Misty's True Love (Mail Order Brides of Pioneer Town, Book 2)

by Ruth Hartzler

  The sheriff paused, looking down at his feet before speaking. “This person that you met with today—did she give you anything?”

  Misty sat there quietly, swallowing rapidly as she tried to make sense of what he was asking and why. “Did she give me anything? Well, we had tea together and then she tried to give me a cake, but she dropped it.”

  “Okay, so everything went well with your meeting?” he asked, completely ignoring her last remark.

  “Yes…” Misty said. Her voice trailed off as she replayed the meeting in her mind. There had to be something that she was missing, but what was it? Why was he there?

  “I don’t know how else to put this, then, but I have reason to suspect that a crime has been committed. Would you give me permission to search through your belongings? If the accusations are false and I find nothing, then I will wash my hands of the allegations and leave,” the sheriff said slowly.

  “Crime? What kind of crime?” Indiana asked in shock, her hands flying to her throat.

  Sheriff Baker did not respond to her question. His eyes didn’t leave the floor until his gaze fixated on Misty. He watched her carefully as she tried to find the right words with which to respond, but struggled tremendously. After composing herself, she spoke in the most confident tone that she could muster. “May I ask what it is you’re looking for? Perhaps there’s been a misunderstanding.”

  “That could very well be the case, but it can’t stop me from doing my job, Miss Fields. And as far as telling you what I’m looking for, I’m afraid I cannot do that,” the sheriff said, scratching his forehead.

  “Oh,” Misty said, feeling trapped in the moment. Maybe she was just letting her emotions get the best of her, though. She forced herself to regain her composure before she fell apart again. “Of course, Sheriff. I am not sure what this is all about, but you’re more than welcome to search anything of mine if it might clear up this matter.” Misty knew that she had nothing to worry about since she was innocent of any crimes, but what was he searching for?

  Without hesitation, the sheriff nodded and accepted her permission. “Did you bring anything with you to the meeting earlier, anything at all?”

  “I do not believe so,” she replied, trying to remember if something was slipping her mind. “Wait. I did take my purse, my purse.”

  As soon as the words had left her lips, Sheriff Baker’s eyes grew wider. “Interesting. Would you allow me to look inside it?”

  Misty wasn’t sure if ‘yes’ was the correct response, so she glanced over at Indiana. Indiana smiled, nodding to let her know that it was okay to give him permission. Clearly she knew that it had to be a misunderstanding as well. “Yes, of course. Anything you need,” she said.

  “May I ask where it is?” he asked.

  Misty believed that the sheriff would find nothing out of place and leave if she willingly handed her purse over to him. He was being very polite despite the seriousness of the situation—but at the end of the day, he was there for the wrong reasons, and the only way for her to send him on his way without further issue was to prove that she was innocent of any wrongdoing. “It’s right here,” she said, her hands trembling. She picked up the purse that sat beside her leg and extended it toward the sheriff.

  “Thank you,” he replied, studying the object closely. He paused briefly before opening it, looking at both Misty and Indiana before doing so. Then, after he had peered inside and moved a few things around, his face immediately turned several shades paler. His hand slowly pulled a foreign object from the purse, revealing it to be a lavish necklace of sorts.

  “What is that?” Misty said, as her heart fell to her stomach. “How did it get in there?” Frozen in fear, she looked back at Indiana, hoping she could somehow explain what was going on. Instead, her friend seemed just as confused and panicked as she was.

  The sheriff was silent for a few moments as he closely examined the necklace. It shone brightly in the light as he held it, its diamonds sparkling amongst the emeralds that joined them. When his eyes met Misty’s once more, he frowned and spoke softly. “May I ask where you got this item?”

  Misty could feel the beads of sweat trickling down her forehead as she thought about his inquiry. How could she answer such a thing, considering that she had no idea? “I wasn’t aware that I had it…”

  Suddenly, Indiana let out a long, drawn-out sigh, interrupting the discussion temporarily. She then leaned forward, glancing at Misty with an encouraging nod. “Sheriff, we would be more than happy to discuss this matter, but could you please tell us what this is all about? What is the problem, and to whom does that necklace belong?”

  Sheriff Baker appeared reluctant to pursue the matter, but his reluctance meant nothing in terms of the law. “This necklace was reported missing earlier today by Miss Rosamund Swire. That is where you were earlier today, is it not?” he asked, his question clearly aimed at Misty.

  “Yes,” she replied, nodding as she tried to swallow the lump in her throat.

  “Then it’s as I had feared. Miss Swire informed us that Miss Fields was at her house earlier today for tea and was acting very peculiar the entire time. According to the report, she acted suspiciously during the visit, but it was only afterward when Miss Swire discovered that her prized possession was missing.”

  “Sheriff, are you implying that she stole something from Miss Swire?” Indiana asked, standing to her feet.

  Sheriff Baker followed suit, standing up as he tried to calm her. “I understand your frustration, but I am only regarding the evidence as I see it right now. Unfortunately, it seem as if a theft might have occurred.”

  “A theft?” Misty said, astonished by what she was hearing. “You think I stole that? I have never even seen that necklace before in my life!” she said, her voice growing slightly louder as she rose to her feet to join the others.

  “This cannot be,” Indiana said, shaking her head profusely. “I can personally vouch for Miss Fields. Why, she was in my family’s service for years and had access to many an item of valuable jewelry.”

  The sheriff raised his hands in a placating manner. “It might very well be a misunderstanding, or at the worst, a false allegation, but we need to take the accusation seriously until we discover otherwise.” He turned to address Misty. “I mean, as far as I know, it could have fallen into your purse or something of the sort. It’s unlikely, but anything could have happened, and it’s not for me to decide what. Unfortunately, however, I will have to take you into custody until the district judge comes to town in a few days. The decision on what happens next will fall to him.”

  “Are you saying that she’s under arrest?” Indiana said, her voice shaky. “This is preposterous! Miss Fields would never steal from someone!”

  “I understand that, but until the accusations are proven unfounded, we need to go through the necessary steps. Only the judge has the power over this situation now. I’m sorry,” he said, walking over to Misty with his hand extended. “Please come with me.”

  As Sheriff Baker led her away, Misty looked back in terror at Indiana. She was standing there helpless, her face riddled with sadness. Her friend said nothing as they walked out the front door toward uncertainty, but Misty knew that Indiana wouldn’t rest until the truth was known—or at least that’s how she hoped it would be.

  “Sheriff, may I say goodbye to Indiana first?”

  “Yes, if you can do it from here,” he said.

  Misty looked at Indiana. “I am certain this was a set-up.”

  Chapter 14

  The afternoon was somewhat chilly, but it wasn’t nearly as cold as how Cody’s skin felt. Goosebumps were forming on his arms, as he walked up the steps to his mother’s home. He shrugged it off, assuming that the cool breeze was at fault. With a gentle knock, he waited patiently until the door opened, revealing Bradford’s welcoming smile. “Good morning, sir. May I take you to see your mother?”

  “Yes, please,” he said to the butler, nodding all the while. “I heard that sh
e was looking for me. Is something the matter?”

  “I’m afraid I know nothing of such things, sir. I believe you will need to speak to your mother about that,” Bradford said, leading Cody toward the drawing room.

  As they walked in, he saw his mother sitting by the fireplace, sipping from a cup of tea. In one hand she held the teacup, but in the other was a small piece of paper. At first, she continued reading from it, not paying any mind to the butler and her son. He knew that Bradford was just being courteous by waiting instead of interrupting her, but if she had sent for him, then something had to be wrong. In order to inform her that she had visitors, Cody cleared his throat, garnering a sincere look of shock from his mother.

  “Oh, I hadn’t noticed you,” she said, gently placing the items that she held on the table as she stood to greet Cody. “Bradford, send a maid with more tea.”

  “Of course, my lady,” he said, bowing slightly before walking off.

  “So, may I ask what is going on?” Cody said, intent on figuring out what nobody else was telling him.

  For a moment, it looked like she was about to speak, but then his mother stepped backward, feeling for her chair with her hands. As she sat, she pointed over at the sofa, signaling for Cody to sit across from her.

  After doing as she had asked, he leaned forward in his seat, interlocking his fingers together. “Mother, please, just let me know whatever it is that’s on your mind.”

  She paused briefly, but for the first time since Cody had sat down, she stopped looking away and glared over at him. “Just after lunchtime, a courier came by with an urgent letter from Miss Rosamund Swire. It seems that Miss Fields has been arrested for theft.”

  The news was like a punch to the stomach, forcing his eyes to fall to the floor. Cody couldn’t breathe, but he also couldn’t even think. He felt broken and battered, but there had to be a reason behind what he was hearing. “Theft? How absurd! What happened?”

  “Well, the letters contains no details, but it appears that Miss Swire invited Miss Fields to tea. After your friend had gone, Miss Swire noticed that a very valuable and irreplaceable necklace had been taken. Since she had only one guest that day, it wasn’t difficult to pinpoint the culprit. When she notified the Sheriff, he went to visit her at the Chase ranch, and she hadn’t even tried to conceal it. The brazen woman left the necklace right in her purse,” his mother said, her voice sounding pleased.

  “You cannot be serious!” Cody snapped. “Misty would never do such a thing!”

  “My son, you barely know the woman. Do you honestly believe that you know her that well?” she said, lifting her teacup back to her lips.

  Cody swallowed hard, shaking his head as his body filled with an overpowering warmth. “Actually, I do. And it’s not just her: Morgan and Indiana have both vouched for her time after time. I trust their word much more than I do than that of someone like Miss Swire,” he said, standing up at once in anger.

  “I understand that this is difficult news to hear, but perhaps you should calm yourself down and listen to reason. The Sheriff found what he found, and there’s no way to dispute it. I’m sorry, but maybe she just isn’t good enough for you after all,” his mother said, smiling as she spoke.

  Cody wasn’t usually one to let his temper get the best of him, but that moment was definitely testing his willpower. It took every bit of strength that he could muster not to raise his voice toward his mother right then. In a reasoned but stern tone, he replied, “I know who is good enough for me and who isn’t, Mother. What I don’t know is why you and Miss Swire would set her up like this. Miss Fields has done nothing to either of you to deserve the way she’s been treated.”

  The look on his mother’s face was one that he hadn’t seen before. She looked extremely agitated, but bewildered at the same time. “What? You think that we planned this?”

  “What else am I to think? Just because I show civility to the woman doesn’t mean that I don’t see right through her façade. It’s been both her objective and yours for quite some time to get me to marry her and you know it! You can’t stand here and lie to me about that; can you, Mother?” Cody said, his anger getting the better of him for a moment.

  “I had absolutely nothing to do with the woman’s arrest,” she said, her voice rather insistent. “All that I am guilty of is trying to make sure that my son marries a woman worthy of his name.”

  “Then why are you pushing that woman on me? If you truly have no knowledge of this, then clearly Miss Swire did it all on her own. The thing is, however, that your encouragement might have been just as effective as her lies. What if she resorted to lying about the theft just to expedite what you two have been after all along?”

  His mother sighed once more as she walked over toward the fireplace. She said nothing yet, but stood there, pointing at a specific portrait on the mantle. “Do you see this photograph? It was taken when you were just seven years old. Back then, you told me that you would always trust me. Is that still true?”

  Cody paused, his chest tightening. “Of course it is, Mother. I trust you with my life, but this is all so absurd. An innocent girl is going to pay for a crime she didn’t commit all to secure a marriage that I wanted no part of in the first place. How could anyone live with themselves after doing something like that to her?”

  His mother stood by the fireplace still, her eyes fixated on the image of him as a boy. “I do not know the answer to that, but I had nothing to do with it, nor would I ever. I just need you to trust me once more, like you did when you were a child. I’m not sure what happened here, but I shall find out. Perhaps it is all a misunderstanding,” she said, finally turning to look back at him.

  “A misunderstanding? Whatever do you mean?” he asked, his voice as shaky.

  “I meant just what I said,” his mother replied, walking back toward her chair. “It probably wouldn’t be the first time that a misunderstanding was reported as a crime.” As she sat down, her penetrating stare met Cody’s.

  “Wait. Are you saying that you don’t think Miss Swire had done this deliberately?” The mere thought of his mother defending her even now was enough to make his skin crawl.

  His mother frowned deeply. “Do I think Miss Swire planted her own jewelry on Miss Fields with the intention of having her arrested? Of course not. The idea is absurd. It’s possible that she mistakenly reported it as a theft as she simply misplaced it.”

  “You cannot be serious!” Cody said, his voice unintentionally growing louder. “The theft is a blatant lie, and anyone who refuses to see that is just as guilty as Miss Swire herself. Why would she even invite her to tea in the first place? And don’t give me that nonsense about wishing to make her acquaintance.”

  “But what if that is what it was? Your accusations of Miss Swire could be less founded in truth than those made of Miss Fields,” his mother said, folding her arms over her chest. “As I’ve said, they did find the stolen property. So, maybe neither was at fault, and it is all a simple mistake.”

  “Maybe,” he said, “or maybe jewelry doesn’t just mistakenly find its way into someone else’s possession. I do understand that Miss Swire is your friend, but the woman is a deceitful liar, Mother. Why don’t you ask her yourself? You might be correct that she wouldn’t lie to you, but she obviously did lie to the Sheriff.”

  Without saying anything more, Cody leaped to his feet and turned toward the doorway. Just as he was about to leave the room, Bradford walked in. “Hello, sir. Were you leaving already?”

  Cody paused and looked back at his mother. “Yes, Bradford. I have overstayed my welcome.”

  “Please, wait,” his mother called out, hurrying after him. “I had no involvement in what happened to Miss Fields. I cannot believe that Miss Swire has acted deliberately, but I shall find out.”

  “I suppose that will suffice, then. Thank you, Mother. I do understand why a woman of Miss Swire’s standing would look more appealing to you for me to marry than a former maid. What I will never understand,
however, is how you could treat someone how you did without even getting to know them first. Miss Misty never had a chance to win your approval, Mother. You made her want to leave the moment she came here.”

  His mother sighed, shaking her head. “I have said all that I had to say on the matter, my son. I acted how I did in your best interests, but I am willing to accept my faults if I did indeed make the wrong choices. But will you do the same if it turns out that I was right and this is all just a mistake?”

  “You wouldn’t even have to ask, Mother, but I know Miss Fields well enough to stand by what I believe. One of us is going to find out that someone we trusted and cared for betrayed us. I wouldn’t wish that on you, but I’m sure I won’t be that person.”

  Chapter 15

  Mrs. Olivia Mills stood there, her mouth open and her thoughts in tatters. Her son had never before spoken to her such. The only way that she could right matters now would be to get to the bottom of what really happened, and there was just one person who knew the truth: Miss Rosamund Swire. Without giving it much thought, she called for Bradford to bring the car at once. Her son’s trust in his mother was at stake, and so was his future. Those things were worth protecting, no matter the cost.

  When Olivia entered, Olivia glanced around the silent room, waiting for Rosamund. The entire trip there was probably pointless, but Olivia could not just sit back and do nothing.

  “Mrs. Mills. I wasn’t aware that you were stopping by. How lovely it is to see you,” Rosamund said, walking in with a haughty expression on her face.

  “I do apologize for not giving notice, but there’s a matter that we need to discuss at once,” Olivia said.

  “Oh,” Rosamund replied, showing signs of confusion. “Of course. Please have a seat. I shall ring for tea.”

  “No thank you,” she said, stopping Miss Swire in her tracks.