Page 69 of Cloaked in Beauty

Letty didn’t hesitate. She bounded straight into those arms, uncaring that Philip’s hat fell onto the ground behind her.

They cried and clung to each other for a moment, then her mother held her out a few inches. “Let me look at you.”

She smoothed the bits of hair that had escaped Letty’s braid and drank in her face with such intensity, Letty thought she must surely be memorizing every feature. Something Letty did as well. Her mama was still her mama. Age had crept in around the edges, adding a few lines that hadn’t been there before, but the love she remembered so well—and secretly feared would have dulled over time—shone from her eyes with a fierce light that banished every doubt hiding in the recesses of Letty’s heart.

“What a beautiful young woman you’ve become. So strong and brave.” Her mother’s smile beamed straight into Letty’s chest and surrounded her heart in a hug of acceptance and belonging. “Oh, Letty, I’ve prayed for this day for so long. Your uncle Stefan told me not to come. He instructed me to wait for you at home, but I couldn’t stand to be separated from you for even one more hour. I had to see you the moment you arrived.”

Her gaze lifted for just a moment to peer over Letty’s shoulder. “How can I ever thank you, Mr. Carmichael? You brought her home to me, just as you promised.”

“With all due respect, ma’am. We haven’t gotten her home yet. My job’s not finished until the danger has passed, and it won’t pass until the money Drake Radcliffe covets is permanently out of his reach.”

Mama’s smile dimmed, but her shoulders straightened instead of slumping. She stepped away from Letty and addressed Philip with the regal bearing of a queen. “You’re right. Scarlett and I can continue our reunion in the carriage. Your escort will be much appreciated.”

Philip leaned down to fetch his fallen hat and fit it back to his head. As he did so, the would-be suitor vanished behind the professional Pinkerton.

“Radcliffe is bound to have men watching the roads coming into Houston. I assume this carriage is rented and not one that could be recognized as belonging to either you or your brother?”

“That’s correct. Stefan secured it from one of the liveries near the depot.”

“Good. I’ll unload our packhorse and leave him here to graze. I’ll send someone to fetch him later. I’ll follow the carriage with Letty’s horse in tow. I’ll try to keep my distance somewhat discreet so it isn’t immediately evident that I’m traveling with you.” Philip’s gaze flicked to hers. “I won’t let the carriage out of my sight, though.” He turned his attention back to her mother. “I’ll be on hand in a moment’s notice should the need arise.”

Mama dipped her chin. “I bow to your expertise in this matter.”

“There’s just one more traveler we need to hide, then.”

Letty immediately understood his meaning. Her stomach knotted, unsure of how her mother would react. Setting her shoulders in the same manner her mother had just done, Letty patted her thigh and called to Rusty.

Her wolf left off sniffing the carriage wheels and padded over to her side.

“Oh!” Her mother’s widening eyes and backward steps didn’t bode well.

Letty rested her hand on Rusty’s head. “He’s very well-behaved. Just think of him as a big dog. He can lie on the floor of the carriage. He won’t hurt you. I promise.”

Her mother cast a wary glance toward Carter, who was slowly easing his rifle away from the wall.

Her mother lifted her chin and smoothed the skirt of her dress with hands that only trembled a little. “Of course Rusty shall travel with us. He’s been a faithful guardian to you and will be welcome at Radcliffe House.”

Letty reached for her mother’s hand and gave it a squeeze. “Thank you.”

Her gaze found Philip, and her heart warmed at his smile. The sweet connection lasted only a moment, though, before his mask of professionalism slid back into place.

She mourned the loss even as she recognized the necessity of the distance. Their time would come. It had to. Living the rest of her life without Philip by her side was too dismal a prospect to contemplate.

32

Coming home to a different house from the one she grew up in felt strange, yet familiar elements eased the transition. Mr. Fellows and Mrs. Krouse welcomed her home with all the fanfare of the prodigal son. Food overflowed the dining room table, and half of the dishes making up the spread were treats she remembered from childhood. Apple tarts, shortbread cookies, pound cake, candied walnuts, and the tiny chocolate cakes she used to snitch from beneath the glass dome whenever they appeared in the kitchen. Letty couldn’t possibly eat everything, but the love that table represented brought the mist back to her eyes.

She turned to share the bountiful moment with Philip, only to recall he wasn’t in the room with her. He’d insisted on walking the perimeter and setting up a watch station from one of the corner rooms on the second floor. Before he’d left, he’d promised to see Rusty settled in the manicured yard that stretched behind the house and encouraged her to focus on reconnecting with her family. But he’d become her family over the last two weeks, and she missed him. Missed his companionship, his constancy, even his overprotective glower. A thousand discoveries fluttered around her, tantalizing her with family history, identity, and restored memories. Each brought its own excitement or fascination, and as each new discovery unfolded, she longed to share it with him.

“What an amazing spread, Mrs. Krouse.” Letty beamed a smile at the housekeeper. “After having nothing but coffee, stew, and biscuits on the trail, I won’t know where to start.”

Mrs. Krouse bustled forward and took up a platter filled with pot roast, carrots, and potatoes and positioned herself beside the chair to the right of the head of the table. “You just sit yourself down, dearie, and I’ll fill your plate for you. I made all your favorites.”

Letty shared a smile with her mother. “You certainly did.”

Mr. Fellows held out her mother’s chair first, then moved to help Letty be seated at the only other place setting.

“Will you not be joining us?” she asked as the butler poured water into her glass. “Mother told me that you often share a table with her.”