Chapter Fourteen
TILLY GASPED WHEN SHE stepped into the Gardiners’ home. The banker and his wife were hosting a Christmas social, and Tilly thought that she’d never seen a house as grandly decorated as this one.
“It’s impressive, isn’t it?” Liam murmured as he closed the door behind them.
All Tilly could do was nod. Not only was the house large, Mrs. Gardiner had clearly spared no expense in ribbons, candles, greenery, and baubles. Tilly stood on her toes to look around. A tall tree stood decorated and glowing just beyond where people were congregating in the entryway to what looked like a parlor. Lovely cards with snowy scenes and joyful families dangled from shining ribbons over the door to another room.
“Let’s see if we can find our hosts.” Liam reached for Tilly’s coat and laid it over his arm before reaching for her hand.
They wove through groups and couples. Liam nodded and said hello to most of the folks they passed. Tilly spotted Edie, her brother’s wife, through the crowd and lifted her hand. Eventually, they came upon the Gardiners in a room with a piano tucked into a corner. Another tree decorated this room, and a cozy fire crackled in the fireplace.
“Hannan!” The large man that Tilly presumed was Mr. Gardiner greeted Liam with a smile and a handshake. “Welcome.”
“I’m so happy you could make it.” A tall woman with an elegant swooping hairstyle and glittering combs smiled at Liam before turning her attention to Tilly. “And this must be your new wife. I’m so thrilled to meet you.” The woman reached for Tilly’s hand and gave her a warm smile.
“Yes, Tilly, please meet Mr. Weston Gardiner, the town’s banker, and his wife, Mrs. Gardiner,” Liam said. His chest puffed out a bit, and Tilly could tell he was beyond proud to count Mr. Gardiner as an investor in his hotel.
“Trudie, please,” the woman said. “Come, let’s leave the men to their business affairs, and I’ll introduce you to every lady you’ll want to know in this town.” Trudie tucked Tilly’s hand around her arm and led her across the room.
After nearly an hour of meeting and talking with more women than she could count, Trudie excused herself to visit the kitchen. Tilly found an empty corner in the parlor and took a moment to catch her breath. How she’d ever remember everyone’s names, she didn’t know, but she was grateful to meet more people. Trudie had mentioned a sewing circle, and another lady had invited her for tea next week. It wouldn’t be long before Crest Stone began feeling like the home she’d hoped it would become.
Tilly smiled to herself as she admired the brilliant red and gold ornaments on the tree next to her. In the candlelight, they glowed in such a pretty way that she wished she could fit a tree into their hotel room. How cozy it would be to wake up to such a sight each morning! Maybe next year, when they had a place to themselves.
She shivered a little, realizing that she was becoming comfortable enough with Liam to think about next year. He’d relaxed around her considerably, and while she knew part of his good mood was due to his hotel plans, she hoped it also meant that he was becoming used to the idea of being married to her. The other day, when she’d fallen and he’d caught her, there had been a moment where she wondered if he might kiss her. She’d thought about it regularly ever since then, but another moment like that hadn’t happened again.
There was no mistaking the way he’d looked at her, though. Tilly felt secure in that knowledge. She only needed to be patient with him.
“Oh—pardon me, miss. I didn’t mean to bump into you.”
Tilly turned to find a large man standing beside her. He’d only barely grazed her arm in passing. “It’s quite all right.”
“Still, please accept my apology. I try not to make a habit of running into pretty young ladies at parties.” He smiled at her as he tucked a cane under his arm.
Tilly’s cheeks went warm. The man was flirting with her. There was no mistaking it. She searched for a way to dissuade him. “I’ll let my husband know,” she said lightly.
“Mrs. Hannan, right?” he asked, holding out a hand.
“Why . . . yes.” Tilly gave him her hand despite her confusion. Why would he flatter her so much if he knew she was married? “Do you know my husband?”
The man bent and planted a kiss that lasted a beat too long on the back of her hand. It took everything Tilly had not to yank her hand away.
“I do,” he said. “A smart man, though sometimes too ambitious for his own good.”
Tilly shifted away as subtly as she could. Something about this man made her wary. She glanced over his shoulder, hoping to spot someone she knew, but their names blended together. She returned her attention to the man standing in front of her. “What do you mean?”
He smiled again and ran a hand over his neatly combed blond hair. “It’s nothing for a lady to concern herself with. Now, satisfy my curiosity and tell me when you and my friend Hannan were married. I can’t imagine it’s been very long.”
Was Liam friendly with this man? Tilly had a hard time picturing that. She hadn’t known her husband long, but every acquaintance of his she’d met so far had been genuinely friendly. And not a one of them made her wish she’d ensconced herself in another conversation instead of loitering alone in the corner. “Only a few days,” she said.
“I see. What fascinating timing.”
Tilly narrowed her eyes ever so slightly in confusion. “What—”
“Tilly!”
She turned at the sound of Liam calling her name. Thank goodness! Perhaps he could pry her away from his “friend.” She smiled at him as he approached.
He caught her hand as if it were the most natural thing in the world, but he didn’t return her smile. Instead, he frowned and asked, “Who was that fellow you were speaking with just now?”
“Oh! You mean . . .” But when she turned to gesture at the man who’d made her so uncomfortable, he was gone. Tilly blinked and looked around. Surely he couldn’t have gotten too far away, not in this crowd. But she couldn’t find him anywhere. “I didn’t get his name.”
Liam’s gaze flicked across the people in the room as he stood at her side. “What did he say to you?”
“The strangest things,” she replied, glad for the safety of her hand in his. “Is he a friend of yours?”
“If it’s who I think it is, not at all.” Liam’s voice held an edge as he continued to look around the room.
Tilly swallowed. “He knew who you were, and that we were married. He said something about you being very ambitious, and then . . .” She paused. “What is it? Is he dangerous?” The last word rolled off her tongue with a slight tremble.
Liam turned back to her. “Yes. I don’t know why he’s here and I don’t mean to frighten you, but we need to leave.” He started to lead her through the people toward where their coats were hanging from a rack in the hallway. As he helped her with her coat, his gaze wandered the faces around them. Tilly looked too, but no one in sight resembled the man she’d spoken to by the Christmas tree.
“Wait here a moment,” Liam said as he opened the front door.
Tilly twisted her hands together as he went outside alone. After a moment, he returned and held out his hand.
“I don’t see him out here. He must have made himself scarce once he realized that I’d seen him,” he said as they stepped outside.
The walk back to the hotel was tense. Tilly wished they could see everywhere at once. The darkness and silence made the usually friendly town feel so much more threatening.
She’d never been so happy to arrive safely back at the hotel. “If this man is dangerous, do you suppose you should notify my brother?” she asked as they climbed the stairs. She couldn’t help but cast her eyes downward, looking for a shock of blond hair among every man down below.
Liam made a groaning sound. “If I have to. I’d prefer to handle this myself.”
Tilly nodded, although she didn’t necessarily agree. After all, a man with a badge and gun was far more intimidating to someone who might wish to do them harm.
“Liam?” she asked when they arrived at their door.
He paused, hand on the doorknob.
“Who is he?”
Liam sighed and rubbed a tired hand across his forehead. “Dutch Rodgers. The man I borrowed money from last summer. The one whose men kidnapped Deirdre.”