Page 39 of Fairest of Heart

Well, he’d be glad to clear it up for her. He stormed forward and grasped her wrist, sending the butterflies fluttering away in fright.

“You like weaving fiction, don’t you? Manipulating men. Stealing their belongings, their good names.”

She made no move to tug free of his hold, but the hurt in her eyes nearly had him letting go. He steeled himself against the pity rising inside him and tightened his grip.

“Titus Kingsley!” Doc stormed up beside him. “Unhand that young woman this instant.”

He shook his head. “I’ll do no such thing, Grandpa. She’s a suspect in a robbery case. Not the innocent young woman you believe her to be.”

Doc’s face glowed red, and his glasses started to fog as he settled into place at Penelope’s side. “I don’t care if she’s wanted for murder. You will treat her with kindness and respect, or you will leave my property.”

Angus, Jeb, and Ike followed Doc’s example and positioned themselves around Penelope, arms crossed and glowers dark. An angry bark sounded behind Titus, and he glanced over his shoulder to see Lucky running toward their little gathering with teeth bared, Dusty and Coy hot on his heels.

For Pete’s sake. Had they all lost their minds?

He released Penelope’s wrist, turned on his heels to pace a couple of steps away in a desperate bid to control his temper, then spun back to face the very men he was trying to protect. “She’s not who you think she is.” He grabbed the telegram from his pocket and shoved it at Doc. “She’s a schemer and a seducer. I have evidence of her perfidy from the Carlisles of Chicago and a string of thefts that follow the route she traveled since her arrival in Texas. I’m taking her to headquarters for questioning.”

Doc glanced at the telegram, but his chin only jutted more stubbornly. “And I have evidence of her sweet nature, honorable character, and giving spirit. You won’t be taking her anywhere without something more concrete than this scrap of hearsay.” He stepped up to Titus and crammed the telegram back into his pocket, the disappointment in his eyes cutting Titus to the quick.

“You don’t understand—” Titus began.

“So now you think I’m feebleminded?”

“Of course not. It’s just that she’s pulled the wool over your eyes.”

“So I’m a fool.”

“That’s not what I . . .” Titus groaned.

“Stop.” Miss Snow squeezed between Jeb and Angus and laid a hand on Doc’s shoulder. “Please.” The old man seemed to melt at her touch. Even the dog ceased his growling when her skirt brushed his side. Then she lifted her eyes and met Titus’s gaze. “I’ll answer any questions you have. Here or at Ranger headquarters. Whichever you prefer.”

Her gray eyes shimmered with heartbreak, making him feel like one of those mean-spirited kids who tore wings from butterflies. But he wasn’t. He was a man of the law. Charged with bringing criminals to justice. And he’d do his duty regardless of how much his chest ached at the sight of her vulnerability.

17

Tiny glass shards pricked Penelope’s heart, the shallow cuts coalescing into a hurt big enough to threaten tears as Titus ushered her into the house. She blinked the moisture away, not wanting Doc or the others to worry. It was her own fault, after all. She’d known better than to dream of fairy tales. Dreams got girls like her into trouble. Yet she’d not been able to resist the lure of imagining a fine man like Titus Kingsley turning a courting eye in her direction. A man who rode hours out of his way to save a dog’s life. One who treated old men with dignity and bought shoes for destitute women he barely knew. A man capable and kind and strong enough to carry her through a mesquite grove without breaking a sweat. A man she’d foolishly imagined returning to the Diamond D someday to claim her as his own.

Well, he had. Only the claim he aimed to stake involved a jail cell instead of her heart. While she’d been daydreaming about him riding to her rescue, he’d been uncovering her darkest secrets. He thought her a villain, and she had no evidence to disprove his theory. All she had was the truth, but without corroboration, it would just be her word against that of the Carlisles. Those odds hadn’t worked in her favor back in Chicago, and she doubted they’d do much better in Texas.

Give him ears to hear, Lord. She swallowed hard. And help me to trust you to hold my future secure.

God’s protection didn’t always mean immediate rescue, however. Joseph had been an innocent man, yet he’d been sold into slavery, thrown in jail, and left to rot for years before God’s deliverance arrived.

She bit her lip and added a silent addendum to her divine petition. I’d really prefer not to rot in jail if that’s an option.

“Use the parlor,” Doc groused when Titus tried to steer her to the kitchen.

“Fine.” He turned into the front room, then stutter stepped before escorting her to the small settee in front of the hearth.

Had he noticed the changes she’d made to the room? The parlor had been buried under three inches of dust the last time he’d been here. It had taken her a full day of scrubbing, polishing, and rug beating to make it habitable. Then she’d collected little items from each of the Diamond D gentlemen to make it feel more like home. A seed catalog and farmer’s almanac on the side table for Ike. A glass jar to hold Rowdy’s treasures on the corner of the mantle. One of Dusty’s whittled horses on the opposite side. A photograph of Doc and his late wife in the place of honor in the center.

Over the last week, the men had taken to gathering in here in the evenings. They’d tell stories about the old days while she mended torn sleeves and replaced lost buttons by lamplight. How she’d miss those stories.

Doc settled on the settee cushion next to her and patted her hand. “Don’t you worry, Miss Penny. I won’t let him railroad you.” He shot a scowl at his grandson.

Titus’s hands flew upward in disgust. “For Pete’s sake, Doc. When have you ever known me to railroad anyone? You’re acting as if I’m part of the Spanish Inquisition.”

Doc jutted out his chin. “That’s because you charged in here spouting accusations as if they were facts. I intend to ensure she gets a fair hearing.”