Page 54 of Willing to Wed the Rancher
“Maybe.” Mr. Bliss hiked the mountain trails easily, as if he’d been doing so for some time. “Although, it’s not difficult to break into most safes that still use keys.”
Of course, Eric wouldn’t have understood the intricacies of a criminal life. He’d always been an honorable man. Even when he’d made the mistake in sleeping with Luisa, he’d offered to marry her and take care of her.
It was likely he’d gotten the safe soon after moving to the high country because he’d wanted a place where he could put the gold and silver coins and other valuables he’d brought with him from Germany. And he probably hadn’t trusted that a bank would be a secure enough place for anything but a key.
Mr. Bliss halted and pulled out Eric’s letter again to study the details of the hiding place and the simple map. He held up his lantern, which barely had enough of a flame to give them any light, but so far Mr. Bliss had led them effortlessly over the rockyterrain, in spite of the loose stones and roots of trees threatening to trip them.
Franz drew in a breath of the chilly air. The morning so far was silent, with only the crunch of their footsteps to echo in the air. No one else was out at the early hour, not even the wild animals.
Even with all the secretiveness, Franz’s heart pattered with worry for Clarabelle and the children. He hadn’t wanted to leave them behind, but he also hadn’t wanted to drag them out into the wilderness in the darkness of pre-dawn.
Mr. Bliss insisted that no one had followed him out to the farm last night, and he’d also claimed that no one was behind them when they’d hiked away from the cabin on their search for the safe.
All Franz knew was that he’d rather put himself in danger than allow anything bad to happen to Clarabelle and the children. His mind was still filled with the image of Clarabelle stepping out of the bedroom as he and Mr. Bliss had prepared to leave. She’d been in her nightgown but also had a blanket draped around her for modesty’s sake. Her hair had been in a single long plait, and her eyes had been heavy with sleep.
As she’d gathered a sleeping Bianca from the sofa, she’d looked so enticing that he hadn’t been able to stop the heat from shooting through his gut. Or the overwhelming desire to lift her off her feet, lay her on the bed, and wrap her against him and kiss her.
Even now, the image of her half-lidded eyes upon him sent another spear of desire through him. He’d had a difficult time over the past week resisting his longing for her, especially because it had been so strong since lying with her in bed. It was almost as if those kisses had awakened him, and now his needs were clamoring to be fed.
However, he couldn’t feed them. He had to give Clarabelle the time she needed to reconcile with her sister. Apparently the efforts weren’t having any success, and he was tempted to ride over to High C Ranch and lecture Clementine for being selfish and difficult over all that had happened.
Yet every time he started to saddle the mare, he had only to think of how he’d treated Eric, just how selfish and difficult he’d been. What right did he have to go over and berate Clementine for her behavior when his had been so much worse?
The truth was, even if he talked to Clementine and made it clear that his intentions had ever and only been for Clarabelle, it wouldn’t change the fact that Clarabelle hadn’t chosen him. She’d pushed him away. And until she was ready for him, she’d probably keep pushing him away.
Ahead of him, Mr. Bliss finished ascending the gradually rising hill, and at the top he halted and pushed up the brim of his Stetson. “I think this is it.” His attention went back and forth between the map and the area ahead of him.
Franz scrambled up the last of the incline, then drew a breath into his burning lungs and surveyed the area ahead. The faint light of dawn outlined more rocks looming along the eastern skyline. Although Franz couldn’t see the waterfall amidst those rocks, he could hear the rushing sound of it.
Mr. Bliss scaled a boulder. “Just over there.”
Franz climbed after him, going much more slowly and carefully. He tried to imagine Eric carrying a safe out to this location in an effort to protect his valuables. It probably hadn’t been an easy feat.
The rushing of the waterfall grew louder until at last he stepped beside Mr. Bliss at the edge, the water cascading down a short cliff and flowing into the stream that they’d followed up the mountainside.
Eric’s letter had indicated that the safe was in a cavern at the base of the waterfall, so they were close.
Mr. Bliss held up his lantern behind the spray of the water. He surveyed the area, then locked in on something. “Found it.”
He handed off the lantern to Franz while he poured gunpowder into the keyhole on the safe. He lit it and ducked away from the waterfall. A moment later, an explosion resounded off the rocky cliffs.
The cavern and the waterfall helped to diminish the sound to some degree, but it still echoed in the silence of the early morning, causing worry to tighten Franz’s gut at the prospect that anyone in the area who’d been keeping an eye on the farm might have heard the detonation.
Would they follow and search for him and Mr. Bliss? Or would they go to the cabin first and threaten Clarabelle and the children to gain information?
Mr. Bliss made quick work of tossing Franz the contents from within the safe. Two leather pouches. From the clink and shape of the first one, Franz guessed it contained the remainder of the gold and silver coins Eric had brought with him to America. Even though the amount had only been a small portion of the wealth that belonged to their family, it had still been significant enough that Eric had been able to afford anything he’d wanted.
From the heaviness of the pouch, Franz guessed Eric hadn’t wanted to dip too far into his supply. He’d likely wanted to save it for Luisa to use if anything ever happened to him. Or maybe he’d hoped to give it to Dieter and Bianca someday. Perhaps Eric had also wanted Clarabelle to have it in order to be able to take care of the children.
The other leather pouch was smaller. As Franz untied the thong and pried the bag open, he found several rings, a gold hair pin, a ruby brooch, earrings, and a silver pocket watch that had once belonged to their father. None of the jewelry was of anygreat monetary value. Eric had probably locked them away more for sentimental reasons, so that, again, he could someday pass them along to his children.
Mr. Bliss climbed out from behind the waterfall and was holding another envelope. “This has to be it.”
Franz hoped so. He wanted to put an end to the danger that seemed to be constantly lurking since Eric’s death.
Mr. Bliss slit open the envelope, drew out a folded paper, then began to read silently. When he finished, he lifted somber eyes to Franz. “It’s not good news.”
Franz’s pulse quieted to a patter. “What do you mean?”
