Free A Free Heart by Amelia C. Adams

to go up against him for any reason.
    Tom guided her over to the ticket booth. “Pardon me, sir. I have an address. Is this near or far from here? Is it possible to walk?”The man on the other side of the window picked up the envelope Tom slid under the glass partition and squinted at it through his dusty spectacles. “That’s quite a piece from here, son. I wouldn’t try this on foot unless you had all day and a healthy snack. There’s a livery stable just yonder. Renting a buggy is probably your best option.”
    Tom thanked him, put the envelope back in his pocket, and took Harriet by the elbow again. “If anyone asks, we’re married,” he said low in her ear.
    “I beg your pardon. What?” She glanced at him with indignation.
    “You are my wife. Now keep moving off the platform. We need to get out of this crowd.”
    “You certainly could have picked a more charming way to propose.” She had to move her feet twice as fast to keep up with him. The grip he had on her elbow, while not painful, was definitely firm, and she knew there was no squirming out of it.
    They reached the livery stable just as she caught sight of two men from the train station following them. At least, she assumed they had followed them, but she was sure that many of the passengers just off the train were in need of a buggy. It was probably a coincidence that had placed them all here at the same time.
    Tom spoke to the owner about a rental while Harriet moved down the row and found a nice little chestnut mare to stroke. One of her favorite memories of childhood was riding her horse, Cherry, along the paths that lined the plantation. She had never forgotten that feeling of total independence as she flew along in the wind, her hair streaming behind her. Cherry had grown old and was no longer able to be ridden by the time Harriet was twelve, but she’d visited her in the stables every day until her father finally sold the horse off the property.
    “Looks like there’s more than one feisty little filly in this place.”
    She turned slowly at the voice behind her. The man from the train station leaned up against a nearby stall, his booted foot resting on the lowest rung. A quick glance around told her that she’d wandered farther than she meant to from the front of the stable. “My husband will thank you not to speak to me in that way,” she said, lifting her chin.
    “Your husband? I didn’t see a husband. A brother, maybe, or a cousin, but that man’s not married to you.” He jerked his head in Tom’s direction. “You’re as distant from each other as a cat from water.”
    “We had a slight disagreement on the train. I assure you, sir, that we are quite married. But even if we weren’t, you have no right to address a lady in this way.” Harriet strode past him and found Tom, looping her arm through his. He didn’t seem surprised at all, but merely continued his conversation, the fingers of his other hand stroking hers where they lay on his sleeve. Though she knew it was all for show, she liked the sensation, even through her lace glove.
    “Shall we go, sweetheart?” he said a moment later. “I’ve arranged for a very nice buggy, and this gentleman’s ready to hitch it up for us.”
    “Yes, please, dear. I’m eager to be on our way.” She glanced over at the man in the shadows, who watched with a glower on his face.
    They climbed into their buggy as soon as it was ready and began the next leg of their travels. As soon as the livery stables were far behind them, Harriet exhaled. “I can’t tell you how glad I am to be away from there. That man looked at me like he wanted to toss me in his wagon and carry me off to who-knows-where.”
    Tom flicked the reins to urge the horse along. “You need to keep in mind, Miss Martin, that there are very few women out here. In the towns, sure, there are more, but along the railroads or in the gold mines? There are only a few, and the men have learned that if they want a woman to take