Brave Beginnings Page 25

  “Yes. Yes, you’re right. I don’t regret leaving Bismarck, but what irks me is that Ernest got what he wanted. He wanted to get rid of Chogan and it worked.”

  “But he didn’t get you.”

  Releasing her breath, Julia felt her face cool as the anger raging through her moments before subsided. “No, he didn’t. And he never will.”

  “The important thing is that you and Chogan are together. You pressed through that rough patch.”

  Julia nodded again.

  Erin let out a relieved laugh and turned to Millicent. “The secret to a good marriage is sticking together. You and Conrad will be a team. Don’t let anyone come between you.”

  Her eyes wide, Millicent jerked and faced Erin. “Oh! Of course not.”

  “So, I’ll get another fresh pot of coffee and you can tell us more about your upcoming wedding,” Erin suggested. “I’ll be back in a minute.”

  Erin stood up and took the old pot. On her way to the kitchen, she touched Julia’s shoulder, sending a silent message that she loved her and understood her frustration. Julia took a deep breath and looked at Chogan whose gaze sent a reassuring message that even though what happened to him hadn’t been fair, he was no worse off for it. She wished she could let it go as easily as Chogan and Erin did, but sometimes, when she thought about the grief Ernest had put them through, she wondered if she could ever forgive him.

  Of course, I can forgive him. I just need time. It’s not going to happen overnight. Reassured by the reminder, she returned her attention to her pie.

  Erin came back out with a fresh pot of coffee, and Millicent picked up on the topic of her wedding. After awhile, Julia was able to enjoy the evening again.

  ***

  The next day as Conrad walked to his brother’s house, he slowed his steps as Ernest’s house came into view. The information he gathered from Julia and her aunt during the supper had been the biggest break he’d gotten in this case since he was assigned to watching Ernest.

  The evidence has to be in that house. There was nowhere else it could be. He and his partner had looked everywhere else.

  He glanced both ways before he crossed the street. If he could get to the bottom of this, then he could finally set this case to rest and the world would be better off without the likes of Ernest Freeman on the loose. If people had any idea who they were dealing with…

  But they didn’t. Nor could he afford to tell them. This case was far too important to arouse Ernest’s suspicions. If Ernest had any idea that he was being watched, he’d most likely slip out of town.

  Julia was afraid of Ernest. Conrad saw it in her eyes and the way she tensed at the mention of his name. Though she did a remarkable job of hiding that fear from those who didn’t know better, Conrad was trained to detect subtle cues when he talked to people who were pertinent to whatever case he was working on.

  Conrad approached Ernest’s quaint two-story home and glanced around. Ernest was at the bank, so there was no reason he’d show up. For the moment, no one was outside watching him on the quiet street. That wouldn’t last long, but it gave him a moment to walk up to the porch and peer into the window. The parlor was clean and neat, as much as he expected it to be from the way Ernest’s house in Fargo had been.

  What he needed, more than anything else, was a way in. So far, Ernest did nothing to give Conrad the opportunity to ask for a search warrant. He stepped back from the window and tapped his foot on the porch. The evidence had to be inside this house, and he owed it to Frank Jamison to find it. Then Frank could put the tragedy to rest.

  But how was Conrad going to get in? He sighed and shoved his hands into his pocket before he turned from the house and walked back down the porch, just in time for a woman across the street to emerge from her house with a rambunctious child who darted to the ball in the front yard.

  Conrad headed down the street. He’d find a way into that house if it was the last thing he did. One way or another, he’d put this case to rest.

  ~~********~~

  Chapter 29

  Citlali tried to ignore Sarita as he passed by her on his way to the chief’s lodge, but she caught up to him before he made it. He already knew what she wanted. She’d been after him about it for the past three years, and since the chief thought it was a good idea for Chogan to marry again in hopes of increasing the number of Mandan children, Citlali went ahead and arranged to speak to Chogan on her behalf. If there was something he couldn’t afford to do, it was displease the chief.

  He reluctantly turned to face her, keeping his expression neutral so she wouldn’t detect his irritation. “Sarita.”

  Sarita crossed her arms and glared at him. “How dare you tell Mankato I will marry him!”

  “I didn’t tell him you’d marry him. I discussed possible marital arrangements—”

  “No! I will not marry him. Ever since I turned fifteen, I’ve wanted to marry Chogan. I don’t want another husband.”

  “Chogan is much older than you. You might do better with someone closer to your age. Mankato is twenty.”

  “As are you,” she pointed out.

  He resisted the urge to balk at the thought of tying himself to her. If she found a way to grate on his nerves for the past three years about marrying Chogan, then he could only imagine what a lifetime to her would be like. He was relieved when the chief finally relented on pairing her up with Mankato instead of Chogan, but now he was dealing with other problems.

  “Tell the chief I will not marry anyone but Chogan,” she insisted.

  “Chogan will not agree to it.”

  “Make him!”

  Taking a deep breath, he tried to determine the best way to respond. “I can’t make Chogan do it. He must agree to it.” Citlali recalled the physical strength Chogan used to make it clear to him that he wouldn’t take a wife besides Julia. There was no way he cared to repeat that confrontation. “Chogan is happy with one wife. Leave him be.”

  “But he can have more than one wife.”

  “You will never be the one he loves most.”

  “He will in time. He doesn’t know me well enough.”

  Citlali slowly exhaled and stared ahead to stay calm. Just because he was losing his patience, it didn’t mean he had to show it. “Sarita, Mankato is a good hunter. He did well on last year’s buffalo hunt. He is preparing an abundance of gifts for when he asks to marry you. He is an honorable man and will make a good provider. You can be happy with him.”

  Sarita growled and stomped her foot. “No! He’s all wrong for me.”

  “Give him a chance.”

  “I’ve loved Chogan since I was a girl. I will not give up now.”

  He studied her expression, noting her hard look and the thin line of her lips. There was no reasoning with her any more than he could reason with the chief. Both had him trapped between a rock and a hard place. He drew in a deep breath, choosing his words carefully. “It is not wise to embrace the past. You will do well to seek happiness where you can find it.”

  “I will find it,” she snapped. “I see that you will not help me anymore. Your sole obligation is to yourself. As long as you’re content, what do you care? But I won’t let someone separate me from the man I love.”

  “Then you will wait a long time. Julia is not sickly like his first wife. She is a survivor.”

  She narrowed her eyes. “You would pay a white woman a compliment? After all the grief the white people have given us?”

  “Do not judge a person’s character by the color of their skin, Sarita.”

  “Will the chief approve of what you just said?”

  “The chief understands some white people do us good. Gary has—”

  “I don’t care what that one has done for our tribe, and you of all people should be furious that he’s esteemed so well. Maybe you don’t mind him marrying Woape when she was promised to you, but I certainly mind when Julia took my place. I was promised to Chogan before he married her.”

  “No. You were not promised. W
e discussed the possibility.”

  “I’ve heard enough! Talking to you is pointless. People are right. You do annoy everyone.”

  He gritted his teeth, unwilling to show her how her words affected him as she stormed off. Of course, he knew what people thought of him. He wasn’t stupid, but the way she’d said it, as if he wasn’t smart enough to figure it out… Never mind. I have more important things to do. Straightening his back, he continued on his way to the chief’s lodge.

  ***

  Chogan stood by the front door and set the carpet bag down while Julia hugged her aunt.

  “I wish you’d already sold this house so you could come with us,” Julia said, holding onto Erin’s hands.

  “These things take time,” her aunt replied. “I’ll be with you soon enough.”

  “And you’ll stay in the lodge that Chogan and I are in, won’t you?”

  She laughed. “I already said I would. Julia, I may love your brother, but I think of him as a son. You’re more than a daughter to me. You are my dearest friend.”

  “You’re mine too.” Julia hugged her again.

  Chogan hoped her aunt would be moving soon because even though he liked seeing Julia happy, the constant hugging and crying between the two women was too much to bear. They never did this all the time when he and Julia lived in Bismarck. He figured when Erin lived at the tribe, they would go back to how they used to be, and he could deal with that just fine.

  Erin pulled out of Julia’s arms and wiped the tears that Julia had cried. “I’ll be out there to visit in July when Woape’s due to give birth. We’ll see each other in two months. Hopefully, the house will sell soon, so when it’s your turn to have a baby, I’ll be living there.”

  “I hope so! Tell everyone how great this house is.”

  Chogan chuckled. “Julia, she’s doing her best to sell it. When the time is right, it’ll happen.”

  Julia sighed. “I know,” she told Chogan.

  “And two months isn’t that far,” her aunt added. “Oh! I made you and Chogan a quilt. It’s upstairs.”

  “I’ll go with you.” Julia glanced at Chogan. “We’ll be right back.”

  “As long as we’re not late for the train, I don’t care how long you take,” he called out, amused by the way the two ran up the stairs as if they were children about to find a secret treasure.

  He opened the door and stepped onto the porch. Taking a deep breath of the fresh air, he smelled the flowers blooming on the bushes around the house. He sat on one of the chairs and relaxed. It had been a pleasant visit, especially since he didn’t need to venture into the heart of town and risk running into Ernest.

  He scanned the street, noting that several people were out to enjoy their walk in the pleasant weather. One person who was across the street caught his attention. Conrad happened to be in a deep conversation with a man who looked similar to him, though perhaps a little older.

  Conrad happened to look in Chogan’s direction, so Chogan lifted his hand and gave a slight wave to acknowledge him. Conrad nodded, said something to his companion, and crossed the street.

  Surprised, Chogan made his way to the porch steps. “Did you forget something when you were here the other night?”

  Conrad stopped at the foot of the steps and shook his head. “No. I take it you’re leaving today?”

  “Yes. Julia and Erin are saying good-bye.”

  “Ahh… And judging by the fact that you’re waiting, they are taking their time as women are prone to do.”

  Chogan smiled at the man’s joke. “Yes. Erin forgot to give Julia a quilt.”

  “They certainly have a special bond, don’t they?” Before Chogan could respond, Conrad continued, “Ernest never hurt Julia, did he?”

  Chogan’s spine stiffened at the serious tone in the man’s voice. “No.” He waited for a moment and then realized something. “You asked a lot of questions about Ernest when you were here for supper. Why?”

  “Unfortunately, I’m not at liberty to say, but I advise you to keep Julia out of Bismarck. From what she said, I suspect she might be in danger. Millicent said Ernest made life impossible for you while you were living here.” He nodded toward the house. “I take it that Ernest was trying to get rid of you? Perhaps hoping to separate you from Julia?”

  “It doesn’t matter what he wanted. I’m a grown man. It takes more than idle gossip to rattle me.”

  “I don’t doubt that for a minute. What I’m saying is he hoped to chase you out of here, which means he hasn’t given up on having Julia for himself.”

  The direction of the conversation was making Chogan uneasy, especially in light of the nightmare he’d had where Ernest shot him. “You think Ernest is dangerous?”

  “I don’t think it. I know it.” Conrad tipped his hat back. “I’m having a rough time proving it though.”

  “Did Ernest commit a crime?” Chogan asked, his heart beat picking up. He knew Ernest was a shady character, but it never occurred to him that Ernest broke the white man’s law.

  “Yes, but I can’t say any more than that. The situation is far too delicate, and I have to watch everything I do and say. Do you understand?”

  Chogan met the man’s gaze and swallowed the lump in his throat. It wasn’t often he felt fear, but the thought that Ernest was capable of harming Julia was enough to turn his blood cold. If he goes near her, I’ll… No. He wouldn’t allow it. Ernest would never get near her again. “You’ll notify me when you take care of the situation?”

  Conrad nodded. “I’ll send a messenger to your tribe with the news.”

  Breathing a sigh of relief, he said, “I’ll heed your warning.”

  He tipped his hat. “Have a safe trip home.”

  “Thank you.”

  Chogan watched as Conrad jogged across the street to his companion. The two men headed down the street, off to do whatever they needed to, and Chogan had to wonder just what Ernest did that aroused such a serious discussion.

  Julia’s laughter drifted down the stairs and out the open door, dragging Chogan’s attention off of Conrad who walked down another street with his companion. Chogan turned around and saw Julia holding Erin’s neatly folded quilt close to her chest as she gave her aunt another hug. He fought the urge to pick her up and carry her to the train station right then and there.

  “I can’t wait to see you again,” Julia told her aunt.

  Chogan hurried to the doorway and picked up their carpet bag. “Yes, it will be nice to see you,” he said, trying not to let his impatience slip into his voice.

  Erin looked at him and asked, “Would you mind if I gave you a hug?”

  Surprised but pleased, he agreed and leaned forward to hug her.

  “Thank you for making her happy,” Erin whispered in his ear.

  “You did a pretty good job of that for the past couple of days,” he softly replied.

  Chuckling, she patted his back before she pulled away from him. “Have a safe trip back,” she told them.

  “We will, I’m sure,” Julia replied, still seeming reluctant to leave.

  Chogan took her by the arm and gently led her down the porch steps. He tried not to rush down the stone pathway that led to the sidewalk, but it was hard with Conrad’s warning fresh in his mind.

  “Chogan? Are we late?” Julia asked.

  Instead of answering her question, he glanced at her as they turned onto the sidewalk. “Did Ernest ever hurt you when he courted you?”

  Her eyes grew wide. “Why did you ask that?”

  “I’m just wondering.”

  “No. He was a gentleman the entire time,” she said.

  “But you weren’t sure about him?”

  They reached the corner where they needed to cross the street, so he stopped, wishing the buggy would hurry up and pass by already. He studied the people around them and was relieved when he didn’t see Ernest.

  Julia shrugged. “I can’t explain it. There seemed to be something not quite right about him. Why? What is th
is about?”

  The buggy passed, so he led her across the street. “Just wondering.”

  “That’s an odd thing to wonder. I mean, he wasn’t even the topic of conversation this morning. Not that I care to think about him, especially after what he did to you while we lived here.”

  Her concern for him struck him as misplaced in light of what Conrad told him, but he hesitated to say anything about his conversation with Conrad. He was taking her back home, far away from Bismarck and from Ernest. She would be safe there, and her aunt would come out to see them so there’d be no more trips to Bismarck. Then Conrad would arrest Ernest, put him in jail, and Ernest would be removed from society.

  They finished the walk to the train station, and he finally relaxed enough to slow his steps. Good. They would be out of here soon enough.

  “I hope my brother is waiting for us in Mandan,” Julia said. “I hate it when he’s late and I have to wonder if he forgot to show up.”

  Chogan took out their train tickets. “If he’s late, I’ll talk to him.”

  She looked up at him and grinned. “Make sure you do that thing where you stand up straight and glare at him. You know, with that fire of annoyance burning in your eyes.”

  He laughed. “I don’t have fire of annoyance in my eyes.”

  “To him you do. Just promise me you’ll let me watch as he squirms.”

  “Julia, you have a mean streak in you.”

  “Me? You’re the one who wants to talk to him.”

  “Only if he’s late,” he said. “I don’t think he will be.”

  “Oh?” she asked, looking intrigued by his statement.

  “No. I think he knows you’ll send me to talk to him if he makes you wait.”

  “You know you scare him.”

  The train pulled into the station and he turned to her. “Yes. I noticed that when he dropped the wood he was carrying when I talked to him. It was fun.”

  “Hmm… And you say I have a mean streak?”

  Chogan shrugged. “If he would just learn to hold a bow and arrow properly…” With a sigh, he continued, “He asks for it.”