The Secret Bliss of Calliope Ipswich (28 page)

“Of course, dear,” Mrs. Perry agreed—though she was staring out the window into the street as intently as Calliope and Evangeline were.

“Here comes Sheriff Montrose and the judge now,” Mr. Perry mumbled.

Calliope watched, terrified, as she saw Sheriff Montrose saunter from the courthouse and into the middle of
Meadowlark Lake’s main thoroughfare. Her terror mounted to an almost tangible point when she saw her father join him, both men armed with rifles.

“Daddy!” Evangeline gasped.

It was like witnessing the unfolding of a nightmare for Calliope as she watched the five outlaws ride into town and rein in a ways off from her father and Sheriff Montrose.

“Turn them horses around, boys,” Sheriff Montrose shouted. “You ain’t welcome here.”

The middle rider—the man on the appaloosa—smiled and leaned forward, resting one arm on his saddle horn.

“Now
, Sheriff, I know you must be aware of how this kind of thing works,” the man said. “We come into your town, and we rest up and eat and have our baths. We play a little poker, and then we move on for a while. And as long as you allow us a bit of restin’-up time, everyone in your quiet little town here continues to live on safe and sound.”

Calliope knew this man was the leader of the Morrison
brothers’ gang. Rowdy had referred to him as Arness. But there was something about Arness Morrison that Calliope had not expected. Rather than being a dirty, yellow-teethed, matted-beard sort of outlaw, Arness Morrison was fairly handsome. In fact, the longer Calliope studied Arness Morrison, as well as the two men on either side of him, the more she began to think they bore a nearly uncanny resemblance to…

“Ride on, Arness. You turn Pronto around and ride on to someplace else.”

Calliope’s mouth dropped open in horrified astonishment as she watched Rowdy walk out into the street wearing a gunbelt and pistol.

“You heard the man, Morrison,” Sheriff Montrose said. “Rid
e on. You’re boys ain’t welcome here.”

But Arness
Morrison wore an expression exactly as if he were looking at a ghost as he stared at Rowdy.

“Rowdy?” Arness asked. “Is that you, boy? That can’t be you! You’re dead! I kilt you myself.”

“Naw. You tried to kill me, Arness,” Rowdy said as he stared down Arness. “You—all three of you—you and Carson and Walker. You tried to kill me…but you failed.”

Arness laughed
, looking back and forth between the two men on either side of him. “Boys, lookie here! Our baby brother…back from the dead.”

“Brother?” Calliope heard Evangeline and Mr. and Mrs. Perry exclaim.

“Their brother?” Calliope herself whispered.

“Half
brother,” Rowdy corrected, however. “And I pause in even acknowledgin’ that much to a man who killed his own mother…and mine.”

Arness leveled an accusing finger at Rowdy, and Sheriff Montrose and Judge Ipswich leveled their rifles at him.

“That was her own fault, brother,” Arness growled. “I didn’t mean to shoot Mama. I was tryin’ for that no-good husband of hers…your daddy.”

“You killed my mama
, and you killed my daddy,” Rowdy said, however. He pointed to the two men on either side of Arness, whom Calliope had now determined were Carson and Walker Morrison. “And you two, you didn’t lift a finger to stop him.”

“You shoulda joined up with us, Rowdy,” one of the other two Morrison brothers hollered. “But you were always mama’s little saint, weren’t you?”

“Ride outta here, boys,” Rowdy said, “or die.”

“You ain’t the law, Rowdy,” Arness laughed. “You don’t speak for the
sheriff here.” Arness looked back to Sheriff Montrose then. “What do
you
say, Sheriff? You gonna give some innocent, tired men who been ridin’ for weeks some rest here in town? Or would you rather see us take your town out from under you…leaving dead who knows how many of your sweet, kind townsfolk to bleed out in your street?”

“Ride on, Morrison,” Sheriff Montrose said
, however. “Ride on, or we shoot you in your saddles.”

Arness straightened, puffing out his chest with the arrogance only an outlaw possessed. “You’re makin’ a mistake, Sheriff,” he said. “If you don’t let us
—”

“Ride on,” Calliope heard her father say. “The
sheriff already warned you. Leave or die.”

Arness looked at Lawson Ipswich and asked, “And who the hell are you?”

“Judge Lawson Ipswich,” Lawson answered. “And I will kill you, Morrison.”

Arness’
s brow furrowed in an angry, defiant frown. “You all are makin’ a big mistake. Because we will ride on, for now—until the folks in this little town are all tucked in one night, sleepin’ without a care in the world. And that’s when we’ll be back to kill the three of you.” He nodded to Sheriff Montrose, then to Calliope’s father, and then to Rowdy.

Then his eyes narrowed as he said, “Come on, boys. I don’t want to stay in a town of idiots.” He glared at Rowdy then, adding, “Or ghosts.”

Calliope realized she’d been holding her breath, and she exhaled as three of the five outlaws turned their horses.

But she gasped once more when she heard Arness Morrison shout, “Mama’s little saint ain’t a saint no more!” He drew his pistol and leveled it at Rowdy.

Calliope screamed as she heard the gunshot ring out—though tears of thankfulness filled her eyes when she saw it was Arness clutching his chest with blood beginning to saturate the front of his shirt.

As Arness Morrison c
ollapsed and fell from his saddle to hit the ground hard, the rest of the outlaws drew on Rowdy, her father, and the sheriff.

Gunfire began
, and Mr. Perry shouted, “Get away from the window!” as he strode from the store, leveling his shotgun at the outlaws still sitting their mounts.

It was no more than a few moments—seconds or less—and all was quiet once more. Racing toward the window, Calliope looked out, tears of relie
f spilling over her cheeks as she saw Rowdy, her father, and Sheriff Montrose standing over the dead outlaws littering the street.

“Calliope! Don’t!” Evangeline cried out as Calliope raced from the
general store and toward Rowdy. She threw her arms around him, sobbing against his shirt, and then released him to hug her father.

“Oh, Daddy! You men could
’ve been killed!” she cried.

Then she raced back to Rowdy, taking hold of the front of his shirt and crying, “What were you thinking? They could’ve killed you! This time they really might have killed you!”

She was still trembling with residual terror, weeping tears of fear mingled with relief.

“I’m…I’m sorry I didn’t have the chance to tell you the whole truth of it, Calliope,” Rowdy said.

All the men who had been waiting in the courthouse were now in the street investigating the bodies of the outlaws.

“I meant to tell you last night…but I
…” Rowdy stammered.

“You could
’ve been killed, Rowdy!” Calliope wept, however.

“I’m sorry, Calliope,” Rowdy said. “I should’ve told you that the Morrison
brothers…that they are my brothers.” He frowned a moment, glancing over his shoulder to where Arness lay dead. “They were my brothers…my half brothers.”

He looked back to her then
, and she could see the pain in his eyes. “How do you feel about me now that you know who I really am…who my brothers are? How do you feel about me knowin’ I just killed two of them?”

Straightening her posture, Calliope brushed her tears from her cheeks. “Come with me,” she said, taking his hand.

Storming toward the livery with Rowdy in tow, Calliope could think of only one answer to give him. Therefore, once they were in the livery, leaving all the people of Meadowlark Lake out in the street to discuss what had happened and remove the bodies of five outlaws, Calliope took hold of Rowdy’s shoulders and turned him to face her.

“How do I feel about you?” she asked him. “Knowing everything I do now?”

Taking hold of the lapels of the black vest Rowdy wore over his shirt, Calliope pushed him back against the livery wall and said, “
This
is how I feel!”

She raised herself on her tiptoes and kissed Rowdy square on the mouth. Again and again she kissed him, until he reached out, gathering her into his arms and taking command of their affections—kissing her with such fervent passion and promise that Calliope could hardly breathe
.

It had been a mere three weeks since the Morrison brothers’ gang had come to a fatal end in
Meadowlark Lake. Normally, such an astonishing, frightening, and gruesome event would still have dominated the thoughts and conversations of the townsfolk. But as Willis and Albert Chesterfield ushered in the guests of the first Tom Thumb wedding ever to be held in Meadowlark Lake, it was clear that the sudden terror that the Morrison brothers had brought to the town had vanished nearly as quickly as the outlaws themselves were vanquished.

Everything look
ed perfect—or at least in Calliope’s opinion. The inside of the Ackermans’ large barn had been draped in festoons of lavender and yellow ribbon and bows. Each row of seats for the guests, filled with perhaps not matching chairs, owned its own

bouquet of lilacs, greenery, and yellow roses at the edge near the aisle. Candles were set hither and yon throughout the barn on nearly every surface available, and their tiny flames added an atmosphere of romance to the setting.

Eva Chesterfield proved to be a very accomplished violinist indeed and provided a lovely rendition of Johann Pachelbel’s “Canon in D” while the guests were seated, and as Calliope entered the Ackermans’ barn on the arm of her beloved beau, Rowdy Gates, such a thrill of delight ran through her that for a moment she thought she could not be any more excited if she were attending her own wedding.

“Follow me please, and I’ll show you to your seats,” Willis Chesterfield said as he met Rowdy and Calliope at the back of the barn, offering his small crooked arm to Calliope.

“Thank you,” Calliope said, letting go of Rowdy’s arm and taking Willis’s.

Escorting Calliope to her seat, with Rowdy following him, Willis stopped before a row near the front, releasing Calliope, gesturing to his left, and saying, “Please take your seats.”

After Rowdy had rejoined Calliope, Willis gave a low, very low bow and then turned and started to the back of the barn once more. Calliope smiled at the sight of his darling little swallowtail suit coat as he went.

“Why, Calliope Ipswich,” Rowdy whispered to her, “what have you done to the boys in this town, girl?”

Calliope playfully jabbed his ribs with her elbow before turning and giving her sister Amoretta a hug.

“This is wonderful, Calliope,” Amoretta exclaimed in a whisper. “So very wonderful!”

“I’m so glad you’re here,” Calliope whispered in return. “It wouldn’t be nearly so wonderful without you and Brake.”

Calliope’s brother-in-law, Brake, winked at her over Amoretta’s head. He leaned closer and teased, “You and Rowdy Gates, huh, Calliope? You little minx, you.”

“You hush, Brake McClendon,” she scolded him with a soft giggle.

“Here comes Evangeline,” Rowdy said, nudging Calliope with his arm.

Calliope looked back to see Albert Chesterfield escorting Evangeline to her seat, with her escort, Mr. Longfellow, following them. Evangeline smiled at Calliope with excitement as she took her seat across the aisle.

“Beautiful!” Evangeline mouthed as Mr. Longfellow took his seat beside her.

Calliope sighed as she listened to Eva’s beautiful playing. She watched as Mr. and Mrs. Ackerman were ushered in, followed by Kizzy.

Once everyone was seated, Eva looked to Calliope, and she nodded. Natalie Chesterfield appeared then and stood next to her sister Eva. As everyone’s attention was drawn now to Natalie, Calliope’s heart soared as she heard Natalie sing the first line of “Oh,
Promise Me.” Natalie’s singing voice was beautiful! And although Calliope had heard Natalie and Eva practice many times, tears sprung to her eyes as she realized that now all of Meadowlark Lake knew how truly talented a vocalist the girl was.

Once Natalie and Eva had finished, leaving every woman in the barn teary-eyed with admiration and emotion, Eva again looked to Calliope. Calliope could hardly breathe as she nodded, and Eva began to play Richard Wagner’s “Bridal Chorus.”

“Settle down, darlin’,” Rowdy whispered into her ear. “You’re gonna bust your corset strings.”

Calliope smiled at him and said, “I am not. And anyway, isn’t it all so beautiful, Rowdy?”

“I don’t know, honey,” Rowdy said, however. “All I can see is how beautiful you are…and in that fancy blue dress. I can hardly think of anything else but you.”

Calliope looked at him—gazed at him—wished she could kiss him! The past three weeks of being officially courted by Rowdy had been pure heaven to Calliope. His kisses were now so familiar, as was his touch—his very essence.

In a manner, she’d begun to wish that the Tom Thumb wedding were already passed and gone so that she could spend every free moment she had in the company of Rowdy, instead of pulling the play together. But now as they sat next to one another—he in his best dress suit and she in the blue gown she’d sewn just for the occasion—she was a bit melancholy at the fact that soon Shay would be wed to Warren Ackerman and all the fuss and fun would be over.