Hopes and Brides: Regency and Mail Order Bride Historical Romance Collection

by Joyce Alec

  Judith’s face went sheet white, and she shook her head. “A sheriff?” she repeated, her voice trembling just a little. “Coming here, to our town?”

  Annie nodded, not understanding why Judith appeared so afraid. “We’ve been needing one for a while, and thankfully, Mr. Stewart managed to find someone willing to take up the position.” She let her gaze travel to the other end of town, where a few men were still busy working. “They’ve been building the sheriff’s office these last few days. Haven’t you even noticed that?”

  Judith didn’t say anything for a moment, her pallor almost grey.

  “Judith?”

  She jerked away from Annie, shaking her head. “No, I didn’t notice. The baby’s been keeping me awake half the night.”

  “I understand,” Annie replied sympathetically. She made to say more, only for Mr. Stewart to exclaim aloud. Turning, she saw the stage arriving, her heart turning over in her chest as Boyd Bretton stepped out from the saloon, narrowing his eyes at the gathering crowd.

  “What’s going on here, Mr. Stewart?” Bretton asked, striding over towards the man. “What’s the gathering for?”

  Mr. Stewart rubbed his hands together, his eyes a little narrowed as he looked back steadily at Boyd Bretton. He’d been doing a wonderful job of keeping a civil tongue whilst he discussed things with Bretton over the last few days, helping him to believe that he was just as determined to catch Joe as he had been before.

  “Well, Mr. Bretton, this here is the stage that’s bringing our new sheriff to town,” he explained, calmly. “Ah, here he is now!”

  Annie kept her gaze fixed on Boyd Bretton as Mr. Stewart welcomed his nephew with open arms. Bretton looked completely taken by surprise, standing stock still with a look of astonishment on his face.

  “Welcome, Sheriff Matthews,” she said, as Mr. Stewart brought over a man who looked to be about the same age as Robert. “It sure is good to have you here. We’ve got a fair amount of difficulty going on at this very moment, I’m afraid.”

  Sheriff Matthews, who was tall, broad-shouldered, and wore a fairly thick mustache, looked immediately interested. “Is that so?” he said, glancing at Bretton for a moment before turning his attention back to Annie. “What sort of trouble?”

  Boyd Bretton cleared his throat. “I’ve been doing everything I can to catch the man responsible for the death of one of the townsfolk here.”

  Sheriff Matthews said nothing but regarded Bretton carefully before throwing a glance towards his uncle. Mr. Stewart gave a small nod, which Annie took to mean that they had managed to have a few quick words about Bretton when Mr. Stewart had gone to greet his nephew from the stage.

  “The man responsible is Joe Taylor,” Bretton continued, puffing out his chest in a manner that proclaimed his own self-importance. “He’s on the run, but I’m fairly certain he’s about these parts still.” He cast a disparaging glance in Annie’s direction. “There’s a good reason for him to be staying here.”

  Sheriff Matthews arched one eyebrow. “Is that so?” he mumbled, turning to greet the assembled townsfolk whilst leaving Boyd Bretton standing there, his mouth a little ajar, as though he were shocked at being so quickly ignored.

  Annie watched with a growing sense of satisfaction as Sheriff Matthews, alongside Mr. Stewart, began to greet the townsfolk. Boyd Bretton was standing exactly where he had been the moment Sheriff Matthews had come down from the stage, clearly unused to being so quickly dismissed.

  And then, to Annie’s horror, Joe himself walked out from behind one of the town houses and began to walk straight towards her. She stared at him, her legs fastened to the ground, as panic began to rise in her.

  “No,” she whispered to herself, waving at him frantically as Boyd Bretton kept his attention firmly fixed on Sheriff Matthews. “Don’t do this, Joe. Stop, please!”

  “Don’t worry, my love.”

  He was beside her in a moment, his hands catching hers as he pressed a kiss to her cheek.

  “You said you’d stay out of sight,” she said, as Boyd Bretton turned to face them both, his eyes lighting with evil intent. “You said—”

  “I didn’t promise I’d stay hidden,” he reminded her, not so much as glancing at Bretton. “You need me here, Annie. I have to clear my name in front of everyone here. Trust me. Now that the sheriff’s here, I have every chance to speak my truth.”

  She shook her head, leaning into him just as Boyd Bretton let out a shout of delight.

  “Sheriff Matthews!” he shouted, making Annie cling to Joe all the more. “Sheriff, the man we want is here!” He chuckled, grabbing Joe’s arm. “You just couldn’t stay away from her, could you?” he grinned, speaking to Joe in a low voice. “Foolish idiot. Back in our town, I’m deputy sheriff, whereas you’re nothing more than an errand boy.”

  Annie wanted to scream at Bretton. She wanted to hit out at him and force him to drop his hand from Joe’s arm, but as though he’d sensed this, Joe wrapped his free hand around her shoulders and held her tightly and away from Bretton.

  “Now, what’s all this?” Sheriff Matthews murmured, walking towards them all in full view of all the townsfolk. “You can let the man go, Bretton. I’m here now, and it doesn’t look like he’s planning on running anywhere.” He arched one heavy set eyebrow and looked at Joe carefully. “Are you guilty of what Bretton’s accusing you of, sir?”

  Joe shook his head firmly. “No, I ain’t a murderer, sheriff. I’m here to tell all these folk, as well as you, that I did not shoot Simon Hartford.”

  His voice rang out across the town, clear and strong. As Annie looked into Sheriff Matthews’ face, she saw that he was still studying Joe carefully, as though he was able to perceive the truth simply by looking at him.

  “This man is well known to me, Sheriff Matthews,” Bretton retorted, with his usual arrogant air. “I’ve come all the way from Steerhorn to find him. I’m just sorry I was here too late to stop him from killing Simon Hartford.” He shook his head, as though he were truly sad that such a thing had happened under his watch. “He might have been doing it for good reasons, sure, but blood spilled is still a crime, no matter whose blood it is.”

  Sheriff Matthews frowned heavily, his eyes now turning towards Boyd Bretton. “You’d better start from the beginning, sir,” he said slowly. “Tell me what you mean. Why were you chasing after Joe?”

  Bretton gave the sheriff a half smile, before throwing a sneering glance towards Joe and Annie, clearly believing that the sheriff was now quite willing to believe everything he said. Quickly, he explained to the sheriff all about what Joe had done back in Steerhorn, stating that he stole from others, threatened them, cursed at them, and generally terrorized the town. Annie felt herself go rigid with anger and fear, seeing the faces of the townsfolk as they glanced from Bretton to Joe and back again.

  “I’m sure that Joe thought he was doing Annie a kindness in killing Simon Hartford,” Bretton finished, with a wry smile in Sheriff Matthews’ direction. “But there are better ways to deal with a man like that than shooting him with his own gun.”

  Sheriff Matthews cleared his throat. “And what evidence do you have that this man here was the man responsible?” he asked, planting his feet and gesturing towards Joe. “All you’ve told me is about the man’s past. There ain’t nothing more to it.”

  Bretton frowned, his eyes glinting with steel. “I’ve given you plenty reasons as to why he’s the one responsible, Sheriff Matthews. He’s taken up with Annie Hartford and didn’t want to see her tormented any longer. When Simon knocked on her door in an attempt to shoot her where she stood, Joe couldn’t take it any longer.”

  Annie jerked with a sudden awareness that this was where she needed to speak up.

  “The thing is, Bretton,” she interrupted, with a good deal more strength in her voice than she felt. “I never said anything to you about someone knocking on my door before the bullets came through the windows.” She tipped her head and looked at him. “So how did you kn
ow that?”

  There was a short pause. Bretton’s face paled for a moment before he shrugged easily and rolled his eyes at Sheriff Matthews. “You told me yourself, Annie, don’t you recall? Then again, after the shock of having bullets coming flying in at you, I can’t blame you for—”

  “I was there with you at the time Annie spoke to you, Bretton.” Mr. Stewart stepped forward, standing in solidarity beside Annie. “She said nothing about the knocking at her door.”

  “Which means,” Joe finished, looking steadily back at Sheriff Matthews, “that the only way Bretton could have known about that was if he was the one who’d done it.”

  Bretton began to splutter, but Joe wasn’t finished. Letting go of Annie for a moment, he took a step forward and spoke to not only Sheriff Matthews but to the townsfolk as a whole.

  “I ain’t gonna lie to you all and say that I didn’t do all those things that Boyd Bretton says I did,” he began, eliciting gasps from some of them. “But there’s a reason I did it all. I hated every minute of it, but Bretton told me that, if I didn’t, he’d take my sister. He wanted to make her his wife. My father, being a weak and selfish man, didn’t care much about what happened to Laura.” He paused, his hands curling into fists. “Bretton promised me he’d leave Laura alone just so long as I did what he said, but each time it burned another part of my soul. I wasn’t the kind of man Bretton wanted me to be, and so, eventually, I told him so.” Glancing back at Bretton for a moment, he let his gaze turn to Annie, who tried her best to smile at him despite the frantic beating of her heart. Either the townsfolk would understand, or they would turn against him in which case, all might be lost.

  “Some of you – a lot of you, I’m guessing – know what it’s like to be threatened, to have no choice but to do what’s demanded of you,” Joe continued in a quieter voice. “When I told Bretton I wouldn’t work for him anymore, he had me beaten so hard I couldn’t stand for three days. Somehow, I managed to find Laura and we rode away from Steerhorn. I’m so grateful to Robert for taking care of my sister, and to Annie for helping us when we needed it most. I might have done a good deal wrong in my life, but one thing’s for sure, I ain’t a murderer. I didn’t shoot Simon. I didn’t lay a finger on him, I swear it to you. Bretton’s the one you gotta start questioning.” Turning slightly, he pointed one finger at the man. “Why was he at Annie’s door? Why did he shoot through her windows? Why is he trying so hard to put the blame on my shoulders over this murder? Is it because he wants revenge for what I did in rejecting him, in finding my sister a happy marriage to a man who’ll be more than he ever is?”

  “I knew you were there.”

  Bretton’s snarl shocked even Annie. Slowly, she turned her gaze towards him and saw that he was half crouched, like a lion about to attack.

  “I knew you were in that house,” Bretton said again, his teeth bared as Sheriff Matthews took a small step closer. “But that doesn’t prove anything. Try as hard as you like, Joe. There ain’t nothing in what you’ve said that proves me wrong about Simon’s death.”

  “Except,” Sheriff Matthews said mildly, “that it does make me question whether or not you’re telling me the truth, Bretton. You’ve just told me a pack of lies about Simon shooting up Annie’s house, only to admit that it was actually you there that night.”

  Bretton snorted disdainfully. “I’ve been trying to do the right thing here, Sheriff Matthews. Joe Taylor’s a dangerous man, just like I’ve said. He’s even admitted to doing all the things I’ve accused him of!”

  “Because you had him in a bind!” Annie exclaimed, just as Joe grasped her hand. “You used Laura against him.”

  Shaking his head, Bretton let out a harsh laugh. “It’s my word against his.”

  Annie made to answer, only to see Mr. Steward pointing just behind Bretton’s head. Her spirits soared as she saw a group of horses riding towards them, recognizing Laura and Robert at the very front. Tears sprang into her eyes, her hands wrapping around Joe’s arm. They’d done it. They were saved.

  “I think you’ll find, Bretton,” Joe said slowly. “That it’ll be my word and the word of the townsfolk of Steerhorn against yours.” He pointed, and Bretton turned his head to look, only to take a step back.

  “They came,” Annie whispered, as Joe pulled her tight against him, cradling her in his arms. “They came to save you, Joe.”

  He shook his head. “I don’t deserve it. Not after what I did to them all.”

  “But they understand,” Annie replied hoarsely. “Just like the town here understands. You’re saved, Joe. We can start over, just like we planned. Sheriff Matthews knows you’re not guilty, I can see it on his face.”

  Sheriff Matthews, overhearing her, managed a small smile. “I think, Joe,” he said, loud enough for the townsfolk to hear, “that your supposed guilt is nothing more than a sham. Bretton, we’re gonna have some talking to do, I reckon. If you’re supposedly deputy sheriff of Steerhorn, and you’ve been doing what Joe here says, then there’s gonna be consequences.”

  “But...but...” Bretton twisted his head to look at the sheriff, only to turn back to the sight of the horses riding towards him. There was nothing more he could say. Nothing more he could do. The consequences were finally about to fall on his head, and Annie couldn’t help but feel triumphant.

  “I presume my office is ready?” Sheriff Matthews said, turning towards the folks behind him. “Good. Then can some of you men escort Mr. Bretton here – and any of his men – up there, please. I’ll be talking to them all at length.”

  For a moment, Annie thought Bretton might run, only to see him slump. The fight had gone from him, his arrogance and self-assurance scattered in pieces around him. The townsfolk began to mutter amongst themselves as some of the men came to do as Sheriff Matthews had asked.

  “But this still doesn’t tell me who killed Simon Hartford,” Sheriff Matthews murmured quietly, looking at Annie steadily. “I know from what my uncle said, he practically terrorized this town. I’m guessing it could be any one of them.”

  Annie closed her eyes for a moment, remembering Judith’s white face and the way she had trembled at the news that a new sheriff was in town. Hadn’t Judith said that Simon had been threatening her husband? What if she’d had enough? What if Simon had tried to threaten her – or her child?

  “Annie?” Joe asked gently. “Is something wrong?”

  She didn’t know what to say.

  “I reckon whoever it was had a good reason for doing what they did,” Sheriff Matthews said slowly, his eyes still fixed on Annie, as though he knew that she had worked something out. “If they come forward, I’ll be more than understanding; I promise you that.”

  Annie nodded slowly. “I can’t be sure of anything, Sheriff, but I—”

  “Sheriff Matthews?”

  Annie turned to see Judith standing there, her baby in her arms. Tears were pooling in her eyes.

  “I need to talk to you about my husband,” Judith continued in a quiet voice. “He ain’t here at the moment. He’s gone to the city, to find us some more suppliers, but I can’t be sure he’ll come back.”

  Sheriff Matthews nodded slowly. “And is this to do with Simon’s death?”

  Judith nodded, tears dripping onto her cheeks. “Simon’s been threatening us for years. We had to pay him every week from the money we made from the shop, just so that he’d leave us alone. Once, when my husband refused, he beat him up so badly he couldn’t leave his bed for a month. I thought I might lose him.” Her voice grew so weak that Annie struggled to hear her. “This time, Simon threatened to hurt me. John, he…he just couldn’t stand it anymore. I’m sorry I kept this to myself, Annie, but I didn’t know what else to do.”

  “I understand,” Annie said gently. “You were in a bind. You ain’t got nothing to apologize for.”

  Sheriff Matthews nodded and put one hand on Judith’s shoulder. “You go on into your shop now. I’ll be along later to talk to you further, but I don’t want you wo
rrying. There’s more to this story, I know.”

  Judith sniffed and wiped her eyes. “Thank you, Sheriff Matthews.”

  Annie watched her go with a heavy heart, just as Joe slipped an arm around her waist. “That poor woman.”

  “I reckon it’ll be all right,” Joe replied, pressing a kiss to her temple. “Sheriff Matthews seems like a good man by all accounts. He’ll deal with this in the right way.”

  Annie sighed to herself and leaned into him, seeing Laura and Robert jumping down from their horses. They waited for the other horses to join them, and Annie saw the bright smile on Laura’s face, feeling the same happiness that was evident in her features.

  “It’s all over,” she whispered, as Joe held her close. “It’s finished. I don’t have to live in fear anymore.”

  “Or loneliness,” he murmured, turning himself a little more so that he could look into her eyes. “I don’t plan on being parted from you any time soon, Annie. You’ve given me a new home, a place to start over, and a love that I never thought I deserved.” His fingers brushed her cheek before gently lifting her chin. “If it wasn’t for you, then I might still be hiding from Bretton, worried and afraid for you and for Laura. You’ve given me the freedom I’ve been searching for, the happiness I’ve always longed for. I love you, Annie.”

  She smiled up at him, not caring about the rest of the townsfolk watching them. “I love you too, Joe,” she whispered, happiness and relief flooding her heart as she lifted her face for his gentle and loving kiss.

  Broken Betrothal

  Mail Order Bride

  Broken Betrothal

  Text Copyright © 2018 by Ruby Hill

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