by Chloe Carley
And we’d be walking right into a trap, he thought to himself, but just as he was about to call Aline back to the trap, the door to the ranch house opened and Thomas was taken aback by the man who now appeared before them.
“Well, good afternoon, Sheriff, and to you, ma’am. And what might I do for you?” his half-brother Harrison said, standing as bold as brass upon the veranda, his thumbs through his belt straps and with a smile on his face.
“Mr. Knox,” Thomas said, as Aline turned to him in surprise.
“What is this, Sheriff? This is Lampeter Ranch, isn’t it?” she said, and Thomas nodded.
“It is, and so I’m left wondering why Mr. Knox here appears to have the key to the door,” Thomas replied, eyeing his half-brother with suspicion.
Thomas had never trusted Harrison. Not when they were children, not when they were adolescents, and certainly not now. He’d a way about him that Thomas had never liked—a mannerism of self-confidence, and he’d always looked down on his younger half-brother. Now, he smiled, showing his teeth, and cocked his head to one side, gazing with interest at Aline who had fixed him with a resolute stare.
“Come now, Sheriff Redmond. You’re always so suspicious of me,” Harrison replied.
“And for good reason,” Thomas replied quickly.
He and his brother rarely acknowledged one another, and there was not a soul in town who knew of their familial relationship. As far as Thomas was concerned, he’d no half-brother and had been more than lenient in his dealings with him over the past few years. If Thomas was the model of an upright man, albeit one with a checkered past who had reformed his ways, then Harrison was the exact opposite. His ways were far from reformed and Thomas knew that if given half a chance, his brother would return to his old ways, ever their father’s son.
“I might ask what you’re doing on my land,” Harrison said, and Aline was startled by the force of his words.
“Your land? This is my land. This is my father’s ranch. He bought it some years ago as an investment out west. The ranch belongs to me, Aline Hale,” she said and Harrison laughed.
“Hale, now I’ve heard that name before. Hale was the name on the deeds, the name of the man who sold me the ranch. I never met him, of course. But it was all above board. I can show you, if you like. The sale went through two months ago, but I wasn’t aware that it was a legal requirement for a man to inform the sheriff’s office when he buys himself a ranch,” Harrison said, turning to Thomas who scowled at him.
“But… my husband is dead. Do you mean to tell me that he sold this ranch to you just two months ago?” Aline asked, and Harrison nodded his head.
“I’m sorry, Mrs. Hale, I had no idea of these tragic circumstances. Had I known that a lady such as you were the inheritor, then I would’ve thought twice before making an offer. But I bought this ranch in good faith and entirely legitimately,” Harrison said, looking at his brother.
“Then I have no claim to it,” she said and Harrison raised his hand.
“I can prove it to you, if you’d excuse me,” he said, and disappeared back inside the ranch house.
Thomas looked at Aline and saw a tear in her eye. She looked so forlorn, standing there with nothing but Sammy and her bags spread around her. It was as though she truly had nothing, and Thomas’ heart went out to her.
“I’m truly sorry, Mrs. Hale,” he began, but before Aline could reply Harrison emerged from the house and hurried down the veranda steps.
“Here it is,” he announced, holding out a piece of paper which Aline took and began to examine.
A moment later, she looked up with a tear in her eye.
“The signature is that of my late husband, though it brings me no pleasure to say it,” she admitted, shaking her head.
“It gives me no pleasure to hear it, Mrs. Hale. I’m sorry you’ve had a wasted journey all the way out here. I’m a charitable man,” Harrison began and Thomas couldn’t help but scoff, to which his half-brother gave him a withering look.
“Oh… you needn’t apologize,” Aline began, but Harrison shook his head.
“I’m a charitable man, but we all need a roof over our heads and I can’t simply give you the ranch, as much as I would like to,” he continued.
“No… well, no, of course not. It’s just come as shock, that’s all,” she replied, dabbing at her eyes with a handkerchief, and Harrison nodded.
“The sheriff here knows of some excellent lodging in Lakestone, and if I can be of any assistance then you must only let me know,” he replied and, tipping his hat to them, he bid them good day.
“Harr… Mr. Knox?” Thomas said, and his half-brother turned.
“Yes, Sheriff?” he replied.
“Whilst I’m here, you wouldn’t happen to know anything about any cattle rustling that’s been going on around the county of late, would you?” Thomas asked, fixing Harrison with a hard stare.
“Now, Sheriff. Why would I know anything about that?” he asked, smiling his toothy smile at Thomas and shaking his head.
“You know a great deal, Mr. Knox. I just thought you might know about that,” Thomas replied. Harrison shook his head and turned back toward the house.
“Good day to you, Mrs. Hale, Sheriff Redmond. And if I do hear anything, then rest assured, you’ll be the first to know,” he called back before closing the door behind him.
“What now, Sheriff?” Aline asked, sounding lost and forlorn, and Thomas sighed.
“Come on, let’s get back to Lakestone. Mr. Knox was right about one thing—I do know some excellent lodgings. Don’t worry, we’ll get this sorted,” Thomas said and he returned Aline’s cases to the trap, helping her up and placing Sammy’s basket upon her knee.
“I just can’t believe it,” she said, shaking her head and repeating the words to herself as he climbed in next to her and reined off the horse.
“It’ll be all right, I promise. You’ve had a long journey; let’s get you back to Lakestone and then we’ll see what can be done,” Thomas replied.
Harrison won’t get away with this, he promised himself as they rode out of the ranch yard and he cast a final look back towards the house, which Aline was so adamant should be hers, by rights.
Chapter Six
Aline was in shock. She couldn’t believe what Damon had done. He’d squandered every penny of her inheritance, and for what? To settle his gambling debts—debts which she had been burdened with and had sold everything in the east to pay off.
Now, she discovered she was left with nothing. No home, no place to call her own and all semblance of a comfortable life now gone. All she had were the belongings now packed into the back of the trap and her dear cat Sammy who sat asleep in his basket, oblivious to her troubles.
I shall have to go back to Massachusetts, back to my aunt’s. I’ll write to her this very evening, she thought to herself, her mind now filled with worry and agitation.
On the train ride to Lakestone, she’d been so filled with optimism and the hope of all that was to come. She’d expected hardships, of course, but to find that her entire inheritance was gone before she’d even taken possession of it was a blow too awful to comprehend.
At least I’ve made one friend, she thought to herself, glancing at the sheriff who rode alongside her.
“I know a boarding house back in Lakestone that’ll suit you just fine until you get things sorted,” he said, and Aline nodded.
“That’s very kind of you, Sheriff. I don’t know what I would have done, had I not met you,” she replied.
“You’d have found a way, but it helps to have someone who knows their way around,” he replied and she nodded, grateful for his concern.
She wiped her eyes and took a deep breath. Her father always said that it was no good moping for more than five minutes, since tears and worry didn’t achieve anything. She’d resolved that her late husband wouldn’t haunt her from beyond the grave, and she’d no intention of shedding further tears over his legacy. Now was the time for prac
ticality and she told herself just that as they rode back toward the town.
“Tell me, Sheriff, who is this Mr. Knox? He seemed terribly sure of himself,” she said, and the sheriff nodded.
“He is, he most certainly is,” he replied.
“Is he some kind of businessman?” she asked.
“Of sorts, he and I… we go back a long way, though not necessarily on the best of terms. My advice is to avoid Mr. Knox if I were you, Mrs. Hale. He is trouble and this town would be better off without him,” the sheriff told her.
“It sounds as though he’s going nowhere, not when he’s bought Lampeter Ranch for himself,” Aline remarked as they came into Lakestone.
No,” the sheriff replied, and Aline thought better than to ask any more about him.
This town is a hotbed of intrigue—outlaws and rogue businessmen, what’ll it be next? she wondered as he helped her down from the trap.
Sammy let out a shrill meow, by the sounds of which he was hungry.
“I’d better find him something to eat, Sheriff,” she said, looking around her at the dusty street, with its rows of wooden slat houses and shops, “then I suppose I’d best find this boarding house and decide what to do next. You’ve been very kind, and I’m ever so grateful.”
“Wait now, Mrs. Hale,” the sheriff said as she began to walk off down the street. “I’d be neglecting my duties if I didn’t see you right. You’re in a strange town, and you need someone to show you how things are done.”
“That’s awfully kind of you, but don’t you have outlaws to catch? You’ve other duties than making sure a foolish girl from the east is found lodgings for the night,” Aline replied, shaking her head for she did indeed feel foolish, foolish at rushing all the way out here and expecting everything to be just perfect.
“I don’t see no fools from the east, Mrs. Hale, and believe me I’ve seen plenty of them in my time. All I see is a lady who needs some help. Now, if you’d like to follow me, I know an excellent boarding house—I know it very well, in fact.”
And, taking up her bags, he led her across the street toward a large house set back from the street.
Mrs. Lita Morrell, rooms available, dinner and breakfast, Aline read to herself on the sign above the door.
It was a well-presented house, with a pretty veranda and all manner of plants and flowers in the little garden out front. She smiled at the sight, for the thought of a real bed was extremely appealing after her days and nights spent on the bare boards of the train carriage.
“It looks a lovely little place,” Aline gushed, and the sheriff nodded.
“It is, I board here myself. Lita is a first-class hostess and a superb cook. She’ll look after you very well, and after we’ve seen her then perhaps we could go speak to Mr. Harvey. He’s the chief clerk at Harvey and Wood, the bank across the way. He might be able to help you. They deal with all the property sales in these parts. He’ll know for certain if Mr. Knox bought the ranch legitimately,” Thomas said, and Aline nodded.
“Really, Sheriff, this is too kind of you,” she said, astonished at his continued efforts.
I have certainly been fortunate in one respect, she thought, for it made sense to speak with the bank as soon as possible.
Lita Morrell was at home when the sheriff led Aline into the hallway. She was a kindly-looking woman, homely, but with the look of one who has had a hard and difficult life. She smiled at Aline and tutted as the sheriff explained what had happened out at Lampeter Ranch.
“You’ve come all this way, only to discover that the ranch was sold? What kind of a husband leaves his wife in destitution? I’m not one to speak ill of the dead, but…” she said, and Aline nodded.
“My late husband may be spoken of in any terms you wish, Mrs. Morrell. Believe me, I think the same,” Aline assured her, for if she’d had no love for Damon Hale before that day, she certainly had no love for him now.
“You know, I think I remember your father. Did he have strawberry blonde hair, twinkling eyes? A little like yours,” Lita Morrell asked, and Aline blushed.
Her father had been a dashing man, full of charm, and he’d turned heads wherever he went. It surprised her that the boarding house proprietress should remember him, but then, her father was a memorable character.
“He did,” Aline replied, smiling at Lita Morrell.
“He stayed here for two weeks. I remember it because it was a long, hot summer and he would drink a whole jug of lemonade. He told me that my lemonade was the best he’d ever tasted,” she said.
“That’ll be him. My father drank lemonade like it was going out of fashion,” Aline replied, and Lita smiled.
“Then it would be a delight to have his daughter to stay with me. I have a lovely room looking out over the street. It has a sitting room attached and you’ll be quite all right here with me, won’t she, Sheriff?” Lita asked and the sheriff nodded.
“The best boarding house in Lakestone,” he promised.
“The only boarding house in Lakestone, of any repute at least. Some folks stay at the Anaconda Hotel, but I wouldn’t even let your cat stay there, Mrs. Hale,” Lita replied, glancing down at Sammy, who meowed loudly.
“I think he’s hungry,” Aline said. She yawned, feeling an overwhelming sense of tiredness suddenly come over her.
After the excitement and disappointment of the day, it was no wonder she felt like this. The sheriff offered to take her bags, while she remained in the hallway with Lita.
“Now, dear. You stay here just as long as you need to. It’ll be a welcome change for me to have another woman around the place. It’s rare to have a lady passing through town,” she said, and Aline smiled.
“I won’t be here too long. I must write to my aunt this evening and explain what’s happened. She’ll not be pleased—she never approved of my choice of husband, and it seems she’s now been proved right,” Aline said.
“We all make mistakes, Mrs. Hale. The important thing is how they change us. I’m sure that Mr. Harvey’ll be able to help you, he and his business partner have looked after the finances of this town since it was founded and it seems you’ve got Sheriff Redmond on your side, too,” Lita assured her.
Aline blushed a little, embarrassed at the thought of causing any sense of scandal in her hostess. The sheriff had been very kind, far beyond the call of duty, but no one else she could yet call a friend. Aline was grateful to him.
“He’s been very kind, Mrs. Morrell, as have you,” Aline said, as the sound of the sheriff clattering back downstairs could be heard from up above.
“It sure is a nice room, Mrs. Hale. You’ll be very comfortable there, I’m sure of it. Now, let me show you where the bank is,” the sheriff said.
“And I’ll have something tasty for your dinner when you get back. You’ll be wanting an early night after they day you’ve had,” Lita said. “I just hope you find my humble little boarding house to your liking.”
“I’m certain I will, Mrs. Morrell, and thank you,” Aline said, taking up Sammy’s basket and following the sheriff out onto the street.
Sammy let out a plaintive meow and Aline paused, scolding herself for not having fed him.
“Poor Sammy,” the sheriff said, “his stomach must be rumbling something bad.”
“I need to feed him before I go to the bank. Is there anywhere I could get some food?” Aline asked and the sheriff nodded.
“I’ll tell you what, Mrs. Hale. Let me take Sammy and you go to the bank. He’ll be just fine in the sheriff’s office with me, I’ll get him some food from the grocer’s. They’ve all sorts of tins in there, some nice sardines perhaps. The bank’s just over there. Ask for Mr. Harvey,” he said.
“Oh, are you sure? I feel like all I’ve done today is inconvenience you, Sheriff. We barely know one another and you’ve already done for me than just about anyone I have ever known,” she replied, but the sheriff shook his head.
“It’s no trouble Mrs. Hale. If truth be told, I’ve found your company a del
ightful distraction from the matter of outlaws and bandits. Anyway, you should head over to the bank, and I’ll see you shortly,” the sheriff said and, with the slightest blush in his cheeks, he headed off toward the grocer’s store with Sammy’s basket tucked under his arm.
Well, what a thoroughly nice man, she thought as she took a deep breath and headed in the direction of the bank, determined to salvage something from the mess her late husband had created.
***
“I didn’t know you were an animal lover, Sheriff,” Mr. Ford said, as Thomas stepped inside the grocery shop, with its walls lined with all manner of tins and dried goods.
“Do you have any sardines?” Thomas asked, rolling his eyes, as the grocer’s boy Louis came out to look through the basket at Sammy.