The group of women murmured among themselves and finally agreed that the man sounded like a good possibility.
Henrietta asked, “He didn’t mention it, but can you cook and sew?”
Rose nodded, “I lived on a farm when I was young. I can cook and sew. A ranch and farm are different, but a few things must be the same. I can gather eggs, milk a cow, grow a garden, and ride a horse. Anything else I can learn.”
Lucy appeared carrying the teapot and cups. “I could hear you. He sounds perfect for you, Rose.”
Rose frowned, “I still want you to accompany me. I will write and ask him if there is a town close by where you can find work. He says he has a big house, but I can’t ask in the first letter if you can live with us, can I? This is confusing. I think I should write and introduce myself and explain that we live together and wish to travel together. I’ll inquire about employment and see what he says.”
“It sounds like the best idea. Other things can be discussed later,” Sarah offered.
Rose stood suddenly and walked to the window. She stared out at the snow and asked without turning back around. “How do I explain that I worked at Underwood’s. Will he believe I only played piano and sang?” She spun around to look at them. “He’ll believe I’m a soiled dove. Oh, Lucy, I am sorry. I didn’t mean that the way it sounded.”
Lucy laughed, “Don’t worry, dear Rose. I will let all of you in on my secret. When I arrived at Underwood’s a month ago, I was so hungry I offered myself to a gentleman for a meal. It was Mr. Willoughby. He bought me a meal, and we talked. He insisted that Underwood hire me but only as his personal girl. He handed Underwood a goodly sum of money, patted my hand, and left. For the next two weeks, I pretended to be too ill to get out of bed. I grieved my husband and where life had brought me. I was afraid of what would happen when Mr. Willoughby returned.”
“I remember Underwood wasn’t angry about your illness because Mr. Willoughby paid him money each week for your room and food,” Rose said.
“He did, and I was grateful. After two weeks, I couldn’t fake it any longer. Miss Jewel brought me a scandalous dress to wear and painted my face. I didn’t recognize myself. All I wanted to do was cry, but I knew I owed my life to Mr. Willoughby. Underwood brought him to my room that night and grinned. I remember shuddering, but Mr. Willoughby took my hand and asked me to sit. We spoke for over four hours. He visited me every other night that first week. We spoke, and I read to him from a book he brought about England. He asked me not to give away his secret that he only wanted someone to talk to and let the men think it was more. I agreed. I prayed every night that he would live for many years.”
Eloise who had been silent shifted in her seat and said, “I would never have believed it of him. Alberta would kill him if she knew he set foot in the saloon much less spoke to another woman.”
Lucy crossed her arms over her chest and continued, “I saw him twice more before the fire. We only spoke. We never…umm, and no one else ever visited my room. Underwood was happy to earn the payments from Mr. Willoughby that more than covered anything I might have earned from other men. Mr. Willoughby also gave me money to save in his bank for my future. He said no one should be forced to sell themselves for a meal. I reminded him of his sister who ran off when she was young. He worried she might have ended up in the same position I found myself.”
Sarah let out the breath she was holding, “People can certainly surprise you. Don’t worry, Lucy, you are a good cook and housekeeper. I’ll be happy to write you a letter of recommendation on Giles’ office stationery to show any future employer Now, let’s say we start Molly’s wedding plans.”
Lucy smiled and wiped away a tear thanking God for bringing her to these new friends and safety of the town of Gentle Falls.
Chapter 12
Ben walked into the jail and thanked Joseph for keeping watch over his prisoners while he spoke with the judge. “Would you mind staying a bit longer? The judge would like to talk to Willis.”
“I’ll be here.” Joseph pushed back in the chair. “I finished my last furniture order yesterday. I have all the time you need.”
Ben walked back to the cells and addressed Willis. “Get up and hold your hands out. You and I are paying a visit to the judge.”
“Don’t do it,” Underwood yelled. “No one leaves the jail to speak to the judge. He’s going to take you out and hang you if you don’t talk. After you tell him what he wants, they’ll hang you anyway. The animals will eat your body. No one will know what happened to you.”
“Shut up, Underwood,” Ben snapped. He looked at Willis. “This is your one chance to keep from spending your life in prison. You don’t have to talk to the judge. You can wait for the trial on Wednesday.”
“I’ll go,” Willis said sticking his hands through the bars so Ben could handcuff them.
Willis walked with his head hung low toward the door as Underwood continued to yell that he’d never be back.
Ben gripped Willis’ arm and guided him down the half-block to the judge’s office.
Willis looked up, “We’re really going to the judge’s office?”
“Yeah, did you think I was going to hang you?”
“Dunno?”
Ben pulled Willis’ arm to guide him into the judge’s outer office. The clerk jumped up from his chair and rushed to let the judge know Ben and a prisoner were there.
The clerk held the door open for Ben and Willis.
Judge Magarey said, Come in, Ben. Take a seat. Willis can stand.”
Willis turned pale when the judge began to talk about all the possible charges he could bring against him. Judge Magarey leaned back in his chair, interlaced his fingers, and tapped his chin with both his thumbs.
“I heard your story, Willis, and I tend to believe you. I can offer you five years in prison for being an accomplice to the attempted break-in at the dress shop and agreeing to help abduct two women. I understand Underwood threatened to have you killed. If you write out a full confession today, I’ll see to it that you’re transferred to the prison before the trial, and you won’t have to testify.”
“I’ll do it. Underwood said his men would break him out before the trial and kill me before they left. Boots will do it if he comes back to town and there are others Underwood knows. I know them all. Do you want their names, too?”
“Of course,” the judge answered. He slid a piece of paper across the desk and told Ben to get Willis a chair. While Willis wrote furiously, the judge motioned Ben to step just outside the door where they had some privacy but could still watch Willis.
“That was easy,” Judge Magarey said. “He’s giving us more information than we had before and he offered it up without my asking him a thing.”
“He’s more afraid of Underwood than prison.”
“He’ll serve some time and learn a lesson, I think. He’s not smart enough to have planned this. I’ll have my clerk telegraph the prison and ask for an escort for tomorrow. He’ll be out of town before the trial starts. Normally, I’d have you escort him, but I need you here for the trial Wednesday.”
“I’m finished,” Willis called and stood holding the paper.
Judge Magarey read it and smiled. “All right, sign it.”
Willis scrawled his name just as Joseph hurried into the office. “Luke just rode into town with Boots.”
Willis’ eyes widened.
“Did he take him to the jail?” Ben asked.
“Nope, Luke’s watching Underwood until I can get a coffin made.”
“Boots is dead?”
“Yeah, Luke said he showed up at the Greiner farm asking for his back pay ‘cuz he wanted to leave town.”
“Do you know what happened? Why did Luke shoot him?”
“No idea, but it wasn’t Luke. Miranda Greiner shot Boots.”
Willis passed out cold.
The judge picked up a glass of water from his desk and poured it over Willis’ face. “Get up, man. What is wrong with you?”
> Ben helped Willis to his feet while Willis mumbled, “I told you that Underwood would kill me. He made sure Boots is dead. He has everyone working for him even the good women in town. I’ll be dead before sunup.”
“You’re an idiot,” Ben growled. “Miranda Greiner is not working for Underwood. Come on we’re going back to the jail.”
“I’ll walk with you,” the judge said. “I think I’d like to hear what happened.”
Ben needed to push Willis’ back a few times to keep him moving back toward the jail. Willis kept mumbling that the entire town was out to get him.
Luke sat behind the sheriff’s desk when Ben and the judge arrived. Ben locked a mumbling Willis back in his cell and took the chair Luke vacated.
Judge Magarey pulled up a chair and sat looking at Luke, “Tell us how Boots ended up dead.”
Luke leaned against the wall with a cup of coffee in his hand. “Boots worked for Roy Greiner. I didn’t know him well since he didn’t speak much when the men turned in for the night. Roy and I worked with his horses while Boots watched over the field workers. Early this morning he rode in looking dirty and tired. He limped toward the barn to speak with Roy.”
The judge asked, “He wasn’t around the last few days?”
“No, not since before you arrested Willis. I heard him arguing with Roy, so I walked closer to the barn. Boots said he injured his leg and held up in a cabin he found and insisted Roy pay him all the wages he was due because he was leaving the area. Roy told him he didn’t have enough money on the farm. Boots laughed and pushed Roy out of the barn and told him if he didn’t get his money, he’d kill him. I walked out from around the corner of the barn and told Boots to drop his gun. He didn’t move, just yelled at me to drop my gun or he’d shoot Roy. I told him I couldn’t do that because Ben swore me in as deputy. Boots shot at me, missed, and ducked behind the barn door. I saw Roy trying to reach for his gun when I heard a rifle shot and Boots dropped dead in front of the barn. I looked around for whoever shot him and saw Miranda Greiner standing near her back door holding a rifle. I brought Boots’ body back to town and Roy and Miranda will be in shortly to give their account.”
Willis hollered from the cell area, “They’re all out to get me.”
“Shut up, or I’ll beat them to it,” Ben called back.
Judge Magarey sat back tapping his fingers on his knees. “Anyone know where this Al Smith hales from?”
“Never heard him say anything except he used to work south of here a while back,” Luke answered.
“Then we bury him. Have Joseph stop by the bank for payment. Have you checked wanted posters?”
“Nothing,” Ben explained. “I thought about that as soon as we learned his name. I couldn’t find anything on Al Smith or Boots. That doesn’t make him innocent just lucky.”
The judge stood. “Talk to Roy and Miranda when they get here and send them home. Miranda was well within her rights to shoot anyone trying to kill her husband or anyone on her property. Smith not only threatened Roy, but he also tried to kill a deputy. Anyone who shot him wouldn’t be arrested. I must go, I have to prepare for Underwood’s trial. Good day, gentlemen.” The judge walked out of the sheriff’s office whistling.
~ * ~
Miranda bustled into the dress shop nearly out of breath. Sarah met her halfway across the showroom.
“Miranda, are you all right? You look flushed and not from the cold. Come in the back and have a cup of tea.”
Sarah pushed the dark blue curtain aside to allow Miranda access to the workspace. Several comfortable chairs covered in soft floral prints sat near the window. Sunlight filled the large room, and paintings of ladies in elegant gowns graced the soft green painted walls.
Miranda removed her coat and sat in one of the chairs. Sarah sat a cup of tea on the small table next to the chair. Miranda picked up the cup and took a sip.
“What happened?” Sarah’s concerned voice comforted Miranda.
“I killed a man this morning.”
Sarah’s hand covered her mouth, and she whispered, “What happened?”
After taking another sip of tea, Miranda explained, “The man who tried breaking in here was at the farm this morning. He shot at Luke and was about to shoot Roy. I heard the argument and went outside with my rifle. When I saw him raise the gun in Roy’s direction, I shot him. He’s dead.” Miranda lifted her head and tears threatened to fall.
“Miranda, that sounds as if you shot him to save your husband and Luke. Did you speak with Ben Clay?”
Miranda nodded and sipped more tea. “Roy and I were just at the sheriff’s office. Sheriff Clay said Judge Magarey heard the story and told him that what I did was within the law. I’m not in any trouble.”
Sarah wrapped her arms around her friend’s shoulders and exclaimed, “My goodness, you had quite the morning. I’m happy to see you here. We can do a fitting on your Christmas Eve gown.”
Miranda wiped a tear from her eyes, “I needed to speak to someone who might understand. Roy is with the sheriff, and I came here. I know you felt guilty when your first husband was shot although you didn’t shoot him. He might not have been shot if he hadn’t tried to attack you again. You once told me that the morning you left him, you thought you might kill him if he came after you, but you felt terrible about the situation. I think I understand. I know Boots is dead because he tried to kill people I care for. I most likely would have been next if he managed to kill Roy and Luke, but I took a life. How do I make peace with that?”
Sarah bit her bottom lip and slowly shook her head. “It takes time. Perhaps Pastor Reynolds could explain it better, but that is all I can say. You did what you had to do to survive and protect your loved ones. In time, the shock will wear off and you’ll understand what you did was your only choice. Please don’t make yourself ill with worry.”
Sarah and Miranda heard laughter coming from upstairs, and shortly Rose and Molly walked down to greet them. Molly carried a plate of cookies she and Sarah liked to offer clients while they decided on fabrics and embellishments.
“Hi, Miranda, nice to see you,” Molly’s cheery voice carried across the room. She strode toward Miranda offering her a cookie and stopped. “What’s wrong? You look pale.”
Miranda told her story again, and Molly hugged her tightly. “Thank you. You did more than save your husband’s life, you saved Rose and Lucy’s, too. Did you know Boots and Willis planned to abduct them and force them to work for Underwood in a barn outside of town? Boots might have come back here to finish what he started. If he weren't in town, he wouldn’t know Underwood’s in jail. Thank you, Miranda.”
“Yes, thank you, ma’am,” Rose spoke while fighting back tears. “Boots was an evil man.”
They heard the front door jingle and Rachel Reynolds’ voice call out, “Sarah, Molly are you here? Is Miranda with you?”
Molly stuck her head around the curtain and motioned Rachel to the back room. “She’s here.”
Rachel hurried in and took Miranda’s hand. “I just heard. Now, don’t for one moment blame yourself. I spoke to Roy. He said you were quite upset. Samuel will talk to you, too. You and Roy will come to supper at our house. Roy is there speaking to Samuel now. Come along with me, and we’ll meet our men for dinner.”
Miranda nodded and stood. “I’ll come back tomorrow for my fitting.”
Sarah nodded, “We’ll be here.”
After hugging the other women, she followed Rachel out of the shop.
Sarah sighed, “I hope Pastor Reynolds can help Miranda. Guilt, even misplaced, is a terrible burden.”
Chapter 13
Molly woke with a start on Wednesday morning. Sun filtered in through her curtains. Did she sleep too late? What time was it? She was required to be in court at eight o’clock. She reached for the pocket watch on the small wood table next to her bed. It was all she had to remind her of her Mama and this morning she missed her more than other days. Most people looked down on Molly and her mother, but Molly kn
ew her Mama did what she could to care for her. Life is not easy, and she was all the family Molly had. Ben would be her family now. Molly still feared he’d change his mind. She didn’t want to be in court and relive the night of the attempted abduction. Molly didn’t trust Underwood and worried what he might say in court. She glanced at the watch…not quite seven.
Molly dressed in a navy-blue dress respectable enough to be worn to church, and she knew she would appear proper. Everyone in town knew she worked in Underwood’s saloon at one time, but turned her life around with Sarah’s help. Swallowing her self-doubt, Molly opened her bedroom door and walked purposefully into the kitchen ready to start her day.
~ * ~
Edna knocked on Alberta Willoughby’s door as soon as she saw Alberta’s husband leave for the bank. Alberta smiled and held the door open. “Come in and have a cup of tea before we leave for the church.”
“Are you sure this is a good idea, Alberta?” Edna wondered.
“Of course, I sent out the notes to the other ladies from church about attending the trial today. We will make sure Underwood never opens his saloon again. I only wish the town had a courthouse and we wouldn’t have to use the church. Morton said he’s planning on building one as soon as the spring thaw allows,” Alberta assured her friend as she poured them each a cup of tea.
“What do you plan to do this morning?”
“We will all sit together and watch every move Judge Magarey makes. If he glances our way, we will give him a determined look to show we mean to see Underwood imprisoned. While I do not condone what those two young women did at the saloon, they would not have been in town if Underwood hadn’t opened the saloon. Biscuit?” She held out the plate to Edna.
Molly's Heart Page 8
