Now, she walked down the stairs of the hotel in silence, her head held high and her back straight. They were greeted at the bottom of the stairs by Captain Marshall, who bowed to her. He tried to kiss her hand, but she had pulled it away before he even had a chance to raise it to his lips. His eyebrow had risen in surprise, but he didn’t say anything.
The dinner had been vaguely interesting. Allie had remained silent, eating little of the beef stew and vegetables. She sipped hot tea and listened as Jacob and the Captain talked about the horses.
“I’m afraid I can’t stay for coffee,” Captain Marshall finally said with a sigh. “Two of my men are escorting Wyatt Butte back to the fort tonight. I thought to ride along with them.”
Jacob stood at the same time as Marshall did. “Thank you for j
