Page 67 of Calder Country

A white-haired man in a threadbare tuxedo, tall but stoop-shouldered, stood before her. He looked as ancient as a gnarled oak tree. His blue eyes were all but lost in wrinkles, but Ruby recognized a spark of kindness in them.

The room behind him was dimly lit. Ruby glimpsed a woman in a high-backed chair, one hand on the collar of a huge mastiff. She looked too frail to control the dog, but the creature was making no effort to pull away and attack.

The old man spoke in a formal voice. “Kindly state your business, young man.”

Ruby blinked the room into focus. “I’m a friend of Mason’s,” she said. “He told me that if I came here, I could find work. I’m—”

The words died in her throat. Her legs folded beneath her. The world went black as she collapsed across the threshold.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

RUBY OPENED HER EYES. SHE WAS LYING ON A LUMPY DIVAN WITH an afghan over her legs and a damp cloth laid across her forehead. The monster dog sat nearby, staring at her with cataract-veiled eyes. It growled as she stirred and tried to sit up.

“You gave us quite a scare, young lady.” The elderly man stepped into sight, carrying a tray.

Young lady. Her disguise hadn’t worked.

“Forgive me,” the man said as if reading her thoughts. “I needed to pick you up and move you inside. It was hard not to notice certain . . .” He colored slightly. “I’ve got some tea and sandwiches here, if you’re hungry.”

“Thank you, I’m starved, but I don’t dare move. The dog—”

“Oh. Brutus is just curious. Get over there, boy.”

Still growling, the dog retreated to the side of the high-backed chair where the woman sat. Her striking green eyes glared at Ruby, their color the same as Mason’s. She would be his mother, of course. But there was nothing welcoming in her sour expression.

Ruby pushed herself to a sitting position. The man placed the tray on her lap. It held a delicate china cup filled with amber tea and a sliced beef sandwich with mustard on white bread. “If you’ll allow me to introduce myself, miss, I’m Sidney, Mrs. Dollarhide’s butler, at your service.”

A butler? Here? Ruby felt as if she’d stumbled down the rabbit hole. ““It’s a pleasure to meet you, Sidney,” she said. “I’m Mrs. Ruby Weaver. Thank you for your kindness.”

The old man inclined his head. “It’s Mrs. Dollarhide you should thank. This is her home. I have the honor of serving her.”

“You may go, Sidney.” The woman waved him away and turned her attention to Ruby. “Please go ahead and eat while we talk. Can I trust that you fainted from hunger, and not because my son has fathered yet another bastard?”

“You needn’t worry on that account. I was just tired and hungry. It’s been a long day.” Ruby hid her shock at Mrs. Dollarhide’s frankness. She knew that Mason had a past. He’d even spoken with some pride about his grown son. What surprised her was that his mother would speak of it in such a way. She took dainty bites of the sandwich, trying to eat like a well-mannered lady.

The dog had remained at his mistress’s side. She stroked the massive head with one blue-veined hand. An emerald set in gold adorned her middle finger. “Since you claim to be a friend of Mason’s, maybe you can tell me where he’s gone off to,” she said. “It’s been days since I’ve seen him. He even took my automobile and left me with no way to get to town.”

Lying would only complicate things later. “Mason’s back in prison,” Ruby said. “But it’s not what you think. He’s working with the Bureau of Investigation to catch an evil man who’s running a crime ring from behind bars. Once that’s done, he’ll be released.”

“A likely story!” Mason’s mother snorted. “I’m not a fool. I know what’s been going on—the late nights, with Mason coming home at all hours. The phone calls when he thought I wasn’t listening. He tried to make me believe he was sneaking around, seeing women. But I knew better. It was that wretched bootleg whiskey business. He couldn’t leave it alone, and now he’s been caught again.”

She leaned forward in her chair. “And what about you, missy? Galivanting around, pretending to be a boy. Were you in on that filthy business, too?”

“Yes, but I was working for the Bureau, as an informant. I was found out, and now some very bad people want to silence me. I had to go on the run, in disguise.”

“And so now you’ve come here—to hide.”

Fear and exhaustion broke through Ruby’s pride. “Please,” she begged. “I have no family and no place to go. I could sleep anywhere, even in the barn. And I’d work for my keep. I’m an excellent mechanic. I even have an old car outside. I could fix it up for you to use—”

“That’s enough whining, girl,” the woman snapped. “I may be short on kindness, but I would never force a woman to sleep in the barn. You can stay in my son’s old room and work in the house. Sidney’s getting feeble. He could use some help. Pity I don’t have a maid’s uniform, but I have some old work clothes that would fit you. I might even have a lace cap that would cover that awful hair of yours. Understand, you’ll be working for room and board only. You’ll be expected to earn your keep. No slacking. And if I find out you’re pregnant, you and your bastard will be out the door.”

“I understand. And I’m not pregnant.” The memory of Mason’s loving was still fresh. But after her tragic miscarriage, the doctor had told her that she wasn’t likely to have more children.

Ruby had finished her sandwich. She glanced toward the dog. “And what about him?”

“Leave him alone until he’s had time to get used to you. Sidney will show you to your room tonight. I’ll have him find you some clothes and leave them outside your door. You’ll start work at first light. The place could use a good scrubbing—floors, walls, everything. Don’t make me sorry I let you stay.”

“I’ll do my best. And thank you for taking me in, Mrs. Dollarhide. I mean to repay you for your kindness.”

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