by Natalie Dean
I advise you that it is in your best interest not to take this to the sheriff.
~Boss
Bess felt lightheaded and swooned, but she managed to catch herself before she fainted. She looked around the cemetery, scanning for anyone who may be watching her. She could see that the man who had delivered the note was gone, but she also knew that in her panic she wasn’t able to see or think clearly. As she realized she may be being watched at that very moment, more panic began to set in, and she quickly folded the note and shoved it into her pocket.
Just take a deep breath. I’m going to be ok, Bess thought to herself. She looked down at the soft dirt at her feet once more, feeling the thick lump forming in the back of her throat. Fresh tears began making their way down her cheeks, but she now angrily brushed them away, leaving dirty streaks on her face. Bess took a long, trembling breath in, then let it out slowly, trying to clear her mind as best as she could. She brushed her hands against themselves then her skirts once more, removing the last of the dust, then she turned and began walking slowly along the path that led to the gated entrance.
She jumped with fright when she passed a tree and saw a man leaning against it, but she relaxed when she realized he was with another woman who was leaving flowers at the side of another grave. She gave them a weak smile, though she knew it was from nerves more than anything, and she picked up her pace slightly.
I need to calm down. I can’t show them that I’m scared. If they’re watching me, I can’t let them know that they are getting to me. Jacob was scared. Bess stopped suddenly as the realization formed in her mind. The morning of the day he had passed, he was scared. She remembered it so clearly now.
Since the day they had met, Bess had always thought of Jacob as being fearless. It didn’t seem like anything could rattle him. But that morning – that morning he had clearly been scared of something. Whatever he was a part of, whoever these people were, they were bad enough to scare her husband – then he turned up dead that very night.
Had he received a note such as this? Did he know this Boss man personally? Had he been threatened with a time limit and an exorbitant amount of money?
She stood for a moment at the gate of the cemetery, her hands resting on the iron latch. The note had very clearly stated not to go to the sheriff, but if her husband had been threatened, perhaps if he had ignored the threat and gone to the sheriff himself, maybe he would still be alive.
There was little doubt in Bess’s mind. If these men had murdered her husband, then it was more than likely they wouldn’t have an issue murdering her as well. As long as she was in that house – alone – she was in danger. With a surge of resolution forming in her heart, Bess turned and walked up the brick path.
She didn’t care what the note said – she was going straight to the sheriff.
Chapter 4 – A Cry for Help
“And that’s all he said to you?” Sheriff Muldoon asked. He was seated behind his desk, leaned back in a casual manner. He glanced down at the note in his hands, then looked up at Bess, who stood across from him with her hands clasped against her chest.
She nodded.
“I couldn’t see much of his face with his beard and his hat, but he was very direct in his approach,” she explained, trying to give him as much information about the man as she could. With a sigh, the sheriff opened the drawer to his desk and pulled out some papers.
Sliding them across the table, he asked if any of the faces looked familiar to her. Bess leaned forward. Each of the sheets held a sketch of a face. She suddenly pointed to one and looked up at the sheriff as she did so.
“Yes! This is the man! Like I said, he had a hat on, but I feel sure that’s him.” Her voice was a mix of worry and relief, and the sheriff licked his lips. Without saying a word, he gathered up the papers and tapped them into a neat pile, then slid them back into the drawer of his desk.
“Do you know who he is?” Bess prompted. Sheriff Muldoon sat for a moment, then rubbed his face with his hands.
“That is Victor French. He’s a notorious member of the Southside Creek gang – which leads me to wonder. Tell me again what it was your husband did for a living?” He gave Bess a hard look, and she began to feel uncomfortable.
“He was a traveling businessman,” she answered timidly.
“Uh huh, well – I didn’t know your husband, but I am a professional, and I would have to say just putting the pieces together here, I imagine your husband wasn’t traveling as much as he said, nor did he sell anything.” Sheriff Muldoon folded the note and handed it back to her.
“Are you saying he – he was – he was part of a gang?” Bess asked, the horror clearly showing through her tone. The sheriff gave a single nod.
“Looks that way,” he said plainly, then added, “I wouldn’t recommend you get tangled up in this mess, Mrs. Brown. This is dangerous.”
“Well, certainly not! But what am I to do? I can’t stay in that house – I can’t stay anywhere! They know who I am and where to find me!” Bess cried out, and the sheriff looked grim.
“I wish I could keep you here, but you can’t live in a jail, and I have no idea how large this gang really is. Until we have this man they call the Boss behind bars, you are going to be in danger. My recommendation is that you leave, Mrs. Brown. Get as far away from here as you can. Don’t tell a single soul where you are going, just get out of here.” Bess once again had her hands clasped to her chest, and she nodded furiously, fighting that panicked feeling that swelled in her chest once more.
She glanced down at the note in her hand, then slipped it into her pocket. With a look of defeat written clearly on her face, she turned to go.
“Mrs. Brown?” Sheriff Muldoon stopped her. “If you see or hear anything, please come back here right away.”
Bess nodded, then left.
With shaking fingers, Bess grabbed the apple and placed it in her basket. She didn’t have much of an appetite these days, but she knew she had to eat something to keep her strength up. There was no food left in the house, forcing her to go to the general store on her way home. Though she was browsing through the fruit, her mind was on everything that had transpired in her life the past few days.
He said to get out of here as soon as possible, but I have nowhere to go. Jacob never spoke of any living relatives, and I don’t know if I have any left, either. Of course, I don’t know that I could bring this down on them anyway. Who knows? Maybe all of his family is part of a gang! Bess’ heart was still filled with grief, but part of the grief had been replaced with anger.
He had lied to her. Throughout the few short years she had known him and loved him, during the entire year of their marriage, everything she knew was based on a lie. She didn’t question that Jacob loved her – he not only said so often but he proved that he did, always bringing her trinkets and treats when he could. But, she couldn’t help but wonder, what else had he been lying about?
Bess felt that her trust was shattered, and she didn’t know how to even begin to heal. She didn’t know if she would ever heal. How could she recover from this?
“Excuse me, Ma’am!” an angry shopper said, and Bess apologized.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t see you there. My mind is a thousand miles away,” she tried to explain. She had inadvertently bumped into a woman who was carrying a basket of eggs, causing her to nearly drop them. With an embarrassed and shy smile, Bess backed away, acting as though there were something near the back of the store that she needed.
As she turned her back to the woman, something on the wall caught Bess’s eye. There were dozens of papers tacked up with pins. She’d been in this store a hundred times but had never before noticed these ads. At first, Bess was going to dismiss them as useless, but as the woman was still at the counter buying her eggs, Bess decided to look busy by skimming the contents of the papers.
Then she saw one that really caught her attention.
Looking for a Bride
Lonely farmer looking for companionship.
Can’t offer much, but can put a roof over your head and treat you good. Looking for pretty young lady with an eye toward matrimony.
~William Miller
Bess’s heart began to pound in her chest, and she reached up, pulling the paper free of its tack. Turning it over, she could see that it had come from Wyoming territory. That wasn’t quite all the way to the coast, but it was a good distance from New York City. A plan was beginning to form in the back of her mind, and for the first time that day, Bess began to feel a slight glimmer of hope.
That morning she had stood by the grave of her husband, and now she was considering marrying another man she had never met. Bess shook her head as she tucked the ad in her pocket.
In just four short days her life had completely changed.
Chapter 5 – Heading West
Bess glanced nervously over her shoulder. There were dozens of men and women milling about the train platform, but it didn’t appear as though any of them were paying any mind to her. She sighed and shifted nervously from one foot to the other. She had been standing on this platform in the early morning light for nearly an hour, and she was more than ready to get on the train.
Though there was a chill in the air, the gentle breeze promised a warm day, so Bess had dressed lightly for the journey. She still had the ad in her pocket, and she fidgeted with a train ticket in her hand. The night she had found the ad, she had gone home and penned a response to Mr. Miller immediately, telling him she was an orphan in a dire situation and was desperately looking for a place to live.
She assured him she was more than willing to help with the chores on the farm, and that she wasn’t looking for anything fancy, just a quiet life she could live in peace. Bess had included a detailed description of herself, hoping she had given the man enough of an idea of what she looked like that he would be able to find her quickly once she arrived in Wyoming.
At the end of the letter, Bess once again reminded Mr. Miller of her desperation, telling him she was going to follow the letter shortly, and therefore he ought not to reply to the letter in the post. Not only did Bess wish to get out of town as quickly as possible, but she knew if the wrong people got their hands on the letter, they would be able to track her down.
Bess had posted the letter the same night she had written it, hoping that it would go out in the post first thing in the morning. She had then gathered what little money she had left and purchased a train ticket. She was thrilled that there was still a seat available for the train leaving that same week, meaning she would only have to wait a few days before she was able to leave this awful town – and the memories it held – behind her.
The only person she had told was Sheriff Muldoon who, though he was glad to hear she was leaving town, was concerned about the decision she had made. In spite of all his inquiries as to who she was going to marry and where she was headed, Bess declined to answer. She insisted the less anyone knew about her, the better – an opinion which Sheriff Muldoon strongly disagreed with when it came to himself. But, Bess reminded him her options were limited and her time was short, and he eventually agreed with her decision.
Now, as Bess blinked against the rising sun and waited to be allowed to board the train, she couldn’t help but feel a pang run through her heart. Though fear had been the primary emotion she had felt the past few days, Bess also realized she was leaving her husband, whom she had loved, behind in that cold cemetery, and that realization hurt.
Bess shook her head, trying to knock the emotions out of her mind. In her letter to Mr. Miller, Bess had intentionally refrained from telling him that she was a widow. She had said nothing about the gang and nothing about the threat she was under. Bess figured the less he knew about her dark past, the better. Feeling as though someone was watching her, she suddenly whirled around. Men and women were walking about, but again, no one seemed to be paying any attention to her.
I’ve got to settle down. I’m bound to attract more attention to myself if I keep acting this way than if I were to simply act like anyone else. Besides, even if they do see me getting on this train, they will have no idea where I am going, Bess thought as she smoothed the front of her skirts and picked up the carpetbag she had packed.
At long last, the conductor stepped out of the engine and walked over to the train car, calling out to those who were waiting on the platform. At once, the dozens of men and women who had been waiting pushed forward, cutting in front of Bess and pushing to get on the train first. Bess cried out in pain as someone stepped on her foot, then shook her head at their rudeness when they didn’t bother to stop to see if she was injured.
With a slight limp, Bess finally made her way to the door of the coach and handed her ticket to the conductor.
“Morning, Miss, and where are we headed today?” he asked casually, and her tongue caught in her throat. The sheriff had been adamant about her keeping her travels a secret, and she quickly reminded herself she didn’t know anything about this man. Her husband had shown her that anyone could be part of a gang and hide it well, and by telling him where she was going, she may very well be telling the men from the gang exactly where she was headed.
“I’m just going to see where the wind takes me,” she said at last with a nervous laugh. The conductor punched a hole in her ticket and looked at her with an odd expression on his face, then he gave her a curt nod.
“Very well, move along then.”
Bess gathered her carpetbag to her chest as she walked through the narrow aisle in the center of the train coach. Men and women had filled many of the seats already, and Bess felt that they all had their eyes on her as she clung to her bag and walked toward the back of the coach. She had never ridden on a train before, and she wondered just how safe it really was.
Bess selected the very last bench seat in the coach and sat down with a thud. She had intended to be more graceful, but at the moment she went to sit down, it felt as though her knees simply buckled, and she had no choice but to sit down hard. Two of the women who were seated on the bench in front of her glanced over their shoulders then exchanged a look with each other, and Bess felt her cheeks burn with embarrassment.
At first, she slid over in her seat to be as close to the window as possible, hiding her face from the other passengers on the train, but she soon realized that anyone who was on the street could see her. Immediately, Bess slid back toward the other side of the seat, stopping about halfway across the bench seat. She could still feel the judgmental glances from the women in the seat in front of her, but she didn’t care.
Squaring her shoulders, Bess sat up straight and proud, trying to present herself as far more confident than she felt. At long last, the conductor gave the final call, and the doors to each of the coaches were closed. Bess started when she felt the shudder run through each of the coaches, then all at once, the train began to move forward. She looked out the window from her safe position and marveled at how fast the buildings were rushing past. Bess took a deep breath then let it out slowly, feeling more relaxed now that she was on the move.
She was leaving all her problems behind, and all that lay ahead was a new beginning – the fresh start she needed.
Chapter 6 – Mr. William Miller
“Next stop, South Pass City! Next stop, South Pass City!” the conductor cried as he walked through the train car. Bess marveled at how he could walk in and out of each of the train cars without being frightened, as she felt she would get dizzy and fall off if she tried to do the same thing. Relief rushed over her, and she sat up, her aching joints protesting her every move.
She had been traveling for days, and though she reminded herself it was much faster – and far more comfortable than traveling by stagecoach, it was still taxing on her small frame, and every part of her was ready to get off the train. As the days passed, Bess tried to focus on the positive of her journey, rather than think about what must be happening back in New York.
She trusted Sheriff Muldoon to be true to his word and stay on the case until justi
ce was brought to her husband, and she hoped that he would tell her when he managed to find the man who was responsible for Jacob’s death. At the same time, she knew with each passing day that the end of her three-week time limit was drawing near, and she was no closer to having any of the money than she had been in the beginning.
So, Bess decided to focus her thoughts on what her new husband may look like. She wondered if he was going to be tall like Jacob had been, and she wondered what color his eyes were going to be. She didn’t even know how old of a man he was, and part of her wondered if he was going to be much older than her like a father, or closer to her age than even Jacob had been.
You’ll soon find out, she thought.
The small town was rising up in the distance, and Bess felt the palms of her hands grow sweaty. She never was one to get nervous for things, unless, of course, she didn’t know what to expect. And right now, she definitely didn’t know what to expect.
South Pass City was a mining town, and she knew many of the men who lived there were after gold. However, she could see that the land was green and the rolling hills stretched on for miles, making the prospect of farming promising. Bess leaned closer toward the window as the train pulled into town.
Men, women, and children stopped to watch the engine as it slowed to a stop, and Bess immediately felt that everyone was staring at her. Unlike the large, wooden platform that had been back in New York, this platform was narrow, with only enough room to help passengers disembark from the train.
She waited as the train pulled to a complete stop, and her knees felt weak as she rose. Bess wanted to stand at the top of the stairs and scan the faces of those who had gathered, but the people behind her were just as eager to get off the train, and it wasn’t long before Bess was prodded forward.