one,” the notorious madam of the Pleasure Dome admitted grimly. “I’ve been trying to keep him out of jail all his life.”
Ned didn’t deny it and Deacon didn’t doubt it. But he didn’t waste sympathy on her. Ned’s cutlery hit the plate as he finished his meal and Deacon laid his napkin on the table and stood.
“Ready to go, Ned?”
“Where?” brother and sister asked in unison.
“Eclipse, to jail. You were pretty ripe this morning. I just brought you here to clean up and grab breakfast before we hit the trail.”
“No.” Lydia wasn’t having any of it. Ned didn’t seem concerned at all about Deacon’s intentions. In fact, before he hid his expression, he looked almost smug.
“I haven’t been to Eclipse in years,” he murmured lazily. “It will be just like old times visiting the MC3.”
“When did you visit the ranch?” Deacon frowned, staring hard at Ned whose expression had become almost feral.
“Ned, let it go.” Lydia groaned.
Ned shrugged and didn’t let it go. “I visited Annie on the McCallister ranch to pay my respects after you married.”
“I don’t recall being introduced.” Deacon stared at Lydia’s twin. He’d never seen him before.
“That’s because I didn’t come to see you. I came to see her. Annie Ross was supposed to be my bride. I’d been away for a while. When I got back, you’d married my intended.”
“You were gone and she changed her mind,” Lydia defended her friend. “She wanted a respectable life, not the harum-scarum disorder you lived.”
“She was mine long before you met her, McCallister.” Ned’s snarl was aimed at Deacon, implying that more than just a childhood friendship had existed between him and Annie.
Deacon considered Ned’s claim. He sighed, resisting the urge to plant his fist in the other man’s face. Deacon didn’t think about those days often. But he remembered them. “Ned,” he drawled, “if you visited Annie at the MC3, no wonder I didn’t meet you. We didn’t live there during our marriage. All in all, it sounds as if Annie was well rid of you.”
“She loved me but married you and look where that got her.” Ned ignored the fact that he’d been caught in his lie, continuing his attempt to needle Deacon.
“If you loved her so much, why didn’t you settle down and marry her?” Deacon continued to let Ned bait him, but turned so that he faced both sister and brother. He couldn’t be certain that their quarrel was even real.
“Because he was in jail,” Lydia hissed.
“Then it will feel like home when he returns.” Deacon slapped the cuffs on Ned and prepared to leave.
“That’s not necessary,” Ned protested.
“There’s a wanted poster in the Fort Worth sheriff’s office that says you’re a counterfeiter and there are some government men who want to talk to you. Yep. The cuffs stay on.”
“Counterfeiter?” Lydia screeched. “You swine. You’ve risked all I’ve built. I’m coming too.”
“Lydia, I’m not hitching a buggy up for you and this isn’t a pleasure trip into the country. Your twin’s business is his business. Let it be.” His wife had been a friend of Lydia’s but as far as Deacon was concerned, Annie’s reach didn’t extend from the grave to protect Ned.
“Keep your mouth shut and maybe I’ll be able to keep you out of jail this time too.” Lydia glared at her brother. “I‘ll hire the bounty hunter who disguised himself as my butler.”
“The one who shoved me under the porch and left me to die of thirst?” Ned was outraged.
“He fooled me and caught you. That means he’s smart. I’ll hire him to find the plates and the paper. The law will be so happy to have this business resolved, they’ll thank me and forgive you.”
Deacon didn’t doubt that the madam would be able to keep her brother out of jail. One way or another she’d been manipulating men all of her life. Generals would have envied Lydia’s ability to make plans in the midst of battle.
Ned didn’t deny it and Deacon didn’t doubt it. But he didn’t waste sympathy on her. Ned’s cutlery hit the plate as he finished his meal and Deacon laid his napkin on the table and stood.
“Ready to go, Ned?”
“Where?” brother and sister asked in unison.
“Eclipse, to jail. You were pretty ripe this morning. I just brought you here to clean up and grab breakfast before we hit the trail.”
“No.” Lydia wasn’t having any of it. Ned didn’t seem concerned at all about Deacon’s intentions. In fact, before he hid his expression, he looked almost smug.
“I haven’t been to Eclipse in years,” he murmured lazily. “It will be just like old times visiting the MC3.”
“When did you visit the ranch?” Deacon frowned, staring hard at Ned whose expression had become almost feral.
“Ned, let it go.” Lydia groaned.
Ned shrugged and didn’t let it go. “I visited Annie on the McCallister ranch to pay my respects after you married.”
“I don’t recall being introduced.” Deacon stared at Lydia’s twin. He’d never seen him before.
“That’s because I didn’t come to see you. I came to see her. Annie Ross was supposed to be my bride. I’d been away for a while. When I got back, you’d married my intended.”
“You were gone and she changed her mind,” Lydia defended her friend. “She wanted a respectable life, not the harum-scarum disorder you lived.”
“She was mine long before you met her, McCallister.” Ned’s snarl was aimed at Deacon, implying that more than just a childhood friendship had existed between him and Annie.
Deacon considered Ned’s claim. He sighed, resisting the urge to plant his fist in the other man’s face. Deacon didn’t think about those days often. But he remembered them. “Ned,” he drawled, “if you visited Annie at the MC3, no wonder I didn’t meet you. We didn’t live there during our marriage. All in all, it sounds as if Annie was well rid of you.”
“She loved me but married you and look where that got her.” Ned ignored the fact that he’d been caught in his lie, continuing his attempt to needle Deacon.
“If you loved her so much, why didn’t you settle down and marry her?” Deacon continued to let Ned bait him, but turned so that he faced both sister and brother. He couldn’t be certain that their quarrel was even real.
“Because he was in jail,” Lydia hissed.
“Then it will feel like home when he returns.” Deacon slapped the cuffs on Ned and prepared to leave.
“That’s not necessary,” Ned protested.
“There’s a wanted poster in the Fort Worth sheriff’s office that says you’re a counterfeiter and there are some government men who want to talk to you. Yep. The cuffs stay on.”
“Counterfeiter?” Lydia screeched. “You swine. You’ve risked all I’ve built. I’m coming too.”
“Lydia, I’m not hitching a buggy up for you and this isn’t a pleasure trip into the country. Your twin’s business is his business. Let it be.” His wife had been a friend of Lydia’s but as far as Deacon was concerned, Annie’s reach didn’t extend from the grave to protect Ned.
“Keep your mouth shut and maybe I’ll be able to keep you out of jail this time too.” Lydia glared at her brother. “I‘ll hire the bounty hunter who disguised himself as my butler.”
“The one who shoved me under the porch and left me to die of thirst?” Ned was outraged.
“He fooled me and caught you. That means he’s smart. I’ll hire him to find the plates and the paper. The law will be so happy to have this business resolved, they’ll thank me and forgive you.”
Deacon didn’t doubt that the madam would be able to keep her brother out of jail. One way or another she’d been manipulating men all of her life. Generals would have envied Lydia’s ability to make plans in the midst of battle.
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