Much Ado About Marshals (Hearts of Owyhee) (2011) (38 page)

Sam sighed.

The marshal shook his head. “I don’t know who Sidney Adler is, but that’s not my name, Daisy. I’m Cole Richards. Nobody wanted to believe that when I got to town, and, for other reasons, I had to let it slide.”

Daisy was so stunned, she couldn’t move a muscle, not even to speak.

The little man she thought was Sam stepped forward. “The judge wasn’t wrong, Miss Daisy. I am Sidney Adler.”

“But—but—you’re not six foot two!”

“Nope. Five-two. Must’ve been an error.”

“Some error.”

The man she’d loved—who now called himself Cole—stepped forward. “He might only be five-two, but he can whoop a man twice his size.” He took off his badge and tossed it on the desk in front of the new Mr. Adler. “This was meant for you. You’re a good man, Adler. Daisy knew what she was doing when she hired you.”

He took the jail keys off the hook and unlocked Flynn’s cell. “Truth is, I belong in here.” He locked himself in and threw the keys to Mr. Adler. “Scoot over, Flynn.” He sat wearily on the cot beside the man he just arrested.

“I knew you was no better than me,” Flynn snickered.

Daisy flung herself against the bars. “What is this! What’s going on here!”

Cole looked up at her, his eyes filled with pain. “I’m the one your sister shot.” He hung his head between his knees and ruffled his hair, then looked at her again.

Her vision blurred and her head pounded, she was so mad. “How could you! I fell in love with you, and, and
…
other things, under false pretences. You, whoever you are, are a low-down, dirty, rotten scoundrel.”

She turned and ran, not stopping until she was upstairs in her bedroom. She threw herself on her bed and sobbed.

“Daisy,” Iris patted her on the back and gave her a handkerchief. “What’s the matter?”

She couldn’t talk, the sobs convulsing her throat. Iris kept patting her back. “Calm down, little sister.”

Daisy cried harder. All her plans to marry the marshal were gone, gone, gone. Sarah, of all people would be the marshal’s wife. But worst of all, worst of all, she’d fallen in love with a man and she hadn’t even known his name. She would have married a man who used a different name—and that wouldn’t have been married at all.

Iris took her soggy hanky and gave her a new one. “I think I know what this is about. He’s an honorable man, Daisy.”

Daisy glared at her sister. “You knew?” She buried her head in the pillow again. “I suppose you got a good laugh out of that.” And the sobs overtook her again.

Bosco followed Mr. Roth and the doc into the marshal’s office. “Where’s the marshal?” The judge pointed to the cell room, and Bosco saw Cole in the cell with
Mike Flynn
. “What the hell’s going on here?”

“It’s over, Bosco. I told them what we did. And call me by my name. Sam’s Sidney Adler—I gave him the badge.”

“Shit-fire.” Bosco took his hat off and fiddled with the brim. Cole wished he could have protected his friend from such grief, but when a man did something wrong, he ha
d to pay. And the time had come.  T
hey had to pay.

Bosco took the keys from Adler and unlocked the cell door. “I’m with you, Cole. Always have been, always will be.” He locked himself in and threw the keys back to Adler. “Scoot over, boys.”

Cole shoved Flynn over with his elbow, then slid down a few inches to give his friend a place to sit. “I’m sorry.”

“Now ain’t that plumb sentimental,” Flynn sneered. “Makes my heart go pitter-pat.”

“Shut up, Flynn, or it won’t pitter-pat much longer.”

Flynn shot up. “Judge, did you hear that? He threatened me!”

“Yeah, and I don’t blame him a bit. I remember you from the
San Francisco
court a few years ago. Swindled some little old lady out of her life savings.”

“That shriveled up old witch gave me her money, then had second thoughts, and you know it. You’re the one who judged me innocent.”

“The verdict was ‘not guilty,’ Flynn—it was not ‘innocent.’ There’s a difference.” The judge poured a cup of coffee. “Sid, go round up a wagon. We’re sending these gentlemen to
Boise
City
at first light.”

Sidney
fingered the badge, then tossed it back on the desk. He had his name back, but he wasn’t so sure he wanted his job. Oh, he wanted it all right, but Cole Richards was a better man than he gave himself credit for. And he wasn’t a crook, either. He’d stake his life on it—had, in fact, that night.

He stepped out on the boardwalk and took a deep breath of the warm, summer air. Now he had another task he didn’t look forward to—telling Sarah his real name. Daisy hadn’t taken Cole’s deception very well at all, and Sarah was much more sensitive.

He saw her before sh
e saw him. The wagon could wait.  H
e needed to make things right with Sarah first. Sitting on the swing beside her, he said, “Sarah, you’re the most amazing woman I’ve ever met.”

She beamed a smile at him that warmed him all over. “Thank you.”

“And I want you to be my wife.”

She threw herself at him, embracing him. “Oh, sorry if I hurt your wound.” She backed off. “The answer is ‘yes.’ Yes!”

But he held his hand up. “No, not yet. I have to tell you a few things first before you agree. My name’s not Sam Jones, it’s Sidney Adler.”

Her sharp intake of breath told him this wasn’t going to be any easier than he’d expected.

“And I’m not a carpenter. I just quit the Pinkerton Agency a few months ago, and I was supposed to be the marshal here in Oreana. I’ve been in law enforcement since I was fifteen years old.”

“You lied to me.”

He only hoped she’d understand the nature of his work. “Not really lied, just assumed a different identity when I discovered that someone else was using my name and had my job. I had to find out who he was and why he took the job as marshal.”

“I see,” Sarah said chewing her lip. She tossed her curls and stood.

She was going to tell him to go straight to hell, in a ladylike way, he was sure of it.

“My wedding dress is finished, my clothes are packed, the two trunks of household goods are ready to go. Shall we be married with Daisy and the marshal, er, other man tomorrow?”

He felt a broad grin spread across his face. He pulled her to him and kissed her, right there on the front porch, not caring who happened by. “We’ll get married. Judge Glover already agreed to make it a double ceremony, but there’s a problem.”

“What?”

“I don’t think Miss Daisy plans to marry Mr. Richards.”

“Mr. Richards?

“The marshal—his name is Cole Richards,” he explained. “He and his brother own a ranch down on Sinker Creek. He’s not a lawman. Never has been, although he could be. That young man has considerable instinct for the job. He did just what he needed to do tonight, or we never would have caught those bank robbers.”

“And you think Daisy’s so shallow that she won’t understand that? She’s in love with him.”

“There’s another problem.” He cleared his throat. “He’s the man her sister shot.”

Sarah’s eyes grew wide. “Oh, dear, you mean he’s a bank robber?” She put her hand over her mouth. “Oh, my!”

Rays of sunshine beamed through the window on her wedding day. The birds sang and the bees buzzed. Daisy wanted to choke them all. Her wedding gown taunted her, the packed trunks outraged her. She flopped over and buried her head under the pillow. At least she could get away from the cursed birdsongs.

Iris had been up for an hour and Daisy was glad she was gone. She’d known all along, yet she still went along with the marshal’s—or rather Mr. Richards’s charade. Men! She hurled the pillow at her wedding dress.

She’d been such a fool, and the entire town knew it. They also suspected the truth about what happened in the cave. Her face flushed with heat. She’d seduced him! He’d tried to stay away from her, but she’d made it impossible. She’d made herself the laughingstock of the town, and she hoped he was happy about it.

Well, she’d not hide away. She bounced to her feet and ripped off her nightgown. At least she could make sure that Sarah understood why Sam—Sidney Adler— did what he did, although she wasn’t sure herself. But there was no reason why two couples had to be unhappy.

She washed her face and dressed in her finest. She was going to attend Sarah’s wedding, and she was going stand proud.

Her mother greeted her at the bottom of the stairs. “I thought I heard you stirring. I saved breakfast for you.”

“Not hungry. When’s Sarah’s wedding?”

“Sarah? I didn’t know she was getting married.”

“She’s marrying Sidney Adler, although she may not know it yet. I’m not marrying anyone at all. Ever!” She pinned on her bonnet and yanked her gloves on. “I’ll be at the boarding house. When I find out the time of the wedding, I’ll send word.”

She hurried to
ward
Sarah’s house, walking tall with her eyes straight ahead all the way. Nor did she stop to pay niceties to Mrs. Howard. Daisy marched right up to Sarah’s room and knocked.

When Sarah let her in, Daisy yanked off her gloves and grabbed a comb. “I’m here to get you ready for your wedding. What time’s the ceremony? My mother wants to come.”

“I’ve already fixed my hair.”

Daisy gazed at her friends blonde ringlets, meticulously arranged. “So you have. I’ll press your dress.”

“I already pressed my dress.”

“Shine your shoes?”

Sarah rolled her eyes. “No.”

“When’s the ceremony?

“I don’t know. Sam, I mean
Sidney
, said he has to discuss something with you first. He’s speaking with Iris now. We can’t get married until Judge Glover gets his other duties out of the way.”

The man she loved was no longer her fiancé. Now he was an ‘other duty.’ Daisy slumped onto a chair. “Yes, Iris is a witness to the crime of robbery, and I’m witness to the fraud. I’m sure the judge will need to speak with me before he gives a verdict.”

“I wish you wouldn’t be so sad. I thought you really loved the mar—er, Mr. Richards. You looked so happy. Now you look awful.”

“Thanks for the compliment.” She stood and jutted her chin. “I best be going to the marshal’s office, then.” She ignored the silly gloves that lay on the table and left. Who the heck wanted to wear gloves in ninety-degree weather? From that point on, Daisy swore she’d do only what she wanted, and she didn’t want to wear gloves.

On the way to the marshal’s office she yanked off her bonnet and threw it in the street. She’d never liked hats—they served no purpose whatsoever. Men wore hats to protect them from the elements. Women wore
silly
concoctions that just sat on top of their heads and looked stupid. No hats. No Gloves. Maybe she’d try a pair of Levi Strauss’s waist overalls—Nellie Stephens wore them. They made a lot more sense than wearing long skirts that made chasing bandits nearly impossible.

She entered the marshal’s office and stood before the judge. “I understand you wish to speak with me.”

Judge Glover leaned back and studied her. “The wedding ceremony’s in an hour.”

“Sarah’s nearly ready now. Where’s Marshal Adler?”

“He’ll be back. He’s securing
Mike Flynn
and the Rankin brothers on a wagon we hired to take them to
Boise
City
.”

“And the other prisoners?”

“What other prisoners?”

He was going to make her say it, and she would, too. She’d say his name without wavering or crying. She took a deep breath. “Mr. Richards and Mr. Kunkle.”

“I’ll remind you that they’re still sworn law officers of Oreana.”

“I fired them.”

“Your dad’s the mayor, not you.”

“I hired them, I can fire them.”

“So I take it you don’t plan to marry Cole today.”

“Certainly not. Or any day. And if that’s all you have to say to me, I’m leaving.”

“Daisy,” she heard him call, but she didn’t slow down
a minute. She would go to…
where?

Suddenly, she didn’t know what she wanted or where she could go. Sarah was busy with her wedding. Her parents’ house no longer felt like hers. She had no job and no room like her sister had. No exciting adventures waited for her, like Honey Beaulieu. And she had no fiancé, and never would.

Maybe she could stay with Iris until she found a job and a place of her own. She changed directions for home, hoping to find her sister there. Instead, Sidney Adler intercepted her.

“I’ve been instructed by Judge Glover to arrest you.”

“Oh, pooh, I haven’t done anything wrong—at least not anything you can get arrested for.”

Mr. Adler shrugged. “You can come peaceably, or I can haul you in.”

Daisy drew back. “Why, on whatever charge?”

“You’ll have to ask the judge about that. I just do as I’m told by the officer of the court.” He pressed his hand against her back, urging her on. “I don’t want to have to handcuff you, Miss Daisy, but I will if I have to.”