Chasing the Sun

by Tracie Peterson

  He left the children to reclaim their seats in the inner chamber before knocking on the closed door to Judge Peevy’s private office. Without waiting for a response, William opened the door and stuck his head inside.

  “I hope I’m not late.”

  “William, I am glad to see that you’ve made it back,” Judge Peevy said.

  Hannah turned to look at him in surprise. There was a light in her expression that gave him hope for the first time. Dare he imagine that she cared?

  “I figured since this meeting was about the ranch, I ought to be here.”

  “Indeed, indeed. Take a seat. I was just explaining to your lawyer—”

  William held up his hand. “Hold on. I don’t have a lawyer here. Mr. Lockhart certainly doesn’t represent my interests.”

  Lockhart laughed rather nervously. “I felt given the situation and Miss Dandridge’s insistence that we come here, that I would happily afford you my professional skills.”

  “Well, be that as it may, I don’t want you for my lawyer. Thanks anyway.” He looked to Hannah and for a moment neither said a word. He found her eyes piercing, almost pleading. If Lockhart had threatened to take her siblings, she was no doubt beside herself with worry. It would be like someone ripping children from the arms of their mother.

  William pulled up a chair and placed it between Lockhart and Hannah. “I suppose we should get right to the heart of the matter. What have you figured out regarding the ranch?”

  “It is as I supposed,” Peevy began. “I disagree with this war. I feel as Sam Houston did, that we shouldn’t have seceded.”

  “That’s ridiculous and traitorous,” Lockhart declared. “We are one of the Confederate states. It truly doesn’t matter what your personal desires are at this point.”

  “Nor does it matter what yours are, Mr. Lockhart. You not only do not represent either party in this affair, but you are treading dangerously close to being booted out of here all together. I’m only tolerating your presence because Miss Dandridge said you hold some claim on the ranch.”

  “You?” William said, turning to look Lockhart in the eye. “What possible claim could you have?”

  “Miss Dandridge’s father was my business associate and partner. In his will, he stipulated that I marry his daughter and care for his youngest children as my own. It was a little known fact, but due to certain financial problems, Mr. Dandridge included the ranch in our partnership.”

  “I don’t believe you.” William turned to Peevy. “This is the first time anyone has mentioned such a thing.”

  “I believe it is of no concern and a null and void point,” Peevy declared. “It is my ruling that the ranch was removed from your family in an illegal manner. Therefore, the property still belongs to the Barnett family, which now, sadly, consists of no one but you.”

  “This is ridiculous. You would throw out a single woman and young children from the only home they’ve known this last year?” Lockhart questioned the judge. He looked to Hannah. “Do you see now? It is just as I warned you.”

  “Hardly,” William countered. “No one is asking Hannah and the children to leave the ranch.”

  He turned to Hannah. “You have a home for as long as you want one.” He wanted to say more, but not in front of Lockhart and the judge. He rubbed his aching leg and turned back to the judge. “Are we finished?”

  “Not by a long ways,” Lockhart interjected. “See here, Judge Peevy, I intend to appeal this decision. My deceased partner was awarded that property for his service to the Confederacy. Now, you may hold no respect for our Southern-formed government, but I do. My partner did, as well. He lost a son and father at Vicksburg. And I might add that Mr. Barnett himself was a Union soldier in that very battle.”

  Lockhart gave William a smug look before changing his expression to sympathy as he looked to Hannah. “As I told you long ago, my dearest, this man might very well have taken the life of your loved ones.”

  William felt gut-punched. He turned to Hannah, but to his surprise found no condemnation. She nodded and looked to the judge. “I have known for some time, Your Honor. However, God has given me a heart of forgiveness. I hold Mr. Barnett no malice. He was doing his duty not only to the country, but first and foremost to his father. That is an obligation that I well understand. I took on responsibility for my brother and sister from the time they were small for the same reason. I do not condone the fighting—on either side—but I do understand Mr. Barnett’s position.”

  Lockhart refused to remain silent. “Your Honor, this only serves to further my point. The Barnetts left Texas to fight for the North. They clearly rejected the land and country that was founded here.”

  “Mr. Lockhart, as I see it, they did what their conscience demanded. Just as I am doing what my conscience demands of me. Appeal my decision, if you will. But I guarantee you that with the war, you won’t see this case resolved for some time. Perhaps years.”

  Lockhart sputtered in protest even as William got to his feet and extended his hand to the judge. “Thank you. I appreciate all that you did to review this situation. Now, if you don’t need me any longer, I plan to escort Miss Dandridge and her brother and sister . . . home.”

  “Good luck to you, William,” the judge replied. “I’ll see to it that the deed is recorded properly.”

  William nodded and turned to Hannah. “Are you ready?”

  She hesitated. For a moment he thought she might refuse him, but then she reached out to take hold of his arm and stood. “Thank you, Judge Peevy. I believe you have made the right decision.”

  They didn’t wait for Lockhart. Instead, William hurried her out the door to rejoin Andy and Marty. The children ran to her eagerly and Hannah hugged them close.

  “Did you win?” Andy asked William as he pulled away from Hannah.

  “I did. The ranch is mine again.”

  “That’s good.” He seemed to sober a bit as he looked to Hannah. “Are we still going to leave?”

  “I’m afraid we must,” she replied. Hannah started for the outer office before William could stop her. It wasn’t until they were outside that he caught up to her.

  “Wait just a minute. What do you mean, you intend to leave?”

  Hannah drew a deep breath, and William thought she looked very much like a woman preparing for battle. “Just what I said, Mr. Barnett. The ranch is yours. It’s hardly appropriate for us to remain there. I intend to take the children and go.”

  “Where?”

  She smiled. “I can’t really answer that question. I don’t know where we will end up. I can hardly go back to Vicksburg.”

  “Did you speak the truth in there?” he asked.

  “Hold on just a minute!” Lockhart called out as he came barreling from the judge’s quarters. “I do not intend to let you get away with this.”

  William looked at the man and shook his head. “You have no say in any of this. Your word and character have lost all credibility.”

  Lockhart’s eyes narrowed. “Are you calling me a liar?”

  “That, and a fraud and a bully. How dare you threaten this woman’s well-being.”

  “You’re the one who is doing that,” Lockhart countered. “I won’t stand here and allow you to deceive her with your lies of valor and patriotic duty. Your only intention is to get her into your bed.”

  William didn’t have time to think. He punched Lockhart squarely in the nose and watched as the man fell over backward. Blood spurted from Lockhart’s face and the man was stunned into silence as he grappled for his handkerchief.

  Turning to Hannah, William rubbed his thigh with the back of his knuckles. “My apologies that you had to see that.”

  “Apologies are not needed,” she said with a smile. “I think I’m beginning to see a lot of things more clearly.”

  26

  Hannah had barely stepped into the hotel when Herbert Lockhart caught up to her. He followed her up the stairs and when she still didn’t stop to converse with him, he grabbed ahol
d of her arm. “I will have a word with you.” She noted the blood splattered on his shirt. Then, looking up, she could see his nose was already discoloring and swelling.

  “Andy, Marty, go inside the room and get your things packed up. Take these, please.” She handed Andy two small packages. William had escorted her to the general store and was even now loading several other purchases into her wagon.

  She unlocked the hotel door and waited until the children were inside and the door closed before turning to Lockhart. “What is it?”

  He glared. “If you leave town with William Barnett, I’ll have him arrested for assaulting me. Furthermore, I’ll have the children removed from your care.”

  “On what grounds?”

  He smiled, but it was cold and frightening to Hannah. “That you’re a wanton woman. You’re living in sin with Barnett and those children are in danger for their very souls.”

  “That’s ridiculous and you know it. I might have feelings for the man, but I am not a wanton woman.”

  “So you admit it,” Lockhart spat, his tone altered by his swollen nose. “You’re in love with William Barnett.”

  “I am, but what of it? It’s none of your concern, Mr. Lockhart. And I don’t believe my father ever intended for you and I to marry. I think this is something you have assumed or created in your mind.”

  “I have proof. The letter and his will.”

  “Why should I believe you? Just as Mr. Barnett said, you are a bully. You have done nothing but impose yourself upon me since my father left. How strange it is that you should know so much about his comings and goings—his business and home affairs. I find it stranger still that my father never said anything to me about his intentions. My father was not one to keep such matters silent. Had he intended us to marry, Mr. Lockhart, my father would have made it quite clear.”

  Lockhart stepped closer, and Hannah could feel his breath upon her cheek. “It really doesn’t matter anymore. I have the better hand, wouldn’t you say?”

  Hannah tried to step back, but he held her in place. “I didn’t realize we were playing a game,” she said, gritting her teeth.

  “Sometimes that’s the way life is,” he said. “You do what you have to do in order to get what you want. I want you and I will have you. The choice is up to you as to how many people suffer in the meanwhile.”

  “What are you implying?”

  He laughed. “Nothing. I’m promising retribution if you cause me any more trouble. Your father didn’t take me seriously, but you would do well to learn from his mistakes.”

  “Mistakes? My father was your partner. He supported you and . . . made a business with you.” Hannah feared her voice betrayed her uncertainty. “If he made mistakes, it was in that.”

  “You are truly dim-witted. Your father was, too, and that’s why I had to put an end to our partnership.”

  Hannah felt her eyes widen and her breathing quicken. “You . . . you . . . hurt my father.”

  “Nonsense. I paid to have him killed.” Lockhart seemed amused. “Not that you can ever prove it. No one would begin to believe you should you speak a word of it, but just in case you’re tempted, remember that I’ve already arranged one murder—it’s easy enough to arrange another . . . or two.”

  “You would kill innocent children . . . just to marry me?”

  “My dear, while you are quite lovely, marriage to you is only a minor part in this. I don’t expect you to understand the details, but I do expect you to obey. Otherwise, your brother will be the first to go.”

  Hannah quickly realized he meant business. He didn’t care that such things would only make her hate him; a woman’s hate or love were immaterial to his selfish needs and desires. What a fool she’d been not to recognize his true character sooner.

  “I despise you. You are exactly the kind of man God warns against. Evil and vindictive, scheming and deceiving.”

  “Be that as it may,” Lockhart said, tracing her cheek with his finger, “you will marry me. Now I suggest you gather your things and then allow me to escort you to get the wagon. We will find the nearest preacher and then we’ll leave immediately. You will take your brother and sister and settle into my house.”

  She shuddered at his touch and didn’t know what to say. If she protested, Lockhart would surely have William arrested and the children taken from her. She needed time to think.

  “I’ll need to let the children know,” she said, stalling for time.

  “Very well.” He released her.

  Hannah opened the door to the hotel room. The children rushed to her and clung to her as if she might disappear before their eyes. She wanted to ease their obvious worry, but she had no comfort to give. Instead, she put them from her. “Andy, Marty, Mr. Lockhart is taking me to get the wagon. Stay here with the door locked until I come back for you.”

  “But you said it wasn’t safe,” Marty protested.

  “Why can’t we wait for William to bring the wagon?” Andy asked, looking past Hannah to the hallway.

  “Just do as I say, Andrew.” She locked gazes with her brother, glad that he couldn’t read the fear in her heart. “Just lock the door and don’t let anyone in.”

  Once the children were secured, Hannah allowed Lockhart to guide her down the stairs and out of the hotel. She wondered if William would be at the livery. If so, the situation could get quite ugly. A fleeting thought crossed her mind. What if she could get the upper hand with Lockhart? What if she could pretend to agree to marriage and then work behind his back to prove he murdered her father? She gave a shudder at the thought of marrying her father’s killer. Could she pretend agreement to such an arrangement?

  “Pick up your pace, my love. I want to get out of here right away.”

  “I thought you intended us to marry here.”

  He stopped in midstep. “Does that mean you’ve come to realize the futility of fighting me in this?”

  Hannah forced her expression to remain void of emotion. “I can hardly allow you to hurt my brother and sister.”

  “I’m glad you’re seeing reason.” He glanced down the street for a moment. “No, I believe we’ll marry in Cedar Springs. You will convince the folks there how happy you are. They will attend our wedding. It will be quite the celebration, don’t you think?”

  “Why is this so important to you?” Hannah hadn’t meant to ask the question aloud, but now that she had, there was no recourse but to await the answer.

  “I have plans for my future. I am a man of business and I determine my fate. Your father didn’t understand that, and look where it got him.”

  Hannah thought of all the people who might suffer at the hands of this man. “If I willingly marry you—give you the façade you desire—will you agree not to kill anyone else?”

  He shrugged. “But of course.”

  “Including William Barnett?”

  Lockhart scowled. “Barnett is not a part of this agreement. You have a brother and sister who need your consideration. Leave it at that.” He pulled her along with him. “Now, my dear, we must hurry.”

  “I’m glad my father wasn’t like you. Though he was a demanding man, there was still kindness in him. And love. My father loved us and he knew that a life without love wasn’t worth living.” She smiled suddenly, realizing why her father had insisted on bringing his family west with him. He had known that they would love him. She might have been angry and hurt when he broke off her engagement, but he knew she loved him enough to respect his wishes. The children would love him and be a reminder of the love he’d shared with their mother. It all made sense to her now . . . now that it was too late.

  They reached the livery, and Hannah was relieved to see that William was nowhere in sight. She didn’t want another fight, and she certainly didn’t want a scene. The liveryman approached Lockhart while Hannah made her way to the readied wagon. She didn’t know how she was going to make this work out, but she knew the solution would start with prayer.

  Father, I need your help. She
glanced over her shoulder, then cast her gaze heavenward. And I need it now.

  William knocked on the door to Hannah’s hotel room for a second time. Finally he heard Andy’s voice call out.

  “Who’s there?”

  “Andy, it’s William. Open up.”

  The boy did as he was told and broke into tears. “You gotta help Hannah.”

  “What’s wrong? What’s happened?”

  “Mr. Lockhart came and he told Hannah she had to marry him. Will, he said . . . he said . . . he killed our pa.”

  “He said he’d kill us, too,” Marty declared.

  Andy quickly nodded. “She’s not lying. He said no one would believe her if she told them about pa. Then he said that he would kill us if she even tried to say somethin’.”

  Anger built to a roaring blaze in William’s soul. “Where are they now?”

  “Mr. Lockhart said we had to leave with him right now. He took Hannah to get the wagon.”

  Marty came alongside her brother. “He was holdin’ her arm real tight, like he was trying to hurt her.”

  Andy nodded. “Hannah didn’t want to go with him, but she did.”

  “And she told us to stay here and not unlock the door.” Marty wrapped her arms tight around William’s leg. “I’m scared.”

  “Don’t worry,” William told them. “You’re with me now. I’ll do what I can.”

  Marty took hold of William’s hand. “Hannah loves you. She told Mr. Lockhart.”

  He wondered if this was just one more of Marty’s exaggerations, but Andy chimed in. “It’s true. She said she loved you.”

  “Come on,” William said, motioning the children to the door. “We’re going to need some help if we’re going to keep Hannah safe.”

  “Who can help us?” Andy asked as they headed downstairs.

  “We’ll go talk to Judge Peevy again. I think he can tell us what to do next.”

  “Do you think . . . well, will God help us?” Andy asked. “He didn’t help my pa.”

  William looked at the boy and shook his head. “Andy, sometimes God’s help doesn’t look like we thought it would. I’m guilty of thinking God didn’t help me when I was out there on the battlefield. I was wrong. God never left me. He’s with me even now. I wish I’d seen it sooner, but that’s the great thing about God. He’s patient with us and He won’t leave us to fight this battle alone.”