"Before you say anything. Sheriff Horn," Thad said quietly,
"I think you should hear what Caroline has to say."
The crowd waited expectantly. The only sound was an occasional snap of leather or jingle of harness as the horses moved restlessly.
' "What is it. Miss Adams?" the sheriff encouraged.
"That man's name is Silas Tate," she said, pointing to the man who sat stone-faced astride his horse.
"He killed my mother and has threatened my life."
There were murmurs of shock and disbelief from the others as she added,
"I
also believe it was he who planned the attack on the stage and who helped Fox escape jail." " Those are mighty serious charges. Miss Adams." The sheriff glanced at the man beside him, whose face now bore a smug look of confidence.
"Can you prove any of them?"
"He admitted to me that he'd killed my mother."
"Were there any witnesses?"
Caroline shook her head.
"We were alone."
"When was this, ma'am?"
"When he tried to abduct me from a street in Kansas City."
Sheriff Horn arched a brow.
"Kansas City, ma'am? I thought you told us you came from Boston?"
"I..." Caroline swallowed and glanced at Thad. She knew now that the truth was her only course of action, even though it seemed buried beneath layers of falsehoods. But was it truly the best course of action? There was no.
time left to consider the consequences.
"I lied."
A ripple of alarm ran through the crowd.
"I wanted desperately to teach children," Caroline said defensively. "And I needed to get out of Kansas City immediately. So I said that I'd been educated at Miss Tully's School for Ladies in Boston."
"And what school did you actually attend. Miss Adams She swallowed again.
She could feel Thad's glance but refused to look at him.
"I--I didn't attend school. I was taught at home by Jonathan Coming, who had once taught at Miss Tully's School in Boston."
"Jonathan Coming, you say?" The sheriff glanced at Silas Tate, then back at Caroline.
"Mr. Tate told us you might say that. He brought along a newspaper clipping about the murder of a Jonathan Coming and his wife. It would seem that your Mr. Coming is conveniently dead and can no longer vouch for you."
Dead. The only man who had ever been kind to her in her childhood.
Caroline felt a wrenching loss.
Then, as the sheriffs words sank in, her voice frosted over.
"Conveniently? And what is that supposed to mean, Sheriff?"
The lawman shrugged, looking even more uncomfortable.
"Mr. Tate told us that your whole life has been a lie and that he had no doubt that you would lie again to cover your tracks."
Caroline allowed her gaze to scan the crowd of familiar faces. All of them were watching her carefully. And in their eyes she could see the doubt.
All Silas Tate had had to do was plant the seed of distrust.
Desperately she tried again.
"What about the attack on the stage? I can't prove that Silas Tate hired the gunmen who attacked the stage. But how else can you explain why they killed the others and spared my life?"
The sheriff sounded truly unhappy as he cleared his throat and said,
"Mr.
Tate mentioned that himself. He suggested that you might have offered the gunmen--something--in exchange for your life." He looked down at his stubby fingers loosely holding the reins. It pained him to repeat all the things that had been revealed by this stranger, but now it seemed everything Silas Tate had predicted was coming true.
Thad's voice, low and dangerous, caused the sheriff to lift his head sharply.
"You forget. Sheriff, I was there. I saw the way Caroline fought those gunmen. She wasn't making any deals. Even to save her life. And tell me this. Why is it that Luke Cochrane's gang didn't seem surprised to find a lone woman on the stage bound for Hope?"
"Hell, Thad, half the territory knew we had a new schoolteacher arriving on the stage. It was no secret." Sheriff Horn turned to Caroline.
"Now, Miss Adams, I want you to know I wish none of this had happened, 'cause we were all happy with the way you were teaching our children.
But now that Mr. Tate has told us these. things about you, the good people of Hope deserve some answers." Caroline saw the flicker of a smile on Silas Tale's lips and felt her heart begin to thunder. He hadn't spoken a word. And yet he controlled these people as surely as if they were all attached to strings.
Strings he was pulling. The words coming out of the sheriff's mouth were Silas Tate's words. Words that would destroy everything she had begun to build here.
' "Mr. Tate has told us some mighty serious things. Miss Adams. He has said publicly that your mother earned her keep by..." The sheriff cast a sideways glance at Reverend Symes, then added delicately,
"Catering to the base instincts of the men of Kansas City." He shot a pleading look at Thad before saying,
"I surely hope you can deny it. Miss Adams."
And the truth shall set you free. Caroline swallowed the bitter gall of defeat. In her case, the truth would ensnare her forever in its ugly slime.
She lifted her head. She would not be shamed by what her mother had done to survive. Caroline had heard her mother crying in the night and had seen the bruises and marks made by men who enjoyed inflicting pain on helpless women.
"I cannot deny it. Sheriff Horn."
The crowd gave an audible gasp. Sara Waverly covered her mouth and half turned away, as if offended by the mere sight of Caroline. Cora Meadows and Bel va Spears appeared to be stunned. The others seemed both repelled and fascinated by her admission.
As if by some unspoken agreement, Jessie and Cole, Clan and Morning Light dismounted and moved to stand beside Thad and Caroline. Touched by their support, she turned and gave them a weak nod. But when she tried to smile, her lips trembled and she found herself on the verge of breaking down.
"There is more. Miss Adams," the sheriff said softly. "And I'm afraid it's worse."
Tears glittered in Caroline's eyes as she lifted her head and faced him.
Her fists were clenched at her sides. Thad could see that she was losing the battle to control her emotions.
' "How can there possibly be anything worse than what I have just been forced to admit, Sheriff?"
"Forgive me. Miss Adams, but Mr. Tate says that from the time you were hardly more than a girl, you... followed in your mother's footsteps."
Thad's gun was out of the holster before anyone had a chance to react.
He aimed it at Silas Tate. His words were harsh, clipped, angry.
"I know your kind, Tate. All my life I've had to watch scum like you destroy good people's lives with rumors and lies. But you're not going to succeed here in Hope."
Just as quickly Sheriff Tate drew his gun.
"Do you want a dozen witnesses to cold-blooded murder? Put the gun away, Texan, or you'll have to shoot me, too."
Caroline put a hand on Thad's arm. In soft, pleading tones she murmured, "Please, Thad. Nothing can be gained by this. I couldn't bear to see you go to jail because of me."
"Jail? Caroline, I'd go to hell and back for you. I'm not going to stand here and let him spread these lies about you."
She could feel the anger pulsing through him. His eyes narrowed on Silas Tate, who continued to sit quietly with a look of supreme confidence on his face.
"Please, Thad. This isn't the way and you know it. If you resort to bloodshed, he'll still win."
She saw the effort it cost Thad to return his gun to the holster. Even then he continued to allow his hand to rest just above the pistol, as though poised to draw if Silas Tate should threaten her.
Everyone seemed to let out a collective sigh of relief, especially Thad's family.
"I'll ask you again, Miss Adams," the sheriff said.
"Can you deny what Mr. Tate has said?"
"I do deny it. Silas Tate is lying."
"Then you've never been with a man?"
In the silence that followed, Caroline studied Tate's smug face and knew in that instant that he still had one card left to play.
The flush had crept up Sheriff Horn's neck until his face was now suffused with color. In almost apologetic tones he said,
"Mr. Tate told us that he followed you here last night, Miss Adams.
And that he knows for a fact that you spent the night. In Thad Con way's bed." Not a sound broke the silence. The wind stirred in the trees, rustling the leaves. No one noticed. They were staring intently at the young, beautiful creature who had been transformed from a prim, plain, soft-spoken woman into a dazzling beauty. For some, that fact alone was enough to prove the truth of the stranger's claims. Why had she taken such pains to hide her beauty?
What other secrets was she hiding?
Thad took a step forward and placed a hand on her shoulder. Further proof to those watching that a bond had been forged between these two.
A bond deeper than mere friendship.
Thad's touch couldn't dispel the chill that raced through Caroline, leaving her trembling.
' "Since when has that become a crime?" Thad hissed.
"Human nature is human nature," the sheriff said almost sheepishly.
"But a teacher's got a calling that sets her above the rest. We need Miss Adams to put our minds at ease. That's all we ask," the sheriff added.
Caroline's gaze fastened on the evil man who had just destroyed everything she had ever valued. With rumor and hints and evil whispers, he had turned something beautiful into something dark and sinister and degrading.
Her voice was low, the tone flat.
"You've won, Silas."
"What are you saying, Caroline?" Thad's voice beside her caused her to turn, but only for a moment. She couldn't bear to look at him. It was too painful knowing that the only man she had ever loved was being destroyed along with her. Because of her, the privacy he treasured had been violated. Because of her, his own nieces and nephews would have to withstand even more taunts from their friends.
She no longer minded for herself. She had chosen to lie in order to hide her past. But it wasn't fair to destroy Thad because of his association with her.
Glancing at the sheriff, she said,
"I suppose you'll want me to leave town at once?"
He coughed.
"I think that would be best. For the children, you understand."
"Yes, of course."
' "What the hell are you saying?" Thad looked from Caroline to the sheriff, then back to Caroline again.
"You aren't leaving. Where would you go?"
"Someplace where I can make a new start. And the next time, I'll tell the truth about myself before I let anyone take a chance on me."
"And what about Silas Tate?" Thad's eyes narrowed on the man who watched the unfolding scene without emotion.
"He'll have no hold over me as long as I tell the truth. You said it yourself, Thad. The truth will set us free."
"The hell it will. Look at him, Caroline." When she lowered her head he caught her face and forced it up. "Take a good look at him. He's obsessed with revenge. He'll never let you alone."
"Thad Con way," Reverend Symes said softly, "your problem has always been that you've gone looking for reasons to draw that gun. This fine man came all this way just to warn the good people of Hope that their teacher was not what they thought she was. And he has already assured us that he has to hurry back to Kansas City to tend to his business."
"Have you asked this 'fine' man what his business is?" Thad could barely get the words out because of the fury choking him.
"He owns a respectable hotel and tavern." Reverend Symes thought about the large contribution the stranger had made to the church.
"And he has invited us all to visit him if we ever get to Kansas City."
Caroline took a deep breath to calm the feeling of quiet despair that had descended upon her.
Turning to the sheriff, she said softly,
"Would you mind if I returned to the schoolhouse? Just to pack my trunk?" she added.
"I can be on the next stage."
The sheriff nodded.
"I'll go there now and pick up your rig. I should be back to collect you in a little while."
Glancing around at the others, he called loudly,
"All right, folks. Our business here is concluded."
Silas Tate gave a slight bow of the head before turning his mount. The sheriff and the others followed suit, and within minutes they were gone, leaving only a cloud of dust in their wake. Jessie and Cole, Clan and Morning Light were the only ones who remained.
"The bastard," Thad said through gritted teeth.
"He was enjoying it."
He turned to Caroline and saw the way she held herself in such rigid control.
If he were to hold her, she would snap.
"I'm not letting you go," he said simply.
"You no longer have a choice, Thad." Through a haze of tears Caroline turned away and fled to Thad's bedroom, leaving him to answer his family's questions.
In the silence of his room she threw herself across his bed and wept as though her heart would break.
"The sheriff is here with the carriage, Caroline."
Jessie's voice roused her from her stupor.
Woodenly she sat up and shoved the heavy hair from her eyes. Her cheeks were still stained with her tears. Her eyes were red-rimmed from crying.
She glanced from Jessie and Cole to Clan and Morning Light, who had all gathered in the doorway.
"Where's Thad?"
"The last I saw he was thinking about barring the gate." Jessie paused, wondering how far she dared to intrude on her brother's business.
"Caroline, we think we know why you're going. And we want you to know that, although we think it's very noble, we also think you're making a terrible mistake."
It was obvious that they had discussed this in great detail. Caroline brushed past her, but Jessie put out a hand as if to stop the young woman from going.
"Don't, Jessie." Caroline shook her hand away and started toward the door.
"I know my brother very well," Jessie called after her. "And I've never seen him in a rage like this before. He loves you, Caroline.
Truly loves you." " And I care deeply about him, too." Caroline paused with her hand on the door, keeping her back to the others. It would be too painful to speak of love. A love that even now tugged at her, breaking her heart into little pieces. She pulled open the door.
"And that's why you're leaving. Because you think that those of us who love Thad will reject him because of you. But you're wrong. We grew up free, Caroline. Thad and Clan and I broke the law many years ago rather than see our pa hang for a crime he didn't commit. Out here, we never cared what others thought. We never judged a person by what his life was like before he came here. We won't judge you, either."
Caroline turned. Her eyes were dry. There were no tears left.
"Thank you, Jessie. That means a lot to me. But I still have to go."
She walked through the open doorway.
"Caroline."
At Morning Light's call, she turned back. The young Comanche woman extended her hand. I want you to know how grateful I am for what you taught my children." Caroline accepted her hand.
"And I want you to know that I am proud to know you," Morning Light added.
Caroline felt a lump in her throat and tried to swallow it back.
"And I'm proud to know you." She turned to include the others.
"All of you."
On the porch, Rosita and Manuel stood to one side. They turned as she stepped through the doorway.
From the corner of her eye she saw Thad standing just beyond the carriage.
He and the sheriff spoke not a word.
Caroline turned to Rosita.
"I'l
l see that your clothes are returned."
' "There is no need, senorita." She touched a hand to her flat stomach.
"Soon enough I will be unable to wear them anyway. Please wear them and remember me."
' "I wish I could be here to see your baby.
Rosita caught her hand.
"You should not let them drive you away."
"The choice is my own." She turned to Manuel.
"Thank you for the shoes, Manuel. They're the finest I've ever owned."
' "You are welcome, senorita. I hope you will wear them with pride."
They watched as Caroline made her way to the waiting rig. Before she could climb aboard, Thad caught her by the shoulder.
"Why are you doing this?"
Because I love you, she thought. Because I won't have anyone else hurt because of me. How many have had to die? My mother, Jonathan Coming.
Dead because they cared about me.
If she stayed with Thad, she would only bring the trouble to his doorstep.
Until now he'd been very adept at keeping the world away. She couldn't bear it if she brought pain and suffering to another person she loved.
The thought of what she was giving up made the night of love they'd shared seem all the sweeter. And all the more poignant, because it was lost to her forever.
But she said none of this. Instead, all she whispered was "Goodbye, Thad."
His grip on her shoulder tightened until his fingers were digging into her flesh. He lowered his voice.
"I won't let you go. I can't."
"The decision isn't yours to make."
"This will decide," he said, withdrawing the pistol from his holster.
"I'll make them listen to you. They'll have to believe the truth."
"Haven't you learned anything? Even your gun is useless against words." She pushed away from his arms. Though tears threatened, she kept herself under tight control. She would not cry here in front of all these watchful eyes.
"They've already heard Silas Tate's version of the truth. That's all they want to hear."
She climbed up beside the sheriff and forced herself to stare straight ahead.
He flicked the reins and the rig jolted forward. As they crested a hill, Caroline turned to drink in the curve of hills, the sturdy outbuildings, the graceful house.
Texas Hero Page 23
