A Headstrong Woman(76)

“Camille,” she gave her middle name.

“This your daddy, little un’?” he asked Lilly. Lilly looked up at Jonathon thoughtfully; then nodded. Alexandria felt her heart stop; then resume beating at twice the normal rate. This could get sticky later but worked in their favor for now.

The train continued to move slowly only picking up speed when they passed through towns where they were to have stopped. The robber continued to leer at Alexandria until the train again ground to a stop and he moved down the aisle. A woman screamed from somewhere down the car and Alexandria tensed. Jonathon put an arm around her and his jaw tightened. Alexandria had no doubt that had Jonathon not felt responsible for her and Lilly, he would have gotten involved in whatever was going on down the car.

“No…please?” a hysterical feminine voice pleaded. Jonathon’s hand tightened on her shoulder. The train again began moving at barely more than a crawl. Another gunman moved down the car and his gaze swept over them. His gaze settled on Alexandria before he moved on. She knew that Jonathon was sitting between her and danger.

The train continued moving slowly; then speeding through stops before coming to a stop for the next several hours until darkness fell. Alexandria was relieved when one of the Pullman Porters moved down the aisle and assured them that the men were finally gone. The man had a large gash over his right eye.

“I’ll be right back,” Jonathon told her before he released her, and moved down the aisle. He returned moments later; his face was angry.

“What’s wrong?” Alexandria asked.

“They got off a few at a time, stole everyone’s money and took three women who were traveling unescorted,” he shared with her. Alexandria blanched in the dim glow of the hastily lit lights overhead. Jonathon pulled her close as she started crying.

“It’s okay,” he told her softly.

At the Cold Springs depot they were questioned before disembarking from the train. Alexandria was thankful to find her parents and sister among those waiting on the platform. Apparently word had traveled down the track that something was wrong.

“How did you all fare?” Rusty asked as he joined them.

“We’re fine; you?” Jonathon responded.

“Fine.”

“What happened?” Shirley demanded.

Alexandria gratefully took the offered cup of coffee and started relating all that had happened on the train ride home. She accepted a refill from a lady circling through the growing crowd and felt herself begin to calm. Alexandria quickly drained her cup; then asked for another.

“You’ll never sleep tonight,” Jonathon commented from beside her.

“I don’t think I would have anyway,” she admitted.

By the time they started for the ranch, the nearness of her family had restored her calm and the three cups of coffee had kicked in.

“How was your trip otherwise?” her mother asked. Alexandria filled her in on the how the Morrises were doing and touched on a few details of their trip.

“How much trouble did she get into, Jonathon?” Clay asked.

“Not too much,” Jonathon smiled.

“Let me guess… she went somewhere she shouldn’t have,” he nailed it on the first guess.

“You know your daughter well,” Jonathon laughed.

“Where did she go this time?” Clay asked.

“She’s okay, let’s leave it at that,” Jonathon dodged the question.

“Please, Jonathon, I would like to know where my daughter went this time,” Shirley joined the conversation.

“Really, Mom, you don’t,” Alexandria informed her.

“Where did you go?” Shirley turned her attention to her daughter.

“If he had just told me why he didn’t want me coming instead of …”

“Where did you go?” Shirley asked more firmly.

Alexandria sighed, “A brothel.”

Her mother made a choking noise before recovering. “What- were- you- doing- in- a brothel?” she pronounced each syllable carefully.

“I didn’t know that’s what it was until I was inside. That’s where we had to meet Mr. Kingston.”

“Why did you ever agree to meet him in a brothel?” Shirley, her tone clipped, asked.

“He changed the meeting place on me and there wasn’t time to change it again and Alexandria’s right. It’s partially my fault. I should have explained to her why I didn’t want her coming instead of handling it as I did,” Jonathon came to her defense. Alexandria could have hugged him.