index by Unknown

Author:Unknown
Language: eng
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Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 15

It was this worry that kept Grace awake past her bedtime.

There was a simple solution…Rathe.

She was instantly appal ed.

She knew she would die before accepting Rathe’s indecent, arrogant proposition. Unbidden, warm recol ections rose to her mind, memories of his hard body pressed intimately against hers, his lips soft and gentle and utterly seductive on hers. Grace buried her face in her hands. It wasn’t fair! To have al of life conspiring against her, even her own traitorous body, pushing her into Rathe’s arms. She felt trapped.

She was not going to become his mistress. She folded her arms across her breasts. Her mind conjured up Silver Street, with its row of saloons facing the broad, slowly moving Mississippi.

She tried to imagine herself in one of those short skirts, like the blonde had been wearing at the Black Heel on Saturday, and failed. She blushed.

Before she would sink so low and compromise the beliefs she held so dear, she would check the hotels on the cliff again for a waitressing position. Even waitressing, as disrespectable as it was, was better than working on Silver Street.

She shut off her thoughts, her heart tightening uncontrol ably as she heard someone coming up the stairs. Al the ladies who lived on this floor with her had retired, so who could it possibly be? She sat up, listening.

There was a soft rapping on her door. Immediately, Grace rose to answer it.

“Clarissa! she gasped.

Relief swept Geoffrey’s sister’s distraught features when she saw Grace. “Miz Grace, I don’t know what to do!”

“What’s wrong? Are you al right?”

“The night riders are riding tonight,” Clarissa cried frantical y. “I don’t know what to do, an’ I thought of you, bein’ the teacher an’ al an’ so smart!

Last time they almost kil ed my brother Jim!”

“Oh my God,” Grace said, momentarily stunned. Then she snapped to. “Are you sure of this?”

“Yes ma’am.”

“Do you know where they’re riding?”

“On Shantytown. A Republican government man was down there today, spoutin’ off, tryin’ to make sure we al vote this fal , tel in’ us not to be afraid

—that there ain’t no more Klan.” Clarissa was clinging to her sleeve. “What are we gonna do?”

“We have to find Rathe,” Grace said instantly. “He’l help.” She was already yanking a skirt up over her nightgown and flinging a shawl around her shoulders. “Come on, Clarissa,” she said grimly, running for the stairs. “His room is on the second floor.”

He wasn’t there. “Damn! He’s probably at one of those saloons or brothels,” Grace said. “Come on!”

Clarissa was on her heels, choking on a sob. “Now what are we gonna do?”

“Stop them,” Grace retorted briskly. “We are going to stop them!”

In Harriet’s study she paused in front of the beautiful mahogany gun case. Grace hesitated, thinking about how she abhorred violence—but only for a second. Lives were at stake. She tried to pul open the door. Clarissa gasped. “You can’t stop ’em, Miz Grace. Not you.”

“I sure as hel intend to try,” Grace said, rattling the lock.

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