Shocked at her daughter’s appearance, Emily hurried over, burying Amanda in her bosom. “Oh, my baby!”
“I’m so sorry,” Amanda said, dissolving into tears. “This is all my fault.”
Emily took a handkerchief and daubed Amanda’s cheeks while examining her. “Don’t cry. Are you hurt?”
“No Mama,” she said. “Just embarrassed at my foolishness.”
Emily turned to glare hatefully at Reagan whose crossed arms concealed much of his stained shirt. “You vile man!” she spat. “What possessed you to bring this shame upon my daughter? Do you hate me so much you’d use an innocent child to ply your vengeance?”
“Emily!” George touched her shoulder. “Please calm down. Amanda’s not hurt. Let’s handle this without undue discord.”
“I will not calm down!” Emily pointed an accusing finger at Reagan. “This-this Burnsfield has likely destroyed our daughter’s chances of a suitable marriage! Not only that, he’s somehow entangled her in transporting fugitive slaves! The deputy said-”
Amanda stood, taking her mother’s hand. “No, mama. Twas nothing other than we took a ride by ourselves. I can vouch we weren’t involved with anything illegal.” She hoped her eyes wouldn’t belie the truth that her intent had only been to warn Aunt Ella. That she and Reagan had gotten trapped by bounty hunters was unfortunate, but a blessing for those in the escaping buckboard.
“I’m the one at fault, Mrs. Bruester, and I apologize,” Reagan said. “I got permission from George to escort Amanda without a chaperone, and in my poor judgment decided to use the privilege that night.”
“Surely not!” Emily challenged as she turned wrathful eyes to her husband. “Amanda’s father would never give such permission, would you, George?”
George sank into a chair before looking into his wife’s furious face. “I-I seem to recall such a conversation.” His hands shook as he accepted a cup of coffee the sheriff offered. “I gave Reagan permission to court Amanda without escort, because…” he strained at the tendrils of his memory, “…because…”
“Because of my lengthy absences,” Reagan finished as he suddenly recognized the gift handed him. “I didn’t intend to jeopardize her reputation,” he said, looking at Amanda’s shocked expression. “But, I’ll fully bear the consequences of my actions. And, if needed I will affiance myself immediately.”
“W-what?” Emily found it difficult to perceive the meaning of his words. As a dawning recognition spread, she placed a hand over her heart. “Oh, no! Not that!”
Now that the idea had struck, Reagan pursued it with enthusiasm. “I’d consider it an honor to marry Amanda. Once we made the announcement, the rumors should go away.”
Amanda felt a sudden weakness that had nothing to do with her recent adventure. Without taking her eyes off Reagan, she sat down. Though grateful he hadn’t exposed Gabriella’s secret, she nevertheless, couldn’t have imagined anything as momentous as a marriage proposal.
Jim broke the sudden silence. “Be that as it may, we have more pressing matters to discuss, namely one Jebediah Johnson who claims these two were out last night breaking fugitive slave laws.” Having gained everyone’s attention, he continued. “We should get this resolved without delay. I’ve sent word to Judge McCleary asking him to have a hearing later this afternoon. I must advise however, that Reagan and Amanda discuss nothing between them until after the hearing.”
“Don’t worry,” Emily huffed. “He’ll see Amanda over my dead body.”
George stood as his wife draped Amanda’s coat over her shoulders. “Now dear, let’s not get carried away.”
Emily directed Amanda toward the door, stopping in front of the sheriff. “Jim, I trust this news won’t leave your office. I don’t want my daughter tied to any scandal no matter how small.”
“I won’t mention a word, Mrs. Bruester, but I can’t keep Jebediah or his men from spreading tales.” He rose and opened the door, smiling tightly. “Perhaps, with the elections just yesterday, the journalists will be at the telegraph office and miss this bit of excitement.”
Emily nodded. “Let’s hope so. We’ll be waiting in the carriage.” After they left, Reagan unfolded his arms and poured himself more coffee.
“Good Lord,” George gasped, spying the stains. “What did you do?”
“Stopped two hounds, bent on mauling whatever they could lay hold of,” he answered.
George’s face turned ashen as he stared at the ruined shirt. “Thank you,” he said. “Thank you for protecting Amanda.”
“One more thing,” Jim said. “Be at Judge McCleary’s chambers by four this afternoon. I’ll have my report as well as any evidence we find. Be prepared for lots of questions. And expect Jeb to be indelicate. It appears to be his style.”
“We’ll be there. But, I’m afraid this will devastate my family,” George said, his shoulders slumping. “I know I’ve not always done right by my little girl. But, from now on, I will.” Straightening his back, he opened the door before looking at Reagan. “If necessary, I’ll consider your offer.”
After George left, Jim folded his arms and chuckled. “Reagan, am I to understand you just proposed? Last I knew, you were just one of many vying for Amanda’s hand. I bet they never thought to drag her across the countryside, take on dangerous bounty hunters, and then ask for her hand in marriage.”
“Under the circumstances it was the honorable thing to do.”
“Yet, we still have Jebediah and his filthy cohorts to deal with,” Jim said, placing Reagan’s gun in a drawer. “I can’t give this back until after the hearing. And, if I were you, I’d shave before you see the judge. He dislikes unkempt witnesses.”
Reagan nodded. “I’ll do that. I can pick my gun up later.”
After leaving the sheriff’s office and all the way home Reagan thought about his newfound advantage. Without any trickery and a little luck, he could soon secure the means to pay his creditors.
Entering the house, it was evident to Reagan everyone was still asleep. He quietly entered his room and stepped into the adjoining chamber that held a washstand and tub. After stripping to his waist, he filled the basin and soaped his torso, scrubbing vigorously. Dumping the water, he refilled the bowl and shaved off his remaining beard. Lastly, he removed the rest of his clothes, crawled into bed and immediately fell asleep.
What seemed like only moments later, the door burst open. Katherine stood over him, clutching his soiled shirt. “Reagan! Have you been hurt?”
Reagan stretched while sitting up. “Good morning, mother,” he said, yawning.
“What’s the meaning of this?” she demanded. “I nearly fainted when Lela brought me these bloody clothes.”
“I’m sorry you were frightened, but I’m not hurt.”
If it’s not yours, whose blood is it?”
A movement by the doorway halted Reagan. “Is there anything you need, Mrs. Burnsfield?” Unable to enter unless bid; the maid peered curiously into the room.
“No thank you, Lela. Everything’s all right.” Without further explanation she went and shut the door before returning. “Tell me. Are you in some kind of trouble?”
“Perhaps, just a little.” Reagan kept his voice low as he outlined his encounter with bounty hunters, carefully omitting any reference to Gabriella or her charges.
Katherine’s eyes grew wide. “Reagan! How could you do such a thing?” She felt queasy looking at the splotches on the once immaculate shirt. “Do you realize you both could’ve been killed?”
“I’ve been so informed by just about everybody,” he said. “After the hearing, I’m hoping to persuade Amanda’s parents to let me rectify my mistake.”
“How do you propose to do that?”
“Mother, do you remember that peach gown you’ve wanted to wear for a special occasion?”
“What does a dress have to do with this situation?” When Reagan began humming a tune, she recognized the melody and Katherine’s mouth opened. “Surely, you aren’t sugges
ting marrying that poor girl!”
“Getting married would stop any rumors. Besides, you’ve been after me for years to settle down.” He clasped hands behind his head, looking askance at his mother’s expression. “What? Don’t you approve my choice of wife?”
Of course I approve of Amanda,” she said. “She’s all I’d hoped for in a daughter. What I don’t understand is your cavalier attitude toward marriage. You just don’t choose a wife hastily, as if you’re picking which socks to wear.” She paced the carpet, forgetting the shirt in her hand. “What about the accusations? I know it’s ridiculous, but…” She stopped abruptly, her eyes widening. “Wait! You recently asked me about escaping slaves. Reagan, have you become involved with emancipators? I mean, can those bounty hunters prove anything?”
Reagan debated telling his mother the truth. He decided that though she’d be sympathetic to Gabriella’s beliefs, now wasn’t the time to reveal secrets.
“Absolutely not. There’s nothing to prove, save we found ourselves in the path of slave hunters. I asked those questions because Amanda and I had an earlier encounter with bounty hunters, and my curiosity was aroused.”
“What encounter?” Katherine became alarmed once again. “Reagan, you never mentioned this before.”
“Because it wasn’t worth mentioning. We were coming back from a ride by the river and we chanced upon bounty hunters capturing slaves. The leader was suspicious, but I convinced him we were innocent bystanders.”
“I see,” she said, sighing. “Should I send for your father? He’s at the mill.”
“That won’t be necessary,” he said while reaching for his robe. After donning the garment, Reagan opened his wardrobe and shuffled its contents. “What exactly does one wear to a judge’s chambers?”
“Anything but what you wore last night,” she said, tossing his shirt to the floor.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Reagan arrived at the courthouse before his appointed time and was ushered into a small room by Sheriff Hadley. “The Judge will hear Jebediah’s account before questioning Amanda, then you,” Jim said. “You might as well have a seat until you’re called.”
“Have the Bruester’s arrived?”
“They came nearly an hour ago. As you can imagine, Emily was quite agitated and George seems to be taking the brunt of it. If he could deny being at Sam Hampton’s last night, I think he’d confess to the whole matter himself.”
“There’s enough blame to go around,” Reagan said, removing his hat. “I hope to have this difficulty settled by the end of the day.”
Jim nodded. “I’ll let the Judge know you’re here. He’ll send for you when it’s your turn to be questioned.”
Nearly an hour elapsed before a deputy summoned Reagan. Jebediah as well as the Bruesters were seated in the Judge’s chambers while the sheriff stood against a wall. Judge McCleary, looking somber and garbed in a black robe, sat behind his desk. “Come in, come in,” he said as the deputy shut the door. “Have a seat. This is an informal hearing.”
“Well, lookee there,” Jeb sneered. “The scofflaw shaved his face to look less the criminal he really is.”
Reagan ignored Jeb as his eyes met Amanda’s. Sitting between her parents, she looked nervous but not as frightened as when they had been taken to the jailhouse.
Judge McCleary waited until Reagan took a seat, and then clearing his throat, spoke. “Jebediah Johnson, a bonded bounty hunter from the state of Virginia, claims he was in pursuit of a slave girl and her babe when he encountered a man and a woman allegedly aiding in said slaves’ escape.” Ambrose paused at Emily’s intake of breath before continuing. “Mr. Johnson claims he followed fresh wagon tracks, catching the wagon as it got stuck in a bridge on Old Trail Road. Believing he’d found said slaves, Jebediah loosed a pair of valuable bloodhounds. Am I correct so far, sir?”
“So far,” Jeb growled.
“Mr. Johnson believes he then heard the screams of the slave girl he was tracking, followed by two gun shots that sent him and his men scattering for fear of their lives. Minutes later, he claims he came upon his hounds and found them shot dead. Immediately afterward, he witnessed Reagan Burnsfield fleeing with Amanda Bruester.”
“Mr. Johnson alleges that Reagan and Amanda deliberately interfered with the apprehension of his client’s property and so took them into custody. He now wants to press charges against both parties.”
With prosecution likely, Amanda feared the truth would now spill from Reagan’s lips. But he seemed unconcerned by the accusations. Not so with Emily, who appeared visibly upset.
“Your honor,” she said, desperation tingeing her voice. “Amanda had nothing to do with this. She’s a mere child!”
Jeb grinned. Standing up, he flared his pelt, arms akimbo. “According to the law, yer filly’s just as guilty as this feller here,” he bellowed.
“She’s innocent, I say!” Emily said, turning to her husband. “George, do something!”
“Mr. Johnson!” McCleary said, looking over his spectacles. “Sit down. This isn’t an inquest. You can’t intimidate the Bruester’s.” The judge waited until Jeb returned to his seat. “You may now present evidence that proves these two were breaking the law and I’ll decide if it’s enough to support your claims.”
Jeb leaned over outspread knees. “First of all, mah dogs wuz trained to only go after whut scent Ah puts them on, and they were hot on that bitch’s trail. Ah heard them catch something real good. The screaming wuzn’t just fear, it wuz pain, pure and simple. Now this gent claims he shot mah dogs cuz they wuz fixing to attack his laidy. That’s a lie. The man wuz covered in blood, yet, there wuz nary a mark on him. Ah say he shot mah dogs and then carried the slave somewhere whilst she wuz bleeding all over him.” Jebediah pointed an accusing finger at Reagan. “Just ask him. The sheriff seen the blood, too.”
“What about it, Jim?” Ambrose looked at the sheriff. “Did Mr. Burnsfield have an excessive amount of blood covering his person?”
“Seemed a mite overlarge,” Jim said, taking a toothpick from his pocket and sticking it between his teeth. “But then again, Reagan claims he got bloody from the hounds. Maybe he tried resuscitating one of them and hugged the beast too tight.”
Judge McCleary seemed to struggle to maintain his stern demeanor. He frowned at Reagan. “Can you explain yourself? How did you manage to get so bloody?”
Reagan remained silent as he considered the query. He knew the judge had already questioned Amanda and would listen carefully to his story. Despite McCleary’s acquaintance with his family, he didn’t doubt the judge would be diligent in his duties. “I remember checking whether the dogs were dead or merely wounded, your honor,” Reagan began. “It was dark and I can’t recall the exact circumstance of how I stained my shirt, except I may have shot one of the dogs close to his heart. Perhaps, the hound bled out as I leaned over him. Other than that, I have no answer.”
Jeb stood up, flexing his hands. “That’s impossible, Ah say. Twas too cold fer them dogs to bleed so from a single shot. Besides, he broke the law when he interfered with my method of catching runaways.”
Reagan’s eyes hardened at Jebediah’s words and his body tensed like a steel coil. Having contained his dislike for the bounty hunter, he now welcomed the opportunity to demonstrate his own brand of justice. But, as Reagan’s hand curled into a fist, Judge McCleary rose and leaned over his desk.
“Mr. Johnson! If you can’t control yourself, I’ll conduct this inquiry without you. Now, the story Mr. Burnsfield professes is not unlike the testimony Miss Bruester gave earlier.” McCleary resumed his seat before looking at the sheriff. “Did you instruct the witnesses to have no further contact with each other?”
“I can assure you,” Emily asserted before Jim could respond. “Amanda hasn’t spoken with Reagan since we took her from the sheriff’s office.”
“Whut fer?” Jeb snorted. “They wuz sitting next to one another the first time they gave their lies.”
Ambr
ose gave Jeb a pained look. “Mr. Johnson, the court takes into consideration all evidence, not just testimony. If you’ll allow me to continue without interrupting, I’ll be able reach a decision. Now, the court is satisfied with the witness’s rendition of facts. If not probable, it’s at least possible. What else do you have Mr. Johnson?”
Unnoticed until now, Jeb pointed to a knotted blue cloth on the desk. “Me and the deputy found that dirty rag just past the turn off the wagon took. It had been tossed down the road, to distract mah dogs. They weren’t fooled none, though.”
Amanda dropped her eyes, her heart quickening as she recalled Ben using the scarf to divert Nell’s scent.
McCleary picked up the scarf with a large stone tied inside and directed his question to Reagan. “Did you throw this?”
“No, your honor,” Reagan said. “In fact, I’ve never seen it before.”
Jebediah’s chin jutted toward Amanda. “Whut about her? She’s got guilt written all over her face.”
Ambrose looked incredulous. “Good Lord, sir. According to the sheriff’s report the deputy found this scarf about forty feet past the road to the bridge. Are you implying this young woman could throw a rock that far?”
“Mah gut tells me she knows about it,” he growled.
“No your honor,” Amanda said. “I didn’t throw anything.”
“Of course you didn’t!” the Judge said, dropping the stone. “Do you have any evidence, sir, linking this scarf to these two witnesses?” Fixing his eyes on Jebediah, McCleary waited, already knowing the answer.
“Just that they were at the bridge where mah dogs tracked the girl. He admits he shot mah dogs. He wuz covered in blood, and they wuz running away.” Jeb paused to glare at Reagan. “How else can you explain this wuz the second time we seen the gent and his filly whilst fetching runaways?”
“Second time?” Emily said, looking aghast.
“Yer daughter ain’t so innocent now, is she?” Jeb said. “Yu should’ve seen how fer she wuz unwrapped, too. Gives a feller notions about her virtue--”
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