was instantly on alert as she took in his stiff posture and the tight set of his jaw.

The deputy motioned to a stack of papers on the desk beside him, picking up the top sheet and handing it over for her to see. 'A Pony Express rider delivered these while you were out. The government of California has put out a new bounty on the outlaw James Nathan.' The crimes the Nathan Gang had committed were well known to him and he fervently wished their leader was already rotting in his grave.

'I think I remember that name,' Rose frowned at the image on the wanted poster, studying the man's cruel, handsome face. 'What did he do?'

'The list is so long it wouldn't fit on this piece of paper,' Dimitri's voice was hard, 'but it seems his most recent offence was robbing a stagecoach on one of the mountain passes through the Sierra Nevada. He wasn't satisfied with the plunder so he killed all of its inhabitants – one of whom happened to be the Governor's cousin. Apparently he was last seen headed north-east into the desert.'

Rose felt her heartbeat quicken. 'Do you think he'll turn up here?'

'He'll regret it if he does,' the words came out with such bitterness and aggression that Rose shivered involuntarily.

Noticing her discomfort, Dimitri made an effort to separate himself from the negative feelings. 'I plan to head out and deliver a wanted poster to every watering hole within ten miles of here. Are you up for a ride? I know we'd planned to discuss Sonya Karp's case today, but we can still do that on the way?'

It would be the first time Rose had travelled beyond the Draymore ranch since arriving back in Saints Town, and the prospect of a whole day out riding with Deputy Belikov couldn't have been a more welcome one – even if the news of James Nathan had put the deputy in a dark mood.

'I'll meet you outside as soon as I've changed,' she replied, already making for the stairs.

In the interests of time they set out at a canter, only stopping when they reached signs of civilization. Deputy Belikov kept a pensive silence until they'd concluded their business at the third settlement, and Rose was grateful when her riding partner finally suggested they stop to rest the horses and get some lunch. Shortly after, the pair were seated outside a small cantina, each with a warm meal and a cold drink before them.

'So what can you tell me about Sonya Karp?' Dimitri asked, glad to distract his mind from the wad of bounty posters in his saddlebag. 'If I have a better understanding of who she was, we might have a greater chance of catching her murderer.'

Rose frowned, tracing the worming grain of the wooden tabletop with her eyes before looking up to respond. 'I spent more time with her than most people around here but I still can't say I knew her very well. She came to Lisa's ranch a few times a week to give us lessons in art, music and botany, but apart from that and church we hardly saw her. She was a very private person. Most people only knew her as Reverend Karp's daughter – I'm not even sure how many other people were aware she was engaged to Sheriff Tanner.'

Dimitri cocked his head. 'So she wasn't a regular patron of the saloon? She couldn't have gone there for a meal with her father and bumped into her mystery suitor there?'

'I don't think I ever saw her step a foot inside,' Rose frowned. 'Except maybe once, when one of the local girls had her wedding breakfast there.'

'So she most likely met her killer at church, or through some family connection, then,' Deputy Belikov rubbed his chin thoughtfully. 'That narrows it down a bit. I think Reverend Karp is our best lead. We should organise to speak with him as soon as possible.'

The deputy's assistant looked dubious. 'Good luck with that. From what Alberta told me, the reverend hasn't spoken of Sonya since she died. I don't think he's going to appreciate us going around there and stirring up painful memories.'

Despite Rose's reputation for disobedience and surliness, she really did care about other people's feelings, and Dimitri's expression softened at her genuine concern.

'If he knows it might result in the capture of his daughter's killer he might be more willing to comply. I promise I will be as tactful as the situation allows.'

They ate in silence for a few minutes until Rose pushed her plate away, the food hardly touched. 'How do you think he did it?' a haunted look had settled over her face. 'I hate to think of Miss Karp suffering.'

Dimitri saw the bleakness behind her eyes and wished to God he could do something to comfort her, but he knew he couldn't show any kind of intimacy while they were out in public. 'Please don't dwell on it, Miss Roza. I can handle that side of the investigation alone.'

Her jaw tensed. 'But I have to know. It's bad enough that Sonya had to go through that by herself. If I could just understand what happened to her then maybe it would feel like I'm sharing some of her burden – like she wasn't alone in her suffering. If it was me who died, I'd want to know that somebody cared enough to hear the truth.'

The man's heart went out to her, and he slid his palm across the table so that their hands were side by side, their skin only barely touching.

'We'll find out what happened, Roza. And the person responsible will be held accountable, I promise you. But in the meantime, all I can tell you is my suspicions. If Sonya was suffering from severe anxiety as you say, I wonder if she might have left town then taken an overdose of the medication Dr Draymore prescribed for her – either by choice or by force. It's a pity we'll never have the chance to ask the doctor to ask his professional opinion.'

Rose had been focused on the fragile point of connection where the edge of his hand grazed hers, but she glanced up as an idea dawned on her. 'Lisa's dad might not be around anymore to speak with in person, but we may still be able find out some information about Sonya from his journals,' she suggested. 'The doc used to keep a record of all his house-calls – he let me see the book once when I fell out of a tree and hurt my arm. He'd written; Rosemarie Hathaway, 11 years, lost fight with wasps' nest resulting in broken wrist. Recommend splint for wrist, lotion of calamine for stings, and caution for the reckless behaviour.' She allowed herself a thin smile before turning serious again. 'I'm not sure what happened to the journals after he passed away, but Alberta or Lisa might have an idea.'

'Then we should make enquiries as soon as we arrive back in town,' Dimitri nodded, 'but first, there's a pile of wanted posters that still need to be delivered. Let's head off now and make the most of the daylight.'

He stood up and rounded the table to shift Rose's chair back for her, leading the way back to their horses.

It was getting late in the afternoon when the deputy and his assistant finally pulled up outside Adrian's hotel. Rose dismounted stiffly - her muscles clenching from the strain of the morning's training session followed by a whole day of riding - but Dimitri kept to his saddle.

'Do you mind going in without me, Miss Roza?' he asked. 'I'd like to get the horses unbridled and build a fire for dinner before it gets too late. Perhaps you could check in with the sheriff about Dr Draymore's journals, and see if Mr Ivara is available to speak with regarding Sonya's mystery suitor. I'll walk over to escort you home as soon as I can, and you can fill me in on the details then.'

'Sure thing, partner. I won't let you down,' she gave him a weary smile and hobbled inside the saloon, glad the long day was nearly over.

'Well aren't you a sight for sore eyes!' Adrian Ivara proclaimed, as a travel-stained Rose approached him from across the saloon. He stretched out his arms and delivered a trio of kisses to her cheeks before drawing back to look at her. 'To what do I owe this pleasure? Can I offer you a drink? A seat? Or are you stopping in to see Alberta?'

After the day she'd just had, Rose was secretly glad to see the flamboyant hotel owner. He had a way of cheering her up and she could really use a boost right now.

'Actually, I need to speak with you, Mr Ivara,' she began. 'Deputy Belikov was wondering if—'

Adrian cut her off before she could say another word, his usually cavalier mood replaced by something much darker.

'Frankly, I have no interest in anything Deputy Belikov might be wondering,' the disdain in his voice was unmistakable. 'That man walked in here yesterday and presumed to lecture me on how to behave in my own saloon, in front of all of my customers. I have a pretty thick skin when it comes to being ridiculed, thanks to my beloved father, and I can overlook his arrogant behaviour towards me, but what I can't forgive is the way he sent you to your room like you were a naughty child.' His attention strayed across the room to a paying customer waiting at the bar. He didn't have long, but he had to speak his mind. 'If you want to put up with the Russian bully then that's your business, but I certainly don't plan on pandering to him in any way. See you around, Miss Hathaway,' he turned and made to leave.

Rose was shocked by the harshness of his reaction, and knew she had to dig deep to bring the situation back under control. 'Of course, I understand if you feel that way, Mr Ivara,' she placed a soothing hand on his arm. 'But this isn't really about helping the deputy. It's actually me who needs your help.'

The man paused, still wary but his curiosity piqued.

'I wanted to ask you about—'

The saloon doors pushed open then, and several young men shouldered their way inside, talking loudly amongst themselves as they made for the bar.

Adrian looked from his customers to the pint-sized enigma before him. 'Hold that thought, little lady. I'm afraid I'd better serve these fine gentlemen their drinks or I may end up with a brawl on my hands.'

Rose saw her window of opportunity was closing. 'When can I see you?' she asked quickly, gripping at his sleeve to prevent him from leaving.

The man looked surprised but pleased by her persistence. 'I have some time tomorrow morning between breakfast and lunch, if that suits you?'

'Yes. Perfect,' Rose looked relieved. 'Shall I meet you here around ten?'

'Ten it is,' he agreed, turning to leave but looking back over his shoulder. 'Make sure you wear something pretty,' he suggested hopefully, 'and leave the Russian guard dog at home if you can,' he added in parting, before turning on his heel and swaggering off to the bar to serve his waiting customers.

The young woman looked after him with a sigh. One down, one to go. Time to speak with Alberta.

The sheriff was seated on a chair in the corner of her hotel room reading a book, but she lowered the novel when her daughter entered the room.

'So how was your day with the deputy? I trust you behaved yourself?'

'Of course,' Rose brushed off the question, not wanting to get dragged into a lengthy discussion about her behaviour. 'I actually came to ask you something to do with Miss Karp. Do you know what happened to Dr Draymore's medical journals? Deputy Belikov and I thought they might give us some clues about Sonya's death.'

Alberta shook her head. 'I can't say for sure. It's possible they were passed on to the locum doctor who took over from him. Doctor Sage isn't the cheeriest fellow, but he's got a head for reason. Even if he doesn't have the journals he might be of some use to your investigation. He lives in Salt Wells - an hour or so north of here.'

Rose sank down on the edge of Alberta's bed, a look of relief on her face. 'Thank you for that. I'm glad we've got a lead to go on. It's been a really big day,' she rubbed her face with her hands.

The sheriff eyed her daughter in surprise, not expecting such a polite response. 'So are you staying for dinner?' she offered.

'No. Deputy Belikov is already preparing a meal for us to share,' the girl answered, trying to sound casual.

Alberta frowned. 'Why is the deputy cooking for you? I hired him to keep you on the straight and narrow, not to be your personal slave.'

The teenager shrugged. 'I told him I couldn't cook to save my life and he took pity on me.'

'Rosemarie Hathaway! You didn't!' Alberta was shocked. 'Are you trying to drive the man away with your abhorrent manners?'

'Of course not!' she snapped, too worn-out for an interrogation, and any earlier easiness between mother and daughter quickly evaporated into thin air.

'Well that's what you're going to do if you're not careful,' the sheriff scolded, working herself up into a lather. 'Deputy Belikov is a guest in our town. If anybody should be doing the cooking it's you! For shame! He's going to think I haven't raised you properly.'

'You know my stance on the matter,' Rose answered in a stroppy tone. 'Cooking is a useless skill. When I move out of home I'll just make enough money to hire a kitchen servant, or marry a man who is willing to do it for me.'

Sheriff Peterson might have been getting older but she was still as wily as a sack of foxes. 'Like Mr Belikov, perchance?'

Exactly! Rose thought snarkily.

Alberta gave her a strange look. 'Exactly?' she echoed.

The girl froze. Oh hells! She must have said that out loud. Stupid, overtired, traitorous brain! The sheriff would never let her live this down. 'I mean… exactly what are you trying to imply?' she back-pedalled.

The sheriff's old heart swelled with hope but she was careful to keep her suspicions to herself. 'Well, I won't have you embarrassing me in front of our Russian friend - you are going to be a good host whether you like it or not, Rosemarie. I'll see you here tomorrow after lunch. No man can resist my apple-cinnamon pie and you are going to learn how to bake it or, so help me God, I will lash your wrists to my horse and give him such a mighty smack you'll be running for a week.'

There was a knock at the door and Rose practically launched herself out into the hallway when she saw it was Dimitri, come to escort her home.

'Let's get out of here,' she glowered back at Alberta as she made her exit. 'The old bat is in one of her moods and you really don't want to deal with her when she's in such an irrational state.'

'Tomorrow afternoon. Don't forget,' the sheriff called after her, unfazed by the insults.

Silence settled in the room, and a smile settled on the gruff woman's lips. Ever since the Russian bounty hunter had returned her delinquent daughter to Saints Town, Alberta had secretly hoped that Dimitri Belikov would be the one to tame Rose. Now - slowly but surely - it seemed her prayers were being answered. The sheriff was not an overly religious person, but as soon as she had the room to herself she crossed the floor and knelt by the bed to make a fervent prayer of thanks.

.

Author's Note:

For this chapter, I found that the words were easy enough to write, but the emotions were hard to get across smoothly. I hope I got it in the end.

I apologise for not letting Romitri have a kiss yet. (Hopefully a bit of muscle ogling in this chapter made up for it a little!) I promise it will happen, but I'm sticking to Richelle Mead's template of not letting them get jiggy until the love charm scene. One in-world week to go before the big night!

One of my lovely readers was wondering why I went with cowboy instead of comrade – I forgot to say in my previous A/N's that I researched the term 'comrade' and it didn't come into common vernacular until at least 50 years after my story is set, so it didn't really make sense for this universe. (Plus I kind of think calling a guy 'cowboy' is a bit sexy – but each to their own!)

Loving all the theories you've been sending me about the Sonya mystery. Keep them coming! Any ideas why the outlaw James Nathan has Dimitri all in a bother?