“I was given a name, but it was a lie.” The last thing Wes wanted to do was tell Mac what Revis had said. Mac’s temper was explosive enough over little things, but what would it be over this?
“What was the name?” Linnet asked.
Wesley hesitated.
“You can be sure it won’t go beyond these walls.”
“I knew right away it was a lie. When Revis was shot he gave us a name, but none of us believed it. And besides, Mac, you spent two years in North Carolina. It couldn’t have been you.”
The silence in the room was deafening.
“Me?” Mac said, then slowly he began to smile. He walked over near Doll. “You hear that, ol’ man? I’m supposed to be the leader of these outlaws. I’d like to know when I’m supposed to get time what with all the kids I’ve got, and what did I do with the money? Miranda wants a new dress once a week and I can’t give her one.”
He seemed to be highly amused by the whole idea.
“Seems mighty peculiar to me that a man that’s dyin’ would tell a lie,” Doll said.
Wesley was sure Mac would start yelling at Doll again.
“That is odd,” Linnet said. “What do you think, Devon?”
“He was scared,” Mac said flatly. “Maybe this Revis has some kinfolks and if he gave away who the Dancer was, this Dancer would kill ’em.”
“I hadn’t thought of that,” Wesley said. “I just never believed what Revis said about you.”
“But you did ask around enough to know Mac was in North Caroliny and couldn’t be this robber,” Doll injected.
“So why does the Haynes woman still say Leah is a murderer?” Mac asked.
“Because whoever the Dancer is, he’s afraid Leah knows something. Did Leah know Revis very well?” Mac answered his own question before anyone else could speak.
“Not the way you mean,” Wesley snapped. “But—” He came off the barrel. “Revis could have bragged to the Dancer. Revis was a loner, skulked about the woods all the time, nobody ever knew what he was thinking, but he liked Leah. From what I gather he killed the Haynes woman’s husband just so he could force Leah to stay with him. He seemed to terrify most women and Leah…Leah doesn’t usually scare too easily.”
“I once lived in a town,” Linnet said softly, “where if one of the residents had been accused of murder the other townspeople just might have hanged her. Sweetbriar isn’t like that,” she said proudly, “but even our town can be pushed too far. Some of the newer residents are saying you may have paid those two men to say Leah was forced into the robberies.”
“Just tell me who they are and I’ll break their lying bodies in two,” Wesley said as he spat.
“That won’t do any good,” Mac said. “I think we’ve got to find out who the Dancer is.”
“Must be somebody pretty close or he wouldn’t be so worried about your missus,” Doll said.
“So how do we find out who he is?” Linnet asked. “We can’t just ask people.”
Mac locked eyes with Wesley. “There’s only one way: by making him show his hand again.”
It took Wesley a moment to understand. “You want to use my wife as some sort of pigeon for this Dancer to shoot at? You expect me to expose Leah to the whims of a thief and a murderer? Not on your life, Macalister.”
“Nobody’s askin’ you to—,” Mac began angrily.
“I think you should ask Leah,” Linnet said. “She should be given a choice. Right now she’s miserable because she’s been accused of murder and she has no way to clear her name. If the real culprit is found only then will she be free.”
“Absolutely not,” Wesley said firmly. “I don’t care if Leah never leaves my house again. I won’t let her expose herself to a murderer. If the Dancer thinks she knows something, he may try to kill her. I will not let Leah out of my protection.”
“Then you’re forcing her to a half-life,” Linnet said with passion. “All the Dancer has to do is keep paying that dreadful woman to spread her stories about Leah, and if Leah merely stays home and cries, never defends herself, it won’t be long before people begin believing Leah is a murderer.”
“Yep,” Doll said. “People will say where there’s smoke there’s fire, and in a few months they’ll all agree that there must be somethin’ behind your little wife’s misery. They might say maybe she’s stayin’ home ’cause she feels guilty.”
“Wesley,” Linnet said, her hand on his arm. “You must talk to Leah about this. It’s really her decision.”
“As long as she’s my wife—.”
“Hah!” Mac interrupted. “If you want her to act like a wife oughta, you better hightail it out of this town right now. It’s my guess that if you won’t tell her, Lynna will.”
“Is that true?” Wesley asked, eyes wide.
“It had crossed my mind,” she said, giving her husband a stern look when he smiled at her.
“Maybe we could go—,” Wesley began.
“It’ll follow you wherever you go,” Mac said. “The only way you can settle this and really protect your wife is to find out who the Dancer is. And the only way I see of doin’ that is to have Leah show her face. Maybe she knows somethin’ she don’t remember. Maybe the Dancer wants her out of the way ’cause of that. Maybe the Dancer lives a hundred miles from here and that Haynes woman just wants to pretend she’s important. Who knows? But the only way you’re gonna find out is if Leah leaves that house of yours and we see what else the Dancer does.”
“Seems to me,” Doll said, “that maybe there’s somethin’ else this here Dancer wants ’cause he could have murdered your woman right away. What’s he got to gain if he makes her look like a murderer?”
“Freedom,” Wes said slowly. “If he can make someone else look guilty no one will suspect him. Even if he makes a slip now and then, people won’t notice because they’ll remember Leah as the guilty one.”
“Remember?” Linnet whispered.
Wesley’s eyes turned dark. “I won’t let her out of my sight,” he said under his breath. “If I have to take her to France to live, I will. She’ll never be in danger if I can help it, and if any of you hint to Leah about any of this, I’ll make you sorry.” With that he left the store.
Chapter 28
Leah was slowly braiding Kimberly’s long hair.
“I’m so looking forward to the dance tonight,” Kim said. “I’m going to wear my rose silk dress with the lace shawl. It’s the first time in months that I’ve been anywhere. Except here, of course. John makes me stay home the rest of the time. What are you going to wear tonight, Leah?”
Leah turned away toward a basin of dirty dishes. “I’m not going.”
“Not going! Oh Leah, you must go. Everyone will be there. Even Bud and Cal are going.” She laughed. “I hear Miranda Macalister has made both of them new shirts and everyone is dying to see if she can dance with both boys at once. It’s going to be such fun! I know you have pretty clothes, Leah, so there’s no reason for you to stay home.”
“I have been forbidden to go,” Leah said with suppressed anger.
“Forbidden?” Kim was aghast. “But who—? You mean Wesley said you couldn’t go?”
Leah’s hands clutched a plate beneath the dirty water. “I thought perhaps it was time I left the house and faced the outside world, but my husband wouldn’t hear of it.”
Kim looked as if she’d just heard the most tragic story of her life. “But why, Leah? Wesley is the kindest, gentlest, most considerate man alive. How could he forbid you to go to a dance?”
“I have no idea. He refused to discuss the matter. He just said he didn’t want me surrounded by so many people.”
“I’d rather be surrounded by people than home alone with John,” Kim said. “Surely Wesley gave you some reason.”
Leah turned toward Kim, fighting back tears. “Maybe a Stanford doesn’t want to be seen with a Simmons who’s been accused of murder. Perhaps my husband can’t bear people knowing what kind of wife he has.”
Obediently Leah sat down, her shoulders shaking with a combination of grief and despair.
“That’s not very nice of Wesley,” Kim said thoughtfully, sitting down at the table and forgetting about the tea. “When I first met you I dreaded having to travel with one of the Simmonses. Steven kept saying the most awful things about you. He bragged about how he was going to…well, do things to you as soon as Wesley turned you over to him. He said all you Simmons women loved, you know…sex.”
Leah was looking at Kim with horror.
“I believed him,” Kim continued, “for a long time, but you were always so kind to me when other people weren’t and as far as I could tell you weren’t running into the beds of all the men like Steven said you would. I almost understood when Wesley said he wanted to stay married to you. But I was very, very angry.” There was an apology in her voice.
“What did Wesley say when he told you he wanted to remain married to me?” Leah asked softly.
“Actually, he was very kind, although I didn’t think so then. He said it’d been a hard decision for him to make but he really thought he ought to stay married to you.”
“He ought to, huh?” Leah muttered. “That’s all?”
Kim smiled. “He said he’d always love me because I was his first love, but he had to do what was right and he’d married you and he planned to honor his wedding vows.”
Leah stood. “Those Stanfords are good people aren’t they? They believe in honor and loyalty to the core. Even when it means doing something as disgusting as remaining married to a bit of swamp scum who forced him into marriage in the first place. Of course there are compensations. Women from my station in life make great bed partners and farmhands, and if they get in trouble while protecting a Stanford then the women can be hidden away, not allowed to go out in public, just stay home, cook and clean, and warm his bed at night—or in the day. Women from the Simmons family are easy to persuade.”
“Leah,” Kim said with a frown, “that may all be true, but when Wesley told me he was going to stay married to you, I felt that he wanted to, not that he had to. Wesley can be awfully stubborn and he won’t do what he doesn’t want to do.”
“Oh, he wanted to stay married to me, all right,” Leah said with anger. “Where else was he going to find a worker and a sex partner? He took me to town once to introduce me, but he hasn’t let me go out in public since. And tonight he doesn’t want to be embarrassed by somebody like me.”
Kim frowned harder. “I don’t understand. I thought you didn’t want to go into town.”
“For a while I didn’t, but for the last two weeks every time I’ve mentioned facing the townspeople, Wesley’s given me a dozen reasons why I should stay home. And tonight he’s forbidden me to go to the dance.”
“I was so hoping you’d be there,” Kim said. “In fact, I even brought you a present.” Out of her pocket she pulled a little package wrapped in a scrap of fabric. “I thought it would look quite nice on your green dress.”
Slowly Leah opened the bundle to see a brooch, gold filigree, edged with a hand-painted miniature of a woman on the ivory oval. “Who is she?” Leah whispered.
“I don’t know. It’s very old, don’t you think? And the green dress in the picture just matches yours. I so wish you were going tonight.”
“I am,” Leah said suddenly, astonishing herself. “Wesley Stanford may think he can hide me away, but he can’t. He may think a Simmons has river mud for blood, but we don’t.”
“I’m not sure you should do that, Leah. Wesley can get awfully mad sometimes.”
“Wesley Stanford doesn’t even know the meaning of anger. I’m not going to sit here in this house for the rest of my life and feel sorry for myself. I didn’t participate in those murders and that woman can tell everyone from now until doomsday that I did and it won’t make it true.”
“I think I’m glad you feel this way, but Wesley said you couldn’t go and—.” She brightened. “Maybe if you cry and tell him you’ll just die if you don’t go he’ll say yes, then you won’t really be disobeying him. Or maybe you could faint! Wesley does love—.”
Leah gave her a stern look. “I’ll not beg and I’ll certainly not faint. No, first I’m going to get Wesley to go, then I am going to turn up at the dance. I can hardly wait to see his face.”
“Neither can I,” Kim said grimly. “I think I’d fall down dead if anybody got as mad at me as Wesley’s going to be at you.”
“It’ll be worth it just to show that arrogant man that he can’t keep me locked away from the world as if I were something nasty he had to hide. And you, Kim, are going to help me.”
Kim paled. “No, Leah, Wesley scares me.”
“I thought you said he was kind and gentle.”
“Only when he gets his way. Really, Leah, I couldn’t possibly help you.”
Leah sat down across from Kim. “All you have to do is send him a note tonight saying you need help. Lately Wes has been hovering over me, but he’ll leave the farm to go to you. You’re the only one. And while he’s gone I’ll go to the party. You can write another note for me to leave Wes saying I’ve gone to the dance. When he gets to your house he’ll find you and John gone, come back here, find the note, and probably come to the dance. Or maybe I’ll come home with someone else if he doesn’t want to come to the dance.”
“Do you think Wesley will beat you when you get home?” Kim asked seriously. Her eyes widened. “Do you think he’ll beat me?”
“No, of course not. I expect he’ll be mad, but I hope to show him that I won’t embarrass him in public. Nicole had a man teach me how to dance, and my clothes aren’t exactly what someone from the swamps would wear. Maybe when Wesley calms down he’ll realize I’m not something he has to hide away.”
“Oh Leah.” Kim put her head in her hands. “I’m just awfully afraid of doing this. Somehow it doesn’t seem right. Wesley doesn’t act as if he’s ashamed of you, in fact he seems to like you a lot. Couldn’t you write the notes yourself and then I could be innocent? I can say I knew nothing about anything. I’m good at lying. It’s easy for me.”
“I can’t read or write and if I have someone else deliver the messages, then they’d be involved, and besides there are only men around here anyway. They’d all take Wesley’s side. Please Kimberly. Please.”
There were tears in Kim’s eyes—tears of fear—when she nodded agreement.
As Wesley rode back to his farm he imagined all the things he was going to say to Kimberly the next time he saw her. What great crisis had happened to make her write that frantic note to him? No doubt John had dared to suggest she get off her spreading backside and do some work, and in anger she’d written to Wesley. And Wes, like a fool, had gone rushing after her, ready to rescue her, ready, if needed, to punch a good man like John Hammond in Kimberly’s defense.
Yet when Wes got there the house was empty and a hand said John and Kim had left for the dance an hour ago. All Wes could think of was that he’d left Leah alone in the house, unprotected except for the hands, and for all Wes knew, one of them was the Dancer. Right now he trusted no one. He’d even begun to suspect Bud and Cal. Yet here he’d left his wife alone, drooping about the house, feeling poorly, tired, overworked—and possibly the victim of a plot against her.
“Leah,” he called before he’d even dismounted. Slamming into the house he tore through it, shouting, “Leah!”
The emptiness and silence of the place made his heart pound. He ran outside to the outhouse, to the chicken coop, calling repeatedly for her.
“Where’s Leah?” he shot at one of the Macalister twins.
“I thought she was in the house.”
“Damn,” Wes cursed, running back into the house, and there he saw the paper on the table.
Dear Wesley,
Leah can’t read and even though she’s telling me what to write, I’m
going to tell you the truth. It wasn’t very nice of you to forbid Leah to go to the dance. Just before she got mad at you, her feelings were hurt. So, she made me write two notes for her so she could go. It wasn’t really my fault, Wesley. Please don’t be mad at me.
With love, Kimberly
P.S. Leah is really very nice and she isn’t at all some nasty thing from the swamp. Please don’t hit her.
“Hit her!” Wesley said with a gasp. “Oh Lord, you stupid women. I may beat you black-and-blue, Leah. That is, if you’re still alive,” he whispered.
Crumbling the note, he left the house in a few easy strides and mounted his horse, setting off for town at a gallop.
Leah was nervous by the time she reached the Macalister store where the dance was being held. It wasn’t exactly proper for her to arrive unescorted.
“Leah!”
Justin Stark was standing outside and now he hurried forward to help her from her horse.
“So where’s that husband of yours who keeps you locked away from us? He didn’t let you out of his sight, did he?”
“Wesley…had some work to do. If he finishes he’ll be along later.” As she spoke, Leah’s eyes went to the side.
Justin caught her arm and pulled it through his. “I won’t question that. It’s Wes’s loss and our gain. Come dance with us and let me show everyone I have the prettiest girl in the state on my arm.”
The inside of the store had been cleared and was lighted with what looked to be every lantern in town. Four fiddlers occupied one end of the big room and one side had a long, long table weighted down with food.
“I should have brought something,” Leah murmured.
“Your own pretty self is enough.”
“Leah!” Kimberly exclaimed from beside her. “You’re here. Did Wesley—?”
“Would you please excuse us?” Leah said to Justin as she led Kim to a corner.
“Did you see Wesley? What did he say? Was he really mad?”
“Kimberly,” Leah said slowly, sniffing. “Have you been drinking?”