Anonymous Bride

by McDonough, Vickie;

  Shannon’s green eyes lit up. “Aye, I would like that. I have felt the same way, and I, too, want to apologize.”

  “I’m sorry, too, if I was mean to ya.” Carly pressed her lips together.

  Rachel stepped forward and embraced all three women. “Everything’s forgiven, and maybe we could drop the formalities and call each other by our given names.”

  The women nodded and wiped their damp eyes. Everyone smiled, and the tension that had been there earlier left the room. Rachel muttered a silent prayer of thanks to the Lord.

  A door opened upstairs, setting Rachel’s heart pounding. Garrett had said they’d captured the bank robber, but she didn’t know if he was the same man who’d kidnapped her. A young woman with her arm in a sling appeared at the top of the stairs, followed by a man. Rachel saw the woman’s gaze move past her and her expression change to a scowl. Turning slightly to look behind her, Rachel realized the woman was staring at Carly.

  “Um ... I hope you don’t mind that I gave these folks two of your rooms. They came in on the late stage today. I didn’t want to turn them away since there’s no other decent place for them to stay in this town.” Leah Bennett wrung her hands as if fearing Rachel would be upset. “I didn’t take any money, but I told them they could square things with you when you returned.”

  Rachel smiled to ease the young woman’s discomfort. “Thank you. I appreciate that.”

  Leah smiled and nodded, looking relieved. “If you don’t mind, I think I’ll head on to bed.”

  “Good night, then, and thank you for saving us some food.”

  “I shall go also. We did feed the new guests.” Shannon brushed past Rachel and stepped up the stairs.

  After the two women ascended the stairs, the man helped the injured woman down. They looked enough alike to be siblings, with their dark hair and matching blue eyes. Carly shuffled beside Rachel, seeming restless. Did she know the new boarders?

  Stepping forward, she smiled. “I’m Rachel Hamilton, owner of Hamilton House. Welcome, and I hope you will forgive my appearance. We’ve just been through a trying ordeal.”

  The man nodded. “I’m John Blackstone, and this is my sister, Ellie Blackstone.”

  Rachel felt her eyes widen and turned to face Carly. She stood with her head down, but she saw Rachel looking at her and gave a slight nod.

  So this was the woman Carly had impersonated. “I’m glad to see you’re doing so well, Miss Blackstone.”

  The man’s eyes narrowed. “What do you know of her troubles?”

  “Not much, I can assure you, and what I do know, I just learned about today. I’m sure the two women who just went upstairs told you what happened to us.”

  When he shook his head, Rachel sighed. “Could we all sit down in the parlor, please? We’ve had an extraordinary day.”

  “Does this have something to do with that blond woman asking me if we had family staying here already?”

  Rachel offered him a smile. “It’s complicated.”

  Miss Blackstone shook her head. “I’m not getting any closer to her.” She pointed at Carly. “What’s she doing here anyway? And why is she wearing my dress?”

  Carly stepped forward, looking twice her age. Her shoulders were slumped and her head hung down. “I came here pretending to be you.”

  The real Miss Blackstone gasped and moved back. “See, John, I bet she’s the one who stole my satchel.”

  “I’m sorry for that. I thought you were dead.”

  The front door flew open, banging against the wall, and everybody in the entryway jumped. Rachel’s heart stampeded as Luke charged inside. His gaze pinned on Carly, and he pulled his gun. Carly shrank back.

  Jacqueline raced in from the kitchen, her napkin tucked into the neck of her shirt. “What’s goin’ on?”

  “Carly Payton, you’re under arrest.”

  Rachel gasped, as did the Blackstones. Carly’s eyes looked like a trapped mustang’s. “Luke, surely this isn’t necessary.”

  His gaze darted to her and back to Carly. “Did you know you were harboring a criminal?”

  Rachel shook her head. “Not until today. Carly told me everything while we were...” She glanced at the Blackstones. “While we were tied up. And she gave her heart to God.”

  “She’s still a wanted outlaw. I can’t ignore that, Rachel.”

  She stepped forward and laid her hand on his arm, pushing slightly, until he lowered the gun. “She’s not going anywhere. Let us get cleaned up and eat something. Neither of us has eaten since last night’s supper.”

  Carly stepped forward, twisting her hands. “I’ll go with you peacefully, Marshal. But I would appreciate the chance to clean up and eat first.”

  A myriad of expressions crossed Luke’s face before he finally relaxed. “All right. But you’re not leaving my sight.”

  Rachel sucked in a breath. “That’s hardly appropriate, Luke. I’ll stay with her while she cleans up, and you can wait for us in the kitchen.”

  A muscle in Luke’s jaw ticked. “I don’t want you or anyone else getting hurt, Rach.”

  “Carly is a believer now. She’s not going to hurt anyone.”

  John Blackstone stepped forward. “This woman has been impersonating my sister. She stole from her and left her for dead after a stage robbery. I demand justice.”

  “I thought she was dead. If I’d known she was still alive, I’d have done different.” Carly ducked her head again under John Blackstone’s glare. “Her belongings are upstairs.”

  Luke studied the group then turned to the Blackstones. “I can assure you that Miss Payton is under arrest. She and Mrs. Hamilton have been through an ordeal today, and I’m going to let them do as they requested. Then Miss Payton will be taken to jail.”

  Mr. Blackstone observed them for a moment then nodded his head. He turned and motioned for his sister to go back upstairs.

  “I’ll need to get a statement from you both tomorrow. I can come here if you’d rather not come to the jail.”

  Mr. Blackstone nodded. “Here would be good. As you can see, my sister is still convalescing.”

  “I’ll come by tomorrow morning, then, after breakfast.” Luke turned to face Rachel. “Do your cleaning and eating quickly. Dan Howard’s watching the jail for me, and I need to get back.”

  Jacqueline stepped forward and grabbed Luke’s hand. “C’mon in the kitchen with me. There’s food and hot coffee.”

  Rachel marveled at how Luke allowed her daughter to boss him around. He followed Jacqueline into the kitchen, and chairs scraped across the floor. She escorted Carly to the washroom downstairs, her heart aching for the young woman. “I’m sorry about all this.”

  “It ain’t your fault. I only pretended to be Miss Blackstone ’cause I truly thought she was dead. I thought if ’n I got away from my brother, I might could start a new life.”

  Rachel cringed at the thought of Luke marrying an outlaw, even though she didn’t think Carly was hardened like her brother. She feared what would become of Carly and her fledgling faith. The young woman had admitted taking part in several bank and train robberies. Rachel hated the thought of the young woman locked up in jail, but she would have to pay for her crimes. Though that was the right thing, Rachel wanted mercy for her. Hadn’t Carly repented of her sins? She was a new person now and needed to grow in the Lord and put her old life behind her, but how would she do that in prison? I’ll do whatever I can to help her, Lord. Protect Carly, and help her through the difficult days ahead. And help me to be a better mother to Jacqueline.

  One thing she’d decided while being held captive, if Jacqueline didn’t have better guidance and more consequences for her bad behavior, she could well turn out like Carly had. As much as she disliked disciplining her child, Rachel knew it was God’s will.

  Give me the strength I need, Lord, to be a good mother.

  CHAPTER 34

  Saturday afternoon, Luke paced from the parlor of his small house to the foot of his bed. Was he doing th
e right thing?

  If everything went as he hoped, he would be making the most creative marriage proposal he could imagine; but if things went the other way ... A hard knock sounded on his front door. He crossed the small room and yanked the door open.

  “It’s time,” said Mayor Burke. “You ready?”

  Luke shrugged, making the mayor scowl.

  “Half the county has come to town. Women are selling food, baked goods, and lemonade, coffee, and tea to make money for the church. You’re not thinking of backing out, are you?” The mayor shoved his hand to his hips and glared at Luke. “Why, this bride contest has been the biggest thing to hit this town in months. Everyone’s speculating on which of the remaining two boardinghouse brides you’ll pick.” Mayor Burke chuckled. “There’s even a few folks holding out for you to marry that outlaw bride you hauled off to Dallas.”

  Luke sighed and shook his head. “I can assure you that won’t happen.”

  Why had he ever agreed to marry like he had? He didn’t normally allow people to ramrod him into doing things. Romancing and wedding proposals were supposed to be done in private between two people in love and not made some public spectacle. But he’d given his word. And he’d prayed and prayed and still felt his plan was God’s will. He only hoped Jack followed through on her end, or he’d be in big trouble.

  He grabbed his hat from the peg near the door. “All right. I’m ready.”

  “Good. I’m glad to see you’ve come to your senses.”

  Luke shook his head and closed the door. If anything, he’d taken total leave of his senses.

  ***

  “I’m not going.” Rachel sat on the end of her bed, wringing the edge of her apron in one hand.

  Jacqueline tugged on her arm. “But you hav’ta go, Ma.”

  She shook her head, trying hard to fight the tears threatening at the thought of Luke marrying Leah or Shannon. Yes, things seemed better between her and Luke, but she hadn’t seen him for three days, not since the evening he arrested Carly. She didn’t even get to tell the young woman good-bye.

  No, she couldn’t attend today’s activities. She still had boarders to care for, although there might be one less by evening. Her chin wobbled. She had no idea which woman he’d choose, and she could not watch.

  “But Ma, I think the brides need you to be there.”

  Rachel winced. One of her guests would be the loser today, and she would need comforting and encouragement. Both brides had everything riding on their hopes to marry Luke. The one not chosen would be devastated. Sighing, Rachel untied her apron and stood. Attending the bride announcement would be one of the hardest things she’d ever done, but she owed it to her guests. And she needed to be a good example to Jacqueline. She would congratulate Luke and his chosen bride and comfort the loser. But who would comfort her?

  Jacqueline yanked on her arm. “Hurry, Ma. We don’t want to miss the announcement.”

  Rachel grabbed her bonnet and tied it on her head. “Fine, I’m ready.”

  Jacqueline ran to the front door, flung it open, and started outside, then stopped and looked back as if to make sure Rachel was coming. She hurried out and closed the door, surprised to see Main Street filled with people. Buggies and horses lined Bluebonnet Lane in both directions as far as she could see.

  Jacqueline bounced. “Hurry, Ma. Looks like we’re the only ones in the whole state who aren’t there.”

  Rachel couldn’t understand why her daughter was so excited. Didn’t Jacqueline realize things would be different between her and Luke once he married? She saw Luke mount the boardwalk and stride straight and tall toward his office, where he was to make the announcement. She watched him go, her heart in her throat. How did one quit loving someone?

  Her eyes stung, but she lifted her head high. God orchestrated the path she was to walk. He would give her the strength to face the future without Luke.

  She glanced at the bank as she walked down Main Street. On Monday morning, she’d meet with Mr. Castleby and the mayor to finalize the sale of the boardinghouse. She hated leaving the only town she’d ever lived in, but Kansas City offered more for her daughter and a fresh start for them both.

  Pressing her lips tight, she walked on, fortifying herself for the next few minutes. She stopped at the back edge of the crowd and stood on tiptoes, trying to find Leah and Shannon, but the crowd was too thick.

  Jacqueline jumped up and down. “I can’t see.”

  “Well, go stand over there on the boardwalk in front of the mercantile.”

  Jacqueline eyed her suspiciously. “You won’t leave?”

  Rachel was tempted to roll her eyes, feeling as if she were the child. “Not until it’s over.”

  “All right then.” Jacqueline dashed around the back of the crowd and up the steps to the boardwalk, squeezing past people, making her way toward Luke.

  With so many taller men in front of Rachel, almost all wearing hats, she decided to take her own advice and crossed the street to the boardwalk opposite Luke’s side of the road. Though the area was jam-packed with people, she squeezed her way up to the top step in front of the newspaper office. The jail was directly across from her, and she could see that Shannon and Leah stood on the ground in front of Luke’s office.

  The noise of the crowd was deafening, and so many people in one place made the summer afternoon seem even hotter. Rachel fanned her face with her hand. If this thing lasted very long, some of the women would be swooning. From the higher viewpoint, she could see that tables lined either side of Main Street farther down where women were selling refreshments. She’d opted not to do that at this event. Everything was far too festive for her mood. All she wanted was to go home and mourn the loss of the only man she’d ever loved. Oh God, why did You have to bring him back if You were going to give him to someone else?

  The mayor shoved his way through the crowd in front of Luke, and both men stopped in front of the jail. Mayor Burke raised his hands and mouthed something she couldn’t hear. The crowd suddenly quieted.

  “Thank y’all for coming out on such a warm day, but it’s a day of celebration. Our marshal is going to pick his bride today.”

  The crowd cheered in unison, and Rachel watched three tossed hats drop back down. She was probably the only person in the whole crowd not excited. Well, maybe except for the two brides. They knew only one of them would come up the winner today. Rachel was determined to do all she could to help the loser, whether the woman wanted to move on to another town or stay in Lookout and try to find employment, hard as that was in such a small town.

  The mayor lifted his hands again, and the crowd quieted. “After the bride announcement, we’ll have square dancing in the street, and don’t forget all the marvelous confections the ladies of Lookout have created for y’all to enjoy.”

  He waited for the cheers to die down again. “And now for what we’ve all been waiting for, I’ll turn things over to our marshal, Luke Davis.”

  Rachel swallowed hard as Luke stepped up to the porch railing. He was nearly a head taller than the mayor, and he was so strong, so capable—until she peered at his face. She’d seen him look nervous only a handful of times, and this was one of them. Was he unsure of his decision?

  She clutched the porch railing to her left, afraid that she might just swoon herself.

  Luke straightened, though his gaze roamed the crowd. When it collided with hers, he smiled and started talking. “I threatened to throw my cousins in jail once I learned they’d ordered three brides for me.”

  The crowd chuckled, but Rachel’s heart had tripped over itself. How could Luke look at her like that? Was he counting on her friendship to make things easier for him?

  Irritation worked its way through her body like a bad case of influenza. But then she snuffed it out. He was her friend, her oldest friend, and it was her Christian duty to help him. She would swallow her pride and disappointment and do what she could. In another week, she’d be on her way to Kansas City, and she’d no longer have to
look at Luke and his bride, anyway.

  “But God has a way of using strange circumstances to get our attention,” Luke continued. “I gave my heart to the Lord less than a year ago. Though I’ve read my Bible a lot, I know there’s still a lot I need to learn about walking the straight and narrow path God has set before me. Through this whole bride contest, the thing I’ve discovered is that God doesn’t want me to walk it alone.”

  Luke’s gaze captured Rachel’s again as he stared across the street over the heads of the townsfolk. Why did he keep looking at her?

  Now that she knew where the brides were, she no longer needed to see so well and made her way off the steps to the ground. Luke disappeared among a mass of heads and hats.

  “It’s true that no matter what I face or what any of y’all face, God will be there to help us through, if we’ll only turn to Him.”

  Rachel figured Mayor Burke was most likely scowling at Luke’s preaching, but she was proud that he would stand before such a large group and proclaim his faith. He’d changed a lot from the determined youth she’d first fallen in love with.

  “I need to make a big apology to Miss Bennett and Miss O’Neil. I’m sorry, but I can’t marry either of you. My heart—”

  Many in the crowd gasped, and Rachel missed the last part of what he said. Suddenly, heads were turning and people were looking at her. Though tempted to back away, she held her ground. The crowd parted in front of her like the line in the middle of Mayor Burke’s hair.

  Someone nudged her in the back. “Go on up there, Rachel. He’s asking for you.”

  Rachel’s head swam, and she held her ground. Just coming here at all had been hard enough, but to go up front? Suddenly, Luke’s words soaked in. He couldn’t marry either bride? But he gave his word.

  “Rachel, will you please come up here?”

  Hands all around her gently shoved her. She either had to move forward or fall down. Heaving a heavy sigh, she ambled toward Luke. Why did he need her up there? Wasn’t she mortified enough with half the town knowing their history?

  All too soon, she stood in front of the crowd next to Luke, though she couldn’t say how she’d arrived at that place. Jacqueline peered around behind him, grinning as if it were Christmas. What was going on?