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

by Joyce Alec

  “Careful,” Reuben whispered, putting one hand out towards Etta and Jessie. “Stay back for a moment. I’ll watch him.”

  Jessie shrank back against the barn, feeling her heart pounding wildly in her chest. She heard David Peters curse loudly as he walked into the barn, only to emerge a few minutes later on horseback.

  “Quickly,” Jessie hissed, hurrying around to the side of her horse and putting one foot in the stirrup. “We gotta follow him.”

  Thankfully, neither Reuben nor Etta seemed to disagree, and very soon, they were all following David Peters.

  There was very little moonlight, and the horses were uncomfortable walking in the darkness, but Jessie kept her eyes fixed on the small bobbing lantern light that was moving carefully ahead of them. Her thoughts were tumbling through her mind, trying to find some sort of explanation as to what David Peters was doing, riding so late at night, especially when he only had a few hours to get ready to leave the farmhouse.

  Of course, it might be that he’d just decided to make his way out of Copper Peaks and find a new place to work, although it was an awfully strange time to set out if that was his plan. Jessie closed her eyes for a moment, feeling hope burn fiercely in her soul. If she could only find a way to get David Peters to admit that he’d been lying about what he’d seen that night, then the sheriff would have to reconsider things. Martin could be freed.

  “There.”

  Reuben pulled back his horse, and Jessie did the same, seeing how the lantern light had come to a stop. She held her breath, waiting to see what David Peters would do next.

  And then, another lantern light caught her eyes.

  “Where are we?” Etta whispered, her voice only just audible as she whispered from Reuben’s other side.

  “I don’t know,” Reuben replied quietly, jumping down from his horse. “Wait here. I’m gonna go have a closer look.”

  Jessie scrambled down from her horse almost at once, the reins still tight in her hand. “Wait,” she hissed as Reuben began to move away from them. “Wait, I’m coming with you.” Handing the reins to Etta, who didn’t say a word, she hurried after Reuben, who was shaking his head, his face only slightly illuminated in the dim moonlight.

  “You ought to stay with Etta,” he whispered hoarsely. “I’d never be able to forgive myself if–”

  “There’s no time for arguing,” Jessie whispered back, undaunted. “I gotta go see what David Peters is doing, Reuben. For Martin’s sake.”

  Reuben battled with indecision for a long moment before jerking his head in a nod and stepping away into the darkness. Jessie kept pace with him easily, gradually beginning to make out the scene in front of her.

  The lowing of a cow had her body jerking in surprise, one hand pressed against her heart. There were cattle here? Out in the middle of the plain?

  “There,” Reuben whispered, taking a few steps closer. “Look, can you see it?”

  Jessie gasped, her heart thudding painfully. It was an old shack, out in the middle of nowhere with a small paddock next to it, where a few cows were standing.

  An old shack, just like Martin had said.

  11

  “Who’s there?”

  The harsh, rasping voice of David Peters made Jessie jerk violently, before Reuben shoved her, hard, behind his back.

  “I know someone’s there,” David Peters said again, his voice dark. “The cattle wouldn’t be making a noise otherwise.” The sound of a gun being cocked made her shudder. “I ain’t afraid to shoot,” David Peters continued loudly. “I’ve done it before, and there’s nothing stopping me from doing it again.”

  Jessie closed her eyes, aware of the sudden tension that was rushing through her. Did he mean Adler?

  “You killed Adler, didn’t you?”

  There was silence for a moment, and then David Peters began to laugh. The sound ran all through her, making her shudder. Taking in a deep breath, she stood upright and stepped away from Reuben, moving towards David Peters before Reuben could stop her.

  “I followed you out here,” she said plainly. “I knew you couldn’t be telling the truth about Martin. He told me about this place. He told me he’d put his cows out here.”

  David Peters snorted. “His cows. What he means is, cows he forgot to brand. Cows that now hold Adler Jackson’s brand. Cows that he stole from your husband.”

  Everything began to piece itself together in Jessie’s mind.

  “He’d only got three of ‘em back to his little shack out here before things began to go wrong,” David Peters continued, coming closer to her, holding a pistol in one hand and a lantern in the other, which he set down on one of the paddock’s posts. “Claiming that they’re his when those cows have Adler’s brand.”

  “That’s why he didn’t want to say anything,” Jessie said aloud, her voice shaking just a little. “He knew that brand was Adler’s; he knew that folk would think he’d gone and stolen them for himself as some sort of revenge for Adler marrying me.”

  “It was just as well he decided to keep that to himself,” David Peters replied harshly. “Sure made things a whole lot easier for me for a couple of weeks, but then he had to go and blow it all to pieces, didn’t he?”

  Jessie clasped her hands together, reminding herself that she wasn’t alone, that Reuben and Etta were still behind her, hidden in the darkness. “I don’t know what you mean.”

  He scoffed at her. “You found the gun with him, didn’t you? And then he decided he was going to do the right thing, getting you to go and tell the sheriff all about what had happened. That was why he came out here to see me, to make sure I knew that it was all over. That I wasn’t gonna be able to keep him quiet no more.”

  Shuddering where she stood, Jessica closed her eyes tightly for a moment, realizing what David Peters had just admitted to. “You got him to let you stay here on the farm. Otherwise, you’d head on over to the sheriff and make up lies to make it look like Martin was the one who shot Adler.”

  “Oh, don’t get it all twisted there now, Mrs. Jackson,” David Peters replied with a dark smile. “I followed him alright. I saw him taking the cows back to this old shack of his. Had a good look around the place once he’d headed on back to get the rest of ‘em—not that he got to do that. Thought it would be a grand little place for me to use. Of course, once I’d taken care of Adler, I had to go find Martin again, make sure I saw everything he was up to. It wasn’t hard. He was heading on back to his ranch, just like I thought. Stroke of luck it was, seeing him find you and get you to throw his gun away.”

  She shook her head. “Why?” she whispered, her voice no longer able to produce more than a whisper. “Why would you do all this?”

  He chuckled, lifting his pistol towards her, making her go cold all over. “You didn’t know Adler very well, did you? He’s been making the best of this place for years, taking whatever he can get from folk, whether they know about it or not.” Shrugging, he tipped his head back towards the old shack. “Got a good few things in there that I’ll be taking with me when I head on out of Copper Peaks. I’ll need to fetch the final few things from Adler’s cellar, where he’d hidden it all, but that won’t take long. No one here will ever remember David Peters. I’ll just be a shadow that came and went without anyone much noticing.”

  The gun was now pointed straight at Jessie’s chest. Fear grabbed at her heart, her breathing rapid and shallow.

  “So you’re going to let Martin take the blame for something you did?” she asked, trying to get him to admit it aloud, even if it was the last thing she did. “You shot Adler?”

  David Peters shrugged. “Been wanting to get him gone for a long while, ever since I discovered all the treasures he’s got stored in his cellar. Ever wonder what made him so wealthy? I know he told you some nonsense story about some legacy or other, but that ain’t it. Old Adler was a thief and a swindler. He made his money selling other folks’ possessions or trading them for something else. I wanted that money. I wanted that wealth. I us
ed to see him, walking around this place without even thinking about what he’d have to do to make sure he had enough to eat. I can’t tell you how much I hated him.” His jaw worked, his eyes narrow slits as he spat hard on the ground. “I reckon it worked awful well, getting Martin to take the blame,” he continued with a shrug of his shoulders. “He’s not getting out of that cell any time soon, and since there won’t be anyone to tell the sheriff the truth about all of this, I’m guessing I’ll get away without a hitch.”

  Jessie realized she was trembling all over, blood roaring in her ears with the fear of it all. “You’re going to shoot me, just like you did Adler?”

  Again, he shrugged, as though taking someone else’s life wasn’t going to weigh on his conscience. “I can’t exactly let you talk to the sheriff now, can I?”

  “Please,” she stammered, taking a step back. “I don’t—”

  “All you had to do was leave me alone for just a few weeks more, and I’d have figured out a way to get all of this out of Copper Peaks and be gone for good,” he interrupted, his voice filled with malice. “But you’re too stubborn for all that, Mrs. Jackson. Shame, really. You’ve got spirit from somewhere and part of me admires that.” Lifting his gun a fraction, he tipped his head to one side, as though watching her carefully for any sign she might run. “Take a breath now, Mrs. Jackson. You’re about to go meet your husband again.”

  Before Jessie could move, a shot rang out and something flew past her, making her duck low to the ground. At almost the same time, David Peters staggered back, a howl of pain escaping his lips, one hand pressed to his shoulder.

  Reuben strode past her and kicked David Peters’ hand, forcing him to let go of his gun.

  “Did you really think Jessie would come on out here by herself?” he shouted, his voice carrying across the plain. “I heard everything. We heard everything. You’re done for, Peters. It’s over. You’re guilty of murder, and it’ll be my pleasure to hand you over to the sheriff.”

  Etta touched Jessie’s shoulder, her eyes wide with fright as Jessie slowly got to her feet.

  “Are you alright?” Etta whispered, hardly looking away from her husband as though afraid that David Peters might suddenly launch himself at them all. “Did he shoot you?”

  “No,” Jessie replied, struggling to drag in air as she battled her shock. “Reuben got him before he could do anything.” She clung onto Etta’s hand, blinking furiously in an attempt to regain some sort of balance. “I thought I was going to die,” she whispered, feeling moisture land on her cheeks. “I thought he–”

  “You’re safe,” Etta reassured her, hugging her tightly. “Reuben will take care of Peters. We should head on back to town.”

  Jessie shook her head. “Not until I see inside this shack,” she said, praying her legs would hold her up. “I have to know what he put in there.”

  On trembling legs and supported by Etta, they walked towards the shack, seeing the lantern burning in the small window. Reuben, by this point, had David Peters lying on his stomach and was busy tying his hands behind his back. Peters was groaning in agony over his gunshot wound and didn’t look much like he’d be able to do anything to try and get away, even if he wanted to.

  A deep sense of peace settled over Jessie as she walked past him. This was over. This was all over. Yes, Martin would still have to explain about the cows and what he’d really been doing out that night, but she’d heard it all from David Peters and could confirm everything Martin said. Reuben and Etta could, too. It was all going to be all right.

  “My goodness,” Etta breathed, looking inside the shack. “Would you look at that, Jessie? That’s one big bag of money.”

  Jessie’s eyes widened, astonished by the cloth bag that seemed to be overflowing with coins. Picking up the lantern, she tugged at a small canvas bag lying next to the coins, seeing only a few small things inside.

  “Look!”

  Etta reached for something small and held it tightly in her hand, clutching it to her chest for a moment before unfurling her fingers to show it to Jessie. It was a small pocket watch, which caught the light as she held it up.

  “What is it?” she asked, seeing Etta’s evident distress.

  “This was my father’s,” Etta whispered, tears sparkling in her eyes. “We never knew where it went. My ma, she thought she was the one to blame for losing it, but it’s been here all the time. Adler must have taken it without any of us knowing.” Tears poured down her cheeks, sobs shaking her whole frame. “It’s worth something, that’s for sure,” she finished, wiping her cheeks with a shaking hand. “But it’s worth more to us than money. I can’t believe Adler would ever take something like this.” Gesturing to the other small items in the bag, she shook her head, her outrage tearing at Jessie’s heart. “Looks like Adler was well used to taking what wasn’t his.”

  “And this here’s only part of it,” Jessie whispered, brokenhearted over the suffering her late husband had caused. “Didn’t David Peters say there were a few other things at the farmhouse in the cellar?”

  Etta sniffed and nodded. “One thing’s for certain, Jessie. Martin had nothing to do with all this, and I’ll make sure to tell the sheriff all that.” She managed a small smile, still holding the pocket watch close to her heart. “You were mighty brave out there, Jessie, talking to Peters like you did.”

  “I had to find the courage from somewhere,” Jessie replied, her mind filled with thoughts of Martin. “I couldn’t let Martin be blamed for what I knew he couldn’t have done.” She closed her eyes tightly, remembering how bruised and bloodied he’d been. “I just hope he’s going to be all right.”

  “He’ll be just fine in time,” Etta promised, pressing Jessie’s hand. “And he’s sure gonna be glad to see you, Jessie. Looks like you’re gonna have your second chance with him after all.”

  Jessie smiled, a flood of warmth filling her heart and chasing away the last of her fear, her darkness, and her doubt. “I sure hope so, Etta,” she sighed, her eyes drifting away from her to the cloth bag in the middle of the small, dusty table. “And I gotta work out what I’m going to do with all of Adler’s ill-gotten gains.”

  “One thing at a time,” Etta said, as Reuben called for them both to come on out. “Let’s get back to town first and get Martin out of that cell.”

  Jessie nodded and walked back outside into the cool night air, no longer afraid as she looked into the face of David Peters. He remained tight-lipped, his face turned away from hers, refusing to look at her.

  “I’ll get him back to town without a hitch,” Reuben promised, squeezing Etta’s shoulder, while keeping a firm grip on David Peters. “Did you find what you needed in there?”

  “I sure did,” Jessie replied, suddenly desperate for the sun to rise again. “And I’m gonna have a whole lot to show the sheriff, and a whole lot to give back to this town.

  “Your town,” Etta murmured as they began to walk back to the horses.

  A happiness burst in Jessie’s chest, making her lips curve gently. Etta was right. This was her town now, her home. She wasn’t going to leave or try to find a new place to begin all over again. She belonged here; she belonged with the people of Copper Peaks. In time, she hoped that she’d belong to Martin, getting the chance to marry the man she ought to have married all that time ago. “Yes,” she agreed, as they found their horses again. “Yes, a whole lot to give back to my town.”

  12

  Sitting up in his cell, Martin resisted the urge to rub the back of his head. He’d already touched his wound once gingerly and had felt the rough stitches the doctor had needed to put into his skin. His whole head throbbed, sending ripples of pain all through him.

  His heart sank to the floor. It was obvious that David Peters had done what he’d threatened, although he wasn’t quite sure how he’d ended up in the jail cell. What had Peters said to explain Martin’s injuries? What had he said to the sheriff to make him believe him?

  “Martin?”

  He looke
d up sharply and then immediately regretted it, his head blazing with agony.

  “Sorry,” the sheriff muttered, walking into the cell and, much to Martin’s relief, leaving the door open. “How are you feeling?”

  “Sore,” Martin replied gruffly. “I’m guessing David Peters brought me here.”

  “He did,” the sheriff admitted. “But I gotta get you out of here now. Seems David Peters is going to be taking your place.”

  All the air seemed to leave the cell at once, leaving Martin gasping for breath. He’d been so certain that this was all about to come to a very rapid end, leaving him without any sort of defense, but now the sheriff was telling him he was free to go?

  “I ought to have noticed where your wounds were when he first brought you in,” the sheriff continued, sounding apologetic. “But I didn’t. I was so busy trying to get him to stop hollering his story out to almost everyone who’d listen that I just got the deputy to take you in here. Of course, once I heard everything else he’d had to say, I had no choice but to lock you in.” Shaking his head, the sheriff let out a long breath. “He hit you hard, on the back of your head,” he finished heavily. “You had your back to him.”

  “I did,” Martin said slowly. “I was planning on riding back to town when something hit me—hard. I don’t remember nothing after that.”

  The sheriff nodded gravely. “There’s been a whole lot going on while you’ve been lying in this bed,” he explained. “I’m sorry for putting you in here, especially since the whole town knows about it now, but I had to do my job.”

  Martin managed a smile, still feeling completely confused. “I won’t criticize you for that, Sheriff. Although I won’t pretend that I’m not desperate to get out of here.” The weight of what could have happened to him if he’d been convicted of killing Adler suddenly weighed down on his shoulders, forcing him to take a breath. The fear of what could have happened rattled through him, shaking him to his core. His whole life could have come to a short and swift end.