Then there was Gerard. Justice had strong reservations about taking on the responsibility of a rebellious boy who seemed determined to cause destruction, one who made clear how much he hated Justice. He still couldn’t think of a way to befriend Gerard, especially not while the boy saw his dandified cousin as a hero.
After taking Thunder to the livery stable, where owner Ben Russell insisted upon tending the horse, he hustled down the windy street to his small apartment above the jailhouse. More exhausted than he’d realized, he started a fire in the cold potbellied stove, moved his cot closer to dispel the chill that had seeped into his bones and fell into a dreamless sleep.
* * *
Justice had one hour to work on the village while he waited for Tolley to open his office. The list Evangeline had given him last night was in his pocket. It heated him more than the warmth of the library stove where he’d started a fire. Soon he would know whether Evangeline had signed those invoices.
As he worked on the roof of the tiny gazebo, an image of her beautiful face drifted through his mind. Come summer, he could see sitting with her in the real-life gazebo in the town park. It would be the perfect place to propose... Wait! He shouldn’t be thinking about a proposal when he still hadn’t proved her innocence.
“Good morning.”
Justice jumped, and his razor-sharp blade gouged a tiny chunk from the wooden roof and barely missed his left thumb. He turned to see the object of his musings in the doorway looking far too beautiful for his own good. Her cold-reddened cheeks and bright pink nose enhanced rather than detracted from her loveliness.
“Morning, Evangeline.” He forced his eyes back to the work at hand. He’d have to glue the chunk back in place or start all over again on the roof. He’d also have to quit these involuntary reactions to this lady. Or quit his job. A lawman needed to be in control of his emotions, a skill he’d begun to lose the day she arrived in Esperanza. “I see you made it to town.” He discarded the ruined piece and picked up another square of wood.
“Yes. Thank you for starting the fire.” She removed her gloves, coat and hat and hung them on the rack outside the door. “I still have difficulty doing it.” Moving into the back room, she assembled her paints. “What shall I work on?”
He studied the completed pine and applewood carvings. “How about the schoolhouse?”
“Very well.” She sat on the stool beside him and opened the jar of white paint.
Her gardenia perfume wafted in his direction, stirring his senses as well as his curiosity because it wasn’t listed among her debts. Why not simply ask about it? Because he was afraid of the answer.
“Your perfume reminds me of the gardenia bushes in my mother’s garden.” Somehow he got the words out without choking on the grief such thoughts always produced.
“It does the same for me.” She gave him a sad smile. “Your mother was a dear lady. I’m sure you miss her, as I do mine.”
“Yes.” He needed to turn the discussion back to the flowers without raising her suspicions.
“I’ll be sorry when I use the last of this fragrance.” She bent close to her work and narrowed her eyes to touch up a detail on the schoolhouse window. “I don’t suppose gardenias grow in this cold climate. I’ll have to find local flowers from which to make my perfume.”
Despite the giddy feelings pulsing through him, Justice managed not to gouge another chunk from his new piece of wood. So she’d concocted the perfume, not bought it. “Nolan Means has a hothouse. He grows several flowers you may like.” His voice shook, but she didn’t seem to notice.
“Ah, I didn’t know that.” She sent a tentative smile his way. Only then did he notice her voice was shaking, too.
* * *
My, he was being so conversational. So friendly. Yet, as much as Evangeline longed to trust him, she didn’t dare. Not after the sly remarks Hugo whispered to her this morning before they left the house. As she’d feared, he and Justice were in collusion against her. He’d presented the evidence to the sheriff, and as soon as it was verified, he would cart her off to New Orleans, along with the children.
Everything inside her fought against his cruel words. Surely Justice wouldn’t have offered to fetch the material for the children’s costumes if he intended to send her away with Hugo before the Christmas play. And the two of them had been less than friendly toward each other last night. But no matter what happened, she needed to proceed as if everything was all right. Let them bring their case against her...or not. In the meantime, she would fulfill her assignment for the play.
“I don’t suppose you’ve already been to Mrs. Winsted’s.”
Still concentrating on his work, he shook his head. “No. I wanted to get to work on this. We still have a few more buildings to make, and we’re running out of time.”
“Oh. Then you can give me the list.” She nodded toward his shirt pocket, assuming he’d keep it there. “I can get the items on my way to the rehearsal after school.”
“Um.” He set down his knife and reached up, then paused. “Uh-oh.”
“You don’t have it?” She felt a pinch of annoyance. Without Susanna’s input, which was recorded on the list, she might forget something.
“I’m sorry.” He began to clean up his work area. “Did you drive the sleigh to town?”
“Me? Oh, my, no.” She managed a laugh, choosing to ignore his deliberate change of subject. He probably felt bad for forgetting the list. “I’ve never learned to drive two horses, much less a sleigh. Nate drove us to town.” She’d been grateful for his company, which prevented Hugo from dishing out more of his poison as he rode alongside them. “With the sun out today, he said the roads should be clear enough to bring home the buggy this evening. If not, he’ll come and get us.”
“Or I could save him the trip to town and drive you home again.” Justice retrieved his coat and hat from the rack and put them on.
“That would be nice.” The words were out before she could stop herself. “To save Nate the trouble, I mean.”
He gave her a questioning smile. “Would you mind my company?”
Her heart skipped a beat. “No, not at all.”
“Then if the roads haven’t cleared, I’ll take you and the children home after the rehearsal.”
She nodded, not trusting her voice. He left the room, and when she heard the front door clicking closed, she began to weep. She didn’t know whether it was with fear or with longing.
* * *
When Justice entered Tolley’s office, the receptionist, Effie Bean, greeted him. “Good morning, Sheriff. How’s your house coming? Sure looks good from the outside.”
“Almost ready for me to move in.” He didn’t mind the question. Folks in Esperanza cared about each other’s lives, a fact he hoped Giles understood. Although Evangeline hadn’t been in town long, she had their loyalty because of her connection to the Northam family.
“Well, I hope you’re planning to have a housewarming party, because you know all the ladies will want to take a tour of the inside.” She punctuated her comment with a laugh.
Justice put his hand on his chest and groaned dramatically. “Effie, you’re the second person to insist I have some short of shindig. I’ll have to give it some serious thought.”
“Let me know if you need any help. Homer and I will be glad to oblige.”
“Maybe I will.” Or not. He wasn’t sure they and Electra Means would be a good combination to plan such an event for him. Homer and Effie were down-to-earth, while Electra preferred fancier doings.
“Tolley’s expecting you.” Effie waved toward the short hallway leading to the lawyer’s office. “He said to send you on back.”
“Thank you.” As he walked, he took Evangeline’s list from his pocket. She’d almost caught him when she asked for it. Worse, he’d almost handed it to her.
> “Morning, Sheriff.” Tolley stood to shake his hand. “I think we’re well on our way to proving Mrs. Benoit isn’t liable for that bank note.”
At the unexpected news, a flood of relief overcame Justice, and he dropped into a chair across from Tolley. “Thank You, Lord.” He sat forward and leaned his elbows on the desk. “What have you learned? And how did you get it so fast?”
“We live in a wonderful age, my friend, when correspondence travels quickly over the wires instead of days or weeks over land.” Tolley pulled a telegram from his desk and set it on top of Giles’s portfolio. “And it’s always good to have old friends who can investigate matters for you, especially when their integrity is above reproach. Henry Slade and I attended law school in Boston together.” He handed the yellow page to Justice. “Read this.”
Justice read aloud telegraph operator Charlie Williams’s transcription. “‘Giles bank not legitimate. Backs gambling dens and worse. LA law says third party not responsible for gambling debts unless she signed note. Will check ownership of Benoit house. Miss Boston seafood.’”
“Ha! That takes care of that.” He slapped the telegram on the desk and put the note on top of it. “Now, does this signature look anything like the ones on those bills?”
Tolley pulled the papers from the portfolio, shuffled through them and held the list next to each bill. “Hmm. The capital letters are similar, but look at the n’s. On the list, they’re rounded. On the bills they have a little point and dip. The dots over the i’s here are tiny circles, but on the list they have dots. And there are several other discrepancies.” He gave Tolley a triumphant grin. “I would call them obvious forgeries.”
“Thank You, Lord.” Justice would have whooped with happiness if he weren’t indoors. “Now, what about the children’s guardianship?”
“Gerard and Isabelle now live in Colorado in a respectable home. I doubt our good Circuit Judge Hartley will allow a scalawag to take an honest widow’s children away from her. To be sure, I’ve sent him a telegram. I expect to hear back from him soon, so let’s wait for the final piece of the puzzle before we tell Evangeline what we’ve learned and before we confront Giles.”
Justice tapped his foot impatiently and mulled over the idea. “All right. As much as I’d prefer to get that scalawag out of town before the Pass closes, it’s probably a good idea to have the whole matter sewed up first.”
“You know what bothers me?” Tolley frowned and shook his head. “It’s tragic to think of the anguish Giles has put Evangeline through. I doubt she even knew the laws. Many women don’t, especially if they have controlling fathers, husbands or other male relatives. The best thing she did was to leave New Orleans so she couldn’t be tricked into paying off these debts.” He waved a hand over the stack of bills.
“From the way she seems afraid of him, I’m guessing she does believe she’s responsible for them, or at least the bank note.” Justice scratched his chin and stared out the window, which faced Main Street. Merchants were opening their stores, and customers were parking wagons and horses. The business day had begun. He needed to start his rounds of the town soon. “If she doesn’t have the money, he could control her and the children by holding the debt over her head. But why would he want to blackmail her? It doesn’t make sense.”
“I’m hoping Henry can find out for us. Once he catches a scent, he’s like a hound dog after his quarry.”
“What do you know about hound dogs?” Justice chuckled. His heart felt lighter than it had since before Evangeline arrived at the train station two months ago.
Tolley laughed, too. “Nothing, really. It’s something Susanna’s father says. You know these Southerners and their quaint sayings.”
“Hey, watch it, friend. I’m from the South.” Justice stood and shook Tolley’s hand. “Thanks for everything.”
“My pleasure, Justice. Don’t you give this situation another moment of worry. We’ll take care of your lady.”
“My lady? Well...”
Tolley laughed in earnest now. “Yep. Your lady.”
As Justice trekked back to his office next door, he couldn’t find any reason to deny the lawyer’s assertion. He did care for Evangeline. Perhaps he’d never stopped caring for her.
But how did she feel about him? All the signs pointed to her still being afraid of him, and it was his fault. If he hadn’t dwelt on past hurts but instead been friendlier, showed the Lord’s forgiveness toward her like he himself received every day, maybe she would have trusted him with her troubles from the start.
Now he must make up for his failure...and pray she would give him another chance.
Chapter Eleven
After a day of milder weather under a pale sun, the roads cleared enough for Evangeline to resume driving the buggy to and from town. By the end of the week, she was enjoying her work and the children’s rehearsals so much she refused to let fears of the future destroy her present happiness. Perhaps Justice was delaying her arrest so she could help him complete the Christmas village. Yet when he came each morning to work on the project, he was more solicitous than threatening. Still, each morning as she sat beside him painting the objects he’d carved the day before, she wondered when he would bring up Hugo’s claims. Yet he didn’t.
If not for Hugo’s afternoon visits, she wouldn’t worry. But he did come. Further, he insisted upon walking with her to the church for the rehearsals. Like a pesky stray, he dogged her heels, often repeating his threat to take the children away in the middle of the night, as she’d done when she left New Orleans. Of course he never spoke of it in front of anyone else. His torments were for her ears only.
On Friday as she was eating her sandwich, Justice returned to the library with Gerard.
“Evangeline, Miss Prinn has had enough of your son’s disobedience.” Justice appeared more disappointed than angry, as he’d been the other times Gerard misbehaved. “You’ll need to keep him with you. He’s been suspended for three school days for deliberately breaking some other students’ slates.” He tipped his hat and left the building without another word.
“Oh, Gerard.” She faced her son. “What am I going to do with you?”
He gave her a smirk that was entirely too much like Hugo’s. “Why don’t you pay him off?”
She gasped. “What? What are you talking about?”
“Pay him off, and he’ll quit bothering me. I heard Father paying off a constable one time so he wouldn’t report something.”
“I’m sure you misunderstood.” And yet, Evangeline didn’t doubt it for a moment. “Besides, that’s wrong. Sheriffs and constables and other lawmen are our protectors. They help to keep us safe. What would become of us if every man did what was right in his own eyes, as Reverend Thomas spoke about last Sunday? Stronger men would take everything we have and mistreat us terribly.” Just as Lucius had done to her. “None of us would be safe. It’s why we have laws. Don’t you want to keep Isabelle safe?”
He bunched his fists and scowled. “Nobody better hurt my sister...or you. I won’t let them.”
His bold statement brought tears to her eyes. “See. You do understand.” She pulled him into her arms. “There is a right and a wrong. We should always try our best to do what’s right. That means in school, too.”
He moved away from her, set his dinner bucket on a table and took out his sandwich. “I’m hungry.” As usual, he changed the subject when she addressed his behavior.
Evangeline took her food over to the same table and sat beside him. “I’m proud of the way you’ve been helping Nate at the ranch.”
He sat up straighter. “Do you think he’ll let me have the new foal? I mean, do you think I could earn it?”
“Hmm. Perhaps. But your being suspended from school might make him think you’re not responsible enough to take care of your own horse.”
A light seemed t
o dawn in his eyes. He stared off toward the front windows thoughtfully, then slowly nodded.
Evangeline’s heart warmed. Maybe he was beginning to understand.
Several patrons entered the library and searched for books, each appearing surprised to see a child out of school.
“Aren’t you feeling well?” every solicitous mother or grandmother asked him.
After one too many ladies put her hand on his forehead to check for fever, Gerard scowled and moved to the back of the room, curling up on the floor beside the stove with Treasure Island, his favorite book since she’d begun reading it to his class.
As the afternoon wore on, the influx of readers slowed until only Evangeline and Gerard occupied the large room. A quick look revealed her son had fallen asleep on his coat, so she covered him with her own.
“Lord, please show Gerard his behavior must improve,” she whispered, brushing a gentle hand over his cheek.
Back at her desk, she made a list of books due back soon, planning to write notes to remind the borrowers.
“Well, aren’t we the busy bee?” Hugo slithered into the library, his snake-like grin making her shudder.
“What do you want, Hugo?” She kept her eyes on her work, but no longer saw the page.
“You know what I want.” He removed his hat and pulled up a chair against her desk. “If you and the children don’t return to New Orleans with me, I’ll have your beau, the sheriff, arrest you and send you back in my custody.”
“My what?” Justice certainly wasn’t her beau, but she did wish he were her friend.
Cowboy Lawman's Christmas Reunion Page 16