Page 56 of Willing to Wed the Rancher
And what if the attackers did something to hurt Clarabelle or the children as a way to send him a message to stay out of their business? If they’d threatened to harm Eric’s children once in order to get him to comply, then what would stop them this time?
His blood turned icy just thinking about the peril.
Mr. Bliss took the letter back from Franz and began to fold it up. “I can tell that you love your wife and your brother’s children more than anything. So if I were you, I’d do whatever I had to in order to keep them safe.”
Mr. Bliss was right. Franz did love Clarabelle and the children more than anything, and he had to find a way to protect them. “What do you suggest?”
“I’d pack up and leave on the next stagecoach. Go back to Germany and take them with you.”
“I cannot do that.” He’d told Mr. Bliss earlier in the night about his life in Germany and that he planned to return. But how could he explain that he couldn’t take Clarabelle with him—at least at the moment? Clarabelle didn’t want to have anything to do with a relationship after all that had happened with Clementine. Even when she hadn’t been in the process of pushing him away, he hadn’t wanted to ask her to leave her life behind. As much as he longed to be with her, he had yet to figure out how that would work, and he needed more time to do so.
Mr. Bliss slipped Eric’s letter back in the envelope. “That probably isn’t the news you wanted to hear. But I know what it’s like from personal experience to have someone you love hurt by a criminal.” His voice dropped low. “If I’d had a way out of the danger, I would have taken it.”
Franz’s thoughts raced. He had to do something, but what? Was leaving really the best option? “Could we travel to Denver for a few weeks? Would that suffice?” But even as he asked the question, he already knew the answer. The threat would likely linger for a long time. Maybe it wouldn’t ever go away.
He had no choice but to take Clarabelle and the children away, and the best place was halfway around the world in Germany, where they would be far from all the problems. The truth was, he could give them a good life there. He could open up the family estate in Neubrandenburg, and they could live there for part of the year. He could also buy—or build—a home in Berlin, where they would be able to live while the university was in session.
The trouble was that he didn’t think he could leave Colorado or America if Clarabelle refused to come with him. And the last thing he wanted to do was coerce her into being with him. He’d already resolved that he wanted her to be willing.
What could he do to get her to change her mind about him and be agreeable to leaving on the stagecoach in a few hours?
He didn’t know. But he had to figure something out.
20
“That means we have to leave.” Franz’s pronouncement echoed through the cabin, the tension in each word reverberating through Clarabelle.
She stood in front of the stove, where she’d been cooking breakfast when Franz had returned a short while ago. Dieter and Bianca sat side by side on the sofa, both still in their night clothes, the early morning light beginning to brighten the room and showing the surprise on their young faces at Franz’s statement.
Mr. Bliss hadn’t come inside—had apparently wanted to be on his way before anyone spotted him on the premises. And now Franz had just finished explaining the trip up into Elk Gulch—how they’d located the safe and the pouches of valuables as well as the letter from Eric that had been inside.
Franz had also told them about the counterfeit moneymaking operation Eric had discovered and tried to stop. Clarabelle guessed that was why Eric had been murdered—because he’d opposed the crime, and someone had wanted to silence him.
“We need to go today,” Franz said again emphatically. He’d taken off his hat but still remained by the door as if he had every intention of walking right back outside and riding away in the next instant.
Dieter’s eyes were wide upon Franz. “Where are we going, Uncle Franz?”
“To Germany.”
“You want us to move to Germany?” Bianca hopped to her knees on the sofa.
“Yes. I would like you to come back with me to Germany.” Franz was answering Bianca, but he was looking directly at Clarabelle. “There we will be very far from all the danger.”
Bianca clapped. “Yes! I want to move away from the danger.”
Dieter scooted to the edge of the sofa. “Will we live with you, Uncle Franz?”
“Of course. I have a castle on the lake where we will stay until I am able to find a suitable home in Berlin for us.”
“A castle?” Bianca jumped off the sofa and clapped again. “I’d like to live in a castle.”
“On the lake?” This time Dieter’s voice rose with excitement. No doubt he was picturing all the fun he could have living by the water.
Clarabelle pressed a hand against her chest as if that could stop the swell of surprise. Franz had told her about his family having a home on a lake, but he hadn’t explained it was a castle. She supposed it made sense that, as a wealthy nobleman, he would have a large home. But a castle?
“What do you think, Clarabelle?” he asked hesitantly. “Would you be willing to come with us?”
“You’ll come with us, won’t you?” Bianca smiled expectantly. “Who else will be my Mutti?”
