ripping off his coat, and tossing him out of the train.
All she was sure about was that she needed to hide her revulsion, both of the coat she was wearing and for the men in front of her.
The atmosphere grew thicker. Tense. Before long, Mr. Walton gave up all pretensions of looking amiable. Instead, his green eyes flashed annoyance and his jaw tightened. Two seconds later, he popped two knuckles. The sharp cracks sounded like rifle pops in the still silence, making her shiver all over again. "Miss Ellis? Are you going to grant me a response?"
Her mouth went dry.
"Talk," Scout murmured from behind her back, his mouth so close she could feel the heat of his breath against her skin. "Talk. Now."
But she didn't know what to say. She was frozen. Panicked. Her mind a void.
"Do it," he muttered, his voice still low but with a forceful edge.
"Yes, sir," she finally said, feeling like a puppet. The truth was, she wasn't even sure what she was referring to anymore. Holding her breath, she half waited for him to yell at her. Or to command her to remove the coat.
Mr. Walton flashed his teeth. "How nice to discover you are inclined to converse. At last."
"Yes, sir. I'm sorry," she said hurriedly. "My father never liked to me to speak to men. I'm afraid I don't have much practice."
Scout grunted.
Momentarily appeased, Mr. Walton smiled. "I find that charming." After puffing his cigar again, he continued. "Now that our conveyance is stopped, it seems that a group of U.S. Marshals have come to investigate."
"Yes, sir?"
"Normally, these men wouldn't be of concern to you, I know. However, I'm afraid someone who we very kindly let go has gone and told those men that there is a woman in here. You."
"Yes, sir?"
"This is a problem." His voice hardened as a look of pure venom entered his voice. He paused.
Jamie's mouth went dry as a feeling of foreboding flickered through her.
Mr. Walton didn't disappoint. "Miss Ellis, because the men know you are on board, they are naturally concerned for your welfare."
Once again, he waited for a response. Once again, she had no idea what to say. "Are they?" Her heart quickening, she wondered if she was about to be freed.
"Indeed. I'm afraid they think the worst." He lifted his hand and examined his nails. "But we are not animals. Not a one of us has mistreated you, have we?" He paused. Stared hard at her.
Feeling weak, she shook her head. "No, sir."
"Very good. I'm glad you see my side of things. In any case, I'm afraid it is now necessary that you be seen."
Scout's breathing hitched.
"Seen?" A whole wealth of images festered in her mind, but unfortunately, none of it made sense. "I'm . . . I'm sorry I don't understand."
Beside her, she could feel Scout's impatience with her grow. With some surprise, his words of warning filtered to her brain again. She wasn't supposed to offer opinions.
Afraid to look his way but unable to stop herself, she glanced toward him.
Scout's mouth tightened and his entire body seemed to radiate disdain.
But fortunately, Mr. Walton didn't seem too dismayed about her speaking. With a motion of his right hand, he said, "Miss Ellis, McMillan is going to take you to the back of the train. He's going to open the back latch. You are going to go stand on the miniscule balcony for a full three minutes." His voice lowered.
"Listen carefully. You will not do anything except stand still. You will not attempt to signal anyone. You will not fight Mr. McMillan. You will not even think about leaving our hospitality. If you do, Scout has orders to shoot you. And trust me, he will. Do you understand?"
"Yes, sir."
"You'd better." Looking toward Scout, Mr. Walton smiled. "See, here's the thing about Scout Proffitt. It doesn't matter to a man like him if you are a woman or how you were bred." Almost kindly, he added, "Life and death mean the same to him. Humanity means nothing to him. He's a killer. A very good one. But that's all he is."
Beside her, Scout's body might as
All she was sure about was that she needed to hide her revulsion, both of the coat she was wearing and for the men in front of her.
The atmosphere grew thicker. Tense. Before long, Mr. Walton gave up all pretensions of looking amiable. Instead, his green eyes flashed annoyance and his jaw tightened. Two seconds later, he popped two knuckles. The sharp cracks sounded like rifle pops in the still silence, making her shiver all over again. "Miss Ellis? Are you going to grant me a response?"
Her mouth went dry.
"Talk," Scout murmured from behind her back, his mouth so close she could feel the heat of his breath against her skin. "Talk. Now."
But she didn't know what to say. She was frozen. Panicked. Her mind a void.
"Do it," he muttered, his voice still low but with a forceful edge.
"Yes, sir," she finally said, feeling like a puppet. The truth was, she wasn't even sure what she was referring to anymore. Holding her breath, she half waited for him to yell at her. Or to command her to remove the coat.
Mr. Walton flashed his teeth. "How nice to discover you are inclined to converse. At last."
"Yes, sir. I'm sorry," she said hurriedly. "My father never liked to me to speak to men. I'm afraid I don't have much practice."
Scout grunted.
Momentarily appeased, Mr. Walton smiled. "I find that charming." After puffing his cigar again, he continued. "Now that our conveyance is stopped, it seems that a group of U.S. Marshals have come to investigate."
"Yes, sir?"
"Normally, these men wouldn't be of concern to you, I know. However, I'm afraid someone who we very kindly let go has gone and told those men that there is a woman in here. You."
"Yes, sir?"
"This is a problem." His voice hardened as a look of pure venom entered his voice. He paused.
Jamie's mouth went dry as a feeling of foreboding flickered through her.
Mr. Walton didn't disappoint. "Miss Ellis, because the men know you are on board, they are naturally concerned for your welfare."
Once again, he waited for a response. Once again, she had no idea what to say. "Are they?" Her heart quickening, she wondered if she was about to be freed.
"Indeed. I'm afraid they think the worst." He lifted his hand and examined his nails. "But we are not animals. Not a one of us has mistreated you, have we?" He paused. Stared hard at her.
Feeling weak, she shook her head. "No, sir."
"Very good. I'm glad you see my side of things. In any case, I'm afraid it is now necessary that you be seen."
Scout's breathing hitched.
"Seen?" A whole wealth of images festered in her mind, but unfortunately, none of it made sense. "I'm . . . I'm sorry I don't understand."
Beside her, she could feel Scout's impatience with her grow. With some surprise, his words of warning filtered to her brain again. She wasn't supposed to offer opinions.
Afraid to look his way but unable to stop herself, she glanced toward him.
Scout's mouth tightened and his entire body seemed to radiate disdain.
But fortunately, Mr. Walton didn't seem too dismayed about her speaking. With a motion of his right hand, he said, "Miss Ellis, McMillan is going to take you to the back of the train. He's going to open the back latch. You are going to go stand on the miniscule balcony for a full three minutes." His voice lowered.
"Listen carefully. You will not do anything except stand still. You will not attempt to signal anyone. You will not fight Mr. McMillan. You will not even think about leaving our hospitality. If you do, Scout has orders to shoot you. And trust me, he will. Do you understand?"
"Yes, sir."
"You'd better." Looking toward Scout, Mr. Walton smiled. "See, here's the thing about Scout Proffitt. It doesn't matter to a man like him if you are a woman or how you were bred." Almost kindly, he added, "Life and death mean the same to him. Humanity means nothing to him. He's a killer. A very good one. But that's all he is."
Beside her, Scout's body might as
Similar Books
