A Headstrong Woman(75)

“About four, that’s not why I’m so tired, though. I spent most the night worried that I would wake up to Desiree in my bed,” he announced darkly.

“What?” Alexandria’s eyes widened.

“She came into my room last night. I told her to get lost. I can’t believe any woman…” Jonathon was shaking his head.

“Why didn’t you say something to Janice or Nathaniel?” Alexandria demanded.

“I didn’t know how to approach it and I didn’t want to cause trouble.”

“You didn’t; she did. Why don’t you try to rest? You’re safe with me.”

“You sure?” A smile pulled at his lips.

Alexandria rolled her eyes and smiled, “Sorry to burst your bubble, but you’re completely safe with me.”

Jonathon wasn’t sure he was, though he couldn’t tell her that. “Good, I think I will try to rest a little.” Jonathon leaned against the corner of their booth and stretched his long legs out into the cramped space.

Alexandria eyed his legs and shook her head. He was definitely long limbed. She turned her attention to entertaining Lilly until the toddler fell asleep. Alexandria was enjoying watching the passing scenery when the train ground to a halt and almost dumped Lilly into the floor.

Jonathon sat up and frowned. “Stay here,” Jonathon ordered before rising and moving down the aisle. Alexandria was growing anxious by the time he returned; his face was grim.

“Give me your black scarf and the gun,” Jonathon instructed. Alexandria frowned, handed him the scarf and bent over to remove the gun from where it was tucked into her boot. It was small but at close range deadly. Jonathon had tied her scarf around his arm to look like a mourning band and hid the gun close at hand in the seat cushion.

“Alexandria, there isn’t time to explain, but I’m asking you to please trust me and back me up, your safety depends on it,” he all but whispered in her ear.

Alexandria was about to ask what was going on when a man, the lower portion of his face covered, stepped into the opening of their compartment.

“I want all your jewelry and money,” the man demanded.

“We’re in mourning and aren’t wearing any jewelry,” Jonathon responded. The man moved on.

Alexandria shuddered and moved closer to Jonathon. Lilly climbed into his lap and the three sat quietly listening to the man repeat his demand up and down the car.

Alexandria was relieved, at moment that she wasn’t allowed to wear any jewelry. She supposed that she should feel guilty that she had already dispensed with her wedding ring but was unable to feel any real remorse about it. It was only as she glanced at her own bare finger that she thought of Jonathon. She glanced at his bare hand; when had he stopped wearing his wedding ring? Her sister’s words about the two of them traveling together unescorted suddenly came to mind and she found her cheeks staining scarlet. Somehow she had convinced herself that two widowed individuals traveling together wasn’t all that improper but it suddenly occurred to her that they were, in fact, a man and woman traveling alone together. What must people think?

“Good Lord, Alexandria,” she chastised herself, “There are more important issues at hand; like the train being robbed!” Alexandria shook her head to clear it and wished that someone would let them know what was going on. They sat for minute after anxious minute waiting for something to happen. Finally, the train jerked into motion and moved slowly down the track. Alexandria hoped that it meant the thieves were gone. An armed man moved down their car and Alexandria felt her heart sink. The man spotted Alexandria and sat in Lilly’s vacated seat so he could stare at Alexandria.

“Yer pretty; this your man?” he asked her.

Alexandria swallowed hard.

“My wife and I are traveling to my mother’s funeral, please sir…”

“I’m talking to the lady!” the man snapped.

Alexandria swallowed her distaste for lying and proceeded to lie, “My husband and I just want to make it to the funeral,” she meekly played the role of the submissive wife.

“This your girl?”

“Yes.”

“She don’t look like either of you,” the man said shrewdly.

“She gets her coloring from her grandmother,” Alexandria explained. It wasn’t a lie. She had Martha’s coloring and Martha had looked like her mother.

“Whas’ your name darlin’?”