One of the deputies leaned forward. “I know this is a private conversation, but I can’t let this go on.”
He looked up at her. “Miss Rose, what kind of reputation do you think you have? Because folks I know, they all say that you’re one of the best women Leadville has. Who brings those babies to see the Widow Thomas every week, because she’s stuck in that house of hers that she won’t leave because she’s convinced that someday her husband’s going to come back? Who takes plates of food from the Sunday suppers to folks who can’t make it?”
The wagon hit another bump, sending Rose into Silas. He steadied her, putting an arm around her. But she immediately pushed him away.
“I’m fine.”
She turned and looked at the deputy. “I appreciate your kind words, and I’m truly grateful. But we all know there are those who will never let me forget what I’ve done. I’ve learned to live with that.”
If it hadn’t been for the strain in her voice and the tears in her eyes, he might have believed her. Though they made a big deal of the past being in the past and not knowing the person the other had grown into, Silas could still tell when Rose was lying.
But how did he convince her not to give up?
“We’ve reached Granite,” one of the other deputies said, and Silas turned to see the outlines of the buildings making up the town. Much smaller than Leadville, the town appeared to be mostly asleep.
Though he’d been eager to finally rest for the evening, he was loath to see the end of the ride and the end of his conversation with Rose. She might have said that there was nothing more to say, but he had plenty.
She might think there was nothing that could convince her to continue with Milly’s care, but there had to be something. There had to be a way.
Chapter Seventeen
Rose’s stomach hurt so bad, she thought she might be sick. Every argument the Garretts had made for taking Milly had been about Rose’s unsuitability as her caretaker. Uncle Frank had been teaching her not to give in to the bullies, but this was more than bullying. This was a woman so desperate to keep a child away from her that she’d resort to kidnapping the child. But she hated the disappointed look on Silas’s face.
They’d arrived at a house on the edge of town, owned by one of the deputies from Granite. Rather than putting Flora and the Garretts in jail with drunks and violent criminals, the deputy had offered his home for everyone to spend the night. The men were to sleep in one room, the women in another. But for now, they were all in the main room, discussing plans for the next day.
Rose couldn’t concentrate on what was said, not with the way her stomach hurt. Not when the plans ultimately meant not caring for Milly. She turned to go to the room designated for the women, even though she was certain she wouldn’t be able to sleep.
“Rosey?” A sleepy-eyed Milly, wrapped in a blanket, tugged at her skirt. “You no go ’way.”
Rose knelt in front of the little girl, taking her in her arms. “I’m just going to bed, dear one. Would you like to come?”
“I no sweepy.”
Cradling the girl in her arms, Rose smiled, until she caught Mrs. Garrett’s glare. “Then you stay with your papa.”
“You be here in morning?”
“I will. But we’re going to find someone else to be your nanny.”
“You be my mommy?” Those little blue eyes were so filled with hope, it made Rose’s stomach hurt even more.
“I can’t.” How two words could cause her physical pain, Rose didn’t know. But they tore at her heart in a way she’d never expected.
To think Silas had wanted them to marry for the sake of the children. By now, he should have realized such an action would only ruin Milly’s life.
Milly placed her hands on Rose’s cheeks. “But I wuv you, Rosey.”
“This is an outrage!” Mrs. Garrett pulled against her restraints “Annie has been dead for less than a year and already her daughter is calling another her mother. You promised you’d keep Annie’s memory alive, and here she has already forgotten her.”
Tears streamed down the older woman’s face. “You see? I had no choice but to take her.”
“Everyone has a choice,” Silas said coldly. “All you had to do was talk to me. Let me know your concerns, and we could have worked through them together.”
“I did tell you!” Another flood of tears came rushing down. Mr. Garrett tried reaching for his wife, but with his hands shackled, the gesture was almost lost.
Except Rose saw. The pain this couple was dealing with. Mrs. Garrett might have been the most vocal about their loss, but Rose could see the deep lines in the older man’s face.
“How many times did I express my displeasure at that creature caring for Millicent? But you never listened.”
“Did you even give Rose a chance?” Silas sounded just as forceful. “You accuse me of not listening, but did you?”
Then he turned to Rose, still cradling Milly in her arms. “Do you see how much Milly loves Rose? How much Rose loves her? Would you wish anything different for your grandchild?”
“Her mother,” Mrs. Garrett sobbed.
Rose smoothed Milly’s hair, then whispered in her ear. “Go give your grandmother a hug. She’s sad, and it would make her feel better.”
Milly hopped down, then went to her grandmother, placing both hands on Mrs. Garrett’s cheeks as she’d done to Rose. “You no be sad, Granmudder. Is okay.”
Though Milly probably had no idea what she was saying or doing, or even what Mrs. Garrett was sad about, she plopped down on the older woman’s lap.
“Why you have deese?” Milly fingered the handcuffs.
“Because...” Mrs. Garrett started sobbing again.
Milly patted her cheeks again. “Is okay, Granmudder.”
But it only made Mrs. Garrett cry harder.
Rose looked at the deputy who’d praised her. “Is all of this necessary? The handcuffs, the guards? They’re grieving grandparents who only wanted to keep their granddaughter close to them.”
“They kidnapped a child,” he said firmly. “I know you’ve a good heart, Miss Rose, and you want to see the best in people, but grandparents or not, they haven’t got the right to take her without her father’s permission.”
Then the deputy looked over at Flora. “And worse, they encouraged a young lady from a good family to join them in their plot.”
Will entered the house, flanked by two other deputies. “You shouldn’t be talking to them about the case. I don’t want anything to interfere with getting a conviction.”
Conviction. The word sounded so harsh to Rose. Though she had no love for the Garretts, she didn’t think they deserved to be in jail.
“That sounds a little harsh, don’t you think?” Rose said quietly, looking over at Silas.
“I’ve been thinking the same thing.” Silas let out a long sigh. “I know technically this is considered a kidnapping, but could we chalk it up to a misunderstanding?”
The look of annoyance on Will’s face was almost adorable, especially because ever since they found the Garretts, he’d looked at them like he wanted to kill them.
“Did they or did they not have your permission to take Milly?”
Will turned his gaze on the Garretts, the glare intensifying.
“It’s not that simple,” Silas said, also looking at them. “I don’t want them taking Milly away, but I also don’t want them to miss out on seeing her grow up.”
“I don’t want to miss out on watching her grow up, either,” Mr. Garrett said, speaking for the first time since they’d caught up with them. He turned and looked at his wife. “I know you want her to come home with us, but I’d rather have a few afternoons here and there with her than to spend my last days rotting in a jail cell missing that sweet girl.”
He patted his lap. “Come give your grandfather a big hug.”
Milly crawled over to him, wrapped her arms around him, then gave him one of her big, wet kisses on the cheek. “Granfadder, I wuv you.”
The old man’s eyes filled with tears. “I love you, too.” He looked up at Silas, then added, “Milly.”
Rose felt her own eyes water at the sentiment. She remembered the story Silas had told about how Milly had gotten her name, and how the Garretts had refused to call her Milly.
She stole a glance at Silas, who appeared to be just as affected by Mr. Garrett’s use of Milly’s name.
What she wanted to do was go over to him and give him a hug and tell him that she supported him, that she understood his dilemma. But that was crazy. And would do neither of them any good. As much as she wanted to be there for him, it wasn’t her place.
Silas hated the way Rose looked at him. Like she knew. He sighed. She did know. That was the trouble. She knew too much. If ever there was a woman who knew him, who understood him, it was Rose. Even now. Even with everything that had passed between them, and how they’d changed, she knew.
What he wanted most right now was to take her by the hand, sit on that front porch and figure out the best direction from here. He trusted her wisdom, and especially here in Leadville, she’d guided him in so many important ways.
How was he supposed to know what was right without her?
Will hadn’t answered his question about whether or not this could all be considered a misunderstanding.
Silas turned his attention on Flora, whose eyes were red and nose puffy from crying. “And what was your part in this whole thing?”
“I wasn’t...” She looked around, her gaze settling on Silas. “I didn’t... They said she was being corrupted by Rose, and wanted to go home. They hired me to be Millicent’s new nanny.”
Silas felt Rose tense beside him. He reached for her hand and squeezed.
“Corrupted, how?”
Flora took a step back, immediately running into one of the deputies. “Well, everyone knows her reputation. She has a child to prove it.”
Rose tried pulling her hand out of his, but Silas held her firm. “I’m curious, Flora. Who did she hurt with her actions?”
“What do you mean?”
“When she ran off with an outlaw. Who was hurt by that?”
For a moment, Flora didn’t speak. Then she said, with just a touch too much smugness in her voice. “Her family. They were humiliated.”
“No, we weren’t,” Will said, coming forward. “Everyone was disappointed by her actions, yes. But I can honestly say that I speak for the family when I tell you how proud we are of how well she’s handled herself given the circumstances.”
“There are many good families who won’t receive her,” Flora declared hotly.
“True,” Will said. “But this situation has taught us about which friends we can count on, and those are the friends who matter. As for not being received, it seems to me that you’re not welcome in a number of homes yourself.”
Even without knowing her, Silas could see the pain in her expression. “That’s just because they don’t...”
Perhaps it was cruel of him to point out, but this young lady needed to learn an important lesson.
Silas gave her a sharp look. “Because they don’t appreciate the way you’ve hurt people with your gossip? Tell us, Flora, how many people have you hurt with your thoughtless words?”
Tears streamed down her face. “But I only...that is, I...”
“Enough.” Rose stepped forward. She looked at Flora, but it was too dim in the room for Silas to read Rose’s expression. “I think the point Silas is trying to make is that the only person I hurt was myself. You’ve hurt a lot of people in our town, and for what?”
“I was just trying to help,” Flora blurted. “All the sin and lawlessness in town and no one seems to care. If I pointed out the sins of others, it was to caution people to avoid being contaminated.”
Rose took another step forward. Silas tugged at her hand to hold her back, but she pulled free from his grasp.
“Contaminated?” Her voice was calm. “Is that how you see me?”
Flora opened her mouth but didn’t speak. Rose turned to the Garretts. “And you? Is that what you’re afraid of? That my sin of...having relations with a man outside of marriage... If I spend time with Milly, do you think she’s going to do it too?”
Silas wanted to laugh at how ridiculous it sounded. But Rose wasn’t laughing.
She walked right up to Mrs. Garrett, kissed the old woman’s cheek, and said, “There. Now you’re a fallen woman, too.”
Silence echoed through the group as they all stared at her. Rose shook her head as she picked Milly up out of her grandfather’s lap and walked back to Silas. “Associating with me won’t cause my sin to taint any of you.”
Smiling at Milly, Rose said, “Would you tell your grandparents what I teach you about how to treat others?”
“I hafta be nice to dem, even when dey mean.”
“Why?”
Even though his daughter was half-hidden by Rose, Silas could see the smile on her face.
“Because Jesus say to. Him wuvs us all. So we haf to wuv each udder.”
Rose turned her attention back to Flora and the Garretts. “I might be, as you say, a doxy, but I have always worked with Milly to teach her about treating others with basic kindness. And you have done nothing but undermine those lessons with how you treat me, and anyone else you disapprove of.”
Part of Silas wished he’d been the one to defend Rose. But as he caught a glimpse of the fire in her eyes, the other part of him was glad she’d done so herself. She was finally releasing the shame that had held her captive for so long.
He moved closer and put his arm around her. “Rose may not be welcome in some homes, but that is only because those people do not know her and her character. Those who know her know her to be a godly woman who seeks the Lord and encourages them to do the same. I cannot ask for a better example for my daughter.”
Then he turned his gaze to Flora. “Those who do not welcome you into their homes do so because they know your character. Instead of helping others, you’re hurting them, and no one wants to be associated with that.”
Tears filled Flora’s eyes. “My own mother won’t take me on calls with her.”
Rose nodded. “But if you showed repentance for your actions, and endeavored to change your behavior, I’m sure that would change. I know the other ladies at church would welcome you back if you did so.”
Flora scowled, but Silas sensed a softening in her.
Will cleared his throat. “Did you know that the Garretts didn’t have Silas’s permission to take Milly?”
Flora looked around the room. “Well, I...” Her gaze landed on the Garretts. “I’m just the nanny. And that’s all I have to say until I speak with my father.”
“Very well, then,” Will said. “I’m sure you’ve all given us a lot to think about. I’ll be speaking with Silas to sort out whether or not this was all a misunderstanding, or if kidnapping charges are warranted.”
He looked over at Silas and nodded. “I’m sure you’ll feel better if you sleep on your decision. Looks like that little girl of yours has already fallen asleep, and I’m pretty sure Rose will fall over if we don’t get her to bed soon.”
With a smile, Will held an arm out to Rose. “Let me take Milly. I’ll help you both get settled. My wife will never forgive me if you take sick from lack of sleep.”
Rose handed Milly over, looking more fatigued than Silas had realized. With emotions so high, it had been easy to miss. But now, she looked like she could sleep for an entire day.
“I’ve never been sick a day in my life,” Rose said, rubbing her eyes. “But I do
believe that you’re right that I need some sleep. Good night, everyone.”
Rose didn’t look at him as she started to exit the room, leaving Silas feeling even more lost. What would he do without Rose caring for Milly? He could probably find any number of nannies willing to watch his daughter, even at the meager wage he could afford. But he’d meant every word he’d said about Rose and her character. And that was a rare gift he wasn’t sure he’d find in anyone else.
He started to go to the room he’d been told would be where he was sleeping for the night.
“Silas, wait,” Mrs. Garrett called to him.
Though his feet felt like his boots had been filled with lead, he turned.
“Please don’t take Milli—that is, Milly, from us. You’re right. We never gave the situation our honest effort. Rose...”
Mrs. Garrett’s voice shook as she called out to Rose. Rose stopped and looked at the other woman.
“It’s true,” Mrs. Garrett said. “We never tried to get to know you. Any praise directed toward you, we ignored, and we found fault in everything you did. You just have to understand, Annie was everything to us, and to see someone trying to take her place, it was unthinkable.”
The older woman sobbed, and Mr. Garrett attempted to comfort her through their restraints.
“I never wanted to take Annie’s place,” Rose said quietly. “And I would never want to erase her memory for Milly or Silas. From what Silas tells me, she was a good woman, a good wife.”
With the kind of compassion Silas had grown to love about Rose, she looked down at the Garretts. “And obviously, a wonderful daughter. But you can’t keep her memory alive by refusing to let anyone else live.”
Even as exhausted as she was, Rose had still managed to find a way to handle the situation with grace and love. How could Silas not admire that in her? How could he not notice the depth of her beauty radiating out from her heart?
How was he supposed to let her go?
Chapter Eighteen
Sunlight streamed through the room as Rose woke the next morning. To say that every part of her body ached would have been an understatement, because she was certain that there were undiscovered parts of her body she knew nothing about, and they hurt, too.
For the Sake of the Children Page 20
