Ilsa: Read online

  “Yes, sir!” Nik raced off to the bunkhouse.

  Although formally adopted by the couple the previous fall, Nik liked to stay with the hands in the bunkhouse. Aundy worried about what he’d hear and learn out there with all the men, but since he’d been on his own from the time he was ten until he came to the ranch at fourteen, Garrett convinced her he probably wouldn’t see or hear anything to which he hadn’t already been exposed.

  “Tony, can you also let Caterina know Nik won’t be available to cover his shifts at the restaurant until we return?” Aundy asked as she rushed into the room, carrying a bag in one hand and a hatbox in the other. Nik worked at Caterina’s restaurant one night a week during the summer and after school during the school year.

  Refusing to think about the wheat harvest that would soon begin, Aundy prayed they’d be home before it started. Ilsa’s plea for help couldn’t have arrived at a worse time with all the work that needed done on the ranch.

  Placing a call to Garrett’s parents, Aundy informed J.B. and Nora Nash that she and Garrett were leaving to bring Ilsa home. Mindful of what she said, she could hear an array of noise in the background, letting her know several people listened to the conversation on the shared phone line.

  After telling Nora goodbye, she walked through the house to assure herself everything was as settled as it could be with their hurried preparations to leave town. Glancing out the front window, she saw one of the hands drive their new surrey, featuring two rows of seats, to the end of the walk.

  “Hank’s got the horse out front,” she called, listening as Garrett thumped from the bathroom back to their bedroom. It sounded like he was trying to stomp on a boot. She grinned when he hurried into the kitchen with his shirt unbuttoned, a bag in one hand, while trying to work his second boot the rest of the way on his foot.

  “Well, aren’t you all dandied up?” Tony teased as Garrett hurriedly buttoned his shirt, stuffed it in his pants and pulled on a vest. It was too hot to bother with a jacket, but he knew Aundy packed one of his go-to-meeting outfits in his bag.

  He had an idea his wife would expect him to dress his best at some point on this trip. For the train ride, though, he figured shirtsleeves and a vest would have to do. The trip from Pendleton to Chicago was going to be nothing but hot and miserable in the midst of the summer heat.

  “As dandy as I’m getting,” Garrett said, taking his best hat from a peg by the kitchen door and settling it on his head. Aundy packed cookies in a basket and he thought he saw her slip in a book or two as well. No doubt, she’d make Nik study on the train.

  The boy bounded in the back door with his own small bag, beaming at the thought of embarking on an adventure. He’d accompanied Aundy and Caterina to Portland two summers ago when Caterina prepared to open her restaurant. They’d visited so many Italian grocers, Nik would forever connect the scent of savory spices with that trip. Garrett had also let him tag along on a few cattle buying trips.

  “Let’s get a move on.” Garrett motioned for everyone to head out the door. He brought up the rear, carrying his bag and Aundy’s, while Nik carried the basket she packed.

  Tony rode ahead into town to give his sister the news while Dent drove them to the depot. He and Garrett spent the trip discussing what the ranch hands needed to accomplish before the travelers returned from their trip.

  “If everything goes well, we should be back in time for harvest next week. Check with Pops if you need anything and if you need an extra hand, ask Kade or Tony to help,” Garrett said as Dent stopped the surrey at the depot and set the brake. Garrett jumped out and helped Aundy down then gathered their bags.

  Nik followed them as they went up the steps and stood waiting with Aundy while Garrett purchased their tickets.

  “Thanks for taking care of everything, Dent.” Aundy hugged the foreman who had been so much like a father to her since she arrived on the place two and a half years ago.

  “You betcha, Missy. Just make sure you come back with that sister of yours,” Dent said, calling Aundy by the nickname he’d given her just days after she arrived in Pendleton. He shook hands with both Nik and Garrett before stepping back.

  “If you wanted to place bets, that would be a sure win,” Aundy said. Ready to board the train, she caught sight of Kade and Caterina hurrying their direction with Tony.

  “You’ll need food.” Caterina handed Aundy a basket emanating mouth-watering smells as they exchanged a hug.

  “Thank you.” Aundy hugged Kade then gave a parting hug to Tony, thanking him again for rushing out with the telegram.

  “Hurry back, and be safe in that big city,” Kade cautioned. As a sheriff’s deputy and long-time lawman, he hated big cities for the crime that took place there as much as he did the traffic and noise.

  “We will.” Garrett urged Nik and Aundy to board. “I’ll send a telegram when we know what train we’ll be on coming back.”

  “Safe travels,” the group called and waved as Garrett settled his wife and son on the train.

  Sitting stiffly in her seat, Aundy felt Garrett lace his fingers with hers. “It’ll be okay, honey. Don’t worry. We’ll find Ilsa and bring her home.”

  Chapter Three

  “I’d forgotten how much I detest riding on the train for long distances,” Aundy muttered as she inconspicuously brushed at the dirt and grime she knew covered her from their trip across the country. Standing in the lobby of an opulent hotel not far from the neighborhood where her aunt resided, she and Nik waited while Garrett arranged for their rooms at the front desk.

  If she had to do battle with Louisa and Henri, Aundy would do it clean and well dressed. She refused to greet her aunt looking like the poor relation Louisa always accused her of being.

  “As soon as you take a bath, you’ll feel much better,” Garrett said, motioning Aundy and Nik to follow the hotel bellhop as he led them to their rooms. Garrett secured a suite with two bedrooms and a private bath.

  Although he would have liked to stay in one of the rooms alone with his wife, he decided he and Nik could bunk together, leaving the second bedroom for Aundy and her sister to share.

  Depending on what kind of trouble plagued Ilsa, she might not like being around a man she’d never met and a boy on the verge of manhood. If the two women stayed together, he thought it might make her feel more comfortable.

  “Your room, sir,” the bellhop said, opening the door to a beautiful suite.

  Stepping inside, Aundy forced herself not to gape at her surroundings. Lavish and resplendent were the words that came to mind at the tastefully furnished room. Treading across a plush carpet to the window, she looked out on a courtyard filled with rose bushes, walking paths, and green grass.

  “What a lovely room,” she said, holding her hands to her sides to keep from clapping them together. She had no idea Garrett would choose such a place to stay while they were in town. Growing up in an apartment in a working class neighborhood, she’d never expected or dreamed to one day find herself in such luxurious surroundings.

  “Garrett, isn’t this a little extravagant?” Aundy asked, removing her gloves and hat after the bellhop left and closed the door behind him.

  “Not at all. We need two sleeping rooms and this suite wasn’t much more.” Garrett took off his hat and kicked off his boots, wiggling his sock-covered toes on the thick carpet. “Might as well enjoy it. If all goes according to plan, we’ll be on the train heading home tomorrow anyway.”

  Aundy walked around the room again, taking in all the attractive details.

  “I think we should all get cleaned up, rescue our damsel in distress, and then go out for a nice dinner.” Garrett carried Aundy’s bag into the first bedroom and set it on the bench at the foot of the bed.

  “That’s a splendid idea.” Aundy kissed Garrett’s cheek and gazed at him lovingly. “Thank you for dropping everything to come with me.”

  “You didn’t think, for even a minute, that I’d let you come alone, did you?”

  �
�No, but everything is so busy this time of year on the ranch and you’ve got…”

  Garrett cut her off by kissing her passionately and thoroughly. When he finished he pushed her toward the bathroom door. “Go take your bath, wife of mine, put on that pretty dress I know you packed, and we’ll stampede that nasty ol’ aunt of yours.”

  Giggling as Garrett popped her on the bottom, Aundy hurried to bathe and wash her hair. Shaking out the long mass of golden waves, she soon had it dried enough to style in the popular pompadour style. While she bathed, Garrett paid one of the hotel staff to press her dress along with his and Nik’s suits, knowing how important it was to her for them all to look their best when facing her aunt.

  She returned to the bedroom, astounded by his thoughtfulness, to find the dress hanging on a hook, looking fresh and neat.

  As she fastened the last hook on the side of her creamy gown, she admired the field of pale yellow roses that seemed to bloom up the skirt from the bottom of the hem. Ilsa made the dress for her birthday and sent it, along with a pale confection of a hat, last year. It was months before she heard from the girl again. She sent a note at Christmas saying she no longer needed the trunks of fabric, sewing goods, and milliner supplies they’d inherited from their grandparents.

  Pinning her hat in place and pulling on a pair of cream lace gloves, Aundy picked up her reticule and looked in the mirror. Her aunt, who always told her how plain and homely she looked, would no doubt see her as the same girl who’d come to her frightened and desperate, begging her to take care of Ilsa until she could provide for her sister.

  “That day has come,” Aundy muttered to herself as she walked into the gathering room of the suite where Garrett and Nik waited. She didn’t know how they’d gotten ready while she was in the bathroom, but they’d bathed, changed into their suits, and polished their dusty boots.

  “Every time you wear that dress, you take my breath away,” Garrett whispered in her ear as he walked her to the door.

  Aundy blushed and looked at him with love shining brightly from her sky blue eyes. Even in her wildest dreams, she’d never thought to love someone like Garrett or to be loved by him in return. She woke up grateful every day to have him in her life.

  “What do you say, Nik? Are you ready to climb the fortress walls and free our fair maiden?” Garrett asked, knowing the boy loved to read adventure stories.

  “Do we have time to stop and buy a sword?” Nik teased as they exited the hotel and Garrett hailed a cab. Aundy gave the man the address of her aunt’s shop. Since it was a weekday, she expected to find both Ilsa and Louisa there.

  Louisa was busy with a customer when they entered the shop, but she glanced at Aundy and offered a welcoming smile. Nik and Garrett stood behind her, waiting. It was just a moment before Louisa turned the customer over to one of her sales girls and warmly greeted Aundy.

  “Welcome to the House of Dubois Fashions. We offer the latest in women’s attire for those of discerning tastes, which you so beautifully show. Your gown is exquisite, Mrs.…”

  “Nash,” Aundy said flatly, undecided whether to be insulted or excited her aunt didn’t recognize her. “Aundy Nash, Aunt Louisa.”

  Gratified when her aunt sucked in a lungful of air and grasped the chair behind her for support, Aundy didn’t give the woman a chance to gather her defenses. “I’d like to see Ilsa, please.”

  “I’m… I, uh… I’m afraid that isn’t possible,” Louisa spluttered, trying to tamp down her panic at Aundy arriving in her shop unannounced.

  “Why not?” Garrett asked, stepping from behind his wife and eyeing the woman Aundy had spoken of without a speck of fondness. He could see why. From her pinched, cold features to her calculating glare, Louisa Dubois looked like a cruel, selfish woman.

  Louisa gaped at the tall cowboy with a hint of fear. Aundy was abnormally tall for a woman and this man towered over her. Looking tough and capable, especially with a revolver strapped to his hip, she decided he wasn’t a man with whom she should trifle. His eyes, the color of cold metal, bore into hers without a hint of warmth.

  “She’s out running errands,” Louisa said, lying to buy some time. She needed to get home and hide Ilsa before Aundy ruined her plans to marry the girl to Delmon. “And who might you be?”

  “Louisa, this is my husband, Garrett, and our son, Nik.” Aundy wrapped an arm around Nik’s shoulders.

  “Son? How on earth could you possibly have a son that old?” Louisa spat out, staring at the handsome boy who looked nothing like Garrett or Aundy with his dark hair and eyes.

  “We adopted him,” Aundy said, squeezing Nik’s hand, as much to reassure herself as the boy. Garrett’s hand at the small of her back bolstered her courage and she smiled at her aunt.

  “Humph,” Louisa said, barely managing to keep from commenting about Aundy taking in every stray mutt she found.

  “When will Ilsa return?” Aundy asked, looking around the shop. She knew good and well Louisa would never send Ilsa on an errand. Her talents were too valuable to spend her time running around dropping off dresses or picking up supplies.

  If she wasn’t working in the back, she was most likely at Louisa’s house. Her aunt used to have a sewing room there where she liked to do her most important projects, that way no one could steal design ideas or see the exact technique used to create the gowns. It also kept anyone from knowing that someone other than Louisa was doing the work.

  “I’m not certain. Perhaps you could call on her tomorrow. I could let her have the morning free from work,” Louisa suggested, mentally racking her brain for a place to take Ilsa until Aundy left town. She would come up with a plan and execute it as soon as she arrived home that evening.

  “That’s quite generous of you.” Aundy took her aunt’s elbow in her hand, walking her to the workroom. She wouldn’t leave until she saw for herself Ilsa wasn’t there. “What time should we call?”

  “Would nine be convenient for you?” Louisa tried to dig her feet into the rug covering the floor to keep Aundy from propelling her into the large room at the back of her shop, but the girl was going to drag her in a most undignified manner if she didn’t keep step with her.

  “That would be perfect.” Aundy pushed aside the swinging doors and looked around the room. Louisa had added more sewing stations since the last time Aundy had been in the store, but a glance around assured her Ilsa was not there.

  “You must be doing quite well, Aunt Louisa. Just look at how your business has grown,” Aundy said, wanting to shake the old biddy instead of smile at her graciously as they walked back to the front of the shop where Garrett and Nik waited.

  “Yes, it is doing well. People of refined taste will pay well to look the part.” Louisa slightly lifted her nose in the air as Aundy stepped away from her and placed a hand on Garrett’s arm.

  “Thank you, Louisa, for the invitation to call on Ilsa tomorrow. We’ll look forward to visiting with her then.” Aundy tipped her head politely as she strolled out the door with Garrett and Nik behind her.

  The two men stared at her, puzzled, until she squeezed Garrett’s arm.

  “Hurry, Garrett. Hail a cab,” Aundy said under her breath, pretending to brush a bit of lint from his jacket.

  One was just down the street so he had no trouble securing it. Aundy gave the driver an address and asked him to get them there as quickly as possible.

  Stopping across the street from a large brick home, Aundy asked the driver to wait for them.

  “What are we doing?” Garrett asked, wondering why Aundy had suddenly turned on the charm with her aunt and accepted her invitation to see Ilsa the following morning. He had hoped to be boarding a train home by that time.

  Helping her out of the cab, he was surprised when she grabbed his hand and rushed across the street. Nik followed close behind them.

  “Getting my sister,” Aundy whispered, setting her chin stubbornly as she raced up the steps to the front door and rang the bell.

  “Yes, miss, may
I help you?” Louisa’s butler asked as he opened the door.

  “You certainly may, Mr. Dudley.” Aundy pushed her way past her aunt’s butler, followed by Garrett and Nik. “I want to see Ilsa and don’t bother telling me she isn’t here. I know for a fact she is.”

  “Miss Aundy, is that really you?” the butler asked, his eyes agog at the confident, elegantly attired woman before him compared to the sad, frightened girl he’d last seen years ago.

  “Yes, it is. May I present my husband, Garrett Nash, and our son, Nik?” Aundy motioned for her men to step forward.

  Nik executed a bow worthy of royalty, making the butler crack a smile after Garrett shook his hand.

  “Your sister is up in her room, but you’ll need this,” the butler said, handing Aundy a key.

  When she glanced from the key in her gloved hand to Hugh Dudley, she couldn’t help but notice the relieved look on his face. “It’s providential you’ve arrived when you did. One more week and I’m afraid all would have been lost.”

  Not stopping to ask him what he meant, Aundy picked up her skirts and ran up the stairs, taking them two at a time, heedless of ladylike deportment.

  Hearing the sound of Garrett and Nik right behind her, Aundy rushed to Ilsa’s door, inserted the key and turned the lock.

  The sight of her sister sitting in front of the window sewing, with light streaming around her, was something artists would have paid good money to capture on canvas. A golden aura glowed around her and the look on that sweet face when she saw three well-dressed people enter her room was first of surprise, then fear, replaced by sheer happiness.

  “You came!” Ilsa tossed aside her sewing and jumped to her feet. She met Aundy in the middle of the room where they hugged and kissed each other’s cheeks then hugged again.

  “Oh, let me look at you.” Ilsa stepped away from Aundy, admiring how beautiful she looked. Ilsa never understood why people called her sister plain. Aundy had always been striking and tall. Now, with the mantle of love settled over her, she was positively radiant. “I see marriage agrees with you.”