RNWMP: Bride for Colton (Mail Order Mounties Book 15) by Cassie Hayes & Mail Order Mounties

Author:Cassie Hayes & Mail Order Mounties [Hayes, Cassie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2017-12-27T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter 6

Gemma had been terrible company when Annie, Faith and Minnie had stopped by for a visit earlier in the day. They’d wanted to chat about life in the wilderness and how wonderful their husbands were. All Gemma could think about was the fact Lizzy was a bootlegger. Or at least the person selling the bootlegger’s wares. It seemed so out of character, but it explained the shame Gemma had seen in the woman’s eyes.

Gemma had felt that shame for most of her life, and she was convinced Lizzy didn’t want to be selling the alcohol. Someone had to be coercing — or even forcing — her to do the dirty work. Probably the bootlegger himself. He’d looked rather shifty to Gemma, though it had been hard to get much of a feel for him from the two times she’d seen him. He’d certainly appeared distressed when he’d come for Colton about the fire, and she couldn’t deny his laughter in the forest sounded as if it had rumbled up from the tips of his toes. But both of those things could be faked easily enough. She’d done both on countless occasions — and as Bronwen had always pointed out, Gemma wasn’t a very good liar.

Finally, the other brides had left, leaving Gemma alone to pace the floors and wonder how she was going to broach the subject with Lizzy. She still hadn’t decided by the time the woman walked through the door, but she did know it wasn’t a discussion that should take place in front of children.

“There you are!” she practically shouted as Lizzy ushered her children inside. “Mary and John, would you mind doing me a big, gigantic favor? Would you take this money to Mr. Harper’s store and buy some eggs with it? See if Olivia and Lily’s mothers will let them join you. There should be enough for one piece of candy for each of you as a reward.”

Their eyes practically popped out of their heads when she dropped a few coins in each of their hands, then they looked up at their mother for permission. Lizzy looked puzzled, but then nodded. The children were little more than a blur as they tore out of the house in the quest for treats.

“Thank you,” Lizzy said as she shrugged out of her coat and sat in a chair in front of the fire. She looked exhausted.

And sad.

Gemma pulled another chair up next to her, and together they stared silently into the flames. Finally, Gemma spoke.

“I know.”

Lizzy glanced at her, then returned her gaze to the fire. “Oh,” she replied simply. She sat for a moment longer, then stood and started gathering her and the children’s things.

“What are you doing?” Gemma asked.

“Leaving. I must find a home for Mary and John before your husband takes me.”

Gemma frowned. “Takes you? You mean arrests you? Colton wouldn’t—“

Then it hit her. Of course he would arrest Lizzy if he found out she was the one selling booze to the Indians.

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