For the Sake of the Children

by Danica Favorite

  She reached for Matthew, then remembered he was back at home with Mary. As grateful as she was that he hadn’t had to endure last night’s grueling ride, she wished she had him right now. Holding him gave her comfort when nothing else could. And she could use all the comfort she could get.

  When she tried to sit up, she found the movement only made everything in her body hurt worse, if that was possible.

  “Rosey!” The door flew open and Milly came running in. “Is time for bwekfast!”

  Before Rose could react, Milly jumped on top of her.

  “Oh!”

  At Milly’s startled expression, Rose took a deep breath, trying not to wince. “Here, sit by me.” Rose patted the space beside her.

  Silas poked his head into the room. “Milly! I told you not to disturb Rose. She needs her rest.”

  He must have noticed Rose’s unusual position in the bed, because he darted in. “Rose? Are you all right?”

  Even her attempt at smiling caused her pain. “I...Something appears to be... That is, I...”

  How could talking seem so difficult? It felt like with every word, her ribs cried out for her to stop.

  He shook his head slowly. “You’ve never ridden like that, have you?”

  “Well, I suppose I might have...exaggerated slightly.” This time, she made herself smile. “It didn’t seem so difficult at the time.”

  She hated the way he looked at her like she’d somehow deceived him in telling him she could ride. She could. Just not the way they’d ridden last night.

  “What’s going on in here?” Will entered the room, giving Silas a stern look. “You shouldn’t be in this bedroom.”

  “I only came for Milly,” he said smoothly. “However, I’m glad I did. Apparently, Rose is having a hard time getting out of bed after yesterday’s ride.”

  Giving Milly a squeeze, he said, “Go eat your breakfast before it gets cold. We’ll take care of Rose.”

  Milly hopped off the bed and out of the room.

  Will shook his head slowly, like he, too, was disappointed in her. “I knew I shouldn’t have let you come.”

  But as her eyes filled with tears, he approached the bed and knelt beside her. “I’m sorry, Rose. I didn’t mean to hurt you. It just makes returning home today more difficult. You can’t ride in your condition.”

  “We can take the wagon,” Silas said.

  “The Garretts were supposed to be returning it to Amos Warner in Buena Vista. I can’t in good conscience take it back to Leadville.” Rose shook her head, ignoring the pain. “Just give me a few moments, and I’ll be fine.”

  Will and Silas exchanged amused glances.

  “I’m a seasoned rider, and my backside isn’t looking forward to getting back on a horse today,” Silas said with a grin.

  Will coughed, and Rose bit back a grin. A man didn’t speak of such things in front of a lady. But she and Silas were no ordinary man and woman.

  “It’s fine, Will.” Rose smiled at Silas. “I don’t suppose you have any ideas as to how to make it feel better.”

  Silas shrugged. “We could see if there’s any liniment here, or we can send someone to the general store for some.”

  “You are not rubbing liniment on Rose!”

  She’d never heard Will sound so protective.

  “I wasn’t offering.” Silas took a step back. “I’ve done it for myself plenty of times. I was just suggesting it might help ease the ache in her muscles so she can get out of bed.”

  Then he turned his gaze on Rose. “I know it sounds like the last thing on earth you want to do, but the sooner you get up and moving, the sooner you’ll feel better.”

  Rose nodded slowly, wishing even that effort didn’t take so much energy. “I just need a little more time.”

  “Good,” Will said. “You rest. Silas will get some liniment, and I will find a lady to come help you.”

  The last part he said with such a fierce look directed at Silas that Rose couldn’t help but giggle.

  “It’s not funny. I know you think you’re beyond propriety, but Rose, you are still a lady, and you will be treated as such.”

  Then he glared at Silas. “Or there will be consequences.”

  “Enough, Will.” Rose gave him a stern look. “Silas cannot be faulted in his treatment of me. So stop threatening him.”

  “Fine. But I will not tolerate any hint of impropriety.”

  Rose groaned. “I’m already ruined, in case you’ve forgotten.”

  “Stop saying that.” Will turned his glare on her. “I’m tired of you wearing your past like a shroud. I don’t care what Flora and the Garretts think.”

  Obviously, her brother-in-law had spent more time listening to the family than he had spent dealing with people in town. “You don’t understand,” Rose said. “Other people—”

  “Who?” The anger on his face was less directed at Rose than it was at whoever the people were. “Didn’t you hear Deputy Elliott? People respect you, Rose. You’re so busy listening to the negative things people have to say about you that you haven’t been able to recognize what an important part of the community you are. There are far more people who see you in a good light than there are who think poorly of you.”

  “You don’t have to defend me anymore, Will. I accept my position in society.” Now, in addition to every other part of her body, her stomach ached. And her throat hurt.

  “I never had to!” The vein throbbed in his temple. “Yes, there have been people turning their noses up at you, but mostly, they see how you serve others in the church, how you treat everyone with kindness and respect and how everyone can rely on you, no matter what.”

  His words burned, like the tears stinging her cheeks. “But I... Will, I have a child out of wedlock, and there are those in town who will never let me forget that.”

  “Maybe they would if you stopped using that as an excuse to hide. Maybe, if you stopped letting your sin define you, you’d be able to hold your head up a little higher and no one would question why.”

  Silas had said something similar. And yet none of them knew what it was like to walk around town, knowing people were whispering about her.

  “I appreciate the sentiment,” she said, looking from Will to Silas. “But neither of you understand the agony of walking into a place like the Mercantile and having people walk out as soon as they notice you.”

  Will shook his head at her. “That’s where you’re mistaken. Back when I lived in Century City, people thought I’d been part of a robbery. I couldn’t go anywhere without the whispers that I’d killed a man. I hadn’t, but even longtime friends abandoned me. You’re surrounded by people who love you. So stop listening to the negative talk, and focus on the good things you’re doing in our community.”

  Silas gave her an encouraging nod as if to remind her of how he’d been trying to tell her the same thing.

  “But you were innocent, Will. I’m guilty. I did everything people think I did and more. You and Uncle Frank prettied up the role I played, but we all know I was selfish, vindictive, and God help me, I went willingly. Yes, I believed Ben’s lies, but until you, Jasper and Mary came to rescue me, I was a willing participant in all the evil.”

  She turned her gaze on Silas. “I know you don’t want to hear this. But you have to know—all of my sins I committed with full knowledge that I was doing wrong. And I enjoyed every minute of it. It’s the consequences that are hard to live with.”

  “I don’t care,” Silas said quietly. “You’re no longer that person. We’ve been through this, and I don’t know how many times we have to tell you that those mistakes have no bearing on the woman you are today.”

  Will cleared his throat. “I disagree. Your mistakes have everything to do with who you are today. They’ve caused you to turn from being that
selfish woman and to consider how your actions affect others. The woman who did those things would have never given up Milly, nor would she have refused Silas’s offer of courtship.”

  And now, even Rose’s heart hurt. Because if she were being honest with all of them, she’d tell them that she did want to be Milly’s mother. She wanted... Rose shook her head. No, she couldn’t allow herself to want that.

  “Maybe so,” Rose said quietly. “But I could give you a list of people just like Flora and the Garretts who will never see me as someone other than that former person. And I cannot burden another innocent child or her father with that prejudice.”

  She leaned back against the pillows and closed her eyes for a moment. So much inside her ached, and she couldn’t tell the difference between the physical and emotional anymore.

  After taking a couple of painful breaths, she opened her eyes to look at the two men. “If you wouldn’t mind getting the liniment for me, I would appreciate it. I think I need a little more rest.”

  Silas looked like he was about to say something, but Will had placed a hand on his arm. Hopefully, it meant that Will had finally realized the futility of continuing to argue with her. Because as much as she believed she was doing the right thing, it was hard to face the disappointed looks from two men she respected.

  * * *

  On his way back to the house from picking up liniment for Rose, Silas ran into Will.

  “I talked to Jim, the owner of the livery,” Will said, pointing at a nearby building. “He’s Wes’s brother, and I’ve dealt with him a few times before. He’ll take the wagon we brought and be sure it’s returned to its proper owners.”

  “What about getting Rose home?”

  “I stopped by the telegraph office. Frank’s coming with a wagon, Mary and the babies. It’ll mean spending another night here, but I think it’s best for Rose. Jim is sending his wife over to help her for now, but I know Rose will be more comfortable in her sister’s care.”

  “Good. Do you think Rose needs a doctor?”

  Will gave him a long look. “Have you ever needed a doctor after a long, hard ride?”

  “No.” Silas shook his head. “I just thought...”

  “You care about her.”

  “Probably more than I should, I suppose.” Silas sighed. Between Rose chasing him off and her overprotective family, he didn’t stand a chance with her.

  “Like I told you before, that depends on whether or not you intend to marry her.”

  “And what if I did?”

  Those words weren’t supposed to come out. But Will didn’t look surprised by them.

  “It’s not going to come easy, you know.” Will stared at him like he was looking to see Silas’s reaction. Like he thought Silas was going to run off the first chance he got.

  “It hasn’t been so far. And I’m still here.”

  “I’ll talk to Frank,” Will said. “Right now, I don’t think she’ll have you. Personally, I think she’s making a mistake, but it’s her life. Just so you know, I’ll stand by whatever she decides.”

  With a wink, he added, “But I will do my best to guide her in the right direction.”

  Not the response he’d expected from the other man, not when Will had been so hard on him.

  “I didn’t know you approved.”

  Will gave another long nod. “Rose deserves a man who is going to love her fully, no matter what. The way I see it, you’ve stood by her and defended her when a lot of men would have already given up. Even now, when she’s made it clear that she’s not interested, you see through her defenses.”

  Her defenses. That was a kind way of putting it, because right now, he was starting to see that Rose’s stubbornness was the one thing that hadn’t changed from their previous time together. Well, no. That wasn’t true. If anything, it had gotten worse.

  Will looked thoughtful, then added, “She’s scared. And I don’t blame her. She hasn’t had an easy road, and I’d be lying if I said it would be in the future, but that’s not how life works.”

  Giving a small shake of his head, Silas looked at him. “You think I don’t know that? My wife and baby died. I lost everything. And just when I thought things were finally looking up, the Garretts came and tried to destroy it all. I’m not afraid of hard, but it sure would be easier to go through it with the love of a good woman standing beside me.”

  Will slapped him on the back, grinning. “And I think Rose needs a good man standing beside her.”

  Then his expression grew serious. “But now we need to figure out what we’re going to do about the Garretts. Mr. Montgomery is coming with Frank to collect Flora, and I need to know if we’re charging them with a crime or if you’re going to say it was a misunderstanding.”

  Silas thought for a moment, examining the other man’s expression for a sign of what he was thinking.

  “I don’t know,” Silas finally said. “Part of me knows they were desperate, doing what they thought was best for Milly. They’re grieving the loss of a beloved daughter and aren’t thinking clearly.”

  Then he took a deep breath. “But what they did was wrong. If they don’t face consequences, what’s to say they aren’t going to try again?”

  “And Flora?”

  Silas shrugged. “She was just going along with what they wanted. Again, I’d like to see her face some kind of consequences, but nothing so severe as jail.”

  Will looked thoughtful. “I understand your dilemma. And I agree. I don’t want anyone thinking it’s all right to kidnap a child. If it were Rosabelle...”

  His jaw hardened, and he blew out a breath. “I can’t imagine what you went through, not knowing where Milly was. Honestly, I’d want blood.”

  Shaking his head, he grinned. “I suppose God isn’t finished with me learning about forgiveness yet. When it comes to my family, I don’t know if I’m capable of showing mercy.”

  This time, it was Silas’s turn to clap Will on the back. “I think you’d do the right thing in the end, which is all I’m trying to do. The Garretts were my family once, and though Annie is gone, I’m not averse to maintaining that relationship for Milly’s sake.”

  “You’re a better man than me.”

  Silas gave a small snort. “I wouldn’t say that. I just remember when I was a boy, all the things my grandfather taught me. I always wished I had more time with him before he died.”

  Looking at Will, he asked, “Did you know your grandparents?”

  “No.” Will gave him a thoughtful look. “But I remember my mother speaking fondly of my grandmother, and I always wish I’d had the chance to know her.”

  “How can I deny Milly that?”

  Will looked thoughtful again. “It is hard to get to know someone behind bars.”

  Silas wasn’t sure they’d last long behind bars anyway. Neither Garrett was in good health, and lately, he’d noticed Mrs. Garrett not looking well.

  “I suppose I should speak to them. See if there is any hope of salvaging the relationship. If not, I suppose the only recourse is to press charges and let their future rest in the hands of a jury. I don’t like it, but I also need to keep Milly safe.”

  Will nodded slowly. “Then let’s go inside and talk to them. See if we can work something out. Otherwise, I’ll need to have them transferred to the jail.”

  Jail. Such a harsh word. But what else was he to do?

  They entered the house, and Flora and the Garretts were sitting in chairs, still guarded by deputies. The restraints had been taken off their hands, but it was clear they weren’t going anywhere.

  “Mr. Garrett. Mrs. Garrett. Flora.” Silas looked at the three of them. Mr. Garrett appeared to be worn, accepting his punishment. Mrs. Garrett wore an expression of disgust, like she still thought she was in the right. And then there was Flora, her face blotch
y from having spent the entire time since their capture crying off and on.

  “I need to know how to proceed.”

  “Don’t put me in jail,” Flora wailed. “I cannot face such disgrace.”

  He looked at the woman, who appeared so young and fragile, barely older than a girl.

  “But you said that sinners should be punished. You helped the Garretts break the law. And that means you should go to jail.”

  “Noooo!” Flora started sobbing again.

  Silas cleared his throat. “What would you do in my position? Even without jail, it seems to me that you would go home and make it the talk of every parlor in town. Do you feel you deserve that?”

  Tears streamed down Flora’s face. “But how else will people know about the bad things others have done?”

  “Do you want people to know about the bad things you’ve done?”

  “No...” A loud sob burst out of her. “Please. It’s bad enough that everyone is already shunning me. If they knew the truth about me, then I’d have no friends left at all.”

  Silas thought back to what Rose had said the night before. “And Rose doesn’t deserve friends?”

  “I was wrong,” Flora said, sniffling. “I just...”

  “You need to learn to see the world beyond yourself, to care about the feelings of others.” Silas handed her his handkerchief. “Rose invited you to help out with the church ministry. Spend some time there. Learn about the people you’ve been turning your nose up at. Give it an honest effort, and no one will hear about this. But if you keep up your old ways, or I hear that you’ve said one bad thing about someone else, I will make sure that every person in town knows about what you’ve done. I will gleefully recount what it was like to see you in handcuffs.”

  He glanced at Will, who nodded. “And I’ll back up his story. There will never be a bigger laughingstock in all of Leadville.”

  “All right,” Flora said, brushing away the tears with the handkerchief.