An Unexpected Dilemma Bride

by Elliee Atkinson

  “Hello, Nate,” Laura said, handing the last of her stack to Joshua for him to put in the satchel.

  Joshua disappeared beyond a door at the end of the room. She and Nate looked at each other. She looked around while she waited for him to come back. She doubted she could live in a cottage this size for longer than a few days without feeling suffocated. The windows were closed up and no light was coming through, not that the nighttime was providing much light. She had the sneaking suspicion that the drapes were rarely pulled back.

  She only had to wait a short time before Joshua came back through the door.

  “All right, you and I will go back in your wagon and Nate will bring mine.”

  “That is a good idea. It is better for both of you to come back.” Laura was immediately nervous. She had not been truly alone with a man other than James for over ten years. Before that she was a child. She wanted to be alone with him in the wagon. He made her feel comfortable and protected, as though nothing bad could ever happen to her as long as he was around. It was the same way James had made her feel. She missed it. And she missed him.

  They went down the stairs and out the door, and Joshua turned back to latch it just before they got into the waiting wagons. Nate had to walk down the side of the street to get to the Collins’ wagon. They were on their way quickly. Joshua and Laura got into her wagon and started the journey back to Wickenburg with Nate behind them.

  They talked most of the way to Wickenburg. The sun would be peeking over the mountains soon. Laura was surprised that she didn’t feel tired in any way. Adrenaline was pumping through her body. She was both angry and sad at the same time. Laura told Joshua about Samuel’s journal and what she'd read about the Whitman marriage. She recounted some of the things Samuel had said about Cynthia, about her and about James, and how she had driven him to madness and a thirst for the drink.

  “That poor man was so miserable,” Joshua said in a gruff voice. “From the sound of it, no one would blame him. I understand now why he acted like he did.”

  “He probably watched her every move,” Laura said, nodding.

  “You don’t think she and James were…you know.”

  “No. James loved me. He wouldn’t do that.”

  ”I don’t think he would either, Laura. A man would have to be a terrible fool to risk losing a woman like you.”

  Laura blushed. “Thank you, Joshua.”

  “I tell the truth whenever I can. James sounds like a wise man. He wouldn’t put his relationship with you in danger. I don’t see it and I didn’t even know him.”

  She looked out into the distance, taking in a deep breath. He made her feel so comfortable, so warm. “Thank you, Joshua. I’m grateful I met you when I did, even though I messed up your vacation.”

  “I’m glad you did. However, I’m not glad for the reason why. But God does things His way. We just have to let Him lead.”

  Laura smiled. “Yes. I like the way you think. So what did you find out today? What did your papers tell you?”

  “Yeah, we went to see a deputy I know that studied chemicals and things like that. More information than I could keep in my brain for sure. He is a personal friend of the sheriff, as well as a deputy. He took one look at the samples that Doc Brown gave us and what he told us… well, my jaw dropped, I’ll tell you that.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “He said that we were right to suspect the Whitmans, but that it was the wife that was the problem, not the husband. He said she has a classic case of narcissism and will do anything to further her agenda.”

  “But what is the reason? What is she trying to accomplish?”

  “I really don’t know. However, I’ve been thinking about it and I think it’s safe to bet that she is doing it all for attention. However she gets it. She doesn’t care.”

  “Did he say what to do to prove it?”

  Joshua adjusted the cushions under his rear end and the one behind his back to get into a more comfortable position. “He told us to talk to her right away. Make her think we are on her side; that we believe her story. Get some more evidence or catch her acting crazy. There’s got to be a way.”

  “She wants to talk to you anyway.”

  “Yes, how strange is that? Adam is right there. It’s strange that she wouldn’t ask for him instead.”

  “He was right there. She told him to get you back to Wickenburg.”

  Joshua felt a little strange about that. “It’s gonna be very early morning when we return to Wickenburg. Everyone will surely be asleep. We should wait until the sun comes up and people are awake before we begin investigating. And we will definitely need to get some sleep tonight as well. I have to sleep to think straight.”

  “Cynthia was determined to see you tonight though.”

  Joshua shook his head and gestured at the road with his head. “We will not get there for another few hours. She is probably already asleep, since it took you some time to come to Louisville.”

  “We can sleep on the wagon ride, since we can take turns driving. If she is not awake when we get there, she is sure to wake up soon after. She was very anxious and upset.”

  “I’m sure she was. But I don’t think it’s a good idea to go tonight. We should go back to your house and go over in the morning. Is that okay?”

  Laura’s mind was whirling. She was feeling tired. The hour was very late and she had been running on the excitement of it all without thinking about how tired she was getting.

  Joshua leaned forward. “I can see that you’re exhausted, Laura. Why don’t you get a couple of these cushions and lay down in the back of the wagon? I’ll be as gentle as possible driving.”

  “I may have to before we reach Wickenburg,” Laura said, accepting the cushion he held out. “But not yet. Tell me a little more about your friend. He sounds very smart and interesting.”

  “He is, yeah.”

  Joshua told her a story about one of the times he’d helped the sheriff’s office track down a cattle rustler. He made it seem so exciting and adventurous, though she knew he was in danger several times. He talked about the gunfights as if they were something that happened every day of the week.

  Laura listened, at times half asleep. She could see his profile in the light of the two lanterns hanging from the sides of the wagon. They swayed back and forth with the wagon. The motion made her feel like she was being rocked to sleep. She had to move into the back of the wagon eventually.

  As soon as her eyes closed, she slept like a log till they pulled up outside her home. She didn’t say a word when Joshua picked her up from the back and easily carried her out of the wagon, up the steps and into her home. She heard hushed voices, but her eyes didn’t open. Finally, she was lowered into her bed and the distinct smell and feel of Joshua next to her was gone. She felt smaller hands and knew Lucinda had come in to get her out of her traveling clothes and into a comfortable nightgown. She brought her knees up to her chest and hugged herself. She breathed in, the smell of Joshua still lingering in her nose.

  In a few hours, she would be up and at it again. As she fell back to sleep, she wondered if Joshua would come and get her before he left or if he would go to question Cynthia on his own. They’d made a plan. For it to work, she would have to know when he was keeping Cynthia occupied and away from her room. She had a personal desk in the room, the same area where she did her drawing and sewing projects. While Joshua talked to Cynthia, she would look through the woman’s desk and see if there was anything that would help them prove what they thought to be the truth.

  That was the plan for now. She tried not to think too much about James, but as usual, he was the last thing on her mind before sleep overtook her.

  Just as she was falling asleep, she heard the door to her room open and the soft footsteps of someone approaching the bed. She felt no fear.

  Joshua leaned over her and whispered, “I’ll be back for you in a few hours. Sleep well, my dear.”

  He left her side and she soon fell as
leep, dreaming that she was lost in an unfamiliar building, unable to find her way out.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  THE TANGLED WEB WE WEAVE

  THE TANGLED WEB WE WEAVE

  Laura stepped away from the wagon and began to walk through the bushes to her left. She knew a path that led to the back of the Whitman house. The servants had been taking it for years to avoid being seen when there were large events being held at the house. She walked quickly, knowing that she could be seen at any moment if someone was looking out a window on the second floor. She’d borrowed a tattered bonnet from Lucinda and worn it as a disguise. If she was seen by someone on the second floor, they might not recognize who she was or would perhaps think it was Lucinda. Once she got closer, however, she would have to take off the bonnet. It was Cynthia she wanted to avoid more than anything, which was why she planned to enter through the servant’s quarters in the kitchen.

  Joshua and Nate were in the front of the house, distracting everyone, which was what she needed. She wanted to get in the house, check out Cynthia’s desk in her room, and get out as quickly as she could.

  She opened it without knocking and went in, pulling the bonnet from her head and patting down her hair. The kitchen was empty, which was strange. The house was quieter than Laura would have expected. She hoped Cynthia wouldn’t wonder why she wasn’t with Joshua.

  She went as quickly as possible to the other kitchen area. She slipped through that door and went out into the hallway. First she peeked to the left, then to the right, before exiting the kitchen. No one was in the hallway either. She could hear Cynthia’s high-pitched voice in the front room, the same place the wake had been held. Her words caught Laura off guard and she froze in place for a moment.

  “I thought you would be back last night. That’s when I really wanted to talk to you.”

  Laura heard the deep resonating tone of Joshua’s voice, but couldn’t understand what he was saying.

  She moved through the door and reached into her pocket for a candle and a flint to light it with. She shielded the flickering flame with one hand and went to the windows to pull aside the drapes. Once it was open and the sunlight came through, she saw a candle holder and placed the candle down in it. She wrapped her fingers around the handle and picked it up, walking to the beautifully sculpted desk in the corner. It had a lot of drawers for a dressing table. There were books scattered on top of it, a stack of blank paper and an ink well with a pen sitting next to it. She opened the drawers and looked through them as quietly as she could. Several drawers did not hold writing equipment or papers. She saw needles, embroidery hoops and projects that Cynthia had never finished. She saw a stack that looked a lot like the ones she’d seen in Samuel’s study. They were meant for hand delivery. She held one up in the light of the lantern and read the words on them. She squinted, blinked back tears and sat in the chair, continuing to read.

  The first one she picked up started out with the words, “James, my love.” Laura felt a little sick. She skimmed through the letter, feeling nauseous the whole time. Cynthia was in love with James. That was obvious. Laura wondered how her husband felt reading these letters. She didn’t take time wonder why they were here at the Whitman’s home instead of at her house. She grinned, thinking maybe James had burned the ones he got.

  She looked through a few more of the papers, turning them face down so she wouldn’t have to see her husband’s name written by another woman, so loving, so obsessed. Laura read through the most recent letters and felt vindication slide through her. James had, in fact, rejected her. The last letters were ones of terrible anger and bitterness.

  She couldn’t wait to tell Joshua. He should know about this. This was a clear motive, not just to kill James, but also to kill her husband. Samuel had suspected an affair. He just didn’t know that James did not want Cynthia. He probably knew how Cynthia felt, but not James. Laura doubted he’d ever talked to James about it.

  She looked through the drawer again one more time, pressing her hand toward the back to make sure she wasn’t missing anything. She was going to take all of these letters to Joshua. She didn’t want to leave a single, disgusting one behind. When they were through with them, she would ask for them back so she could burn them. Love letters to her husband from another woman deserved no less.

  Her fingers touched a bump in the back of the drawer. When she pressed down on it, the bottom of the drawer bumped up and she was able to remove it. There was a hidden compartment in the drawer. She looked in amazement at a small bottle laying there. It was one of two. Both had the skull and crossbones label and the words “Strychnos nux vomica” were pressed onto the side of the label.

  “Oh no,” she murmured. “I don’t believe it.” She stood up, holding the bottle closer to her face. She caught movement at the door and looked toward it.

  Cynthia was standing there, gazing at her in shock.

  Joshua did see Laura as she went toward the back of the house, but he made no acknowledgment of her. He didn’t want to draw anyone’s attention to her. He scanned the second story windows, watching for movement that never came. Satisfied, he went in the front door and went directly to the drawing room, where he could hear the voices of many people talking at once.

  When he stepped through the door, he saw an unusual sight. and Gerald were standing in a small huddle, talking to each other. It looked like they were all there, discussing the death of Mr. Whitman under their breath while Cynthia received attention from several ladies from town, who were holding her hands tightly. She was crying as if she had just found out what happened to Samuel.

  Joshua crossed over to where she was lying on a long chaise lounge. She looked so distraught. He couldn’t muster up any sympathy, so he tried not to look at her too much. “Cynthia? How are you feeling? You wanted to talk to me?”

  “Yes, I did. I wanted to talk to you last night. Not this morning. Last night.”

  Joshua nodded. “My uncle was here last night. Why didn’t you want to talk to him?”

  “I did talk to him. But he said you knew more about the science stuff when it came to poisons. I thought the whole thing would be dropped since Samuel said he killed James.”

  “We’re not certain that was the truth. He may have just been saying that.”

  “You don’t think he killed himself?”

  “We simply don’t know what really happened yet. That’s all I’m saying. I just wonder why you wanted to talk to me and not Adam. I am only helping him on the case.”

  “You’re smarter than he is.”

  “I wouldn’t say that,” Joshua looked away from her.

  “I would,” she retorted.

  “I couldn’t get here any faster, Mrs. Whitman.”

  Cynthia groaned loudly, responding with, “I suppose you are right. I did expect you last night though.” She kept hold of his hand and made him sit next to her on the lounge chair.

  Joshua felt uncomfortable, but allowed her to lean her head against his shoulder. He reached into a pocket with his other hand and pulled out a handkerchief. “Please,” he said, handing it to her, getting her attention by waving it in front of her face and touching one of her cheeks. She gave him a grateful look.

  “Oh thank you, Mr. Crawford. I should have one of these already. I don’t know why I don’t. I must not be thinking clearly.”

  “I understand, Mrs. Whitman. I do. What did you want to talk to me about? How did your husband die? I realize he was poisoned, but where was he?”

  “He was in the garden. He had taken a walk and sat on the bench out there, and I reckon that’s when he took the poison.”

  “Did Adam or anyone find a bottle of poison near him in the garden?”

  Cynthia froze for a second and then licked her lips. “I… I don’t think so. I suppose he must have taken the poison before he went out there.”

  “Strange thing to do, if you ask me.”

  “Maybe he wanted to die in a peaceful place.”

  Joshua nodded. �
��I reckon that could be it.”

  “Laura found him. I had gone to a meeting with some of my lady friends. I mentioned to Alice last night that I had been arguing with Samuel before I left. He thought I was having an affair with James, but that wasn’t true. He was very upset about it and no matter how hard I tried I couldn’t convince him it wasn’t true. But I left and he was alive when I did. I would never have suspected he would do such a thing. Never. I reckon I didn’t think he would kill James either, but he did.”

  Joshua thought about what she was saying. He didn’t believe her. He felt in his heart that she was lying. He wanted to talk to his uncle and get his advice. However, Adam wasn’t there at that moment and he had to make a decision. His friend in Louisville had told him to get on Cynthia’s good side and watch her until she made a mistake. That’s what he was going to do. He wanted to glean as much information as he could out of her first. Cynthia was perfectly willing to lie to him. Laura had no reason to do so.

  Joshua watched as Cynthia went on about how much she’d cared about her husband and what a shame it was that he had turned into a drunken bore. “I don’t like to speak ill of the dead, Joshua, please understand.” She pressed the handkerchief to her eyes. “He didn’t mean to be the way he was. Samuel was just a jealous man. He only wanted to believe what he thought was the truth, even if it wasn’t. I did everything I could to convince him.”

  “I’m sure that you did, Cynthia,” Joshua said quietly. When she placed her hand over his and brought his hand to her chest, squeezing it tightly, Joshua began to feel uncomfortable. He frowned slightly, let her hold his hand for a few more moments and then eased it away from her. He moved away from her and leaned over. “What else did you want to talk to me about? I know Doc Brown and Adam could use any information you have, more than I can. I’m not here to solve this. I’m only here to help.”

  “I know. But I find your presence comforting and I can see why Laura wants to be around you so much.” Cynthia inched closer to him as she nodded. She leaned in and he leaned back to put more distance between them. He tilted his head and gave her a confused look. She pulled away and dropped her eyes to her lap. “I need to powder my nose. Please excuse me.”