Chapter 20
20
Micah had found it impossible to meet alone with Lewis Bradley. At church, he had refused to speak to Micah, explaining he had plans to discuss with the pastor. After all, his wedding was to take place soon, and there was still so much to see done.
Micah let Wes take Lucille and Charlotte back home and decided to wait around until Bradley was free, but the man foiled him by going home with the pastor for dinner. Micah skipped his own lunch and waited around for Bradley to emerge from the pastor’s house, but after three hours and no Bradley, he gave up. Somehow, Bradley must have given him the slip. He made one last effort and stopped by Bradley’s house on the way out of town, but the butler told him Bradley was not there.
Today, however, Bradley was approaching the Aldrich ranch in a carriage with two other men in his company. He’d allowed his driver to bring them out and sat chatting away with the other two. Micah didn’t know either one, and as they approached, he made his way to the carriage.
“Mr. Hamilton, how nice to see you again,” Lewis Bradley stated as he debarked the carriage. “These are Mrs. Aldrich’s cousins Barnabus and Simon Brewster. They arrived sooner than expected, and so I thought it only fitting that I should bring them here to the ranch.”
“Good to meet you gentlemen,” Micah said as each man joined Bradley. “I’m Micah Hamilton. I know Mrs. Aldrich has been looking forward to seeing you again.”
“We’ve heard a lot about you, Mr. Hamilton,” one of the men declared.
“All good,” the other added with a chuckle.
“I’m glad to know that. Please call me Micah.”
“Where is Cousin Lucille?” the first man asked.
Just then, the front screen door opened, and Lucille appeared. “Barnabus! Simon!” She hurried out to where the two stood and embraced first one and then the other. “I can’t believe you’re here. You should have let me know you were coming on an earlier train.”
“It just sort of fell into place, and we had no chance to send word. We figured we’d surprise you. This fella, here, was at the train station, and when he found out we were trying to find a way out to the ranch, he offered to drive us.”
“It was only right that I should,” Bradley said with that self-satisfied smirk Micah had come to hate. “After all, come Sunday I’ll be a part of the family.”
Micah kept his gaze on Bradley the entire time. He could see that the man was more than a little pleased with himself.
“I do hope Charlotte is available to join me,” Bradley added. “There are some very important details that I need to discuss with her about the wedding.”
Lucille’s eyes narrowed as she frowned. “She will want to see Barnabus and Simon.”
“Oh, surely that can wait.” Lewis smiled. “After all, they’ll be with you most of the week. I invited them to stay for the wedding, but they told me they must leave on Saturday. Is Charlotte in the house?”
Lucille said nothing as she stared at Bradley. Her contempt for him was more than evident in her expression. Finally, she gave Bradley a nod but nothing more.
“I’d like to have a word with you, Bradley,” Micah said, following him as he headed toward the house.
“I have no time for you, Mr. Hamilton. As you well know, I’m to be married on Sunday and need to speak with my fiancée.”
“The wedding is what I want to talk to you about. Actually, the threats you have over Charlotte that have brought about the wedding is what I want to discuss.”
Bradley had the audacity to laugh as he kept walking. “Your jealousy isn’t at all becoming. There are no threats needed where love is concerned.”
“She doesn’t love you, and she never will.”
This caused Bradley to stop. He turned very slowly, his gaze cold and hard. “You had better hope she does, Mr. Hamilton. Now, for your sake, it would do you well to mind your own business. For a man with secrets in his past, I wouldn’t be too inclined to cause me any more frustration.”
“So you’re threatening her with me. With something you think you know about the past.”
“Lewis? What are you doing here?” Charlotte asked, coming from the house. She let the screen door slam shut behind her. She was dressed to ride and stood with her hands on her hips, clearly irritated at the interruption. “Micah? What’s going on?”
“It’s nothing, my dear,” Bradley said, moving to where she stood. He embraced her while she stood stiff and unyielding. “We were just chatting. Now come inside. I have much to tell you. I talked to the pastor yesterday after services, and everything is set. I have even purchased a beautiful gown for you to wear. Far better than anything you own.”
Micah wanted to grab Bradley and throw him on the ground. Anything to get him away from Charlotte. It riled him to see Lewis Bradley taking liberties, especially now that Micah had come to know his own feelings for Charlotte.
“Let’s walk under the trees,” Charlotte said, moving away from Lewis toward the cottonwoods.
Micah stood in place, knowing that if he followed or said anything it would only bode poorly for Charlotte. He whispered a prayer for her and walked back to where Lucille was talking to her cousins in hushed tones.
“I was just telling them about what has happened with Charlotte,” Lucille explained.
Micah nodded. “Something Bradley just said makes me pretty certain his hold over her has to do with me. He said something about secrets from my past.”
Lucille frowned. “I don’t know what to think. Come on, Barnabus, Simon. You must be hungry. Nora’s working on lunch, and I must let her know there will be two more ... possibly three.” They headed for the house, and Lucille stopped and called back. “You too, Micah.”
Every protest he could think of rose up inside him. He wanted to remain in view of Charlotte just in case Bradley decided to do something untoward. But he knew it was probably best that he go with the others.
Ten minutes later, Bradley entered the house. His expression was clearly one of anger. “I need a horse.”
Lucille had seated her guests in the front room while they awaited lunch. Micah had positioned himself at the window but hadn’t been able to see where Charlotte and Bradley had gotten off to.
“Why do you need a horse?” Lucille asked.
“Charlotte has taken off on her horse, and I want to go after her. She might come to harm.”
“I’ll go after her,” Micah said, crossing the room.
“It’s my place,” Bradley protested.
Micah stopped inches from the man. “Perhaps, but I’m the one with a horse.”
Without waiting to hear what Bradley had to say, Micah raced to where Duke was corralled and saddled him quickly. He knew basically where Charlotte would go. She had her favorite spots to seek solace. Since she was a little girl, she’d always been fond of a place where the creek forked at the border where their properties joined. He’d try there first.
Duke seemed to anticipate Micah’s plan and headed north without much prompting at all. Micah kicked him into a lope on the clear pathway and then slowed when he reached the place where he’d need to leave the trail. It didn’t take long to find Charlotte. She was pacing back and forth along the shallow creek and murmuring under her breath.
“Charlotte!” Micah jumped down from Duke and dropped the reins. Duke immediately began to seek grass to eat. “What’s going on?”
She was surprised to see him and stopped. “Going on? Nothing’s going on.”
“You’re lying and have been for over a week now. Your mother and I are both worried about you since you’ve never been one to do so before. You’ve always been good about speaking your mind in truth.”
“I’m telling ... the truth.” She looked away, however, seeming uncomfortable.
“Then tell me why you’re marrying Lewis Bradley when you don’t love him.”
“Papa wanted me to, that’s why. I’m honoring him. I told you how bad I felt about arguing with him the day he died.”
“And you think this will make up for that?”
“Yes.”
“I don’t believe you.” Micah stepped toward her, but Charlotte backed up a step.
“I must marry Lewis. That’s the truth.”
“Even though you’ll never love him, never care for him?”
Charlotte shook her head. “It’s not right of you to say I don’t love him. You don’t know that.”
Micah arched a brow. “Oh really? I have it on good authority that you love me and have most of your life. How can you love him if you’re in love with me?”
She flushed red. “I ... my feelings for you ... were just a girlish infatuation. It’s behind me now.”
He crossed the distance between them in two long strides and took Charlotte in his arms. Lowering his mouth to hers, Micah kissed her with all his pent-up passion. He felt her arms go around his neck as she returned the kiss. And just as he felt her melting against him, he pulled away and steadied her on her feet.
“It’s behind you, eh?” He grinned, feeling rather delighted with her response. “You feel nothing for me?”
She searched his face for a moment, then burst into tears and ran for her horse. Before Micah could think, she had mounted and was gone. Heading for home and the safety of her room, no doubt.
Micah returned to where Duke grazed and tried to decide what he should do. The kiss had sealed his fate. He knew without any possible doubt that Charlotte loved him, and he loved her. He had never known the kind of feelings that she stirred inside him. No matter what Bradley was threatening her with, Micah knew he had to keep that marriage from happening.
When he returned to the house, Micah learned that Charlotte was locked in her room, crying, and Bradley had left in a huff before she’d even returned.
“I’m afraid I offended him.” Lucille gave a shrug. “I told him I wanted the dowry back since he wasn’t a man of his word. He told me he was a man of his word, that the change of dates for the wedding was all Charlotte’s doing and that she was madly in love with him. I called him a liar.”
Micah couldn’t help but grin. “Good. Because he is. I kissed her. Better still ... she kissed me back.”
Lucille’s eyes widened. “You did?”
“I brought up that she couldn’t marry Bradley since she was in love with me. She told me she wasn’t—that it had been girlish infatuation. So I kissed her to prove her wrong.”
“Good. Now maybe we’ll get somewhere.” Lucille glanced toward the dining room. “Come have some lunch, and we can discuss what you need to do next.”
“Next, I’m going to visit Lewis Bradley. I told him we needed to have a talk, and now we’re going to do just that. But I’ll take something to eat on the way, if you don’t mind.”
Lewis Bradley glanced out his bedroom window and saw the approaching rider. He had known Micah would show up sooner or later. He was honestly surprised it had taken him as long as it had. Since overhearing Micah and Charlotte that Sunday weeks before, Lewis had done what he could to establish the details of what happened to Wayman Hamilton. He’d even located Kit Hendricks and brought him back to Cheyenne to work for him. He had asked the man about any trouble between Micah and his father, and Kit had shared about the day Frank Sr. and his son had gone missing. Kit knew very little that was relevant, but Lewis encouraged him to be ready to tell a court of law what he knew. And just for good measure, Lewis embellished the story and went over the details until Hendricks could quote it from memory.
Given Hendricks hated Micah for robbing him of a job, the man was more than willing to lie. It was good fuel for the fire Lewis intended to set. And would be even more effective than the fire he’d hired Hendricks to set at the Aldrich ranch.
The clock chimed five as Lewis watched Micah dismount. He hurriedly rang for the butler, and when he appeared, Lewis was quick with instructions.
“Micah Hamilton is about to knock on the front door. When he does, let him in and show him to the library. Then I want you to go to the stableboy and have him bring the police to the house.”
The butler gave him a worried look. “I’ll be fine, don’t worry. Just have the boy get them here as soon as possible.”
“Yes, sir.” The knocker sounded, and the butler glanced over his shoulder.
“Go ahead, take him to the library. Tell him I’ll be right down.”
Lewis listened at his open bedroom door as the butler made his way downstairs. The knocking sounded again, even louder this time. Lewis heard the butler answer the door and greet Micah. Once their footsteps receded down the hall to the library, Lewis made his way to the stairs.
His mind raced with thoughts. If he managed this just right, he could get Micah to tell him what really happened, and then maybe he’d have even more evidence to lay against him. Besides, he had enough dirt on the judge who would likely hear Micah’s case. Even if Micah remained silent, Lewis felt confident he could arrange a conviction.
He found Micah pacing as he entered the library. He paused and stopped in front of the fireplace when Lewis entered the room.
“Mr. Hamilton. I would ask what brings you here, but I’m sure I already know.”
“I demand that you release Charlotte from the engagement, Bradley.” Micah crossed the room to stand directly in front of Lewis.
It took all his gumption to refrain from dodging behind his desk. Lewis knew that Micah could easily take him in a fight, and the man looked angry enough to start punching.
Forcing himself to appear unimpressed, Lewis glanced at the fingernails of his right hand. “And why would I ever do that? I love her, and she loves me.”
“She doesn’t. She loves me and has loved me most of her life.”
“I’m sorry, but you’re too late.” Lewis took a casual stroll to his desk. He felt better having some space between them, as well as the three-by-six-foot desk.
“What is it you’re holding over her, Bradley? You said something about my secrets. Well, I have no secrets. Tell the world whatever it is you think you know, but leave her alone.”
“You have plenty of secrets, I’m sure, but one in particular that I know you don’t want told.” Lewis smiled. “The manner in which your father died.”
Micah paled, and Lewis knew he’d hit a nerve. “That’s right. I know all about it, and soon the rest of Cheyenne will too. That is, unless you stop pestering me about Charlotte and leave us alone.
“I overheard you and Charlotte talking about the entire matter after church a few Sundays past. As a man familiar with the law, I know that you are prison bound for what you did.”
“And you’re using that knowledge to force Charlotte to marry you so that you don’t expose me.”
“Or her mother. After all, Lucille Aldrich told the sheriff that your father froze to death with her men.” Lewis chuckled. “It would seem an entire web of lies has been intricately woven. I would be something of a hero to unravel this and let the truth be told once and for all.”