She hurried out the bedroom door and paused in the hall. The lamp glowed dimly from the table, and the washroom door was open. Had Jenny gotten hungry and gone to the kitchen for food?
Rebekah glanced back at the room. She should dress before venturing farther into the house, but she felt a strange sense of urgency. She wished she’d brought her bed jacket, but she’d wanted to travel light and hadn’t thought she’d need one. The cool flooring chilled her feet. While the days were still quite warm, the nights could be frigid. The big house seemed more intimidating in the dark of early morning, but she continued. She stepped into the kitchen, blinking at the brightness of the lanterns. A man stood at the window with his back to her—Austin.
Rebekah froze, realizing the impropriety of her state of undress. Jenny obviously wasn’t here. She backed away, hoping to make her escape.
Austin suddenly turned. His eyes widened as he stared at her. And stared.
Her heart fluttered. “I … uh…” She folded her arms over her chest.
“Sorry.” He spun around. “Did you need something?”
“I was looking for Jenny. Have you seen her?”
He shook his head. “Not today.” He pivoted again, his brow furrowed. “I’m sure she’s here somewhere. It’s an easy place to get lost in.”
His expression conveyed his concern more than his reply had. Did he worry that Jenny had gone out for another stroll by herself? She couldn’t see her sister doing that so early in the morning. “I suppose that’s true. I’ll check the parlor.”
“I’ll take a walk around and see if she might be outside.”
“I would appreciate that.” She whirled around, knowing her cheeks were blazing. The parlor was empty, as she feared it would be. She knocked on the door to the library, and when no one answered, she peered into the dark room. “Jenny?” When she got no answer she quickly walked through the empty room, then checked the dining room before heading back to her bedroom. Worry nibbled at her composure. Where could her sister be?
Rebekah grabbed the lamp off the hall table, set in on the desk in the bedroom, and turned it up. She gasped at the sight of the disheveled room. With the room dark when she first got up, she hadn’t noticed the disorder on Jenny’s side. One of the quilts was on the floor, as were several pieces of Jenny’s undergarments. She hurried to the wardrobe and found Jenny’s side mostly empty. Horrified, Rebekah glanced down. Her sister’s satchel was gone. What had Jenny done?
Austin paced around the house in the pale light of dawn, not surprised to find the porches vacant at such an early hour. Occasionally, he and Pa had their coffee on the front one to watch the sunrise and talk about what they needed to accomplish that day, but it had been a long while since they had done that.
He strode around to the back of the house and glanced down at the barn, barely visible in the early light. Pinks and oranges lined the skyline to the east, and horses and cattle grazed quietly on the hillside, but the scene failed to inspire him today. He felt a sense of urgency, but he wasn’t sure why. He finished his trek around the house and walked to the front again. Songbirds serenaded him, and the cool air helped him to wake up. He always liked this time of day.
He turned to go back into the house when Clara barked at him. He paused, gazing at Bowie’s dog. Clara tended to shy away from the rest of them, so it was odd she’d bark at him. She’d never been overly friendly to him, but neither had she been mean. The men usually locked her in the barn at night, so someone must be down there already. Surely Jenny hadn’t gone back to the barn after his admonishing her not to go alone. Clara barked again. Gritting his teeth, he strode toward the barn, ready to confront his bride. He had a good mind to throw her over his shoulder, haul her back to town, and put her on the first stage to arrive. That would show her who was boss.
Shaking his head, he chuckled. Who was he kidding? His brothers may think they ruled their roost, but he’d seen the way they capitulated to their wives. Yes, dear. Whatever you want, sweetheart.
At the barn door, Clara eyed him as if asking what had taken so long, and then she disappeared inside. Bowie’s cattle dog was getting fat and lazy in his absence. Austin pushed the door all the way open to allow in some light, and listened. He couldn’t see all the way to the end of the stalls, but if anyone had been working here, the lanterns would be lit. Other than a soft whicker and the stomp of horses eager for their breakfast, everything sounded normal. So what was up with Clara? It wasn’t like her to bark for no reason.
Instead of heading back to the house, he strode over to the bunkhouse and walked inside. Several pairs of eyes turned his way from men in different states of dress.
Gage hitched up his suspenders and walked toward him. “Somethin’ wrong, boss?”
Austin looked at the beds and saw one empty. “Anyone seen Cody?”