by Kit Morgan
“Well, if I hadn’t shown up, you wouldn’t know that your mad matchmaker was back at work.”
He set his fork down and sighed. “Someone else would’ve shown up eventually.”
“But as it was me, you got to find out right away.” She took a bite, smiled and chewed as her cheeks heated. Oh, dear, she was blushing. She swallowed quickly. “Mrs. Pettigrew received your application the same day the Haverdashes took me to see her.”
“Oh?” he said with interest.
“Yes, which means the culprit would’ve had to mail your letter from here over a week ago.”
He stared at her. “Are you a Pinkerton?”
She laughed. “No, just observant. A blessing and a curse.”
He took another bite of pie and sat back in his chair, thinking. “I’ll make some inquiries. It was probably sent by the same person that sent Jace’s. Jace thinks it might have been to cause a distraction, keep him off the scent of what else was going on in town.”
“Which was?” He had her curiosity piqued.
He sighed again. “I’ll not go too much into Katie’s involvement, but there was a counterfeiting ring. They’re the ones that did away with Mr. Munson, the betrothed of the first mail-order bride, Miss Baxter. He was the one stabbed on the train platform.”
“How awful. What happened to her?”
“Someone tried to frame her for his murder, which was a distraction in itself. Jace and I had a hard time sorting that out.”
“Do you often help in his investigations?”
“No, but this was an unusual situation. Long story short, there were several parties involved, some double-crossing and another attempted murder.”
“In this little town?” she gasped before taking her last bite.
He nodded. “We thought we had it wrapped up until your friend Katie arrived, claiming to be Jace’s mail-order bride.”
She stared at her empty plate. “I can only imagine. Poor Katie.”
“And poor Jace was beside himself trying to figure things out. So was I. The culprits were very clever, sending for a bride in Jace’s name, knowing he’d concentrate on trying to find out who did it. There’s a lot more involved, Miss Branson, but I don’t care to go into it now.”
Beryl studied him. He was keeping things from her which involved Katie, she suspected. “Was she hurt?”
He glanced at his pie and back. “A little. Jace was hurt worse. But again, I’ll let her tell you. It might be wise to let her bring it up – she’s still not herself.”
“I had no idea she’d been through anything. Seeing me was a surprise for her – seeing her parents quite another. I can only imagine what they’ll say if she tells them what happened here.”
“Will they try to take her back to Denver?” he asked in all seriousness.
“Mr. Haverdash was quite adamant about her returning with them.”
“Short of abducting her.” His tone was light, but she could sense the steel in it.
She shook her head. “Mr. Haverdash is used to getting what he wants.”
Doc Stone sat back in his chair again. “Well, that being the case, so long as Jace doesn’t break the man’s legs, you might be here for a while, Miss Branson.”
“That doesn’t bother me. I have the funds to see me through.”
He rested his arms on the table. “Tell me, Miss Branson, how old are you?”
Her eyes widened before she realized his concern. “I’m eighteen, if you must know. Perfectly capable of taking care of myself.”
“Do you live with your parents?”
She swallowed. She didn’t like where this was going. “Yes. I do.”
“And what do they have to say about you gallivanting off with the Haverdashes to Independence? Not to mention being a mail-order bride.”
Beryl tried to look at anything but him. “My parents have not yet been apprised of the situation.”
He leaned closer. “And why is that?”
“Because they’re in Europe and there was no time to get a message to them before I left. However, since I’m in the company of the Haverdashes, they’ll have no problem with it.”
“Ah, but that’s just it. Do you want to be in their company at this point?”
Drat, he had her there. Petunia she could handle, but she’d liked to stay as far from Mr. Haverdash as possible. “I admit I do not desire Mr. Haverdash’s company when he talks above everyone else.”
“When he’s shouting like a maniac, you mean?” He smiled. “But seriously, will he try to forcibly take Katie from Jace?”
“I honestly couldn’t say. He’s her father. What father abducts his own daughter from her husband? That’s lunacy.”
“Yes.” He rubbed his chin. “A man would have to be desperate and incredibly out of sorts to take such a drastic measure.” He leaned forward again. “But Jace is a good judge of character, perfectly capable of predicting what a man will do.”
She smiled. “My parents are a lot like that in business. And with people.”
“So that’s where you get it from?” He winked, and a tingle went up her spine. “Your secret’s out.”
She giggled at the remark. “I’m sure you’ll keep it safe.” She had a sudden thought: were they flirting? No, it couldn’t be.
“Would you like some more tea?” he asked softly. “Or perhaps more water? Do you want to go back to your hotel room and rest before we see Katie and Jace?”
As soon as he said it, she realized how tired she was. “That would be lovely …” She looked toward the kitchen, noticed Darcy watching them, then looked at Doc Stone. “Does our waitress have her eye on you now?” she asked quietly.
He glanced at Darcy and back. “I don’t think so – she’s too sweet on Mr. Markhel at the moment. But next week it might be my turn.”
She glanced Darcy’s way again. “There’s something familiar about her, but I can’t seem to divine what.”
“Perhaps she’s a kindred spirit.” He stood, came around to her side of the table and helped her with her chair.
“Thank you. And thank you for lunch – it was lovely.”
“My pleasure. I’ll escort you to the hotel after I pay Darcy.” He headed for the café’s small counter, said something to Darcy that made her smile, and paid their bill.
“What a nice man,” Beryl said to herself. But he was more than that and she knew it. Though she could hold her own in a lot of situations, his presence at Katie’s had bolstered her courage to take on Mr. Haverdash. He was a buffer, an added protection she hadn’t experienced before. She liked it.
He returned to their table and offered her his arm. “Are you ready?”
She smiled. “Always.”
Dr. Stone’s eyebrows rose. “I’ll be sure to remember that.”
Beryl giggled again and let him escort her out the door.
It wasn’t long after Doc Stone deposited Beryl at her door that she heard the Haverdashes’ door open and close. She was surprised by the silence that followed – just some banging about but no conversation. She decided to take advantage of the quiet and closed her eyes.
She was awoken by a soft tap at her door. “Mr. Stone …” She blinked the sleep from her eyes. “Excuse me, I meant Dr. Stone.”
“Call me what you wish,” he said through the wood. “Did I wake you?”
She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She didn’t want to stretch in front of him. “It’s quite all right. Do you mind giving me a moment?”
“Not at all, take your time.”
She smiled, stood, stretched and yawned. “Oh, my … I need to wake up.” She went to the vanity and checked her appearance in the mirror, straightened her hair and clothes and sighed. She hadn’t realized how much her battle with Katie’s father had taken out of her. She felt depleted, empty. She hadn’t gone rounds like this since she got into a tiff with the neighbor’s son over her missing cat. She knew he took it, but he denied it until his mother came marching out the back door with Mr.
Jingles in her arms.
Beryl glanced at herself in the mirror again, frowned at her blue traveling dress and shook her head. She didn’t have time to change. It would have to do. She grabbed her reticule and went out the door, locking it behind her. “I’m sorry to keep you waiting.”
He looked her up and down. “You didn’t change?”
“You were waiting.”
“I can wait longer if you want to change,” he said with a smile.
She smiled back. “That’s very considerate, thank you. But Katie is more important than dressing for dinner. Besides, I don’t think she expects me to be the height of fashion right now.”
He offered her his arm. “Probably not.” He looked around. “So which room is the enemy housed in?”
She giggled and pointed to her left. “Right next door.”
“I see. All the better to keep his eye on you, eh?”
“Please don’t remind me.” She wrapped an arm through his.
He led her down the hall. “If it’s any consolation, Miss Branson, it could be worse. You could be their daughter.”
She sighed wearily. “All too true. Let’s go check on her.”
“I wouldn’t worry too much – I’m sure that by now Jace has straightened things out with her father. Though I’m surprised Mr. Haverdash didn’t come to my office needing something for a black eye.”
“Would Katie’s husband do such a thing? Is he a violent man?”
“When the situation calls for it, but I don’t think this does. Jace can certainly hold his own in a verbal battle.”
Beryl glanced over her shoulder just before they descended the staircase. “Maybe that’s why Katie’s parents were so quiet when they returned to the room. I didn’t hear a word.”
“Good. Perhaps the matter has been laid to rest and they plan on leaving tomorrow. I do hope Katie was able to mend fences with her parents – it would be terrible if they were no longer on speaking terms.”
“Unfortunately, that is a possibility. I admit, what Katie and I did was wrong.”
“You?”
She nodded as they started down the stairs. “It was my idea she become a mail-order bride. I took her to see Mrs. Pettigrew and talked her into writing back to your sheriff. Or his proxy, as the case may be.”
“What’s done is done, Miss Branson. I wouldn’t dwell on it anymore.”
They reached the hotel doors. “I try not to, but sometimes it’s hard for me to let go of things. Especially when they turn out like this.”
He stopped and turned to her. “You came all this way to make things right with Katie. That says a lot. Why don’t you finish what you came to do, then think about returning home?”
“You’re right. Thank you for reminding me.”
“Don’t mention it.” He winked again.
They continued on, and Beryl wondered if he winked often. The first time he winked at her, she didn’t think anything of it. But since, she noticed it made her feel … special in a small way.
She stopped thinking about that as soon as they reached Katie’s door. “Are you sure Mr. Diamond’s home?”
“He usually is by now.” He knocked on the door.
“Where’s his horse? Is there a small barn in the back?”
“No, Jace stables his horse at the livery.”
She didn’t have time to reply before Katie opened the door, her eyes red from crying. “Beryl!”
“Katie,” she said with alarm. “Oh, you poor thing, what happened?”
Katie wiped her eyes, even though there weren’t any tears now. “Come in.” She stepped out of the way.
As soon as Beryl and Dr. Stone were in the parlor, Katie looked around as if to make sure no one else was coming. She closed the door and spun to them, her hands clasped under her chin. “Oh, Beryl, it was awful, just awful!”
Beryl took her in her arms. “Tell us what happened.” She looked around the parlor. “Is your husband here?”
“No, he hasn’t come home yet. But sometimes he’s late because he’s checking on things.” She took Beryl’s hand and led her to the sofa. “You’d better sit down.”
Beryl glanced at Mr. Stone, who shrugged helplessly. She took Katie’s hand and sat. “What happened?”
“Well, I apologized to them, of course, and explained that Jace was a wonderful man …”
“And?” she prompted.
“Papa calmed down a little after the two of you left.” She hung her head.
“And?”
“But then I told them what happened.” Katie looked at Mr. Stone.
“Everything?”
She shut her eyes and nodded.
Mr. Stone sat back in his chair. “Oh, boy.”
“What happened?” Beryl asked.
Mr. Stone sighed. “Out of respect for you, Katie, I only told her some general things everybody else knows.”
Katie opened her eyes and nodded in understanding.
Beryl stood. “Will one of you kindly tell me what happened?”
“I was abducted,” Katie sighed. “Almost murdered – burned to death, to be exact. Jace and Ephraim rescued me.”
Beryl’s jaw dropped. “What?!”
“Do you want me to tell her?” Mr. Stone asked.
Katie nodded, and Beryl’s heart raced. Oh no! If Katie was abducted, did her abductors … oh, no!
“The first instance I mentioned,” Mr. Stone began, “the one concerning Mr. Munson? Sophie Baxter and another woman were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. They were bound, gagged and left in a house that was set on fire.”
Beryl gasped. “That’s horrible!” Her eyes went wide and she turned to Katie. “And they did the same to you?”
Katie nodded. “One would think I’d have nightmares about it, but for some reason I don’t. I’m fine. I know it happened, but it’s as if it happened to someone else and people told me about it.”
Beryl hugged her again. “A blessing I’d say.”
Katie nodded. “That’s what my husband says too – isn’t that right, Ephraim?”
He smiled gently and nodded.
Beryl looked at him. “And you helped rescue her?”
“I did. Jace deputized me and a few others to see the job done.” He looked sympathetically at Katie. “But your father didn’t see it as a rescue, did he?”
Katie gave them a nervous laugh. “Papa sees it as a black mark on the family.”
Beryl was on her feet again. “What?!”
Katie put her face in her hands and shook her head. “I know, it’s ridiculous. He’s so sure that my abductors must’ve all had their way with me before they tried to kill me.”
Beryl tossed her hands in the air. “That man!”
“Calm down, Miss Branson,” Mr. Stone said evenly.
She stared at him, mouth agape. She was not going to be calm! But she sensed he knew much better than she did how to handle this, so she took a deep breath and sat.
“My parents insisted I divorce Jace quietly, or annul the marriage due to my … tainted state and return home with them.”
“Oh, good heavens.” Beryl rubbed her temples. “Of course, you told them no.”
“I didn’t tell them anything, I was so upset … I couldn’t speak.” She turned to Beryl. “I’m sorry. I wish I could be more like you – bold, able to speak my mind. But I’m not, and never have been.”
“Oh, Katie.” She took her in her arms again. “It’s all right, I’ll help you figure this out.” She looked helplessly at Dr. Stone.
“I’ll speak to Jace,” he replied. “He’ll be quite angry when he finds out what happened.”
Katie didn’t answer, just softly wept against Beryl’s shoulder.
Beryl held her close, felt the racking sobs bubble to the surface and nodded to Mr. Stone. He was right – she wouldn’t be leaving Independence anytime soon.
Chapter Six
Sheriff Diamond was the same person Beryl and Katie’s parents saw leaving the sheriff’s offic
e earlier that day. He explained he’d been at a local farm most of the afternoon. The farmer had complained some of his livestock was missing, so Jace tried to pick up the trail and follow it.
But aside from being tall, dark and handsome, the way he held Katie so tenderly in his arms made Beryl want to sigh. Mr. Stone assured her Sheriff Diamond was capable of putting anyone in their place. For a moment, she felt sorry for Mr. Haverdash.
“Don’t you worry none, sweetheart,” Jace told his wife gently. “No one’s taking you from me. I don’t care who they are.” He tucked a finger under Katie’s chin and brought her face to his. “I’ll speak with your father, set him straight. Then if you like, I’ll send them home. If you want to still visit with them, I won’t.” He kissed her, long and slow.
Beryl did an about-face to give them a moment of privacy. So did Mr. Stone. Oh, yes, Katie was fine for now.
When Jace broke the kiss he cleared his throat. “Ephraim, what kind of man is Katie’s father?”
Mr. Stone waved at Beryl. “I’d say Miss Branson knows them better than I do. I’ve only had one encounter with him. But I found him to be a cad and a blowhard.”
“Great,” the sheriff said. “Miss Branson?”
“I know Katie loves them, and I know her father wants the best for her. But he mostly wants the best for himself, and he doesn’t always care what happens to others in the process.”
Katie nodded, sniffling against her husband’s chest. “Papa has business dealings with the Finch family. Marrying me off to Ronald was like signing a contract.”
“He can’t do anything while you’re married to me, sweetie,” Jace said. “Rest assured I’ll take care of this.” He steered Katie to the sofa and sat with her, his arm protectively around her shoulders.
“There’s one other matter that needs mentioning,” Mr. Stone said. “The reason Miss Branson’s here.”
“I appreciate you coming all this way, ma’am,” Jace said. “It’s obvious how much you love my Katie.”
Beryl smiled, then glanced at Mr. Stone. “I do care a lot about Katie. But there’s more to it than that.”
Jace’s eyes flicked between them before settling on Mr. Stone. “Ephraim?”
