Deborah Camp (6 page)

“I plan to claim the land that I know Charles would want me and his son to own.”

Surprise flitted through Sarah’s dark eyes and frown lines bracketed her thin-lipped mouth. “What does Zachary Warner say about that?”

“We haven’t discussed it fully as yet. He didn’t want me to meet Luna, but I thought I could sit down with her to discuss this misunderstanding and come to a reasonable conclusion. Once she understands that Charles and I reconciled and that he only came here to provide a better life for his wife and child, she will surely agree the land should be ours. What does she need with it now anyway?”

“If you want my advice … and I’m giving it to you whether you want it or not … you should follow Counselor Warner’s instructions. You are a stranger here and he knows these people and how things work and how they
don’t
work in Guthrie. He has helped many a woman out of a thicket of troubles, I can tell you.”

“Has he helped you? You trust him and Mr. Polk?”

“Yes, I trust them, and when my divorce petition is finally filed, I know Counselor Warner will use every legal weapon at his disposal to grab as much money as possible from my philandering husband.”

“It appears he was right about Luna. He said she wouldn’t talk to me. But why is she being so hateful?
I’m
the wronged party! She has remarried and lives in a fancy house. She has the world on a string, so why would she be afraid of speaking with me about Charles and his intentions?”

“She probably is of a mind that she doesn’t
have
to speak to you. As far as she’s concerned, you are the ex-wife of her late husband and have no claims on any property that is now legally hers.”

“But that can’t be.” Jennie folded her arms and rested her elbows on the table top, refusing to acknowledge that there was any logic in Sarah’s reasoning. “Charles came here to purchase land for
us
, not for some other woman. I didn’t even know about the divorce! That certainly can’t be right.”

“It doesn’t sound fair at all,” Sarah agreed and offered a smile. “Counselor Warner will know what to do. As I said, I would leave this ugly business to him. Let him sort it out while you get your footing here. I don’t think you will find better people than Rachel and Bob McDonald.”

“It was good of them to allow me to work for them.”

“Are you low on funds, dear?”

“No, but I will be soon without much money. I had planned on moving to the land and not having to pay for boarding …” She sighed. “Nothing has happened as I had envisioned.”

“Life has a way of turning left when you thought you’d be turning right.”

Jennie pulled her thoughts from her own troubles to focus on the other woman. “Is your husband in Boston?”

“Yes. He had purchased another home for his kept woman and he moved there to be with her. I sold the home we had shared and most of our furnishings. He has petitioned for half of that money.”

“Do you think he will be awarded it?”

“Not if I have anything to say about it,” Sarah said, emphatically. “He is not going to get one more iota from me – not a cent, not a kind word, and not a care! Doesn’t it bedevil you that your husband was off gallivanting with another woman and you had no earthly idea about it? It gets under my skin, I tell you. How could I not have known? How could I have been so blind?”

Jennie quelled a shiver that tiptoed up her spine. “It’s very unsettling. I thought Charles loved me. He never let on …” She felt tears sting the back of her eyes. “It hurts terribly to believe that he lied to me every day, every minute, every second.” Another thought struck her. “You didn’t know Charles, did you?”

“Me? No. I’ve only been here a few weeks. I’ve
heard
about him and Luna from the McDonalds.”

“They met him?”

“Yes. Eventually, everyone comes into the dry goods store to buy something.”

“What have you heard about Charles?”

“Oh, not much really--”

“Please, tell me,” Jennie persisted.

Sarah wrinkled her nose. “You don’t want to hear the gossip, do you? It will only stab you in the heart and your poor heart is already bleeding.”

“I want to know everything I can about Charles and that woman. If I don’t overturn every stone, I might miss something that could help me secure the land Charles purchased with
our
money.”

Sarah studied her for a few moments before nodding slowly. “From what I heard Luna and your husband frequented the saloons and dance halls. They had a whirlwind romance and he was quite smitten with her. Are you sure you want to hear this?”

Jennie opened her eyes, realizing only then that she had shut them tightly. Sarah’s description of Charles stung like hot needles. Charles dancing? Having a whirlwind romance?
Her
Charles, who had refused to dance, even at their wedding and who had been so tongue-tied when he had asked her to marry him that she had finished his request for him. What had he seen in Luna Lee that he found so bewitching that he became a different man around her?

“I do want to hear,” Jennie said, releasing a long breath. “Please, tell me.”

Sarah waved her hands in front of her as if erasing the memory. “No, there isn’t any more to tell and it’s all gossip. Luna is the type of woman who sets tongues to wagging.”

“She certainly doesn’t want for male companionship, it seems,” Jennie said, drawing on her gloves again as she prepared to leave. “She goes from one husband right to the next with barely a backward glance.”

“This town is full of opportunists and broken hearts. Many of the women you will meet were wronged and have come here to begin anew with their heads held high. Being a divorcee is not for the weak of heart. Society looks down its nose at us.”

Jennie let go of a laugh that scorched her throat with its bitterness. “I came here as a widow and now I am a divorced woman. It is all so unbelievable to me. Charles was always so kind and considerate towards me. He simply wasn’t the type to keep secrets.”

“But he didn’t tell you about the land he purchased, correct?”

Jennie lifted her gaze slowly to Sarah’s, mindful of her point but not liking it. “That’s correct.”

“Then is it
that
unbelievable that he would keep other things from you?” The woman shrugged and glanced around the small café. Women sipping tea and holding soft-voiced conversations were the only customers. “I am an angry, vengeful woman, Jennie, so forgive my meddling and barbed advice. It is difficult these days for me to take the side of men.” She wagged a finger at Jennie. “Except for a few wily lawyers and Bob McDonald, there are few men I would trust as far as I could throw them. Put your faith in Counselor Warner, dear, and do as he advises. He has been where you are going many, many times. Let him guide you.”

Jennie nodded, recalling the moments in his office when his comforting words and actions had made her feel as if she had someone she could count on. Maybe Sarah Gladdens was right.

Chapter 4

The afternoon sun slanted in deep buttery bars in between the buildings and onto busy Harrison Street. Jennie caught her reflection in the store window – a slender young woman with a serious demeanor, she thought. There was a time, not too terribly long ago, when she felt much younger and definitely more carefree. Her eyes had shone with confidence and she had smiled often. Even while Charles had been away, life had not been as drab and dicey as it was now.

There seemed to be an ache in her heart that simply wouldn’t ease or fade away. She felt foolish and scorned. Two sentiments that she had never associated with herself before and they felt strange and burdensome, weighing her down like a heavy cloak. She also had the distinct impression that everyone she met or who glanced her way knew her personal business. Knew that her husband had become involved with someone else. Knew that he had been unfaithful and had never even mentioned that he had a wife and child waiting for him in Missouri. The scald of that embarrassment was almost more than she could bear at times.

Jennie dodged knots of people along the sidewalk and stepped gingerly around potholes when she crossed the street and made her way to the law offices of Polk and Warner. As she approached, she saw a man and woman standing outside the building. Something the man said made the woman tip back her head and laugh up into his face. Jennie smiled and felt a pang of envy. The man pushed back his hat and sunlight illuminated his face. Jennie caught her breath, realizing it was Zachary Warner.

Her gaze darted to the woman, pretty with a tiny waist and an upturned nose. She laughed again and placed a hand on Zach’s forearm. Jennie’s shadow swept over them and they both tore their gazes away from each other and looked toward Jennie. The woman knitted her brow. Zach cleared his throat and took an additional step back and touched the fingers of one hand to his hat’s brim.

“Good afternoon to you, Mrs. Hastings.”

‘I must be going,” the other woman said, turning aside.

“Keep in touch, Mrs. Streeter,” Zach said. “You take care.”

“Oh, I will.” The woman sashayed off and Jennie couldn’t help but notice that Zach watched the sway of her hips before finally managing to jerk his attention away and face Jennie again.

“Another satisfied client?” Jennie asked, arching her brows.

“Certainly.” One corner of his mouth twitched. “We aim to please. How’s life treating you so far here in Guthrie, Mrs. Hastings?”

“Fine. I’ve acquired work.”

“Are you working at the boarding house?”

“No, at the dry goods store. I begin on Monday.”

“The McDonalds hired you. They’re fine people. I hadn’t realized that you needed to find work. You don’t have to pay us anything for another couple of weeks.”

“I plan to be here for a while, so I decided to find work so that I could settle in with fewer worries.”

He opened the door to the building and motioned for her to go ahead of him. “After you, ma’am.”

She went inside and up the short flight of stairs to the offices he shared with Adam Polk. Neither Bertha nor Adam appeared to be in. Zach motioned for her to go into the larger office and she did, taking her customary seat there. He sat beside her in the other chair instead of behind the desk.

Jennie fidgeted, feeling strangely nervous in his close company with his gaze intently on her. “Was that your paramour?”

“My what?”

“Your lady friend,” Jennie said. “Mrs. Streeter, I believe you called her?”

“She is a client, as you noted.”

“Yes, but anyone with eyes could see that you two are taken with each other.”

His brows shot up. “Her divorce has been granted and she was telling me that she is going back to Virginia tomorrow on the morning train. Is that what you want to talk about with me?”

She glanced at him. He was smiling knowingly at her and she felt warmth wash up her neck and into her face. “No. It’s none of my business. I was just … you make a striking couple.”

“We aren’t a couple. I wouldn’t want you spreading that rumor around town.”

“I don’t gossip!”

He nodded, clearly placating her. “Okay, okay. That’s good.” He settled back in the chair. “What did you think of Luna?”

“Besides being insufferably rude, I didn’t think much of her. She didn’t give me a chance.”

“I told you not to bother her.”

“Yes, I know.” Jennie released a quick sigh. “I probably shouldn’t have gone there, but can’t you understand that I have some curiosity about the woman who stole my husband?”

“I understand, but showing up on her doorstep unannounced isn’t going to get you anywhere. I talked to Luna and I will speak to her again on your behalf. Eventually, I think I can convince her to climb down off her high-horse and be sensible.”

He had removed his hat and hung it on a hall tree before he had sat beside her. Jennie noticed that his hair was thick and curled slightly on the tips. It was a myriad of blond colors from deep gold to pale lemon. He wore a dark suit, white shirt, and a gray tie. He’d probably been in court most of the day, she thought, catching the scent of pine wafting from his skin when he shifted in the chair again to stretch his long legs.

“This isn’t going to be a simple matter,” he said after another few seconds of silence. “I want you to be aware of that. Luna isn’t going to hand over the land deed to you, pretty as you please, so that you and your boy can live happily ever after. She has lived a hard-scrabble life and she is bound and determined to keep what she feels she has earned.”

“Earned? That’s a peculiar way to put it.”

“True, but I believe that’s how she thinks of it. She married Charles Hastings in good faith and legally, I might add. Therefore, as his legal wife she feels she has earned the land by rights.”

“But you are going to prove that all of that is a lie, correct?”

He folded his hands across his midsection and stared straight ahead at the window behind the big desk. “I am going to give it my very best effort, Jen —.” He cut his blue eyes toward her. “May I call you Jennie?”

“Is that proper?” Even as she said it, she regretted it.

“Perhaps not in high society circles, but we’re here in little, old Guthrie and folks here a mite friendlier. But, if you would be offended?” He shrugged one shoulder.

“No, it’s fine. I don’t mind. You didn’t call Sarah Gladdens by the familiar.”

“I do call her Sarah most of the time. In court and in public places, I am more formal. My mama raised a gentleman.”

She smiled and looked away from his teasing, blue eyes. “You were saying that my situation is difficult, but it’s not impossible. Even the judges here should be able to understand that I am the wronged party.”

He sat straighter in the chair and turned slightly to face her. “Jennie, everyone in court thinks that he or she is the wronged party and judges don’t base their decisions on feelings or personalities. They base their decisions on law. The law right now is on Luna’s side.” He held up a hand to stop her protest before she could voice it. “I know that doesn’t sit well with you – nor with me – but that’s the facts as they are today. What I’m telling you is that I will try to find some way to swing this in your favor. I hope I can get that land for you, free and clear, but the odds of that happening are against us.”

“Then what is left?” Jennie said, spreading out her hands in a silent appeal.

“I might be able to negotiate a fair price from Luna so that you can buy the land.”

“Buy it?” Her stomach lurched. “With what? I don’t have the money to buy land! Charles already did that. He spent
our
money on it. Actually,” she amended, “it was mostly my money, given to me by my parents when I left their home.”

“I’m hoping that I can convince her to sell you a portion of the land – enough for you and your son to farm or ranch – and allow you to pay for it in monthly installments.”

Jennie shook her head and stood up, a panicked restlessness overtaking her. She felt like a caged animal, pacing, wanting to scream.

“It’s not the only solution, but it is one that I want you to at least consider.” He stood and blocked her path when she turned to pace in his direction. He gripped her shoulders to hold her in place. “What your husband did is indefensible and I don’t approve of Luna’s bullheadedness, but this is the hand we must play for now. You understand?”

She shook her head as tears built in her eyes and a pent up sob burned her throat. His grip on her shoulders lessened and then he did an astounding thing – he pulled her close to him. For a second, Jennie was stunned to find herself pressed against him, but then in the next second her resistance melted like snow in a sunbeam. It had been a long time since she had sought the comfort of a man’s embrace, but she had not forgotten the simple pleasure of it. Even though her good sense told her to push away from him, her womanly heart told her to keep still and drink in his strength.

The scents of pine, leather, and a back note of spicy muskiness clung to his skin. She felt his hands on her back, his palms against her shoulder blades, his breath stirring the hair at her temple that peeked out from beneath her bonnet.

She felt a change in him, a quickening, and then he gently grasped her shoulders and set her back from him. Jennie angled her gaze up to his and for a few blazing seconds she saw the flickering flame of passion in his eyes. His lids lowered and when he lifted them again, his eyes were kind, but considerably cooler. Jennie dipped her chin, unsure of what to say or do.

“There is no use in going in front of a judge with what we know now,” he said in a voice that was just above a whisper. “I will visit with Luna again. I’ll talk to her husband, too. Maybe he can make her see reason.” He shook his head with a rueful smile. “But I doubt it. She has him on a tight leash and he’s happy as a pup.”

“What is so bewitching about her? She didn’t look all that beautiful to me.”

He released her and went around the desk to sit in the chair there, putting a lot of distance between them. Jennie wondered if he regretted the embrace and his reaction to her nearness.

“I would say that Luna is a handsome woman.” He leaned back in the chair and tented his fingers. “What she lacks in beauty, she makes up for in feminine wiles.”

“You think she tricked Charles into marrying her, don’t you?”

He cast Jennie a glance that bordered on sympathetic. “Tricked him? No. Now, if he was a boy still wet behind the ears who hadn’t even had a real sweetheart yet, then I might go along with him being tricked into marriage. But Charles Hastings was already a husband and a father. He knew what he was doing. The sooner you accept that, the easier this is going to be on you.” He sat straighter in the chair, pinning her with his frank, blue gaze. “You need to get out of your head and your heart that your husband was an innocent party in all of this. He knew what he was doing when he divorced you and he knew what he was doing when he married Luna.”

Jennie felt tears swim in her eyes again and she turned away from him.

“I don’t mean to upset you and I’m sure that Charles lived to regret his actions. Obviously, he did because he went back to St. Louis to resume his life with you. But his actions here were not brought on by insanity, too much drink, or even being duped by a resourceful woman. You need to plant that in your head and let it take root.”

“I know.” Jennie retrieved a handkerchief from her small purse and dabbed at her eyes. “It’s just so unlike him. When I think of him gallivanting about town, dancing with that woman, laughing with her, and … other things, it is like I am picturing a complete stranger. A Charles I certainly never knew.” She shook her head, slinging the gloomy, disturbing thoughts aside. “What is our next step?”

“Give me a few days to do some research and speak to Luna again. I’ll report back to you by the end of next week. Fair enough?”

“Yes.” She tucked the handkerchief back into her purse. “I have heard good reports about you, so I place my trust in your hands. I just wish there was something I could do instead of waiting.”

“I know, but you should let me handle this for now. You have a new job to tackle and – who is going to take care of your son while you’re working? Do you need me to ask around to see if I can find someone?”

“No, a lady at the boarding house is going to watch him for me. She has a daughter close to Oliver’s age and she needs the extra money I will pay her. She is here for a divorce, but her attorney’s name is Mr. Brunswick.”

“David Brunswick,” Zach said, pushing up from the chair to escort her from the office and to the stairs leading down to the street. “He’s good, but not as good as me.”

She exchanged a smile with him and her heart leapt at his confidence. “I will take you at your word and not challenge that or you – for now.”

Moonlight pooled on the window ledge where Jennie sat, her knees drawn up to her chest, her fist pressed against her lips to keep her sobs from escaping and waking her sleeping son. Tears wet her cheeks, her throat burned, and her heart thudded rapidly in her chest and ears. As miserable as she was, it felt good to cry. To let it out, to finally succumb to the grief and misery she had been feeling since she had arrived in the offices of Polk and Warner.

She had held it all in for too long, she thought, glancing at the sleeping form of Oliver beneath the sheets. She didn’t want him to see her crying, sobbing like a child. She was his rock, his stability, and she meant to preserve that image for him. In this crazy world, he needed her to be solid and constant and loving.

Even after Charles had died, she had cried in front of Oliver only during the funeral service. She had kept the depth of her grief away from him, but had encouraged him to cry for the loss of his father and she had answered all his questions about death and angels and Heaven. She had helped him work through it and that had helped her to find strength, as well.

In a way, she had lost Charles the day he had left for Guthrie because he was not the same man when he had returned. At the time, she chalked it up to his feelings of failing to secure land for them. Now she had a clearer picture of why Charles had changed and why he had been unable to make love to her after he had come home. He would hold her and kiss her, but he made excuses when she tried to arouse him further.