An Unexpected Dilemma Bride_Family of Love Series_A Western Romance Story

by Elliee Atkinson

  She shivered. She didn’t want Joshua thinking that about her. She didn’t want anyone thinking that about her.

  Only a few doors down from the large room where the wake was being held, she’d decided that Samuel’s study might give her some insight into what he’d been doing. She didn’t like snooping, but she wasn’t going to find out any other way.

  She looked around to see if anyone was watching her. It was a little surprising that no one was. The few people that were in the hallway were talking and paying no attention to her. She turned the knob, pushed open the door, and slipped through with silent feet. She instinctively held her breath, feeling her heart pounding hard in her chest even as she closed the door as quietly as possible.

  It was dark in the room. Without bothering to light a lantern, she carefully crossed the room to the window. She pulled a cord and light burst into the room. She didn’t open the drapes all the way, but just enough so that she could see the desk. She was only a foot away from it. She pulled open the curtains a little more and went to the desk, immediately picking up a small stack of papers. It was mostly correspondence from friends and businessmen in town, but some were unfinished letters from Samuel.

  She was surprised to discover that they were having financial trouble. She’d always thought Cynthia’s money kept them going without a problem. She picked up a small leather-bound book. On the front, in a broad calligraphic style, were the words “Samuel’s Journal”. She grabbed it and a few loose sheets of paper and began to read.

  Laura sat on the chair and stared at the pages in her hands. Neither of them gained anything by killing her husband. James’ will clearly stated that he had left everything to her. They couldn’t expect any kind of inheritance. She couldn’t imagine why they might think they would. That couldn’t be the answer. She shook her head.

  A knock at the door made her jump. She pushed the stack of papers into a drawer and shut it quickly. She slipped the journal into the pocket of her apron and went around the desk, her eyes steady on the door. Another knock prompted her to move back around the table, move the chair out of the way, and crawl into the leg area to hide. Her heart pounded as she waited.

  The door opened. She could see feet under the desk. She hoped hers couldn’t be seen and wished she had closed the drapes.

  “Hello? Is someone here?”

  Laura heard the housekeeper, Pam. Without another word, Pam crossed the room, pulled the cord and turned to leave the room. She was mumbling something to herself. Laura pressed her lips together to stay as quiet as possible and held her breath until Pam left the room.

  She crawled out from under the desk and moved quickly to the door. Her heart was still thumping like a bass drum. She inhaled deeply to steady her nerves, opened the door and casually stepped out, hoping no one would see her.

  With a sigh of relief, she went to the room she was using to calm down. She went in and sat on the bed, pulling the journal from her pocket and setting it aside. She gripped the side of the mattress with her fingers and tried to breathe slowly.

  After a few minutes, she stood and went to the dresser to splash some cold water on her face.

  She saw no reason why either Cynthia or Samuel would murder James. However, she couldn’t think of anyone else who could possibly be responsible. They were the only ones close enough to her and her husband to be able to do this. She didn’t do it. Someone had to have. She allowed herself to calm down for a moment before standing up and going back out to mingle with people and sit by her husband’s coffin. As she went out, she scooped up the journal and put it back in her pocket. She thought she might want to show it to Joshua. Or Adam. Probably Joshua.

  She left the room quietly and walked down the short hallway. As soon as she reached the door to the den, where the wake was being held, the door opened and Joshua appeared in front of her.

  She plunged one hand into her pocket and wrapped it around the journal. Was now the time? Or wait until she had a chance to look at what it said?

  She gave him a weak smile, admiring his warm eyes and friendly handsome face.

  “Are you all right, Ms. Laura?” He looked concerned.

  Laura nodded. “Yes, I am fine. Thank you for asking. Were you… looking for someone?”

  “Yeah. I was looking for you, to be honest. I noticed you’d been gone for a while and just wanted to check on you.”

  “Very nice of you.”

  They stood there for a moment, as if no one else was in the house. It was quiet all of a sudden and all Laura could hear was her own heartbeat.

  He wondered what she was thinking. Where had she been? Why did she look so anxious?

  He knew that she was intelligent. He was sure she would want to find out who committed this tragic crime. He tried not to grin. He suspected she had been snooping around, looking for some evidence that Samuel had committed the crime.

  He didn’t hide the grin very well. “Mr. Collins, do you find me amusing?”

  He pressed his lips together and replied, “Well, Ms. Laura, you do look just a bit guilty. Like you’ve been caught doing something you shouldn’t have been doing. And I’m not going to pry anything out of you, Ms. Laura. I’m simply curious because of all the odd things happening.”

  “Do you think I’m acting suspicious?”

  His grin was warm and his voice gentle. “Yes, I do. But not the way you think. I don’t think you killed James.”

  “I’m glad to hear that.”

  “I’ll just keep saying it until you believe me.”

  Laura dropped her eyes. There was no way to hide how she was feeling. She wanted to put her hands over her face, but didn’t dare let go of the book. She had never had holes in the pockets she added to her dresses, but suddenly she was terrified that it would go crashing to the ground under her skirts and he would see it.

  ”Do you like staying here?”

  “I’ve gone back to my house a few times. I miss it. But it can be overwhelming for me, so I come back here. They give me a comfortable bed.”

  “Don’t they… Do they get along all right?”

  “They do their best.” Laura knew what he was implying.

  “How long do you plan to stay?”

  Laura shrugged “I’m not sure.”

  Joshua believed her. He wanted to continue talking to her, but knew that the result would be questions that made him sound less intelligent. He didn’t want to be a ninny in front of her.

  Laura watched his facial movements as he thought. His face was very expressive. She thought he looked very cool and collected.

  “How do you feel?” Joshua’s voice was suddenly filled with compassion. He took a step toward Laura, but didn’t touch her.

  She raised her eyebrows. “How do I feel?”

  He spoke softly. “This is an abrupt and tragic change in your life. I hope that you are staying strong. Death can be very difficult to handle. If there’s any way I can help you through this time, I am here for you.”

  “Yes, so you’ve said. I believe you.” She moved past him and looked back to indicate that she wanted him to walk with her. He turned and they walked toward the front door. “In my dreams, I am with him. I think about what we had planned to do, how we wanted to have a baby, maybe several babies. However, it didn’t happen. I suppose it was God’s will. I can say I wish I had a little copy of him to love. It would have been nice.”

  Joshua pulled open the door and she went out before him. He stepped out behind her onto the porch and they went to stand at the top of the stairs.

  “I’ve heard so many good things about him. He was a good friend and, by the sound of it, a good husband as well. It is a great loss.” They were both quiet for a moment before Joshua continued. “I also know that you are an intelligent woman. It’s a shame we can’t think of anyone, anyone at all, who would have reason to do this.”

  Laura shook her head. “James and I stayed by ourselves most of the time. We led our own lives and only socialized personally with Cynthia a
nd Samuel.”

  ”But you did go to the festivals and such. People in town know you. My uncle knows you both. He says Wickenburg puts on some kind of event whenever they have a chance.”

  Laura giggled softly. “Yes, it’s always been that way. They’ll put on a fair if the sun comes out for three days in a row. Or if it rains for three days in a row and there’s sunshine again.”

  “That is funny.” Joshua said with a smile. “And did you and your husband attend these events?

  Laura tilted her head, thinking about it.

  Joshua thought about how pretty she looked when she lifted her eyes to the ceiling.

  “Yeah, I suppose we did. Sometimes. I liked the festivals. He did, too. We liked to sell things sometimes. Selling our furniture and buying something new more often than… say, you would think of doing something like that, wouldn’t you?”

  “Something like what?”

  “Taking your old things and selling them to buy the same thing brand new.”

  He grinned.

  “How odd that you would know something like that about me.”

  Laura giggled again. “You look like the kind of man who appreciates nice things. Not too much, mind you. But just enough.”

  Joshua chuckled. “I would do something like that, but I’m too busy finding good ways to spend my money on other people. I don’t particularly care about myself. But when I see something I know someone else would like or needs, I don’t mind picking it up.

  “We don’t spend a lot. Or we didn’t,” Laura replied. “Truly, we don’t. We first sell what we have before we purchase something new. It’s only the difference of a few dollars one way or the other.”

  “And you have new beauty in your home.” Joshua nodded.

  “Yes. In addition, with a house like ours with no children running around, it can be large and lonely. We have rooms to furnish.”

  “Do you buy new furniture for all the rooms?”

  “Typically, just the ones we are in most frequently. Nevertheless, we’ve strayed from what you wanted to talk about, haven’t we? I don’t have any enemies. James had no enemies. We were just one of the many couples living in Wickenburg. There is nothing special about us.”

  Joshua shook his head. “I wouldn’t say that. The two of you seem very special to me.”

  Laura let out a small breath and gave him a smile that matched. “Thank you.”

  “This is some beautiful land,” Joshua said, scanning the trees and shrubs around him.

  “Yes, it is. You sound surprised.”

  Joshua shook his head. “I’m not surprised per se. It is only that Cynthia and Samuel seem like an odd couple to me. They are both… negative souls, it seems to me.”

  “They are unhappy.”

  “Yes.”

  “But the people who work for them are not.” Laura looked up at him. “They’re the ones who maintain this place. Samuel and Cynthia let them do what they want because they take care of it so well.”

  “That’s very logical. Are there many people here in Wickenburg who have the kind of money they do?”

  “No.”

  “What servants do they have? Isn’t it just the housekeeper? That’s all I’ve seen.”

  “They have a groom for their horses and a maid. And the housekeeper, Pam. She’s the only one here today; Cynthia told the other two to take the day off.”

  Joshua nodded to show he was listening, but his mind strayed to whether or not Samuel should be their number one suspect. The Whitmans were her closest friends. What would she think of him? If she didn’t like it, would it make her turn away from him? He didn’t want that. He didn’t want her upset with him. It would ensure that there was no possibility of a relationship between the two of them in the future. It was already a long shot. That might make it impossible.

  He tossed the idea around in his head, going over the pros and cons again and again. When the silence had stretched on for a bit, Laura said, “I reckon we should get back inside, should we not?”

  “They may be looking for you.”

  Laura nodded. “Probably.”

  Neither of them turned back toward the door. They continued standing, looking out over the land. Laura felt comfortable in the silence. She wished James could be standing next to her. However, she also knew that if he was, she would not be thinking about Joshua the way she was. Her heart was torn.

  She prayed for direction, looking up at the cloud-covered sky. “It’s going to rain,” she said quietly.

  Joshua looked up, too. “I don’t mind if you don’t.”

  She grinned at him.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  JOSHUA TAKES A TRIP

  JOSHUA TAKES A TRIP

  Joshua looked down at his eggs. He broke two of the yolks and mixed the eggs together before sopping it up with toasted bread. “This is delicious, Alice. You must tell your cook for me.”

  Alice laughed. “You just did.”

  He laughed with her.

  “What do you have planned today, my love?” Adam asked her, taking a sip of his orange juice.

  “I will be spending the day with the ladies from the Community Church group. We get together every week and help out the people in Wickenburg who are struggling the most.”

  Adam frowned slightly. “Are we having a problem with that?”

  “Yeah, we are, Adam. I don’t want anyone in America to go without food and clothing and shelter. Since I can’t provide it myself, I will do what I can to help,” Alice responded. “We have a lot more than they do, even though we don’t really have a lot. So when we all get together, it makes a lot of our little.”’

  Joshua smiled. “That’s real nice, Alice. Real nice.”

  “Thanks, Joshua.” She looked back at her husband. “Even people with good jobs are still having a hard time. It’s a struggle. We may not be wealthy, but at least we have homes and food.”

  “And clothing. No one wants to see naked people running around town.” Adam sounded amused. Alice laughed in spite of herself.

  “Oh how can you joke about something so serious, dear?” Alice shook her head.

  Adam shook his head. “I am just surprised that I hadn’t really thought about it. I’ve just been helping people whenever I could and moving on to the next dilemma. Something is bound to happen.”

  “It is strange,” Alice said. “I’m glad that you help out like you do, Adam. It makes me proud and I want to do what I can to help out, too. That’s why I volunteer to do these things. There’s always clothes that need mending, right?”

  “Yes,” Adam agreed. “There sure are. And not just mine.”

  Alice giggled. “Usually not yours. You are very good to your clothes, Adam, despite all the things you get into.”

  “I don’t get into anything," Adam protested. “I just work in the saddle shop. I don’t know what you’re talking about, woman.”

  The three of them laughed.

  “If you and the ladies need my help with anything, let me know,” Joshua offered.

  “We will, Joshua, thank you. You know I wouldn’t hesitate to ask if I thought there was something you could do. But we ladies have it and you have enough to do, finding a killer.”

  “I think I might go back to Louisville for a day or two. I want to check on some people there. There’s a friend I have, a sheriff’s deputy, who was telling me about this guy they have up there who knows about poisons. I’ve been thinking about him for a while. I think Nate and I should go back and see if they can help us figure out the best way for it to be given. Does that make sense?”

  “Sure, I don’t see why not,” Adam nodded. “You can take my wagon so you’ll be more comfortable.”

  “There’s nothing uncomfortable about my wagon,” Joshua laughed.

  “Do you think they’ll be able to help us?”

  “There are some very brilliant minds there in Louisville and some new techniques in crime solving I’ve been reading about. When I read about something new, I talk to him a
bout it. Those things aren’t available here in Wickenburg.”

  “I see. So you plan to stay a few days?”

  “Just overnight. And it will depend on how long it takes me to talk to these people. I know Nate will be thrilled to get back to Louisville. He’s sweet on a lady there. Plus, he likes this kind of mystery. He likes to talk strategy. He’s very observant. I like that in my friends. He’s as stubborn about getting to the truth as I am.”

  “When are you planning to go?”

  “Later. I’ll grab some of my clothes that my lovely aunt washed for me.” He gave her a beaming smile, which she returned. “And be on my way. I don’t think Nate ever unpacked. He left his bag at the room at the Inn.”

  “Has he been paying for it all this time?”

  “Yes.”

  “He should come and stay here.”

  “Oh Adam,” Alice interjected. “We don’t have enough room for another man here. If he wants to stay in town and have his privacy, let him.”

  Adam smiled at his wife before looking at Joshua. “I’ll get your wagon ready for you.”

  “Thanks, Uncle Adam.”

  “It’s kind of sad that you have to take a vacation from your vacation and go home. I hope that when all this settles you will actually get some relaxation time.” Adam pushed away from the table and stood.

  “I hope so, too.”

  I’m glad to be going with you, Joshua. I need to take care of a few things, too.”

  As the sun began to set and the light grew dim, Joshua lit a lantern that hung outside the coach and set his book to the side.

  “Have you been thinking about all this?”

  “I have, but Joshua, you gotta give it a rest and think about something else for a change. I know something you want to think about.”