“This is my helper,” Jack said, nodding at Claire.
“So I see.” Addie hurried to him. “Let me take a chair.”
“No need, just point to where you want them.”
Jane ran down the steps and stopped midway. “Claire, come see our bedroom and our beds Mr. Longbow built.”
Claire handed her cushion to Addie and followed Jane up the stairs.
“Put them in front of the fireplace,” Addie said to Jack.
Jack placed the chairs where Addie was pointing. “How do you think you’ll like your new home?”
“I think it’s perfect. You all have done so much, I don’t know how to thank you.” She leaned over and plopped the cushion on one of the chairs.
With her back to him, Jack had a nice view of her ample figure. When she straightened and turned to face him, his eyes drifted from her eyes to her toes. Yep, she had curves packed in all the right places, soft and inviting. He thought she looked pretty standing there in the sunlight, her bright blue eyes shining with excitement. He was tempted to tell her she could thank him by giving him a kiss.
“Is there more in the buckboard?”
Jack’s eyes were on her lips. He gave himself a mental shake. “Huh?”
Addie wondered what was wrong with him. “Is there more in the buckboard?”
“Morgan is grabbing the last chair.” Jack started toward the door only to be halted by Morgan walking in with the chair in his hands.
“Where do you want this, Addie?” Morgan asked.
Addie pointed to the space for the chair. “The orphanage provided me with funds to set up a complete home, not to mention access to funds to buy a home. They will be pleased to know I will not need to purchase a home, or much furniture.”
“You should charge Mr. Adler a monthly fee for the use of your property,” Jack said.
Addie turned her eyes on him. “I can do that?”
“Of course. You should be reimbursed for the use of your home. And with this much property, if you have time, you can grow most of your food, which will save substantial money.”
“Jack’s right. The additional income will help you out since your earnings as a schoolteacher are fairly meager,” Morgan added.
Addie was quickly learning all the things she didn’t know. No doubt, Prescott’s family were adept at financial matters, and they would probably agree to the idea. “Then I could repay you for your hard work.”
Though he knew she didn’t mean to insult them, her comment still irritated Jack. “We don’t want payment. We did this for Granny and you girls.”
“You keep the money for the orphanage,” Morgan said.
“I’ll send a telegram to Prescott and inform him of my arrangement,” Addie said.
So, Prescott Adler was his name. The man Claire said had kissed Miss Addie. He wondered if a man named Prescott knew the first thing about kissing a woman. He almost laughed at the thought.
Chapter Eight
“Sir, you may kiss your bride,” the pastor said to Frank Langtry.
Frank leaned over, took Charlotte in his arms, and kissed her. When the kiss ended, he whispered in her ear so the pastor couldn’t hear what he had to say.
“We’ll have to dine with Aunt Ruth first,” Charlotte replied shyly.
“I don’t want to wait, but I will for you.” Frank took her hand, thanked the pastor, and headed out the door. He needed to meet his men, but tonight was going to be spent with his new bride. His men would have to wait until tomorrow.
Charlotte led the way to her aunt’s home, and Frank could hardly believe his eyes. His bride had told him the judge and his sister had inherited some wealth, but Frank never expected she lived in the largest mansion in Denver. He figured there had to be at least twenty rooms in the massive brick structure. “What did you say your aunt and uncle owned?”
“A mine.”
“A silver mine?”
“No, a gold mine. My uncle died of a heart attack a few years ago, so poor Aunt Ruth lives in this monstrosity alone.”
When Charlotte spoke of Aunt Ruth, Frank expected to meet an elderly woman. While Ruth was probably in her fifties, she was still a very attractive woman. He didn’t know what to expect from the occupant of the lavish home, but he’d prepared himself for questions regarding his background and his potential to support his wife. Aunt Ruth surprised him by welcoming him with open arms, not asking one personal question. She told him she’d been praying for some time for Charlotte to marry and have children. According to Aunt Ruth, there was nothing more worthwhile in life than children, most likely because she and her dearly departed husband had never been blessed.
Frank charmed her through dinner with tales of famous outlaws he’d met in Las Vegas. Aunt Ruth was on the edge of her chair as he recounted gunfights he’d witnessed. He’d even amazed himself with his gift of storytelling. Who would ever believe Frank Langtry was sitting in the drawing room of the wealthiest woman in Denver, sipping a fine brandy, and married to the only heir of her wealth?
Before they’d retired for the night, Aunt Ruth hugged Frank. “I hope you won’t object if I consider you the son I never had. Welcome to our family.”
Frank kissed her cheek. “I’d consider it an honor.”
* * *
After breakfast the next morning, Frank decided before he met up with his gang, he’d ride to the small house on the outskirts of town where the bank clerk, Reuben, lived. He’d waited for a few seconds after he knocked on the front door before he peeked inside the window. There was some furniture in the one-room house, but it didn’t appear that anyone was living there. Frank thought the best place to find out some information would be at the restaurant in the hotel. Waitresses were always a good source for information about their small towns.
* * *
“Why, no, Reuben is no longer at the bank,” the waitress told Frank.
“What happened to him?”
“Oh, we had a big bank robbery here one Sunday morning not long ago, and don’t you know, Reuben got shot.”
“You mean he’s dead?”
“Nope. Reuben tried to stop one of the robbers and he got shot, but it wasn’t serious. If you know Reuben, then you understand everyone could hardly believe Reuben had the nerve to face an armed man.”
“Where did Reuben go?”
“No one knows. The other bank clerk said Reuben’s nerves couldn’t handle what happened and he went back East.” The waitress nudged Frank’s arm. “Reuben wasn’t the kind of man who could handle being shot, even if it was just a graze.”
Frank laughed at the thought. “No, he was a tenderfoot if I ever saw one.”
She nodded at his apt description of the little bank clerk. “How did you know Reuben?”
“He helped me at the bank one day. Seemed like a nice enough fellow.” Frank didn’t lie; Reuben had helped him with the robbery. He’d been mighty helpful, right up to the very end when the little rat obviously double-crossed him. “Did they find the bank robbers?”
“No, Reuben said he winged one of them, but he got away. Can you believe Reuben even shot at a bank robber?” She didn’t wait for a response. “The sheriff rounded up a posse, but they never found the men.”
“What about the money?”
“Oh, they got away with the money,” she replied.
“How much money did they get away with?”
She placed her hip on the table and leaned forward. “Well, you know they never actually said. I reckon they don’t want to call attention to how much money they keep in the bank. But I heard tell that they got twenty thousand dollars. At least, that’s what one of my customers who is a friend of the owner of the bank told me.”
Frank figured that was as reliable as any information he might receive. He paid for his coffee and left the restaurant.
* * *
“Married? You?” Deke Sullivan couldn’t believe his ears.
“Yep, and my new bride is the daughter of a judge.”
&n
bsp; “Dang, Reb told us you were coming by stagecoach with a judge’s daughter, but we didn’t know if he was pulling our leg or not,” Corbin said.
“When did you get married, Frank?” Reb asked.
“Yesterday when we got off the stage.”
“You didn’t waste no time,” Dutch said.
“Why should he? I told you how beautiful she is,” Reb said.
“She is that. And now she is Mrs. Frank Langtry.” Frank had to admit he felt some pride announcing his marriage to the boys. Charlotte was a beautiful woman and she was all his. And she came with a gold mine.
Deke grabbed a bottle of whiskey and some glasses. After he handed a glass to each man, he filled them to the brim. “Congratulations, Frank.”
“Thanks.”
They drank their whiskey, and Deke poured another round. “I guess you’ll be settling down now.”
Frank had to admit he hadn’t considered settling down. “I don’t know about that, but I think I’ve figured a way to get us out of this mess.” Frank told them what he had on his mind so they would all have the same story, should he ever need them to back him up.
“All we have to remember is when Morgan accused us of rustling, we were together in Las Vegas, and just happened to be coming back home when the posse mistook us for the rustlers.”
“You think that will work? What about Joseph Longbow?” Reb asked.
“Who will believe an Indian, if he even testifies against us? I’ve already laid the groundwork with my wife.” Frank had told Charlotte he’d been falsely accused and he was going home to clear his name. She’d believed every word he’d told her.
“Does she know we’re guilty?” Dutch asked.
“No. I told her Morgan has had a lifelong vendetta against me, and that he is doing this to get to me.”
“I don’t know if a judge will buy that. He might listen to Longbow and believe him,” Deke said.
“Then I’ll just have to mention Longbow was being hunted by soldiers a few years back. Not only that, but a soldier went missing on LeMasters’s land, never to be heard from again. Rumor had it Joseph Longbow shot him.”
“I never heard that tale,” Deke said.
“Well, you heard it now. We know for a fact several people have gone missing in those pines,” Frank said. He didn’t tell them that he’d been the one to start the rumor about a soldier being shot by Longbow.
“Just like Mason went missing,” Reb said. Mason was one of the gang members who’d never ridden out of the trees on LeMasters’s land when they last rustled.
Frank nodded. “Just like Mason. But I’ll tell the judge I heard Longbow killed that soldier. And everybody knows LeMasters hid Longbow from the soldiers.”
Deke laughed. “I like the way you think, Frank.”
“What judge would take the word of a Sioux over ours? We could contact the military and tell them LeMasters is harboring a murdering Sioux. They’d have soldiers combing that territory in no time.” Frank rather liked the thought of the great Morgan LeMasters being arrested. “And after all this time with the wolves and coyotes, if they found some bones, who’d know if it was that soldier or not?”
The men looked at each other. “That might actually work,” Dutch said.
“There’s even one more thing in our favor,” Frank said.
“What’s that?” Deke asked.
“Not only is my beautiful wife the daughter of a judge, her family is a very wealthy one. I’d say they have more standing in the community than Morgan LeMasters has in Whispering Pines.”
“You’ve thought of everything,” Dutch said.
“Don’t I always?” Frank countered.
The only man withholding his praise of Frank’s plan was Corbin. “And what about your sister? She is the one who can testify against us. You kidnapped her.”
Frank felt the surge of anger he always felt when someone challenged him. He narrowed his eyes at Corbin. “Like I told you before, you are the only one who was with me. It’s her word against mine, and you already told me you wouldn’t testify against me. Isn’t that right, Corbin?”
Corbin felt a shiver run down his spine.
Frank stared long and hard at Corbin, and the other men glanced at each other, expecting Frank to pull his gun and shoot Corbin at any moment.
In an effort to relieve the tension in the small room, Deke asked, “What do we do now?”
“I still want to rob that bank.” Frank knew he didn’t necessarily need money now, but he wanted the judge to think he could provide for his daughter. He had a feeling Aunt Ruth would give him anything he wanted, including money. “That fellow Reuben doesn’t work at the bank any longer though, so we’ll have to come up with a new plan.”
* * *
When Frank returned to Aunt Ruth’s home, his wife was in the bedroom with a seamstress, being fitted for some new frocks, so Aunt Ruth invited him to sit in the parlor for a chat.
“You know how long it takes women to make decisions. It may be a while. Why don’t we go to the game room?” Aunt Ruth said.
“Game room?” Frank asked, following behind Ruth through the maze of long hallways.
“That’s what I call it. Several times a week I play whist and bridge with some of the local ladies. Occasionally, we include the men in our games.”
She opened the door to a cozy room with a fire already blazing in the hearth. There were several card tables in the center of the room, but Ruth headed for the settee in front of the fire.
“This is the warmest room in the house, and yet my poor old bones still feel the drafts.”
“You’re not old. You’re a beautiful woman,” Frank said.
Ruth smiled at him. “Thank you.” She pointed to the long sideboard along one wall. “Would you pour me a brandy, Frank?”
Frank laughed. “You surprise me, Aunt Ruth.”
She picked up a shawl from the arm of the settee and wrapped it around her shoulders. “Did you think ladies don’t drink brandy?”
“I must admit I have never known a lady to partake,” Frank teased. He’d seen plenty of women drink in every saloon he’d visited, but he’d never seen a lady drink hard spirits.
Aunt Ruth chuckled. “Just because one is a lady, doesn’t mean one must be boring. I often think several of my lady friends who come for cards are really here to have their afternoon brandy. One lady of my acquaintance even smokes a cigar. We don’t judge each other’s peccadilloes.”
Frank handed her the glass of brandy and winked at her. “Did your husband know of your vice?”
“Oh my, yes. He said spirits were good for calming the nerves.”
“My granny wasn’t against having a sip for medicinal purposes.” Frank rarely revealed anything personal, but he felt comfortable with Ruth.
“So you have family here?”
“In Whispering Pines, but I guess you could say they have disowned me.”
Ruth swirled the contents of her glass as she considered what she wanted to say. Her niece had told her that Frank had been seriously aggrieved, accused of things he hadn’t done. Considering Frank had saved Charlotte from being savaged by two men at that way station, Ruth was inclined to give him the benefit of the doubt. “I hope you don’t consider it a betrayal of a confidence, but my niece told me of your troubles and why you were going home. I want you to know if you need my support in any way, you shall have it. Charlotte fell in love with you rather quickly, but I daresay the incident at that way station had a lot to do with that.” She saw Frank raise his eyebrows. “I assure you, she told me nothing untoward happened. She is full of praise for your gentlemanly conduct.”
“I wouldn’t have taken advantage of that situation,” Frank said.
“Charlotte has been protected her whole life, it’s all she’s known. She wants a man who she feels can keep her safe since she is a very wealthy young woman. I’m afraid her father has done her a disservice cosseting her as he has. She is not prepared for the world. I must say I was rather
surprised my brother allowed her to travel to Denver without being at her side.” She flapped her hand back and forth as though she dismissed that thought, and continued on. “As you know, we don’t have much family left. Charlotte will inherit the bulk of my estate when I die. I believe in giving while I’m still alive, so I provide her with a sizeable monthly stipend. Now that you are part of the family, I will increase the amount. I want Charlotte to be happy, and she told me you make her happy.”
Once again, Aunt Ruth surprised him. “I don’t know what to say.”
“Frank, I’m not one to pry, but now that you are married to Charlotte, I feel it my duty to inquire if you have made plans. From our conversation last night, I have the feeling you are at loose ends right now.” Without waiting for his response, she continued on. “Once you’ve settled what you came here to do, perhaps you should think about buying a ranch, or taking up a profession. I’m sure you’ll want to do right by Charlotte, and I will help you both in any way I can. You might want to consider a position at my mine in Black Hawk. I’m sure we could work something out.”
“You are being very generous, and I thank you. It’s more than I deserve.” Ruth was not judging him, not telling him what to do, and he respected that. She wasn’t comparing him to Morgan LeMasters like his granny was wont to do his whole life. There was a small part of him that was tempted to try to turn his life around. But he couldn’t fool himself into thinking that he would ever work a regular job. It was way too late for him to turn over a new leaf. He wasn’t about to start breaking his back at ranch work after all these years. He’d schemed too much and lied too much. His past would eventually catch up to him. He couldn’t run from that fact. The latest scheme he’d discussed with the boys would delay the reckoning for a few years if he was lucky. One thing was certain: Morgan LeMasters would be in his grave before Frank left this earth. “As you say, once I have my business settled, then I’ll be in a position to make a decision as to my future.” To change the course of the conversation, Frank asked his own question. “What do you think Judge Stevens will say to our marriage?”
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