Since Trace hadn’t bothered tying her feet, Victoria managed to stand and walk hunched over with the chair banging against the back of her legs to the kitchen area. She hoped Gray had left a knife somewhere in the kitchen. With effort, she managed to pull open one drawer after another. Finally, she opened one and saw a knife. She squirmed and twisted, barely managing to get hold of it, but when she did, she began sawing against the ropes.
It took far longer than she expected to cut through, but the moment her hands were free, she banked the fires in the stove and the fireplace, blew out the lamp, and rushed out into the cold. Penelope was in the barn, contentedly munching on feed. Victoria tightened the cinch, led her outside, and then realized she wasn’t sure how to get back to town.
Grateful for the tracks Trace’s horse had left, she followed them. If they ended up taking her back to the cabin full of outlaws, so be it. As mad as she was, she could best them all with one hand tied behind her back.
Last night, she, Gray, Claire, and Maddie had been guests for dinner with Arlan and Alex Guthry. On their way home, Victoria happened to look out at the snowy landscape and saw a familiar figure riding through the trees, leading a horse.
She couldn’t help but wonder what Trace was up to. Even though she couldn’t see the color of the horse, she just knew it had something to do with the outlaw gang.
When she couldn’t sleep, continuing to toss and turn in her bed long after the rest of the house had fallen silent, she’d risen, dressed in a pair of Claire’s pants, snatched one of Gray’s old coats, and headed into town to keep an eye on Trace in case he decided to try something. She’d planned to hide in the livery, knowing he kept his horse there, but she caught him already sneaking away before she reached it.
Following him through the darkness wasn’t difficult. At three in the morning, he didn’t seem to suspect anyone would trail him, least of all her, and there was no one else up and about to cause any distractions.
Victoria had not been the least bit surprised when Trace took the road toward Gooseberry or as she watched him ride through the trees to a cabin hidden back off the road. She hadn’t planned on him catching her, but she wasn’t a trained criminal who knew the best tactics for stealthy maneuvers.
In truth, Trace had been gentle as he handled her. When he’d professed his love for her and kissed her, she’d lost the ability to think of anything beyond how much she loved him. At least she’d proven to herself she wasn’t crazy and in love with two different men. Not that the truth she’d fallen in love with a criminal made her feel any better.
But what was it Trace had said? Something about things not being what they seemed.
Well, he certainly wasn’t the affable telephone man he’d led everyone in town to believe. Was that what he meant? Or was there something else he implied? She had no idea, but she intended to find out.
She recalled the paper he’d stuck in her pocket with the address for his sister. She wondered if any of the information was true as she rode Penelope through the woods, praying she wouldn’t get lost. She reached a glade and stopped for a moment to admire the beauty of it when she heard a noise and looked up to see Fred Decker riding toward her in the muted morning light.
“Fred?” she asked as he approached her. “What are you doing out here?”
“I found a note stuck to the barn door saying you were at Gray’s cabin and needed help.”
“Trace tied me up and left me there. He’s…” Victoria hated to blurt out he was one of the gang members who’d been holding up stagecoaches, robbing payroll deliveries, and stealing gold.
“He said in the note he had much to explain but if you trust him, to take you home to wait for him.” Fred cocked his head and looked at her. “Shall I take you home, or is there somewhere else you’d rather go?”
An inner battle waged as Victoria considered Trace, what she knew of him, and compared that to what had happened with Wendell and how she’d been duped by him time after time. No matter what he might be or had done, she knew in her heart Trace was not a killer like her husband had been. She thought of how good he was with Maddie, how kind he’d been to people in town on many occasions. She would give him a few hours to redeem himself before she went to the sheriff.
“Home please, Fred.”
He grinned, turned his horse around, and accompanied her back to Gray and Claire’s house where her brother was saddling his horse, ready to come search for her.
Gray pulled her to him in a crushing hug before pushing her back and glowering at her. “What were you thinking? We got up this morning to find you gone and not even a note explaining yourself. Why are you dressed like that? Where have you been?” Gray fired questions at her so fast, she couldn’t begin to answer any of them.
Claire rushed outside, embraced her in a hug, then tugged her inside the warmth of the kitchen. “We were so worried, Vic. Is something wrong? Are you injured?”
“No. I think everything will be fine. I just had something I needed to do. I did leave a note, but it must have blown off the table.” Victoria bent and retrieved a piece of paper from where it had drifted almost beneath the pie safe. “Here is the note.”
Before Claire could take it and read that Victoria had gone in search for answers regarding Trace Travers, she tossed the paper into the stove.
Claire rolled her eyes then took Victoria by the shoulders and pointed her toward the stairs. “Why don’t you take a hot bath? Maddie is so looking forward to going to the bakery this morning and is still planning on you joining us. You will, won’t you?”
“Of course. Just give me a few moments to change.”
“Take your time. She’s still asleep, and I don’t want to take her out quite this early. I thought we’d perhaps leave here around nine. That gives you plenty of time to bathe, change, and be ready for the day.” Claire gave her a hug. “I’m so glad you decided to spend Christmas with us. My sisters will be here today and it will be so fun to have everyone together.”
“I nearly forgot about Ari and Bett arriving,” Victoria said, returning Claire’s hug. As a girl who grew up with three brothers, she cherished having the sister she always wanted in Claire. “I’m sorry I’ve been so distracted of late. It’s just been…”
Claire squeezed her hand. “I understand. Really, I do.” She gave her another nudge toward the stairs. “Hurry. If you’re taking a bath when Gray comes in, he’ll be far less likely to pelt you with more questions.”
Victoria grinned and raced up the stairs.
Grateful for the big bathtub in the warm bathing room, she sank into a tub full of steaming water and let it warm her chilled body and sore muscles. She hadn’t ridden that much in a long while not to mention being tied to a chair for an hour.
After washing her hair and finishing her bath, she took her time dressing in a festive burgundy gown trimmed with white lace. She carried the matching hat, coat, and gloves downstairs and left them by Claire’s coat in the entry before she returned to the kitchen.
Gray sat at the table drinking a cup of coffee while Claire sipped from a cup of tea. Her brother frowned at her, glanced at his wife, then cleared his throat. “Claire thinks we should listen to what you have to say before demanding answers to our questions.”