Lawfully Matched

by Lorana Hoopes

  “All set, Miss,” Mr. Cooper said from the front of the coach.

  “I guess that’s my cue,” Kate said with a sigh. She hugged Ellen again before climbing into the coach once more. The driver shut the door, and Kate waved out the window.

  When the buildings faded away, and the sagebrush took over the view, Kate sat back and thought about her future. She found herself wondering what her husband would be like. Would he be tall with broad shoulders? Would he have a beard? Would he have kind brown eyes?

  Roughly an hour later, the coach stopped, and the door opened.

  “Welcome to Lisbon, ma’am,” Mr. Cooper said, holding out his hand for her to step down.

  Kate glanced around as she took the driver’s hand. Lisbon didn’t appear much different from Sage Creek. As the platform was empty, Kate wondered how she was supposed to get in touch with her future husband, Bill Easterly.

  Before she had time to worry, a wagon pulled up, and a man who appeared about thirty climbed down. He had average brown hair and eyes which narrowed slightly at her before he pasted a smile on his face. “You must be Miss Whidby. I’m so sorry I’m late. I’m Bill Easterly.” He held out his gloved right hand to take hers though Kate noticed he grimaced slightly.

  Kate wondered if he were not pleased with her appearance. She had tried to fix her curls and smooth the wrinkles from her dress the best she could. With a tight smile, she placed her hand in his and nodded. “I am Kate Whidby. It is nice to meet you, Mr. Easterly.” She had hoped to feel some sort of attraction with this man, but there was nothing. Did this mean she was in store for a loveless marriage?

  “Oh, please call me Bill. After all, we’ll be getting married shortly, won’t we?”

  Something in the way he said the words in a lecherous tone sent a shiver down Kate’s spine. What had she gotten herself into?

  “Do you have much luggage?” he continued.

  “Just this trunk,” she said, pointing to the large chest Thomas had gotten down for her. “I would have had a little more, but we were robbed on the way here.”

  “Oh, that’s awful. Were you harmed?”

  He was saying the right words, but there was still something about him that bothered Kate.

  “No, thank goodness. They took my jewelry, but I did manage to convince them to let me keep my wedding dress.”

  “Well, that is all that matters,” he said as he began to move her trunk into his wagon. “We can always make more money.” Though he tried to hide it, Kate heard a small grunt as he lifted her trunk, and noticed he wasn’t lifting the right side as high as the left.

  “Did you injure your shoulder?” Kate asked.

  Bill turned toward her, a hardness in his eyes.

  “You appear to be having some trouble lifting with your right side,” she said, pointing.

  His gaze softened, and he smiled. “Oh, yeah, I hurt my shoulder roping some cattle the other day. I reckon it’s still a little sore. It’s nothing to worry about though.”

  Kate nodded. “I’ll pray for a speedy recovery for you.”

  “Well, that’d be mighty nice of you,” he said. “You ready?” He held out his left hand to her this time.

  Though some intuition told her she should not get in the wagon with him, she had no excuse and she had made a promise, but she would be vigilant and keep her eyes open until she said “I do.”

  When the wagon headed out of town, Kate turned to Bill. “Aren’t we heading to the preacher?”

  “I thought you might like to see the farm first and get changed there,” Bill said, flashing her a smile.

  “Oh, that’s nice of you,” Kate said. It would be nice to see the place she would be calling home from now on.

  “So, you said you were robbed,” Bill said, glancing at her out of the corner of her eye. “Did you get a good look at them?”

  Kate had no idea why, but her inclination was to withhold the truth from him. “No,” she said, shaking her head and hoping her voice wouldn’t give her away. “I was too scared to notice much, and they wore masks. I only know that there were three of them.”

  “Ah, well, that’s too bad,” he said. “That isn’t much to give authorities.”

  “No, it isn’t,” Kate agreed. “I doubt I shall ever see my things again. Most of it doesn’t matter to me, but I do wish they hadn’t taken my mother’s brooch.”

  “It was important to you?” he asked.

  “It was one of the last things I had of my mother’s. She died a few months ago.”

  “Oh, that’s too bad, but such is the nature of life I suppose,” Bill said.

  “I suppose,” Kate begrudged, slightly shocked at his blasé dismissal of her mother’s death. She was not the best at directions, but she tried to memorize the way out to Bill’s ranch in case she needed to find her way back to town on her own after they were married.

  “Well, there it is,” Bill lifted his arm slightly to point.

  The landscape dipped and allowed Kate to see a small ranch house. A horse was corralled on one side, and on the other side, a small creek ran by the house. Though this part of Texas didn’t have many trees, Bill seemed to have several on his land.

  “It isn’t much I know,” Bill said, “but I’m planning to expand soon.”

  “I’m sure it’s lovely,” Kate said. This time the smile Bill flashed her was sincere, and Kate almost forgot her misgivings. Almost. He stopped the wagon in front of the house moments later and helped her down.

  “Would you mind if we just got your dress from the trunk?” Bill asked. “My shoulder is aching a bit, and I’m not sure I could carry it inside at the moment.”

  “No, that’s fine,” Kate stated. “I can take out what I need.” She walked around to the back of the wagon and opened her trunk. Kate moved the other dresses aside until she found her mother’s wedding dress at the bottom. It was of a cream silk, which had recently become popular when her mother married, and though it had a round skirt, rather than the now fashionable bustle and fish tail, Kate had always loved it. The neckline scooped just low enough to show off her collar bones and tiny rosettes lined the neck and sleeves.

  Kate removed the dress—careful not to pull too hard—and then grabbed the matching gloves. The shoes didn’t match exactly, but as Kate’s feet were two sizes larger than her mother’s feet had been, she had needed to supply her own shoes. She also grabbed her coat. Though it wasn’t cold enough to need it, she still didn’t want her groom to see her in her wedding dress before the ceremony, and as they had to drive back to town, that would be nearly impossible unless she were covered up.

  “Alright, I’m ready,” she said.

  “Wonderful. Follow me, and I’ll show you your room,” Bill said, leading the way into the house.

  The front door opened into a small main room. Kate imagined it could look a little homier with a handmade quilt. The kitchen was to the left, which appeared to have an older stove. Perhaps they could purchase some new cookware and utensils. There was a door at the back of the main room, which Kate assumed led to his quarters. Bill opened the door and held it open for her. It held a single bed and a small chest for her to put her clothes in.

  “I’ll leave you to get changed, and I’ll freshen up myself,” he said. “I rescheduled the wedding for dusk today when I received word your stagecoach was delayed.”

  Kate nodded and waited for him to shut the door before collapsing on the bed. The quilt covering it was tattered and threadbare. Nothing about this room seemed to show he cared about his future bride, deepening Kate’s apprehension. Perhaps her brother had been right. What had she been thinking marrying a complete stranger?

  Kate sent up a prayer for wisdom as she changed out of her traveling dress and into her mother’s wedding dress. The dress still fit as perfectly as it had a year ago when she had snuck into her mother’s closet and tried it on but wearing it now didn’t hold the joy she had always believed it would. Was that because she didn’t want to be married? Or because
she might be marrying the wrong man?

  She sighed and pushed the thought from her mind as she pulled on the gloves and slipped her feet inside her shoes. Then she folded her traveling dress and draped the coat about her shoulders. There was no looking glass in this room, so Kate was unable to check her appearance, but she tucked her hair back into place as best she could and pinched her cheeks to add some color before exiting the room.

  Bill was sitting in the main room as she entered. “My, my, aren’t you a sight?” he whistled.

  The words should have brought a smile to Kate’s face, but instead they caused the hairs on her arms to stand on end.

  “Time’s a wasting,” he said, standing. “Let’s head back into town, so I can make you my wife.”

  Kate noticed he was still wearing gloves as he held out his arm to her. Had he injured his hands or were they deformed in some way?

  She took his arm and followed him out to the wagon where he again helped her get in before climbing up beside her. The ride back to town was quiet as Kate’s mind was on her future, and she had no idea what Bill was thinking.

  The church was a small clapboard building with a single steeple which housed a bell. Though probably a bright white at one time, the paint was now faded and peeling, giving the church a dilapidated appearance. Kate wondered if anyone had any pride for this church.

  Bill helped her down and led her inside. Rows of wooden pews lined either side of the aisle, and a single reed organ sat at the front of the church under a stained-glass window.

  “Welcome,” a voice said from the front. “I’m Pastor Jacob.” A short man clad all in black stepped out from behind the pulpit at the front.

  “Pastor, it’s Bill Easterly. I’ve come with Kate Whidby for you to marry us,” Bill said. To Kate he whispered, “Pastor Jacob has trouble remembering things from time to time.”

  “Oh yes, Bill,” the preacher said. “I’ve been expecting you. Do you have the rings?”

  “I do,” Bill stated, patting his pocket.

  “Wonderful,” Pastor Jacob said. “If you are both ready, please remove your coats and gloves.”

  Kate removed her coat and gloves and laid them on the pew in the first row. Bill hesitated but removed his gloves as well.

  “Please join hands,” Pastor Jacob instructed, waving his hands in a motion to get them to step closer together.

  After another small hesitation, Bill held out his hands to Kate. It was only a momentary flash as he quickly turned them palm up, but it was long enough for her to see the white puckered skin on his left hand. Her eyes widened slightly, and she forced herself to remain calm. What nightmare was she living in? This man wasn’t just creepy; he was the robber. There was no way she could go through with this marriage, but how was she going to get away without arousing his suspicion?

  “Do you have any guests?” Pastor Jacob asked, moving from side to side and scanning the church.

  “No, it’s just us,” Bill said. “Can we get on with the ceremony?”

  “I suppose, but it will change my wording. It’s hard to say dearly beloved when there is no one out there.”

  Perhaps this was her chance. “I’m sorry,” Kate said. “This was my mother’s dress, and I think my corset is too tight. Is there a place where I might loosen it? I’m feeling rather faint.”

  “Are you alright?” Bill asked.

  “I just need a moment. I’m sure I’ll be fine,” Kate said. “I just need to let the corset out a bit. My mother was a little smaller I guess.”

  “You can use my study just through that door,” Pastor Jacob pointed to a doorway behind him.

  Kate couldn’t tell if there was an outside door attached to the room Pastor Jacob had pointed to, but she had no other choice. “I’ll be right back,” she said, smiling sweetly at Bill and hoping she looked convincing.

  Kate hurried to the room, frowning slightly at the thought of leaving her coat, but there was no way she could grab it. The room held a small desk, and even more importantly, it had another doorway. As Kate put her hand on the handle, she prayed it led outside.

  The light had receded while she’d been inside, and the air had cooled, but Kate didn’t care. There was enough light from the moon to light her path. She took off running to the right. As she rounded the church, she saw a horse tied up to a nearby post. While Kate didn’t believe in stealing, this might be her only chance to escape.

  With one swift motion, she untied the reins and swung herself up onto the saddle. The wedding dress groaned in agony as it stretched in unexpected ways, and Kate found her airways slightly constricted. She dug her heels into the horse, urging it into a run.

  She was almost past the last building when the shot rang out. It wasn’t near her, but she could hear yelling behind her. Kate hunkered as low as she could on the horse and rode on, praying Bill would not find a horse or get his own unhooked from the wagon in time.

  Chapter Eight

  Jesse had just finished feeding the livestock when a movement in the nearby brush caught his eye. Dropping his hand to the hilt of the revolver on his side, Jesse approached the brush.

  He expected a wild animal or perhaps an escaped calf, but he was unprepared for the tattered and dirty creature he found instead. “Miss Whidby?”

  Her dark hair was a tangled, matted mess with stray grass and weeds sticking out of it. Her dress, once probably clean and beautiful, was now covered in dirt and ripped in several places. Scratches lined her arms and face, their angry red marks standing in steep contrast to her alabaster skin.

  “Bill?” she asked in a soft, confused voice as her eyes fluttered open for just a moment.

  “No, it’s Jesse. Jesse Jennings or Deputy Jennings.” When she didn’t respond, Jesse leaned down and picked her up. Her head flopped against his shoulder, and even in her current disheveled state, he could still smell a soft flowery scent.

  After a quick glance around to make sure no one was lying in ambush, Jesse hurried toward his house, barely feeling the weight of the woman in his arms. He kicked open the door, crossed to his bedroom, and laid her down on the bed.

  Unsure where to begin, Jesse grabbed a rag and dipped it in the washbasin. He wished he had someone he could send to fetch Doc Moore, but there was no one close. He would have to do what he could to patch her up and then load her up in his wagon when he was sure she could make the trip.

  He brought the wet cloth back to the bed and touched a red mark on her cheek. It elicited a slight moan, but her eyes remained closed. What had happened to her? And who was Bill?

  One at a time, he cleaned out the scratches and wiped the dirt off her face and arms. After three washings of the rag, he had cleaned off all the dirt and scratches he could see. With nothing else to do except wait for her to wake up, he covered her with a blanket, shut and locked the front door, and stretched out on the floor beside her.

  The sun had set completely when he awoke later to the sound of Miss Whidby’s voice. “God, please don’t let him find me. Please Lord, protect me.” She thrashed from side to side as if having a nightmare.

  “Shh, Miss Whidby,” he said, laying a hand on her head. “You’re having a bad dream, that’s all.”

  Her eyes snapped open. They were a deep blue like he imagined the color of the ocean at its deepest point might be. For a moment, they were dazed, glancing from left to right as she took in the surroundings. Then they landed on him and she scooted farther back on the bed.

  “Deputy Jennings?” she asked. “How did I get here?”

  “I found you in the brush by my barn. Can you tell me what happened?”

  Her eyes closed a moment, and he thought she had fallen asleep again. “I was looking for you.”

  “For me? Why?”

  Her eyes opened. “I found him. The robber.”

  “You found him?” Anger surged through Jesse. Had he been the one to injure Miss Whidby as well? Jesse wanted to tear out of the house and hunt the man down, but he needed a name, a description
, something. “Who is he?” Jesse asked, but Miss Whidby had passed out again.

  Jesse growled in frustration and fought the urge to shake her. Whatever she had gone through must have been terrible, and she needed her rest, but there would be no more rest for him. Not until she awoke again and could tell him what happened.

  Kate stirred as the first rays of morning filtered in through the windows.

  “Where... Where am I?” Kate asked as she struggled to sit up. Her head pounded, and the room tilted in an unusual manner.

  “Don’t move too fast,” a male voice said.

  Kate looked to the voice, surprised to see Deputy Jennings’s face looking back at her. She pulled the blanket up to her chin and shied away from him.

  He held out his hand, and reluctantly Kate took it, allowing the deputy to help her sit up and lean against the headboard.

  As soon as the deputy released her hand, he stepped back as if her very presence was fire. He crossed his arms and met her gaze. Kate wondered if there ever had been warmth in his brown eyes. “I found you on my property last night, and you were in pretty bad shape.”

  Kate closed her eyes and shook her head slowly. “I didn’t know where you lived. I was just trying to get to Sage Creek to find you because you are the only lawman I know.”

  “Yes, you said as much last night. You said you found him.” A light seemed to enter him as he spoke of the robber.

  “Yeah, I found him or rather he found me,” Kate said with a snort. “I almost married him. His name is Bill Easterly. At least that’s the name he gave me. He’s a rancher in Lisbon.”

  “He lives that close?”

  Kate blinked at the anger oozing from Deputy Jennings voice. “He took me to his house. I could probably find it again.”

  His eyes snapped up to meet hers, and a fire blazed in them before he sighed. “No, we need to get you to Doc Moore first. What happened out there anyway?”

  Kate bit the inside of her lip as the hazy images came back to her. “I ran from the church as soon as I knew it was him. He wore gloves all day, but he took them off for the ceremony, and I saw the scar. There was a horse outside. I’m ashamed to say I stole it.”