Sorry for no Friday post-a large chicken snake tried to make a home in our electrical transformer. It was quite the explosion and power was restored later in the day. Life in the Louisiana bayou.

Chapter Twenty

Lisette woke up with the morning light. She had a pounding headache from all the scotch she took to sleep. She had trembled in fear all night long and Jarrod gave her sips, holding the glass himself to calm her nerves.

She stretched her sore muscles and looked over at Jarrod. He was fully clothed on top of the covers and snoozing softly. She tenderly placed a few of his hairs back in place with her fingertips. She had never seen the coiffed barrister without perfect hair.

She pulled the covers back and gingerly got out of bed; she pulled her nightclothes tightly around her body. Making her way to the water closet, she looked in the mirror and examined her injuries. A busted lip and purple bruises. She sat on the commode and further examined her injuries. A shudder went through her body again.

Jarrod woke up with a start realizing Lisette was no longer beside him. The sound of running water showed her location and he relaxed.

He pushed himself up to sit up in the bed and stretched.

The events of the night ran through his head. He felt guilty allowing her to get hurt and Henry's face crossed his mind.

"I will get your Mother back to you," he whispered to himself

He got up and spoke through the door, "Lisette, I am going down to order breakfast and coffee."

"Thank you," she whispered in a soft voice.

"Don't open the door for anyone. I have a key and I am locking you in."

He smoothed the wrinkles out of his pants and unrolled his shirt sleeves. He checked his hair in the mirror after he put on his shoes and jacket. He sighed and headed downstairs carefully checking both doors to their joined suite.

Jarrod arrived back quickly after ordering breakfast for them. He got quite a few looks in the lobby from the employees. He assumed they had heard of the events of the night before. He looked around for the young waiter and busboys but he didn't see them.

Lisette was waiting for him when he got back upstairs; she was braiding her long auburn curls with a hair trimble in her hands. She was having trouble with the hair fastener.

"Please let me help." He said as he noticed the shake in her hands.

"I am sorry Jarrod, I am still not myself from last night."

He took the fastener and bound the large braid for her.

"Lisette, you aren't the only one. I have run it through my head over and over. I let you down. It won't happen again. I should have assumed all four would have come for us. I was prepared for one—-not four. I won't make the same mistake twice."

"Jarrod, do you think they will come again?"

"I can't rule it out. Likely—- they left town assuming they had been recognized for the Stockton crime."

She held her hand out to him and patted the bed beside her. He sat down. She could see the guilt over his face.

"Jarrod, you weren't at fault. I even trust you more. In the two weeks, I have known you for TWO WEEKS, " she emphasized, " and you have already proved yourself more faithful than any man I have ever known."

He took a deep intake of breath, "I don't deserve your trust."

She reached out for Jarrod's cheek and brought it toward her, "Don't argue with a formidable woman—-" she softly laughed thinking of his words to her in his office on the first visit.

Jarrod reached up and touched her hand on his cheek. He leaned over to impulsively kiss her and she closed her eyes.

He pulled back at the rap of the door, "Room service."

He took his gun from the dresser and answered the door.

An older maid brought in a cart with breakfast foods and coffee.

"We still got plenty of laying hens, cream from cows and a bin of coffee. Found some bacon too. Brought some satsumas from home just in case. That was my boy last night ya helped. His wife and children live with me too."

Lisette got up and got another coin from her bag, "Thank you. He was very brave."

"We all got our eyes open. All of the staff. Until those men started showing up with the Franklin and Miller fellow, we was doing just fine." and she pocketed the tip in her apron.

"If you need anything, pull the call. We will be here in a second."

Jarrod and Lisette drank their coffee and nibbled on breakfast. Lisette peeled two satsumas and handed one to Jarrod. Their hands lingered on one another for the briefest moment. Both of them seemed aware of the attraction but both assumed it was the danger they experienced and the intimate setting.

"What would you like to do this Sunday afternoon?"

"Oh Jarrod, let's take our meals up here. I don't think I can bear seeing people for a while."

"I understand completely and I think we are safe up here until tomorrow. Then we will go to the bank and courthouse and take the evening train in San Francisco."

They opened the valise and went through all her documents from Denver and her father's attorney and banker.

"The Denver casino is stable for the moment but the line of credit signed before his death—-and verified by his associates—-collateral for the Denver casino and hotel."

"Ninety days,"

"The Modesto casino bank accounts were drained starting three months ago. We should get specifics there tomorrow."

"Jarrod, if I am feeling unwell, will you please use my power of attorney?"

"Of course, my dear."

"Next San Francisco."

"And they had a devastating kitchen fire from grease."

"Supposedly grease. The attorney had heard rumors that it was suspicious."

"And all the insurance money to rebuild it?"

"That's our next question."

They looked through all of the accounts again looking for clues. The orders for Stockton were in transit and paid for. Almost every possible building material was ordered and paid for at extraorbitant prices. He wondered if there had been bribes or inflated costs to line someone's pockets.

Jarrod had only been able to get the lumber contract released and refunded as a personal favor to his family, Heath had taken a loss for another company; the man's wife was sick and he couldn't complete an order. Heath replenished it from Barkley holdings. The man had since paid him back and the loyalty was there.

"I think our options are to sell two of the four properties in the West. The New York hotel and the Chicago hotel are profitable and do not seem to have the influx of criminals in the mix and they have stockholders which would have to approve the sale."

"Plus they belong to Henry."

A tap on the door was a visit from the sheriff, a doctor and nurse.

Lisette tried to resist the medical examination out of modesty and shame. Jarrod convinced her it was crucial.

"I will do it for you—so these man cannot continue to do such evil"

They walked to Jarrod's room and had Lissette undress. They began an examination which Lisette was terrified of—. The nurse stayed with her the whole time.

The nurse finished up her exam for the doctor.

"Was there a violation?" Jarrod asked with hesitation.

The doctor did not mince his words to Jarrod. "Highly likely but can't rule it out or confirm it with the extensive bruising and not being a maiden. Mrs. Taylor has no memory of the attack in her state."

The sheriff nodded his head, "My regrets, Mr Barkley. Hated to put the lady through that. But I needed to send up the doctor."

"I understand. We are still filing charges and I assume you have issued a warrant."

"Sure have. And it went out on the morning stage and the railroad. Got every man in town looking for them killers and nobody does that to a lady in my town, nobody. Seems like there have been several victims of this deviance."

Jarrod nodded and his eyes crossed back to the adjoining bedroom. The nurse came out after helping Lisette dress.

"She's in a bad way."

"I will see to her. Thank you for your help."

—-&—

Jarrod gave Lisette almost an hour of privacy before pushing the door open to check on her. She was asleep face down on the bed. He went back to her room and finished the book he started on the train. He stood up and stretched. She had been asleep for almost two hours. He walked over to the bed as she was just waking.

"Lisette, did you rest well?"

"How long have I been asleep?" Squinting her swollen eyes into the sun.

"Two hours."

"Oh my, I never nap."

"You deserved it."

She sat up on the side of the bed.

"Would you like something to eat?"

"Not yet. Thank you."

"Your book? Some wine?"

"I finished my book on the train."

"The same. Would you like me to go downstairs to the borrowing shelf? Find us something new to read?"

"Oh Jarrod would you? My books are in the trunk at the train station. Something light?"

Jarrod laughed, "We are kindred souls. Mine too in the traveling case."

"Keep the door locked. I will take the key."

Jarrod sprinted down the stairs and headed to the lobby.

He perused the shelf, "Two westerns? Doesn't seem like Lisette's cup of tea. Poe? Absolutely not. Scarlet Letter? No. Hmmm—-Wilkie Collins? Dickens? Gaboriau? No murder mysteries for sure— Austen? Maybe—ah there we go, one copy of Twain's Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County. I love that book.``

Jarrod grabbed a bottle of wine from the bar and two took the book up and Lisette could see the light in his eyes.

"Oh yes Jarrod. Perfect. I love Twain."

Jarrod popped the cork of the wine and poured them a glass. He handed Lisette one and took a big sip of his. He joined her on the bed and she pulled her pillow close to his head. She fluffed the blanket and tossed it over their legs.

Jarrod opened the book and began to read to her in his rich baritone.

"There was a feller here once by the name of Jim Smiley, in the winter of '49 or may be it was the spring of '50 I don't recollect exactly, somehow, though what makes me think it was one or the other is because I remember the big flume wasn't finished when he first came to the camp; but any way, he was the curiosest man about always betting on any thing that turned up you ever see, if he could get any body to bet on the other side; and if he couldn't, he'd change sides. Any way that suited the other man would suit him any way just so's he got a bet, he was satisfied. But still he was lucky, uncommon lucky; he most always come out winner. He was always ready and laying for a chance; there couldn't be no solittry thing mentioned but that feller'd offer to bet on it, and -take any side you please, as I was just telling you. If there was a horse-race, you'd find him flush, or you'd find him busted at the end of it; if there was a dog-fight, he'd bet on it; if there was a cat-fight, he'd bet on it; if there was a chicken-fight, he'd bet on it; why, if there was two birds setting on a fence, he would bet you which one would fly first; or if there was a camp-meeting, he would be there reg'lar, to bet on Parson Walker, which he judged to be the best exhorter about here, and so he was, too, and a good man. If he even seen a straddle-bug start to go anywheres, he would bet you how long it would take him to get wherever he was going to, and if you took him up, he would foller that straddle-bug to Mexico but what he would find out where he was bound for and how long he was on the road. Lots of the boys here has seen that Smiley, and can tell you about him. Why, it never made no difference to him he would bet on any thing the dangdest feller. Parson Walker's wife laid very sick once, for a good while, and it seemed as if they warn's going to save her; but one morning he come in, and Smiley asked how she was, and he said she was considerable better thank the Lord for his inftnit mercy and coming on so smart that, with the blessing of Providence, she'd get well yet; and Smiley, before he thought, says, "Well, I'll risk two- and-a-half that she don't, any way."

Lisette laughed aloud at Jarrod's accentuated reading of Twain aloud.

He grinned and continued to entertain her with interpretation of the character's voices. He would stop to finish his wine and Lisette would lean over and refill it.

She finished her glass and refilled hers.

They read the novel aloud to each other, giggling and being silly over Twain's remarkable use of English. Lisette after her third glass of wine began to read and occasionally slur her speech. Jarrod would chuckle and smooth her wayward curls back without thinking. She put her hand upon his chest and played with his buttons without thinking.

She cuddled closer to him and he enjoyed the lavender scent of her hair. He kept taking deep breaths and nuzzling her wayward curls. They fell asleep in each other's arms after several more glasses of wine.

They slept soundly until Monday's dawn.