by Joyce Alec
She thought that Reuben was about to refuse, given the way that he sat, frowning at the floor for a few moments, but eventually, he let out a long sigh. “I guess you can come, but you’re not to come inside, Etta. Gus won’t say much if he knows you’re there. Of course, if you come with me, then I’m guessing my ma won’t be far behind.”
Hettie cleared her throat, surprising them both. Etta turned her head to see Hettie looking at them with wide, bright eyes and a small mischievous smile on her face. “You’re right about that, Reuben,” she said with a small shrug. “Although you’re both gonna have to start right at the beginning with this story. What’s the nonsense with this brooch all about? And why did it go and get Etta so terribly hurt?”
Etta looked helplessly at Reuben, knowing that they were going to have to tell Hettie everything, but not quite sure where to start.
“Ma,” Reuben began, getting to his feet. “Let me go get the brooch and the telegram first of all. Etta met a lady on the stage here, and she was the one who gave her the brooch and asked her to keep it safe.”
“Her name was Laurel,” Etta explained, as Reuben quickly left the room. “I didn’t know that until afterward, but she was very afraid for some reason. Said something about not being sure about ‘him’, whoever that is, and she was worried that she wouldn’t be safe if she arrived at Copper Peaks. I said I’d keep the brooch for her – well, not that I had much choice in the matter – but I still have it. I reckon that, somehow, the person Laurel was so afraid of is looking for the brooch, which is why they ransacked my bedroom and then attacked me to see if I was wearing it.”
Hettie’s eyes had grown very wide as Etta explained, her fingers clasping together tightly. “Laurel, did you say?” she asked slowly. “Laurel Jamieson?”
Etta frowned. “I don’t know her last name,” she said slowly. “Gus claims that she’s his sister-in-law, but I—”
“Oh, goodness,” Hettie breathed slowly. “I haven’t seen that dear lady in a long time. She married Gus’s brother, John Jamieson, a good few years ago. I-I knew John had passed away, but I never thought she’d be coming back here. Not when—” Hettie stopped dead, one hand trembling as she pressed it to her mouth.
“What were you about to say, Ma?”
Etta jerked her head around, seeing Reuben come quietly back into the room, his hand holding the brooch and the telegram. “Do you know something about Laurel that I don’t?”
Hettie nodded jerkily. “I don’t know if you remember this, Reuben, but Gus tried to convince Laurel to marry him instead of his brother.”
Reuben frowned heavily. “No, I don’t remember. I didn’t think I’d ever met Laurel before.”
“It was a few years ago now,” Hettie continued, her eyes growing a little distant as she recalled the memory. “Laurel came to town, and she and John were going to marry here. For whatever reason, Gus decided that he was desperately in love with her – or so he said – but Laurel refused to break her engagement to John. I don’t know why Gus was so desperate for her to marry him but, at one point, he tried to force her into it.”
Etta swallowed hard, her blood running cold in her veins. “Force her?” she repeated in a voice that wasn’t quite loud enough. “How?”
Hettie shook her head. “It’s best you don’t know,” she replied slowly, her eyes dark. “Needless to say, John found out, and things between the brothers were…strained…to say the least. That all happened in the space of a week, Reuben, which is why you probably never knew. Laurel and John moved out of town and started life over. I never expected her to come back. Why would she come back now, when John is dead? Surely, there isn’t a reason for her to come back to Gus, especially after what he did.”
There was a short, strained silence. Etta and Reuben were trying to work through what Hettie had just told them. As Etta looked at Reuben, she saw just how angry he was.
“I never knew any of this,” he said in a tight voice. “I remember hearing that John had left. While I thought it was quick and a bit odd, I never thought much of it. There were so many folks going after gold that I just thought…” Closing his eyes for a moment, Reuben drew in a ragged breath. “Gus is my friend, Ma. Why didn’t you say anything?”
She hesitated for a moment, before sighing heavily. “Because it wasn’t my place, Reuben. It was all kept quite quiet, for whatever reason, and that was how John and Laurel wanted it. They didn’t want it spreading all around town and for everyone to know what had happened. The sheriff made sure Gus had a decent punishment for what he’d done, but that was all there was to it. Like I said, it was a long time ago, and I never expected Laurel to come back to town. People do things they shouldn’t and then folks never let ‘em forget it. I thought it was best not to say anything to you, Reuben. I sure am sorry if that was wrong of me.”
Reuben ran one hand through his hair, his eyes squeezing shut. “I always thought so well of him,” he said slowly. “That ranch of his, the way he runs it…it was always something I admired.”
“Oh, but that ranch isn’t his,” his mother interrupted quickly, making Etta catch her breath with surprise. “It belongs to John. He was the eldest, remember? He was happy enough to let Gus run it, but I don’t reckon he ever signed it over to him.”
“But who does it belong to now?” Etta asked, one hand against her stomach as a thrill of nervousness ran through her. “If John is dead, then doesn’t Gus have full ownership of it now?”
Hettie shook her head slowly. “I can’t say, Etta. I don’t know, but what I will say is that I’d be awful surprised if John left it to Gus after everything he’d done. It was fair enough for John to let Gus run the ranch, since it was in the family’s best interest, but I don’t reckon he’d ever let him have ownership of it.”
Etta let out a long breath, her astonishment mounting with every moment. “I just don’t understand what that’s gotta do with the brooch and the telegram,” she said, half to herself. “Unless that man that spoke to me was Laurel’s brother, trying to keep her safe.”
“Brother?”
Raising her eyes to Hettie, Etta realized that she’d not mentioned him yet. Briefly, she told her about their very strange meeting and saw Hettie’s eyes widen all the more. Reuben handed Hettie the telegram, and she read it quickly.
“That might be Michael,” she murmured softly, making Etta gasp. “He was the one who saw Gus trying to force Laurel onto his horse the night it happened. I never knew what happened to him, but he’s obviously come back here now. I always remember that strange patch of grey on the side of his head,” she finished, as Etta nodded fervently. “Such a good man.”
“That sounds like him,” Etta breathed, her fingers tightening on the bedsheets. “There was a patch of grey in his hair that reminded me of Laurel’s eyes.”
A small smile crossed Hettie’s face. “Then I reckon the telegram is real enough,” she said, reading it again. “Laurel must have set up some kind of escape for herself, afraid that what her brother had written her might be right.” Tipping her head, she frowned as she looked at Etta. “But that doesn’t explain why she gave you the brooch, especially if she was meeting someone. You said someone was coming to her when you saw her getting off the stage?”
Nodding, Etta lifted one shoulder helplessly. “But I didn’t see who it was, but Laurel didn’t seem afraid of him. So why wouldn’t she just take the brooch with her?”
“Unless she wasn’t sure of the person coming to help her,” Reuben said slowly, his brows burrowing down his forehead as he thought. “She had to be certain that it stayed away from Gus, and the only way she could do that was to trust it to a stranger.”
“It sure was risky,” Hettie sighed, looking up at her son. “Can I see the brooch?”
“Sure.” Reuben handed it to her, and Etta smiled at the surprise on Hettie’s face. She’d had the very same reaction the first time she’d seen it.
“My, my,” Hettie breathed, turning the brooch over and over in her
hand. “It really is magnificent.”
“And it would fetch a lot of money,” Reuben added with a rueful smile. “Do you reckon that’s why Gus wants it?”
Etta looked at him in surprise. This wasn’t what she’d expected from Reuben. She’d thought he’d still be desperate to find a way to defend his friend, but now here he was, basically stating that, yes, he did think that Gus was involved in all of this.
“I can’t be sure, I—! Oh!”
Leaning forward, Etta fixed her eyes on Hettie. “What is it?”
“This,” Hettie exclaimed, gesturing to the initials. “Oh, Reuben, don’t you recognize them?”
Reuben shook his head, his expression puzzled. “No, Ma. Should I?”
“Yes, you should,” Hettie cried, throwing up one of her hands in exasperation. “That’s the initials of Gus and John’s mother and father. R.T. is Rachel Taylor and D.J. is Drake Jamieson.”
Reuben let out a low whistle and reached for the brooch again, turning it over in his hand. “I never knew his mother’s unmarried name,” he muttered, his finger lightly tracing the initials. “But then that’s why John had it. It was obviously something to remind him of his parents.”
“Which would still suggest that Gus wants it simply for the money,” Etta replied, her mind working over the problem. “But that doesn’t make sense to me, Reuben. The ranch is bringing in more than enough, isn’t it? You always said–”
“It is,” Reuben interrupted, looking a little angry as well as confused. “I reckon I’ve got a whole heap of questions to ask Gus, cause this sure is a bag of nails. In fact, it puts me in mind to head on over there this very minute!” He rose to his feet. Frantic that Reuben was about to do just that, Etta leaned forward and caught his hand, just as a wave of pain washed over her. Squeezing her eyes shut, she held his hand as tight as she could, flopping back against the pillows.
“Please,” she said, as firmly as she could. “Please just wait until tomorrow, Reuben. We can talk this through a bit more and work out what questions to ask Gus. There’s a whole lot of trouble that could come out of this.”
“And we ought to involve the sheriff,” Hettie added calmly. “I know this is difficult for you, Reuben, but you’re gonna have to sit on it for one more night. Just until we can talk to the sheriff and tell him what we know. The last thing we want is Gus admitting something to you and then trying to make sure you don’t tell another living soul.”
Etta shuddered violently, but to her relief, Reuben subsided.
“Tomorrow then,” he muttered, rubbing one hand over his eyes. “And I’d best go get the sheriff.”
“And I’ll put this brooch away somewhere safe,” Hettie added, getting to her feet. “And you, Etta, ought to rest. You’re gonna need to be up and out of that bed tomorrow if you’re wanting to see an end to this mess.” She smiled, patting Etta’s hand. “You’re quite something, my dear. I’m sure glad you’re all right.”
Etta smiled, feeling a huge sense of relief that she’d been able to share her burden with both Reuben and Hettie. What was more, they were all going to be able to work together to try and find out the truth about Laurel and the brooch. “Thank you, Hettie,” she said softly. “I’ll be glad to get the brooch back to Laurel, whenever she turns up. Maybe then life will become a little simpler.” As she spoke, Etta couldn’t help letting her gaze slide towards Reuben, who was rubbing the back of his neck a little distractedly, although he did catch her eye.
“I reckon it will,” Hettie murmured, with a knowing smile. “Go on and rest now. I’ll be back real soon.”
10
“Gus?”
Reuben stepped into the ranch house, but was met with nothing but silence. His friend wasn’t there, which was unusual given that last time they’d spoken Gus had claimed to still be feeling under the weather. He’d thought that, this late in the day, Gus would be at home resting.
“Gus?” he called again, stepping a little further into the house but making sure to stay within arm’s reach of the door. “Are you in here?”
His skin prickled with anxiety, but Reuben stayed exactly where he was. In the last day or so, it felt as though everything he thought he knew about his friend had been turned on his head, to the point that he felt as though Gus was almost a stranger to him. Why had he never known about Gus’s attempt to force Laurel to marry him? Yes, it had been kept quiet deliberately, and yes, it had been a few years ago—but surely Gus would have said something to him? But no, it had never been mentioned. Added to that was the memory that Gus had never once said anything about having a sister-in-law, or the late mention of his brother’s passing. Something was wrong, very wrong, and Reuben was determined to find out what it was.
“It’s Reuben,” he called again, his hands now planted firmly on his hips. “Gus? I need to talk to you. It’s about Laurel.”
A shuffling sound caught his ears. As he watched, the door to the bedroom opened and Gus stood there, framed in the doorway. He had an almost haggard expression, his hair sticking up in all directions. Dark shadows were smudged onto his face, and he had a wild look in his eyes.
A shiver ran straight through Reuben.
“Did you say Laurel?” Gus said slowly, leaning heavily on the doorframe. “What about her, Reuben?”
Reuben lifted his chin, keeping his gaze fixed on his friend. “Do you know where she is, Gus?”
His friend frowned. “I thought you were coming here to tell me something about her, Reuben.”
“I didn’t say that,” Reuben replied quickly. “I said I needed to talk to you about Laurel, and this time, Gus, I want the truth. I want to know who she is to you.”
Gus frowned but didn’t move. “I told you. She’s my sister-in-law, that’s all.”
Reuben arched a brow. “Is that really all, Gus?”
A dark look flashed into Gus’s eyes, as one hand slowly formed into a fist. “That was meant to be kept quiet. Besides, it’s got no bearing on her now.”
“Are you sure about that?” Reuben asked firmly. “What was it about her, Gus, that made you almost force her to be your wife?”
“That wasn’t what it was like!” Gus shouted, slamming his fist against the doorframe. “She told me she loved me. She told me she wanted to get away from John. I tried to get her to marry me, but she was too afraid of him.”
Reuben snorted. “Don’t lie to me, Gus.”
“I’m not lying!” Gus shouted, his face flushed with anger. “I’ve been desperately looking for her, Reuben. I’ve been doing everything I can to get her back here, but I’m afraid he found her. I’m afraid he’s coming after her.”
Seeing the terrified look in Gus’s eyes gave Reuben pause. This wasn’t what he’d expected to hear from Gus, and to see him now standing so strong, so filled with rage, made Reuben hesitate for a moment.
“I can’t believe you, Gus,” he said eventually. “This doesn’t make sense. Why would your sister-in-law come all the way here to town to marry your brother, only to run away with him back to the city a week later if it wasn’t to do with your threats?”
Gus shook his head, groaning aloud. Staggering forward, he sat down heavily in a chair, his head in his hands.
“Tell me the truth, Gus,” Reuben pressed firmly. “You’ve gotta tell me everything.”
Slowly, Gus lifted his head. “You brought the sheriff, didn’t you?”
Reuben swallowed, knowing that he wasn’t able to lie. “I sure did. He’s outside.”
Gus nodded slowly. “Bring him in then,” he said slowly. “Bring them all in.”
There wasn’t much point in pretending there was no one else there. Getting up, Reuben walked to the door. In a moment, the ranch house held the sheriff, Etta, and Hettie. With a brief word of explanation, Hettie made her way to a seat in the corner, gesturing for Etta to join her. Reuben remained where he was, standing in front of the door as the sheriff meandered towards the stove, his eyes fixed on Gus.
“You’d better sta
rt from the beginning, Gus,” Reuben began, when everyone was ready. “And it had better be the truth. There’s enough confusion going on at the moment without you making things worse.”
“And you’ll be in enough trouble as it is,” the sheriff grunted, his eyes slightly narrowed. “Now talk.”
Gus let out a long, shaking breath before looking up and, to Reuben’s surprise, saw him fix his gaze on Etta.
“Laurel was with you on the stage,” he said quietly. “I know you either read the telegram, or she told you about it.”
Etta’s face went pale.
“Emerson told me he’d talked to you,” Gus continued in a dull voice. “He guessed from your expression that you were too afraid to say, but he knew all right. You can’t know just how relieved I was about that.”
Reuben frowned, his hands behind his back. “Emerson?”
“The man claiming to be Laurel’s brother,” Etta said hoarsely. “He talked to you, Gus? When I spoke to him, he was trying to hide from you.”
Gus shook his head sadly. “No, not from me. From John.”
“John?” Reuben repeated, as Hettie and Etta gasped in astonishment. “Your brother’s dead, Gus.”
Gus let out another heavy sigh and shook his head, his gaze on the floor. “I sure am sorry I lied to you, Reuben, but I didn’t have no other choice. John’s not dead. Laurel was trying to escape from him, but she had nowhere else to go. She hasn’t got family, except her brother, and he’d been off panning for gold when she got hitched. He only knew too late what had happened to her. When she sent Emerson here to me, we tried to think of a way to get her away from John, a way to make sure she was safe.”
Closing his eyes, Reuben tried to make sense of what Gus was saying. “You’re telling me that this whole story about you trying to get Laurel to marry you was wrong?”
“She wanted to marry me!” Gus shouted, getting up from his chair suddenly as the sheriff stepped forward, evidently afraid that Gus was about to attack someone. “The minute she came here, I could tell she was afraid. I finally got her to talk to me. Turns out she’d met John when he’d been away buying more cattle, and her father, the cur, basically sold her to him as well as the steer. The poor lady didn’t have any other choice. John wasn’t a good man, Reuben. He terrified Laurel, with his dark threats and demands. She knew she’d have to obey him, or else it would be all the worse for her. I told her she could marry me first; I told her that I’d keep her safe, and finally, she agreed. That night, we were about to high-tail it out of Copper Peaks when John found us. Turns out he’d known everything all along.” Shaking his head, Gus dropped back into his seat, his voice breaking with emotion. “The way he laughed at her still breaks my heart.”