We've got Christian vs. Rose and Mason vs. Dimitri - maybe the best fun to write so far!

19. Allies

Rose struggled to concentrate on Dimitri's instructions during their next training session, her mind already running over what she planned to say to Christian O'Hara when they met later in the day. Eventually, the torture was over and she rushed through her morning activities to be ready to leave for the Karp residence at 9:00 o'clock.

'One more time through the plan,' Deputy Belikov prompted his assistant as they drew up at the entrance to Reverend Karp's property.

She rolled her eyes. They'd discussed 'the plan' a dozen times already – how could she possibly forget? 'You will take the reverend aside to see if you can get him to open up about Sonya, while I initiate a conversation with Mr O'Hara. We are merely making enquiries at this stage. Everyone is innocent until proven guilty, and no matter how I personally feel, I will not resort to threats or physical violence.'

The deputy nodded in approval. He didn't really think Rose would attack her suspect during the interview, but he'd learned enough about her by now to realise he should never assume anything. 'Let's get to it then,' he dismounted to secure their horses, and Rose followed as he led the way up the front stairs.

Unexpectedly, it was Christian who answered the knock. 'Deputy,' he greeted the man in the doorway emotionlessly. His face darkened as he laid eyes on the young woman standing a pace behind on the porch. 'And Miss Hathaway too. What a delight to see you again.' His delight was non-existent.

Dimitri's brows twitched in confusion. He knew Natasha's nephew was a morose sort of fellow but there was clearly an extra layer of contempt to Christian's manner when he addressed Rose. Glancing back, he saw that Rose's expression was equally sour – he'd have to spend some time teaching her the art of keeping a poker face or she'd sabotage their entire mission without even needing to open her mouth.

'Is the reverend at home?' he enquired quickly, keen to move things along.

Christian's gaze slid back to the deputy. 'He's in his private study preparing for next Sunday's sermon. He prefers not to be disturbed in the mornings, but I suppose you can knock and see if he'll talk to you,' he shrugged, stepping back to allow the visitors entry.

'Thank you. I'll do that,' Dimitri removed his hat and stepped inside, pausing before he headed down the hallway towards the study. 'Do you mind keeping Miss Hathaway company while I'm occupied? She's very keen to learn more about the latest progress on the telegraph line, only Mr Dashley is away on business for the next few days and the young lady was too shy to ask you herself.'

Their host's eyebrows raised a fraction at that last comment. 'I suppose I can answer a few questions. It's not as if I have anything better to do.'

Deputy Belikov ignored the sarcasm in the younger man's tone. 'I'll leave you to it then,' he announced, briefly meeting Rose's eyes in a silent reminder for her to stick to the plan.

As soon as Dimitri left, the room seemed to shrink to claustrophobic proportions. Christian reached into his pocket and pulled out a matchstick; its dancing flight across the back of his fingers bringing him a sense of calm and control. He stayed where he stood – holding up the doorway like some kind of biblical Samson – his jaw set in challenge.

'If you're shy, Miss Hathaway, then I'm the King of England. What are you up to? I won't play your games, so spit it out or get out.'

Rose refused to be intimidated. 'So that's how you want to play this? Fine,' she stood a little taller and crossed her arms, fixing him with an accusing stare. 'What did you do to Sonya?'

'I beg your pardon?' he glared back at her.

'You know who I'm talking about. Sonya Karp. That nice lady who used to live here with her father. Red hair. Pretty. Wouldn't hurt an aphid.'

Christian narrowed his eyes. 'I know who she is, but what is it I'm supposed to have done to her, exactly?'

'You tell me, creep,' the words escaped from Rose's lips before she remembered she was meant to be keeping this interview professional. She took a calming breath then continued. 'Tell me... what was the nature of your relationship with Miss Karp?'

The man's hair fell in a lank mop over his eyes and he tossed his head in irritation to be rid of it. 'What relationship?'

So he was going to make her spell it out. Coward. 'You fancied her didn't you?' Rose pushed forwards with her interrogation. 'But she turned you down and it all got worse from there.'

'What the hell are you talking about?' Christian looked genuinely confused. 'I never even met the woman.'

'Ha! I don't believe you,' his accuser waved her hand in a gesture of annoyance and dismissal.

'Believe what you want, fruitcake,' Mr O'Hara's scowl had returned. 'The first time I came to Saints Town on business I stayed at the hotel. It was a brief visit and I had so much work to complete I didn't even leave my room except for meals. I've only recently arranged to stay with Reverend Karp. The location is quieter and more convenient to Mr Dashley's lodgings at the Draymore ranch, should we need to discuss work matters. Victor also thought the preacher might want some company after the loss of his daughter... Wait. Why am I even telling you this? I don't need to justify myself to you!' he peeled himself off the doorframe and stalked towards his room, matchstick twirling.

'So you didn't meet Sonya then?' Rose pressed on doggedly.

'That's what I just said isn't it?' he snapped, passing by without bothering to look back in her direction.

The girl's frown deepened. 'And you didn't fall in love with her from afar?' she called after him.

'What?!' Christian stopped in his tracks, turning to look back at her. 'From a photograph or something? What kind of sappy loser do you take me for?'

Rose was quickly running out of ammunition. 'You never wanted to harm her?'

'Good God, woman. What is your problem? Do you think I killed her or something?' he asked scornfully.

Silence.

'You think I killed her!' Christian's voice was soft and incredulous, and he took a few quick steps to close the space between them. 'Why on earth would you think that?' he hissed, standing a half-step too close for comfort. 'Just because I lost control one time and torched the house of a man who killed my parents in cold blood you think I'd randomly pick some pretty girl and take my anger out on her?'

Rose glanced off to the side, not wanting to give anything else away.

'Wait… there's more isn't there?' the man's eyes grew wider with the realisation.

'You think I'm going to hurt Miss Draymore too. That's what your big speech at church was all about. You must be deranged if you think I'd ever harm a hair on that beautiful girl's head,' he raked his fingers through his own dark hair in frustration.

There was an uncomfortable pause as Christian's mind struggled to grasp at something just out of reach.

'Wait a second. I thought Sonya Karp took her own life – why are you looking for a murderer?' All the haughtiness and derision slipped from Christian's expression and he grabbed Rose roughly by the arm, his voice hushed and urgent. 'What aren't you telling me, girl? Is Lisa in danger? Explain. Now.'

Rose glanced meaningfully to where his fingers were digging into her arm. 'Mr O'Hara. I might have been wrong about you killing Miss Karp but you're still coming off as a massive jerk.'

The man dropped his hand. 'Sorry,' the apology almost seemed to cause him physical pain, but Rose had information about Lisa, and he was willing to do anything for the pale-haired princess who had breathed life back into his cold excuse of a heart. 'Now you've figured out I'm not a murderer, can you just hurry up and tell me what's going on? You might not like me very much - and trust me, the feeling's mutual - but I care about your friend more than you could possibly imagine, and if she's in any kind of trouble I want to help.'

The deputy's assistant studied Christian warily for a minute. He was unpleasant, demanding and volatile. God only knew what Lisa saw in him romantically. Right now, Rose couldn't even imagine him as a friend... but he might make a useful ally.

'Did Lisa tell you why we left Saints Town?' Rose paced the living room while Mr O'Hara listened from an armchair in the corner, their conversation still guarded as they tested the boundaries of their new, uneasy truce.

'She said she'd been having nightmares and seeing things out on the ranch at night - after her family was killed in the wagon accident,' Christian clarified. 'She was scared she was in danger and you helped her run away to keep her safe.'

'That's the gist of it,' Rose frowned. 'At first I thought Lisa was just anxious thanks to the trauma of losing her parents and her brother Andrew, but then our tutor – Sonya Karp – started behaving strangely. She believed she was in danger and warned us that Lisa might be next. I got Lis out of town as quickly as possible and we didn't plan on returning, except Alberta sent a bounty hunter to catch us.'

Christian smirked at some private thought and received a glare in response.

'There's nothing funny about it, Mr O'Hara! Miss Karp is dead and I'm afraid that whatever happened to her is starting to happen to Lisa too.'

His amusement cooled instantly. 'Why would you assume the Karp woman's death has anything to do with Miss Draymore?'

Rose sighed. 'Because Deputy Belikov and I recently learnt that Sonya Karp may not have committed suicide like everyone thought. We suspect somebody known to her intentionally tampered with the dosage of laudanum she was taking, resulting in her death.'

Christian's face was grim. 'Murder?'

The deputy's assistant had been looking out the window, but she turned suddenly, fixing him with an insistent stare. 'Yes, murder. And I can't help noticing that Lisa has been acting in a similar way to Miss Karp before she succumbed to her mental illness. I'm beginning to think that the murderer has already found a way to slip Lisa small doses of the drug and that's why she's been seeing lights out on the ranch.' She watched him carefully. It was time to see if Mr O'Hara would stick around now he'd heard the truth - if he even believed her.

There was a long pause as the man in the corner pondered the information. 'I don't think Lisa is under the influence of laudanum,' he finally spoke up.

Rose's heart beat a little faster. 'Why do you say that?'

'I've seen the effects of that drug before,' he looked at the floor, lost in a dark memory. 'After my aunt Tasha saved me from the fire that claimed my parents' lives, it took many months for her burns to heal. I tended to her wounds morning and night, applying a paste of baking soda to hasten her recovery, and egg whites for the pain. Natasha is a strong woman, but there were times when she screamed in agony and I couldn't bear to listen to her torment. That's when I made her take the laudanum.' The matchstick's anxious flight suspended as Christian looked up, his expression pinched. 'Yes, she had nightmares and saw visions, but there was one thing I remember clear as day. Her pupils would dilate till nearly all the blue in her eyes turned to black. I don't know about you, but Lisa's eyes have always appeared clear and green to me.'

A shiver of relief washed through Rose's body and she actually managed a tiny smile before shifting back to lean on the window sill, looking out across Cottonwood Creek towards Lisa's ranch. 'Have you seen any lights out on the prairie in the time you've been staying here?' she asked softly. If she could just get somebody to verify they'd seen them too, it would give her something concrete to investigate.

Christian eased himself out of the armchair and moved to join her at the window. 'No. I'm afraid I haven't seen anything, but I tend to retire to my room of an evening and draw the drapes so I can focus on my work. There could be celestial visitors dropping down from the sky every night and I wouldn't have the faintest clue about it.'

A spark of curiosity flashed across Rose's face. 'What do you actually do for Mr Dashley?' she asked, realising she had no idea who the man really was (apart from being an arsonist and a sullen pain in the neck). He certainly didn't seem anything like Spiridon or the other 'hounds' under Victor's employment.

Christian was surprised she even cared. 'I'm a surveyor by trade. Victor chooses which towns he wants the telegraph line to run through and it's my job to find a way to make it happen,' he turned to lean his back against the wall, facing Rose as he explained. 'There's not just the terrain and distance to consider – I was hired specifically because of my family's history with the Shoshone and Paiute Indians. The boss wants to ensure that the local tribes understand what we are doing and why there's going to be a whopping great wire in the sky running for miles across their ancestral lands.'

His audience of one raised her eyebrows in surprise. 'It's good of Mr Dashley to take into account the concerns of those affected.' Most settlers in the west saw Indians as savages, not people deserving of equal respect or consideration.

'I wouldn't say that, exactly,' Mr O'Hara wrinkled his nose. 'What he really cares about is minimising the risk of sabotage to the line so he doesn't have to invest additional money on repairs, but I'd still rather it was me making contact with the tribal leaders than somebody who treats them like brainless vermin. I'm not my father – I wouldn't be foolish enough to try cheating the government out of their profits, but, as far as I'm concerned, it doesn't hurt to be civil in our interactions with the Indian people. Somebody has to start the path to reconciliation, if we ever want to stop the raids and the bloodshed, and we are the ones encroaching on their territory after all.'

Rose could hardly believe what she was hearing. Christian could have chosen to blame the Indians for their influencing role in the death of his parents, but here he was talking as though he genuinely hoped for peace. Maybe he wasn't a total creep after all? She still didn't want to be his best friend, of course, but maybe she could trust him enough to do something practical to assist with the investigation.

'So... you want to help Lisa?' she said slowly, a plan beginning to form in her mind as her gaze alighted on a distant shape, high in the tree-line along the water. 'Have you seen that old fort in the cottonwood tree down by the creek?'

The young man glanced towards it with a scoff, a plan beginning to form in his mind as well. 'It wasn't hard to miss when I heard you giggling up there last week, all cosy-like with Deputy Belikov!' he snuck a look at the girl beside him, checking for her reaction. 'Now I understand why he was so quick to deny a connection to my aunt. It's clearly you he fancies, and I have a strong suspicion he's not alone in his feelings.'

Rose went stiff, all thoughts of Sonya and Lisa gone as she was gripped by a sudden and inescapable panic. 'I... you... nothing happened, I swear. If you've told anybody I'll kill you right now!' she took a step towards him and balled her fists.

Christian's face cracked into a wide, self-satisfied beam that lent his ghostly-pale features an uncharacteristic glow. 'Well, I haven't told anyone yet, but I might unless you do something for me.'

'Blackmail? How dare you! I'm the deputy sheriff's assistant!' she hissed, her stomach flipping slowly like the feeble tossing of a dying fish.

'Yes, but that's not all you are to him, is it?' Christian's blue eyes sparkled wickedly. 'I wonder what Sheriff Peterson would say if she knew you two were canoodling in Lisa's treehouse instead of doing your job of bringing peace and safety to the citizens of Saints Town?'

'What do you want?' Rose pushed out the words through clenched teeth.

The man's smile dimmed and he leant closer, meeting her glare unflinchingly. 'I want you to give me your blessing to pursue a relationship with Miss Draymore. I know I can make her happy, but Lisa is your friend and she listens to you. I need your promise that you'll stop interfering.'

Rose pursed her lips, already thinking up a dozen reasons to refuse.

'It's that or everyone knows about you and the Russian heartbreaker,' he shrugged. 'I can't see the problem here. You get uninhibited access to your lover, and I to mine - everybody wins.'

'You nasty, manipulative—' Rose's angry retort was cut off by Mr O'Hara's hand, palm open, only inches from her nose.

'Those are my terms. It's a fair deal. Take it or leave it.'

If looks could kill, Christian would be dead on the floor. 'I'll take it.'

'You'll take what?' another voice joined their conversation and Rose whipped her head around to see Dimitri standing in the doorway to the living room, a quizzical tilt to his head.

She faltered, flummoxed by his sudden appearance, but Mr O'Hara had a ready answer.

'I just offered Miss Hathaway a deal – a cup of coffee in exchange for the chance to help out with your investigation into Sonya Karp's murder. Do you fancy a cup too, deputy?'

Dimitri looked with curiosity from a strangely-cheerful Christian to a strangely-blushing Rose, one eyebrow raised. 'It seems we three have a lot to talk about.'

It was only a short ride from the Karp property to their next appointment with Mason Ashford at the neighbouring ranch, and Dimitri took the pace slowly so they had a chance to talk.

'You did a good job in there, Miss Roza,' he commended her, watching the young woman with quiet pride. 'I admit, I didn't think you'd get anywhere with Mr O'Hara but somehow you managed to win us a valuable ally. Your idea to have him use the fort as a lookout overnight might be the turning point this case needs.'

Rose gripped the reins a little tighter, remembering what the victory cost her, but her heart soared at the deputy's praise. 'I'm pretty sure he was just scared you'd thump him if he didn't agree to do what I asked,' she grinned.

'I nearly did at one point,' the smile was never far from Dimitri's eyes since he'd met Rose Hathaway only a few short weeks ago.

'Deputy Belikov!' his companion challenged playfully. 'You used to be so composed. What ever is happening to your self-control?'

What indeed? he asked himself, hoping she couldn't see just how badly he was coming apart at the seams. In the brief time he'd known the woman she had become the focus of his whole world. He was engaging in clandestine training sessions with her, hunting down a murderer to protect her friend, and he knew without a doubt that if the outlaw James Nathan rode into town tomorrow, he was willing to throw himself in front of Rose to shield her from harm - even if it meant losing his own life in the process.

Dimitri changed the topic quickly, aware he needed to keep a clear mind for the task ahead.

'It's a shame that Reverend Karp was not as forthcoming as Christian O'Hara. Every question I asked I seemed to hit a brick wall. He didn't want to talk about Sonya's illness, or the day she disappeared, or even how he has been coping since her death.'

Rose frowned. 'I thought it odd when you said he burned Sonya's farewell note. You'd think he would have wanted to give that to Alberta as evidence - it might have contained clues that could have led to her being found before it was too late - or at least her body being recovered.'

'I thought that was strange too,' Dimitri agreed, 'but at the same time I think I understand. Who would want the last surviving memory of their loved one to be a missive filled with pain and regret?'

They fell quiet for a short while but when they were in sight of their destination Dimitri spoke up again.

'The preacher flat out refused to give an answer when I asked about any strange young men lurking around his daughter. I'm not sure if he resented the implication that she might have been unfaithful to Micky Tanner... or perhaps he knew of such a man and felt guilty he didn't do more to stop the unwanted attentions. Hopefully Mr Ashford will be able to give us some insight.'

The pair pulled into a nearby gateway and in minutes they were standing outside the ranch house where Mason was employed as a stockman. Dimitri mounted the steps to the porch and rapped at the front door firmly, and within moments they were received by a servant - a girl a year or two younger than Rose.

'Good afternoon, deputy,' she cowered slightly as his massive frame blocked out the midday sun, then her face brightened when she recognised her second guest. 'Rose! You're back!'

'Hi Mia,' Rose stepped forward in greeting and gave her a tentative hug. She and Mia Rinaldi had never been close friends, but they'd spent a fair amount of time together when they were children and this was the first time they had seen one another in over a year.

'It's good you made it home safely,' the servant girl began. 'You wouldn't believe how short-tempered Mason got while you were away – I was almost scared to take the cowboys their lunches. He's a lot happier now you've returned, of course,' she giggled nervously.

'Speaking of Mason,' Rose segued smoothly, 'where can we find him?' She loved the man like a brother, but she hated it when other people made insinuations about there being any kind of romantic attachment between them.

Mia realised she'd overstepped the boundaries of her station and ducked her head in embarrassment. 'He's out behind the stables with Eddie Castile. The boss gave him a present to mark his promotion to property manager and the boys are trying it out. You'll need to approach with caution,' she added cryptically, before disappearing back into the house to return to her duties.

As Dimitri and Rose moved towards the outbuilding, Mia's warning for caution quickly became apparent. The crack of gunfire echoed across the rolling prairie and rung off the walls of the barn, followed almost immediately by the sound of shattering glass. There was a whoop and smacking sound, and Rose rounded the corner to see Eddie whacking Mason on the back then parading triumphantly around him like a proud rooster.

'Six bottles in a row! I'd say I'd like to see you beat that, but we both know you can't. It's official Ashford. You might be the boss man now, but you still shoot like a girl!'

'Ha! You just got lucky. Hand over the revolver and I'll prove which of us is the best!' Mason held out his hand for the Remington, its sleek, black barrel gleaming in the sunlight.

Mr Castile, the taller of the pair, took a few quick steps away. 'If you can reach it, you can have it,' he taunted, dangling the firearm over a trough filled with dirty water, and the pair of grown men bickered over the pistol like a pair of schoolboys with a new toy until they realised they were being observed.

'Hi Rose,' the flame-haired cowboy stood to attention, swatting Eddie away in an effort to appear dignified in front of the girl he liked. 'Deputy Belikov. We were just testing out my new Remington. Would you like to try it? It's a big step up from that relic you're wearing on your hip,' he indicated to the Colt that peeked out from under the tall man's duster.

Dimitri couldn't say what made him utter the next words that came out of his mouth, but something warm stirred in his belly and he fixed the younger cowboy with a steely gaze. 'Mine might be a bit older, but I guarantee it's every bit as good as yours,' he challenged.

Mason's eyes flared with the promise of competition, keenly aware that Rose was watching on with interest. 'Care to test that theory grandpa? First to six?' he suggested, gesturing to the makeshift shooting range he and Eddie had put together by perching dozens of bottles on a small mound of crates and boxes.

Grandpa?! Clutched in the grip of some crazy need to defend his manly pride, Deputy Belikov drew his pistol before Mason had even readied his gun and unloaded a volley of five shots in quick succession; glass splintering in the air, leaving only a puff of glistening dust in their wake.

'You missed one,' Eddie was quick to point out, enjoying the spectacle as Mason fumbled to get his bullets into the chamber.

Completely shameless, Dimitri played all of his cards at once. Flashing Rose a private smile, he whipped his arm out behind him and took out his final target without even turning his head to look at it, then continued to hold her gaze, his eyebrow lifting ever so slowly as if to ask whether she was impressed.

She was.

'Six,' he declared, holstering the revolver and facing Mr Ashford. 'Now what was it you wanted to talk to me about, young man?'

Mason looked across at the obliterated targets with an expression of defeat, but there were no hard feelings when he returned his focus to the deputy. God or devil, he was glad Dimitri Belikov was the one Alberta chose to watch over Rose - nobody would dare to trouble her while she was being guarded by this Russian beast. 'Eddie, can you entertain our lady guest while I speak with the deputy?' he asked his friend.

Mr Castile obliged readily, taking great pleasure in giving Rose a full tour of the shiny new firearm as the other two men pulled away at a distance to talk.

'You know what we were talking about after church last Sunday?' Mason began, nodding to where Rose was standing - turning the Remington over in her hands with an expression of awe. 'Well, I've decided that tomorrow night's the night. I've organised a private room at the hotel to have dinner with Miss Hathaway, and I'm going to pop the question after dessert. I just need somebody to act as chaperone. Do you think you could come along?'

Dimitri hoped a stray bullet would free him of this awful conversation. 'Wouldn't it be more appropriate to ask Alberta to accompany you? I am not sure such a job is suitable for a man.'

Mason shook his head darkly. 'The sheriff would just laugh at me if I asked her. She doesn't think I can handle Rose, but she's wrong. I swear. I'm the man she needs. Please, deputy. She trusts you. I know she'd be more comfortable if you were there.'

Dimitri was pretty sure he was wrong about that. 'If you can't think of anyone else, I suppose I could help,' he conceded, not sure if he'd rather be there to see another man proposing to the love of his life, or not be there and spend the whole night wondering if she'd said yes.

The young cowboy's face split into a grateful grin. 'I can't thank you enough, Dimitri,' he raved. 'You don't know what it means to have you in my corner. This is going to be great. Just great!'

The look on Deputy Belikov's face said he did not agree.

.

Author's Note:

Yay – Christian's joining the team! I adore his love-hate relationship with Rose.

Enjoy the jealous shootout between Mason & Dimitri? Aargh - the proposal - poor Dimitri is going to be in a world of hurt when that goes down!

I forgot to say in my A/N's for the last chapter - thankyou to everybody who voiced an opinion on which way I should go with Mason's fate. There were some very convincing arguments for both sides, and I'm happy to say you've helped me make my decision (but I'm not telling just yet or that will spoil the fun!)