Last Promise (17 page)

“I see. What happened when you went out to see her today?” Luke asked.

“When I arrived the door was open. I yelled out, but she didn't answer. I thought maybe something was wrong so I walked through the house and I heard a noise from the bedroom.” He dropped his head in his hands and started to weep.

“What happened then?” Luke asked.

The judge pulled his handkerchief and wiped his face. “I don't know what I was thinking, maybe she was hurt or something. I opened the door and found her . . . with the sheriff.”

Luke wondered if the sheriff was the elusive man whom Arina had been seeing before Sam's death.

“I started yelling and the sheriff got out of bed in a hurry and pulled his pants on and took off. He didn't even hang around to defend Arina's honor. Arina was furious with me. I was angry with her because at that moment I knew she was involved in Sam's death. It wasn't speculation any longer. I had no idea she was involved with the sheriff. If I had known I would have put a stop to it before Sam ended up dead.”

“What happened then, Judge?” Cole asked.

“I told her I would tell Thomas. She laughed at me and said Thomas was so in love with her that he wouldn't believe anything I told him.” He hesitated again and a tear slid down his cheek.

“What else did she say?” Luke was not without sympathy for the judge. He was one more person Arina had deceived and devastated.

“She said I was a crazy old man for believing she was my daughter. It seems she worked with my daughter in Santa Fe. She told me they looked so much alike that everyone thought they were sisters. She said my daughter told her the story of her life, and when she saw I was in Denver, she saw away to change her circumstances. It was purely by accident we were in the same place at the same time.”

“Did she say what happened to your daughter?” Luke asked.

“No, she wouldn't tell me. She admitted she had Sam shot and she laughed about it. She said I would never know what happened to my daughter. She insinuated that she may have shot her, too.” He shook his head and looked away. “She was probably lying about my daughter, but . . . I lost my mind . . . I grabbed for her and my hand came away with the belt on her robe. She kept laughing and taunting me. I reached her and threw her on the bed and wrapped the belt around her neck. I don't know what I was thinking, I just wanted her to stop laughing. She wouldn't stop. She said such terrible, ugly things. I pulled harder and harder on the belt . . . she started gasping . . . we struggled and somehow we ended up on the floor. I didn't stop until she stopped fighting . . . God help me, I didn't stop.” He couldn't continue. He wept uncontrollably.

“Judge, why didn't anyone know about your relationship with Arina?” Luke didn't understand why the judge didn't tell everyone she was his daughter instead of allowing people to speculate about their relationship.

“Arina told me not to say anything. She was worried that one day some man who had been with her in the past would recognize her and it would ruin me. It was just another lie, she didn't care if she ruined me.”

Luke pulled the photograph from his pocket. “Take a look at this, Judge.”

The judge wiped his eyes and stared at the images. “What does this mean? They look exactly alike. Who is the other girl?”

“I'm sorry, Judge, we don't know,” Luke told him. “But we know she was alive a few years ago.”

“Are you saying she could be my daughter? That Arina was telling the truth?”

“She may have been telling the truth for the first time in her life,” Luke said.

Luke and Cole stood and helped the judge to his feet. “Let's go.”

As they were walking to the jail, Jake and Rafe were riding into town with Creed Thomas. Once Luke told them about the judge's confession, Thomas was free to go back to the ranch. They reached the jail and Rafe made it clear to the sheriff that the judge was his prisoner. After he escorted the judge to a cell, Rafe questioned the sheriff. The sheriff admitted he was the man seeing Arina before Sam's death, but he swore he'd had nothing to do with Sam's death. He said he was in love with Arina and he thought she loved him. “I would never have left the ranch had I known what would happen. I was furious. I thought she was involved with the judge, too. I'd had enough.”

* * *

Luke, Jake, and Cole were saddling their horses to leave Arizona when Creed Thomas walked up. He handed a leather-bound book to Luke. “I found this in Arina's things and I thought you might want to see it.”

Opening the book, Luke saw the inscription on the first page. It was Arina's journal. Stuffed between the pages were several letters and Thomas pointed to one in particular. “Read this one.”

Luke read the letter and stuffed it back in the journal. “We need to find Rafe. The sheriff was lying to us. He shot Sam.”

* * *

Before Luke, Jake, and Cole left Arizona they sent a telegram to Colt to tell him they were coming home. Luke thought about sending a telegram to Mary Ann, but decided he'd rather surprise her.

“Do you feel better knowing the truth?” Jake had given Luke a few hours on the trail before he'd asked his question.

“Yeah, I wanted justice for Sam.”

“I feel bad for the judge,” Cole stated. “He may never really know what happened to his daughter.”

“People like Arina never think of the consequences of their actions,” Jake said.

“I think she enjoyed destroying lives,” Luke commented. “In one of the sheriff's letters he wrote to Arina, he said he loved her, and when he killed Sam he wanted to marry her. She used him to do her dirty work.”

“It makes you wonder how she became so evil,” Jake said.

“It doesn't really matter. People can always change if they want. She lived the life she wanted. I know one thing, she had a lot to answer for when she met her Maker.” Luke had no sympathy for a deceitful woman who lied to everyone she knew. She didn't give one hoot about the lives she ruined. Everything was a game to her.

“Cole, I think you were right from the start when you said she didn't even like men,” Jake said.

“That's the only thing which made sense. I have a feeling she might really be the judge's daughter and she had a grievance against all men,” Cole replied.

Luke wasn't so certain it was the truth. “On the other hand, Arina didn't want the judge to tell anyone about their connection and that doesn't add up knowing her. She wasn't so noble. She could have been afraid the real daughter would show up and reveal the truth.” He wasn't willing to believe Arina would do anything to benefit anyone other than herself.

“I know one thing: I'm glad to be going home,” Cole said on a lighter note.

“Yeah.”
Home. That word never sounded so good,
Luke thought. He couldn't wait to see Mary Ann and find out if what had passed between them that night at the dance was the real thing. He thought it was, but he wanted to know how she felt.

“Well, let's pick up the pace,” Jake said.

Chapter Eighteen

Luke knew he looked rough having been on the trail for so long. He smiled to himself thinking he probably looked more like the desperado Mary Ann thought him to be when she first arrived in Promise. He hadn't shaved in a few days, his beard was thick and dark, and he was covered from head to toe in dust. Even though he looked like a saddle bum, he didn't want to take the time to ride to the ranch. He didn't want to wait that long to see Mary Ann. Jake and Cole teased him about going to town instead of to the ranch, but he didn't care. Let them think what they wanted. He didn't know how she would react since he'd been gone for so long, but he'd thought of nothing else but her beautiful face for weeks on end.

Before he left she'd told him she didn't want to be on his list of conquests, and he could understand why she thought he was just flirting with her like all of the other women in town. The night she'd seen him leave the saloon in the middle of the night probably hadn't helped his cause. At first, it might have been his intent to add her to his list of flirtations, but he'd had a lot of time to think while he was away. No doubt it was going to take him some time, and he would have to court her properly, but he would show her that he could be faithful to the right woman. And she was that woman.

As soon as he hit town he didn't stop until he pulled to a halt in front of the hotel. He quickly loosened the girth on his horse before he walked inside the hotel. Mary Ann was standing behind the desk speaking to some man when he interrupted. “Hello.”

Mary Ann turned to ask the person interrupting her conversation to wait a moment and allow her to finish with the gentleman. When she saw it was Luke, she hurriedly handed the man his key. She turned to Luke and tried not to appear too excited to see him. “When did you get back?” Victoria had told her that Luke sent a telegram saying he was coming home, and that Arina was dead. She'd been worried how Luke would take Arina's death.

“I just got back.” He took her hand and pulled her from behind the desk into his arms. “Did you miss me?”

“Should I have missed you?” She was delighted to see him, although with his scruffy beard he was barely recognizable.

“Maybe you missed this.” He lowered his lips to hers.

Mary Ann felt like time stood still while the man of her dreams kissed her soundly. Like the night of the dance, she wrapped her arms around his neck and held him to her. She didn't spare a thought that they were in the middle of the hotel lobby and any passerby could see them. She didn't care. She was in Luke's arms again. Her plan to stay away from him upon his return melted away with his kisses.

Luke had thought about this moment so many times over the last few weeks that he could hardly believe it was happening just like he'd planned. It was too good to be true that she was responding just as he'd remembered. Nothing could feel this good. He didn't know if she missed him, but she for darn sure missed his kisses. The kiss went on and on, and then suddenly Mary Ann was ripped from his arms. Stunned, Luke opened his eyes in time to see a man slap Mary Ann so hard across her cheek she fell to the floor.

Without thinking, Luke lunged at the man and hit him with such force the man literally bounced through the front door onto the ground. Luke went through the door after him, but another man grabbed his arm before he could jump on the man. “What do you think you are doing, sir?”

“I suggest you take your hands off me,” Luke warned.

“Do you not understand who you are hitting?” Another man joined him and tried to pin Luke's arms behind his back.

Luke broke free and landed his fist in one man's mouth, then turned and punched the other man in the gut. Both went down beside the first man. “Get up!” Luke growled to the three men.

A fourth man shouted, “Stop this right now!”

Luke turned to him, prepared to throw another punch. “If you can't do better than these three, I suggest you stay out of this.”

“Luke, stop!” Mary Ann ran from the hotel and grabbed his shirt. “This is my father.” She was terrified her father would have Luke arrested for assault.

Luke saw she was pointing to the man who had hit her. “I don't care if he is Saint Peter, no one will ever strike you!” Luke wanted to haul her old man up and give him the thrashing he deserved, but he saw one man on the ground stick his hand inside his coat and he figured he was going for a gun. Luke pulled his .45 so fast that the man didn't have time to react. “Leave it unless you'd like to eat lead.”

The man removed his hand from his coat and helped Mary Ann's father to his feet.

Hardwicke turned to his daughter. “I see you are behaving like a common trollop, daughter. What do you mean by allowing this ne'er-do-well to put his hands on you?”

At that moment, Mary Ann's uncle hurried from the hotel. He'd heard Hardwicke's comment. “I see you haven't changed, Hardwicke. You're still a self-important fool.”

“This son-of-a . . .” Luke glanced at Mary Ann. He was trying to clean up his language and he was making a poor showing. “He hit her.” Luke was so angry he was ready to shoot Hardwicke on principle.

“She deserves to be thrashed after what she has put her mother and Stafford through,” Hardwicke countered. He turned to George. “And upon our arrival we find her in a compromising situation with this . . .” he glared at Luke, trying to think of an appropriate word to impart his displeasure. “Miscreant.” The look he gave Luke would have had any man in England quaking in their boots.

He didn't concern Luke. “You might be her father, but that doesn't give you the right to strike her. If you ever do it again, I won't stop with a beating, I will kill you.”

“And if he doesn't, I will,” George told him. “That is no way to treat your daughter.”

Hardwicke eyed his brother-in-law. “I see you've become as barbaric as these Americans, and you've allowed my daughter to demean her station.”

“Indeed. I'm proud to be in the company of the men in this country. I'll have you know this young man is not a miscreant, he is one of the local ranchers and a fine gentleman. And your daughter is the finest lady I have ever known.” George had feared Hardwicke would come here and create havoc, and that was exactly what happened as soon as he got off the stagecoach.

Hardwicke turned his gaze on Luke. “Is this the way gentlemen dress in this country?”

“Gentlemen in this country work for a living, not live off the estates passed down to them, or marry for money to enhance their fortunes,” George responded. He knew by the look in Hardwicke's eyes that he'd struck a nerve.

Luke didn't give a thought to how he was dressed, he wasn't there to impress this group of Englishmen. All he wanted at the moment was to give them a whipping they'd never forget. They might be proper in their dress, but there was one big difference between them. He'd never struck a woman. “You think the clothing makes the man, but I don't know a man who would strike a woman. You're either a coward or a fool, or both.”

Hardwicke ignored him. “Mary Ann, what have you to say to Stafford? He's the one you have made a fool of by your philandering,” her father snapped.

“Hello, Edmund,” Mary Ann replied tamely. “You are well aware of the reason I left England. I'm not sure why you came here.” Seeing Stafford with her father was unexpected. She'd never dreamed he would accompany her father to Wyoming, and her mother never mentioned that fact in her letter.

Before Stafford could respond, George spoke up. “Luke, as you have already heard, this is Mary Ann's father and”—he flung a hand in Stafford's direction— “I assume this is Edmund Stafford.” He'd never met Stafford, but he didn't like the looks of him. He glanced at the other two men. “I don't know who these gentlemen are, but I would venture a guess they are detectives.”

“Stafford is my daughter's fiancé,” Hardwicke added, taking pleasure in seeing Luke's eyes widen at hearing that fact. It looked like his daughter failed to mention she had a fiancé.

Luke looked at the man next to Hardwicke, taking in his countenance. He was tall and trim with dark blond hair and mustache, with the look and bearing of an aristocrat. The man didn't say a word when Mary Ann's father hit her so hard she still bore the imprint of his hand on her cheek. Was this the kind of man she wanted? He turned to Mary Ann. “Your fiancé?”

Mary Ann wished she could disappear. Just moments ago she'd never been so happy. Having Luke home and to be in his arms was sheer bliss. “Luke, it's not that simple.”

He wasn't pleased by her equivocation. “The way I see it, it's pretty darn simple, it's either yes or no.”

She so badly wanted to lie, but what good would it do. Her father would have his way, he'd already made that perfectly clear by stating Stafford was her fiancé. “Well, in away, yes he is.”

Luke stared at her a moment longer, his blue eyes searching hers. He thought of Arina. Still fresh in his mind were the many lies she'd told that had ruined countless lives. He shook his head and abruptly turned away and stalked to his horse. After he tightened his girth, he mounted and rode away and didn't look back. He took it slow riding to the ranch hoping to calm down before he arrived. He couldn't believe Mary Ann allowed what had passed between them if she was engaged. She'd played him for a fool from the start. She was no different than Arina, just a different accent. Unlike Mary Ann, at least Arina was honest about what she wanted with men, she didn't hide who she was behind good manners and a virginal attitude. He hoped his brothers knew how lucky they were to have found guileless women. He'd wasted a lot of time thinking about Mary Ann since she came to town. Well, no more. There were plenty of women who chased him around, he didn't have to do the chasing. It would be a long time before he saw another woman who didn't work in a saloon, or didn't freely give what he wanted, without thoughts of matrimony.

* * *

Early the next morning Luke was in the corral getting ready to ride one of the four wild horses Colt had captured the week before. Colt walked to the fence as his brother roped the first uncooperative animal. No one was around so it was the perfect opportunity for Colt to find out what was bothering his brother. When Luke came into the house last night he'd barely said two words, which was totally out of character for him. Out of the three brothers, Luke was the most gregarious, so when he was quiet, there was a problem.

“You're up early,” Colt said.

“Yep.”

Colt folded his arms over the top rail. “Is something on your mind?”

“Nope.” Luke jumped on the back of the horse and he was prepared when the animal started bucking.

Colt watched in silence, not wanting Luke to lose his concentration. His brother was a vision in the saddle, he hadn't seen a horse he couldn't ride. This animal was a fighter, giving Luke a bone-jarring ride, but he stayed with him. Even though it was a chilly morning Luke's shirt was soaked with sweat by the time the horse tired. Whatever was on Luke's mind, being on a horse might help him work it out. When the horse stopped bucking, Colt clapped. “Great ride.”

“Thanks.”

Colt was at a loss. If Luke didn't want to talk about what was bothering him he couldn't force him to. “Luke, are you upset that Arina was killed?”

“It's a shame she's dead, but she probably would have been in jail anyway. It was just a matter of time until all of her evildoing caught up with her.”

“Jake said the same thing.” Colt didn't want to harass his brother, but he was concerned. “Did you have dinner in town last night? Jake said you might have eaten with George and Mary Ann.” They'd waited for him to come home for dinner, but he didn't get there until hours later and he went to bed without eating.

“Nope.”

Colt didn't know what else to say. “Victoria said breakfast is almost ready. Are you coming in?”

“No, I'm going to ride a couple more.”

Colt thought he should leave him alone. “Be careful with that chestnut, he's really rank.”

* * *

“Isn't Luke coming in?” Victoria asked.

“No, he's breaking a few more,” Colt told her.

“What's bothering him?”

“I don't know. He wouldn't say.”

“It has to do with Mary Ann,” Victoria said.

“Why do you say that?”

“He sent her a telegram telling her he missed her.”

“Really?” Colt was surprised, but now that he thought about it, Luke was very upset with Mary Ann's dress at the dance. That should have told him something.

“Yes, I think he's in love.”

“Does she love him?” Colt figured if anyone knew the answer to that question it would be his wife.

“Yes, but she said her father has promised her to another man in England. She seems to think her father is going to come here and take her back, even if that is not what she wants.”

“Why would he do such a thing?”

“From what she said, I think her family must be quite wealthy and influential. Mrs. Wellington told me it is common for the parents to choose the husbands for their daughters, often selecting very wealthy men so they can be assured of the future security of their estates, particularly if they are in financial difficulty.”

“You can be sure if Luke loves her and she loves him, she won't be going anywhere unless she wants to,” Colt said.

Jake walked into the room and went straight to the coffeepot. “Where's Luke?”

“In the corral,” Colt replied.

“What's up with him?”