Read Online Crazy Woman Creek by Virginia Welch - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Virginia Welch
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rising to her eyebrows. How long had he been standing behind her?
“Good afternoon, Mrs. Rose,” said Luke, tipping his hat.
“I do believe you speak that verse out of context,” she said, trying to paint a religious gloss on her profligate behavior.
“I doubt if the good Lord begrudges us a chuckle now and then, though some people might call their condition sad,” he said, nodding toward the drunken ranch hands.
“I thought you’d be searching the North-East Creek for a ghost today with the others,” said Lenora, deftly changing the subject.
“Sheriff Morris didn’t think he’d need many men, seeing how they’ve narrowed it down to just the creek. He took a couple of volunteers with him. He asked me to stay behind and keep an eye on things in town.”
“It must be a handy character quirk to always be so sure of oneself, like Sheriff Morris,” said Lenora.
“Folks might say the same thing about you.” Deputy Davies gave her one of his look-into-her-soul gazes again.
What did this man want from her? She bristled. “Well, if you’ll excuse me, Deputy Davies, I have an errand to finish before I get back to my ranch.”
“I’ll accompany you.”
“Oh that’s quite alright. I’ve managed quite well by myself up till now.”
“I’m sure that’s true, ma’am. But I’ve been thinking about some things that might help with our investigation. We need to talk.”
Chapter Seven
“Time is insufficient for questions, Deputy Davies. I have a ranch to run.” Lenora busied herself as she spoke, fiddling with her gloves as if his investigation was not worth her full attention.
“I understand about ranching. I’ll just walk with you while you finish your errand.”
“Deputy Davies,” she said, meeting his eyes, her dander fluffed like a duck about to take flight, “if you intend to put me through another interrogation, you might as well know right now that I have every intention of withholding my cooperation. I have told you everything I know. I will not suffer another inquisition.” She lifted her chin defiantly.
“For a rancher’s wife you sure use a lot of big words.”
“I should hope so. My parents paid a princely sum for me to learn those big words.”
Deputy Davies cocked his head, prepared to listen in his patient way.
“I attended private school in New York,” she explained, “Mrs. Bindleton’s School for Young Ladies. Diction was prized, as was deportment, along with the classics, of course.”
“Your parents must have been mighty disappointed when you flunked deportment.”
“I beg your pardon?”
“You know what I’m talking about.” Luke’s humorless declaration seemed to make Mrs. Rose even more perturbed. He could see it in the flash of her eyes. Luke saw something else there that he itched to uncover. What did she know that she would not reveal? Cyrus was right about one thing. The odds were that Mrs. Lenora Rose wasn’t inclined to harm another human being, especially her husband. But she had maintained from the beginning that her husband was not dead, or at least, that he had not drowned. If she was right, where was he?
“I must repair to my ranch now.” Lenora started to step around him.
“You said you had an errand.” Luke took a quick step toward her, blocking her passage with his body. That was a mistake. Her nearness caused a warm wave of desire to flow over him. He clenched his fists at his sides in a foolish effort to stop a heightened sense of arousal from reaching his brain, as if tensing hand muscles could give him control of the rest of himself. “Where shall I escort you first?” he said, his voice husky and flat as he strived to cool the flaming effect she had on him.
Lenora sighed. “I’m trying to locate a hired hand named Sam Wright. I hear he does odd jobs for several ranches in the area, and quite economically.”
“That’s your Sam right there.” Luke turned a half-turn and pointed toward the three-ring
“Good afternoon, Mrs. Rose,” said Luke, tipping his hat.
“I do believe you speak that verse out of context,” she said, trying to paint a religious gloss on her profligate behavior.
“I doubt if the good Lord begrudges us a chuckle now and then, though some people might call their condition sad,” he said, nodding toward the drunken ranch hands.
“I thought you’d be searching the North-East Creek for a ghost today with the others,” said Lenora, deftly changing the subject.
“Sheriff Morris didn’t think he’d need many men, seeing how they’ve narrowed it down to just the creek. He took a couple of volunteers with him. He asked me to stay behind and keep an eye on things in town.”
“It must be a handy character quirk to always be so sure of oneself, like Sheriff Morris,” said Lenora.
“Folks might say the same thing about you.” Deputy Davies gave her one of his look-into-her-soul gazes again.
What did this man want from her? She bristled. “Well, if you’ll excuse me, Deputy Davies, I have an errand to finish before I get back to my ranch.”
“I’ll accompany you.”
“Oh that’s quite alright. I’ve managed quite well by myself up till now.”
“I’m sure that’s true, ma’am. But I’ve been thinking about some things that might help with our investigation. We need to talk.”
Chapter Seven
“Time is insufficient for questions, Deputy Davies. I have a ranch to run.” Lenora busied herself as she spoke, fiddling with her gloves as if his investigation was not worth her full attention.
“I understand about ranching. I’ll just walk with you while you finish your errand.”
“Deputy Davies,” she said, meeting his eyes, her dander fluffed like a duck about to take flight, “if you intend to put me through another interrogation, you might as well know right now that I have every intention of withholding my cooperation. I have told you everything I know. I will not suffer another inquisition.” She lifted her chin defiantly.
“For a rancher’s wife you sure use a lot of big words.”
“I should hope so. My parents paid a princely sum for me to learn those big words.”
Deputy Davies cocked his head, prepared to listen in his patient way.
“I attended private school in New York,” she explained, “Mrs. Bindleton’s School for Young Ladies. Diction was prized, as was deportment, along with the classics, of course.”
“Your parents must have been mighty disappointed when you flunked deportment.”
“I beg your pardon?”
“You know what I’m talking about.” Luke’s humorless declaration seemed to make Mrs. Rose even more perturbed. He could see it in the flash of her eyes. Luke saw something else there that he itched to uncover. What did she know that she would not reveal? Cyrus was right about one thing. The odds were that Mrs. Lenora Rose wasn’t inclined to harm another human being, especially her husband. But she had maintained from the beginning that her husband was not dead, or at least, that he had not drowned. If she was right, where was he?
“I must repair to my ranch now.” Lenora started to step around him.
“You said you had an errand.” Luke took a quick step toward her, blocking her passage with his body. That was a mistake. Her nearness caused a warm wave of desire to flow over him. He clenched his fists at his sides in a foolish effort to stop a heightened sense of arousal from reaching his brain, as if tensing hand muscles could give him control of the rest of himself. “Where shall I escort you first?” he said, his voice husky and flat as he strived to cool the flaming effect she had on him.
Lenora sighed. “I’m trying to locate a hired hand named Sam Wright. I hear he does odd jobs for several ranches in the area, and quite economically.”
“That’s your Sam right there.” Luke turned a half-turn and pointed toward the three-ring
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