She didn’t say a word in response to Nathaniel’s nonsense. Instead, she looked at the view and mulled it over. Amongst whatever misgivings were making her scowl, one stood out strongest enough for Charlie to voice aloud. “You certain you want me around when you’re conducting business?”
“Hell,” Eli chimed in. “You can just do what Alice did and wait upstairs.”
Alice had lived there. She had lived there and Charlie had not known… until now.
Before Matthew could pounce on him, Nathaniel smacked the back of Eli’s dense head.
“Oww!” The boy jumped from the stoop, rubbing his skull. “What the hell was that for?”
“For opening your goddamn mouth.”
Awkward silence fell, not one of the men knowing just what to say to fix the look on Charlie’s face.
She looked as if she’d been kicked in the gut. “Eli, I’m not Alice.”
“No,” Matthew agreed, taking her fist
and uncurling her fisted fingers. “You’re our Charlotte.”
* * *
Charlie had not accepted or declined Matthew’s offer, and it had been eatin’ at him. Trying to track her down and explain, to make her see sense, Matthew had only grown more frustrated. Each time he’d gone to town hoping to catch a glimpse of her, her old jalopy had been gone—Charlie off on another one of her adventures God only knew where.
When he finally did clamp eyes on the elusive woman, Matthew wasn’t sure if he was relieved to see her, or infuriated to find her drinking at one of the less savory Monroe watering holes he supplied.
The crowd was rowdy—the crowd was always rowdy at Rutabagas. Trying to hand payment to an unresponsive supplier, the speakeasy’s proprietor saw what had caught Matthew’s attention and gestured to the woman sitting by herself at the bar. “That there is Miss Elliot. She don’t like to be bothered.”
Looking back to his longtime business associate, Matthew scowled deeply. “She been in here before?”
“Comes in once or twice a week for supper.” The old man pressed money into Matthew’s hands. “Keeps to herself and ain’t exactly sociable with the gentry. Pays extra for Tiny there to make sure she’s left alone.”
A dark-skinned giant stood at the wall, near enough to Charlie that each time a patron got too close, he was quickly turned away.
Matthew didn’t like it one bit. Working his jaw, he pushed past, determined to go where he damn well pleased.
The burly bouncer came forward. “The lady don’t like to be bothered, Mr. Emerson.”
The one who was bothered was Matthew. “Tiny, back the fuck up.”
Of course they knew one another. “Matthew… she pays me two dollars a week. You really gonna make me earn it?”
“A hospital bill is gonna cost you a lot more.” Matthew didn’t have time for nonsense. Brushing the man aside, he went to Charlotte, the woman watching him with a cocked brow and a smirk.
“Evening, Matthew.”
He nodded, taking off his hat and setting it on the bar beside her. “What are you doin’ here?”
It was obvious he didn’t approve. Sighing, she set her chin in her palm and pointedly glanced down at her half eaten dinner.
Matthew didn’t like a damn thing about her sitting there in her pretty green sweater and tight skirt. He didn’t like the men looking her way, or that she was in a situation where she felt it was necessary to pay a bouncer to watch her back. The only thing about it he did like was how she shivered when he reached up and pulled a small, dried leaf from her hair. “Charlotte…”
“I missed dinner at the boarding house.”
Matthew knew better. “Charlotte…”
Nathaniel charged forward, his arms full of crates. “Hot damn, it’s Charlie!”
Charlie smiled at the other brother. “Evening, Nathaniel.”