The Black Widow Bride (Mail Order Matrimony Book 3)

by Sarah Banks

  “What’s going on?” He rasped, unsure why his throat was raw.

  “She almost killed you! That’s what’s going on!”

  Will tried to sit up with no success. He fell back to the table, grateful for the cushion at least, that lay underneath his bandaged head. He closed his eyes. “What are you going on about now, old man?”

  “The Black Widow Bride. She clubbed you on the back of the head with a board and almost sent you to heaven. If we hadn’t come when we did, she would’ve finished you off for sure.”

  “Elizabeth? What are you talking about? Help me up,” he demanded.

  Both the doctor and Shorty grabbed a shoulder each, pushing until Will sat upright. The room swam and he gripped the edges of the table until his knuckles turned white. When he no longer felt like he was going to throw up, he slowly moved his legs over the side.

  “Careful, you’ve quite a bump on the head,” Doc Ellis warned.

  “I’m fine,” Will lied. He sat there for a few moments, taking some deep breaths before he finally opened his eyes and stared at Shorty. “Tell me what happened.”

  “I already told you. Your wife tried to kill you, just like all the others. Someone reported a fire at your place and we came running. We could see flames through the window, so we busted down the door and she was leaning right over you, just like the grim reaper. We all thought you were dead.”

  “Thank God you’re not a doctor, Shorty. I need to go home to my wife,” he said, pushing off the table. If they hadn’t both made a grab for his arms, holding him up, he would have hit the ground.

  “You should stay here, for a few hours at least,” the doctor suggested.

  “She’s not home anyway,” Shorty added.

  Will whipped his head in Shorty’s direction and he ignored the spots flashing in his vision. “What do you mean she’s not at home. Where is she?”

  “Jail. The sheriff locked her up over an hour ago for murder. Well, attempted murder.”

  ∞∞∞

  Elizabeth sat huddled on the single bench against the back wall of the jail cell she currently occupied. How she wished this were a bad dream and she could just wake up. She’d roll over in Will’s arms and press against him and he’d hold her tightly, no matter if he was asleep or awake and everything would be okay again.

  The only one that could save her was Will. But he couldn’t. Because he was dead. And she was in jail for his murder.

  Could she really be convicted of a crime she didn’t commit? What would happen to her brothers and sisters? She buried her face in her hands. This couldn’t be happening.

  The door to the sheriff’s office flew open, smacking against the wall. Elizabeth jumped at the noise, looked up and saw…a ghost. A ghost with a bright white bandage wrapped around his head. He was alive. Will was alive! The breath seized in her lungs and she couldn’t stop staring. She didn’t move from her spot or even blink until her eyes started to water. Her husband was alive! Thank you God!

  Will was framed in the doorway and his eyes immediately met hers. They were filled with worry and then flashed with anger. She pressed back harder into the wall behind her.

  “Let her out!” Will yelled, stumbling inside. He caught himself on the front of the desk the sheriff currently sat behind and leaned toward him.

  The sheriff leaned back in his chair, a small smile on his lips. “Nice to see you’re still with us in the land of the living Will.”

  “Now Wade!”

  “I’m afraid I can’t do that,” Wade said, glancing at her. “She’s been arrested for attempted murder.”

  “She didn’t do this,” Will said with so much conviction that her heart swelled with love.

  “So you know who did?” Wade stood, tugging at his belt.

  “I know Elizabeth wasn’t responsible.”

  “Ah, well. If you didn’t see who did it, I’m afraid I can’t let her go. She’s my prime suspect. I’ve read about her past,” he said. “I know her second husband also died in a suspicious fire.”

  Elizabeth followed the sheriff’s gaze as he flashed a look in the direction of the doorway where Shorty and Doc Ellis stood. Shorty’s eyes met hers briefly before he flushed and looked away.

  “She was found next to you when we broke down the door to your saloon. Her hands were covered with your blood. A fire was recently started. Who else could have done it, if not her?”

  “I don’t know,” Will ground out, “but I know it wasn’t her. What I do know is that my wife is not spending another minute in that jail cell, let alone the night. You don’t have enough evidence to keep her. Let her out Wade, or by God I will make your life miserable.”

  Wade didn’t move for a long moment. Finally he sighed and stood, reaching for the keyring hanging from a nail on the wall behind him. He unlocked the door to the cell and Will pushed him aside, opening the door.

  Elizabeth was breathing hard as she stared at Will from her seated position. Tears filled her eyes and he started to blur.

  He approached her slowly and said in a low, soothing voice, “It’s okay Elizabeth. I’m here now. I know you didn’t do this. Come out love. Let’s go home.”

  She sprung from her seat, tripping over her skirts in her haste and launched herself into his arms. He caught her and staggered back, holding her so tightly she could barely breathe.

  “Shh, it’s okay,” he whispered against her ear and she realized that she was sobbing.

  She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck. “I thought you were dead,” she hiccupped.

  “No, no, no. I’m okay,” he said, pulling back and meeting her eyes. “Just a little bump on the head.”

  Both she and the doctor frowned.

  “Okay, maybe more than a little bump,” he admitted, “but I’ll be okay. I have too much to live for.” Love shone from his eyes.

  “I love you so much Will. Please take me home.”

  He took her hand and she followed him out of the jail cell avoiding the eyes of Sheriff Wade and Shorty. She wanted to talk to the doctor. She wanted to know how badly Will was injured and the best way to care for him. She knew Will well enough by now to know that he would just shrug off the injury as if it was no big deal. But she could see the blood even now, seeping through the back of the bandage. Once outside the jail she dug in her heels. “Doc Ellis—”

  A scream erupted across the street and Elizabeth looked up to see Kitty, wearing the same dress she had been when they first met, tear away from a man and run across the street toward them. She was small and fast but the man who gave chase was tall and his long legs ate up the distance between them. He caught her just feet away from where Elizabeth stood with Will, the doctor, Shorty and the sheriff.

  Sheriff Wade sighed. “Doesn’t anyone in this town sleep anymore?” He complained.

  The man, who looked familiar but Elizabeth was positive she’d never met before, grabbed Kitty by the arm, practically wrenching it from her socket. Kitty screamed in pain and tried to break free. Elizabeth made a move to step forward, but Will stopped her.

  “Let her go Ray,” Will said darkly, keeping Elizabeth behind him.

  “Mind your own business Bailey,” Ray replied with a scowl and twist of his lips.

  Sheriff Wade stepped forward. “No, he’s got it right Ray. Let her go.”

  “She belongs to me.”

  Wade scratched his head. “The war’s been over a few years now. Nobody belongs to anybody. Now I don’t want to arrest you, but I will if you don’t let her go. Now.” Sheriff Wade put his hand on his holster.

  Ray hesitated but finally let Kitty go with a push. She fell in a heap. “If you know what’s good for you, you’ll get back to your room and keep your mouth shut!”

  Kitty immediately rolled back to her feet and spit on his boots.

  Ray growled and reached for her. She ran to the sheriff.

  “It was Ray! He’s the one that tried to kill Will! He started the fire!”

  “You little b—” Ray ma
de a swipe for her, but she hid behind the sheriff who held out his arm keeping Ray back.

  “Hey now, back up Ray. Now Ray, I mean it.”

  Ray took a half step back.

  Wade cast Will a sidelong glance. “You said you didn’t see who hit you?”

  “No. I only saw a flash of black clothing.”

  Everyone seemed to realize that it was only Elizabeth and Ray who wore black.

  “I saw him go around back of Hank’s place,” Kitty said. “I followed him but wasn’t fast enough to stop the attack on Will. I watched him through the window as he started the fire and ran back to the saloon. I told one of the customers to run for the sheriff and tell him there was a fire at Hank’s.”

  “Well, that rings true. Shorty found me. He was so out of breath he could barely talk. I never knew you could run Shorty, especially on such spindly legs.”

  Will’s brows wrinkled. “Shorty, you were at Ray’s?”

  “You were closed.”

  “At two in the morning! When do you sleep?”

  Shorty shrugged. “I’ll sleep when I’m dead.”

  Will rolled his eyes.

  No one noticed Ray moving closer to Kitty until he grabbed her by the hair, pulling her in front of him. He wrapped an arm around her throat.

  “Tell them you’re mistaken Kitty,” he said lethally against her ear.

  “Let her go Ray!” Sheriff Wade shouted.

  “No.”

  Sheriff Wade cursed.

  “If she doesn’t take back what she said, she deserves what she gets.” He loosened his arm from her neck just enough so that Kitty could speak. “Tell them.”

  Kitty sucked in a breath. “I won’t lie for you Ray. I saw what I saw. And I wasn’t the only one that saw you head that direction,” she said quickly. “Some of the other girls—”

  Ray tightened his arm, cutting off not only Kitty’s words but her breath altogether. Her face turned red.

  “Let her go!” Elizabeth cried, trying to get past Will who was holding her back with one hand while moving in Kitty’s direction.

  A shot fired and both Kitty and Ray fell backwards.

  Kitty pushed away his arms and struggled to her hands and knees, gasping as she stared at Ray who lay on the ground unmoving.

  Elizabeth rushed over and helped Kitty to her feet, moving her away from Ray’s body.

  The sheriff reholstered his gun. “This town needs a darn curfew. Nothing good happens after midnight,” he grumbled. “Shorty, we need the coroner for sure this time.”

  “I don’t understand, why would Ray try to kill you?” Elizabeth asked Will, who looked just as clueless.

  “Because,” Kitty said. “Little by little over the years since he took over Hank’s saloon, Ray has been losing business to him.”

  “That doesn’t make any sense,” Elizabeth said with a frown and shake of her head. “There are several other saloons in this town competing for business. He can’t have planned to get rid of all of the competition starting with Hank’s.”

  “No, but Hank was his father,” Kitty said solemnly.

  ∞∞∞

  Will whipped his head around to look at Kitty in astonishment. “That can’t be. Hank was only married to Rosalee and she died in childbirth less than ten years ago.”

  Kitty put a hand on her hip. “People don’t need to be married to have babies Will. Ray was the product of Hank and one of the girls he kept upstairs sometime ago, before my time.”

  “Did Hank know?”

  “Yes, both Hank and Ray knew the truth although Hank never publicly acknowledged him. There were rumors, of course. When Hank died and left the saloon and house to you, Ray was livid.”

  “I had no idea.”

  “His business was doing okay at first because he offered other services that Hank’s no longer did, but after awhile that wasn’t enough and he started losing customers to all of the other saloons, especially yours. But he held a particular hatred toward you because you inherited his father’s business that he felt should have belonged to him not to mention his house, and his affection.”

  Will glanced at Ray who lay dead in the street. He supposed he could see it now, the resemblance between Ray and Hank. He dragged his hands down his face and turned to Wade. “I assume we’re free to go now Sheriff?”

  Sheriff Wade waved a hand. “Yeah, yeah. Get out of here.”

  He watched as his wife hugged Kitty. “Thank you for coming forward Katherine. It was very brave,” Elizabeth said, holding Kitty’s hands in her own.

  Kitty pulled away and said, “Yeah, well, it was the right thing to do. I’m sorry I wasn’t able to stop Ray before he tried to kill Will. But Will didn’t have anything to do with what happened between Hank and Ray. He shouldn’t have to pay for it.”

  “If you need anything, please come to us,” Elizabeth said, casting a meaningful look at him.

  Will stepped forward. “Yes, please do Kitty. I owe you my life.”

  Kitty waved a hand. “I won’t. I can take care of myself. I always have.”

  “Don’t leave town Kitty,” the sheriff warned. “I’ll need your sworn statement.”

  “If I’m not at Ray’s, you can find me at one of the other saloons,” she said with a flip of her hair. She picked up her shawl from near where Ray still lay. She ignored him and shook away the dust, wrapped it around her shoulders and sauntered away.

  Elizabeth looked up at him. “Take me home Will.”

  Epilogue

  Three Years Later

  “Lizzie, are you going to cry at my wedding?” Alice asked, hugging her sister from behind as the wagon rolled to a stop in front of their house on the hill.

  “Probably,” Elizabeth answered with a sniff. She tucked her soggy handkerchief into the purse tied at her wrist. She managed not to do more than tear up during Margaret’s wedding ceremony but afterwards, once they were driving the wagon toward home, for the first time without her oldest sister with them, the tears had spilled over.

  Alice laughed and jumped to the ground. At fourteen, she was still a little hoyden. Although now she cared about clothes and sometimes boys and only climbed trees half as much. Alice reached up and took baby Martin, who had been sitting on what was left of Elizabeth’s lap, as she was eight months pregnant with her and Will’s second child.

  Alice sniffed. “He needs a change. I’ll do it,” she offered.

  Elizabeth gave her a grateful look. “Thank you Alice. Would you mind bringing him to the kitchen after? I want to feed him before we go down to the saloon.” She cupped her hands, calling to her brothers who were practically inside the house already. She knew they couldn’t wait to be out of their Sunday best. “Meet back here in thirty minutes. We still need to clean the saloon.”

  “You don’t have to worry Elizabeth,” Alice said tossing a smile over her shoulder as she bounced away with Martin in her arms. “I’m never gonna get married.”

  “That’s exactly what Margaret said,” Elizabeth called after her.

  Alice threw back her head and laughed, disappearing inside the house.

  Elizabeth looked down at her husband who was waiting patiently to help her down from the wagon. She put her hands on his shoulders and he lifted her to the ground with a groan.

  “My back,” he complained with a grin.

  “How dare you sir! This is half your fault, you know,” she said primly, fighting her own smile.

  He dropped a kiss on her nose. “And I couldn’t be happier.”

  She wrapped her arms around his waist and he held her close. She found such comfort in his arms. Finally she pushed away and he followed her to their bedroom. They both changed out of their wedding clothes before he took the wagon to the barn to unhitch the horses. She fed Martin in the kitchen while Alice took her turn to change.

  Elizabeth was the last one back on the porch. She watched as the children started down the hill ahead of them. They were all three years older than when they first moved here. The time hadn
’t made much of a difference in her own appearance, but the changes were more obvious in her siblings. They were taller, their features more mature. They were young adults now and soon they would get married and move away, just like Margaret.

  She felt herself tearing up again and she sniffed, fumbling for the fresh handkerchief she had tucked in her pocket. Before she could find it, Will dangled his own in front of her face and she grabbed it and rubbed away her tears.

  Will leaned forward, pressing his lips against her temple. “You don’t have to worry Elizabeth. He’s a good man.”

  She knew he was referring to Thomas, the young man Margaret had married, and nephew of Mr. Evans who owned the mercantile. Thomas had moved to town just a year after they did, and it was immediately plain to see that he was interested in Margaret. Margaret was tentative at first and thankfully Thomas seemed to realize that she needed time. It wasn’t until six months ago that the serious courting began.

  Thomas started joining them for supper every Sunday after church and Elizabeth took every opportunity to find out if he was worthy of her sister and he passed with flying colors. When Thomas proposed right at their dining room table, he promised to take care of not only Margaret, but raise her son as his own. His proposal had all three sisters in tears. Elizabeth had never seen Margaret happier than she had been this morning as she became Thomas’s wife.

  Elizabeth would still see her sister every day. Thomas and Margaret moved into a small house less than a two-minute walk from the mercantile where he worked alongside his uncle. Mr. Evans had no sons. Someday Thomas would take over the business and they would most likely live above the mercantile.

  She and Margaret still planned to keep cooking meals for the saloon together every day and now that Margaret had her own household, Elizabeth had insisted they share the profits. Now and again she thought about opening a small restaurant, but her growing family kept her far too busy now and she wouldn’t have it any other way.

  “I know he is. I was actually thinking that soon the others will get married and move out. I can handle that I suppose, but what if they want to move out of town altogether? I’ll completely fall apart. I love them too much.”