Jasper’s eyes misted. “Your mother’s right. If I don’t, your reputation will never recover. Mine won’t be as bad, but I’ll still never be allowed to set foot in many of the homes in Leadville. Like it or not, we must marry.”
He turned toward Mr. Logan. “If you will accompany me to Mr. Lewis’s study, we can go over the details of the wedding. Given the circumstances, I’m sure you’ll understand why it won’t be an elaborate affair.”
“But it must be!” Mrs. Logan’s screech burned Mary’s eardrums. “My daughter’s wedding should be the societal event of the season.”
At least here, the Logan family’s plans would be foiled. Jasper looked at her coldly. “You, madam, have no choice in the matter.”
He turned and stomped out of the room, Mr. Logan trailing behind him.
Mrs. Logan turned and flopped onto a couch. “Why, I never.” Then she turned her attention back to Mary. “And you—”
“I would watch your words, Mrs. Logan.” Will glared at her with a deep ferocity. “I plan on remaining here, and I will report every word you speak to Jasper. Your family does not deserve his kindness.”
Something in Will’s defense of her made the dam holding back Mary’s tears break. They ran freely down her face, and the truth crashed over her in wave after wave. Jasper’s staunch support did little to change the fact that Rose had done the unimaginable, and it was all Mary’s fault.
* * *
Will wished he could offer some comfort to Mary, who’d dried her tears with a handkerchief but stared at the fire as though she wished it would swallow her whole. But with the way Mrs. Logan stared at him, he knew any kindness he offered would be misconstrued.
“It’ll be all right,” Emma Jane said quietly, patting Mary’s hand.
Mary squeezed Emma Jane’s hand back. “I should be comforting you. We’re in a fine mess, aren’t we?”
Emma Jane looked as if she was about to say something, but Mrs. Logan swooped in. “I will not have this.”
Giving Will a cold look, Mrs. Logan continued, “I may not be able to speak what I think, but that doesn’t mean I will allow my daughter to be under the influence of someone who thinks that marrying the most eligible bachelor in Leadville is worthy of comfort.”
At least married to Jasper, Emma Jane would have the freedom to talk to Mary again. Jasper would make sure of it, Will was certain.
Poor Jasper. Will had warned his friend that his antics would land him at the business end of a shotgun someday. But Emma Jane wasn’t a bad sort. Sure, she made a lousy first impression. But she grew on a person. Jasper could do a lot worse than Emma Jane Logan for a wife.
Though he wasn’t sure he could find worse in-laws than Mr. and Mrs. Percival Logan.
Jasper reentered the room, Mr. Logan at his heels. “We’ll return to Leadville as soon as possible. Mrs. Lewis is having their man get the horses ready for travel. None of us have much in the way of belongings, so we will be leaving shortly.”
“Surely you don’t expect us to travel with—” Mrs. Logan glared at Mary.
The woman couldn’t possibly be serious. The accusations were about Mary’s sister, not Mary, and they hadn’t even proven to be true.
Jasper met Mrs. Logan’s glare with a fierce look of his own. “You and your husband will ride back in your carriage with Emma Jane. Mr. Lewis needs to go into town for some supplies, so Will, Mary and I will ride in the wagon with him.”
“But you should be riding with us, so we can get to know the man who’s stealing our daughter.”
“I have business to attend to with Will. There will be plenty of time to get to know each other after the wedding.”
The Jasper Will knew would have made a joke here, but the tightness around Jasper’s jaw made it clear this was no laughing matter. Jasper had often joked about marriage being akin to facing a hangman’s noose. Now on his way to the executioner, Jasper didn’t have anything to laugh about.
Jasper looked at Will. “Come, help me with the horses.”
Knowing Jasper, he was probably ready to explode at the inhumanity of the situation. Will didn’t like it, either. Perhaps they could find a way out.
Will followed Jasper out to the blessed fresh air. Though the ground was still muddy, it was far better than being inside with all the tension.
“Are you really going to marry her?”
“I don’t have much of a choice. It was bound to happen someday. Emma Jane saved my life. If saving her reputation means giving up my freedom, then I guess I owe her.”
Will hadn’t much considered marriage much for himself. Sure, there had been the craziness with Daisy that almost had him thinking along those lines. But he’d learned a valuable lesson in not trusting the fairer sex. Thinking you were in love only addled your brain, and if you weren’t careful, you could get shot. Literally.
Truthfully, he had nothing to offer a woman. No wealth, no home, no respectability.
“Emma Jane’s not too bad,” Will said lamely.
“No, she’s not.” Jasper blew out a breath. “I don’t know how I’m going to handle her family. Her father spoke of wanting to return to family back East. I’m hoping, with enough money, I can stick them on a train and be done with the lot of them.”
Cold, even for Jasper.
“Won’t Emma Jane miss them?”
Jasper shook his head. “Doubtful. When we were stuck in the mine, Emma Jane made it clear that she wanted nothing more than to be free of her controlling mother. That’s why she pursued me so fiercely. To think I pitied her.”
“Now you’ll have to pity yourself.”
Finally, a grin tugged at the side of Jasper’s mouth. “You’re telling me. I plan on staying as far away from the in-laws as possible. Which means...”
Will knew that gleam in his friend’s eye. It had gotten Will into a number of scrapes when they were in Denver, and it had popped up lately when they spoke of Ben.
“I can’t have a married man endanger himself by chasing down a gang that’s not afraid to shoot to kill. I was fortunate to survive.”
The grin faded from Jasper’s face. Finally the other man saw some sense.
“Even if the man Mary’s sister ran off with is Ben Perry?”
It was like being gut-shot all over again.
Of course the savvy Jasper had put two and two together as Mrs. Logan had gleefully shared Mary’s family shame. Ben would do anything to get what he wanted, even if it meant taking advantage of a good woman like Mary. And if Mary wasn’t available, her sister.
Will had done it again. He’d allowed his focus on a woman to get in the way of pursuing a case.
Worse, another innocent woman’s life was ruined because Will hadn’t found a way to put Ben behind bars.
“How bad is it?” Will finally asked, ignoring the tightness in his chest.
“Mr. Logan said that Rose ran off with Ben and they’re living in sin above The Pink Petticoat. Pastor Lassiter tried to get her to come home, but Rose says she’s in love, and she and Ben are going to get married.”
At least they weren’t married yet. The very worst thing for Rose would be marrying the scoundrel. Sure, her reputation would suffer for her mistake in allowing herself to be taken in by Ben, but it would be far better than being chained to him for the rest of her life.
Hopefully, he could convince both the good pastor and the aspiring bride of the fact. Not to mention the bride’s sister.
Mary had been willing to risk her own life to marry Ben to protect her family, but would she force an innocent girl down that path?
No. Mary had seemed horrified at the idea of Emma Jane being forced to marry Jasper. And she’d seemed horrified at the idea of a future with Ben.
Maybe now, Mary would be willing to help him.
He j
ust wouldn’t allow himself to get caught up in feelings for her. She wouldn’t distract him from his primary purpose—taking down Ben Perry.
They’d save her sister, find a way to get Ben in jail, and then Will would walk away. No attachments, no hard feelings. Ben Perry had ruined the last life he was going to ruin.
Chapter Fourteen
The wagon jostled along the still-muddy ruts of the road, preventing Mary from any coherent thought.
Why had Mary been so selfish as to think that she could have some time away from home? Why had she forsaken her family for a friend? She’d been utterly useless in helping Emma Jane out of her situation, but perhaps if she’d only gone home with Polly, this crisis would have been averted.
“It’s going to be okay,” Will said softly as he scooted next to her. “I’m going to do my best to get your sister safely home. Jasper has promised to help.”
Mary didn’t look at him. “There’s not much you can do if she’s already ruined. I should have been there.”
“And done what? If Ben’s as determined to get at your family’s fortune as he seems to be, you’d be ruined in her place.”
This time, she stared at him. “Which would have been my due, for introducing that serpent into my family’s bosom. I made poor judgment in associating with Ben, and for all of my mistakes in dealing with him. Rose is innocent.”
But as she protested Rose’s innocence, she couldn’t help but remember the sting of Rose’s hand across her cheek. Though it certainly was Mary’s due, such actions were completely unbecoming of the kind of women they were brought up to be.
“Rose is capable of making her own decisions.” Will’s jaw set firm as he stared at her.
A thought Mary had also had. The other, more sinister, reason lurked in the shadows of her mind. “What if she’s not with Ben of her own accord?”
Her question silenced Will, as though he’d also thought of that possibility. Everyone, it seemed, knew what a bad man Ben Perry was. So how was it that she could have been so easily duped by him in the first place?
“The account Jasper heard would indicate she was with him willingly. But I suppose we won’t know for sure until we are there and learn the truth for ourselves.”
Truth was miles away, leaving Mary too much time to consider and think the worst.
“I know you don’t like me asking, but maybe it’s time you told me the full details of your involvement with Ben. There might be something in your story that can help your sister.”
Though Will’s voice was gentle, it threatened to rip out her very soul. Yes, she’d planned on coming clean to Frank and asking for his guidance. But that was before her sister had run away with Ben. What had Ben told Rose? What was Ben using to hold her? And what could Mary say that would gain her sister’s freedom?
Things she didn’t know until she understood Rose’s situation for herself.
“There isn’t anything to tell. I met him in Ohio. We had a secret romance. I thought he loved me. He asked me to run away with him, but I wasn’t able to abandon my family obligations.”
All true. The barest of facts. Scarcely scraping the surface of how deeply Mary had almost betrayed her family for love. Not almost. Had. Her family would be better off now had Mary only done the deed and run off with Ben.
“Why the scathing letter? Why the refusal to pick up where you left off when he announced your engagement?”
Those were the truths she couldn’t share with Will. Only the excuse she’d given at the church. “Because I’d come to realize the importance of my faith. Despite his words at the church, I know Ben doesn’t share my faith.”
A lump formed in Mary’s throat. How important to her was her faith, really? As much as she said that she put it at the forefront of her life, it seemed that most of the time, her faith was more of an afterthought than anything.
Even now, in the midst of this trial, Mary’s faith had been lacking. Though she knew it was wrong, she still found it hard to accept that the Lord would forgive her actions. What more could she do to make things right?
Will squeezed her hand. “It’s okay, Mary. I won’t judge you. You can tell me what happened with you and Ben, even if you think your actions compromised your faith. We serve a forgiving God.”
She yanked her hand away. “I did not compromise myself with Ben.”
Of all the horrible things to insinuate. Just because her sister had deemed it wise to visit a house of ill repute with the man didn’t mean that Mary had made the same mistake.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to imply that you did.” Will sighed. “I just know how sometimes we do things that we don’t mean to, thinking that we’re doing the right thing. A little lie here, or hiding the truth...”
Silence filled the space between them. She’d done those things. Will knew it. Everyone knew it. Would she feel better confessing it? Perhaps. But not to Will.
He cleared his throat. “Again, I apologize. I’m just as much a sinner as you are. I have no particular knowledge of any sins you might be guilty of. I was trying to be helpful, and I had the opposite effect. So whatever it is that you feel guilty about, I hope you know that if you talk to God and confess your sins, He is quick to forgive.”
Mary wished it were so simple. The trouble with confessing and even receiving the Lord’s forgiveness was that none of it changed the mess you’d made of your life in the meantime. It didn’t fix the lives you’d ruined and the people you’d hurt.
The compassion in Will’s eyes was genuine. For a moment, she could almost make herself believe that he understood. But he wouldn’t understand the depths of what she’d done. Still, he didn’t deserve her acting like a petulant child when he’d been trying so hard to be a good witness to her.
“Thank you, Will. I know you were trying to help. I appreciate your kind words, and I will think on them. If you don’t mind, I’m going to spend some quiet time, doing what I should have done to begin with. I’m going to pray.”
Only, as she tried to form the words in her mind, they simply wouldn’t come. Why would God aid her now, when her desire for Him was one of desperation and need? The Lord deserved better from her, and she prayed that she’d be able to be the kind of woman worthy of His regard. Especially in this matter. Rose shouldn’t be the one to pay for Mary’s sins.
* * *
Despite the rough roads, Will was pleased to see that they’d made good time heading back to town. As the wagon rolled down Harrison Avenue, nothing seemed to indicate it was anything but an ordinary day. He stole another glance at Mary, whose red eyes spoke of grief, though he knew she hadn’t yet expressed it. He’d made a muck of things, trying to get her to talk to him. He’d like to say it was just as well, since the more time he spent with her, the more he found her to be an agreeable young lady of great moral—
What was he doing, letting his thoughts go that way? It did him no good to ponder Mary’s finer qualities. She was a decent woman who didn’t deserve the trouble her family faced.
Had Will done his job in putting Ben behind bars in the first place, none of this would have happened.
As they passed State Street, shots rang out in the distance. Everyone in the wagon jumped, and Will couldn’t help but notice the deepening lines on her forehead. Someone so pretty shouldn’t have to worry so much.
Will shook his head, trying to get whatever madness was inside to fall out. No one should have to worry like that, pretty or not.
“Looks like it came from The Brass Stallion,” Jasper said, looking past him to Mary.
“Is that near—” her voice dropped to a near whisper “—where my sister is?”
“The Pink Petticoat is several blocks away.”
Thankfully, Jasper’s confident tone didn’t reveal what both men knew. Mary’s sister was still in a great deal of danger.
They turned toward the church and Pastor Lassiter’s house, and Will steeled himself. He needed to be sure the other man knew the truth about Ben Perry. And even if the pastor were uncomfortable, Will had to see the case through.
The wagon had barely stopped before Mary jumped out and ran toward the house.
The door opened, and Pastor Lassiter stepped out, an older matron following quickly behind. While the moment should have been reserved for a more private reunion, they didn’t have any time to waste.
“Mr. Lewis, I am much obliged to you for the ride into town as well as for your hospitality at the hotel. I’m sure you’ll understand that I have to—”
Mr. Lewis waved him on. “Do what you have to do, son. We’ll be praying for you.”
Will and Jasper climbed out of the wagon and followed Mary to the porch.
“You don’t need to stay. I’ll take it from here,” Mary said, her voice quivering.
Will gave her a hard look. “That’s where you’re wrong. You’re no match for a man like Ben Perry. Jasper and I will go after him.”
Pastor Lassiter nodded slowly, looking at Will as if he was trying to size him up. Yes, they needed to talk.
Then the pastor turned his gaze to Jasper. “Aren’t I performing your wedding ceremony this afternoon?”
The Logans sure didn’t waste any time. Will glanced at his friend, who shrugged.
“I’ll be there. Then I’ll be back out helping Will.”
If Pastor Lassiter saw anything wrong with the situation, he didn’t voice his opinion. A wise move, considering. Will had tried telling Jasper to take more time before marrying Emma Jane, but apparently this shotgun wedding was almost as literal as a man could take it.
Thoughts of his friend’s impending nuptials reminded Will of the nuptials they had to prevent. A woman might think that losing her reputation was the worst thing that could happen, but truth was, marrying Ben Perry was a far worse fate.
Chapter Fifteen
The rumors were true. Every last one of them. Mary had hoped that at least some of the venomous words from Mrs. Logan were exaggerated, but if anything, the stories Mrs. Logan told were missing the worst of the details.
The Lawman's Redemption (Leadville, Co. Book 2) Page 14