She turned toward the other two women, screwing a pleasant smile on her face. “We don’t know what happened to either of them. Perhaps if you joined in our efforts to find them, rather than engaging in idle gossip, we’d find them sooner.”
Flora tossed her head. “As if any of us give a whit for Emma Jane Logan. What’s she to us?”
Mary opened her mouth to defend the other girl, but Mrs. Haggerty took Mary by the arm.
“Will said you were on your way to help me. You’re so thoughtful.” Mrs. Haggerty smiled, then looked at the other girls. “I’m sure if you were lost in the mountains, you’d want your church sisters to be praying for your safe return. Perhaps that would be a better use of your time than idle speculation about what might have happened to Emma Jane and Jasper.”
Though Mrs. Haggerty’s words were meant to shame the other two girls, guilt nibbled at the corner of Mary’s heart. In all of her fury at not being able to search for Emma Jane during the night and her fretting over what might have happened, not once had it occurred to Mary that the most useful thing she could be doing was to be praying.
“We could do so now,” Mary suggested, but Mrs. Haggerty shook her head. “Josiah is loading up the wagon. Those going back to town need to gather their things and join him.”
The barn erupted with activity as the others scurried toward the doors. Only Mary and Mrs. Haggerty remained.
“None of them want to help?” Mary didn’t need to ask the question, not really. Her words fell on the empty air.
Polly reentered the barn. “You’re not coming?”
“I can’t leave Emma Jane out there alone. She’s so sensitive that I think having a familiar face will ease her discomfort, having endured such difficult circumstances.”
Polly scowled. “What’s it to you? Emma Jane is an odd woman at best, and she spurned the friendship you offered. You’ve done your Christian duty by her, so shake the dust off your feet, and let’s go home to our family.”
If only Polly hadn’t reminded her of her Christian duty. The truth was, Mary hadn’t done her Christian duty by the other girl. And maybe if Mary could help find Emma Jane and spend time with her, it would somehow help her.
“Weren’t you the one who argued that we needed time away from them when we first left for the picnic?”
But Polly seemed ill-inclined to show kindness toward Emma Jane. “I’m sure Daniel is wearing on Maddie’s nerves, and even my mother hasn’t got the patience to mind him for long.”
“I know. But something deep inside me says that helping Emma Jane is the right thing to do.”
“What of your reputation?” Polly’s eyes narrowed.
“What of it? Mrs. Haggerty will be with us, so no one can accuse me of impropriety.”
Her words didn’t erase Polly’s frown. “Impropriety with Will is the least of your worries. The other girls are spitting mad that you’d take up for Emma Jane when she is clearly—”
“And you would put their good opinion over doing what’s right?”
That, at least, had an effect as Polly winced. “They can make life in town difficult.”
Before Polly’s father had been put in charge of Joseph’s mine, many of the prominent women in town had mocked Polly and her family’s lower circumstances. Mary would think that, of all people, Polly would understand what it was like to be in Emma Jane’s position. Perhaps, though, it was such a relief to no longer be in Emma Jane’s shoes, she wasn’t willing to risk it.
Mary, too, understood that feeling. “When we lived in Ohio with Aunt Ina, the other girls mocked us for being poor. For our scandalous family and no-account father. I could barely hold my head up high walking through town. I had no friends.”
Perhaps that was why she’d so easily fallen into Ben’s trap. He knew that she wouldn’t have anyone to talk to, to find out that he was not the man he claimed to be. He’d made her feel special when no one else acknowledged she existed.
She stared hard at Polly. “The reason I could hold my head up high, though, was that I had done nothing wrong. If I go home without trying to find Emma Jane, the ladies in town will think more of me, but will I be blameless? I let a defenseless woman suffer.”
“You almost make me want to stay.” Polly’s face softened. “But it doesn’t change the fact that someone needs to manage Daniel. I can admit to not nearly being as good a Christian woman as you.”
Arguing that she was hardly the picture of a good Christian woman would mean that Mary would have to own her other flaws. The things Ben still held over her head.
Perhaps someday she’d be able to be so open about her flaws. However, she couldn’t forget that Ben held evidence that could put her in jail. Maybe even... Did they still hang thieves?
“Last call to leave for town.” Will’s voice broke through any decision Mary might have made to be open with her friend.
“You should go,” Mary said.
Polly gave her a quick hug. “I still think you’re crazy, but I respect what you’re doing. I’m sure we’ll get on fine without you.”
As Polly walked away, Mary’s conscience nagged. Surely she was doing the right thing in searching for Emma Jane. Her family could do without her for another day.
* * *
Will still didn’t like it. He watched the wagon head back to town.
“Can we go now?”
He shouldn’t have minded her forceful tone. He’d already seen that Mary was a doer. But it was starting to feel as if Mary didn’t trust him to do the right thing. He’d already fouled up an important job. If there was anything she could count on, it was the fact that he wouldn’t rest until both Jasper and Emma Jane were found.
But his reasoning? Well, that was something he couldn’t share with her. The good Lord wasn’t going to lend a hand, that he knew already. If something was to be done, it was up to him to do it.
Josiah and two of his sons approached. Mrs. Haggerty had pulled Mary aside, and they were talking quietly. Hopefully, the older woman would find a way to talk some sense into Mary. Even with a chaperone, it wasn’t a good idea for Mary to be wandering the wilderness. Ladies such as she weren’t familiar with the survival skills needed. Even if she was, Will’s heart wasn’t safe around her.
Maybe that was the most dangerous part of the proposition.
Hopefully, this detour in finding Jasper and Emma Jane wouldn’t be a setback in his quest for justice against Ben. At least, since Mary was with Will, Ben wouldn’t have the opportunity to entangle her in any more of his schemes.
“We’ve got the horses loaded with supplies. Britta is helping Mary into some of her clothes. They’re more suitable for the search, and she’s got an extra pair of boots besides.”
At least someone besides Will had a lick of sense.
They began their search on foot. Although Will had poked around the area immediately surrounding the barn and outhouse as soon as it was light, more sets of eyes wouldn’t hurt. He couldn’t imagine Emma Jane going very far. Surely she had to be nearby. If only it hadn’t started raining again during the night. Any hope of finding usable tracks had washed away.
“There’s some broken branches over here,” Josiah called.
As Will headed in that direction, he noticed Mary had eagerly gone ahead to attend the find. He couldn’t fault her in her dedication to her new friend. As much as it pained him to admit, the comparisons he’d been making between Mary and Daisy were not fair. The only thing the two women had in common was their attachment to Ben Perry.
So why would Mary have let herself get involved with a vermin like Perry?
Mary seemed almost terrified of the man. He’d tried convincing her that he could help her, if only she told him the truth. Will had thought all of these things before, but nothing in that thinking had gotten him to a place of figuring out ho
w to get through to her.
“She’s been through here!” Mary held up a scrap of lace.
Will closed the short distance between him and Mary, then took the lace from her hand. “Where was this?”
“Stuck on the tree, there.” Mary pointed to where Josiah was examining the dirt. Will looked around. Less than a furlong from the barn, but in the opposite direction of the outhouse.
What had possessed the girl to come this way?
He shook his head. Probably she’d been so addlepated that she hadn’t even realized she was going the wrong way. But the signs on the ground as well as the torn lace in the tree had indicated she’d been afraid of something.
“Any sign of blood?” He asked the question quietly, addressing Josiah.
Fortunately for the ladies present, Josiah shook his head. Maybe having the ladies on this mission had been a bad idea. Actually, it was most likely the worst idea in the history of bad ideas, but convincing Mary of that fact was almost as impossible as—
“There’s a ribbon here,” one of Josiah’s sons shouted.
Will looked farther up the hill. No wonder they hadn’t found Emma Jane. She’d been going away from the ranch, away from civilization, the entire time.
They clambered up the slope. Rocks and loose soil gave way under their feet. Mary lost her balance, falling into Will.
He caught her in his arms. “Are you all right?”
“Fine.” Mary struggled in his embrace, making him slip farther down the hill.
“Calm yourself, or we’ll both go tumbling down. I mean no harm.”
Mary stilled, allowing him to get his bearings, then he let her go.
“The ground is unstable through here. Perhaps you should wait where we found the lace.”
“I’m fine.” She stepped away and began climbing back up the muddy slope.
Though she’d only been in his arms for a few moments, he missed her warmth almost immediately as she departed. She’d spent the night in a barn, yet all Will could think of was how sweet Mary smelled.
Maybe he was the addlepated one.
They reached the crest of the hill. Despite the rain washing away most of the evidence of human activity in the area, slide marks were clearly imprinted against the ground. Emma Jane had most likely slid down the other side of the hill. But what of Jasper? So far, there had been no sign of his friend.
Hopefully, they wouldn’t find a mangled body at the bottom. But as Will’s eyes followed the path, he couldn’t see finding anyone alive as being a likely outcome. Not with the jutting rocks and brush scattered about.
Mary seemed to follow his gaze. Seemed to understand his thoughts. “It doesn’t look good, does it?”
Her voice cracked a little, and Will wished he could spare her this pain.
“I can take it from here, if you wish.”
Mary shook her head. “No. She’s been alone for so long, I can’t bear for her to endure this alone, as well.”
Who was Mary Stone that she could love a near stranger so deeply? Will couldn’t help himself. He took her hand in his and squeezed hard. “I’ll take good care of her.”
“I know. But I still need to do this.” Mary squeezed back and didn’t let go.
Could this mean Mary was finally starting to trust him?
The crunch of gravel behind them reminded Will that they weren’t alone. Such familiarity with Mary would be seen as improper, even though he had no ill intent. He let go of Mary’s hand and turned in the direction of the sound.
“We think someone fell down the slope here.” Will pointed at the disturbance in the soil.
“I should get the horses.” Josiah’s solemn tone said what none of them could say. The horses would be needed to transport the body.
Will swallowed the lump forming in his throat. He’d seen dozens of dead bodies before. Had delivered the bad news more times than he’d care to remember. But he’d never had to be with a lady as she saw the body in its natural state.
He started to pray, to spare Mary the pain of what they would find. But then stopped himself. If God hadn’t helped him save innocents from a bank robbery, why would the Almighty lift His hand in the case of their missing friends? No, it was up to Will to make this right.
“We’ll follow the trail,” Will said, looking at Mary. He wouldn’t try talking her out of it, not when it hadn’t done any good before. But he’d do what he could to protect her.
Will and Mary followed the trail down the hill while the Haggertys went for the horses.
As they got farther down the mountain, Will could hear a faint cry for help.
“Did you hear that?”
Mary nodded and picked up her pace.
“We’re coming,” Will called back. “Keep talking, so we can find you.”
“Help!” A man’s voice.
“Jasper?” Will picked up his pace.
“Yes. We fell down an old mine shaft. Watch your step.” The voice, an echo, but clear.
Will held out his hand. “Mary, the ground is likely unstable near here. Walk slowly toward me and take my hand.”
She did as she was bidden, understanding the danger without having it spelled out for her. One more thing to admire about her. Will knew few women of that level of sense.
“Is Emma Jane with you?” Mary’s plea made him remember the object of their search. Finding both Emma Jane and Jasper would be a boon they desperately needed. At this rate, he could have both ladies safely delivered to town by nightfall.
“Yes, but she’s hurt.”
Hurt, not dead. The heaviness in Will’s heart lifted. At least that was one pain he could spare Mary.
“Emma Jane!” Mary’s yell echoed against the forest.
Will looked at the terrain around them, spotting a disturbance in the dirt a few yards ahead. He guided Mary in that direction, testing each step to be sure of the ground’s stability.
Several yards ahead, he spotted a hole in the terrain, a rough, jagged spot that looked as though the edges would cave in at any point.
“I think I see where you fell. Let me see what I can find to get you out.”
Mary started in the direction of the hole, but Will stopped her. “See the cracks in the ground there? It’s too unstable. If we get too close, we’re liable to make the cave-in even bigger and end up right with them.”
“Emma Jane!” Mary called again, but Emma Jane didn’t answer.
“She’s unconscious,” Jasper called back. “Still breathing, so I think she’ll be all right.”
Jasper had no medical training, but now was not the time for Will to let Mary know.
“I’m going to find some felled trees to put across the opening as support.” Will spoke loudly so Jasper could hear, but looked at Mary.
“What shall I do?” Mary’s voice was quiet, almost as though she finally understood the seriousness of the situation. But, because she was Mary, she wouldn’t be satisfied to simply sit and do nothing. How could he not admire her?
“Put our water together in one canteen, and whatever food we have left. Toss it down to them, but warn Jasper before you do so.”
He wanted to add a caution about not getting too near the edge, but as he watched Mary in motion, he could see that she’d already figured that out for herself. Smart, capable and honorable. What was not to like about Mary?
The sound of riders approaching in the distance brought Will back to attention. He started in that direction to warn them, grateful for the extra hands that would be available for the rescue.
Finding Emma Jane and Jasper had been much simpler than Will had imagined. And with happier results than he could have anticipated, even with Emma Jane hurt. He hadn’t needed the Lord’s aid in finding Jasper and Emma Jane; perhaps that was where he’d gone wrong the
first time in his quest to bring Ben to justice. Too much time praying and not enough doing what his own hands could do.
Chapter Eleven
The Haggertys had decided that it was closer to bring Emma Jane and Jasper to the Spruce Lakes Resort rather than back to their ranch. This time of year, they had a doctor in residence at Spruce Lakes to cater to the wealthy families who frequented the vacation spot. The time saved in going directly to the nearest doctor would be well worth the expense of such an extravagance. At least that was Mary’s line of thinking. She’d already determined to cover the cost, no matter what it took. The last thing Emma Jane needed was another financial worry on top of her family’s ruin.
Will interrupted Mary’s pacing along the front porch of the hotel. “I sent word to town to let folks know Jasper and Emma Jane are safe.”
Mary nodded slowly as she watched the light breeze ruffle the water of the lake. “Safe is relative, I suppose. I would feel better if Emma Jane would awaken.”
“The doctor says she was hit pretty soundly on the head. Give her time.”
Time was a luxury she didn’t have. Even though her family knew she was safe, and Mary was confident in Polly’s ability to keep the peace in Mary’s absence, it didn’t make her any less nervous.
But how could she leave Emma Jane now?
“I should go sit with her.” Mary turned to enter the hotel, but Will stopped her.
“The doctor and Mrs. Haggerty are with her now. I heard Mrs. Lewis offer you use of a bathhouse and some clean clothes. You should take advantage while you can.”
Mary didn’t look at him. If he were Joseph, she’d make a joke about him telling her she smelled bad, but as much as she tried convincing herself to only have the sisterly sort of feelings toward Will, she couldn’t muster the ease of being a sister to the man.
The trouble was, Will was all man. The more time she spent with him, the more she saw him performing such noble deeds as rescuing a poor woman like Emma Jane, the more she couldn’t see him as anything but a man.
She should go. Do exactly what he mentioned. Yet, a part of her couldn’t bear to leave him.
The Lawman's Redemption (Leadville, Co. Book 2) Page 11