by Harvest Moon
David nodded. “That’s a good idea,” he agreed. “We’ll drink a cup of soothing tea and go to bed.” That was the plan, though David had little hope that it would work.
Tessa poured the tea into the cups, adding a hefty splash of whisky to his, then sat down at the table. David got up from his chair at the desk and joined her, sitting in his usual spot.
They drank the tea in silence. David finished his first and lowered his cup. It clattered against the saucer. He yawned widely. “I’m ready for bed.”
“Me, too.” Tessa set her half-empty cup aside and stood up. “Leave the dishes. I’ll get them in the morning.”
“All right.” David felt awkward, clumsy. He didn’t want her to leave, but he couldn’t ask her to stay.
“Well…” Tessa hesitated. “I’ll go to bed now.” She looked at David, at his shirt and his undergarment pushed over his injured shoulder. “Will you be okay?”
“I’ll manage.”
“Well, good night.”
“Good night.”
David waited until he heard her bedroom door close before he pushed himself to his feet. He checked the doors and windows, banked the coals in the stove, extinguished the lamps, and stumbled off to bed. He listened for the sound of the key turning in Tessa’s lock. But it didn’t come. He realized that for the first time since she’d come to stay with him, Tessa Roarke had left her door unlocked.
* * *
David heard her cries an hour or so later. He’d been lying in bed unable to sleep for the throbbing in his shoulder. He rolled over onto his uninjured side and pushed the sheets and the quilt back out of the way.
He padded barefoot across the hall to Tessa’s room and knocked at the door. “Tessa?”
She didn’t answer.
David turned the doorknob. The door swung open silently on well-oiled hinges. “Contessa?” He spoke softly, reaching out to touch her shoulder.
She was dreaming. Bad dreams. Her body jerked against the covers. She cried out in her sleep. It tore at David’s heart to see her anguish.
He grabbed a handful of bedclothes and flipped them open. Horace Greeley growled in protest.
“Move over,” David ordered the tomcat. “I’m coming in.” Nudging Greeley aside, David slid between the cool sheets.
“Ssh. Ssh, love, don’t cry. It’s all right now. I’m here,” David whispered. He looped an arm over Tessa’s hip and pulled her against him, her bottom pressed against his arousal, spoon fashion. He kissed the silky strands of her hair, gritted his teeth against the throbbing of his body, and closed his eyes. He slowly counted to one thousand three times before his wishes were finally granted.
The throbbing eased. David fell asleep with Tessa held firmly in his arms.
Chapter Nineteen
David woke up with a start on Monday morning and found himself surrounded by warmth. Tessa’s warmth. Greeley’s warmth. Tessa’s body was molded to the front of him, Horace Greeley curled at his back. His shoulder still throbbed painfully. David eased out of bed, trying not to disturb his companions, who continued to sleep soundly.
He looked out the window. The sun peeked over the horizon. David’s eyes stung from lack of rest. According to his calculations, he’d gotten less than three hours of sleep. It would have to be enough. Tessa had suffered from a second night of bad dreams, and he had crept into her bedroom once again to hold her.
He looked down at her as she slept. Her hearing would start in a few hours, but it was still early. David decided to let her sleep as long as possible. She needed the rest. He needed it. He wanted nothing more than to climb back into bed beside her and pretend he belonged there beside her every morning for years to come. But that wasn’t to be. He had work to do. He quietly tiptoed out of the bedroom. Tessa need never know he’d spent the night holding her again, comforting her while she slept.
By eight o’clock David had bathed, shaved, and dressed in a wool suit. Moving about the office as silently as possible, so he wouldn’t wake her, David made a pot of coffee for himself, then heated water for Tessa’s bath and put the kettle on for her morning tea. He sat at his desk sipping coffee and jotting trial notes, postponing the inevitable.
David took out his watch and looked at it for the third time in fifteen minutes. He couldn’t delay any longer. He had to wake her.
He went into her bedroom and touched her shoulder. “Tessa, wake up. It’s time.”
She sat up abruptly, dislodging Greeley. “What?”
“You’ve got to get up.” His dark eyes were full of concern. “Your hearing starts at ten.”
Tessa took a deep breath, trying to steady her racing heart. “David?”
“In the flesh.” He managed a crooked smile. “Don’t worry, everything will be all right.”
She pushed the covers back and swung her legs over the side of the bed. “Are you sure?” Her gaze darted over his face. “What if they don’t believe us?”
“They will,” David promised. “I’ll make them.”
She stood up. Her knees buckled.
David reached out a hand to steady her. “I’ll bring your bathwater and a cup of tea.”
“What should I wear?” Her voice held a note of panic.
David opened the armoire, quickly evaluating her choice of dresses. “Wear the dark blue.” The dark silk dress with high white collar and white cuffs made her look like a schoolteacher or a preacher’s wife. It was the perfect choice. If she wore that, the judge and jury would be hard-pressed to see any resemblance to a saloon girl.
“I may need help getting dressed,” Tessa said.
“Call me if you do,” David offered. “I’ve become quite adept at wrangling with ladies’ unmentionables lately,” he teased, hoping to coax a smile out of her.
“Thank you.”
“Don’t mention it.”
* * *
When they stepped outside the office an hour later, David was glad he’d had the forethought to rent a buggy for the brief jaunt to the courthouse. He hadn’t wanted to parade Tessa through the streets of Peaceable once again. And the buggy offered her some protection from the curious spectators who lined the streets. David handed Tessa up into the vehicle, settled himself beside her, then flicked the reins, urging the horse into the traffic headed toward the courthouse.
The courthouse yard was more crowded than the streets. It overflowed with people dressed in their Sunday best. David maneuvered the buggy near the hitching rail. He climbed out, then reached up to help Tessa. The morning sunlight glinted off her brilliant red hair as David lifted her down. The crowd issued a collective gasp at the sight of her. Newspapermen surged forward, yelling questions at David and Tessa while photographers situated along the edge of the courthouse yard hid beneath their camera drapes taking pictures. Tessa moved closer to David. He placed a protective arm around her shoulders, cursing himself for not providing a hat and veil to go with the blue dress.
“Extra, extra!” A newsboy hawking papers ran up to David. “Trial begins for woman held in brutal barroom slaying!”
David snatched a copy of the morning edition of the Peaceable Chronicle, tossed the boy a coin, and rapidly scanned the headlines.
“Miss Roarke, can you tell our readers why you killed Mr. Mason?” A reporter blocked Tessa’s path.
“She didn’t kill Mr. Mason,” David said. “Get out of the way.” He glared at the newspaperman. “Please.”
“His body was found in her room. Is it true she slit his throat?” He pulled out his notebook.
“No! Now, get out of the way.” David stepped in front of Tessa, shielding her from the reporter with his body. He took her hand, pulling her behind him as he cleared a path through the crowd.
Another reporter entered the fray. “How do you feel about Mr. Alexander representing you, Miss Roarke? It’s rumored in Washington that he molested a young lady from a prominent family. What do you have to say?”
“Leave me alone,” Tessa ordered. She heard a rip as someone steppe
d on the hem of her skirt. “David!” She let go of David’s hand long enough to shove the reporter. “Get off my dress, you clumsy oaf!” She snatched her skirt out of the way.
David stopped.
“Is it true you and Miss Roarke have been openly cohabiting? Are you intimately acquainted?” The first reporter stood in their path, refusing to give ground.
David grabbed the newspaperman by his shirtfront, practically lifting him off his feet. “Did I hear you correctly?”
“You did.” The man appeared undaunted. “I got the information from a…” He glanced at his notebook. “A…Mrs. Jeffers at the local mercantile.”
“I’ll just bet you did,” David muttered through clenched teeth. “And how much is your newspaper paying for such information?”
“That doesn’t concern you, Mr. Alexander.”
David tightened his hold on the man’s shirt, yanking him closer. “The hell it doesn’t.” He lifted his clenched fist, intending to ram a few teeth down the reporter’s throat.
“David, no!” Tessa placed her hand on his arm. “It doesn’t matter what they say.”
“It matters.” David lowered his fist, but he didn’t release the man’s shirt.
“No, it doesn’t. He’s going to write what he wants about us, anyway,” Tessa reasoned. “If you hit him, you’ll just give him more to write.”
“Listen to her, Mr. Alexander.” Sheriff Bradley hurried toward David and Tessa, pushing his way through the throng of people. He tipped his hat to Tessa. “Let the man go, Mr. Alexander.”
“Yes, do, Mr. Alexander. Unless you want to be sued,” the reporter said, a smirk on his weaselly face.
“Sue me,” David told him. “It’ll be worth it.”
“You hush up,” Sheriff Bradley warned the reporter, “unless you want to spend the night in my jail.” He turned to the crowd. “Show’s over. You folks step back and give Mr. Alexander and his client room.”
No one moved.
“Do it,” the sheriff directed, “or I’ll haul the whole lot of you off to jail.”
The citizens of Peaceable and the out-of-towners moved back, clearing the way to the door of the courthouse.
“David,” Tessa pleaded, “let go of him.”
David released the reporter. “If you utter a word,” he warned, his voice strained with fury, “I won’t be responsible for my actions.”
The newspaperman finally recognized the danger, the barely leashed rage. He tipped his hat at Tessa.
David surged forward.
Tessa intervened once again. “No.” She tugged on his arm.
He turned to look at her and saw the steely glint in her blue eyes.
“Don’t you dare,” she warned softly. “He just wants to sell more papers.”
David took a deep breath, forcing his body to relax, trying to regain control. He took Tessa by the elbow and followed the sheriff.
At the doorway of the courthouse, Sheriff Bradley clapped David on the back. “Well,” he said, “good luck.” He spared an encouraging look for Tessa. “You’ve run the gauntlet. Everything else is routine. The worst of it should be over.”
* * *
The worst of it hadn’t even begun. David discovered that fact as soon as he ushered Tessa into the courtroom. What should have been a simple preliminary hearing turned into a circus with townspeople and reporters clambering for ringside seats. It seemed everyone in Wyoming had come to see a woman stand trial for murder.
Judge Emory sat on the bench.
David groaned. The somber judge was known for his harsh sentences, especially in cases involving women. Rumor in the legal community had it that the judge believed women should be seen, not heard. And to make matters worse, Judge Emory had no liking for David Alexander. He knew of the Washington scandal, and he had an adolescent daughter at home.
Sitting beside Tessa at the defense table, David hazarded a glance at the county attorney, Jeremy Cook. Jeremy gave him a smug, self-satisfied smile that warned David to be wary; the territory’s case against Tessa Roarke was strong.
The hearing began promptly at ten. The bailiff announced Tessa’s case. The crowded courtroom buzzed with excitement.
David listened in growing frustration as Jeremy Cook presented the territory’s evidence, establishing the fact that a murder had been committed on the night Arnie Mason died. Since the victim was found in Tessa Roarke’s room at the Satin Slipper, he said, it was reasonable and probable that Miss Roarke had committed the crime. It was the opinion of Jeremy Cook and the territory of Wyoming that Miss Roarke should be held over for grand jury indictment.
Judge Emory stared at David. “What’s the plea?”
David stood up and faced the judge. “My client pleads not guilty, Your Honor.”
Judge Emory rapped his gavel on the desk top. “I rule that Miss Tessa Roarke be held over for grand jury indictment.” He rapped the gavel a second time. “The grand jury will convene in one hour.” The judge stood up.
The people in the courtroom all got to their feet.
Judge Emory left the bench and retired to an office across the hall.
“What’s happening?” Tessa whispered.
“Your case is going to trial today,” David whispered back. “The members of the grand jury will be sworn in, and an indictment against you will be handed down.”
Tessa didn’t understand the terminology, but she understood the frustration in David’s voice. It frightened her.
“Don’t worry,” he tried to reassure her. “I hoped it wouldn’t come to this, but I’m prepared for it.” He managed a crooked little smile for Tessa’s benefit. “We’re prepared for the trial. It will be all right.” Even as he said the words, David fervently prayed everything would be all right. He hoped he could convince the jury that Tessa was innocent. He hoped Lee was ready. He hoped… David covered her hand with his larger one, feeling the chill of her fingers through the fabric of her gloves. He squeezed her hand gently, reassuringly. “Trust me.”
She did. What was more, she loved him. Tessa knew David would do his best for her. She smiled for him. “I do.”
“Miss Roarke?”
She turned at the sound of her name and looked up.
Sheriff Bradley stood over her. “If you’ll come with me.”
“Where?” Tessa asked, alarmed. “Why?”
David’s voice was soft, calm, collected. “The sheriff has to take you into custody. It’s procedure. He’ll bring you back as soon as the judge is ready.”
“Can’t I stay with you?” Tessa asked David.
“I’m afraid not.” David didn’t want her to leave. He didn’t want the sheriff to take her. “You must go with the sheriff.” He touched Tessa’s cheek with one finger. “Be brave a little longer.”
Tessa stood up and gathered her courage. She faced the sheriff. “Are you taking me back to jail, Sheriff Bradley?”
The lawman took her by the elbow. “Nope. Jail’s full, Miss Tessa.” He winked at David. “Full of those pesky reporters. I thought I’d take you to my house. The missus should have dinner on the table about now. I’m hungry. How about you?”
“I don’t think I can eat anything, Sheriff Bradley.” Tessa declined the offer of food, but she appreciated the sheriff’s invitation. She knew his jovial manner was meant to put her at ease. She doubted whether many of the county prisoners were invited to the sheriff’s house for dinner. “But a cup of tea would be nice.”
“Then, tea it is.” Sheriff Bradley escorted Tessa into the aisle.
She hated leaving David. Their time together was limited and she wanted to spend as much time with him as possible. Tessa wanted enough memories of David to last a lifetime, if need be.
She looked back at her attorney. “David, will you be okay? I think we have some bacon left and fresh eggs at the apartment if you’re hungry. I baked bread yesterday. You can make a sandwich. And Of course, there’s coffee and—”
“Tea,” David said. “I know.” His dark-ey
ed gaze roamed over her face. She was beautiful. She grew more beautiful and more precious to him every day. A corner of his mouth turned up in a semblance of a smile. He ached to kiss her. “I’ll be fine, Tessa.” It was just like her to focus all her attention and concern on someone else.
“You didn’t have any breakfast,” she reminded him.
“I’ll grab something at the hotel restaurant,” he promised. “Now go with Sheriff Bradley. I need to make some notes before the trial begins.”
“You won’t forget to eat?”
“I promise.”
Tessa allowed the sheriff to lead her down the aisle. “Will your wife mind very much if you bring me home with you, Sheriff Bradley?” she asked the lawman. “I’d hate for you to get in trouble with your wife.”
“Well,” the sheriff answered, “shortly after your little dispute at the mercantile, I had a talk with the missus about how looks can be deceivin’.” He grinned at Tessa, a wide, big-toothed grin full of humor and goodwill. “From what I hear, you conducted yourself like a real lady. Not like some we could mention. That’s good enough for me. And the missus never has cared much for Margaret Jeffers and her highfalutin ways.” He opened the courthouse door and allowed Tessa to precede him. “I think the missus will like you just fine.”
David stuffed a stack of papers into his satchel. He waited until the sheriff escorted Tessa out the door. He watched from the window as they crossed the street.
If Tessa’s behavior at the mercantile and in the courtroom could change the sheriff’s first impression, there was hope for the jury. She wasn’t a murderess. She didn’t act like a murderess or a woman of loose character. She looked delicate and fragile and every inch a proper lady. She would impress the jury. David knew that firsthand. She’d already impressed the hell out of him.
But if the jury appeared to doubt Tessa’s story, he would have to rely on Coalie.
Tessa wasn’t going to like it. She’d fight tooth and nail to keep Coalie from testifying if it came to that, but David didn’t plan to give her a choice. Not when he was fighting for her freedom and her life. He’d simply present her with a fait accompli.
