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Alberto framed her face between his hands. “Hush. Maria, don't speak anymore of it,” he whispered. “Like I said, Michael told me all. He told me of your encounter with him while you were there with Nathan in Saint Louis. I even now approve of Michael and you getting together. Honestly, I do. He's one hell of a man. I don't know why I didn't see it sooner. He's someone I'd like to be more like. And maybe one day I will.”
“I'll always love Michael, Alberto,” Maria confessed, flushing once again.
“I know,” he said, lowering his eyes. “And he loves you. He plans to have you. One way or another. He confessed this much to me tonight.”
Maria's heartbeat increased. “You did say you were with him tonight?” she said. “Michael had said that he would be in town tomorrow. But he hadn't said anything about tonight. Where is he now, Alberto?”
“In the Saline Hotel in Creal Springs,” he said, blinking his eyes nervously, suspicious of what her next words might be. .. .
“Take me to him, Alberto,” she quickly blurted, rising, moving across the room to pull her cape around her shoulders. She tied the bow in front at her neck, watching Alberto with pleading in her eyes. “Please? I must see him. Tonight. I fear for him. I don't want to wait another moment. Please take me to him?”
Alberto pushed himself up from the chair and moved toward her. “But what about Nathan Hawkins?” he said, opening the bedroom door, looking outward.
“He's supposedly in Creal Springs,” she said. “He said that his meeting might last into the night, and if it did, he would be staying at his other house for the night.”
Alberto's eyes grew wide. “The damn bastard has two houses . . . ?”
Maria giggled. She had had the same reaction. “Yes. He has another house in Creal Springs.”
“But what if he does decide to come to this house later on tonight?”
“If he does, I am sure he will move on to his room. He won't be aware of my absence. This is why we have two separate rooms. For his late arrivals. He doesn't want to disturb me, so I will be, shall we say, ‘fresh,’ for whatever he desires of me the next, night.”
Alberto groaned, reaching for Maria's hand. His eyes raked over her, remembering her night robe beneath the cape. He knew what she had in mind when she would meet with Michael. He tried to keep the thought from his mind, but he couldn't help it. Even now he could feel desire rising for Maria … his own sister. He closed his eyes and stepped back away from her, almost reeling. He reached for the edge of the door and steadied himself.
“Will you take me to Michael, Alberto?” Maria asked once again. She cast her eyes downward. “I know what you truly think of my asking this, but I do have a need to talk with him. Please understand.”
“If you must, you must,” he said. “But what if Nathan Hawkins finds out? What then?”
Shivers raced up and down Maria's spine. She pulled the hood of her cape upward, to cover her hair and most of her face. “He won't,” she answered. “I shall see to it that he won't.”
“Okay, then. Come with me,” he said, motioning with his hand. “If I found my way to your room, I can surely find my way back to my wagon.”
“We must do it in darkness,” Maria whispered. “I wouldn't want Mama Pearl to see me. I'm not sure if I can trust her.”
Alberto leaned into Maria's face. “Who the hell is Mama Pearl?”
Maria covered his lips with her hands. “Shh,” she replied, then hooked her arm through his and followed alongside him down the steep stairs, then breathed more easily when they rushed through the parlor and on outside, to the wagon. Once again Maria cautioned Alberto. “The wagon. It creaks so,” she said, settling down beside Alberto on the seat, seeing the restlessness of the horse as it stamped a hoof into the ground. “Please move slowly from the house. The house seems to have eyes. Please be as quiet as possible, Alberto.”
“What you're doing is foolish, Maria,” Alberto grumbled, snapping the reins. “Your sense of adventure—won't it ever leave you? Do you realize the hour of the night? What will Michael say when you go knocking on his door?”
Maria scooted next to Alberto and cuddled, seeking warmth. The chill of the night was settling all around her in a wet dampness, causing her teeth to chatter. “When he sees me, I only hope he will be happy,” she finally answered.
“And am I to wait? Will your conversation be brief. . . ?”
Maria's face flushed. “As brief as possible, Alberto,” she said. “But surely you can find something to do to pass the time while you wait. Maybe a beautiful. . . lady .. . ?” Maria giggled, then placed her hand over her lips when she saw the cloudiness suddenly appearing in his eyes. “Or something. . . .” she stammered, tensing inside.
“It's quite late. I shall just snooze in the wagon until you return,” Alberto grumbled.
Maria blinked her thick lashes nervously, watching all around her as Alberto urged the horse onward. The tall Indian grasses were rippling in the breeze, making shadows appear to be jumping about on all sides of them. She grabbed Alberto's hand and held on to it when a dog raced up to the wagon barking and showing its teeth. Then when houses began doubling at the sides of the road, Maria pulled the hood of her cape closer to her face, wondering if one could even be the one that Nathan owned. Would he see this horse and wagon wandering on the quiet streets of the night? Would he wonder about its passengers?
“How much farther, Alberto?” she whispered, trembling suddenly.
“The hotel is the one m the square of the town,” he said.
“He's in such a nice one?”
“Well, you might say that,” he laughed, then guided the horse to a halt in front of a building that stood four stories into the sky. “He's in the basement rooms,” he said, laughing softly. “You know he has to appear like a bum. Well, he couldn't take a room that's usually only inhabited by the richest gents visiting this fair town of Creal Springs.”
