Chapter 16
16
Lewis Bradley was not a man to be thwarted, yet for nearly a month his best efforts to get Charlotte alone had been for naught. He’d also done his level best to try to learn what had really happened to Wayman Hamilton. No one seemed to have any information to offer, however. He’d gone looking for Kit Hendricks after hearing he’d been dismissed from his job at the Aldrich ranch but learned the man had left town.
Finally, it seemed his opportunity had come. Charlotte and her mother were at church with a couple of their hirelings, but Micah was nowhere to be found. When Charlotte’s mother got caught up speaking to some of her friends, Lewis took the opportunity to corner Charlotte. She was none too happy.
“I have nothing to discuss with you, Lewis. By now I know you have received a letter from our lawyer explaining that none of your arrangements with my father are valid. There were never any signed agreements or witnessed oral agreements. Nothing. So please leave us alone.”
“I’m afraid I can’t do that. Or perhaps it is that I won’t do it.” He smiled feeling rather satisfied to watch her expression tighten. “You see, something has recently come to my attention, and I believe it will cause you to reconsider my proposal.”
“I have no desire to marry you, Lewis, none whatsoever, and I can guarantee you that I will never love you.”
“Because you love Micah Hamilton?”
She looked at him oddly. “Why would you say that?”
“I’ve seen the way you look at him. You are clearly in love with the man.”
Charlotte glanced around at the other congregants and moved farther away before replying. “Even if I am, it’s none of your business. Who I court or marry is not up to you.”
Lewis had followed on her heels to the side door of the church. He opened the door and pushed her through it. The warm summer breeze immediately offered relief from the stuffy church sanctuary.
Without hesitation, Lewis pressed Charlotte up against the wall of the building. He enjoyed the frightened look in her eyes and the way her breathing quickened. “You need to listen carefully and do exactly as I tell you, or your beloved Micah is the one who is going to pay the price.”
Charlotte’s eyes widened. “What are you talking about?”
“I know about Micah’s father—his death.”
The color drained from Charlotte’s face, and Lewis felt he had finally managed to grasp hold of power. “That’s right. I know everything.”
“How ... how did you find out?”
“It doesn’t matter. What matters is that if you do what I tell you, I will remain silent. But if you refuse me, I will let the world know what happened—and I’ll start with the police.”
She gripped his arm. “No. You can’t do that to Micah. He’s finally starting to live again. He’s been so overwhelmed by grief—”
“And guilt, no doubt,” Lewis interrupted. He could see his comment hit the mark as her eyes widened.
She opened her mouth, but Lewis put his finger to her lips. “Say nothing more, just listen. I’m weary of playing games with you. My daughter needs a mother, and I need a wife. You will go home tonight and tell your mother that we are going to be married. I will speak to the pastor and arrange for us to marry immediately.
“I will come to your house tomorrow evening, where we will formally announce our desire to marry and set the date.”
“You can’t be this heartless, Lewis. Why would you want a wife who will despise you? I would have nothing to do with you. I wouldn’t care for your house or your daughter.”
“You will or I’ll tell everyone what I know and ruin the life of your dear Micah. Who can say what might happen to him? There could be all sorts of legal repercussions.” Lewis knew how to manipulate his words to make it sound like he understood what had happened. If he was good enough, he just might get Charlotte to reveal the truth, and then he’d know for sure.
“You’d send an innocent man to jail? That’s your idea of endearing yourself to me?”
Charlotte pushed at him, but Lewis stood his ground and kept her pinned against the wall. He leaned in close as if to kiss her. “He’s hardly innocent. Oh, and neither is your mother. The games are over, my love. You have no choice in this unless you want to see Micah pay for what happened.”
The sound of other people approaching caused Lewis to finally release her. He stepped back, hoping it would appear they were having a romantic moment and nothing more. When several congregants rounded the corner, he gave a smile and tipped his hat in their direction.
Once they’d gone, he looked back to Charlotte, who had tears in her eyes. “Don’t cry, my dear. This is really all for the best. At least I know it’s for my best.” He chuckled and gave a shrug. “And at the moment, that’s all that matters.”
He walked away then, not even looking back. He knew he had her where he wanted her. She was helpless to refuse him unless she wanted to see horrible things happen to her beloved Micah. Lewis didn’t know what their secret was, but apparently it was as bad as he imagined. Micah had probably killed his father in a fit of rage, or perhaps it was even accidental, but the fact that they hid the truth from everyone ... well, that really was unforgivable. At least, Lewis intended to make it so.
Once he and Charlotte were legally wed, he would decide what to do next. It seemed the information was powerful enough to cause Charlotte to reconsider matters. Lewis would have to find a way to get her to confess all, and then he’d know better whether to see Micah sent to prison or blackmailed.
He went in search of his aunt and daughter. They were waiting in the surrey. Victoria was wailing at the top of her lungs. He looked up at his aunt as she tried to comfort the child.
“What’s wrong with her?” he growled, taking his place in the driver’s seat.
“She’s hot and hungry. You really can be the most thoughtless man at times. Leaving us out here to wait while you tended to whatever business you felt was more important.” Aunt Agnes fixed him with an angry glare.
“It couldn’t wait.” He offered no other explanation and released the brake. “We’ll be home in a matter of minutes, and then everyone will be perfectly fine. The cook is certain to have your dinner waiting in the nursery.”
His aunt gave a huffing sound and shifted Lewis’s daughter away from him. She would be in a snit for the rest of the day, but he couldn’t care less. His father’s spinster sister was a necessary factor in his life ... for the moment. Once he married, Lewis intended to send her on her way, even if she didn’t have anywhere to go.
He snapped the lines, and the horses moved out. By supper tomorrow, he’d have everything settled. Victoria would have a mother, and he could send his irritating aunt off to one of the other family members. More importantly, there would be money for him to do as he pleased. He frowned. The money part might take time. He needed to come up with an idea for how he could get some cash right away.
The dowry. Aldrich had promised him a dowry of five thousand dollars. Lewis smiled. The dowry would see him through until he could arrange for Charlotte to get her inheritance.
At lunch, Charlotte feigned a headache and problems with the heat and went directly to her room to think. The position Lewis had put her in was seemingly impossible. How had he found out about Micah’s father? No one but the three of them knew about the suicide. None of them would ever mention it, even in passing. So how had Lewis learned the truth?
She had no doubt in her mind that he would make good on his threats. He was just that kind of man. She had often heard people talk about how successful he was as a lawyer because he could argue the points of a case until everyone involved was questioning their own testimony.
Falling back on her bed in her dressing wrap, Charlotte fought back tears. Was this how it was all to end? Would she marry Lewis Bradley after all? She had fought against it with her father to the point that her angry words were the last he ever heard from her. She had made it clear to Lewis that she would never love him. Not only that, but he knew she loved Micah. She hadn’t even been able to tell Micah about her feelings for fear it would upend the arrangement they had with him.
And everything had been going so well. The ranch was running smoothly. Changes were being made with great success. Mama’s cousins from Illinois were scheduled to come next month and help them plot out their crop fields. It had all been going so well that Charlotte had decided to tell Micah about her feelings very soon. Now she could never tell him. At least not if she had to marry Lewis Bradley.
“God, I don’t know what to do. This seems to have no other answer but to go through with what Lewis is demanding. How can I marry him—pledge my love and life—when I know it would be a lie?”
She heaved a sigh and fought back the nausea she felt. Just thinking about her situation made her sick. She got up from the bed and began to pace back and forth, then stopped abruptly. She could get by with missing lunch, but if Mama heard her pacing, she’d know it wasn’t the heat and a headache that were vexing Charlotte.
The open window beckoned, and Charlotte made her way to it and gazed outside. The summer heat wasn’t so bad with the constant breeze. She let the wind blow over her and dry her wet cheeks.
Why did this happen? What was she going to do?
She couldn’t talk to Mama or Micah, the only two people she ever went to with her troubles. She had already ranted and railed at God. All the way home from Cheyenne she had sat in silence, but in her heart, she was screaming, praying, pleading for God to make this go away.
If she didn’t do as Lewis demanded, not only Micah would suffer but her mother’s reputation for honesty would be ruined. People would never trust her as they did now. Mama would face scorn, and no doubt there would be many who would ostracize her completely. And all because she had lied to spare Micah further heartache. What was a person without their good reputation?
A light knock sounded on her bedroom door. She grimaced. “Who is it?”
“It’s your mother. May I come in?”
“Of course.”
Charlotte turned from the window and went to sit on the edge of her bed. “I was just trying to cool off with the breeze.”
“Would you like me to draw you a tepid bath?” Mama asked, coming to stand by her. She reached out and felt Charlotte’s forehead. “You don’t feel feverish at least, so that’s good. I had heard someone mention typhoid at church.”
“No, I’m sure I don’t have typhoid. The heat just got to me, that’s all. I feel better already.”
“Then I’ll have Nora bring you a tray. You should eat something. I’ll make sure she also includes some nice cold lemonade. That new cellar the boys dug is keeping the ice we purchased longer than the old one.”
“I’m glad to hear it. It’s better insulated, so that makes perfect sense.”
Mama gave her a sympathetic smile and touched her cheek. “Whatever it is that’s bothering you, just remember nothing is too big for God.”
Charlotte knew her mother suspected something other than the heat and gave a nod. “I know and I’m sure everything will come around right.”
But she wasn’t sure at all.
When Mrs. Aldrich returned downstairs, Micah was getting ready to head out to the foreman’s cabin. He wanted to get his saddle cleaned and to show the boys the proper care of their saddles as well.
“Micah, I wish you’d wait a moment. Do you have the time to talk to me?”
He stopped at the front door. “Yes, ma’am.”
“Give me just a minute, I want to ask Nora to take Charlotte a tray.” She disappeared into the dining room and in a few minutes returned.
“What’s on your mind, Mrs. Aldrich?”
“Let’s sit. This will take just a few minutes.” She led the way into the front room and took a seat in her rocking chair.
Micah chose a spot in the large leather chair Mr. Aldrich used to use. He knew his widow wouldn’t mind. She’d encouraged him to sit there on more than one occasion.
“First, I want to tell you how much I appreciate the job you’ve been doing. Everything has been different since you took over. Especially the attitude of the boys. They are so much happier, and the quality of their work has improved greatly. At least that’s what Charlotte told me yesterday.”
“Yes, ma’am, she’s right. Those boys are coming right along and are much improved with the way they respond. At first, I thought I might have trouble with Marty, but once he got the hang of what was expected and why we did things that way, then it all smoothed out.”
“Sometimes just understanding the why of a thing makes all the difference.”
“That’s true.” Micah shook his head. “There are so many whys that I’ve never understood the answer to.”
She nodded. “Like your father.”
“Yes. My mother too. Never did see a good reason for her to die. Started out with a simple cough and runny nose. We all had it and thought nothing of it. Then Ma developed a fever, and the cough deepened, and the next thing we know she’s dying from pneumonia. No sense to it at all.”
“Death never makes sense to the living. Still, once they’re gone, the dead are beyond the cares of this world. We go on asking our whys, but there are seldom any reasonable answers.” She gave her shoulders a roll. “I’m getting stiff as I age. There’s no good reason for that either. I’m still just as busy and active as I was ten years ago.” She laughed. “Maybe even busier.”
Micah knew for certain that he was. There was the sound of someone on the stairs. No doubt it was Nora taking Charlotte her lunch. “How’s Charlotte feeling?” Micah asked aloud, even though he’d meant to just keep it as thought.
“She’s fine, I think. The heat is bothering her, but I worry that it’s something more. She was cheerful and talkative this morning, but after the service she was silent. I tried to get her to talk. I even had one of the boys drive the wagon so I could give her my full attention, but she said very little.”
Micah frowned. “Was Bradley there?”
“He was, and I thought perhaps he had talked to her, but I didn’t ask. She’s always been more than willing to share their conversations with me. I just don’t know what might have happened. I suppose it could just be the heat, but somehow, I don’t think so.”
“No, it really isn’t like her.” Micah was still concerned that Lewis Bradley had imposed himself upon her.
“Well, I’ll try to talk to her again later. I’ve learned my lesson about letting things go for too long. I should have been there for you sooner, Micah. I can’t help but feel that if I’d come to you last summer, you wouldn’t have lost this last year.”
“You can’t know that, Mrs. Aldrich. I’m fairly certain I would have ignored you or anyone else who stopped by. In fact, I know I would have. I did. There were a few folks who tried to offer me their friendship and concern, but I refused it. And given they were already hurting from their own losses from the bad winter, they didn’t fight me on it. So I hid away and sought the bottle and didn’t talk to anyone. Not even God. Or maybe I should say especially not to God.”
“And now?”
“We’re on speaking terms.” Micah gave a shrug. “From time to time I read my Bible, and I’ve started to pray a little. And I completely put away the liquor.
“You know, for a little while after Dad died, I thought about going back to church, but then I knew it wouldn’t work. The very thing that was killing me was something I could never speak of. I kept thinking of the hypocrisy, of the ugliness that would come if those people knew the truth about Dad’s death.”
“Oh, Micah, I am sorry. I know what you’re saying is true or would have been true for a great many of the congregation. I am so sorry that people believe the way they do about ... such things.”
“The worst of it is, I know they’re probably right. God probably has nothing more to do with my dad because of what he did.”
“I don’t believe that, Micah. Your father was a believer. He loved Jesus very much, and every other aspect of his life bore fruit for Him. I don’t believe one sin canceled out a lifetime of living for God.”
“I know. I don’t want to think that way either, but the church thinks that way. I’d heard talk long before Dad’s decision. I even believed it myself. ... I must still, or it wouldn’t torment me the way it does.”
“I’m so sorry, Micah. We need to pray about it and seek the Scriptures. I know the answers are there.”
“Well, no matter what, don’t be hard on yourself. You have always been good to me, Mrs. Aldrich.”
“Please, I know it may seem strange, but could you just call me Lucille? Mrs. Aldrich is far too formal for our relationship.”
Micah had never considered calling her by her first name. He wasn’t raised that way, but if it made her happy, he figured it was acceptable. “I will in private, but I think in public it would still be best to keep it formal.”
She laughed. “I suppose so, but I’d rather something more intimate. I feel so close to you, Micah. I never thought I could handle losing Frank Jr., but now I see how God has given us each other to help with those empty places in our lives.”
Her words touched him deeply. No one else cared for him as much as Lucille and Charlotte Aldrich did, and they showed that each day in their actions. For a short moment, Rich’s words came back to mind about Charlotte being in love with him. He looked at Lucille and thought about asking her for the truth. Would she tell him if he did?
“I think I’ll go check on Charlotte, but thanks for talking with me, Micah. I really appreciate all that you’ve done for us.” Lucille got to her feet and reached over to touch Micah’s shoulder. “We’re going to get through all of this ... together.”