From his unplanned apology Rena knew he was intrigued. She only hoped she could keep him interested. She looked around and knew she could run out the door while he was gone, but it would be useless. She didn’t have a horse and she didn’t know where to find one. Her opportunity would come if she played it right. She’d bide her time. She only hoped her aching heart wouldn’t give her away. All the time she would be praying that Jake would be alive when she got home.
She walked to the window. There was a nice view of a meadow leading up to the house. It would be useless to try to escape that way. You could see for a mile.
The sound of Jasper’s footsteps alerted her to his returning and she moved to the fireplace. She was studying the picture over the mantle and he didn’t see her when he entered.
“Where the hell did she go?”
“I’m right here, Jasper. I was admiring this lovely painting.”
He looked surprised to see her, but relieved at the same time. “I’d thought you’d run away.”
She laughed. “Where would I go? I can’t think of a nicer place than this except maybe London. No place in the world is as nice as London. It’s my real home, you know.” She moved to the sofa and accepted the glass of water. “Thank you.”
“London, England?”
She nodded. “Have you ever been there, Jasper?”
“No. Have you?”
“Of course. As I said, it’s my real home.”
“If London, England’s your home, what the hell are you doing here?”
“It’s a long and involved story.”
“I’ve got time before supper’s ready. I might as well listen to your tale.” He sat down on the huge red velvet chair facing her. “Start talking.”
She’d decided to build on Rachel McGregor’s yarn. She settled carefully on the deep gold velvet sofa facing him. “Over a hundred years ago there was an uprising in Spain.”
“I thought you said England. How did Spain get in the picture?”
She gave him an irritated look. “I told you it was involved.”
“Well, go on.” He looked a little irritated now, but still intrigued.
“In the uprising in Spain the ruling family was overthrown and run out of the country. They went to different parts of the world. Some settled in England, but a few of came to America.” She sipped her water and hoped he knew nothing about history, because what she was saying was a complete work of fiction. As far as she knew, none of it ever happened so there was no basis in fact to draw upon. She’d try to keep it as close to what Rachel said as she could. The story might start circulating and she didn’t need different versions in Yellow Creek.
“I’m still waiting to hear the rest of it.” His voice was losing some of its sharpness.
“The few who settled in England became friends with the royal family there. Over the years they created an alliance and the King vowed to help them regain the throne in Spain. Though the first group of royals who made this bargain are all long dead, the following rulers have tried to keep that promise.”
“I still don’t see what that has to do with you.”
“You’ll understand when I get to that part.” She shook her head at him as if he was an impatient child. “Four of the Spanish royals came to this country and took on false identities because they thought they’d be killed if anyone knew they were from royalty. Two stayed in New York and two decided to try out the Southern states, the oldest settling in Georgia. He owned a huge plantation. His family didn’t lose all their money after the war because he’d invested in other things. His brother went to New Orleans, but died of some strange disease. One of the men wasn’t happy in New York and wanted adventure. He convinced his wife to move to the western area of this country. As the older royals died, the younger ones weren’t as interested in going back to Spain because they’d made lives for themselves in this country. This didn’t set well with the ones left in England, so they went to the king for help. They decided the only way to help the Spanish return to their rightful place was to marry them to another royal.”
Rena put on the saddest face she could. It wasn’t hard because the thoughts of Jake lying there in the dirt not only made her sad, it made her want to kill Jasper Wigham this minute instead of telling him a fairy tale. Knowing that was impossible, she went on with her story.
“All of the men in England either had wives or were too old to marry. That left the question of was who was going to marry one of the Spanish men in this country of yours. Unfortunately, most of the eligible women were already betrothed or married. It was finally decided that the fourteen year old daughter of the Duke of Mattacomby would be the one sent over.” Rena had made up the name and she hoped there was no Duke of Mattacomby anywhere in England.
She sighed and went on. “Her family wanted to protest, but they didn’t dare. You don’t argue with the royal family of England. Especially if you’re a relative. It was decided this daughter would be accompanied to this country with her uncle to find one of the eligible descendants of the Spanish royal house.”
She dabbed at her eyes. “It was soon discovered that there was no one in the New York clan that had not married or died. She and her uncle went to Georgia. There they found a nice fellow, but he was only sixteen. She and her uncle settled there to wait until the young man finished school and the two young people became of marriageable age.”
“This is all interesting, but I still don’t see…”
“Please, Jasper. It’s doing me good to be able to share the story with someone who has the background to understand.” He didn’t say anything else and she went on. “Things seemed to be settled and the years ticked off. The young man in question reached the age of twenty and the woman was now eighteen. Just the right age to marry. Then the unthinkable happened.”
“What was that?” His interest was sparked again.
Though it was hard to do, she smiled at him. “The young man was on his way across Peachtree Street in Atlanta and a runaway carriage driven by an intoxicated peasant came careening down the street and ran him over. He had the best of medical care, but it was too late. He died three days before the wedding.”
“That’s horrible.”
“It was devastating. The bride-to-be missed the young Matthew, but she was a loyal subject to the throne of England. A country-wide search went out for the Spanish man’s descendants who were in the west. And they were found, or the people in Atlanta thought they were. Nobody is quite sure. A few months ago, the woman was sent west carrying a lot of money with her. It was to help establish the royals if they didn’t have the means to do so. It was also the dowry that is due any man who is to marry a member of the royal family.”
She looked at Jasper. He was staring at her. It took some effort, but she forced a tear to her eye. “Now do you understand?”
He frowned. “Not at all.”
“Oh, Jasper you have to. Don’t you see? My father is the Duke of Mattacomby. His younger brother, Albert, is my guardian. I had to come here to marry the man who is a descendant of Spanish royalty. I wouldn’t have minded being married to Matthew in Atlanta. He was a nice cultured man. A man much like you, but I don’t know how they could expect me to marry a man like Jake Haywood, but they did.”
“What the hell are you saying? Jake Haywood is a damn breed, so he’s no more Spanish royalty than I am.”
“I wish you were, Jasper. I know you’d be happy to go back to Spain and take your rightful place, but Jake Haywood laughs at the idea. He said he only wanted the dowry to pay off his ranch. He doesn’t care a thing about the throne.” She looked at him. “At least by killing Jake, you’ve spared Spain the embarrassment of him returning to that country. Can you imagine him or his brother ruling Spain?”
“No way in hell.”
“I have to tell you something else, Jasper.”
“What’s that?”
“I promise that when they find out Jake Haywood’s been killed, I’ll swear you rode up to help us and wer
e run off by the real killer. I’ll even have my uncle Albert tell the queen that you saved my life or I would’ve been killed, too. She’ll probably send you a special reward.”
“I don’t believe a word of this.”
She knew by his eyes that he didn’t want to believe her, but he did. “I know both royal families will reward you greatly. When you get me back to him, Uncle Albert will see to that.”
Jasper stood, went to a cabinet in the corner of the room and picked up a whisky decanter. “I need a drink. Do you want one?”
“No thank you. Ever since Matthew’s death, I haven’t been able to drink anything stronger than sherry.”
“I have some of that.” He poured her a small glass and brought it to her.
“You’re such a kind man. I knew that when you came to the ranch the other night.”
He smiled at her and sat down. “Now, let me get this straight. You think Jake and Silas Haywood are Spanish royals.”
“That’s what the detectives said.”
“Well, if you’re a royal, where are your servants?”
“My handmaid and my butler were both killed when we were attacked. That’s when I lost all of my clothes and everything I had with me except one bag. Haven’t you noticed that I dress like a peasant? It’s disgraceful.”
“Well, Rena. May I call you Rena?”
“Of course. We’re friends.”
He smiled again. “We are and that’s why I’m going to set you straight. The Haywoods are not Spanish. Their dark features come from the Indian blood that runs in their veins. Their grandfather or some ancestor hooked up with a full blooded Indian and that’s where their dark features come from.”
She shook her head. “That’s the tale their grandfather told so nobody would know who he really was. Royals have to keep their identity hidden. If people find out who we really are, they’d try to kill us for the money that we always have with us. I trust you and that’s the reason I’ve told you the story. The Haywood’s grandfather was married to one of the Spanish ladies he met in New York before coming west. She gave him two sons. When she died on the way out here, he took in the Indian woman as a cover. He never really married her. Jake and Silas Haywood are the descendants of the throne of Spain.”
“Then why don’t you want to be married to Jake Haywood?”
“Do you have to ask?” She lowered her head, but refused to put Jake in the past tense. “He’s the most obnoxious man I’ve ever met. He treats me like a commoner. You know we’ve only been married for two days and he told me I have to cook and clean just like any ranch wife.”
“That’s what most wives do. That and keep their husband’s happy at night.”
She stared at him. “So far I’ve been able to avoid…I mean…well…” She forced a blush.
“Do you mean you haven’t slept with Jake Haywood?”
She lowered her head again and mumbled.
“Speak up.”
“I lay with him, but nothing happened. I told him it couldn’t.”
“What do you mean nothing happened? Jake Haywood wouldn’t just…I mean…he’d demand his rights.”
“He took the money I had left after the bandits attacked us.” She jerked her head up and put a snap in her voice. “He had no right to my body. No man has if I decide I don’t want him to have that right.”
He raised his eyebrow and started to say something. She knew she was pushing him and she added, “When I tell Uncle Albert how you helped me preserve my purity, he’ll reward you with wealth untold.”
“All I want is Haywood’s ranch.”
“Then, you’ll have it and you won’t have to lift a finger to get it.”
“Your uncle can do that?”
“Absolutely. But it has to be done discreetly. I can’t have my uncle’s identity discovered in Atlanta.” She looked at him. “Would you object to going to Atlanta with me to collect your reward?”
“Of course not.”
“Then, I’ll get a letter off to him today. We don’t trust the telegraph. You’ll let me write him, won’t you?”
“Of course, my dear. You can sit at my desk.”
“Oh how lovely. There’s no place to write anything at Jake’s house except their crude kitchen table. Besides, he didn’t want me communicating with Uncle Albert. He knew I’d tell him that my life here had been hell.” She shook her head. “It’ll be a delight to sit here to compose the letter. I know it takes a while for mail to cross the country, but I expect my uncle to answer immediately.”
“I hope it’s not too long.”
“I have an idea, Jasper. Why don’t I invite him to visit? I think he’ll come and I’m sure he’d love to stay here in your home.”
“That’d be wonderful.”
Before she could answer the cook came to the parlor door. “Your supper is ready, Mr. Wigham.”
“I have company. Set another plate.”
“Yes, sir.”
Jasper came to the sofa. “May I escort you to dinner, Rena?”
“Thank you, kind sir.” She stood and took his arm. It was all she could do to keep from recoiling.
By the time the meal was half over, she convinced him he should let her go to the cabin and become the grieving widow. He agreed that it’d make it easier to hide her identity that way. By dessert, he also agreed to accompany her as close to the Haywood place as he could without being discovered.
“I’ll mess up my face with dirt and walk in,” she explained. “I can tell them the murderer let me go when he felt safe and it took me a long time to walk back.”
“You’re a smart woman, Rena… What is your last name anyway?”
She giggled. “You’re going to laugh when I tell you.”
“Why?”
“My full title is Lady Josephine Rena Alexandria Victoria of the house of Mattacomby.”
“Damn, that’s a mouth full.”
“For short I’m called Lady Rena. My mother’s name was Josephine; therefore, they chose to call me Rena.”
“Rena suits you better than Josephine.”
“Thank you, Jasper.”
When they left the dining room, Jasper took her to his office. She glanced around. “I’m impressed. It reminds me of Uncle Albert’s office in Atlanta.”
“Sit here.” He pulled back the desk chair for her. “I’ll get you some stationery. I always have a brandy after supper. Would you like a one?”
“No, thank you.”
Rena began writing the letter while Jasper took his brandy and settled in a corner chair to watch her. She began writing the story the way she’d told Jasper it happened. She wished she could think of a way to get him out of the office so she could search his desk. When he’d taken the stationery out, he’d left it unlocked.
She glanced up at him and he was watching her intently. She wondered if he was questioning what she was writing. “I’ve finished the first page. Would you like to read it?”
He looked surprised. “You don’t mind?”
“Of course not. I have no secrets from you, Jasper. You’re the only man in Arizona Territory who knows my secret.” If she didn’t know better she’d swear his chest puffed out.
He had almost finished reading the page when there was a knock on the door. Jasper frowned, but he opened it. It was the man who had taken the horses when they first arrived.
“Boss, we’ve got a problem.”
“What’s going on, Ralph?”
He saw Rena at the desk. “Maybe we’d better talk outside.”
Jasper hesitated then put the letter down on the desk. “I won’t be long.”
“Maybe I’ll have this finished by the time you’ve completed your business.”
When Rena was sure she heard their boots go toward the front door, she put her pen aside and began looking in the desk. She knew she couldn’t waste time. She was fortunate to find what she was looking for in the bottom drawer. She smiled to herself, folded the document and tucked it in the front of her dress.
“Good.” He glanced around the office as if he thought she might have been nosing around. “I’m sorry I had to leave. Some uninvited riders were trying to get past my men and Rafe wanted to know what he should do.”
She wondered if it could be someone looking for her. She was sure Silas would realize where she was, but she hoped he wouldn’t act on it tonight. If things went as she planned, she was going to be home before the night was over.
“I’m sure you handled it well. A man in your position probably always knows the right thing to do.”
“I try to.” He smiled at her.
She didn’t want him to think she was interested in anything he or his men were doing so she held the letter out to him. “Would you like to read the rest of the letter?”
“Thank you, Lady Rena.”
“It sounds wonderful to hear those words again.” She smiled broadly at him. “Now, if you’ll tell me where I might find an envelope?”
“I’ll get one for you.” He opened the middle drawer on the right, and they were on top of everything. He handed her one.
She began addressing it, not sure what an address would look like in this century. She decided to use her home address. The place was probably a cotton field in the 1800s, but that didn’t matter. Jasper would never know the difference. Of course she left off the zip code. She knew they didn’t have those and it would confuse everyone. By the time the harried mail carriers in Georgia returned it, she was sure things would be settled with Jasper Wigham. If Jake lived they’d be together. If he died, Wigham would be dead, too.
He interrupted her thoughts. “Thank you for saying such nice things about me and my house. If your uncle decides to accept your invitation, I’d be delighted to have him stay here.”
“I wouldn’t think of asking him to come to Jake’s ranch. He’d die if he knew how I was living.”
“After he receives this letter, I know you won’t be there much longer.” He gave her the big grin again. “Do you really think he’ll be able to get the queen to reward me?”
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