by Natalie Dean
It was difficult, however, to not rise up out of her chair and call the men liars. It wasn’t long before she felt that every word they breathed was an outright lie, each one designed to make it look like she truly was guilty of the crime they were accusing her of. She had to shake her head and bite her tongue, and more than once Jake put his hand over hers to reassure her that they were going to get their turn to say their part as well.
However, it was still difficult for her to hear them say that she never loved her first husband, that she was only after riches or fame. Even that he was too old for her to love, and she was only with him because she hoped to one day have the riches all to herself. At long last, the questioning was through, and the awful man – Mr. Hanks – sat down.
Then, it was her turn to take the stand. Though her heart was racing in her chest, she knew that it was her chance to prove to the entire town – and to the world, that she had never done a thing except love her husband and be the wife that she felt he deserved. In spite of her resolution, however, it was difficult for her to face the questions.
They came quickly, and they were phrased in ways that were difficult to understand. Barbara had to take her time answering them, due to the fact she was afraid she would give the wrong answer because she didn’t understand the question that was being asked.
Jake had told her to take her time and to not allow the other men to intimidate her, but she couldn’t help but wonder if the jury were as convinced of her innocence as her husband was. Throughout all the questions, she couldn’t believe that she had hidden such a secret from him for so long, and she silently prayed that he didn’t regret his decision to marry her.
At long last, the man finished asking her questions, and she was allowed to return to her seat. The judge rose and scanned the group.
“Is there anything you’d like to add to that, Mr. Cowell?” he asked, looking down at Jake. Jake rose from his chair and looked around the room.
“I think it’s safe to say that this woman wouldn’t harm a fly. I know she hasn’t been in this town long, but there is not a person here who dislikes her. She was a woman of great wealth, but you would never be able to tell such a thing by the way she treats those around her.
I fell in love with this woman the day I laid eyes on her, but I have to tell you, looking at the facts of this case alone, I could hate her and still tell you that she is innocent. There is too much that doesn’t add up in her favor – why would a woman who had wealth kill for the same amount she already has? Why would she wait until they were in public when she could have committed the crime at home? Why stoop to the level of murder? Why not take the money and go?
I challenge all of you to think about this rationally. Yes, there appears to be evidence against her, but I tell you, I believe Mr. Hanks is the man who is really to convict. He comes from poverty, he has no family, he has always been taking advantage of Mr. Hill since the day they met – and I have the records to prove it.
Of course, he couldn’t strike when they were at home, but if he could do it in public – in the darkness of the theater – which I would also like to point out he worked at as a masked character in the very play Mr. Hill had been murdered watching – he would have a chance at the money.
I fully believe he intended to murder both of them, and for some reason only could manage Mr. Hill, which is why he came here to finish the job. I have faith in you as my peers and my family, but I challenge you to think about this as it should be, that is all.” Jake slapped his book closed, and the judge gave a curt nod.
“I think we have heard all that we need to make a fair assessment of what is going on here, and what went on back in New York City. Would the jury please step out and deliberate on what they have heard here today, and we will meet back here in one hour to hear their findings. Dismissed.” The judge hit his gavel on the desk, and everyone rose to go.
Barbara wanted to follow, but her knees felt weak.
“What if they find me guilty?” she nervously asked Jake, and he put his hand over hers.
“Let’s pray that they don’t.”
Chapter 12 – The Storm Subsides
Barbara thought that hour was the longest hour of her life, but when the door opened, and the jury came back into the room, she almost wished she had more time. She knew in her heart that she was innocent, but she also heard the argument Sheriff Baldwin and Mr. Hanks had provided, and she had to admit to even to herself that they were convincing.
But, she had faith in her husband, and she had said exactly what he had told her to say, she had ignored the comments he told her to ignore, and he had stood up for her in front of everyone. She knew if she had any chance at all, it would only be with his help, and he had done his job well. The jury looked grim as they filed into their seats, and she tried not to let her heart sink further than it was.
The rest of the crowd had gathered in the back of the courtroom, and the judge returned. He looked around the group, ensuring that everyone was present and all the jury had been seated back in their assigned seats. Barbara couldn’t help but notice how serious he looked as he sat down in his own chair – clearly eager to hear what the jury found and to move on with things.
“Has the jury had time to discuss the details properly, and has the jury come to a conclusive finding?” the judge asked without waiting. Barbara felt her heart pounding in her chest, and she clenched her hands around her seat. One member of the jury rose and clasped his hands in front of him.
“We have, Your Honor,” he said, a stern tone in his voice. Barbara feared she was going to faint right out of her seat and fall to the ground. Jake put his hand over hers.
“And what did the jury find?” the judge asked, moving the proceedings along. The man looked around the room, as though he wasn’t sure how to say what he was about to say. Barbara wished he would just blurt out the answer – putting her out of her misery of waiting and letting her face whatever it was she was going to have to face.
“We find Mrs. Hill not guilty of the murder of her husband. Furthermore, we find Mr. Hanks guilty of the murder of Mr. Hill, and of the attempted murder of Mrs. Hill a few nights ago.” The man spoke with the same serious tone, but Barbara wanted to leap from the table and shout for joy. A stern grasp on her hand from Jake reminded her that she was to stay serious throughout the entire procession and that she could celebrate after.
“Was this a difficult decision?” the judge continued, and for a moment, Barbara did stop her celebration. She did want to know how close it was. The man then turned his attention to the judge alone.
“No, Your Honor. We all voted the same for the case. There is no question in any of our minds how this case should be closed.” He then looked around the room and gave the group a curt nod and sat in his seat. The judge picked up his gavel once more and looked over some papers he had in front of him.
“Mr. Hanks, you have been found guilty of murder and attempted murder, and you will be officially convicted and sentenced when you return to New York City, as you committed the crimes there. Sheriff Baldwin, you will be supervised in the return of Mr. Hanks to New York City, and there you will be put on supervision for one year. I do not feel that you were adequate in your investigation of this case, nor do I feel you remained unbiased throughout. Case closed.” He hit the gavel on the desk, causing Barbara to jump.
It was then that she realized what had happened, and she threw her arms around Jake.
“You did it! You saved me!” she cried as she pulled him as close to herself as she could. Tears were running down her cheeks, and people were staring at her from all over the room, but she no longer cared. All she cared about was that Jake had stood up for her, had believed in her when no one else had, and that he had stood by her merely because she was his wife.
She realized that though Mark was gone, and though she was going to miss him every day for the rest of her life, she had found someone else who was truly worthy of her love as well, and he was someone she knew she could h
appily spend the rest of her life with.
On their way home, Barbara slipped her hand into Jake’s, walking slowly beside him.
“You don’t know how much it means to me that you stood up for me like that,” she said quietly. He chuckled.
“It’s my job,” he said. Barbara shook her head.
“That’s not what I mean. I know how hard it was for you to find all the evidence that you did in just a few days, and I can’t believe you were able to pull that off. I owe you so much – I owe you my life!” She had tears in her eyes, and he stopped her, brushing them away with his hand. He put his finger under her chin and lifted her gaze to look him in the eyes.
“I love you, Barbara. Like I said in there, I loved you from the moment I first saw you. I knew that you were the person I wanted to grow old with. You are the person I want to spend each and every day of my life with, and you are the person I want to have a family with. I can’t imagine another day of my life without you in it, and I would do anything to make sure that happens.” He smiled at her, but the tears were only coming faster.
Barbara opened her mouth to answer, but he leaned down and pressed his lips to hers, interrupting her. It was the first time they kissed, and to Barbara’s surprise, she felt as much passion as he did. They stood in the middle of the street, sharing their first kiss in the fading sunlight. She didn’t know how long she stood there, but Barbara wished that the moment would go on forever. When she finally did pull back, she smiled up at him, ignoring the tears that were now drying on her cheeks.
“Barbara Hill, I love you with all my heart,” Jake said. Barbara, touched by his gesture, smiled and put her hand up against the side of his face.
“It’s Barbara Cowell now, Jake Cowell, and I want you to know that I love you with all my heart as well.” She looked lovingly into his eyes and closed hers as he bent forward to give her another kiss.
Barbara knew she had made the right decision, and now that she was free to live her life once more, she wanted to live it with all the passion and vigor she’d had before.
And she knew she was going to be happy with Jake for the rest of her life.
THE END
THE EXPECTANT BRIDE HEADS WEST
THE EXPECTANT BRIDE HEADS WEST
A Western Romance Short Story
Book Description
No place to go, and only one option…
She must become a mail order bride.
Bernadette Dixon was elated with joy over the news that the war was over. Even better was the good news the doctor gave her yesterday. Unfortunately, her world got turned upside down once she read the letter stating that her husband died in the war. In the blink of an eye, she has become a widow whose only hope for survival depends on finding a husband to provide for her and her unborn child. Problem is, who's going to want a pregnant bride!
Mattathias Jacobs is about to purchase a farm of his own with his boss's help...or so he thinks! What he needs is a sharp-witted bride to help him straighten things out. Will she still want to be with him when she finds out he's only a worker on the ranch? Better yet, will he still want to be with her when he finds out she's pregnant!?!
Copyright 2017 by Kenzo Publishing - All rights reserved.
In no way is it legal to reproduce, duplicate, or transmit any part of this document by either electronic means or in printed format. Recording of this publication is strictly prohibited, and any storage of this document is not allowed unless with written permission from the publisher. All rights reserved.
Respective authors own all copyrights not held by the publisher.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Eight
Chapter One
Frank was dead.
No matter how many times Bernadette Dixon played the words over in her mind, no matter how many times she read them on the wrinkled piece of parchment in front of her, she couldn’t make herself believe it.
Her husband, Frank Dixon, the man she had vowed to love forever, was gone. Dead on a battlefield in Virginia.
They said that General Robert E. Lee had surrendered there. At Appottomax Court House. They said the war was over.
Just yesterday, Bernadette had been elated by this news. She had laughed with her sister-in-law, Lizzie. Both women had joined others at Lizzie’s boarding house in drinking to the victorious Union.
Yesterday had been a day of celebration and good tidings on many fronts. Even Bernadette’s visit to the doctor, at first fear inducing, had proved to be a joyous occasion.
Now, sitting alone in her dark boarding room, the room she used to share with Frank, yesterday’s joy seemed little more than a distant memory.
Two letters sat side by side on the wooden writing desk beside the bed. One in Bernadette’s own happy, loopy handwriting, the other in the careful, measured hand of an unknown soldier.
She’d received the letter that morning, just as she made her way down the boarding house steps to mail her own letter to Frank. The letter telling him the good news that the doctor had given her one day before.
The letter that proved they were about to become a true family.
When Lizzie handed Bernadette the letter addressed to her, Bernadette had known instantly that it was not from Frank. She knew her husband’s writing as well as she knew her own. Frank’s hand was hurried, slanted and sometimes illegible. It always looked as though he was so eager to get his thoughts down on paper that he had no time to worry about form, penmanship or readability.
This straight, measured hand was as foreign to her bright, energetic husband as it was to her.
Her heart had attempted to prepare itself as she opened it. Her heart had told her that this could mean nothing good.
All the preparation in the world could not have kept her from crumpling against the wall when she read the words.
Mrs. Dixon,
It is my unfortunate duty to inform you that your husband, Frank Dixon, has perished on the battlefield.
Now, sitting at the writing desk, she stared at the words again. Hoping or perhaps fearing that, at last, they would sink in. At last, she could fully understand their meaning and begin to rebuild.
Rebuild.
Create a new life.
That seemed impossible now. For the past two years, when Bernadette thought of her life after the war, she had always imagined Frank by her side.
When the war ended, she had pictured them buying a piece of farm land in rural Pennsylvania. Of course, Bernadette had never worked on a farm before. She knew only the basics of cooking and nothing about hunting eggs or keeping livestock. But, in her fantasy, it wouldn’t matter, Frank would be there to help her, to guide her and show her what to do.
She imagined their children, at least three, surrounding them.
Now, all these fantasies disappeared in the foggy haze that had begun to form in her eyes again.
She tried to force them back as her eyes moved from the letters to the only other item on the desk. The one that had been sent to her along with the letter.
Swallowing hard, she lifted Frank’s tattered Bible from the desk. As she opened the leather cover, she could feel the age of it in her hands. The pages had yellowed and become brittle with wear. Some were slightly torn and smudged. The little book carried evidence that it had been read thoroughly.
This was the Bible Frank always carried with him. The Bible that his father had given him when Frank was baptized. The Bible she imagined she would give to their son…
Swallowing back more tears, she opened the cover to the first page. There, he’d copied down his favorite verse.
“Be strong and courageous,” it said. “Do not be afraid. For the Lord, your God will be with you wherever you go.”
; Bernadette closed her eyes, trying her best to remember what those words meant. Trying her best to feel strong and courageous just as Frank would have wanted her to.
She did not feel either at the moment. And, despite her best attempts to feel strong, to take comfort in the Lord, she did indeed feel terrified.
Unable to stop it any longer, Bernadette felt a lone tear slide down her cheek. She opened her eyes just in time to see it splash onto the open Bible, smudging the words that Frank had written there.
Almost as soon as the tear splashed down and smudged the ink, a knock sounded from the door.
“Bernadette?” Lizzie’s voice sounded from the hallway. “Bernadette? May I come in?”
“Just a moment,” Bernadette called out, fully aware how thick with tears her voice sounded.
As she closed the Bible and set it back on the desk, she wiped her face with a nearby handkerchief. Her mother’s words from when she was a little girl came back to her inexplicably.
“You must always do your weeping in private, Bernadette,” she would say. “A true lady can never show her greatest weakness.”
After she had run off to marry Frank, Bernadette had made a great effort to forget about her parents. Indeed, when Frank was alive, there were days that she felt that she was just a simple soldier’s wife. That she was not a disgraced Philadelphia socialite.
But, today, all the habits and breeding her mother and various governesses had pressed on her from childhood came back. It was almost like a carrier pigeon who, while the world is falling apart around him, clings to the instinct to fly home.
It was this instinct that forced Bernadette to quickly pat down her dark blonde hair, making the knot atop her head as neat as she could manage. It was also this instinct that caused her to free her bright brown eyes of tears that still threatened to drop, straighten up as best she could and give Lizzie a sad smile as she opened the door in greeting.