buxom, boisterous woman whose
bright red hair was her trademark, she went to greet the
newcomers.
"Evening, fellas," she said in her throaty voice. "How
are you tonight?"
Michael and Nick turned to her.
"Rosalie, you remember Michael, don't you? Michael
Donovan," Bill said. "And this is his cousin, Nick."
"Why, Michael been gone a long time. Welcome home."
"Thank you."
"I wish you were here under better circumstances.
How's your pa?"
He quickly told her, then added, "I wanted to spread
the word here at the Sundown that my family has decided
to offer a reward to help us catch the ones who did this."
"Good idea. Let's see if we can get everybody's attention." She turned to look out at the crowd. "Listen up!"
The piano player immediately stopped playing. Slowly the noise level dropped until Rosalie was able to make
herself heard.
"Michael Donovan's here and he's got something he
wants to tell you," she announced. "Go ahead, Michael."
He faced the crowd. "I'm sure by now you've all heard
what happened to my father. I'm here to let you know
we're offering a reward for information that helps us catch
whoever shot and robbed him."
"How much?" someone shouted out from the back of
the room.
"A hundred and fifty dollars."
A murmur of surprise at the size of the reward went
through the room.
"We're serious about this serious. If you know
anything, anything at all, get in touch with us out at the
Circle D or let Sheriff Montgomery know. Any help you
can give us, we'd appreciate."
"Can I turn in old Murphy here and get the reward?"
one drunk called out.
"It's got to be the guilty one." Rosalie laughed at the
man.
"Thanks, Rosalie," Michael said, turning back to the bar
to take a drink of whiskey.
"If I hear any talk, I'll let you know," she promised.
"You might want to watch for a gold money clip that
has the Circle D brand on it. It was taken with the money
when Pa was robbed."
"I'll keep an eye out."
John McQueen had been playing cards at a table in the back of the room. When the hand was over, he got up to
speak to Michael.
"It's been a long time," John said, shaking Michael's
hand.
"That it has." Michael introduced the rancher to Nick.
"So the sheriff hasn't found anything yet?"
"Nothing. It's frustrating for us."
"Let me know if I can help out in any way."
"Thanks. I will."
Michael and Nick finished their drinks and left the Sundown to go to another saloon in town.
John went back to his card game, satisfied with what
he'd learned.
Sid Midland was sitting across the table from him. "I
take it they're not having any luck finding out who shot
Frank Donovan."
"That's right," McQueen answered. "They're desperate."
"Pity," Sid said, trying not to smile.
Philadelphia
Karen Whittington put aside all feelings of shame as her
carriage pulled up before the Padens' town house. It had
been weeks, and she had had no word from Michael. She
was as angry as she was worried about what might have
happened to him on his trip to Texas. Desperate to know
how he was and when he was planning to return, she'd
made up her mind to go straight to Nick's father for answers.
When the carriage stopped, the driver helped her
down, and Karen hurried up the steps to knock on the
front door.
"Miss can I help you?" the maid asked,
surprised to see the beautiful young woman standing
there. She knew Michael had courted the lovely, arrogant blonde when he'd been in residence with them, but he
and Nick had been in Texas for some time now.
"I need to speak with Mr. Paden," Karen replied in her
most haughty tone.
"Come in. I'll let him know you're here," the maid said,
holding the door wide to admit her.
Karen swept inside.
The maid directed her to have a seat in the parlor, then
went to get James Paden. He appeared in the parlor doorway moments later.
"Karen, to what do I owe this honor?" James was a bit
taken aback that the young woman would come so
boldly to his home
bright red hair was her trademark, she went to greet the
newcomers.
"Evening, fellas," she said in her throaty voice. "How
are you tonight?"
Michael and Nick turned to her.
"Rosalie, you remember Michael, don't you? Michael
Donovan," Bill said. "And this is his cousin, Nick."
"Why, Michael been gone a long time. Welcome home."
"Thank you."
"I wish you were here under better circumstances.
How's your pa?"
He quickly told her, then added, "I wanted to spread
the word here at the Sundown that my family has decided
to offer a reward to help us catch the ones who did this."
"Good idea. Let's see if we can get everybody's attention." She turned to look out at the crowd. "Listen up!"
The piano player immediately stopped playing. Slowly the noise level dropped until Rosalie was able to make
herself heard.
"Michael Donovan's here and he's got something he
wants to tell you," she announced. "Go ahead, Michael."
He faced the crowd. "I'm sure by now you've all heard
what happened to my father. I'm here to let you know
we're offering a reward for information that helps us catch
whoever shot and robbed him."
"How much?" someone shouted out from the back of
the room.
"A hundred and fifty dollars."
A murmur of surprise at the size of the reward went
through the room.
"We're serious about this serious. If you know
anything, anything at all, get in touch with us out at the
Circle D or let Sheriff Montgomery know. Any help you
can give us, we'd appreciate."
"Can I turn in old Murphy here and get the reward?"
one drunk called out.
"It's got to be the guilty one." Rosalie laughed at the
man.
"Thanks, Rosalie," Michael said, turning back to the bar
to take a drink of whiskey.
"If I hear any talk, I'll let you know," she promised.
"You might want to watch for a gold money clip that
has the Circle D brand on it. It was taken with the money
when Pa was robbed."
"I'll keep an eye out."
John McQueen had been playing cards at a table in the back of the room. When the hand was over, he got up to
speak to Michael.
"It's been a long time," John said, shaking Michael's
hand.
"That it has." Michael introduced the rancher to Nick.
"So the sheriff hasn't found anything yet?"
"Nothing. It's frustrating for us."
"Let me know if I can help out in any way."
"Thanks. I will."
Michael and Nick finished their drinks and left the Sundown to go to another saloon in town.
John went back to his card game, satisfied with what
he'd learned.
Sid Midland was sitting across the table from him. "I
take it they're not having any luck finding out who shot
Frank Donovan."
"That's right," McQueen answered. "They're desperate."
"Pity," Sid said, trying not to smile.
Philadelphia
Karen Whittington put aside all feelings of shame as her
carriage pulled up before the Padens' town house. It had
been weeks, and she had had no word from Michael. She
was as angry as she was worried about what might have
happened to him on his trip to Texas. Desperate to know
how he was and when he was planning to return, she'd
made up her mind to go straight to Nick's father for answers.
When the carriage stopped, the driver helped her
down, and Karen hurried up the steps to knock on the
front door.
"Miss can I help you?" the maid asked,
surprised to see the beautiful young woman standing
there. She knew Michael had courted the lovely, arrogant blonde when he'd been in residence with them, but he
and Nick had been in Texas for some time now.
"I need to speak with Mr. Paden," Karen replied in her
most haughty tone.
"Come in. I'll let him know you're here," the maid said,
holding the door wide to admit her.
Karen swept inside.
The maid directed her to have a seat in the parlor, then
went to get James Paden. He appeared in the parlor doorway moments later.
"Karen, to what do I owe this honor?" James was a bit
taken aback that the young woman would come so
boldly to his home
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