“And here you thought me a stranger.” His wide grin seemed to fill the entire wagon. “You seem to have me already sorted out.”
Being so familiar with this man was dangerous, to be sure, but Mary couldn’t resist teasing him right back. “As I’ve said, I have a great deal of experience with children.”
Her zinger broadened his smile, and before he could send another comment back, Polly interrupted.
“I will not have you ruining our perfectly nice time by speaking any more of the children, Mary Stone. You and I have barely had a break taking care of your siblings and mine, and I intend to enjoy every last moment of it.”
Her indignant glare reminded Mary that this was indeed a rare break from their responsibilities. And while it felt good to get away, even for a moment, part of Mary felt guilty for neglecting her family. It had been neglecting her responsibilities that got her into trouble with Ben in the first place. Oh, had she only not allowed herself to get caught up in the fancy of believing herself to be in love.
Unfortunately, giving her friend a smile was not enough reassurance about their time away.
“Promise me, Mary. No more talk of our responsibilities. We’re here to enjoy ourselves.”
It would have been a simple enough promise to give if only Will’s eyes were not upon her. Why did he care? He seemed to hang on every one of her words.
But maybe that was his intent. To throw her off guard so that she was willing to talk more about Ben. Fine, then.
“Of course I promise,” she told Polly. “What more can I do to show you my desire to have fun?”
Polly grinned. “Just stick with me, my friend.” She turned and indicated the girl sitting on the other side of her.
“This is Beth Williams.”
The freckle-faced girl held out a gloved hand. “So pleased to make your acquaintance. I know your sister-in-law quite well. Annabelle is a dear, and we were all so happy to see her settled with such a fine man as your brother.”
Mary would have been flattered by the compliment to her family except for Polly’s barking laugh and quick retort.
“You mean you were glad that you no longer had to worry about her competing with you for Jasper’s attention.”
Fanning herself furiously, Beth hid behind her fan. “I’m sure I have no idea what you’re talking about. Are we almost there? Suddenly it’s grown quite warm out.”
Some of the girls around them giggled. A perky blonde whose name Mary thought might have been Rachel leaned forward.
“There’s nothing to be embarrassed about. Everyone’s been infatuated with Jasper at one point or another. Who wouldn’t? His father runs with the high rollers and has even sat in Mr. Tabor’s box at the opera house. Plus, he’s the most handsome man I’ve ever seen.”
At those words, all the girls sighed and glanced in the general direction of one of the dandies sitting with the driver of the wagon. The glorious Jasper, she presumed.
In Mary’s eyes, he wasn’t so terribly much to behold. Certainly he had a thick glossy head of dark hair, but not so shiny as to give it the heroic description some of the girls were talking about. And his eyes...why, she’d seen much nicer eyes on—
Will.
She stole a glance at him, only to find him staring right at her with an amused look on his face.
“Do you find Jasper as wonderful as the others are saying?”
His eyes held the same twinkle they’d had the entire time, and Mary was forced to admit, at least to herself, that they held a kindness to them that she rarely saw in others. Ben’s eyes always had a coldness that never left. Will, even when tormenting her, had a warmth that made her want to trust him.
But where would that get her? Perhaps Will had no idea of the extent of Ben’s criminal enterprise. Maybe he saw Ben as so many in Ohio had—as a perfectly amiable man who was all kindness and civility. After all, Ben had very quickly and easily taken in those at the church last night, convincing them, despite her protests, that he was a loving fiancé.
How could she expose the truth of Ben Perry to everyone without exposing herself?
If anyone from her family saw her aunt’s brooch, she’d be in trouble for sure. They would all believe she’d had a role in its theft, as well as the other thefts that had taken place. Several families had jewelry and other valuables stolen—and all of them were connected to Mary and her work. The sheriff had even questioned her about the losses. It wasn’t until the mercantile and bank had been robbed that they’d cleared Mary of suspicion. She’d honestly never thought that Ben, who’d patiently waited for her while she worked, was actually robbing the place behind her back.
Why had she been so desperate for romance as to keep Ben a secret, even from the sheriff?
Ben was right. With all her deceit, who would believe her completely ignorant of his actions?
Will nudged her in the side. “I can introduce you, if you like. I know Jasper from my work in Denver. Pleasant fellow.”
Mortified that her woolgathering over Ben had led to the belief that she was interested in Jasper, Mary shook her head. “That won’t be necessary, thank you. I have no romantic illusions at this point in my life.”
“Say it’s not so.” Will gave her a look that would have melted the heart of any woman who hadn’t had hers irrevocably broken. “A beautiful woman, of marriageable age?”
Before answering, Mary stole a glance at Polly, who had returned to her animated conversation with the other girls. “I won’t marry until after I’m certain I’ve fulfilled my responsibility in raising my siblings.”
On this point, she was determined. She’d failed those responsibilities already in believing herself ready for romance and marriage. From here on out, she wouldn’t fail. Couldn’t fail.
“Why is that mutually exclusive? Plenty of people marry and take on another’s children.”
The conversation was clearly headed in a direction she didn’t need to go. Didn’t need to consider.
“Not when there are six of them,” she said. Mindful of Polly’s gaze turning in her direction, Mary changed course. “What work did you do in Denver with Jasper?”
Will coughed slightly. “I...uh...I did some security for his father’s bank.”
* * *
Will had supposed that at some point or another, his previous line of work would come up. At least it had been about the security he’d done for the Jacksons as opposed to his fall from grace in the sheriff’s office in Century City. Though it was only a matter of time before the gossip got back to people, he’d like that piece of information to remain confidential for as long as possible.
Who wanted to associate with a disgraced lawman? It had been his fault Perry’s gang had gotten away with robbing Colorado Citizens Bank. He’d been so wrapped up in his romance with Daisy, so intent on saving her from Ben’s nefarious schemes, that he hadn’t realized that she was spying on him for Ben. He’d been a fool. And in so doing, everyone believed that he’d willingly given them information, willingly let them go.
Plus, despite Mary’s denials about Ben, he still had to wonder what she knew. What her involvement with the gang might be. Could he get her to trust him enough to tell him the truth? And given his past poor judgment when it came to women working with Ben, could he trust that whatever she told him was the truth?
No, letting Mary know his story was not a safe option at this point. Much as he’d like to, there was too much at stake.
“Is that what you’re doing in Leadville? Working for Jasper’s father?”
He didn’t like the way her eyes narrowed at the question.
“No,” he told her honestly. “I’m here in pursuit of Ben.”
She gave him a look similar to what she’d given him every other time the other man’s name came up. “Why?”
If she wa
s in on Ben’s schemes, the truth would only serve to make things harder for him. But surely nothing could make Mary more hostile than she’d already been.
“He robbed a bank in Century City, and I aim to bring him to justice.”
Easy enough to share the gist of what was going on. Harder to read the expression that crossed her face, which darkened, but just as quickly turned back into the stone mask that matched her name.
“So you’re a lawman?”
Not anymore. But that was a shame he couldn’t face.
“No.”
She looked doubtful, chewing on her lip ever so slightly, almost imperceptibly, except that he’d somehow gotten to know the very fullness of her lips. What kind of cad was he, thinking of her in this way?
“How much is the bounty on his head?”
“None.” Because he’d botched the job too badly to get the evidence on Ben.
“Then why do you care?” she snapped, turning away and leaning in toward the other girls.
Yes, Mary’s reactions to his investigation of Ben definitely held an air of suspicion. He tapped her on the shoulder.
Mary turned, and the other girls giggled. Definitely not helping diminish the mistaken impression that he was Mary’s beau. But he couldn’t afford to fight fair. Not with all the money to be stolen in Leadville. Not with his reputation on the line. Not with the women Ben kept abusing. He’d make it up to Mary. Somehow.
“What Ben’s done is wrong. All I want is to find out what you know about him because there might be something in that knowledge, no matter how insignificant you believe it is, that can help put him in jail.”
Her face softened for a moment but then hardened again. “There’s nothing I can tell you. I knew him in Ohio, before he came to Colorado. He left Ohio before I did, and we hadn’t spoken from then until he showed up last night at the church.”
Will stared at her and examined her expression for any sign of prevarication. “He claimed you were engaged. Last night, you looked every bit the happy couple.”
That part might have been an exaggeration. Through the cheers and Ben’s loud proclamations, Mary looked like a rabbit caught in a snare. Will had replayed the scene in his mind over and over, trying to figure it out. She’d looked just as miserable with Ben as she had when Will questioned her about him. Which would almost have convinced him that Mary would be an ally—except that Daisy had told Will over and over that she wanted nothing more than to escape Ben’s clutches.
The wagon hit a bump, jostling everyone and sending Mary nearly into his lap.
“Easy there.” He tried to steady her, but Mary jumped again.
“I’m fine.” She glared at his hands, then smoothed her skirts. “As for my supposed engagement to Ben, it’s a misunderstanding that will soon be cleared up.”
Her voice shook as she explained her status with Ben. Will didn’t need his aching bullet wound to tell him something was definitely not right with Mary. But how could he get her to trust him? And how would he know to believe her?
The wind picked up, blowing tendrils across her face and stirring something inside Will. Was he stepping into a trap by thinking that somehow Mary was different? That his feelings for her were different?
“I can help you with that,” he told her quietly. “Help me, Mary. And I’ll help you.”
The words echoed dangerously in his brain as he recalled saying that exact phrase to Daisy. Of course, he’d been trying to help Daisy escape her work as a barmaid, where she’d claimed to fear that Ben was pushing to get her to work above stairs, as well. Surely this was different.
But Mary remained stiff, straightening beyond her already perfect posture. “I don’t need your help. I don’t know anything about Ben robbing a bank. So, please, leave me alone. It’s going to be hard enough to maintain my reputation as it is. Don’t make it worse for me.”
Her clipped tone made him realize how different the situation was. Daisy had never been a lady. But Mary...not only was she a lady, but by all accounts, she was a lady with standing. Building on their father’s first discovery, Mary’s brother was mining one of the richest veins of silver found in Leadville to date. Mary was an heiress of significant worth. Even though the fortune would be enough to tempt any man, the women of the community still refused to accept any woman who failed to follow proper standards of behavior.
Will’s brain started to spin. What if Mary had been honest with him? What if things really had been over between her and Ben? Could Ben only be chasing her because he wanted access to her fortune? Marrying a fortune would surely be easier than stealing one.
The wagon rumbled over a number of rocks, making it too noisy to carry on a normal conversation. Will leaned closer to Mary. “If Ben’s after your fortune, he’ll go to no end to get it. Even if it means ruining you in the process.”
Mary’s face blanched, and he knew he’d hit his mark.
“I hadn’t considered...” She uttered the words so softly that he almost didn’t catch them. A lone tear trickled down her face.
Though he wished he could dry it himself for being the one to suggest the painful truth, Will merely pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and handed it to her.
“If you don’t help me, you may have no other choice but to marry him.”
You couldn’t fake the level of horror on Mary’s face.
“Will Lawson!” Polly’s shrill voice interrupted any chance he had of gaining Mary’s cooperation. “Whatever have you said to make my friend so upset?”
Mary glared at him with such malice, he knew he was right back at square one. She’d made it clear that she wanted as little attention drawn to her and the situation as possible, and here he’d created the kind of scene she’d probably wanted to avoid.
“I, uh...” Will looked at Mary, who shook her head.
Mary dabbed at her eye, then handed the handkerchief back to Will. “I’m not upset. Something caught in the breeze and got in my eye, that’s all.”
Polly didn’t look convinced. Moreover, the other ladies had turned their attention to the scene.
“Truly, I’m fine,” Mary said with more calm than he’d thought her capable of with the way her hand shook. “But Will here was just telling me how he knew Jasper in Denver.”
All the girls giggled, and Mary smiled at the pretty redhead next to Polly. “You should ask him about their time together. I’m sure he has all sorts of tales that would interest you.”
The girl’s face turned the shade of her hair, and Ben knew that the only way to salvage his chance with Mary would be to play along and regale the women with tales of Jasper Jackson. Only he didn’t know anything that would excite a woman beyond the fact that he was a nice enough guy who played a good game of billiards.
Still, if that was what it took to put Mary back at ease, then that was what he had to do.
“Jasper,” he called to the gentleman at the front of the wagon. “These ladies here would like to hear about our times in Denver. Any particular tale you’d like me to tell?”
His old friend glanced his way, and recognition dawned on him. “Will? How are you? Why didn’t you tell me you’d come to town?”
Jasper quickly picked his way through the wagon to join him. The other man clapped Will on the shoulder and addressed the women. “Ladies, you won’t meet a finer man than my friend Will Lawson. I was just telling someone about him the other day and how he’d saved my father from being robbed.”
Will’s stomach sank as Jasper launched into a tale of Will’s heroism. It had been happenstance that day, him riding down the street at the same time Mr. Jackson was being held up. Will had been fast on the draw and managed to get a shot off that had wounded the bandit and given Mr. Jackson the space needed to get away. Of course, in Jasper’s version...
“Hey! I didn’t kill anyone. And t
here was one man, not ten.” Will gave his hearty denial of the exaggerated story.
“You still saved my father,” Jasper admitted jovially.
With Jasper’s hearty endorsement, it was clear to Will that he hadn’t yet heard of Will’s disgrace. Which should have been reassuring; only, it served to make Will feel more like a fraud. What would his friend think of him once he knew how far Will had fallen?
That would be resolved easily enough—as soon as he brought Ben to justice. He stole a glance at Mary, whose expression lacked the mistrust he’d come to expect from her. Could Jasper’s endorsement be the ticket he needed to get Mary to open up?
Chapter Six
The party arrived at the picnic location near Soda Springs, and Mary couldn’t help but notice how the other young ladies had gathered around Will and Jasper. Once Jasper had filled their heads with tales of Will’s heroism, he’d gained estimation in their eyes.
Mary sighed and helped Rachel spread one of the blankets they’d brought for the excursion.
“Have you ever had the water here? It’s like drinking a real soda.” Rachel pointed to the spring a few yards away.
“Let’s go before the others crowd in.”
Nodding her assent, Mary followed the other girl down a well-worn path toward the soda spring. When they reached the water, Rachel handed her a cup and together they dipped them into the water.
As Mary drank, the bubbles tickled her nose. The water had a tangy flavor she found quite refreshing.
“It’s good, isn’t it?” Rachel grinned as she refilled her cup. “The others can gawk at Jasper and Will all they want, but they’re wasting their time.”
“Because we’re drinking all the water,” Mary said, taking another sip.
Rachel shook her head. “There’s plenty of water for everyone. What I meant was that Jasper has never shown an inkling of interest in any one of us, and as for Will...” She looked around slowly, then back at Mary. “Will only has eyes for you. I see him looking over here, watching you.”
The Lawman's Redemption (Leadville, Co. Book 2) Page 6
