Three hours later Elliott Marston was thinking seriously about purchasing
the Royal Hotel. His logic was simple: if he owned it, he could burn it to
the ground; and if he burned it to the ground, he might, just might, be
able to get rid of his unwelcome guest.
He leaned back in his chair and eyed Belle narrowly. It was probably safe to say that her idea of a proper afternoon outfit for a lady differed significantly from that of many Fremantle matrons. They would not have worn so many feathers or diamonds. And few of them considered a heavy gray veil that could have been designed by a beekeeper to be a fashionable daytime accessory.
He could appreciate Sam's gratitude for helping her family when other doors were closed to them. But he suspected that the woman's good nature was heavily streaked with self-interest and he waited to hear the real reason for her visit.
Sam was not so cynical. She listened attentively to Belle and asked after all the professional ladies by name. Belle was only too delighted to gossip about every mutual acquaintance. Finally she came to the end of her recital.
"It seems so lonesome at the Palace without those kids around." She sighed deeply and dabbed at her eye with a hanky. "Keep a body young, they do."
Sam leaned over and patted her hand. "It's too bad they're not here right now or you could say goodbye to them."
Belle looked up with a start. "Good-bye?"
Marston noticed that her eyes were dry. "We'll be leaving for my ranch very soon. I've been gone for longer than I expected."
"Well, that will be nice for the boys, I'm sure." Belle folded her hands in her lap and looked speculatively at him. "But what about old Sam?"
"Oh, Dad's coming with us. The open air will do him good and the new doctor says he should be well enough to travel if we take it in slow stages." Sam's tone was slightly challenging. "We're taking a nurse back with us. Dad's looking forward to it."
Marston said nothing. It was true the old man was resting more comfortably in the hotel room down the hall with two nurses in almost constant attendance. But he was inclined to believe that the improvement derived from knowing that his daughter was close at hand and his sons were no longer living in a brothel. The old man had made his peace with the world and waited for what he called "the final call".
Belle's eyes narrowed. "Then that's that. When's the ceremony?"
"Tomorrow morning." Sam beamed happily. "Right here in the hotel."
"A small ceremony. Just the family." Marston added hastily.
"Well that is nice." Belle looked from one to the other with a brittle smile. "It's so good to see everything working out well for you. I wish I could say the same for me - But there, I don't want to burden you with my silly problems." She shrilled a laugh that made Marston wince.
"Belle what is it?" Sam frowned. "Just tell us and if there's anything we can do."
"Well, now that you mention it, there just might be." Belle settled back into the sofa cushions. "You know, dear, your daddy made a lot of enemies over the years."
"He didn't -" Sam bit back the sentence. "Yes, I know. What about it?"
"And it wasn't easy sometimes when he was staying with me to keep those lowlifes away from the place. Only natural that some of them are curious about where he is and how he's doing." Belle brushed down her skirts with exaggerated care. "A couple of them took his leaving real personal, if you know what I mean."
"We don't." Marston interjected. "Tell us."
"Ches Watters, for instance." Belle mused. "He's one that seems to feel old Sam owes him something. Didn't finish a job he wanted done."
Sam was rigid with anger. "He didn't take the job. Watters wanted a criminal, not a security agent. Dad didn't do that kind of work. He never did."
Belle examined her nails critically in the light from the window. "Chess disagrees. And he's looking for your father."
"Why?" Marston noticed with concern that Sam had gone pale.
"To kill him, of course." Belle rolled her eyes. "Some men just take everything so seriously."
Sam clenched her fists on the arms of the chair. Marston jumped in quickly. "I've hired security guards on this floor and throughout the hotel. He'll never get the opportunity."
"I kind of figured you'd do that. That's what I told Ches."
"Then he won't try anything." Marston watched Sam carefully. He wished she would not look so worried.
"Not here. But one of the girls told me that he's planning on visiting young Liam at the livery stable. Apparently Flanagans is all the same to him."
He leaned back in his chair and eyed Belle narrowly. It was probably safe to say that her idea of a proper afternoon outfit for a lady differed significantly from that of many Fremantle matrons. They would not have worn so many feathers or diamonds. And few of them considered a heavy gray veil that could have been designed by a beekeeper to be a fashionable daytime accessory.
He could appreciate Sam's gratitude for helping her family when other doors were closed to them. But he suspected that the woman's good nature was heavily streaked with self-interest and he waited to hear the real reason for her visit.
Sam was not so cynical. She listened attentively to Belle and asked after all the professional ladies by name. Belle was only too delighted to gossip about every mutual acquaintance. Finally she came to the end of her recital.
"It seems so lonesome at the Palace without those kids around." She sighed deeply and dabbed at her eye with a hanky. "Keep a body young, they do."
Sam leaned over and patted her hand. "It's too bad they're not here right now or you could say goodbye to them."
Belle looked up with a start. "Good-bye?"
Marston noticed that her eyes were dry. "We'll be leaving for my ranch very soon. I've been gone for longer than I expected."
"Well, that will be nice for the boys, I'm sure." Belle folded her hands in her lap and looked speculatively at him. "But what about old Sam?"
"Oh, Dad's coming with us. The open air will do him good and the new doctor says he should be well enough to travel if we take it in slow stages." Sam's tone was slightly challenging. "We're taking a nurse back with us. Dad's looking forward to it."
Marston said nothing. It was true the old man was resting more comfortably in the hotel room down the hall with two nurses in almost constant attendance. But he was inclined to believe that the improvement derived from knowing that his daughter was close at hand and his sons were no longer living in a brothel. The old man had made his peace with the world and waited for what he called "the final call".
Belle's eyes narrowed. "Then that's that. When's the ceremony?"
"Tomorrow morning." Sam beamed happily. "Right here in the hotel."
"A small ceremony. Just the family." Marston added hastily.
"Well that is nice." Belle looked from one to the other with a brittle smile. "It's so good to see everything working out well for you. I wish I could say the same for me - But there, I don't want to burden you with my silly problems." She shrilled a laugh that made Marston wince.
"Belle what is it?" Sam frowned. "Just tell us and if there's anything we can do."
"Well, now that you mention it, there just might be." Belle settled back into the sofa cushions. "You know, dear, your daddy made a lot of enemies over the years."
"He didn't -" Sam bit back the sentence. "Yes, I know. What about it?"
"And it wasn't easy sometimes when he was staying with me to keep those lowlifes away from the place. Only natural that some of them are curious about where he is and how he's doing." Belle brushed down her skirts with exaggerated care. "A couple of them took his leaving real personal, if you know what I mean."
"We don't." Marston interjected. "Tell us."
"Ches Watters, for instance." Belle mused. "He's one that seems to feel old Sam owes him something. Didn't finish a job he wanted done."
Sam was rigid with anger. "He didn't take the job. Watters wanted a criminal, not a security agent. Dad didn't do that kind of work. He never did."
Belle examined her nails critically in the light from the window. "Chess disagrees. And he's looking for your father."
"Why?" Marston noticed with concern that Sam had gone pale.
"To kill him, of course." Belle rolled her eyes. "Some men just take everything so seriously."
Sam clenched her fists on the arms of the chair. Marston jumped in quickly. "I've hired security guards on this floor and throughout the hotel. He'll never get the opportunity."
"I kind of figured you'd do that. That's what I told Ches."
"Then he won't try anything." Marston watched Sam carefully. He wished she would not look so worried.
"Not here. But one of the girls told me that he's planning on visiting young Liam at the livery stable. Apparently Flanagans is all the same to him."