A Joyful Noise (Kansas Crossroads Book 14) Read online

  Georgia folded her hands together tightly. This conversation was making her nervous, almost as though robbers with guns blazing were about to burst through the door and into the hotel at any moment. “I never have, but that doesn’t mean anything. I spend most of my time here at the hotel. They could be local men who have never come in for a meal and I wouldn’t know them from strangers from out of town. Mr. Brody would be the one to ask. He’s become quite involved in the community since he started the hotel.”

  Mr. Larsen nodded. “I’ve brought him into my confidence already, so that won’t be an awkward request. I’ll speak to him first thing in the morning.” He leaned forward and put his elbows on his knees. “Can you tell me again what the men said? As nearly word for word as you can remember?”

  Georgia nodded. “The first, the taller one, said that he’d brought extra ammunition, but he wasn’t sure it would be enough. The other man said that Jones was sure to bring some too. And that’s all I noticed before I looked away.”

  Mr. Larsen leaned back, looking as though all the air had been punched right out of him. “I can draw two conclusions from that, and I don’t like either of them.”

  “What are those conclusions?” Georgia asked, although she wasn’t entirely sure that she wanted to know.

  “The first is that these men aren’t the ones I’m trying to find, and that they’re preparing for some sort of hunting trip or other harmless activity. That would mean that I’m still searching.”

  “And the other?”

  “The other is that they are the men I seek, and they’re planning a very deadly train robbery indeed.”

  Chapter Three

  Chet wondered if he’d spoken too bluntly. Miss Baker’s mouth hung open, and she stared at him for a long moment before coming to herself. “That’s horrible,” she said at last. “Who would want to do such a thing? I thought robbers were generally content to take what they wanted and then leave with a minimum of injuries or deaths.”

  “They generally are, but there are always those few who take it to the next level.”

  “How will you find out who these men are? You can’t walk up to them and ask them what they plan to do with all that ammunition. That would certainly blow your cover, and then where would you be?”

  Chet appreciated her attempt to keep things light even when they looked so very bleak. “I’ll go over to the saloon in the morning and see what I can learn.” He held up a hand when she began to protest. “I’ll be careful—I know how to stay in the background, as it were. But if these are the would-be train robbers, I have to know it before Friday so I can put a stop to it long beforehand. It’s the only way to save lives. Surely you see that.”

  She nodded. “I do. But that doesn’t mean I like it.” She looked down at her hands, which were twisted together on her lap. “What will you do after you find out who they are?”

  “I’ll go to the sheriff and request extra help. There’s no time to send for more Pinkertons. We may even deputize some local men, if there aren’t many deputies available already. How big is the force here in Topeka?”

  Georgia shrugged. “I’m afraid I don’t know. I’ve already admitted to leading a sheltered life—are you determined to make me prove it over and over again?”

  Chet laughed. “Apparently, I am, and I apologize. If it comes to that, I’ll ask the sheriff directly, and we’ll go from there.” He paused. “You look concerned.”

  “Of course I am. You have a dangerous line of work, and you seemed determined to do it well. That would make anyone concerned.”

  “I’d hoped it might be a little more than that.”

  “I’m not sure what you mean.”

  Chet nodded. He deserved that kind of answer, if that was the kind of question he was going to pose. He knew he was asking her to become more involved than she should be, but what he didn’t know was why he kept doing it. He’d tried to make it clear that he had no intention of marrying, and then he contradicted himself by flirting with her. He hoped she didn’t think he was angling for a quick fling—he wasn’t that sort of man, and he knew she wasn’t that sort of girl. But then . . . what was he? Why couldn’t he remain professional, knowing he was just going to move on when the case was closed?

  “Forgive me. I’ll be going to bed now—thank you for the pleasant walk.”

  She stood up when he did and placed a hand on his arm. “I don’t mean . . .”

  “It’s all right.” He gave her a nod, then headed up the stairs. No doubt she’d seen his insecurity and that’s why she was keeping her distance. She was wise not to get involved with him, especially when he didn’t even know what that would entail.

  ***

  “He’s the most confusing man I’ve ever met,” Georgia said, tucking her feet beneath her covers so they wouldn’t get cold. “One minute, he’s charming and flirtatious, and the next, he’s intense and brusque.” She paused, knowing she couldn’t tell the other girls that he was a detective. He’d sworn her to secrecy. She supposed she could tell them a little bit, though, just so they wouldn’t worry. “He’s in town on business, and he has a lot of work to do. I think that work is what’s making him vary so much in his moods.”

  “Either that, or he should be in an asylum,” Carrie said. “I just finished reading another novel—”

  Georgia held up her hand. “No more talk of novels, please. I’m already confused enough.”

  “My mother’s father would say that his spirit is wrestling with itself,” Posy said quietly from where she sat on her bed. “That he wants two different things, and so he must be two different people.”

  “I think he’s just concerned about his work,” Georgia repeated. She hadn’t meant to make it sound like such a big deal when it was really very minor. “And he’ll be leaving on Friday anyway—there’s no point in worrying about it.”

  “If there’s no point in worrying about it, then why are you?” Nora asked.

  “Because . . .” Georgia wished she had a quick retort. “Because I like him. A lot.” There. The truth. She’d probably regret saying it aloud, but it felt good to get it off her chest. “I don’t think it’s possible to really care for someone after just a day, but I think that given a little more time, I could. Very much.”

  “Do you know anything about him?” Emma asked as she pulled her nightgown over her head. “Where he was born, what sort of family he comes from?”

  “Not a thing. Just a glimpse of what he was like as a boy, and that’s hardly enough to base any kind of relationship on.”

  “Oh, I don’t know. A kind child will often be a kind adult, and a boy who pulls off butterfly wings will most likely grow up without any sort of kindness at all,” Carrie said. “I’ve known both sorts of little boys, and while it’s hardly a confirmed fact, I’d say that my evidence is pretty convincing.”

  “You knew a boy who pulled off butterfly wings?” Emma asked, now seated on her bed and brushing through her hair. “How horrible!”

  “Yes, it was, and he grew up to be the nastiest young man. Always playing pranks, no respect for authority—I believe he’s in jail now for petty theft.”

  Georgia smiled, amused at the direction the conversation had taken. “Nasty people can change, can’t they? Surely they can make better choices as they grow older.”

  “Your new friend wasn’t a bad little boy, was he, Georgia?” Carrie asked. “Are you trying to defend him from my hypothesis?”

  “No, not at all. In fact, he liked studying nature and science.”

  “Oh. So he was boring. I’m sorry to say, boring boys make for boring men. There’s no getting around it.” Carrie sighed as though she’d never heard anything so sad in all her life. “I’m going to sleep now, girls. See you in the morning.”

  The lamps went out and all the waitresses snuggled into their beds. Georgia pulled her covers up to her chin, but she couldn’t relax. Just knowing what Mr. Larsen was planning to do the next morning had her stomach in knots. She hated to thin
k how she’d feel if she’d actually had the time to get to know him or form more of an attachment to him.

  She had just started to drift off to sleep when she heard a faint noise, almost something like a muffled cry. She sat upright, then threw back the covers. The sound had come from Nora’s bed, and it must have been fairly loud in order for her to hear it. She crept across the dark room, careful not to stub her toes in the dark, and touched the girl’s shoulder.

  “Nora? Are you all right?”

  The other girls had also sat up, and Posy grabbed one of the lanterns.

  “Just some pain in my stomach. I’m fine—go back to sleep.”

  “I don’t think you’re fine,” Carrie said. “You’ve been having pain on and off since you learned you’re pregnant, and Dr. Wayment has already told you to take it easy. I think we need to have him over again tomorrow.”

  “I really hate to bother him,” Nora protested. “I don’t want to put the baby in any danger, but I’m sure I’ll be fine after I’ve had some sleep.”

  “But if the pain won’t let you sleep, what will you do then?” Emma wanted to know.

  Georgia glanced around and realized that all the girls currently in the room were fairly new hires. In fact, she’d been there longer than the rest of them. She missed Grace—Grace had a way of talking to the girls and making them see sense, but she’d just gotten married and wouldn’t be back at the hotel for another week or more. Giselle and her new husband also lived away from the hotel. That left Elizabeth and Harriet—and as Georgia thought about it, those were two very good choices after all.

  “I’ll be right back,” she said, grabbing her robe and throwing it on over her nightgown. She whisked down the stairs and through the office to the door that connected the Brodys’ private living quarters to the rest of the hotel, hoping she wouldn’t wake up Baby Rose when she knocked.

  A sleepy-looking Mr. Brody peered through the wood panel.

  “I’m sorry to bother you, but could I speak with Elizabeth, please?”

  “Of course. Just a moment.”

  Georgia took a step back and sat down on one of the office chairs. If Elizabeth hadn’t been available, she could have gone outside to the cottage where Harriet lived with her husband, Tom, who oversaw the grounds of the hotel, but she was glad not to have to do that in the dark.

  A moment later, Elizabeth came out, wrapping a shawl around her shoulders. “What’s the matter, Georgia?”

  “Nora’s having some pain, and she’s being stubborn about seeing Dr. Wayment in the morning. I hoped you could talk some sense into her, and maybe see if you had some ideas for how to make her comfortable in the meantime.”

  “Does she need the doctor tonight?”

  “I really don’t know.”

  Elizabeth nodded. “Give me a minute to get dressed and I’ll come up. I’ll be able to think better when I’m decent. In the meantime, why don’t you start some hot water for chamomile tea. It has a soothing effect and might help Nora relax.”

  “All right. Thank you, Elizabeth.”

  “Of course. And I’ll hurry, I promise.”

  Georgia found that the kettle on the stove was still warm from earlier, so bringing it to a boil took no time at all. Within minutes, she and Elizabeth were climbing the stairs carrying a tray.

  “I’ve brought reinforcements,” Georgia said as they entered the room. The girls all turned to look at them, and Carrie smiled gratefully. No doubt everyone was worried.

  Nora lifted her head from her pillow. “Mrs. Brody, I’m so sorry to trouble you.”

  “You know it’s Elizabeth, and it’s no trouble. Besides, Adam said he’d care for Rose if she woke up, and that made me very happy. I enjoy my little vacations.” Elizabeth moved to Nora’s side and felt her head, then sat next to the bed while Georgia poured the tea. Nora eased herself into a sitting position. They spoke quietly enough that Georgia missed most of the conversation until she turned around and handed Nora a cup.

  “I do think that’s for the best,” Elizabeth said. “Really, there’s nothing to be gained by putting it off.”

  Georgia assumed they were discussing calling for the doctor. “How can I help?”

  Elizabeth turned to her. “Would you mind going out and asking Tom to fetch the doctor?”

  “Of course not.” Georgia turned and descended the stairs, coming to an abrupt halt when she saw Mr. Larsen standing on the second-floor landing. “Oh, hello. Is everything all right?”

  “That’s what I was just about to ask you. I’ve heard quite a lot of footsteps going up and down this staircase and wondered what was wrong.”

  “I’m sorry. We try hard not to disrupt the guests, but one of the waitresses isn’t feeling well, and I’m asked to send Tom for the doctor.”

  “Is Tom far?”

  “Just outside in the stone cottage in the yard. I’m sure you saw it yesterday while we visited in the orchard.”

  “Let me walk out with you. It’s late, and it’s dark.”

  Georgia smiled. How did he know the very thing that was troubling her? It was silly, but she’d been scared of the dark since she was a little girl. “I’d appreciate it. Thank you.”

  They went down the stairs together, through the dining room and kitchen, and out the backdoor. Georgia grabbed a lantern from the table so they wouldn’t be stumbling across the ground in the darkness. The moon had changed position in the sky and was now playing hide and seek behind the clouds. When they reached the cottage, Georgia knocked on the door, cringing when she heard Baby Teddy start to cry.

  “What is it?” she heard Tom call out.

  “I’m sorry to bother you, Tom, but Elizabeth asks if you can go for Dr. Wayment.”

  The door flew open. Tom was already tugging his suspenders up on his shoulders. “Is it Nora?”

  “It is. How did you know?”

  “She’s been looking peaked the last few days.” He ran a hand through his blond hair, making it stand up even more although that wasn’t his intent. “I’m on my way.” He stopped short when he saw Mr. Larsen. “Pardon me. Have we met?”

  “I’m Chet Larsen, a guest at the hotel. I thought I’d escort Miss Baker across the yard.”

  Tom gave a nod. “Very good. I’ll be back as soon as I can.” He slipped past them, and Georgia turned back to Mr. Larsen.

  “We should go back in.”

  “Not without filling me in first,” Harriet said, coming to the door holding Teddy. They both looked disheveled, and Georgia felt even sorrier for waking everyone.

  “Nora’s not feeling well,” Georgia replied, not sure how much of the waitress’s condition she wanted to discuss in front of Mr. Larsen. They had all settled on the story that Nora was a widow who had lost her husband to a sudden fever, but that was to hide the fact that she was actually the victim of an attack and had become pregnant.

  “Oh, that’s too bad,” Harriet said, her eyes flicking over to Mr. Larsen and back to Georgia. Somehow she seemed to know that she shouldn’t say too much. “Let me know if I’m needed inside.”

  “We will. I hope Teddy’s able to go back to sleep.”

  “I do too.” Harriet chuckled. “Have a good night.”

  “You have such an interesting dynamic here,” Mr. Larsen said as they walked back toward the hotel. “You’re like one large family rather than an employer and employees.”

  “That’s exactly what it’s like, Mr. Larsen,” Georgia replied. “There’s no other place like it on earth, at least that I’ve discovered.”

  They climbed the steps to the porch and entered the kitchen. It was only then that Georgia realized she was still wearing her nightgown and robe. She was perfectly covered, but she understood all the better how it was that Elizabeth could think better when she was dressed. She was suddenly so self-conscious that she wasn’t sure she could stand there a moment longer.

  “I wonder if you’d call me Chet,” Mr. Larsen asked, resting his hand on the table. “It’s been over twelve hour
s since we met—isn’t that long enough?”

  “I don’t think I’ve ever timed it out. Is there a rulebook or something to tell us what’s proper?”

  “I think anything over ten hours is suitable.”

  She smiled. “All right then, I’ll call you Chet, and you may call me Georgia. For right now, though, I need to send you back upstairs and to bed. You have a lot to do tomorrow, and I have a lot to do tonight.”

  “Will you get any sleep?”

  “I will. Eventually. Go on now. There’s nothing more you can do, although I do appreciate the escort across the lawn.”

  He gave her a nod, bid her goodnight, and headed up the stairs. She was tempted to stand there and daydream about him a moment longer, but then she realized she’d better hurry if she wanted to get dressed before the doctor arrived, and she took the stairs almost two at a time.

  Chapter Four

  Dr. Wayment removed the stethoscope from around his neck and sat back. “You’ve been pushing yourself a bit too hard, Nora. I’m afraid I need to restrict your activities even further.”

  “But I’m already doing practically nothing,” Nora protested. “The most exciting thing I’ve done all day was chop vegetables.”

  “I know you’ve been doing the best you can, but now it’s time to do even more. You’ll be on bedrest for at least two weeks, and possibly the duration of your pregnancy.”

  Nora opened her mouth as if to argue, but then closed it again and merely nodded.

  Jeanette, Dr. Wayment’s wife, smiled and took her hand sympathetically. “I’m sure we can come up with lots of things to entertain you,” she said. “I’ll hunt up some ladies’ magazines, and I’m sure the girls here will play cards with you. And I noticed some novels on Carrie’s nightstand—those would keep you busy.”

  Nora nodded again. “I’m sure we’ll find ways to make it work. I just hate being a burden.”