Brides of Bannack Box Set: Mail Order Bride

by Natalie Dean

  “Hold it right there! Get your hands up and over your head! Drop your weapons! Drop them!” Bess’s heart began to race as she recognized the voice. It was immediately followed by another voice she recognized, and she felt her heart leap into her throat.

  “Get your hands off my wife! Now!” All three men turned slowly, but the Boss didn’t let go of Bess. Bess’s eyes widened, and she was shocked to see not only William standing at the end of the alley, but Sheriff Muldoon by his side. There were two other deputies behind them, and all the men had their pistols cocked and ready, and it was clear neither one of them was afraid to use it.

  “You three are under arrest!” Sheriff Muldoon reached into his pocket and pulled out a badge, flashed it to the three men, then returned both hands to his weapon.

  “I believe I told you to release my wife. If I have to tell you again, I will be telling you with this.” Will waived his pistol in the air, and the Boss gave Bess a hard shove. She nearly lost her footing and fell to the ground, but William caught her in his arms. Sheriff Muldoon motioned to the two deputies behind him, and all three men pulled out iron handcuffs.

  “Mr. Hilton, I can’t tell you how much of a pleasure this is,” the sheriff said as he bound the Boss’s hands behind him. The three men were then led out of the alley and escorted directly to the city jail. Bess and Will followed, though they chose to remain outside the jail as the men were being locked up inside.

  Bess turned to William with tears in her eyes. She opened her mouth to speak, but he pressed his finger to her lips.

  “Shhh, don’t say a word. I can’t imagine what you must be feeling right now, but it’s over, and I want to just let the past be in the past from now on, okay?” Will looked at Bess earnestly, and with tears in her eyes, she nodded.

  “I’m sorry,” she whispered. In reply, he pressed his lips against hers, kissing her with more passion than she had ever felt in her whole life. Bess leaned into him and kissed him back, uncaring as to who saw them or what anyone else thought. When she finally pulled back, Bess looked at her husband with inquisitive eyes.

  “But – Sheriff Muldoon? How did you? How did he?” She wasn’t sure how to phrase her question. Will laughed and shook his head.

  “Don’t you remember? I told you that when I was a boy my father passed away and my mother remarried a man with a son who was close to my age? Remember how I told you that when we were grown I moved to the West, and he moved to New York? We were both pursuing our passions, but you never asked anything about him.” He shook his head at the look of shock and surprise that came over her face.

  “You and Sheriff Muldoon are brothers?” she gasped, and he shrugged.

  “Stepbrothers at any rate. My mother became Mrs. Muldoon, but his father never formally adopted me, so I stayed a Miller.” He spoke about the topic so nonchalantly Bess couldn’t help but continue to shake her head in disbelief. Suddenly, they were interrupted when the sheriff himself stepped back out of the jail and onto the street.

  “Well, Mrs. Brow- er – Mrs. Miller! Seems to me like you and I are now in-laws of sorts!” Sheriff Muldoon laughed, and Bess shook her head.

  “I can’t say I can fully believe it,” she said breathlessly, and the sheriff laughed once again.

  “What did I tell you? I promised I was going to stay on the case until I found the man responsible for your husband’s death, and I did that very thing. Justice will be brought about, I promise you that.” Sheriff Muldoon smiled, and Bess wrapped her arms around Will.

  “Thank you, Sheriff,” she said.

  The train whistle blew loudly, and each of the three gang members was escorted into the prison car. Bess was surprised, she didn’t know that they had made cars specially designed for transferring dangerous men, but she had to admit, it did make her feel better. There was no chance of any of those men escaping, and they would be taken back to New York to face the punishment for their crimes.

  “Are you sure I don’t need to be there?” Bess asked the Sheriff as he prepared to board the train himself. He held up his hand and shook his head.

  “I think you have been through enough. You deserve to have a happy and peaceful life, and now you can have one, without having to look at those monsters again,” he gestured to the men who were in shackles behind him. Bess thanked him and stood back from the train car as each of the doors were slid closed.

  She and Will stood on the platform, waving as the train pulled out of the station. William then looked down at his bride and put his arm around her.

  “Well, Mrs. Miller, I think that was more than enough excitement for one day. Shall we?” He held out his arm in the direction of home, and Bess nodded.

  “Yes, let’s go home!”

  THE END

  BARBARA: Brides on the Run Book 2

  BARBARA

  Brides on the Run Book 2

  A Western Romance Short Story

  Book Description

  Barbara Hill is a woman with a love for the theater. She and her husband, Mark Hill, often sit high up on the balcony, in a special box Mark so often reserves for his wife’s enjoyment.

  But, when her husband is murdered, Barbara finds herself in the middle of a terrible situation. Desperate and looking for any way out, she chooses to become a mail order bride and head West.

  Though she feels secure with her new husband, she doesn’t feel she can trust him with all the details of her past, so she chooses to keep much of her history a secret.

  When her dark past follows her into her new life, Barbara is faced with a difficult choice. Will she find the courage to face her fears and tell her husband the truth?

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  Chapter 1 – The Man in the Mask

  Chapter 2 – A Shocking Accusation

  Chapter 3 – Decisions

  Chapter 4 – A Shot at Redemption

  Chapter 5 – Running Away

  Chapter 6 – Mr. Jake Cowell

  Chapter 7 – The Western World

  Chapter 8 – The Surprise

  Chapter 9 – The Attack

  Chapter 10 – The Truth Comes Out

  Chapter 11 – The Trial

  Chapter 12 – The Storm Subsides

  Chapter 1 – The Man in the Mask

  “Bravo! Bravo! Beautiful! Wasn’t that just brilliant?” Barbara Hill turned to her husband, Mark, who sat in a seat next to her. The couple was cheering at the end of a scene to one of their favorite plays – one that Barbara knew by heart. She loved going to the theater. There was something so invigorating about being able to sit high above the crowds in the box that Mark always reserved for her – giving her the best view in the entire room.

  Of course, they weren’t the only people who were up in the balcony. There were a few other wealthy couples and individuals also in the upper area, each equipped with their own set of opera glasses to better see what was happening down on the stage. Though most of the scenes took place far below them, one of the reasons Barbara loved this play so dearly was because many of the characters ran through the entire theater.

  There were daring swordfights, exquisite dialogue, and even a kidnapping. Barbara’s favorite part was when the villain appeared up in the balcony, making a daring jump from the very top and using a rope to descend back down to the stage.

  “Your favorite part is coming up next, My Dear,” Mark said in a low voice as he leaned over toward her ear. The Hills knew how important it was to be polite during the show, and both were careful to be very quiet during the scenes. As the applause began to subside Barbara clapped her hands softly together in her seat.

  She knew what was about to happen. The speaker would come out and tell them what was happening for the next scene, then all the lights in the theater would go dim. It would be so dark that she wouldn’t be able to see her hand in front of her face, and the entire room would be so quiet that no one would dare breathe.

  Then, the band would play loudly down in the corner of the room, the lights would flash on, and t
here would be the villain standing at the top of the balcony behind them! He would be wearing a white mask and a red cape, concealing his identity from everyone in the room. He would pull his arm up to his face, using his cape to further hide himself from their view. Then, in one swift motion, he would grab the hidden rope and jump over the rail, gliding throughout the room and safely to the stage below.

  Barbara didn’t know how anyone could be so brave. She imagined if she were to be so high she would lose her grip on the rope and fall. But, every time she had seen the play, the actor had expertly executed the trick, drawing gasps and applause from everyone in the room.

  The first time she had seen the play, Barbara had cried out when the man jumped, not realizing that he had ahold of a rope. She feared that it was some sort of accident, and the man would be harmed in a terrible fall. But, since that first time, she knew what was going to happen next, and eagerly twisted in her seat as soon as the lights came on.

  The speaker walked out onto the stage as she knew he would, and she grabbed Mark’s hand in anticipation. As always, the lights suddenly went out, and a hushed silence filled the room. Barbara couldn’t help but chuckle, knowing that no one else was going to know what was happening.

  Suddenly, she heard the light sound of footsteps behind their box. Confused, she looked around, but it was so dark in the room, she couldn’t see anything.

  “Did you hear that?” she whispered to Mark. Suddenly, Barbara could feel Mark grow very tense on the seat next to her, before he suddenly relaxed. The sound of the footsteps retreated quickly, and Barbara continued to look around, wondering what had happened. She knew it was only a few seconds before the lights came back on, but it felt like an eternity.

  “Mark? Mark!” she whispered as loudly as she dared. She knew that in the silent room her voice was sure to carry more than she wanted it to, but she was beginning to sense that there was something wrong.

  Suddenly, the lights came back on. The man in the mask stood at the top of the balcony as he always did, his face completely covered by the mask. He shouted his lines then grabbed the rope, jumping over the railing with the same swiftness as he always did. Everyone in the audience began screaming, but their screams were quickly drowned out by the sound of another voice screaming louder than the rest.

  Turning, everyone directed their focus from the stage to the balcony, where Barbara stood screaming in her box.

  As soon as the lights had come back on, Barbara had turned to ask Mark if he had heard the footsteps behind them, but as soon as she did, she saw that her husband was slumped forward in the box. At first, she feared that he had a dizzy spell and fainted from the height of the balcony, but as she lifted him, she felt wetness on her hand.

  Immediately, she saw that it was blood, and she realized that her husband had been stabbed. Barbara began screaming for anyone to come over and help her, but at the same time, the rest of the audience began screaming as the man completed the scene – momentarily drowning out her own screams.

  As soon as the room had quieted and they were able to hear her, men began running down to her box as quickly as they could.

  “Help! Help me! I think my husband’s been stabbed!” she sobbed as she was surrounded by the men. Barbara felt she was in such shock, she feared she may faint and topple over the banister herself. However, one of the men grabbed her gently by the arm and pulled her out of the box.

  Other men had surrounded her husband, blocking him completely from her view. Barbara glanced around the room, sobbing and screaming that it couldn’t be real – couldn’t be happening. People were sitting stunned in their seats, unsure of what to do, and a man from the back of the room began evacuating the building.

  The stage was now empty.

  Chapter 2 – A Shocking Accusation

  Barbara walked silently along the cobblestone walkway, holding her lace shawl tightly around her shoulders. The funeral had been that morning, and she was so overwhelmed with grief, she felt nothing at all. No sorrow, no sadness, just a numb emptiness inside her heart.

  There had been dozens of people at the funeral, and each one had given her their condolences, stating what a tragedy it was and assuring her that the man who did it would be caught. Though Barbara prayed that he would be, she also hoped that she might be the one to catch him and serve him justice herself.

  Mark Hill was the kindest man she had ever met, and the thought of facing the rest of her life without him filled her chest with such tightness she didn’t think she could breathe. She couldn’t think of anyone whom her husband had mentioned as an enemy, only furthering the mystery surrounding his death.

  If the murderer was ever caught, he was sure to be hanged. She knew that much, but she wanted to ask him why – why he had done such a terrible thing and robbed her of the love of her life. Surely there would have been another way to work out their differences. Mark was a fair man. If there had been some grievance the murderer had had against him, surely, he would have been able to talk it over and reach an agreement they both could have been happy with.

  No matter how she thought about it, none of it made sense.

  Barbara walked through the gate and up the steps to their home. Nestled in between two other homes on either side, the Hills had always been pleased with their Boston residence. It was no mansion, but the quality of the house did its part to reveal their wealth to the world.

  They had shared a luxurious life, but now the house seemed so cold and empty. Though the money was solely hers now, Barbara didn’t want to see a dime of it. All she wanted was to see Mark one more time. To have him hold her in his arms as he so often had in the past. To feel his love for her.

  She removed her shawl and took her time folding it, draping it over the back of a chair. Barbara never did that. Before, she had always been adamant about putting things away as soon as she was done using them. It made it easier for the maid to keep up with the chores around the house without having to put her things away.

  Barbara glanced up, looking at herself in the large mirror. Mark had the mirror imported from France, just for her. It reached nearly to the ceiling and covered almost the entire wall from end to end. The details around the boarder were immaculate, though Mark had always said they paled in comparison to herself when her reflection could be seen.

  She looked tired. Her blonde hair was disheveled, hanging about her shoulders, begging to be brushed. She had dark rims under her eyes, and her green eyes themselves were red and swollen from her tears. Though she was only twenty-three years of age, she looked to be much nearer to forty at that moment.

  A knock on the door suddenly distracted her, and Barbara hastily grabbed her shawl and threw it about her shoulders once more as she hurried to answer the knock. She thought it may be more people stopping to offer her their condolences, but her heart skipped a beat when she saw the sheriff and a deputy standing in the entrance.

  “Please, gentlemen, come in!” She ushered them into the kitchen, where she then put tea over the fire to heat.

  “Has there been any developments?” she asked before they had a chance to remove their hats. She glanced over her shoulder as she spoke, and was confused to see the men exchange a glance before the sheriff spoke.

  “As a matter of fact, there has. However, I think it best if you sit down for the discussion. Shall we have tea?” He looked at the mugs she had set out, and Barbara whirled back around to see how fast the water was heating. She quickly scooped the tea into the pot then placed the strainers over each mug.

  After pouring the tea into the mugs, she then hastily set them on the table in front of the men, with enough grace in her speed that she did not spill even one drop on her mahogany table.

  After picking up her own cup, she sat down on the other side of the table, then looked eagerly from one face to the other.

  “Gentlemen, I am most eager to hear what it is you have to say – did you catch the man who did it? Do you have any clues in the case? Do you know why he did it?” Her q
uestions were coming so quickly, it was difficult for her to keep up with her own words. Once again, the men exchanged a look, then the sheriff took a long drink of his tea before answering. Barbara felt her heart sink and wondered why they were taking so long to tell her their news.

  “Well, we have found a clue, and we do know for a fact that it was used in the murder,” he said, a bit of hesitation in his voice. Barbara’s eyes widened, and she once again prompted them to continue with their tale.

  “Your husband was murdered with a small dagger. It’s unusual to see such things in Boston, as they are French by design. You don’t need me to tell you that it was during the time the lights were out that the tragedy occurred, but don’t you find it odd that if he was murdered from behind that the wound was in his chest, not his back?” He raised an eyebrow at her, and she nodded.

  “Indeed, I find that very strange! Where did you find the knife? Were there any other clues on it that would lead you to any suspects?” she was breathing rapidly, looking quickly from one of the men to the other. The deputy cleared his throat, and the sheriff adjusted himself in his seat.

  “That’s why we are here, I’m afraid. We found the knife beneath your seat, Mrs. Hill.”

  Barbara’s face paled, and she felt dizzy.

  “How on earth did he manage to get it under my seat without me knowing? Especially after doing such a thing to my poor husband?” she cried out, anger and fear mixed in her voice. The sheriff took another drink of his tea.

  “That’s what we are wondering. In fact, it would seem to be nearly impossible for someone to do such a thing without you noticing. After all, how could someone inflict a wound on your husband’s chest, then place the knife so conveniently under your chair, but you don’t notice a thing that’s happening until the lights come back on?” The look the sheriff gave her told her exactly what he meant, and at once she felt her eyes start to snap.