Misty's True Love (Mail Order Brides of Pioneer Town, Book 2)

by Ruth Hartzler

  Rosamund swallowed hard, pausing for several seconds before speaking. “May I ask what it is you came here for? Is something wrong? You seem much different than you normally are.”

  “That’s because I have endured a taxing day,” Olivia said, sighing as she spoke. “I came to see you with the hopes of putting matters to rights, so please tell me that I came to the right place to accomplish such a thing.”

  “I’m not sure I understand, Mrs. Mills. Is this about that maid?” Rosamund said, finally figuring out the reason behind Olivia’s visit.

  “Yes, it most certainly is. I need to know what really happened when she came to see you. And please, spare me the lies,” she said, folding her arms across her chest.

  The look on Rosamund’s face right then was a peculiar one. Her narrowed eyes seemed to dart around the room aimlessly as her hands began to fidget. “I apologize, but I am not quite sure I understand your meaning, Mrs. Mills. Are you asking if she actually stole my necklace or not?”

  “That is precisely what I am asking you, Miss Swire. Is Miss Fields the thief that you’ve made her out to be?” she asked, leaning forward in her chair.

  Rosamund paused again, averting Olivia’s gaze. “I am somewhat confused, if I may say so. I thought that you would approve…”

  “Approve? Of you lying to the sheriff, and to me?” Olivia asked, her voice slowly getting louder. “How absurd!”

  Rosamund looked affronted. “I only did what we had set out to do the moment that woman arrived to steal your son away from me. Isn’t that what you wanted as well, to secure a marriage between us?” Rosamund asked defensively, her eyes finally meeting Olivia’s again.

  “Yes,” she said, slowly rising from her chair, “but not like this, Miss Swire. You don’t falsely bring the law into family matters. I would suggest you drop the charges immediately so that this foolishness can be put behind us.”

  Rosamund’s mouth fell open. “You wish me to drop the charges and admit that I lied? Why would I do such a thing? That woman might not have stolen my necklace, but she did take something that belonged to me.”

  “You cannot be serious,” Olivia said, shaking her head. “You wish the woman to be falsely charged because you think she took my son from you? I suppose my son was right about you all along, and I am more regretful of not listening to him sooner than I am of ever trusting you. Would you please see me out?”

  “Mrs. Mills,” Rosamund said, leaping to her feet. “Please, stay awhile so we can discuss this. I never meant to…”

  “Unfortunately, Miss Swire, your intentions matter not. You did something horrible without any apprehension, and now you will not even confess to your deeds in order to clear her name. My opinions on Miss Fields have not changed, but I now see you for who you truly are. I must take my leave.”

  As Olivia turned to meet the butler in the doorway, Rosamund called out one last time. “Does this mean that he won’t be marrying me after all?”

  Olivia felt that the woman didn’t even deserve the dignity of a response after what she had done. “I hope your visit went well, my lady,” the butler said, ushering her out to the car.

  “I wouldn’t say that, but it did work out in my favor,” she said. As he turned to go back inside, she approached the vehicle and looked up at her driver. “Would you please take me to see the sheriff immediately.”

  “Yes, Madam. I’ll have you there at once,” the driver said.

  And just as he had promised, they arrived at the sheriff’s station in almost no time. The chilly evening was creeping up on them quickly.

  When she headed inside, the first person she saw was a short, chubby man wearing a brown uniform. “Good afternoon,” he said. “May I help you with something?”

  “Yes, I wish to speak to Sheriff Dobbs about an urgent matter,” Olivia said, looking over the man’s shoulder hoping to see if the sheriff might be around.

  “Oh, the sheriff is busy. I can see if…” the deputy said, before his sentence was abruptly interrupted by another man’s voice.

  “There’s no need, Roberts,” Sheriff Dobbs said, walking out into the foyer. “I’m right here.” He then turned his attention toward Olivia, smiling before speaking in a quiet, raspy tone. “Mrs. Mills, how unexpected it is to see you here. Is there something I may assist you with?”

  “Yes, there is. May we speak somewhere privately?”

  “Of course,” he said, pointing down the corridor. “We can speak in my office.”

  Sheriff Dobbs led Olivia to a small room near the back of the station. He pulled open the door, ushering her inside. “Please, take a seat if you’d like,” he added, pointing to a chair across from him as he sat down behind a large desk. “What seems to be the problem?”

  Olivia fidgeted in the uncomfortable chair, trying to get herself situated. “Well, for starters, you are holding an innocent woman for a crime she didn’t commit.”

  She watched the sheriff carefully as his mouth fell open. “Are you saying that Miss Fields isn’t the perpetrator of the theft? Then who is?”

  “No one is, and that’s the issue at hand. Miss Swire falsely reported a crime that hadn’t happened—for her own, selfish gain,” Olivia said, trying her best to explain the truth as she knew it. “Miss Rosamund Swire confessed the deed to me willingly. She thought that I would approve of such nonsense. Needless to say, that was not the case. I have matters that I will have to tend to once I get home with this news, but I felt it was my responsibility to speak with you and offer the truth. No one should be falsely imprisoned.”

  “Well, that’s certainly a stance that I agree with. In light of this new evidence, I will see that Miss Fields is released at once. May I inform her of your visit?”

  “No, please don’t,” Olivia said, looking down at her hands as she interlocked her fingers across her lap. “My son can explain everything to her. All she needs to know now is that she’s free to go.”

  “Yes, of course,” he said. “I will take care of it immediately.”

  Olivia stood up, smiling at the sheriff as she walked toward the door. “Thank you, Sheriff Dobbs. I wanted Miss Swire to resolve this mess on her own, but she refused, leaving me no other option.”

  “Thank you, Mrs. Mills,” he said

  “Don’t thank me, Sheriff. I am only doing what is right, and it is what I have to for my son. It’s he who would suffer the most from these lies.” Olivia then turned and headed back toward the main exit, but her mind was only focused on one thing now: regaining Cody’s trust.

  Chapter 16

  The last day had been something of a nightmare. Misty had been locked away in a cold, dusty cell for something she hadn’t done; a crime that had probably never even been committed. Misty was sure that the jewelry had not been stolen by at all, but was merely a false accusation against her. Now, things were left up in the air and she had no idea why. The sheriff had freed her, saying that evidence had been found to contradict the accusation, but he refused to elaborate any further on the subject. It was a good thing that the truth had been discovered, but now a dark cloud seemed to be following her around everywhere she went. It was a strange, odd sensation that she just couldn’t shake, regardless of how hard she tried.

  Misty sat in the drawing room, sipping from her morning teacup, when the sound of a gentle knock echoed softly through the house. “I wonder who that could be,” she whispered, looking around as if she would somehow see the visitor by doing so. Since Indiana and Morgan had gone to town that morning, Misty would have to greet the visitor and ask that they return at a later time or leave a message.

  As she made her way to the front, she could see a silhouette through the windows that lined the door. Although the man’s face was blurred and hard to see, Misty was sure that she recognized him. Pulling the door open in a hurry, she stood there in shock when she found out that she had been right: it was Cody.

  “I wasn’t aware that you would be stopping by today,” she said with delight.

  �
��I was hoping that you might be able to afford me some of your time,” Cody said, smiling through a reddened face.

  “Yes, of course,” Misty said, unsure of what to think of his sudden arrival. Was he there to tell her that the marriage would never happen? It would be in line with her luck, wouldn’t it? First the earthquake threatened her way of life back in San Francisco, and then her aunt’s passing sent her off to an even more futile place. “I hope that there is nothing is wrong.”

  “To be honest, things are better now than they were even a day ago. What I’ve come to say is nothing unsatisfactory. There are just a few matters I’d like to discuss with you in private, if I may,” Cody said, flashing his sweet smile her way. “Shall we take a walk?”

  “Yes, that would be lovely. There is a beautiful walk along the creek,” Misty said, excited, yet fearful at the same time, of having Cody join her at one of her favorite spots on the ranch.

  “That sounds lovely,” he said, holding out his arm for her to join him.

  It had been a rather unexpected start to her morning, but now Misty was walking Cody by her side. It was all such a stark contrast to what her day had felt like just one before.

  As they walked past along, the smell of cows wafted through the air, filling her nostrils with the unpleasant odor. She was finally beginning to grow accustomed to the stench, having lived with Indiana and Morgan for a while now, but even still, it caused her to sneeze and cough whenever she got too close to the cattle.

  “I see you have yet to master the art of cattle-ranching,” Cody said, laughing as he looked over at her. “It’s basically the same as any industry that works with animals or even lumber, though. It takes time to become accustomed to the dust and odors and whatnot when you’re living right there with it all.”

  His words were reassuring and comforting, but Misty’s last worry in the world right then was the smell of animals. “If only the cows were the most troubling thing about my time out here so far,” she said, the words escaping from her tongue before she could pull them back.

  “Pardon me? You’re speaking of what happened with the sheriff, aren’t you?” Cody said, stopping in his tracks.

  Misty was embarrassed. “I still don’t even know why I was arrested or what happened to have me released Misty said, sighing as she explained herself.

  “Well, that is precisely why I’m here.”

  “Oh,” Misty replied, her chest tightening as she stood there. “Well, the creek is just over that small crest on the hill,” she added, pointing toward it.

  “Then let us go and see this beautiful spot of yours,” Cody said, smiling as happily as she had ever seen him.

  It was a good thing that the creek was only a short trip from where they had briefly stopped, because the anticipation was wreaking havoc on Misty’s mind. When they arrived at the place, she walked over toward the stream and sat by a large pile of rocks on the shore. Then, she looked up at Cody, smiling in the hope that he would join her.

  “This is a rather remarkable sight,” he said, sitting beside her and staring off over the creek. “I can certainly see why you like to come here.”

  “Yes, it’s so nice and serene. I’ve found that it’s the perfect place to sit when I need to be alone or remind myself of how beautiful the world can be,” she said, watching the ripples in the water as they frothed and moved about with the current.

  “So,” Cody said, clearing his throat before he continued. “The reason I came out to see you was to let you know that Miss Rosamund Swire was behind everything that happened to you recently. She had the horrible idea of getting you out of the picture so that she could have me for herself,” he added, looking down at his feet as he spoke.

  Misty gasped. “Really? I cannot believe such a thing! Perhaps I should not have met with her,” she said, sighing loudly as she rubbed her forehead.

  “Well, do not blame yourself for her evil deeds,” Cody said, looking back up at her once again. “Miss Swire did what she did because she was envious of others. I am happy that Mother discovered the truth, and now it can all be left in the past where it belongs.”

  “Excuse me?” Misty said, honing in on a specific word that he had uttered. “Mrs. Mills is the one who found out what really happened?”

  Cody nodded. “Actually, yes. We had a lengthy discussion about the accusation and she took it upon herself to learn the truth.”

  “Oh,” Misty said, swallowing hard. “Why would Mrs. Mills help me, of all people?”

  “Well, Mother has always been a bit difficult, but I truly believe she’s always had the best intentions in mind. There were moments in the past where I questioned that belief, but she didn’t have to do what she did this time. Once she saw how upset the false arrest had gotten me, she went to Miss Swire’s at once to learn the truth. She asked Miss Swire to drop the charges, but even that was pointless. In the end, Mother went to the sheriff and insisted that you be released.”

  Misty listened to him carefully, almost certain that she had misheard something. “Mrs. Mills did all that?”

  “Yes,” Cody said. I know that it’s been a long, trying week for us all, but I think matters will improve from now,” he said, his voice sounding hopeful. He stood up and picked up a small rock. He then looked at Misty with a smile before skipping it across the water. The pebble bounced across the surface three times unfaltering, but then on the forth skip, it dropped into the depths with a loud plop.

  “I apologize, but I do love to skip rocks. Mother taught me how to skip rocks when I was a boy. She also made it very clear that she would be against any marriage with Miss Rosamund Swire now. I guess that’s quite a promise, is it not?”

  “Yes, it is,” Misty said. “But what happens now?” she dared to ask, her mouth feeling dry all of a sudden.

  “Now, we pick up the pieces and move on,” Cody said, still standing by the edge of the water. “I have no idea if the sheriff intends to press charges for the false report, but it really does not matter now that she’s done interfering with my life and yours.”

  That had not been what she meant in the slightest. Misty cared not for what happened to Miss Swire—all she wanted was to know where she and Cody now stood.

  Chapter 17

  The next day, Misty received notice that Olivia had invited her to her home for some afternoon tea. The kind, old gentleman who arrived to pick her up, spoke in a slow, but deliberate manner. “Good day, my lady.”

  “Good morning,” Misty replied, as she followed the driver out to his car. Her first thoughts when she found out about the invitation were those of apprehension, given that her last meeting for tea had proven to be a disaster. She knew something like that would never happen where she was going this time, but the sinking feeling in her stomach still refused to go away.

  It wasn’t long before the busy roads of the small town signaled that they were getting close. Misty could tell just from the pleasant smell and bustling sounds that they were no longer near the outskirts. “We’re here, ma’am.”

  And so they were. “Thank you,” she said.

  “Good afternoon, Miss Fields,” Bradford said, standing on the porch in his unusually-stiff posture.

  As Misty followed the butler to the drawing room, she could already hear Mrs. Mills’ voice coming from that direction. When they walked in, Bradford stopped in the doorway and waved her through. He bowed his head and smiled as she entered the room.

  “You’ve arrived! How splendid. I have been waiting to speak with you all morning,” Olivia said, dismissing one of the maids as Misty walked toward her. “Please, come in and have a seat,” the woman said, indicating the sofa opposite her chair.

  Misty smiled politely, wondering what the reason for their meeting might be. Until she knew what she had been invited there for, a small seed of worry stayed planted in her mind. “I hope I did not keep you waiting, Mrs. Mills,” she said in a quiet voice as she sat down on the soft, skirted sofa.

  Olivia looked at Misty and smiled. �
��I think it’s safe to say that we were not on the best of terms the last time you and I spoke, but I do hope that things might change between us. It usually bothers me to admit when I might be wrong about something, but it seems clear that I was this time,” she said.

  “Oh,” Misty said, unsure of how else to respond. She took the delicate tea cup in her hands, cradling it as if it was the most fragile thing in existence. It wasn’t, of course, but Misty’s thoughts were focused on anything but a small teacup in that moment. She thought about Cody, and Rosamund, and about every little thing that had happened since she left San Francisco. The stable, better future that she had been in search of for so long was just an arm’s length away—but would she ever be able to reach it?

  “I was wrong to trust Miss Rosamund Swire, and for her unbearable behavior, I am so sorry. Her actions were not something that I encouraged, nor condoned in the slightest. I do hope that we can all move past what has happened. I wished to tell you in person that I am most regretful of what she did to you,” Mrs. Mills said, before sipping slowly from her cup.

  Misty was somewhat taken aback by the remark. “Thank you, Mrs. Mills.”

  “It is more than just that,” Olivia said, putting her cup down as she leaned back in her chair and folded her arms over her chest. “I trusted Miss Swire greatly, and she repaid that trust with dishonesty. I must offer you my sincerest apology for her behavior.”

  So, that was what the meeting for tea was all about that afternoon? If so, Misty wasn’t quite sure what to make of it. It was a nice, heartfelt gesture—but there was only one thing that she really wanted, and it was to marry Mrs. Mills’ son and start her future. It was bothering her enough that Cody had not shown much interest in the topic of marriage lately, but if she could at least get his mother’s acceptance, then perhaps he might be open to the idea once again.

  “I appreciate that very much,” Misty said, smiling as she slowly lifted the fragile teacup to her lips. As she sipped from it, she noticed that Olivia was watching her intently as if she was expecting more of a response.