Word Count: 48,049
Summary of Events:
Parker and Linwood pieced together all the information they had on men who matched Osborne's description and discovered that all of them — there were more than six names associated with the description — could be the same man as no two were ever in the same place at once. Rowynna went out to lunch at the hotel with Vella, who would point out men and ask Rowynna what she liked about them in hopes of thereby finding Rowynna a beau . . .
Excerpt of the Day:
“Ooh, he looks good,” Vella said.
Rowynna checked over her shoulder and saw the constable who had escorted her safely home the other day. “He’s married.”
“But he is handsome,” Vella said. “What do you like about him?”
“He’s kind, caring, and upholds the law,” Rowynna replied.
“But what about his looks?” Vella asked.
Rowynna glanced at the constable again, but she didn’t really let herself get a good look at him, she wasn’t sure that it was appropriate for her, considering how he was a married man and all, but there were a few things she already knew that she thought were handsome about him, but she wasn’t going to share those with Vella.
“He’s just dreamy,” Vella said. “But then again, he is a soldier.”
“He’s not a soldier,” Rowynna said.
“He’s wearing a red coat and tall riding boots, who else wears those other than soldiers?” Vella asked.
“The North-West Mounted Police,” Rowynna replied. “He’s a policeman.”
The colour fled Vella’s face in an instant, and a look of sheer terror came over her.
“How long have you lived out west here?” Rowynna asked. “How did you not know that? Why do you look so alarmed?”
“Why is he here?” Vella asked.
Rowynna glanced over her shoulder at where he was sitting with another man, talking. “It certainly looks to me like he’s here to have lunch.”
“Are you sure?” Vella asked.
“Well look at him for yourself,” Rowynna replied. “He certainly doesn’t look like he’s here for any other reason, and you have the better view of him anyways.”
“Oh,” Vella said, seeming to relax slightly. “Oh, I guess you’re right. Are they new?”
“Hardly,” Rowynna replied. “They’ve been around for forty years.”
“Oh,” Vella said quietly.
“Have you not lived out here in the west all that long?” Rowynna asked. “How could you have not heard of them?”
“I’d heard of the North-West Mounted Police,” Vella replied, still seeming shaken, her gaze locked on the constable. “I just didn’t know what they looked like.”
“Well, that’s what they look like,” Rowynna replied.
“Oh,” Vella said. “Are you almost finished so that we can leave?”
“Why?” Rowynna asked. “You have nothing to be afraid of.”
“I don’t think my food is agreeing with me,” Vella said. “I’d like if we could leave shortly.”
Rowynna silently ate, watching as Vella pushed what little was left of her abundant plateful of food around, looking not at all like Vella as Rowynna had come to know her.
In a month Rowynna had come to observe that Vella was energetic, outgoing, and willing to try new things, as well as possessing rather an appetite; to see her lacking energy, closing up, and not eating were all rather unusual things that Rowynna had questions about, but no real way of urging Vella to give her the answers.
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