Brodie's Gamble Read Free Page B

younger girl. Wisps of dark red hair, falling loose from what appeared to be a hastily prepared bun, set off clear blue eyes and framed a pale face dotted with freckles.
    If the distress on her face wasn’t so acute, they might have mistaken her for a woman not quite right in the head. Her trembling body, shaky breath, and wide, frightened eyes spoke of a woman ready to break.
    Striding to her, Brodie took her elbow, guiding her to a nearby chair.
    “Sit down and tell me what happened, Mrs…”
    “King. I mean, Stoddard.” She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “Yes, Stoddard.”
    Brodie glanced at Colin and Sarah, not sure what to make of her confusion.
    “Is it King or Stoddard?”
    She gripped her hands together in her lap, squeezing tight, forcing herself to relax. Looking at Brodie, her breath caught. His intense moss green eyes were rimmed with black and dotted with golden flecks. At the moment, they bored into hers, making her squirm in the chair. Swallowing the lump in her throat, her gaze roamed the room, stopping briefly on the stove and gun rack before returning to Brodie.
    “It’s Stoddard now, but not by choice.”
    His brows lifted. “And your first name?” Brodie prodded, trying to keep his patience.
    “Marguerite, but everyone calls me Maggie.” Her quiet, nervous laugh was out of place given the announcement she’d made. “My mama used to call me Princess Maggie King. It seems so silly now.” She let out a low sob before covering her mouth with a shaky hand. A moment passed before she spoke again. “My maiden name is King.”
    Neither Stoddard nor King meant anything to Brodie. “Sarah, would you mind pouring Mrs. Stoddard a cup of coffee?”
    Sarah rushed to the stove, grabbing a dented tin cup, filling it to the top. Glancing down at the murky liquid, she wondered how long it had been sitting in the pot. Shrugging, she knelt down next to Maggie.
    “Here you are, lass. It may help you calm yourself.” Sarah held out the cup, grateful when Maggie took it from her hand.
    “Perhaps it would be best if Sarah and I left—” Colin began.
    “No.” Maggie’s eyes widened in alarm as she reached out to grip Sarah’s arm. “Please don’t go.”
    Sarah patted her hand. “I won’t go, not if you’d like me to stay.” She sent an apologetic look to Brodie, surprised when he returned a grateful smile.
    Pulling up a chair, Brodie sat facing Maggie. He leaned toward her, his arms braced on his thighs. “All right, Mrs. Stoddard. You said something about killing your husband?”
    She nodded, not looking at him.
    “Why don’t you tell me what happened.”
    Biting her bottom lip, she shot a quick glance at Sarah, who nodded her encouragement.
    “Arnie came home drunk and angry.”
    “Your husband’s name is Arnie?” Brodie asked.
    “He’s not my real husband. Arnold Stoddard is his full name, but he prefers Arnie.”
    “All right. You can tell me why he’s not your real husband later. So, Arnie came home drunk last night.”
    “It was very late. Arnie said someone at Buckie’s Castle cheated him out of most of his money. He was too drunk to stand. He took his bottle of whiskey, walked into the bedroom, and passed out. When he woke up this morning, he drained the rest of the bottle and started yelling, grabbing me and shoving me around.”
    Brodie had noticed the dark bruise on her cheek. “Is that when you got that?” He indicated the spot on her face, anger swelling in him at what the man had done.
    “Yes. When he’s drunk, which is most of the time, his temper takes over. I never know what he’ll do.” She looked at him, her face showing no emotion. “When he’d leave for town, I’d pray he wouldn’t come home.” Sitting back in her chair, she sucked in a breath and closed her eyes. Opening them, she continued. “I know it’s wrong, but I hated Arnie, hated the way he treated me, hated what he…what he…” Her voice caught on a sob. Burying her face in her