The Lawman's Redemption (Leadville, Co. Book 2)

by Danica Favorite

  “I don’t understand how this could have happened.” Mary sank into the comfortable sofa in Frank’s study.

  “You never told me he was a scoundrel.” Polly’s voice rose above the noise in Mary’s head.

  Her fault. That was what Polly was saying. Polly was right. This was all completely Mary’s fault.

  “I was ashamed.” Mary looked at her lap, wishing she had a cup of tea so that she’d have something to do with her hands. This would have been so much easier had the room not been so full.

  Frank, Maddie, Gertie, Polly, Will and even Jasper all stood around, discussing Rose’s ruin, but only Polly had voiced the one truth they were all thinking.

  Mary’s shame had led to Rose’s downfall.

  Gertie sat beside Mary and took her hand. “He didn’t—”

  As the older woman’s eyes searched her face, Mary turned away and refused to meet her gaze. “No. Ben took advantage of me in other ways.”

  Even admitting she’d been taken advantage of was almost too much to bear.

  “I can’t see why Rose would...” Mary stared at the pattern on her dress. Her own dress, for the first time in days, and she couldn’t enjoy it. Worse, she resented it. Because the time it had taken her to change and freshen up at Maddie’s insistence was time wasted in getting her sister back.

  “It’s my fault,” Maddie said, her voice sounding almost as dull as Mary’s heart felt. “I saw them embracing in the side yard, and I told Rose that if she was going to act like a doxy, they ought to go down to State Street.”

  Maddie began sobbing. “I never meant for her to do it. I only thought to shock her into realizing the error of her ways.”

  Unfortunately, the housekeeper had not yet learned that Rose would have taken such a taunt as a dare. But even Rose should have had more sense about things.

  “It’s not your fault.” Gertie got up and put her arm around Maddie, then looked around. “Nor is it anyone else in this room’s fault. Rose has a brain, and she should have used it. There was something about Ben I didn’t like from the moment he announced his engagement to our Mary.”

  Though Gertie’s words were meant to make everyone feel better, and they seemed to have calmed Maddie’s hysterics, they did nothing to ease the ache in Mary’s heart.

  “I should have been more open with my sister,” Mary whispered, knowing that the failure to confide in Rose began a long time ago, for too many petty reasons she should have let go of years ago.

  “As if Rose would ever listen to you.” Polly took the seat Gertie had vacated. “If you said something was black, Rose would say it was white, just to be contrary. When I got back, she was already batting her eyelashes at him, probably just for the thrill of stealing your beau.”

  Which wouldn’t have happened if Mary had made it clear that Ben wasn’t her beau. Polly was right, though. Rose often wanted things simply for the sake of taking something from Mary.

  “Assigning blame isn’t going to solve anything.” Will’s voice broke through the melancholy threatening to swallow Mary.

  “The real question is, what are we going to do to get Rose back?”

  Mary looked up, noticing the grim expressions on everyone’s faces, her gaze landing on Frank, who wore the grimmest expression of all.

  “I’m not sure that’s possible. When I went to The Pink Petticoat to try to talk some sense into her...”

  The poor man looked more uncomfortable than Mary had ever seen him. Which was saying a lot, since he often went to places like that to help the women get out of that profession.

  “She was dressed like the worst of them, imbibing strong spirits and sitting on Ben’s lap.” Frank coughed.

  Mary didn’t want the picture he was trying to avoid painting. But it came anyway, eating at Mary’s soul. Would things be different had Mary been honest with Rose, back when Rose had a beau herself? Would they have shared confidences and been able to see the truth about the men they’d fallen for?

  “All that matters,” Gertie finished for him, “is that Rose refuses to come home. I’m not sure there is anything we can do if she doesn’t want to be here.”

  A single tear trickled down Mary’s cheek. After everything they’d been through as a family, now that things were finally going their way, Rose didn’t want to be a part of the family. Where had Mary gone wrong?

  “We can’t let her stay there,” Mary said.

  Polly snorted. “Why not? If that’s where she wants to be, then let her stay at The Pink Petticoat. They’ll be tired of her whining soon enough and send her packing.”

  “Polly!” Gertie’s tone was usually reserved for the younger children. But even Mary shrank back at the chastisement.

  Mary had often wished for Rose to go somewhere far away. Had been impatient with Rose far too many times to count. Though Mary claimed to love her sister, the truth was, she hadn’t treated her sister with very much love at all. Certainly Rose had always been difficult to love, but it didn’t make her any less worthy of Mary’s compassion.

  Mary swallowed the lump in her throat. “Gertie’s right. I know Rose has been difficult, but what have we given her in return? I hurt my sister with my secret romance and countless other things, I’m sure. But right now, she’s hurting herself, even if she doesn’t know it. We have to help her.”

  Polly looked doubtful, and Mary didn’t blame her. Rose had done a lot of awful things to Polly, like spilling things on Polly’s dress or stealing her ribbons and being downright mean to her.

  Mary thought of Emma Jane, who had been one of the most hated girls in town because of her sour attitude. Once Mary had gotten to know Emma Jane, she’d realized that Emma Jane was, in fact, a sweet woman who had been crushed by her circumstances.

  Could Rose be the same?

  * * *

  Will had handled a lot of criminals in his day, but nothing caused him more fear than Mary Stone all riled up. Her face had turned a shade of red that wouldn’t even be complementary to a beet.

  “I’m sorry, Mary. I can’t allow you to go with them.” Pastor Lassiter’s voice was gentle, but it did nothing to ease the pinched look on Mary’s face.

  “She’s my sister.”

  Will met her glare with a hard one of his own. “And you’re a lady. Ladies don’t belong in brothels.”

  “I visit Miss Betty’s all the time.” Mary puffed up her chest and stuck out her chin as if she thought it made her look tougher.

  Only it made her seem all the more vulnerable.

  “You visit the parlor and kitchen during daylight hours,” Frank said calmly. “But The Pink Petticoat has no parlor. It’s a saloon. I can’t allow an impressionable young lady to go there.”

  “It’s also not safe,” Will added. “The men are all armed, and not one of them would stop someone trying to take advantage of you.”

  “You’ll be there to protect me.” Another stubborn lift of Mary’s chin. Unfortunately, stubbornness got people killed. Or worse.

  “I would try. But more likely than not, they’d just shoot me or knife me, and call it an accident. I’d be dead, and you’d be some man’s—”

  No way was he going to risk Mary like that.

  He’d gladly take lead for her, but it wasn’t going to be because she was too mule-headed to stay home where she belonged.

  “We need to get ready for the wedding,” Gertie interrupted. She sent a glance in Jasper’s direction. “Especially you. Why, you haven’t even washed the trail dust off you.”

  “Wasn’t planning on it.” He gave Gertie the same kind of stubborn look Mary wore. Will wanted to laugh out loud at the two petulant children in the room, but that wouldn’t have done anyone any good.

  “I’ve never heard such foolishness.” Maddie reached forward and grabbed Jasper by the collar. “You’re eithe
r going to go get yourself a bath and change your clothes, or Gertie and I are going to take you out back and scrub you down ourselves.”

  A tiny smile broke through the clouds on Mary’s face. The first smile he’d seen since she’d received confirmation of her sister’s fate. Her loveliness further prodded him to keep her safe. He wouldn’t have her sullied by being forced to confront the ugliness at The Pink Petticoat.

  Jasper’s scowl deepened as Mary’s smile widened. “They’ll do it, you know. Go, have a bath and change into something nice. Neither you nor Emma Jane may want this wedding, but don’t go into it with such an ugly attitude. I know you don’t deserve being forced into a marriage, but don’t make it worse for Emma Jane by further humiliating her.”

  The gentility in Mary’s expression strengthened Will’s resolve to bring Rose back safely. She’d defended Rose against Polly’s attacks, just like she’d been defending Emma Jane. Neither woman likely understood what a faithful friend they had in Mary, but Will did. And even Jasper seemed to understand the implications of Mary’s words.

  Jasper nodded slowly. “You’re right. I’m sorry. Emma Jane doesn’t deserve further dishonor. I’ll behave, I promise.”

  Then he turned and looked at Will. “But I’m still helping get Rose back. I owe Mary for her friendship and wise counsel.”

  Mary started to make a sound of protest, but Jasper kept her from speaking. “Don’t bother. There’s only so many fights you can win, and you’ve hit your limit.”

  Then Jasper sobered. “Besides, I’ve courted a number of the young ladies in town, and not one of them deserves to be treated the way Ben Perry has treated your sister. If we don’t stop him now, who’s to say that he won’t move on to the next victim? Men like him who take pleasure in hurting others won’t quit unless someone stops him.”

  Jasper was right. Ben wasn’t going to stop with Rose. He hadn’t stopped with Daisy, after all. Lord only knew who else Ben had hurt along the way. He thanked God that the damage to Mary had been minimal.

  Gertie seemed just as determined to lighten the atmosphere in the room. “But first, we have a wedding to attend, and I expect that there will be nothing to ruin the happy occasion. Mary, I know you bathed and changed, but you could do with a prettier dress to brighten up the occasion.”

  “What I’m wearing is fine.”

  “Your brother put me in charge of this family while he and Annabelle are honeymooning, and I’m telling you that you will go change your dress. Despite everyone acting like they’re about to attend a funeral, Mrs. Logan is billing this wedding as the social event of the season, and I’ll not have it written up that one of our girls went dressed in rags.”

  If it weren’t for the absolute determination on the faces of both Gertie and Mary in this showdown, Will would have laughed at the absurdity of it all. Gertie was worried about a mention in the newspaper’s social column over Mary’s dress when they all should be worried about mention of Rose’s new residence.

  Or maybe that was Gertie’s way of distracting Mary from the foolishness of thinking she could help with Rose’s rescue.

  Women. He’d never understand them, but at least in the battle of wills with Mary, he had a few allies he could count on.

  Pastor Lassiter coughed, and Will turned his gaze to the other man long enough to catch his wink. He’d remain to talk to the older man alone.

  As soon as the others left the room, Will turned to the pastor. “I’ll find a way to leave them behind.”

  “I’m counting on it.” Pastor Lassiter nodded slowly. “Jasper’s father says that there’s no better man for the job than you. You’ll be in my prayers.”

  Clearly the news of Will’s downfall had not been passed on. “Sir, I appreciate your faith in me, but you’ve got to know—”

  “Henry Jackson believes you were set up.”

  Will let out a long breath. Of course Jasper’s father would have good things to say.

  “I’ve made my share of mistakes.”

  “Of course you have.” The pastor gave a slow nod. “We all have. Which is why I’m grateful for a forgiving Lord.” Then his expression hardened. “What do you know of this Perry fellow?”

  “There’s no greater evil walking this town than Ben Perry. He was the mastermind behind the Century City bank robbery and, as far as I can tell, behind a lot of other crimes.”

  Will neglected to mention Ben’s propensity for harming women. The pastor didn’t need to have more to worry about with Rose being in Ben’s clutches.

  “Sounds personal.”

  The sympathy in the other man’s voice was a balm to Will’s soul. “My life was ruined because of that robbery. But many others have been harmed as well, and I won’t rest until Ben is brought to justice.”

  His words seemed to change the expression on the pastor’s face. “Justice? Or vengeance?”

  Will wasn’t sure how to respond, but then the pastor continued.

  “Don’t fool yourself into taking a vengeful path. Vengeance turns a good man into the kind of man who needs taking down himself. We serve a good God, and even when our human plans fail, God will always prevail. Don’t make the mistake of taking what is God’s into your own hands.”

  Easy enough for the pastor to say. Will had been asking for the Lord’s assistance in the matter, and the Lord had not seen fit to step in and stop Ben. An evildoer like Ben Perry had to be stopped. If the Lord wasn’t going to do it, well, Will was up for the challenge. He’d take care of Ben. No matter what the cost.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Mary had never witnessed anything as opulent as the Jackson mansion. Everything seemed to be plated in gold, or perhaps even encased in solid gold—from the wall fixtures, to the furnishings, to the scrollwork in the floors they walked upon. Despite her family’s newfound wealth, she’d never dreamed of being in a place so fine. Joseph had begun construction on a family home for them all to live in, but he’d said from the outset that they would not be spoiled by their wealth. As Mary ran her hand along the balustrade, she was grateful for her brother’s sensibilities.

  She entered the ballroom, where Jasper and Emma Jane sat upon a raised dais, like two overstuffed, unhappy dolls. People mingled but mostly ignored the newlyweds.

  They were only here for the prestige of attending a party at the Jackson mansion, a traitorous voice inside her said. Not one of them approved of the goings-on, and had Jasper been worth less money, they all would have snubbed Jasper and his new bride. At least the girls would no longer be unkind to Emma Jane’s face.

  Still, as she passed by a group of giggling, whispering girls, Mary couldn’t help wonder if this was the worst fate. She marched right up to where Emma Jane and Jasper sat.

  Mindful of Mrs. Logan’s eyes on her, Mary said simply, “I pray for God’s abundant blessings on your marriage.”

  Emma Jane nodded slowly, her eyes filled with tears. Had anyone wished her friend well?

  “Thank you,” Jasper responded. “You’ve been a good friend to us, and you’ll always be welcome in my home.”

  He sent a glare in the direction of Mrs. Logan, almost as if he defied her to disagree. The best thing to come of this mockery was that at least Emma Jane would finally be out from under her mother’s thumb.

  “Thank you.” Mary tried not to let her eyes fill with tears, but Emma Jane noticed her struggle. She leaned forward and hugged her.

  “You are a true friend, and I am grateful for you.”

  The room around them stilled, and Mary knew that others had taken notice.

  “Pay them no mind,” Emma Jane whispered. “I’m Mrs. Jasper Jackson now. They can say all they want, but when the dust settles, they’ll be begging for invitations to our home. If they’re not kind to my friends, they won’t be welcome.”

  There was no meanness in Emma Jane’s voi
ce, only strength. Some of the weight fell off Mary’s shoulders. Emma Jane was going to be all right. Mary gave Emma Jane another hug. Funny how just a few days before, Mary was assuring Emma Jane that she would be using her influence to make sure none of the girls snubbed her. The tables had turned.

  “Thank you for being my friend.”

  Mary stepped away, making room for other well-wishers to have a chance to greet the bride and groom. None came forward but instead stood gawking. Mary had no doubt that they would come around eventually. At first because they longed for the prestige of being associated with one of the wealthiest families in town, but then they’d see what a good heart Emma Jane had.

  She walked toward the refreshments, intent on finding something to drink. As she walked, she looked around the room for Will. He wasn’t in the ballroom, but a crush of people were still arriving. Apparently, none were willing to miss the chance to attend a reception at the Jackson mansion.

  Mr. Jackson stood by the door, and Mary couldn’t help but go to him to thank him for his hospitality. He was most likely doing his best to make the most of a bad situation.

  “Hello, Mr. Jackson. I’m Mary Stone, and I—”

  Suddenly, the impropriety of her actions struck her. She was used to reaching out to others in church, but this was high society, and things were done differently.

  “Miss Stone, of course.” He smiled at her. “Thank you for being such a good friend to my son.”

  She stared at him. Emma Jane had just thanked her for her friendship, but weren’t all of the parents thinking her the enemy?

  “You’re welcome?” She raised an eyebrow, not sure how else she was supposed to respond.

  “Jasper told me of your role in helping save his life. Our family is indebted to you. If there is ever anything you need, I am your servant.”

  “Well, sir, I didn’t do it alone.”

  Mr. Jackson’s smiled broadened. “Of course not. I’ve known and respected Will for years. There’s no finer man on this earth than Will Lawson. I can’t tell you how grateful I am to have him in my son’s life. Still, Jasper spoke highly of you, and I respect my son’s good opinion.”