by Holly Blake
“We are so happy to have you here Grover; you will stay for the wedding won’t you?” James asked. Grover had been one of the first people James met when he moved to Wyoming. Grover was just a young boy then, living with his Indian mother and her tribe after his father was killed in a terrible hunting accident.
“My friend, I would not miss your wedding for the world. I think Mrs. Halverson would have really liked your new bride.” Grover always seemed to know what to say.
“Thank you Grover.” James frowned then and pulled Grover aside. He looked around to make sure no one was within earshot. “Grover, I need to talk to you as a sheriff, but not really officially.”
“What is it James?” Grover chuckled. “What’s with all the secrecy?”
“It is a strange thing, but you know the funeral last week for Esther’s mother-in-law? I saw something strange and it has been bothering ever since.”
“What did you see?”
“There was a man who attended the funeral, a stranger.”
“That isn’t unusual; surely the lady had many friends from back east.”
“Yes, but this man hid behind a tree during the service and then disappeared into the forest.”
Grover rubbed his hand over the stubble on his face. “Perhaps he was unsure of his welcome. You don’t know much about the late Mrs. Buford do you?”
“No, you’re probably right. It was just very strange.”
“Describe him to me and I will check into things, see if anything turns up. I know you well enough to know that if you think it was strange then it probably was.”
“He was very tall, well over six feet. He was wearing unusual clothing, a suit with long tails and a top hat. His hair was dark and wavy, a bit longer than it’s usually worn in the city, but he looked like city people.”
“A civilized sort then?” Grover grinned goodheartedly at James.
James nudged the sheriff’s arm. “It may be nothing,” he said shaking his head and sighing deeply, “but I do feel better you knowing about it.”
“I promise to check into it. What direction did he go?”
“North, into the forest.”
“Perhaps he’s Canadian? There isn’t much north, just a few small towns, hamlets really.”
“Are your people still camped north?”
“Yes, this time of year they camp about twenty miles from here, but they will be pulling up camp soon. I’ll ride out tomorrow and ask if they have seen anyone or anything unusual.”
“Thank you, Grover.” James looked relieved. He didn’t know why this man bothered him so much, but his behavior was odd, even for the wilds of the west.
The men went back to painting the spindles of the porch. It wasn’t long until they were joined by Brody Laramie and Cade Montgomery.
“How are you sheriff?” Brody asked. Things had been tense between the two men. Grover had had a hard time trusting Brody because of how they met. He knew that Brody was a good man, but he still saw him as the outlaw who stole the woman he loved.
“I’m fine Brody, how is Anna?”
Brody laughed. This was how Grover always was. It didn’t matter what Brody said or did, Grover would never quite forgive him for marrying Anna or for deceiving him. It didn’t matter that Brody had no choice, and that he honestly fell in love with the sweet blonde who got caught in the middle of his investigation. Brody was determined to win the Sherriff over just the same.
“Anna is fine. She is sewing the curtains for the Inn right now. You should go and say hello, she’s just inside Grover.”
Grover nodded and set down his paint brush. He headed into the Inn to find Anna. Jim and James both laughed. “He still hasn’t forgiven you has he Brody?”
“I don’t expect he ever will,” Brody laughed.
Just as Grover entered the doors of the Inn, Esther stepped out. She looked around and saw the men painting. She was still wearing her mourning clothes and went to Virginia’s graveside almost every afternoon.
“Good afternoon gentlemen,” Esther said cordially. “I am off to visit Virginia but I will be back in time to help with dinner, James.”
“Very good dear, I will see you in an hour or so.” James still got flutters in his stomach when she spoke. Her southern drawl and smooth voice was like silk wrapping around his heart every time. He smiled at her and thought to himself that he was too old to feel so giddy around her, and yet he was so happy that he did.
Esther smiled at the men and waved to them as she glided away. In spite of her recent loss, she too was happy. James made her feel safe and contented. She had purpose to her days and wonderful company in the evenings. He was handsome in his way and he did try so hard to make her happy. Her first husband, Harry had never made much of an effort on her behalf; he was always too busy with his business and his politics. She was an accessory on his arm and not much else. With James she was his companion, his friend, and soon they would be husband and wife. The thought of her wedding made her giggle to herself. She was excited and looked forward to spending every minute of the day with the man who made her so happy.
She had made a practice of going to Virginia’s grave almost every day to talk to her. She knew it was silly but Virginia was the person who knew her best in the world. She could say anything to her. Esther had made friends with many of the ladies in town, Ivy Montgomery, Anna Laramie, Peggy Barnaby, and even a woman closer to her age, Mrs. Grace Noble, a new woman to the community who had come with her husband from Pennsylvania to open a bank.
Grace had spent much of her youth in South Carolina and many happy summers in Esther’s beloved New Orleans. They had wonderful conversations about the south and their happy memories there, but it was not the same as talking to Virginia. Virginia had been like a second mother to Esther, and therefore she had affection and knowledge of her that no one else had. She could not explain the connection or this need any better than to say that she bitterly missed the woman who had grown to mean so much to her.
She walked through the town saying hello to everyone she met. She had grown to love Wyldewood in the short time she lived here. The people were friendly and everyone made an effort to make her feel at home. It was quiet and had a majesty that she had never experienced before. She was used to bustling cities where the pace was a steady push forward. Here in Wyldewood the pace was different. People here appreciated the landscape and tended to move as slowly as it did. There was an earthiness about the place and its people, a connection to God that you just didn’t experience in the crowded cities.
When Esther arrived at the graveyard there was not a soul in sight. She went to Virginia’s grave and placed the fresh flowers at the base of her stone.
“Oh Virginia, it is such a beautiful and wonderful place you brought me to. The air today has crispness in it we didn’t know in the south. It is September now and the seasons are about to change, so I’ve been told. It does seem rather early to be thinking about winter but there it is. I am excited about seeing snow fall. I hear it rests on the land here like a fluffy white blanket. Can you imagine? I know I can’t?. James says that I might delight in it this year but by the end of the second winter most folks come to dislike it a little. I can’t imagine ever disliking a fluffy white blanket of God’s goodness.” Esther laughed.
She took out her needlepoint and sat on the grass beside Virginia’s grave. She was making an embroidered cushion cover that would commemorate her wedding to James. “I have had such a marvelous time cooking for everyone in town. Volunteers keep coming to help out and I think I have met just about everyone within a hundred miles of here. Oh Virginia, I do miss you. You would have loved all the commotion around the Inn, so many wonderful people stopping by and introducing themselves to me. There have been some mighty wild characters. Did you know the Sheriff in these parts is half Indian? Can you imagine? It would be like a sheriff in Louisiana being half Negro; actually they probably have some now, come to think on it.”
Esther suddenly felt self conscious a
nd looked around her. She didn’t see anyone but she felt as though she was being watched. She gathered her things and said her goodbyes to Virginia. Heading back to the Inn she kept looking behind her, but never caught a glimpse of anyone. She knew she was probably being silly but she wanted to get back to James where she felt safe.
A stranger did watch her from behind the church. He dared not approach; he wanted to but couldn’t bring himself to do it. It would have to wait for another day. He had no idea what to say to her; how to begin what needed to be said. He had never had a problem finding words before; he was a great orator back home in England, so why couldn’t he find the words now?
He watched Esther leave and when she was well out of sight he wandered over to the grave she had been sitting by. He read the gravestone and removed his hat. Sadness filled him and he felt a tear come to his eye. He quickly wiped it away and looked out over the graveyard and up to the sky. He felt the tragedy of the situation more acutely than he ever had before. Then anger began to replace the sadness, as it had so many times before.
He replaced his hat and walked away from the graveside. He clenched and unclenched his fists; he was too late. He regretted the path he took to get here, it had taken far too long and he had missed his opportunity.
He would not see his mother again. He would never be able to explain why he had stayed away. He would never be able to make amends. And, without her, he would have to deal with Esther on her own. That would be difficult but not impossible. He had to brace himself for the confrontation and he had to make sure that she was alone when he finally faced her. He would not allow any meddling from her new friends. She would have to answer to him alone, and not count on others to come to her aid for in spite of the past, he was rightfully his mother’s heir and he would have what he was owed.
The tall man walked away from the graveyard. He would return and he would wait for Esther to visit her mother-in-law again, and when she did, he decided he would confront her at last.
Chapter Nine
It took Esther two days to return to the graveyard. She had been unnerved by the feeling of a watcher and lacked the courage to return. Today she wanted to return because tomorrow was her wedding day and she would not be able to visit Virginia for several weeks, as she and James were planning an extended honeymoon.
Esther replaced the flowers at the base of Virginia’s stone and sat on the cool grass beside her grave. She took out her embroidery, although it was almost done and began her usual chat.
“Good afternoon Virginia. I cannot tell you how much I missed our chat yesterday. I’m sad to say that something frightened me the last day I was here. I’m sure it was just wedding jitters as I had as much as forgotten what it was that scared me by dinner last night. Today I tried on the wedding dress. It fits like a dream since Anna’s alterations. That woman could sew snowflakes, I swear.” Esther laughed at her own joke and looked around the graveyard to make sure she was alone. She searched herself for the feeling she had the other day but it wasn’t there. She began to relax.
“Oh I am quite giddy these days Virginia. I feel like a teenager in love. And you should see the Inn. It looks so lovely since your investment. We have expanded the whole thing and put a great big porch on the front. It almost looks like a plantation house from back home. It has all been re-painted and next spring I think I’ll plant some flowers in the front to make it even more bright and chipper. We are all set to have the reception in the dining room tomorrow after the wedding and then the next morning we set off for New York City on our honeymoon. New York is where James is from originally, so I will get to meet his whole family. I am so excited I could nearly burst.”
“Could you Esther my dear?” The stranger suddenly appeared beside Esther. She jumped from fright as she looked up into the cold eyes of the tall man. She jumped up and looked closely into the steel blue eyes. They were the same eyes as his brother and mother.
“Darby Buford, is it really you?”
“Yes, Esther, although I don’t use the Buford name any longer, I use my mother’s maiden name, Delany.”
“Would that not break your father’s heart, why would you change your name like that?”
“You know why. My father was not a man I wanted to be associated with. He was cruel and foolish.”
“That may well be, but he was still your father. And your mother loved him.”
“And it is her I came to see, to make sure she was alright.”
“You are a little too late. She wasn’t alright. She grieved for your brother and she grieved for you.”
“And that is my regret. I should have come sooner, but I didn’t get word that she was ill until it was too late.”
“I tried to reach out to you but you never replied. Your mother never gave up hope that you would return, at least not until the end. Why didn’t you make yourself known before now? She has looked for you for years Darby; she told me how much she wanted to see you again the day she died. She thought you were lost at sea.”
“Ah, that is a bit of a story. I was going to see a client at the next port and boarded the ship to get there faster than I could have by land. When I heard the ship had sunk, I began using my mother’s name and allowed my father’s name to sink to the bottom of the sea with it. It was merely a symbol of the changes I had made in my own life. When I left my client I sailed for England and have not looked back, until I got word of mother’s illness. I wanted to see her before she passed.”
“Oh Darby, she loved you so much and missed you terribly. She never believed that you were dead; she still had hope that you survived. And look at you! You are so handsome and dignified now. She would be so proud.”
“Do not speak of my mother to me. You are a stranger. I have learned that you have stolen my inheritance and plan to marry some man you don’t even know. I don’t doubt that you married my brother just to get his fortune some day!”
“How dare you.” Esther spat out the words, anger swelling inside her. She swung to slap Darby but missed. He grabbed her arm and held it away from him.
“My name is Delany now and you will use it when you address me. And how do you justify spending my mother’s money, money she left to me? How do you explain being deposited on the doorstep of a man who ordered you like cattle from a magazine? Darby threw Esther’s hand down as if it were a filthy piece of cotton.
Esther swallowed hard. She did not know what to say to this man. She didn’t feel she could defend herself, after all she had been given no choice but to come to Wyldewood to marry a man that she did not know, a man who had been chosen for her, just as Darby’s brother had been chosen for her. She loved James, but she did not choose him until after he had been chosen for her.
“Just as I thought, you have nothing to say. There is nothing you can say. For all your educated southern ways you are just a common thief!”
“I have done nothing that wasn’t right and proper!”
Lightning flashed in the sky and rain suddenly began to pelt the pair. They ran into the church but it didn’t stop the angry words they exchanged.
“None of what I have done explains you staying away from your mother and hurting her like you did. If I am a thief, then you are a murderer. You let her die with a broken heart.”
Darby flinched; her words hurt him as much as a physical blow would have. “You are right. I regret the heartache I caused her, and I regret being here at the end of her life. But that doesn’t change the fact that I am here now. And I will have what’s rightfully mine. Perhaps your generous mail order husband won’t be so quick to wed you when he finds out you are poor.”
“James is a good man, and he loves me. And not because I inherited some money. He took your mother and I in willingly out of the goodness of his heart. Neither of us knew anything about your mother’s money.”
“Oh I am quite sure that he is enjoying the money my mother left you both. In fact, I don’t suppose it ever even entered your head that my mother might have bought him off? Prom
ised to give him the money if he promised to marry you? When I reclaim it do you really think he will still marry you? Are you really that naïve?”
Esther began to cry. They were not sad tears but hot tears of anger. She couldn’t look at Darby. Could he be right? Did Virginia promise James her money if he married her? It couldn’t be true. Her stomach turned and she held it and sank into a pew.
“You know I am right, don’t you? Go and tell him that I am here to re-claim my inheritance. He will throw you out into the street like the trash.”
Esther looked up into Darby’s eyes and saw all the anger and resentment there. And the grief. But he could be right. What if he was right?
“Go, Esther, tell your fiancé that he must return all the money that you have stolen, that it was given under false pretenses. Go and tell him that you are not the gold he thought you were. I will wait here for you. And when you are penniless we will see who loves you then.”
Esther jumped to her feet and ran from the church, tears streaming down her face. When she got outside the storm had turned nasty. Debris was being flung around the streets by the wind and rain was falling so hard that she could barely see in front of her. They sky was almost black and her skirts were being pulled so hard she could barely walk. She didn’t have an umbrella with her, not that it would have done any good. She raised her arms to her face to protect herself and tried to peer from between them. She walked pulling each leg, one in front of the other, using all her strength to make one step. In the distance she saw a cloud that sent a shiver through her. It was a cone shaped cloud that spun like mad. She had read about these when she was a girl, they called them tornados and they were dangerous. She tried to look around for shelter but couldn’t even tell which direction the church was now. She had been spun around by the strong winds and didn’t know where she was.
She dropped down to the ground and pulled her arms over her head. She had to move but didn’t know in which direction to head. She crawled along the ground trying to keep in a straight line, hoping that she was heading toward the Inn.