Upon realizing this, Frederick was finally completely reassured that he had made the right choice, though he knew this even before that.
One afternoon as Christina was taking a walk with William and Angelina through the town streets, she noticed a very striking man standing outside the saloon. She knew he was the sheriff. She didn’t need to see his badge to know as much. Ever since she had done that horrible deed, she learned how to distinguish men of the law from others and how to stay away from them, if possible.
She grabbed the children by the hand and quickly turned around to go back the way she had come, but it was too late. The sheriff was yelling after them.
“Miss Hubbard! Miss Hubbard, is it?” She couldn’t pretend that she didn’t hear him. The children had already stopped, expecting her to do the same.
She turned around and managed to smile, nervously. “Yes?”
“Miss Hubbard, as the law enforcement of this here town, I’d like to welcome you officially and to say that we’re honored to have you amongst us.” He took off his hat solemnly, as he addressed her.
“That is very kind of you, sheriff. I also consider myself extremely fortunate and grateful to be here, with all you fine people.” Her brain was working hard, trying to think of a plausible reason to escape any further exchange of pleasantries with this man who could ruin everything for her if she wasn’t careful. “I beg your pardon, sheriff, but the children and I must rush off, for we are expected back home soon.”
The sheriff nodded in agreement, but something told her that he wasn’t convinced by her words. No matter. What was important was that she was able to evade further questionings, which could lead her onto slippery ground. Once she and the children were safely within the walls of the Fitzgerald mansion, she felt like she could breathe more easily.
Chapter Six
But, as it turned out, Christina’s troubles had just started. The sheriff thought he had recognized her from somewhere and sent a few telegrams to his county colleagues. After a few fruitful inquiries, he realized that he had a criminal on his hand and made a rushed effort to visit the Fitzgerald mansion as soon as possible. Having been ushered into Frederick’s home with all due respect, he was almost sorry that he had to ruin what appeared to be this poor man’s last chance at personal happiness.
“Frederick, I’ve come on an urgent matter that cannot wait, I’m afraid,” he told him. Frederick looked at him wonderingly.
“What is it, sheriff? You know that we have always been an upstanding family, and we always liked to help the hand of the law in this county, however we could.” Frederick smiled, though it was obvious he felt somewhat out of place having this unpleasant conversation.
“Well, the thing is it’s this future wife of yours.” The sheriff also seemed inconvenienced by this visit, but it was his job, and he needed to do it, friends or no friends.
“Christina?” Frederick was astonished. “What could the law possibly want with her? Is it something related to her late father’s estate? Because she assured me the entire affair was settled. But if it’s not, I would be more than happy to get involved and settle it myself. After all, as her future husband, I feel an obligation to.”
“No, no, it’s not that.” The sheriff interrupted him. “It’s something quite different, and truth be told, I myself am not sure how to go about it.”
“Well, do tell, sheriff, if it’s that important. I’m certain it’s nothing that we can’t handle.”
“Maybe it’s best if you call for her, and we all have a conversation together.”
Frederick felt a pang in his stomach. He didn’t want to inconvenience Christina. He just wanted the sheriff to tell him why he came. He was sure it was all a misunderstanding, and as soon as he found out, he would be able to sort it out without involving Christina at all. However, he knew better than to disagree with the sheriff, who was always a fair man and never asked for anything that wasn’t utterly necessary.
Once Christina joined them in the parlor, Frederick could immediately sense her fear at seeing the sheriff.
Could it be that she was really a criminal? He thought to himself. Could I really have been so blind?
“Miss Christina,” the sheriff addressed her politely. “I do apologize for the inconvenience, but I must ask you a few questions that you might find a little inadequate for a lady in your position. But, as you all know, the law is the law, and it doesn’t see social positions. In the eyes of the law, we are all equal.”
Suddenly, Christina started crying. Frederick jumped to her side and offered her his monogrammed handkerchief to dry off her tears.
“What is the matter, little one? Why are you crying?” Frederick was now more worried about her state of mind than the possibility of her being a wanted criminal. As for the sheriff, he had seen his fair share of female tears, and he wasn’t so easily led to believe everything a woman said or did. However, he allowed for this scene to continue without his interference.
“Oh, Frederick!” Christina’s cheeks were wetted by a waterfall of tears, gushing down. “I am so sorry to have done this to you. So terribly sorry.” She buried her face in his shoulder as he held her tight.
“There, there.” He tried to console her, though he had no idea what was happening and was hoping that either she or the sheriff would finally say something that would shed some light on this whole affair that was keeping him in the dark.
“You are a sweet man, Frederick Fitzgerald, and I was a silly thing thinking that I deserve someone as sweet and kind as yourself to take care of me and love me.” Her voice turned to a whisper. Then, she turned to the sheriff. “Sheriff, would you mind if I tell Frederick what it is I have done?” The sheriff nodded kindly. “Then you shall do with me as you see fit.”
She took a deep breath. The time had finally come for her to reveal her terrible secret, the one that had kept her from being truly happy all this time. Frederick was on the edge of his seat.
“By the time my father was sick with yellow jack, we were left penniless. We had no means of supporting ourselves, apart from the meager amount of money that we kept for a rainy day and some eggs and milk that our good neighbors used to bring to us. But that wasn’t enough to help him. You see, he needed medication, and at the time, I had no idea that it wouldn’t be of any help to him, but I had to try. I had to!” Her tears started gushing again. Frederick looked at her sympathetically.
“So, I devised a plan.” Her words turned colder. “I knew where the bank kept most of its money and when the guard change took place. The owner of the bank, Mr. Pritchard, was a longtime friend of my father’s, and I knew he wouldn’t refuse an encounter with me at any time of my choosing. So I timed my visit perfectly with him leaving me in his office right next to the small vault, which was, at this time, left unlocked and unattended due to the guard change. I had no idea what I was doing. I was more than certain I would get caught, but God help me, I didn’t. And I stole that money. All of it.”
The two men looked at her in bewilderment.
“I gave it all to those medical frauds who sold me potions and remedies that did nothing, and my father, God rest his soul, passed away soon afterwards.” She exhaled deeply. “You can imagine my disappointment, my disgust and repulsion at what I had done. I couldn’t live with myself. I don’t know how God will ever forgive me, and I suppose I do not deserve to be forgiven. I know I shall never forgive myself.” She bent down her head in humiliation, waiting for the wrath of the two men to fall down upon her.
But, what Frederick did next, surprised her.
“How much was it?” he simply asked the sheriff.
“A lot, Frederick,” the sheriff said.
“It doesn’t matter. Name the number, and I shall pay it. The bank shall have their money back, provided Christina’s name is left out of this entire sordid affair.”
“But, Frederick,” Christina started, only to be interrupted.
“Hush now. Let me take care of this. I am not letting the
sunshine out of my house ever again.” He kissed her on the forehead and looked at the sheriff again.
“So tell them of my offer, sheriff. It’s either the person responsible for the robbery in jail or them getting their money back without the guilty party.” His voice was solemn and dignified.
The sheriff rose.
“I’ll make sure to let them know. I wish you both a good day.” He lowered his hat as he said these words, and left the Fitzgerald home. Frederick knew that no bank owner would willingly choose to be left without his money, so it was only a matter of time before they agreed to his proposal.
In the meantime, he had a wedding to plan.
“Frederick, I don’t know what to tell you.” Christina was left speechless at this kind man’s generosity and willingness to forgive.
“Hush now, Christina. All is all right. I said I wanted to take care of you, and I meant it.” He took her by the hands. “Now that this whole dirty business is behind us, we have a wedding to organize, don’t we?” He smiled, and she returned his sweet gesture.
Chapter Seven
On Christmas day, Frederick and Christina were joined in holy matrimony, with the entire town present, even the sheriff who was smiling from the back rows. It was a day of merriment for all, as the two newlyweds promised to love and care for each other, till death do them part. Little William and Angelina finally got their Christmas wish to have a new mom, one who would love them as much as their mom who was now in Heaven. In the meantime, what they could do was remember her fondly and with love, as they turned over a new leaf in their lives, enjoying their newly found happily ever after as one big happy family.
THE END
Return to the TOC for Bonus Content
The Cowboy’s Heart
Chapter One
Iron Mountain was Asha's home. She'd lived there her entire life and watched the lush, green valley change from a thriving town with businesses and homes to a desolate wasteland. A statewide market crash in 1889 put the small town into a tailspin that ended in tragedy. The local businesses couldn't stay open when no one could afford to buy their products.
Most of the people in town knew that Iron Mountain was never going to return to the glory it once was and they opted to leave the state of Michigan entirely. Most of them went West to the new promised land. Everyone spoke of Montana like there would be no struggle there. A man could feed his family and maybe even strike it rich if he was willing to put in a long, hard day of work.
Asha was skeptical of this, knowing that the grass only looked greener on the other side because of distance. Once you got right up on that grass you'd start to notice all the worms tangled among the green stalks. Montana was probably better than Iron Mountain, but she doubted it was perfect.
The sound of the train whistle blowing caught Asha's attention, and she jumped as she watched the iron beast roll up to the platform, spewing black smoke as it came to a stop in front of the wobbly and hastily built train station. There were no amenities, and the small shack only served as a way to board the train and leave the godforsaken town.
A man dressed in a smart-looking uniform stepped off the train, his gold buttons glimmering in the sunlight. He looked around, his hazel eyes scanning the platform for passengers. Asha stood alone on the platform, the once bustling city now silent behind her. The man sighed softly and glanced at Asha, looking her up and down.
“You the only one?”
She nodded slowly, looking down at the snow-covered ground, her sigh turning into a vapor around her due to the cool air. The cart man nodded and opened the door for her, taking her ticket and punching a hole in it.
“This seems to be the norm in these small towns, nowadays,” he mused as he stepped back onto the train after Asha. “One person tries to put it all back together and gets left behind the rest,” he murmured softly.
“I did try,” Asha whispered as she settled into an empty seat.
There was no one else in the cart with her. She could hear people talking and moving about in the car she imagined was first class, but for now she was alone. She put her head on the window pane and enjoyed the feeling of the sun filtering in through the glass and warming her face.
As her eyes drifted closed, she thought about what brought her here in the first place. Asha held out as long as she possibly could. She didn’t want to leave Iron Mountain behind, but after her father passed away, she knew there were no other choices for her. Asha and her father ran the family farm together. They were alone since Asha’s mother left them only a year after Asha was born. Her father hadn’t even told Asha her mother’s name for fear that his daughter would chase her down. All she knew of her mother was that she was the daughter of a great Native American chief.
Asha’s half-breed status caused her much grief growing up. No one really seemed to accept her, and she faced condemnation and cruel words everywhere she went. The other children and their parents didn’t ever have anything nice to say to her. Asha’s father was her only friend growing up, so she stayed close to him and the family farm, opting not to continue her education after some very basic schooling. She’d leaned to read and write and spent the rest of her childhood on the farm learning to cook and care for plants and livestock.
Her father encouraged her learning even after she left school and would frequently buy her books on a variety of subjects. She learned a lot from those books, and soon they became her only other friends. Asha could lose herself in books. She could lose herself in the worlds writers created. She loved books, and she loved her father. Asha was happy with her life, even if it wasn’t perfect.
When the market crashed in 1889, people started losing their jobs and stopped buying Asha’s livestock and vegetables. They stopped coming to the markets, and soon Asha and her father couldn’t afford to take their products to the market. They didn’t suffer as badly as some of the other townspeople, however. Their farm meant they were never at risk of starvation. They sustained themselves, and everything seemed like it might be OK. As long as they had their farm, they could ride out the crash.
Asha was hopeful until the winter of 1890. Her father contracted consumption, and with no doctors left in town he eventually passed away. Asha did her best to treat the disease and help her father recover, but he was an aged man and Asha didn’t have any medical training. It turned out to be a deadly combination.
That was over a year ago, and her heart never recovered. As the first snows of winter began to fall from the sky, Asha knew she couldn’t stay in Iron Mountain. She needed to go West like the rest of her sleepy town. There was no one left to buy her farm or her livestock, so she knew she would have to figure out another way to get her train ticket.
She’d heard about mail-order brides and of men paying good money to bring wives out West. There were a lot of men but very few women in the West, so they were willing to pay a handsome price to have someone to take care of their home and bear their children. Asha decided that marrying a stranger would be better than slowly wasting away in Iron Mountain.
Asha answered the first ad that promised a comfortable home and offered to pay for the train ticket and. A few weeks after that initial letter, a small package arrived that contained enough money to pay for her ticket and other traveling expenses as well as a dowry of sorts that was meant to go to her father. She’d pocketed the extra money and bought her ticket the very next day.
Because there was no one left in town to buy her farm, she’d simply let the livestock out of their pens and packed up her few things, making sure to bring her favorite books along with her. Asha knew she’d laid eyes on her beloved home for the last time that morning, and the sadness she felt was surprisingly overwhelming. She couldn’t let that get to her, however. She needed to be strong and move forward.
After all, there was nothing worth looking back, now.
Chapter Two
The train carts didn’t stay empty for long. Iron Mountain was one of the first of many stops on the way to Billings Montana. Asha
was surprised when the man who’d welcomed her onto the train told her to get off in Chicago. He explained that she would be getting on another train that would take her the rest of the way to Montana.
With a surprised gaze, she thanked him and scooted off the train, unsure if she was being played for a fool or not. Amazed by the sheer size of the city around her, Asha stood on the much larger platform in Chicago. It was bustling, loud and reeked of the smells of a large, overcrowded city. Her heart was pounding in her chest, and fear gripped her as she clung to her suitcase, terrified that someone might try and grab it from her.
Asha shuffled into the large building that housed the rest of the train station and ticket booth. There was a pretty girl behind the little window, and Asha wandered over, her long coal-black hair coming loose from the braids she’d meticulously set the morning before. Wisps of midnight hair fluttered around her tanned face and delicate nose.
A young woman was leaning against the counter, her nose stuck in a newspaper article about Chicago being awarded the bid for the Columbian Exhibition. She looked up at Asha, seemingly bored and uninterested in the woman’s presence.
Asha cleared her throat, deciding she was going to have to be the one to start the conversation. “When is the train for Billings set to arrive?”
“Not until 5,” the redhead sighed, putting her chin in her hand.
Asha glanced up at the clock on the wall, noting that it was 3. “Thank you.”
She stepped away from the window, not wanting to deal with the rude woman any longer than necessary. As she settled on a hard wooden bench, Asha sighed and put her suitcase in her lap, not trusting the city and its residents. Iron Mountain was a very small town with little crime, and she’d heard about the pit of sin that was Chicago. There were pickpockets and thieves around every corner. That’s what people said anyway, and even if it wasn’t true, she wasn’t willing to take the risk.
Regency Romance: Fallen Duchess (A Historical Victorian Murder Mystery Love Regency Romance) Page 53