Love Inspired Historical July 2015 Box Set: The Marriage AgreementCowgirl for KeepsThe Lawman's RedemptionCaptive on the High Seas
Page 55
“It just seems strange,” Polly said finally, “that you have so many men interested in you, yet you claim complete indifference. I may have sworn off having a beau for myself, but I admit to being completely fascinated by your having so many.”
It was on the tip of Mary’s tongue to offer one of her unwanted beaus to Polly, but she wouldn’t wish Ben on anyone. Will, on the other hand…
She turned to glance at him just as he threw back his head and laughed. A warm laugh that invited everyone with him to join him, not the kind that was at anyone’s expense. The automatic comparison to Ben started to pop into her mind, but she willed it away. There was no reason for her to compare him to Ben at all. Absolutely none. Except that traitorous voice deep inside her reminded her that she might be uncomfortable in offering him up to Polly for very different reasons.
*
Will had not enjoyed himself more thoroughly in a long time. He’d forgotten what great company Jasper had been. Work had kept him too busy to notice Jasper’s absence when the Jackson family had moved to Leadville.
The girls giggled at something Jasper said, and Jasper gave him a look that seemed to say What can you do? Silly girls, that was what the whole lot of them were. While he’d been amused by Jasper’s antics and stories, he was about sick to death of the constant prattling about dances and fashions and hats coming from the women. Mary was a much more sensible girl, and while most of their conversation had been about his case, he appreciated that she wasn’t afraid to spar with him. She took him on directly and didn’t hide behind giggles and frantic playing with her fan.
Just then, he caught a glimpse of her looking at him. Those bright eyes were hot enough to melt a man’s soul.
“What’s the story with you and Miss Stone?” Jasper gave him a playful nudge, then walked away from the crowd, indicating he should follow him.
Now, that was a complication he wasn’t sure he could answer fully. “I wish I could tell you. She’s…”
He’d liked to have said that she was just a case, but that would have made him a liar. Why couldn’t Mary have a hooked nose, bad teeth and an equally sour disposition?
“Is it part of a case you’re working on?”
At least in that he could be frank with his old friend. “Yes, but it’s becoming more complicated than that.”
Looming above them was a hillside littered with the remains of trees that had been taken for the mines and town. “Come on. You’re going to love the view.”
They climbed for a while, and Will appreciated the silence amid the scrape of their boots against rock, the occasional heavy breath blown out at the exertion and the twittering of the ladies below.
Will paused to rest. “You realize that we’re putting on an exhibition for them, don’t you?”
Jasper’s only response was a wide grin. He climbed a bit higher, until he’d reached the crest of the hill. It took several more minutes for Will to catch up before they were both seated at the top.
“Amazing, isn’t it?” Jasper gestured at the expanse of the valley before them.
At this spot, they could see the sprawl of the town. Some said that nearly thirty thousand people lived there, rivaling the size of Denver. From this vantage point, Will would have to agree. Though the smokestacks from the smelters nearest them billowed thick, dark clouds, Leadville was indeed an impressive sight.
To the south lay some lakes, barely visible from this spot, but Will had seen it from other places along the way. The mountainside east of them was bare save for the skeletal images of mine shaft after mine shaft, the source of the town’s riches.
The contrast of beauty with the booming town and mines reminded Will of Mary. How could someone as wonderful as she get mixed up with someone like Ben?
He looked to the base of the hill, chuckling at the irony of calling something at such a high elevation a hill, and noted that while many of the girls waited at the bottom, not one had ventured up. He scanned the crowd for Mary, but didn’t see her among Jasper’s admirers.
“Don’t worry. They won’t follow. They’re too intent on keeping their dresses fresh.” Jasper’s trademark grin lit up his face. “A man’s got to escape his admirers every once and a while.”
Will couldn’t help his belly laugh. Good old Jasper.
Jasper walked over to a rock and sat on it. “Those women make me crazy. Sure, it’s nice to be so flattered, and my family has more dinner invitations than we know what to do with, but it’d be even nicer to have a real conversation with a person that didn’t involve money.”
The conspiratorial look Jasper gave him was all too familiar.
“And your plan is?”
A hummingbird whizzed by them. The sound of its wings against the air echoed the imaginary whirling of Jasper’s mind.
“Tell me about the case. Let me help.”
Will had been the one to teach Jasper how to fire a gun. To defend himself against others in a fight. Jasper had thrived on the energy of it all. Had he not been his father’s only child and counted on to carry on the family business, Jasper would have followed him into law enforcement, Will was sure.
“Your father would kill me.”
“He doesn’t have to know.”
The smooth tone to Jasper’s voice made Will shake his head. “How many ladies have you kissed with that line?”
Jasper grinned. “Enough to know it works.”
Unfortunately for Jasper, Will was no lady. “Father or no, I can’t have you a part of this.”
“Why?” Jasper jumped down from the rock. “Because you lost your badge? I don’t have a badge, either. That’s what makes this perfect.”
The air whooshed from Will’s lungs. “You knew? But you’ve been so…”
Jasper picked up a rock and chucked it down the hillside as if he was skipping it across a lake. “You had to have been set up. I figure, whatever you’re up to here in Leadville, it’s about clearing your name. And I aim to do what it takes to help you.”
He hadn’t expected such ease of acceptance, not when everyone in Century City treated him like a criminal himself. The breeze picked up, and Will turned to see dark clouds moving in behind them.
“They still want to charge me. Still might, if George Bishop has anything to say about it. The robbers got away with several thousand dollars. He’s out for blood, and if mine’s all he can get, then he’ll take it.”
His friend fell in beside him, his voice taking on a more serious tone. “All the more reason to help you. I know you, Will. There’s not a dishonest bone in your body. You did all you could, and more.”
He wished it were that simple. “You weren’t there. The truth is, I made a mistake. I trusted the wrong person, and because of it, a bank was robbed, I was shot, and the culprits got away.”
At least his words would serve to kill the hero worship that shone in Jasper’s voice when he spoke of Will. He wasn’t deserving of such high praise, so maybe now, all of Jasper’s exaggerated stories would cease.
Only Jasper didn’t see it that way. “You’re not perfect. Doesn’t mean that you deserve to be punished for what happened. In fact, it makes me even more determined to help clear your name.”
The earnestness in Jasper’s voice eased the ache in Will’s gut that had plagued him for so long.
Since pursuing Mary had been nothing but a dead end, maybe Jasper would be able to give him a new perspective that would finally break the case open.
Will took a deep breath, then spilled the details of the case to his friend. From meeting Daisy and believing her to be in danger from Ben’s abuse and trying to help her, to that fateful day when he acted on the information she fed him about wanting to meet him outside town to escape Ben—only to be shot by her as she fled the scene of the bank robbery.
He left no detail out, even the humiliating part about believing himself in love with the girl. The hardest part, though, was telling him about Mary and the letters he’d found in Ben’s things. Maybe Jasper, whose hea
rt wasn’t getting entangled, would be able to sift through the information to be able to tell him whether Mary was lying or not.
As soon as he finished relaying his tale, the distant rumble of thunder and a few stray raindrops prevented him from gaining the benefit of Jasper’s opinion.
“We need to make haste,” Jasper said, scurrying toward the base of the hill. “The ladies aren’t going to like getting caught in the storm.”
As wordlessly as they had made their way to the top of the hill, they made it back down, and in half the time. Below, the women were carrying on and dithering about the rain.
Except Mary.
Even before his feet touched the bottom of the mountainside, he could see her standing about, giving directions to the others for gathering their belongings and loading the wagons. By the time Will and Jasper arrived back at the wagons, almost everything was loaded and ready to go, save for a crate that Mary and a couple of the other girls were struggling with.
“Let me help,” he said, grabbing one of the ends of the crate. Together, they lifted the heavy wood into the wagon.
The rest of the party filed into their respective wagons, just as the sky opened up completely, sending a deluge of water over them all. Will glanced at Mary, her chest heaving from the exertion, water pouring down her ruined bonnet and dress.
Was it wrong of him to think her the absolute most beautiful creature he’d ever laid eyes upon?
As he helped her into the wagon, Jasper passed by and tossed a blanket at them.
“You’re a goner,” he whispered.
If it weren’t for the rain and the now-shivering woman beside him, Will would have thrown the blanket right back at his friend. So much for getting sage advice.
Chapter Seven
The finale of the picnic was, without question, an unmitigated disaster. Mary huddled in the blanket Will had wrapped around her as the wagon lumbered back toward town. Though the trip to the spring had taken less than an hour, as the rain poured down, they made significantly slower progress toward home.
Despite the men working to get canvas to cover the wagon, rain poured in from all sides. They’d likely not be dry again until they reached home.
Polly squeezed in next to her, and Mary released a corner of her blanket to let her friend in.
“Some outing, huh?” Polly snuggled in with Mary. “At least you got to know some of the others better.”
“Yes. Rachel and Beth are as nice as you said they were, and it was good to get to know everyone else. Sarah Crowley has one of those lace-making machines, and she promised to teach me how to use it. Nugget’s dresses could use some lace at the edges.”
It seemed odd to be talking so casually of such things while some of the other ladies wailed around them. Emma Jane Logan, one of the girls she hadn’t gotten to know well, was sobbing over the condition of her hat.
Such a silly thing to be trifling over when there was nothing to be done about it.
Polly sighed. “Back to responsibilities, are we? Well, have at it, then. I suppose I should accept it, since you at least looked like you were enjoying yourself today.”
“Oh, I did enjoy myself.” Mary gave her friend a smile. “I actually liked the water, and I’m so glad to have made the acquaintance of so many nice girls.”
Polly appeared to be relieved by the statement. A gust of wind broke loose a corner of the canvas, sending a flood of water at them.
“Ack! Are we ever going to be out of this misery?” Polly jumped up and vainly tried brushing the water off her. “I don’t think a one of us will be able to salvage anything we’ve got on.”
As they turned a corner in the road, the horses stopped suddenly. Everyone murmured around them, wondering what was going on. Will rejoined them.
“The road’s washed out. Flash flood. We’re going to have to wait out the storm.”
The cries of the girls around them were so loud, Mary thought she might have to cover her ears. Will looked at her. “No tears for you?”
“What good will that do, other than make me wetter than I already am? Since we can’t go forward, what other options are there?”
Rivulets of rain ran down Will’s face. “I think we passed a turnoff for a ranch a ways back. I’ll talk to Jasper and see if we can unhitch one of the horses so I can ride for help.”
She shouldn’t have been surprised by Will’s gallant offer. It seemed such a sharp contrast to the man who’d accosted her in the street and kept pressuring her to reveal things about Ben that she’d prefer to be left alone.
As Will plucked his way back to the front of the wagon, she couldn’t help but notice his confident, manly form. Even in the midst of the storm, he’d kept his wits about him. Could she have been wrong about him?
She’d been so intent on fighting this battle alone, but Will’s words about her reputation washed over her, harder than the deluge from the clouds. Was she a fool to think that she could do this on her own?
Watching closely as Will consulted with the other men, she noticed how they all seemed to respect him, nodding at his words. Could he possibly be trustworthy in her situation? Would he believe in Mary’s innocence? Questions best left alone for now. Emma Jane’s sobs were beginning to subside, and instead, she made loud hiccuping noises, as if the rain had won the competition with her tears. For the first time, Mary noticed that the woman’s fine gown, which Emma Jane had been overly proud of, was soaked nearly through, and Emma Jane was shivering.
“I’m going to offer Emma Jane the blanket,” Mary told Polly.
Polly’s brow crinkled. “Why? She’s such a sourpuss. Why should we make ourselves cold for her sake?”
“Because it’s the right thing to do.”
Mary got up and carried the blanket to Emma Jane. “Here. Take this and come sit with us. It’s drier on our side of the wagon, and the blanket hasn’t gotten too wet.”
Emma Jane’s head remained down, and she wouldn’t look at Mary. “No, thank you. I’ll be fine.”
The other girl’s hair lay in flat clumps; the curls which she’d probably so painstakingly made were now a mess of knots. Beside her lay a parasol, practically shredded from the weight of the rain. No, she hadn’t chosen her accessories for the weather, but Mary supposed none of them had given thought to the fact that in September, afternoons typically had showers. Monsoons, on the other hand, were a rarity.
“Let me at least help you with your hair,” Mary said. “I could quickly get it out of your face, and it will be so much more comfortable.”
Emma Jane jerked away. “No! I said I would be fine. Now go with all of your friends and leave me in peace.”
She ought to do exactly what Emma Jane asked. After all, she’d done her Christian duty by reaching out to the other girl and attempting to share her blanket. Emma Jane had said no, and that should be that.
But something in the wounded tone of the other girl’s voice made her feel sorry for her.
“If you change your mind, there’s plenty of room with Polly and me. We’d be delighted to have you join us. You could tell us more about your hat, and we could put our heads together to figure out how to fix it when the rain stops.”
Emma Jane’s head snapped up, revealing a face that was more than just tear-stained. Clearly, Emma Jane had been wearing some form of paint, and the water had washed it partially away, revealing deep pits and a smattering of color in all the wrong places.
“There’s no fixing it. My hat is ruined. And there’s nothing you or anyone else can do about it.”
“Maybe not, but we won’t know until things dry out.” Mary pulled out a handkerchief. “At least take my handkerchief and you can use it to wipe your face. You’ll feel better if your face is clean.”
The gasp that come out of Emma Jane made Mary feel even worse. “Don’t look at me!”
She huddled down and once again hid her face. So that was it. Emma Jane was ashamed of how her face looked in the rain. Until now, Mary hadn’t realized that the othe
r girl wore so much paint.
Another gust of wind blew through the wagon, and Mary shivered. She couldn’t help but notice that Emma Jane’s shivers had grown worse. Mary knelt beside her and put the blanket around the other girl’s shoulders. If they didn’t get out of the rain and cold soon, they were all at risk of taking ill. Pneumonia was a particularly bad threat here, and many died from the dreaded illness.
“You’ll catch your death for all your pride,” Mary told her. “Everyone looks terrible right now, so who are you to think that you’re any more hideous than the rest of us?”
Fortunately, Emma Jane wasn’t a stupid woman, and she took hold of the end of the blanket, wrapping it around her. “Everyone.” Emma Jane sniffed. “They’ve been saying it all day. You can’t pretend you haven’t noticed the way everyone has been mocking me.”
The pain in the other girl’s voice made Mary’s stomach turn. She had noticed the other girls whispering and giggling about Emma Jane. Mary had thought that not participating in the conversation was enough, but as tears streamed down Emma Jane’s face, she wished she’d done more to reach out to the other girl.
“I’m sorry,” Mary said, tucking a flap of the blanket that had gotten loose around Emma Jane.
Emma Jane looked up with watery eyes. “It’s not your fault. They’re right. I am ridiculous. I should have never come today or agreed to my mother’s silly plan.”
Mary thought back to all the times in Ohio when the girls mocked her for her outmoded dress, or how her family faced ridicule for their poverty. It was one of the reasons she’d fallen so easily under Ben’s spell. After being tormented for so many external trivialities, she couldn’t believe she could find someone who’d seen past it all.
She’d been wrong.
But that didn’t mean that her newfound wealth had to turn Mary into that same kind of girl. She might have been wrong to trust in Ben, but looking past the surface of a person was always the right thing to do.