Page 48 of Fairest of Heart

“He’s gone, Penelope. You’re safe.”

She bit her lip and nodded, but he could still feel her quivering.

Hang propriety.

“Come here,” he groused as he tugged her gently toward him.

As if she’d been waiting for an invitation, she fell against him and pressed her face to his chest. He closed his arms around her and leaned his cheek against the top of her head.

“It’s all right,” he soothed, one hand reaching up to support the back of her head as he held her tightly against him. “It’s over. You’re safe.”

“And you’re gonna stay that way.” Jeb pushed his way into the room and crossed to the still-open window. He pulled the sash down until it smashed against the sill. “Dusty and I will rig up a block so you can open the window enough to let in a breeze while keepin’ out anything taller than a couple inches. We’ll make sure no one sneaks in here again.”

Titus bit back a groan as, one after another, the graybeard brigade made themselves known. Not that he’d forgotten they were there exactly. He’d just been . . . well . . . absorbed. Penelope felt better in his arms than he’d expected. And not just in a physical sense. In truth, he’d been so focused on banishing her fear and restoring her equilibrium he hadn’t given much thought to how well she fit against him until Jeb came in and she pulled away from his hold. Even now, he kept a hand at her back and stroked his thumb up and down, compelled to offer comfort somehow.

Coy shrugged into his suspenders and nodded to Titus from the doorway. “I’ll put some tea on. My ma used to say that nothing calms a woman’s nerves better than a cup of tea.”

“I’ll fetch an extra blanket,” Ike offered, as if Penelope’s trembling was due to a draft instead of a break-in.

Her face had felt cold, though, when her cheek pressed against his chest, so maybe the idea had some merit.

Doc scurried in next. He commandeered Penelope, wrapping an arm around her and leading her to edge of the bed. “Come sit down while Titus has a look around. I’ll stay with you.”

Titus clenched his jaw and reined in a scowl. What if he wasn’t ready to take that look around just yet? What if investigating wasn’t the most important thing to him at the moment? Penelope allowed Doc to usher her away, but once she took her seat, her gaze sought out Titus. Was she wishing he were the one sitting at her side? Did she prefer his company to that of his grandfather? Or was she simply eager to see if he could learn anything about her unwanted visitor?

It didn’t really matter. He was the lawman in the group. It was his job to investigate. Others could offer comfort.

Still, he held her gaze for a moment, not wanting to abandon her to his grandfather just yet. But when Doc patted her hand and drew her attention away, Titus knew it was time to get to work.

Telling himself he was a fool to be jealous of a man nearing his eighth decade, Titus pivoted toward the dresser and started making mental notes. The intruder had been looking for something. But what? And why did he think to find it in a drawer of women’s unmentionables?

Was he some kind of deviant who found pleasure in invading a woman’s privacy and touching her intimate clothing? He’d run across a fellow or two with strange proclivities during his time as a Ranger, but that explanation didn’t sit right. Those types frequented towns where women were plentiful and easier to access. The Diamond D was isolated and, until recently, inhabited only by men. The folks in Glen Rose might have heard about a female boarder at the ranch after Doc bought shoes and dress makings, but why would a fellow traipse all the way out here when there was lower hanging fruit in town?

A more likely scenario was that this was a targeted search. By someone who thought Penelope a jewel thief? Perhaps someone from the troupe had overheard his conversation with Madame LaBelle and come to the same false conclusion he had. But how would they have known where to find her?

Unless . . .

He spun around and headed back to the bed, nearly stumbling over Rowdy, who was on all fours by the side of the dresser where some of Penelope’s clothing had fallen. Probably chasing after a dropped hairpin or some other object reflecting the lamplight. Catching himself before he tripped over Rowdy’s bare feet, Titus sidestepped, then moved to stand in front of Penelope.

“Could it have been Cecil Hunt?”

It would fit. He was the only one who would know where to look for Penelope since he’d been the one to drag her out here in the first place. But why would he think she had the jewels? She’d been stripped down to her underclothes when he’d carried her out into the woods, for Pete’s sake.

“I-I don’t know.” Her brow crinkled. “I didn’t see his face.” She glanced at the window, where Jeb was fiddling with the latch. “He must have been startled by the barking, too. I remember hearing footsteps in the room when I woke. And breathing.”

That lost look returned to her eyes, twisting something in Titus’s chest. He dropped onto the bed beside her and took her hand, not caring that there really wasn’t room for him with Doc on the other side. The wooden footboard jabbed him in the hip, but he ignored it.

“Look at me, Pen.”

It took a moment, but the glaze of fear gradually cleared enough for her to focus on his face.

“He’s gone. He can’t hurt you.”

She nodded, accepting his words, but he knew it would take time for her to feel safe.

He rubbed his thumb over the back of her hand. “Is there anything you remember about the man? His height? His clothing? Did you hear his voice?”

“No.” She shook her head and dipped her chin as if ashamed. “When I realized someone was in my room, I froze. I thought if I pretended to be asleep, he would leave me alone.” Her chin lifted and lamplight gleamed off the moisture collecting in her eyes. “I squeezed my eyelids shut like a scared little girl and prayed for him to go away. By the time I found the courage to open my eyes, all I saw was his back as he climbed out the window.” She shook her head. “I should have done more, Titus. I’m sorry. I was a coward.”