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“I know that now.”
“You said nothing else to her?”
She shook her head. “No, nothing else.”
He digested her words then said, “Then we have to talk to Becky.”
“Why?”
“Because we just found ourselves another eyewitness. If she was in the corridor that night, she could have witnessed someone coming or going into Phillip’s chamber. At the least, she could attest to the fact your dress was not splattered in blood.” Though he knew it still did not explain how Phillip’s blood got on her dress. “Are you sure when you struck him, you did not cut him? Draw blood?”
“I’m positive.”
“Anyone you know who might have a vengeance against him?”
She snorted. “Almost all the female maids. He took liberties with most of them.”
“That wouldn’t explain your connection or why one of them would want to frame you.”
She frowned, obviously the thought never having crossed her mind. “Why would they do that?”
“Honey, a person would do anything to avoid prison.”
Sam’s senses suddenly went into alert. Someone was coming. He went for his gun, but not nearly fast enough.
“Hold it right there, cowboy.”
Chapter 13
A man took a step out of the woods and Sam recognized him as the patron in the mercantile shop. “What do you want? We have nothing valuable on us.”
The man sneered and looked at Ivy, sending a warning to trigger down Sam’s spine. “Ah, I think you do, cowboy. When you came into town, I thought it mighty suspicious you were the lone survivor of that train derailment. I headed for Fort William to find out exactly what happened on that train. Thought maybe there was a bounty on your head I could collect. But, hell, never figured it would be on such a little thing of a woman. And at such a hefty price.”
Next to him, Sam noticed Ivy go rigid. “Ivy, get behind me.”
“Stay right where you are little lady.”
Sam’s eyes narrowed as he surveyed the other man. “What do you want?”
“Hell, cowboy, I thought it was obvious. You have that sweet little filly move over here nice and slow. I hate to bring her back dead seeing as her bounty is twice the size if she comes back alive.”
Sam surveyed the situation and cursed himself for not being more observant. Being soft on Ivy was proving detrimental to his survival skills.
“Tie her up on that horse of yours!” He ordered Sam. Ivy glanced at Sam with big nervous eyes, then visibly relaxed when he sent her a trust me look.
“Now!” The man barked and Ivy jumped.
Sam clenched his jaw working hard to keep from swinging for the guy now. If Ivy wasn’t there, he wouldn’t have hesitated. He knew his own skill. But he could not risk Ivy’s life. “It’s all right, Ivy. Let’s do as the man says. Tie you to the horse.”
Her eyes shifted to his face and he knew she caught his underlying message. If there was one thing he had learned about Ivy in the past few days was that she was an expert at escaping most any restraint. He helped her up onto the saddle, then proceeded to tie her wrists around the horn.
“Nice and tight now,” the man said behind them. “Don’t want her falling off and cracking open that lovely little head of hers.”
Sam could barely restrain his rage. It was apparent he planned on having his way with Ivy before delivering her to the authorities. He took a moment longer than needed, pretending to secure her knots in order to control his rage before finally turning to face their assailant. He needed to distract the man and give Ivy time to undo her restraints and get the hell out of there. Only then could Sam react and take him down like the scum he was.
“I take it you haven’t been back to the village.”
The man’s eyes lingered on Ivy hungrily, barely taking any notice of Sam’s words. “That’s right. Pure luck I came across you on my way back from Fort William.”
