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"So I’ve noticed," I replied. "But I’m glad. It makes me feel safe."
"Yes, me, too. We are far from town or neighbors, so we have to watch out for ourselves." She cleaned a carrot and sliced it expertly into the bowl that sat between us on the table.
I was not quite so adept.
"Do you know who the man was? I think Simon mentioned he was from Butte."
"Oh, that’s right. You’re from Butte, too. I wonder if it’s someone you know. I sort of peeked at him from the kitchen. Simon purposely blocked the door with his big broad shoulders. They don’t want people gawking at their women." She finished another carrot while I continued to struggle with a particularly stubborn potato. "I didn’t get a very good look at him, but I think he said his name was Tim, maybe Timothy. Yes, that’s it. Timothy Wentworth."
I jabbed the knife into my thumb, and blood dripped out. "Oh," I cried reaching for a towel to clean it up.
"Are you all right, Lily?" Olivia jumped up from her seat and came to examine my thumb. "Good heavens, your hands are shaking. Are you one of those people who doesn’t like the sight of blood? You just turn the other way, and I’ll get some salve for this. Wait right here, I’ll be back in a minute."
As soon as she left the room, I scurried for the back door.
I had to find Keane and Rye and warn them.
Glancing from side to side, I didn’t see Cross anywhere. I knew my backside would pay the price for leaving the house alone, but I didn’t care. I had to get to my men.
Timothy, Mr. Garner’s disgusting henchman, had no scruples whatsoever. It made him an excellent assistant for the likes of Mr. Garner, but a horrible and dangerous human being. I had no idea what he was doing at Bridgewater, but it couldn’t be anything good.
I lifted my skirts and took off at a run.
KEANE
* * *
"Son of a bitch!" I grabbed the man from Rye and held him up in the air myself, the better to see his face in the waning sunlight. "You! I saw you at the stable the morning we left with Lily. You were slinking around there, too. Is that what you do? Hide in the shadows and spy on people?"
I tossed him to the ground and stood over him. "What do you think we ought to do with him, Rye?"
Rye glared down at the intruder. "What are you doing here?"
"And who is the ‘private businessman’ you work for?" I was starting to get an even worse feeling deep in my stomach.
He sneered up at us. "You Bridgewater men," he spat the words, "you think you don’t have to follow society’s rules. That you can bring your debauchery here to Montana Territory and do as you please. Fornicating and lying with women who are not your wives. This place ought to be burned down."
"That’s it," I said, drawing my gun and pointing it at him. "I’m going to shoot this motherfucker."
"Not yet." Rye dragged him to his feet. "Other than coming to call us names, what’s your business? Who do you work for?"
Though I seethed with anger, I holstered my gun. But I itched to punch this man, over and over. How dare he come out here and say our ranch ought to be burned down?
A vague memory popped into my head. Where else had I heard something similar? Lily. She’d told us her former employer belonged to a group...
"You know Lily!"
"Not as well as you do, fornicators."
My fist landed on his jaw with a resounding crack.
"Well, shit, Keane." Rye turned to me. Our prisoner was out cold. "How are we going to get any answers from him now?"
I shrugged. I hadn’t thought of that. But I regretted nothing. Bastard had it coming.
"We need to get back and check on Lily. I have a feeling this guy isn’t acting alone." Rye tossed the limp Mr. Wentworth over the saddle on his horse then mounted behind him.
"Agreed."
