The Independent Bride

by Leigh Greenwood

  “He was extremely good at building up my ego.”

  “Are you certain the colonel isn’t catching you on the rebound?”

  “Positive. I did my best not to fall in love with him, and I’m sure he did his best not to fall in love with me. After all, we thought we wanted very different things.”

  “What do you want now?”

  “We haven’t had a chance to talk about it. I wanted to tell you first. And I thought he ought to tell Pamela before it becomes public knowledge.”

  “You’d better sit down and make sure you want the same things before you say anything to anyone.”

  “Why?”

  “Because he wants a fancy job in Washington, D.C. A wife with money and the right connections would be a powerful boost to his career.”

  “Bryce said that he loves me so much, it’s changed what he wants out of life. Don’t you think that’s significant?”

  “It’ll be significant if he actually does it. Have you thought about Pamela?”

  “Of course I have. I adore Pamela. I’d love to be her mother.”

  “How will you get along with his family? We’re perfectly respectable, but we’re just nice people whose father managed a trading post on an army camp.”

  “I can’t believe my ears. What has gotten into you?”

  “Are you willing to give up the store, your independence? You’ll have to go to so many social events, you won’t have time for your children. You’ll spend more time with your dressmaker than with them. Oh, I forgot: Our aunt is a dressmaker. Maybe you can take her to Philadelphia with you. Ask your mother-in-law to recommend her to all her friends. It ought to do your reputation loads of good for people to know your aunt makes dresses for senators’ wives.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous.”

  “Ridiculous, am I? How do you suppose people are going to react when they find out you were accused of embezzling?”

  “I was never charged. Besides, how would they find out?”

  “That sort of thing always comes out. Have you told Bryce?”

  “I haven’t had a chance yet”

  “Why have you waited so long?”

  “Until he said he loved me, there was no reason to tell him”

  “Well, there is now.”

  They were interrupted by a knock on the door.

  “Come in.”

  Dome entered, her face white. “Bryce is out front,” she said. “He’s here with a man who says you are wanted for embezzlement”

  Chapter Twenty-three

  When Abby saw Bryce’s expression, the bottom fell out of her world. It wasn’t belief or disbelief. Not even anger or confusion. She could have dealt with those. It was the hurt, the look that said he didn’t understand why she hadn’t been open and honest with him, a look that said he would have believed her, supported her if she’d told him everything, a look that said he wondered what else she might be hiding from him. An unfair accusation had ruined her life in St. Louis. Now it was threatening to do the same thing here.

  Abby hadn’t given in to despair in St. Louis and she wasn’t about to do so now. She’d deal with this man, dispose of his accusation, then she’d talk to Bryce.

  “I don’t know where you got your information,” Abby said to the man, “but it’s wrong.”

  “Let’s go into your office so we can discuss this privately,” the man said.

  “You’ve already made the accusation where everyone can hear,” Abby said. “I’d rather everyone heard why you’re wrong.”

  The man looked around at the several attentive and curious faces. “I would strongly advise you against it.”

  “I don’t take advice from a man who makes unfounded accusations. I demand to know the reason for your presence and for making such a statement without proof. What is your name? I intend to lodge a complaint with your employer.”

  “My name is William Bennett. I’m a lawyer representing three firms who’ve given you credit. I’m here to tell you they want your accounts paid in full immediately. If you don’t, I’ll close down the store and seize all the merchandise against your debt”

  “You can’t demand that anyone pay an account immediately,” Bryce said. “You must allow a period of time to make the payments.”

  “I’m not authorized to do that.”

  “It doesn’t matter,” Bryce said. “You have to do it or I’ll have you escorted out of the fort.”

  “You can’t do that.”

  “You’ll find I can. As Miss Pierce has already mentioned, you haven’t offered any proof to back up your accusation.”

  “I don’t need proof. It was in the newspapers that Abigail Pierce was accused of being an accomplice in an embezzling scheme.”

  “It was also in the papers that the investigation turned up no proof that I ever had any involvement in Albert’s scheme and that no charges were ever brought against me,” Abby said. “Consequently, your statement that I’m wanted for embezzlement is a lie.”

  “A slip of the tongue,” Mr. Bennett said. He offered no apology for having made the statement.

  “A man in your profession should know a slip of the tongue can sometimes hang a man,” Bryce said.

  “This isn’t a hanging matter,” Bennett said, somewhat defiantly, Abby thought.

  “If you destroy Miss Pierce’s ability to make a living, it’s plenty serious.”

  “All my clients want is the money owed them.”

  “They will be paid according to the terms of our agreement,” Abby said.

  “In light of the police investigation of Miss Abigail Pierce, my clients have withdrawn their agreement,” Bennett said.

  “Please tell your clients they’ll get their money,” Abby said.

  “How?” Bennett asked, his manner rude and scornful. “If you sold everything in here, you wouldn’t have enough to pay your debts.”

  “That statement shows you know nothing about the retail value of goods,” Abby said. “I suggest you stick to making false accusations. At least you’re competent at that.” She was pleased to see Bennett turn red. She was relieved to see a trace of a smile on Bryce’s tips.

  “I’m competent enough to tell you that as of now you will not be allowed to purchase any goods, even if you pay for them in cash, until you’ve settled your present debt in its entirety.”

  “Have you any other messages to deliver?”

  “As soon as the judge reaches Denver, we’ll have a judgment against you. Then we’ll see about whom you can keep off the fort,” Bennett said, turning to Bryce.

  Bryce didn’t answer, just smiled in a way that said he wasn’t impressed.

  “Then don’t come back until you have such an order,” Abby said. “Be sure to tell your clients that they will get their money.”

  “They’ll get it, all right,” Bennett said. “I’ll make sure of that”

  He left in a foul humor. Abby guessed he’d expected to scare her so badly, she’d give him every cent she could lay her hands on.

  “I know you’re wondering what happened back in St. Louis.”

  “You don’t have to explain,” Bryce said.

  “Yes, I do. This is my home. I can’t live here with people thinking I might be guilty of embezzlement.”

  “No one believes that,” Dorrie said.

  “You’d wonder,” Abby said. She took a deep breath. “I was seeing a man named Albert Guy. He and I worked for the same bank. He had asked me to marry him. In the meantime, I stumbled on evidence he had been embezzling money from the bank. When I faced him with it, he said he’d been doing it for us, so we could start our marriage on a solid financial footing. I told him I couldn’t marry him knowing we were depending on stolen money to make it possible. I told him to give the money back. He was furious with me, said he couldn’t, that it would be too dangerous. I told him I didn’t care, that he had to give it back. Then be told me he didn’t have it, that he’d already spent it for a house. I knew he hadn’t done any such thing, and I told him i
f he didn’t give it back, I’d report him. I also told him that I couldn’t marry him, knowing he was a thief.

  “I gave him two weeks to give everything back. As it turned out, someone else found the same evidence and informed on him, but he blamed me. To get back at me, he told the police I was his accomplice. Since everyone knew he’d asked me to marry him, I suppose the police figured that was logical. In any case, they investigated me for several months. They went through every piece of paper I ever handled and found absolutely no evidence I’d had anything to do with the embezzlement. I didn’t even have access to the accounts involved. But Albert told them that even though he’d done the actual embezzling, I’d been the one to come up with the idea and tell him how to do it He said I’d spent part of the money on clothes. That caused the police to investigate my Aunt Emma, because she makes women’s clothes. It also involved Moriah, because she worked for Aunt Emma.

  “Even though the police could find no proof, everyone seemed to believe I couldn’t be practically engaged to Albert and not be a party to what he’d done. I lost my job at the bank and was unable to get another one. It was clear I had no future in St. Louis. The scandal also caused my aunt’s business to suffer. That terrible year was capped off by our father’s death and the end of the allowance that my sister and I had depended on for our living. It was then that I decided to move to the Colorado Territory and start fresh. You know everything that’s happened since.”

  “What a horrible thing to happen,” Dorrie exclaimed. “And to be treated so badly by people you thought were your friends.”

  Abby murmured something, but she was looking at Bryce, waiting anxiously to know what he was going to say, what he thought.

  “I’ll make sure Bennett leaves the fort,” he said to Abby, “and make sure everyone understands he’s not allowed anywhere near you. Pamela wanted me to remind you that we’re expecting you and Moriah for supper tonight. She’s excited about playing hostess.”

  Abby desperately wanted to call out to Bryce, to bring him back so she could explain why she hadn’t told him about St Louis, but though his expression had remained neutral, she could tell he was upset. She didn’t know whether it was at Bennett or at her.

  Moriah pulled Abby from the store and closed the door. “We can’t go to supper at the colonel’s tonight.”

  “Of course we can,” Abby said. “Staying away would practically be an admission of guilt.”

  “And you can’t marry him.”

  “Why not?” Abby asked, angry Moriah was always throwing up barriers between herself and Bryce.

  “Because your reputation will follow you wherever you go. Can you imagine his mother being willing to welcome a suspected felon into the family? Something like that would be enough to ruin his career.”

  “There was never any evidence against me,” Abby said, desperate to make that point.

  “It won’t matter. Just the suspicion will be enough.”

  “His family can’t be that bad.”

  “Do you remember how the Pinckney family reacted when their son married an actress? They disinherited him and refused to have him in the house again. And they didn’t have any high social position to protect. I expect the McGregors would rather he remain buried in the Territories than face that sort of scandal.”

  Abby had been trying to tell herself none of this would mean anything to Bryce, that he would believe her, would still love her, but she couldn’t deny that the scandal could be detrimental to his career.

  “Do you think he’s going to break it off?” Abby asked.

  “No. I think you ought to be the one to release him from his promises.”

  “He hasn’t made any.”

  “That will make it easier. It’s hard to regret losing what you never had.”

  It was obvious Moriah had never been in love. Just knowing Bryce didn’t love her any longer would be the most devastating blow she could imagine.

  “I’ve got to get back to the store,” Moriah said. ‘Take the rest of the afternoon to get settled and have a bath.. We can talk later.”

  “We’re going to have supper with Bryce and Pamela,” Abby said. “There are things that have to be said, things that have to be straightened out.”

  “I don’t agree, but I’ll stand by you no matter what you do.”

  Abby embraced her sister, doing all she could to fight back the tears that threatened. “I never doubted you. You’ve never once failed to have implicit faith in me.”

  “I know your soul, and I know it’s pure.”

  Abby hoped Bryce had an equal faith in her integrity.

  She closed the door behind Moriah and sank down into a chair at the table. She had a lot to think about before seeing Bryce again.

  Pamela met Abby and Moriah at the door when they arrived. “Daddy isn’t ready yet,” she said, practically dancing with excitement. “He said I was to act as hostess until he finished dressing.”

  “We’re not early, are we?” Abby asked.

  “You’re six minutes late,” Pamela said.

  Abby bent down to give Pamela a hug. She hoped the child didn’t see the tears in her eyes or ask why she was crying. “You’ll make a marvelous hostess for your father when you grow up.”

  “That’s what Sarah’s momma told him, but he said he didn’t want me to waste my time at dreary old political gatherings. He said he wanted me to meet a nice boy, get married, and have lots of grandchildren for him to spoil. Would you like coffee?” Pamela said, apparently remembering her role as hostess.

  “No, thank you,” Abby said. “I’ll wait to have mine with dinner.”

  “Me, too,” Moriah said.

  “Zeb is cooking supper. Daddy says he still can’t cook half as good as you and Miss Moriah, but he’s been much better since you came.”

  Abby found it more difficult to keep the tears from her eyes. She turned away from Pamela. “Did you set the table?”

  “Yes, but Zeb helped.”

  “You both did a beautiful job.”

  “We did it just like you showed me,” she said proudly. “Daddy said I can do it when we go back to Philadelphia.”

  It seemed there was no safe topic. Abby wondered if it would have been easier to see Bryce alone. Zeb entered with glasses and wine.

  “Could I offer you ladies something to drink?” he asked.

  “No, thank you,” Abby and Moriah said in unison. “Pamela was just telling us Bryce said she could set the table when he goes back to Philadelphia,” Abby added.

  “She’ll be getting her chance a lot sooner than any of us expected,” Zeb said, his smile disappearing. “The colonel got his papers today. He can head back East tomorrow if he wants.”

  The strength left Abby’s limbs, and she sank down on the couch. She had hoped to have time to come up with a solution to her dilemma, but it was too late now. Bryce had the promotion he and his family had been working for ever since the war ended. He wouldn’t want to wait. He had probably already regretted falling in love with her. He was a gentleman and would never have thrown her over publicly, but no one except Moriah knew. He could hurry back to Philadelphia and no one would ever know.

  And she had to let him. If he didn’t want to, she had to make him. Moriah was right. Marrying her would ruin his career. She couldn’t live with that knowledge. His family would blame her. She knew he would defend her, but that would drive a wedge between him and his family. She would have to tell him before he said anything to Pamela.

  Thinking of Pamela made Abby want to cry all over again. She had grown to love the little girl; her quick intelligence, her outgoing personality. The child deserved a mother who was more interested in her than in Bryce’s career, one who would spend time with her, answer her endless questions. In Philadelphia Bryce would probably have even less time to spend with her than he did now.

  “Are you all right, miss?”

  “What?”

  “You’ve been staring off into space,” Zeb said. “I don’t think y
ou’ve heard a word I’ve said.”

  “Sorry. Trying to figure out what to do about the store and the beef contract is driving me to distraction.”

  “I’m sure it is, miss. I’d ask the colonel if I was you. He’s real good at solving problems.”

  “Now that he’ll be leaving for Washington, D.C., I guess I’d better get used to solving my problems myself.”

  “What problems do you have now?”

  Abby turned to see Bryce entering the room. Just the sight of him caused her resolve to weaken so badly it almost gave way entirely. His smile had the power to banish all the clouds of fear and despair, even resentment and anger. She could banish all thought of past injustices. He looked so handsome in his uniform, she felt weak at the knees. Any woman would give her right arm to be married to such a man. She couldn’t possibly give him up.

  He was a good man who took great care of those who depended on him, took his responsibilities seriously, considered public service an honor rather than a chance to enrich himself. Which was exactly why she had to give him up.

  “The same old things,” she said, forcing herself to return his smile, “but there’ll be plenty of time to talk about that later.” Bryce looked as though he would reach out and take her hands. She couldn’t allow that. Her resolve could never withstand his touch. “I think I will have some coffee now,” she said, turning to Zeb. “It smells awfully good.” She picked up a cup and saucer and held it out for him to pour the coffee.

  “He still hasn’t learned to make it as well as you,” Bryce said.

  “I’m sure he will. He learns quickly.”

  “Thank you, miss,” Zeb said.

  “We’ll get a chance to decide when we have dinner. Pamela tells me she insisted he serve only your favorite dishes, the ones you showed him how to make.”

  “Which I do think was a mistake,” Zeb said. “There’s no way I’m going to cook her favorite dishes better man she does herself.”

  “I’m sure you did very well,” Abby said, moving toward Moriah and Pamela. She felt exposed to too much danger, being so close to Bryce. She cast around frantically for something to talk about, but she couldn’t think of any subject that wouldn’t lead to his having to reveal his plans for the future. She had to speak to him, but she wanted to get him by himself first.