They went past the chapel to the outskirts of town where Sarah had spotted beautiful plants and flowers. While Lilah picked flowers, Sarah clipped thin branches and collected several pine cones. When they walked back to town, they stopped at the seamstress’ shop.
The women inside the shop seemed shocked upon spotting them. One, an older plump woman stood up and rushed to them. “I’m Mary. So sorry I have not come to visit yet. But since I opened, we have more work than we can handle.” She waved to a pair of chairs by a window. “Please, come sit down.”
They sat and were introduced to the other woman, Laura, who smiled brightly before returning to her sewing.
Mary offered them tea, which they refused. Sarah shook her head when the woman tried to offer something more.
“I wanted to make sure that we met. I do believe we’ll be getting to know each other. My cousin-in-law, Amelia, informed me you are making the aprons for each of us on the committee.”
The woman motioned to a pile of bright fabric items. “They are all done.”
They went to the table and admired Mary’s handiwork. Sarah was impressed at how fast they’d been finished. It had been just over a week since she’d brought up the idea of the committee wearing matching aprons for the festival.
“Can I ask if you happen to have some extra fabric, pieces really, that we can use to brighten up Lilah’s cottage? It’s quite plain right now and needs some color.
Mary gave Lilah an apologetic look. “Goodness, you’re right. Olive Withers and I planned to spruce it up some, but you arrived earlier than we expected.”
The woman scurried to a cabinet and pulled out an armload of items. “Here we are. Curtains and beautiful tablecloths. Look through and pick out anything you want. We are so very thankful to have a teacher in town.”
Sarah and Lilah took the items and began looking through them. Sarah picked out a tablecloth to purchase while Lilah hemmed and hawed over which one she liked the best.
The entire time, Sarah protested Mary’s insistence she would not pay for anything. She finally agreed to a table cloth as a wedding gift.
Once they returned to the cottage, curtains were hung and a beautiful floral tablecloth was placed over the small kitchen table.
While Lilah put flowers in water to display by the kitchen window and another cup with flowers for a small side table, Sarah weaved the thin branches she’d collected into a wreath. She used strips of fabric to decorate the finished product, including one tied in a loop to be used to hang it.
The wreath was placed over the small hearth and other small branches with pinecones were scattered on the mantel.
“My goodness, what a difference. You are a godsend.” Lilah hugged Sarah. “Thank you so much. You’ve made my cottage a home.”
The afternoon helped lift her spirits and Sarah walked back to her house with a smile to prepare for supper at her in-laws.
Chapter 12
At almost a month married, Robert had to admit his life was good. He and Sarah had filled the house with furniture. Flowers and décor created by Sarah added a certain comfort to their home.
Almost every day, he arrived to find something new she’d done to the house. The night before, she’d gone on a walk with Lilah, the new schoolteacher, and they’d picked flowers and greenery, which was set about the house adding color and fresh scents.
They’d gone to supper with his parents, at Sarah’s insistence, every Wednesday. The first time it was awkward, but the last time they seemed to have gotten into a more relaxed time together. Admittedly, his mother remained difficult, obviously not fully accepting Sarah.
He’d decided not to intervene, as per his wife’s decree. She wanted to handle the situation on her own and work things out. Although he admired her spirit, it was doubtful his mother would ever fully embrace Sarah. The most he hoped for was acceptance. Although he didn't plan to interfere, neither would he allow his mother to hurt Sarah again.
Toward the end of summer, the days were becoming longer and he made plans to take Sarah out for a picnic and visit Barrett to see if the furniture was completed. Barrett had assured him, he’d have them done within three weeks or so.
Otis Sullivan entered and went directly to the stove to get a cup of coffee as was his custom.
“Getting warm outside, Otis,” Robert said. “Don’t know how you can drink coffee.”
With cup in hand, Otis walked to a set of windows. “It’s a habit of sorts.” The man looked out. “There are a couple strangers in town. I didn’t get a good feeling about them, so I made sure Danny remained at the store with his mother. Got an inkling to close early just to be safe. You never know.”
Due to the location of the town, it was rare for travelers to come through. Most of the time, anyone coming to Ranchester had a purpose. Although the town was not overly far from the larger city of Casper, it was enough distance not to make the trek worthwhile unless visiting someone or moving there.
Robert glanced to the door. “Where were they just now?”
“At the saloon. The sheriff was keeping an eye out from the barber shop when I walked by just now.” Otis looked to the doors. “Got a funny feeling.”
His friend’s “funny feeling” proved correct when, just a few minutes later, the two men entered, guns drawn.
The men must have been desperate, as they didn’t bother covering their faces. Being they’d been there for a while according to Otis, quite a few people must’ve gotten good looks at them.
Robert and Otis could only exchange incredulous looks. Surely, the men knew they’d attracted attention and, at any moment, the sheriff and deputy would appear.
One of them, the taller one, pointed his gun at Robert. “Git on over to the counter.” He tossed a dirty sack on top of it. “Fill it up...Hurry.”
Robert did as directed. He walked to the bank counter with hands up but elbows bent, ensuring to keep his back toward the man. He hoped the robbers would not notice the gun tucked into the back of his pants. “We don’t keep much money here. We take our deposits to Casper every week.”
The shorter man stood by the door and leaned out. “Someone’s headed this way.”
Glancing at the clock, Robert prayed it wasn’t his father who’d taken the dogs for a walk.
The taller man pointed at the dirty sack on the counter. “Hurry up!”
Robert’s heart thudded. If the man decided to shoot and kill him, he’d never see Sarah again. She’d be left alone, widowed. Worse, she’d be at his mother’s mercy. Robert cursed that he’d not yet arranged an account for her, some sort of trust fund so she’d not be dependent on anyone.
There wasn’t much in the cash drawer. They kept the larger sums in the safe, which the robbers had not said anything about. He held out the sack. “That’s all of it.”
A shot rang out. The robber at the door had fired. A woman’s scream sounded, along with other shouts as people were no doubt instructed to get inside.
Hopefully, no one was hurt.
“Let’s go,” the taller man called out while keeping his gun trained on Robert. “Come on. Let’s go out the back.”
Robert hated to point out the bad news, but he feared they’d lose control and possibly hurt Otis, who remained frozen in a chair. “The back door is sealed shut.”
The men gave him incredulous looks and the taller man rushed toward him. “Ye’re coming with us out front then.” He held Robert in front of him. The man pressed a gun to Robert’s temple and they headed out the front door.
He tried to turn to say something to Otis, but the robber pressed the gun further into his skin. “Don’t try anything.”
The brightness of the sunlight made Robert temporarily blind. He imagined the same happened to his captor who hesitated, pulling him backward. “How many are out there?” the man whispered in his ear.
As if he’d tell him the truth. “I can’t see well, but we only have two lawmen in our town.” Currently, there were at least ten guns trained on them.<
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“You’re surrounded, may as well lay down your guns,” Sheriff Holcomb called out. “Let him go.”
Murmurs sounded. Robert was unsure of what was said.
His captor responded with a shot toward where the sheriff stood. The ringing was loud in Robert’s ear. He shook his head as they shuffled back into the bank.
It was going to be a long day.
Loud pounds at the front made Sarah jump. She’d planned to spend the day making a new recipe and now, with her hands covered in flour, she wiped them on her apron as she walked to the door.
A man swallowed nervously at her opening the front door.
“Ma’am, the bank’s being held up. Sheriff Holcomb thought you outta know.”
The ground swayed and she held on to the doorjamb. “My husband?”
“He’s in there with the robbers.”
Despite the warmth in the air, she automatically reached for her shawl and rushed past the young man toward the bank. “Where’s everyone?”
Catching up to her, the young man cleared his throat. “Inside, just in case there’s a shootout. Ma’am, you should stay in, too.”
She must have given him a very pointed glare because he didn’t protest her continuing toward the bank.
Just as she reached her in-laws’ house, Bernard rushed out from the porch and took her arm. “Where are you going? Come inside now.”
It was the first time Bernard had sounded so stern and she complied, giving several glances toward the bank. Was Robert hurt? Her knees threatened to give way, but Sarah forced herself to walk until inside.
Everyone was gathered at the dining room windows looking out toward the bank. Her mother-in-law held a handkerchief over her mouth. She did not acknowledge Sarah, which, at the moment, she was grateful for.
A man she didn’t recognize entered behind them. “Is there a way to get in through the back?” he asked Bernard.
“There’s a side door no one really knows about. But if you go in, you’ll be in plain view from the front.”
“How is it barred?”
The men continued talking while Sarah leaned against the window. She desperately searched the surroundings for any clues as to what happened.
Across from the bank, men stood behind a wagon that had been wheeled in front of the bank. There were several others standing behind a horse trough and building posts. Guns drawn, the men’s unwavering attentions were on the bank building.
She didn’t want to think of what Robert was going through. But her mind kept going over every scenario until, with a loud moan, she began crying uncontrollably. The more she attempted to stop, the harder she cried. This was not the time for hysterics, she repeated inwardly. But it was so much to bear. If she lost her husband, what would become of her?
Sarah struggled to stop the fear engulfing her. The sheer madness of what was happening overwhelmed her. Her entire body shook. But she refused to move from the window. It was too soon. Their marriage had barely started. Just the night before, over dinner, he’d reached for her hand and brought it to his lips.
“I think I’m in love with you,” Robert had stated, seeming as startled as she’d felt at that moment.
She’d not responded in kind, thinking it too soon to admit she’d begun to think the same. Why had she hesitated?
Yes, perhaps only a month of knowing someone was too soon to know for sure. But now, she realized as her chest tightened that it was impossible to imagine continuing forward without Robert as her husband.
Someone embraced Sarah and she leaned against the person. Her sorrow was too great to bear any longer.
Bernard came to Sarah’s other side and placed a hand on her shoulder. “Robert is smart and brave. He’ll get through this, you’ll see.”
They both knew he couldn’t promise that. She didn’t know if there were too many against one or even if it was just one robber. And she had no idea if Robert was armed. She’d never asked. Although he owned several guns, she’d not paid attention to note if he carried one daily.
In case she ever needed it, Robert had showed her where the rifle was. He’d also instructed her how to shoot it and, other than that, she wasn’t aware of anything else.
She knew very little about her husband yet.
“Someone’s coming,” Amelia announced, her reddened face turning to Sarah. It was at that moment that she realized it was Camilla who stood on her left with an arm around Sarah’s waist.
They disengaged and both women leaned forward to peer out the window. A man hurried toward the house and up the steps where Bernard was already waiting.
The three women joined Bernard in the porch to listen.
“There are two of them. Robert and Otis are inside. From what we gather, one of the robbers is getting antsy and threatening to shoot one of them if we don't get a wagon over to the bank with two horses.”
A wagon was being brought just as the man spoke and four men emerged from the bank. One of those exiting was Robert, who was being held in front of the taller robber. Otis Sullivan was held by the other man.
Both Robert and Otis had guns pressed to their temples. Her husband stood out. He was taller than the other men and walked straight, not seeming injured by what was happening. From so far away, she could not make out his expression. But by the tightness in his steps, she could tell he was angry.
When she noticed men crouching down and aiming their guns toward the foursome, Sarah gasped and gripped her handkerchief against her chest. “No.”
Just as the men were climbing into the wagon, shots rang out from all directions. Sarah, Amelia and Camilla were shoved into the house. Sarah struggled against it, trying desperately to catch a glimpse of Robert.
Suddenly, it was quiet and, once again, as a group they rushed to the porch. Bernard pushed the women back. “I’ll go see what happened. Stay inside. An injured outlaw is very dangerous.”
Reluctantly, Sarah allowed Amelia to pull her and her mother-in-law back inside, but she hurried to the window to try to see what had happened.
Men were huddled around the wagon. A man was being dragged away, while others seemed to be struggling with something or someone.
She didn’t see Robert at first. And then he straightened. He rubbed his wrists while talking. “There he is!” Sarah turned to her mother-in-law. “He’s there, look!”
“Thank God!” Camilla’s face brightened. Sarah was struck how she’d never noticed how attractive her mother-in-law was. Until that moment, she’d always kept her distance, barely looking at Camilla’s face.
“Uncle Bernard is rushing to him now!” Amelia exclaimed. They watched father and son embrace and Camilla began crying. It was impossible to keep the tears of relief from flowing and Sarah hugged her mother-in-law as Amelia, too, joined them in the encirclement.
When Robert finally came into the house, the women all rushed to him. Sarah moved straight into his chest, her arms around his waist, not believing he was truly there. Camilla took his face with both hands and brought it lower so she could kiss his cheeks and jaw.
“Let the boy breathe,” Bernard finally said, pulling his wife back. “He’s fine. Rascal was the one that started the gunfight. All while hands tied behind his back.” There was pride in her father-in-law’s voice.
Unlike Bernard, Sarah could only swallow a reproach. He could’ve been killed trying something like that.
“They both finally were distracted,” Robert replied. “Couldn’t shoot higher than their legs since my hands were tied, but it was enough.”
Later, she’d ask the details. But at the moment, she was content to lean against him as he kissed her temple.
Robert lifted her face up. “Are you all right? You’ve been crying.”
The obvious statement made her chuckle. “Of course I’ve been crying. We were all terrified.”
“Did Father not tell you I’m a crack shot?” he asked and pressed a soft kiss to her lips. “I wasn’t going to get myself killed and leave you Sarah.”
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Camilla huffed. “Whether or not you’re a good shot, when being held by two desperate outlaws, one never knows what could happen. Don’t make light of it.”
“I am not mother,” Robert told his mother. “It was an unpleasant experience. I won’t deny it.”
Everyone settled into chairs, coffee was served and all but Sarah drank. Her stomach was much too upset for something so strong. But she didn’t dare leave Robert’s side to make tea.
Harriett walked in, her face flushed. She hurried to Robert, who stood to greet her. “I’m fine Harriett.”
The woman sniffed against his chest. “Thank the Lord Almighty.”
For hours, they continued sitting and talking. Everyone needed the assurance that everything was well and that Robert truly was unharmed. Sarah imagined the same thing happened at the Sullivans’ home.
She hoped the bridge had been gapped with her mother-in-law. But, at the moment, Sarah did not dare approach the subject.
“Supper is ready,” Harriett announced. “I made your favorite.” She smiled at Robert. “Pot pie.”
“I never thought to ask what your favorite meal was,” Sarah told Robert when he took her hand to assist her to stand.
Camilla came up beside her. “He loves meat pies. Also has a sweet tooth. I’ll have to give you the recipe for the egg custard pie he loves so much.”
When Sarah met her mother-in-law’s gaze, there were a myriad of messages that transpired between them.
If Robert would have been killed, Camilla had not spent as much time with him as she could have. Mainly due to her own actions.
“I’m sorry, Sarah. For everything. I’m a fool.” Camilla’s statement was soft. Since Amelia and Bernard were already in the dining room, only she and Robert heard it.
Sarah took her mother-in-law’s hand between hers. “Thank you. All is forgiven.”
Her mother-in-law smiled up at Robert. He released Sarah’s hand and hugged his mother.
“I love you Mother.” The words were strong and Sarah’s heart skipped. She could barely wait to hear him say it to her.
Sarah, A Festive Bride Page 7