Who, indeed. Even as she spoke the words, hurt sliced through her. She dropped to her knees and caught her breath on a sob.
Devin came to wrap his arms around her shoulders.
She turned into his chest. “Oh, Devin, I’m certain they will spread the word about me throughout town.” She closed her eyes against the stinging tears. “What will Mr. Douglass think? And what if ... what if Mr. Carnegie finds out?”
He didn’t answer. Just held her in his arms as she cried.
WEDNESDAY, JULY5, 1916•JENSEN
The full moon tonight was high in the cloudless sky. Most people were fast asleep. Perfect time for her to sneak out and get things moving in the correct direction.
Word had reached her of some lady dinosaur digger thinking they could find bones out on the Meyer ranch.
It infuriated her to no end.
She needed to stop the work out at the quarry, not have them expand elsewhere.
Especially not out on that ranch. That would only make things worse.
Perhaps if she started some rumors of her own. Planted a few seeds that this new woman wasn’t trustworthy. That would surely get people up in arms.
Their town was still small and the locals who had been there a long time were adamant about honesty. She’d seen several people shunned over the years when they weren’t aboveboard in their practices.
They still had plenty of riffraff. Which aggravated all the upstanding citizens who looked down their noses at everyone else.
The rumor mill was a powerful tool. Might as well use it.
But first, she had tools to steal and poison to place.
She wasn’t about to let anyone else near that gold.
It was hers.
seven
“I am too light and trifling. If I had a burden for the souls of my fellow men that I should have I would not be so trifling.”
~Earl Douglass
WEDNESDAY, JULY5, 1916•ADAMSFARM
Eliza had invited Devin to meet her host family for dinner tonight. At the time, she’d had no idea how rotten the day would be. And now, with puffy eyes and a tear-stained face, she’d have to put on a smile and introduce him to the whole family.
It wasn’t a bad thing. She adored Devin and the Adams family. But just then she would have preferred being alone.
As she and Devin rode their horses back to the Adams’s home, he must have picked up on her misery. He hadn’t spoken a word since they’d left the quarry.
He knew her all too well.
“I’m really glad you’re here, Devin.” She turned and offered him a half-smile. “Thank you for coming out.”
“You’re welcome.”
Silence surrounded them once again, and that was all right. Dinner was sure to be full of questions now that she’d gotten the girls to open up to her. And Devin would evoke a fair share of curiosity, especially from the girls. Hopefully he would take the attention off her.
But the words from those awful women kept needling her mind. She pushed them away.No. She would not allow them any more presence or thought.
Devin sighed beside her, and she turned her face to him. “Everything all right? That sounded like some heavy thoughts were tumbling around that mind of yours.”
