Julie Garwood - For the Roses

"Yes."

"Good. Now tell me why you're worried about Harrison. What else has he done?"

"What else has he done? What do you mean by that?"

Eleanor remembered her promise not to tell Mary Rose what Harrison had done to her, so she didn't mention being left up on the mountain.

"He made me angry," Eleanor said. "And he's always walking into trouble. Look at the bruises on him, Mary Rose. I just wondered what he'd done this time that has you fretting."

"I'm worried about what he's going to do. I think he's getting ready to leave. He's probably saying his good-byes to my brothers this very minute."

"Are you saying you'll be upset if he leaves?"

Mary Rose felt like screaming. "Yes," she whispered instead.

"You are sweet on him."

"Yes."

"I don't think he's talking to your brothers about leaving. You wouldn't have been excluded. He'd say good-bye to you too."

"Then what…"

"Maybe, just maybe, he's formally asking for permission to court you. Have you considered that possibility?"

"Do you think so?"

"It makes sense, doesn't it? I know Harrison cares about you. Adam told me he really went after those men who hurt you in town. He smiles at you a lot too. I noticed. Yes, I think it's very possible he is asking permission. You would be excluded from the talk. He can't ask in front of you."

Mary Rose's spirits lifted. She desperately wanted to believe Eleanor was right in her speculation. "I shouldn't get my hopes up," she whispered.

She decided to go to the doorway and try to eavesdrop on the conversation. She bumped into Adam in the hallway.

"Where are you going? Are you finished with the dishes so soon?" Adam asked.

"I was going to collect the linens," she lied. "Where are you going?"

"We're all too tired to talk tonight. Harrison decided to wait until tomorrow."

She couldn't quite hide her disappointment. "Then I'll have to stay curious until tomorrow," she said.

"I don't believe you need to waste time worrying," Adam advised. "Finish up and go up to bed. You look exhausted."

She took his advice and went directly up to her bedroom as soon as the kitchen work was finished. She was certain she wouldn't be able to sleep because of her worries. It had been a long, tiring day, however, and she drifted off to sleep just a few seconds after her head hit the pillow.

Harrison spent the next hour pacing back and forth in the bunkhouse. He wasn't thinking about the talk he was going to have with the brothers now, however. His mind was on all the changes he was going to make in his life-because of Mary Rose. Honest to God, he was through fighting the inevitable.

He checked his pocket watch for the time, and when at last the hour was up, he went back to the house. He was the first to enter the dining room.

Travis walked inside with a full bottle of brandy. Cole followed him. Travis put the bottle on the table and took his seat. Cole collected the shot glasses from the side bar, put them on the table, and then sat down. Adam came inside next. Douglas was last. He shut the doors behind him.

"I looked in on Mary Rose. She's sound asleep. If we keep our voices down, she'll stay that way."

Douglas directed the last of his remarks to Cole. Everyone was on edge. Cole appeared to be ready for a shootout. A tightness had settled around his mouth. He reached for the bottle, poured himself a drink, and gave the brandy decanter to Adam.

Harrison was the only one to decline a drink. Adam waited until everyone was settled.

"All right, Harrison, why don't you tell us why you're really here."

"You've known I had another motive for…"

"Of course."

"Why didn't you say something to me if you…"

"I figured you would let us know what you wanted when you were ready. A man shouldn't be rushed. As long as we could keep our eye on you, we weren't worried. You seemed to be trying to work something out. Perhaps you'll tell us now what was bothering you."

Harrison was a little taken aback. "I appreciate your patience," he said. "I was working something out. I'm thankful you gave me the time to do so."

"Let's get one thing straight, Harrison," Cole said. "We like you just fine, but we aren't letting you take him. You got that? We'll kill you if we have to."

"Or you can stay on here and live to be an old man," Travis suggested.

"I'm not going to try to take Adam away. He isn't the reason I came here."

"Wait a minute. How did you know Cole was talking about Adam?" Travis asked.

Harrison didn't waste time giving a long-winded explanation. "You have all been protecting Adam from the minute you found out I was an attorney. Each one of you has let me know he's the vulnerable one. You might have believed you were being subtle. You weren't."

"Were we as subtle as you were when you were trying to find out about us?"

"Yes," Harrison admitted. "I guess I was as transparent as you were."

"We all have marks on our pasts," Cole said. "Fact is, you could have come here to get the goods on any one of us. We aren't sorry about anything. We did what we had to do in order to survive. We don't expect you to understand. We are what we are."

"We make no excuses to anyone," Adam said quietly.

"And no one ever helped you, isn't that right?" Harrison asked.

"Damn right no one helped us. We didn't ask for anything, and we wouldn't have accepted it."

Harrison nodded. He understood now. He should have realized that important fact a long time ago.

"I want to tell you a story. I would appreciate it if you all would be patient and hear what I have to say."

He waited until everyone nodded agreement, then leaned back in his chair and began.

"The man I now work for was a very close friend of my father's. I might have mentioned the association to you before, I can't recall. His name is Lord William Elliott. His wife's name was Agatha. She was a good woman with a kind heart. Elliott couldn't have done better. He loved her as passionately as she loved him. They had a very happy, solid marriage."

"What do they have to do with us?" Travis asked.

"Let him explain," Adam said.

"Elliott was, and still is, a brilliant man. He quickly amassed a fortune. He built several factories in England and then decided to expand into America. He came to New York City with his wife for the opening of a factory outside the city. He never would have allowed Agatha to accompany him, however, if he had known she was carrying his child. His wife's health was more important to him than any financial matter.

"The grand opening was postponed because one of the buildings didn't meet Elliott's standards. He considered it a fire hazard and ordered changes. He and his wife stayed on in America while he personally watched over the workmen. Agatha gave birth to their only child several months later. They named their daughter, Victoria, after Elliott's mother."

Harrison paused to gather his thoughts. He looked at the brothers to see if any of them had begun to guess where he was headed. He saw only mild curiosity, however.

"They had been in New York City almost a full year when disaster struck. The factory was finally ready for the grand opening. Both Elliott and his wife attended the celebration. Agatha wanted to take the baby along, but Elliott wouldn't allow it. He argued the baby wasn't yet four months old and was therefore too fragile to be taken out in the cool spring air. They left little Victoria with her nursemaid and a full staff. They were away for just two short days, but when they returned to the city, they found the authorities waiting on their doorstep. The nursemaid had disappeared with the baby. The note demanding money arrived the following afternoon. Elliott's personal secretary, George MacPherson, grabbed hold of the messenger before he could get away and dragged him inside for questioning. The boy couldn't tell them anything significant. Elliott quickly got the money together and then waited for instructions to come telling him where to take it. No other notes followed however. Elliott clung to the hope his daughter would be returned safe and sound."

"What happened to her?" Travis asked.

"She vanished."

Silence followed. Harrison realized he was holding a drink in his hand and couldn't remember reaching for it. He put it down on the table.

"Lady Agatha never recovered from the nightmare. She became quite ill, and after six months of frantic searching, Elliott was forced to take his wife back to England. He left MacPherson in New York City to coordinate the investigation. Every lead was followed, but the investigators Elliott hired and the authorities all came up with dead ends. Then, exactly six months later, the nursemaid was found."

"Was the baby with her?" Cole asked.

"No. There wasn't any evidence in the room she'd rented to give anyone a clue as to the whereabouts of Victoria. It was assumed the woman hid the baby outside the city, then returned for some specific reason. Only God knows what. She was dead by the time the authorities got to her. She'd been strangled.

"Elliott and his wife didn't give up the search. Agatha couldn't regain her strength, however. She died a year or so later. The physicians said it was consumption, but Elliott understood the real reason. He told me she had stopped living the day her baby was taken. She died of a broken heart."

"Did she blame her husband because he made her leave the baby at home?" Travis asked.

"No, I don't believe she did. Elliott blamed himself, of course."

"How old were you when all of this happened?"

"I was just a boy, around ten years old," Harrison answered. "When my father died, Elliott moved me into his home. He took over for my own father, made certain I was well educated, and tried to go on with his life.

"Everyone in England knew what had happened. Elliott was a powerful voice in Parliament. He retired when he came back home, sold off his factories, and never gave up his search. I remember that each time I came back from university, he would tell me about a possible sighting."

"Sighting?"

"Someone who looked like Victoria might look today," he explained.

"Sounds like he was grasping at straws," Cole remarked.

"He was desperate," Adam said.

"Yes," Harrison agreed. "He was desperate. He didn't give up until a couple of years ago. Then I took over his hunt for him. Finding Victoria became my obsession."

"And now?" Adam asked.

Harrison took a long breath. "I've found her."

August 23, 1866

Dear Mama Rose,

I played with Cole's gun. I was just having fun, but he still yelled at me real good. He said he was going to spank my behind too. Then I cried real good and he changed his mind. Guns are bad, Mama. Adam said so. I won't play with guns no more. Not ever. Will you tell Cole not to yell at me? I am a good girl. Adam said so.

I love you,

Your good girl Mary Rose

They didn't want to believe him. Cole was emphatic in his denial. Mary Rose wasn't Victoria. She couldn't be. Adam was more reasonable. He asked questions trying to find an inconsistency. Travis tore apart every explanation Harrison gave. Douglas remained unusually silent. He kept his gaze on his glass and shook his head every once in a while. He appeared to be too stunned to speak.

"Coincidence," Cole said. He pounded his fist down on the tabletop to stress his point.

"When was Victoria born?" Adam asked in a voice shaking with emotion.

Harrison had already answered the question three times. He patiently gave the date once again. " January second, 1860."

"Holy Mother of God," Adam whispered.

"Lots of people were born on January second," Travis argued.

"Be reasonable," Harrison requested.

"Explain how you came to your conclusion that our Mary Rose was the woman you were searching for."

"Travis, I've already explained."

"I don't give a damn, Harrison. Explain it again."

"Fine," he agreed. "The woman who saw Mary Rose at the boarding school reported the incident to Elliott's people. I happened to be in Chicago at the time on business. The woman lived a short train ride away, and so I went to her home to talk to her."

"How did you hear about the woman? Does Elliott have people working for him in America?" Travis asked.