“That would be preferable to marrying and being unhappy.”
“Why would you want to stay in this place when you could live like a queen in Boston?” He didn’t try to conceal his disdain for the West.
“My family, the children, the land . . . home. These are the things that make me happy.”
“If not for the children, would you go back to Boston?”
“My family would still be here. I want to stay near my grandmother.” Addie didn’t know how she could be more transparent about her feelings without hurting him. Perhaps she should just tell him she didn’t love him, but it wasn’t in her nature to be cruel.
“I’m very disappointed in you, Addie. Perhaps after you sleep on this, you’ll see things more clearly in the morning. Good night.” He turned and walked out of the room.
Addie sat there for several minutes, staring into the fire. She thought of the many nights she’d prayed for a proposal of marriage. Prescott was right, another proposal was not likely to come again. She asked herself how she would feel if the girls were adopted and she was left alone at the farm. It would sadden her, but if the girls found two parents who would love them, she would be happy for them. The thought of living alone the remainder of her days wouldn’t alter her decision. Nothing would change the fact that she would never love Prescott.
Granny walked into the parlor carrying two hot cups of tea. “I thought you might like a little treat.”
“Thank you, Granny.” Addie jumped up and pulled another chair close to the fire for Granny.
Granny sat in her chair and sipped her tea. “This is nice. It reminds me of when you were young. You were the only one who enjoyed drinking tea with me.”
“Oh, Granny, I really miss those days.”
“It is nice to reminisce. Sadly, things can never be the same.” She reached over and patted Addie’s hand. “You will have a lifetime to build new memories.”
Addie nodded. She knew she had so many reasons to be thankful. She was home and surrounded by the people she loved most. “I am blessed.”
“Did Prescott ask you to marry?” Granny figured Prescott had showed up in Whispering Pines for that purpose.
“He said we needed to make our relationship official, and return to Boston so his mother could plan the wedding.”
“And you said no.” It wasn’t a question. Granny knew Addie didn’t love Prescott. Addie had fallen for Jack Roper, just as Granny had expected all along.
“I said no. He’s angry with me. He said no one would ever ask me again. And he’s right.”
“Nonsense. You don’t know that, and Prescott is just trying to have his way by making you think that.”
“Oh, Granny, no one will ever want an old maid schoolteacher, at least not one who is . . .”
Granny frowned. “Not one who is what, honey?”
“Not trim and beautiful, like Rose.”
“What in the world are you talking about? You are a beautiful young woman. You have curves that are the envy of many women.”
Addie laughed. “Granny, if I had a big wart on my nose you would tell me I was beautiful.”
Granny laughed with her. “I most certainly would not.” She paused a moment, then said, “Although, I might ask Joseph for a concoction to remove it if it was very large.”
Addie laughed. “Oh, Granny, I love you. But you have to admit most men would prefer someone pretty like Rose over me.”
“And by someone, are you referring to Jack Roper?” When Addie glanced away, Granny knew she’d gotten to the heart of the matter. “I’ve seen the way you two look at each other. And I don’t think he stays here at night just because of the children.”
“Jack is much too handsome for someone like me.”
“As I said, that is nonsense. I’ve never met a man yet who didn’t like a lady with curves.”
“He might like a woman with curves, but he’s having dinner tonight with a beautiful younger woman.”
Chapter Nineteen
“I can’t tell you how happy I am that you made it back to Denver,” Sheriff John Trent said to Jack when he walked into the Denver jail. “The judge said if you weren’t back by tomorrow, I was to go to Whispering Pines to get Frank, and to place you under arrest for defying his order.”
“Frank’s outside with Morgan LeMasters. I’d like to put Frank in jail while I talk to the judge.”
“The judge said if you showed, I should send you to his sister’s home, and you are supposed to take Frank with you. He wants to see him first thing.”
“Do you know what this is about?” Jack asked.
“The judge didn’t discuss it with me, but I have a feeling that he’s going to set Frank free. He was mighty upset that you took Frank to Whispering Pines.” The sheriff grinned at him. “You ruined their party.”
“I don’t give a hoot if he was upset, or about his party. Frank’s an outlaw, and I had every right to arrest him.”
Sheriff Trent stuck his hand up in the air. “I agree with you. It doesn’t make sense to me either, but we won’t know until you take Frank down there.”
Jack turned to walk out the door, but Sheriff Trent stopped him. “Hold on, I’ll go with you. I’m mighty curious about this.”
* * *
“Frank!” Charlotte ran to Frank as soon as she saw him walk through the front door.
“Where’s your father, honey?” Frank asked his wife.
“He’s in the study. I’ll get him.” Charlotte turned, but her father was walking toward the group standing in the entryway.
Sheriff Trent introduced Jack and Morgan to Judge Stevens.
“Charlotte, take the gentlemen to the parlor and offer them a drink. I want to speak with Frank for a few minutes.”
“Judge, I’d like to stay with my prisoner.”
“Frank is not going anywhere. Go into the parlor and have some whiskey. I’ll be with you shortly.” The judge put his hand on Frank’s shoulder and led him down the hallway.
“Gentlemen, please come this way.” Charlotte led the men to the parlor, where she poured them each a drink. “Please have a seat.”
“Do you mind me asking, Miss Stevens, how you met Frank?” Jack said.
“Mrs. Langtry,” Charlotte reminded him. “I don’t mind at all.” For the next ten minutes, Charlotte told them of her first meeting with Frank, and how he came to travel to Denver with her.
“That’s some story. Frank was lucky to be in the right place at the right time,” Morgan said. He thought it was more than luck; Charlotte and the judge were Frank’s mark.
“You can say that again,” Jack agreed.
“I’m afraid you have misjudged my husband,” Charlotte said.
“Did he tell you he was wanted by the law when he met you?” Jack asked.
“Yes. He told me the circumstances, and I think Father will certainly correct this matter today.” Charlotte stood and said, “Please excuse me, my seamstress is waiting for me upstairs.”
When Charlotte was out of earshot, Sheriff Trent shook his head. “She’s a pretty little thing, but I’d say she’s a mite naïve. I wonder what story Frank gave her?”
“Frank’s smooth. I’d bet he targeted her and the judge. I don’t doubt he gave her some wild tale,” Morgan said.
“That’s what bothers me. If anyone could weasel his way out of a noose, it would be Frank,” Jack said.
The men were still in the parlor twenty minutes later when Sheriff Trent got up and started to pace. “You don’t think they all left, do you?”
“I’d hate to have to arrest the judge.” Jack stood, walked to the door, and saw the judge coming his way.
“Where’s my prisoner?” Jack asked when the judge entered the room.
“He is no longer your prisoner. He’s upstairs with his wife,” Judge Stevens replied. The judge poured himself a drink.
“Judge, I think it’s time you told us what is going on,” Jack prompted.
“First things first,” the judge
replied. “I want to know the circumstances that led to you and Mr. LeMasters to chase Frank all over the country.”
Jack and Morgan summarized the trouble Frank had caused on Morgan’s land, as well as his ensuing crimes.
“Frank has explained the situation to me a bit differently.” He pointed to Morgan, and said, “Particularly the problems he’s had with you, Mr. LeMasters. It appears to me this is a situation of your word against his.”
“It’s not only my word, Judge. He kidnapped his sister and set fire to their farmhouse, which resulted in the death of their younger brother. She’s prepared to testify against him. And the man Frank shot on my ranch identified him as one of the rustlers.” Morgan tried to keep his temper under control.
“I understand that his sister is now your wife,” the judge said.
“Yes, she is.”
The judge swallowed the contents of his glass. “In these familial issues, it’s only natural that the wife would take the side of her husband.”
“So you are saying my wife’s word will be disregarded because she married me?”
The judge held up his hand to stop him. “Please allow me to finish. This family spat is not what concerns me.”
Morgan jumped to his feet. “Family spat? That’s what you call kidnapping and abusing his sister? What kind of judge are you?”
The judge puffed up like a ruffled hen. “Remember to whom you are speaking, sir. I am the kind of judge who is demanding to have this renegade Sioux who claims Frank shot him brought before me. It seems he is a fugitive from the law. Is that correct?”
“He is no fugitive,” Morgan said.
“I understand that the military has been to your ranch to look for him, and that a soldier was shot in the process.”
“That is incorrect,” Morgan answered.
The judge leaned forward and glared at Morgan. “Which part is incorrect? Were the soldiers on your land searching for this Sioux, or were they not? Was a soldier killed while searching for said man? Did you hide this man from the soldiers?”
“The soldiers were there to search for him. But no one got shot on my land, or if they were, no one has found a body. Several people have gotten lost in those pines, but that’s a far cry from accusing a man of shooting them.”
“Does this Sioux reside on your ranch?” the judge asked.
“He is a native of that land. The way I see it, we are all just caretakers of the land.” Morgan wasn’t being evasive, he was simply stating what he believed.
“I will be sending a telegram to the military to find out the truth of what happened on your ranch when the soldiers searched for this Sioux. I have a problem with a citizen who would harbor Indians who were assigned to reservations. I will ask you again. Did you hide this man from the soldiers?”
Just as Morgan thought, Frank had found a way to twist the truth to his benefit. “I didn’t hide anyone. The Sioux know the territory better than the white men who banished them from their homeland.” Morgan told the truth. He didn’t hide Joseph. Actually, Joseph had been the one to tell him the soldiers were on their way to look for him, and he left without Morgan’s knowledge.
“Until I hear otherwise, I consider this Sioux a fugitive.” The judge stared at Morgan for a few seconds before he turned to Jack. “Frank is in my custody. You have one week to bring this Sioux to Denver to give his testimony to me.” He held his index finger in the air for emphasis and repeated, “One week. If he does not appear before me, I’m instructing you to arrest this man”—he pointed to Morgan—“for harboring a fugitive. I have heard from both parties, and I do not feel Mr. LeMasters’s word is more credible than Frank’s.”
“Exactly how did Frank and his gang come by my horses they were riding when we caught up with them?” Morgan asked.
“He said he purchased them from another source.”
“Now see here, Judge, Frank Langtry produced no bill of sale, he shot Morgan and left him for dead, and his men ambushed me in Purgatory Canyon.” Jack was just getting warmed up, but the judge stood before he’d finished.
“Enough. I’ve given my orders, and should they be ignored, or disobeyed, Sheriff Trent will come to Whispering Pines and arrest the lot of you.”
“I’d be curious to know what Frank Langtry has on you,” Morgan said.
The judge whirled around to face Morgan. “Careful, Mr. LeMasters, or you’ll be spending the night in our jail.”
Morgan took a step toward the judge, but Jack lurched from his chair and grabbed his arm before he did something as foolish as punching the man. It took a lot to rile Morgan, but the judge managed to get the job done. Jack didn’t want his friend on the wrong side of the law.
Sheriff Trent couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He thought the judge was being unreasonable. “Judge, don’t you think—”
Again, the judge held his hand up, commanding silence. “If you do not obey my orders, then I will contact the U.S. Marshals’ office and direct them to send a marshal to do the job for you. Now if you will excuse me, I have an important prior engagement. You can show yourselves out.” The judge left the room, leaving the men in stunned silence.
Finally, Sheriff Trent glanced at Jack and Morgan. “Let’s get out of here. We can go to the hotel restaurant for some coffee.”
The three men rode to the hotel, and once inside they decided to order a meal with their coffee. After the waitress took their order, they tried to make sense of the judge’s orders.
“I’d heard he was one tough son of a gun, but I never expected this,” Sheriff Trent said.
“I know you won’t bring Joseph here,” Jack said to Morgan.
“No way. You might as well arrest me now. I don’t like the thought of soldiers on my ranch again, but it looks like I won’t have much of a choice.”
Jack looked at Sheriff Trent. “Looks like you’ll have to arrest Morgan and me. I won’t arrest Morgan or Joseph Longbow.”
“Tell me about this Joseph Longbow,” Sheriff Trent said.
Morgan told the story of how he came to know Joseph. “All he wants to do is live free. The way I see it, he has that right. He’s been an asset to our town, helping out with his doctoring skills after our doctor died. The only reason Frank has it out for Joseph is because of me. He sees Joseph as a way to get to me.”
“Joseph’s a fine man, and there’s no way I would arrest him,” Jack added.
The waitress reappeared to refill their cups. “Your dinner will be right out.”
Sheriff Trent wasn’t about to arrest either man, but he didn’t know how he was going to keep his job once he disobeyed the judge. “Do you think the judge is willing to take Frank’s word because he married his daughter? Maybe he’s playing a tough hand to appease her, but when it comes down to it, he won’t follow through.”
“I don’t read him that way. I think he will do exactly as he said,” Jack said.
“He didn’t seem inclined to listen to reason,” Morgan said.
The waitress was placing their dinner on the table when Jack looked up and saw the judge walk into the restaurant with his arm around a very young, attractive woman.
“Look at that.” Jack cocked his head toward the entryway of the restaurant. “That must be his important engagement.”
Morgan and Sheriff Trent followed Jack’s eyes. They watched as the judge helped the young woman out of her cloak. The dress she was wearing certainly displayed her voluptuous figure. Every diner in the room turned to look at her.
“Does he have another daughter?” Morgan asked.
Sheriff Trent glanced from Jack to Morgan. “She’s not his daughter. Her name is Leigh King. Apparently, she traveled to Denver with him. The owner of the hotel told me he’s been spending a lot of time in her room.”
“She’s a pretty gal,” Jack said.
“She looks younger than his daughter,” Morgan said. He noticed how the judge looked around the room, making certain everyone noticed his younger companion. He saw the three men at
the back of the restaurant, but he didn’t acknowledge their presence.
“Yeah, she’s young and pretty. She’s drawn some attention around town, showing off that fine figure. She’s registered under the name Mrs. Leigh King, and when the clerk mistakenly addressed the judge as Mr. King, he wasted no time setting the young man straight. Mrs. King told the clerk that she is a widow. I’ve seen them together several times, but I’ve not seen his daughter with them.”
“Well, looks like you might see them all together right now,” Morgan said.
They watched as Charlotte and Frank walked into the restaurant.
“It galls me to see him walking around town a free man,” Morgan said.
Charlotte saw her father and headed to his table. When she reached the table, the judge stood and introduced his companion to Charlotte and Frank.
“And how do you know my father, Mrs. King?” Charlotte asked pleasantly.
“Why, we are to be married soon.”
Jack, Morgan, and Sheriff Trent could see Charlotte’s face, and she didn’t look pleased with whatever was being said. They couldn’t hear what was going on, but the people at the neighboring tables told the story. The other diners stopped their conversations and gawked at the judge’s table.
The judge’s girlfriend jumped to her feet, and the entire room easily heard what she had to say. “I am not a gold digger! I am your father’s fiancée.” She thrust the large diamond ring on her finger in Charlotte’s face.
Charlotte’s eyes nearly popped from their sockets when she looked at the large, sparkling stone. “That’s ridiculous,” she screeched. She turned her angry eyes on her father. “Father, tell me this isn’t so.”
The judge’s face was beet red as he glanced around the room and saw everyone watching them. “This is neither the place nor the time for this discussion.” He cursed himself for giving Leigh that ring last night. He’d intended to break the news to Charlotte first, but he didn’t want to take the chance of Leigh losing her patience with him and moving on to younger, more robust pastures.
“I want an answer.” Charlotte’s eyes flicked over Leigh, noting her tasteless attire. “Are you marrying this”—Charlotte had never uttered such a word, but she said what was on her mind—“tart?”
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