Caterina: A Sweet Western Historical Romance Pendleton Petyticoats Book 2 Page 2

  Anna turned and waved at Franco, careful to keep her head down and her face shadowed.

  Franco winked and strolled into his store, like he would on any regular workday. It was vital they all acted as if nothing out of the ordinary transpired. That’s why they entrusted Tony to get Caterina safely on a departing ship.

  Tony chatted with Anna and his mother, attempting to act as normally as he could as he guided the wagon out onto the quiet street. As they journeyed toward the train station, he occasionally glanced behind him to where several trunks and bags sat in the back of the wagon. The trunks bumped together when he hit a hole in the road, and he heard a gasp from Caterina. Praying she was fine, he didn’t slow the horses, but kept on toward the train station.

  He hoped Luigi’s men believed Anna was Caterina. If they didn’t, he had no chance of getting his sister to the docks.

  None at all.

  The next time he glanced back, he recognized one of Luigi’s thugs riding a horse a block behind them, trying to stay out of the line of sight.

  “We’ve got company, but don’t turn around,” Tony whispered as he urged the horses to move faster through the streets.

  “So soon?” Angelina asked, tightening her grip on the seat of the wagon. How were they going to get her baby safely out of town if Luigi’s gang was already following them? She and Anna would really have to go to Philadelphia, if they could make it on the train. Good thing they’d each packed a bag, just in case, and Franco had given her money for tickets and food.

  After traveling a few more blocks, Tony noticed two of the police officers Luigi kept in his back pocket following the wagon.

  With trouble dogging each turn of the wagon wheels, he kept focused on the gathering traffic and considered his options. He could make a run for it and try to get to the docks. Since Luigi’s men were mounted and he was in a lumbering wagon, there was no possibility he could outrun them. He could grab Caterina and they could take off on foot, leaving Angelina and Anna to take the wagon on alone. Hastily considering the best course of action, he chose to stick with the original plan. If necessary, he could improvise.

  Tony urged the team forward through the growing morning traffic and guided them expertly through the streets, glad his father invested in a strong, sturdy pair of horses.

  The train station loomed ahead when the two police officers rode next to the wagon.

  “Tony! Where are you taking these lovely ladies?” one of the officers asked. Tony played with Fabian and Enzo as young boys, but somewhere along the way, they ended up on the wrong side of the law despite the badges they wore.

  From what he could see, their entire purpose for being on the police force was to do Luigi’s bidding, not uphold law and order. He wondered how they could get up each morning with a smile on their face knowing they went against everything an officer of the law should represent.

  Anna kept her head bent toward Angelina’s, effectively hiding her face while Tony turned a solemn gaze to Enzo. “Aunt Teresa is terribly ill. Mamma and Rina are going to take care of her for a while.”

  “I thought Caterina had other obligations this evening,” Fabian said, obviously aware of Luigi’s plans to force her to wed.

  Tony shrugged his shoulders. “Luigi understood when he heard about how sick our beloved aunt has been. He and Caterina will resume their obligations when she gets back.”

  “Is that right?” Enzo glanced skeptically from Tony to Anna. “Is that correct, Caterina?”

  Anna nodded her head without facing the officers. With a handkerchief hiding her face, she pretended to dab at tears. “It’s true.”

  At the train station, Tony parked the wagon and got out to assist Angelina and Anna down. Much to his dismay, the two officers dismounted and walked around the wagon.

  Angelina quickly pulled Anna’s face toward her, hiding it from the men, putting her arm around the girl’s shoulders as Tony opened the back of the wagon.

  Before he could stop them, Fabio and Enzo began unloading trunks. Tony didn’t know how to refuse their assistance without drawing suspicion.

  “Mamma, you and Rina go get the tickets and I’ll bring your bags,” Tony said, lifting down a trunk.

  “How long are the ladies going to be gone?” Fabio asked, watching the two women walk off to the ticket counter as he unloaded a trunk. “Looks to me like they are planning to stay a while.”

  “You know women, eh?” Tony gave Enzo a friendly jab to his side. “They pack enough for months when they’ll only be gone a few days. Besides, Mamma is taking medical and food supplies to Aunt Teresa.”

  Enzo slid the trunk that held Caterina toward him. Tony put a firm hand on the man’s shoulder and grinned. “I’m sure you’ve both got better things to do than help me with these trunks. I wouldn’t want to keep you.”

  “We’re happy to help. You know, any friend of Luigi’s is a friend of ours,” Fabio declared, snagging a nearby handcart and setting a trunk on it. “We’re nearly family, after all.”

  Grateful the noise of the busy station was enough to drown out Caterina’s huff of protest along with words that sounded like “no, we’re not,” Tony thumped a hand on the trunk, silencing her.

  Tony scooted Caterina’s trunk to the edge of the wagon, fastened the second latch, and lifted it with a grunt. “I’ll get you out, Rina. Stay quiet,” he cautioned in a whisper as he set her trunk on the handcart.

  He thought he heard her whisper “hurry” before turning to load the bags on the cart. His mother waved at him and he pushed the cart her direction.

  “Got the tickets?” he asked, stepping beside her. Anna kept her head down, trying not to be obvious.

  “Yes, three tickets to Philadelphia,” his mother said, then wrapped her hand around his arm. “Isn’t it sweet of Tony to escort us there? He’s such a good boy.”

  Taken aback by his mother’s statement, Tony tried to grasp her newly made plans for him.

  “You’re going, too, Tony?” Fabio asked, narrowing his eyes at Tony.

  “Sure am. Can’t have two lovely ladies traveling unescorted.” Tony looped his arm around Anna’s shoulders with a brotherly squeeze, subtly drawing her behind him, away from the prying eyes of the two police officers.

  “What are you going to do with the team and wagon?” Enzo asked. Tony could almost see the wheels spinning in his head, trying to figure out what the Campanelli family hid.

  “Carlo will pick it up later when he and Alonzo are finished with the morning’s deliveries.” Tony prayed a lightning bolt wouldn’t streak down from the sky and strike him dead for all the lies spilling forth from his mouth.

  “We can take it back to the store,” Fabio offered, studying Tony, trying to read his face for some hint of emotion.

  Tony plastered on a friendly smile. Fleeced by his brothers numerous times in card games, he finally learned to keep his face and emotions unreadable. Now, he had it down to an art. “I’d hate to put you to any bother. My brothers can take care of it.”

  “No bother at all.” Enzo tied his horse to the back of the wagon and climbed on the seat. “I’ll make sure to let your father know you all made it safely to the station.”

  “Thank you so much for your assistance, boys,” Angelina said, smiling and waving as the two police officers gave one last glance at their little group before pulling out on the street. Anna waved her hand, keeping her face hidden in the shadows of her hat.

  “We’re all going to have to board that train and Caterina is going to have to stay in the trunk until we get to Philadelphia. Luigi has people watching us, so just act natural while I get the luggage loaded.” Tony walked the two women to the depot door to wait for the train.

  After hurrying back to the cart, he pushed it to where the baggage would be loaded and spoke in hushed, curt tones to his sister.

  “Rina, don’t panic. Stay in the trunk, and I’ll get you out as soon as I can. I’m sorry.” Tony tapped the trunk with his knuckles, trying not to grin when his
sister kicked the side.

  “You better be sorry, Tony,” Caterina hissed through the holes in the side of the trunk. Even though she couldn’t see it, she wished she could wipe the smirk off her brother’s handsome face.

  She loved all her brothers, but Tony was the smartest, strongest, and most fun of them all. Headstrong and stubborn like her, they often argued and disagreed. Most frequently, the two of them joined forces against their other siblings.

  “Truly,” Tony said, watching as the trunks were loaded. He bit his tongue to keep from asking the men loading the trunks to be extra careful with the one carrying Caterina because it was fragile. Priceless. The men would try to peep in the holes and that would bring their whole sham crashing down on them.

  Instead, he watched until all the trunks were stowed then hurried to join his mother and Anna to board the train.

  “This isn’t exactly what I planned to do today.” Tony sat in an aisle seat across from his mother and sister-in-law.

  Anna performed admirably, pretending to be Caterina. As long as no one looked too closely, the deception would work.

  Tony sighed as he watched one of Luigi’s men board the train. He reached across the aisle and snatched a newspaper from an empty seat.

  Inconspicuously handing it to Anna, he motioned for her to hold it up so it blocked her face from view.

  “We’ve got company,” Tony whispered to his mother, looking behind her at a familiar face. Luigi’s thugs frequently ate at Laz’s restaurant, along with Luigi’s “business” associates. The Campanelli family easily recognized them.

  Those men were one of the reasons they tried to keep Caterina hidden in the kitchen. She could have gotten into just as much trouble in the store, except the ruffians didn’t spend much time there.

  As hardheaded, beautiful, and impulsive as Caterina could be, it was a wonder she hadn’t found herself in a sticky situation long before now.

  What she needed was a good man with a stubborn streak wider and deeper than the one she possessed to take her in hand. Tony prayed she’d meet that man someday, if they could get her away from New York and Luigi.

  Caterina couldn’t breathe. The air was hot and still, and she was certain she would suffocate. Given that there was nothing to do but wait to escape her confines or die, she decided she wasn’t yet quite finished living. She had so much life to experience and now she was setting off on an adventure for a fresh start.

  Anna spoke with great fondness of her grandparents and their home just outside London. Grateful for the manners her mother insisted she learn, Caterina hoped she remembered everything so she wouldn’t offend Anna’s family.

  When she pressed her eye to one of the small holes in the side of the trunk, Caterina saw nothing but shadowed darkness and shapes that looked like more baggage.

  Curious where she was, she felt a moment of panic that she’d have to spend the entire voyage locked in the trunk. Didn’t Tony know she’d perish without food or water? He surely wouldn’t expect her to stay in the trunk for days on end. She would go out of her mind.

  After trying to stretch her legs that had long ago gone numb, she found it impossible to move and wanted to weep, trapped like an animal in a cage. Determined not to give in to her fears, she sighed and rolled her neck as a jarring force began a forward motion, slamming other trunks into hers. The scrape of metal against metal ground in her ears and she sucked in a gasp as she recognized the sound of a train.

  That stupid brother of hers loaded her on the train! How was she going to get to the boat? Seized with anxiety, her chest hurt and her breath came in rapid little bursts.

  Afraid she might faint for the first time in her life, Caterina forced herself to calm down. Tony wouldn’t abandon her. She must be in the baggage car on a train.

  Rapidly piecing together the bits of conversation she heard Tony have with two of the idiot police officers Luigi often paid to look the other way, she was sure Tony put Anna and Mamma on the train to Philadelphia. She hoped Aunt Teresa was home, because she was about to have unexpected company.

  Surprised Enzo and Fabio let Anna go, she wondered how Tony managed to talk them into allowing who they thought was her board the train. Caterina was certain Luigi would have made it known he was finally claiming her as his own.

  Lulled by the warmth in the air and the rocking of the train, Caterina let herself doze. Awake most of the night, she alternated between packing and worrying about her future.

  Heavy trunks slid into her, jolting her awake as the train lurched to a stop. A few minutes passed then the baggage door slid open, bringing in welcome air and light. Caterina prayed Tony would get her soon.

  Convinced her body would never unfold from its cramped position, she supposed she should be grateful she wasn’t a tall girl. Even at five feet, four inches, she still felt restricted in the enclosed space.

  Finally, she felt her trunk lifted and moved from the baggage car. “Heavy on one side, isn’t it,” a man’s voice said as he dropped the trunk on a solid surface, rattling her teeth at the impact.

  “Incompetent imbeciles,” Caterina started to say, then slapped a hand over her mouth, knowing life and death depended on her not giving away her hiding spot by losing her temper.

  “Say, gents, I’ve got several other trunks that are supposed to get off here, but I’d like them to stay on a bit longer. Happen to know where this train is headed?” Caterina could have wept with relief at the sound of Tony’s friendly voice. Her Mamma always said he could charm the flowers into bloom if he set his mind to it.

  The men answered and Tony thanked them for their assistance.

  He picked up her trunk and she tried not to slide around as he nearly dropped one end.

  “Tony?”

  “Hush, Rina. Just hang on a few more minutes,” Tony whispered, barely loud enough for her to hear. “I’m doing the best I can.”

  Tony carried her trunk a short distance then set it somewhere cool. She wasn’t sure if she was inside the depot or just in the shade. Carefully peeping out the hole gave her a view of Tony’s legs, her mother’s skirt, and little else.

  However, she could hear their conversation.

  “Is he still watching?” Anna asked, fear making her voice tight.

  “Yes. We’re going to have to get Rina out of this trunk then load it in a buggy and go to Aunt Teresa’s,” Tony said, matter-of-factly.

  Caterina could hear the tension in his voice along with frustration. He’d warned her many times her temper was going to get her into trouble. Almost as many times as he’d warned her to stay away from Luigi. It wasn’t as if she sought out the horrid man. She couldn’t help it if she made the best ravioli and gnocchi in the city. Even Luigi knew enough to appreciate good food when he tasted it.

  “Anna, pretend you’re going to the washroom and run in to buy a ticket for this train. Just one.” Tony nudged Anna toward the ticket counter. When she walked away, he turned to his mother. “Mamma, do you think you could create a distraction so we can get Rina on board as a passenger?”

  “Of course, Tony. You say the word, and I’ll make it happen.” Angelina pulled the gloves on her fingers down firmly and brushed at her skirt.

  “Good. Here’s what we’re going to do…” Tony lowered his voice. Caterina lost the ability to hear the conversation in the dull roar of the people passing by and wondered what crazy scheme her brother and mother planned.

  The latches on her trunk slowly opened, although the lid remained closed. As quietly as she could, she moved her legs to stir some life back in them. Caterina reached up to pin her hat back in place, pulled gloves on her hands, and slipped the handle of her leather bag over her fingers. Tightly holding the strings of her reticule in one hand, she had an idea she was going to have to come out of the trunk prepared to move with haste.

  Tense and ready to spring into action, she waited anxiously for Tony’s next move. She heard a woman scream followed by a string of Italian that could only be Mamma. Smiling a
t the woman’s comments about the sly trickster trying to steal her traveling bag, she heard the thumps of her mother pummeling someone with it.

  The lid of her trunk popped open and Tony hauled her out in one quick motion. He closed the lid before hooking a strong arm around her waist and hustling her to the train. Anna stepped from the shadows nearby and thrust a ticket into her hand.

  Afraid to draw any attention their direction, Anna squeezed her hand and disappeared back toward the building while Tony helped her onboard and settled her in a seat. After kissing her cheek, he studied the other passengers. Arriving at the conclusion no one on the train would to give his sister any trouble, he bent down and patted her shoulder.

  “I wish it didn’t have to be this way, Rina, but we’ll see each other again someday. If you ever need me, just write home and I’ll come to you.” Tony held her hand and gazed one more time into her lively brown eyes flecked with gold, so like their mother’s eyes. “Be safe and be strong. We all love you.”

  “I love you, too.” Caterina bit the inside of her cheek to keep from crying. “Be careful at home, Tony. Luigi will not take this lightly.”

  “I know, but at least he can’t force you to marry him if he can’t find you.”

  “Tell Mamma I love her. I think she missed her calling as an actress,” Caterina said, trying to lighten the moment. Before her brother left, she clutched his hand in hers one more time. “Where am I going, Tony?”

  “This train will take you to Chicago. You can decide your future from there,” he said with a grin, then was gone.

  Caterina took a deep breath at the call for the last of the passengers to board. Although everything in her wanted to press her nose to the glass and wave goodbye to three people she dearly loved, she was careful not to sit close to the window.

  From the corner of her eye, she saw Tony carry the empty trunk and two leather bags through the crowd, followed by Mamma and Anna.

  One of Luigi’s men walked several paces behind them. He appeared unconcerned about remaining hidden. From his smashed hat, he must be the man Mamma beat with her bag.