Gunsmoke and Gingham Read online

  “Well, there I was, standing in line at the bank behind a woman in a blue dress. I remember that very clearly. The next thing I know, three men with bandanas over their faces burst into the building, waving their guns around. At first, I thought it was a joke because things like that don’t happen in real life, do they? They’re only in newspapers and thrilling novels. But these men demanded money, and they told all the customers to empty their pockets and strip off their jewelry. The woman in the blue dress was wearing a bracelet, but she couldn’t get the latch undone, and they were threatening her. One of the men put his gun in my ear and told me to help her unlatch her bracelet. So I did. I figured it was better to do that than to let them be rough with her.”

  Ori’s lips were still pressed tight, but she seemed to be listening, which was good.

  “The men gathered up all the jewelry they’d collected, took the money from the bank teller, grabbed me by the collar, and dragged me outside. They looked in my bag, saw a bunch of piano wire and whatnot, cursed a bit, punched me in the stomach, and left. I had a train to catch and I knew the other customers would be able to bear witness, so I left and caught my train. I realize now, of course, how foolish that was.

  “The woman in the blue dress believed that I was working with the bank robbers, and because I had passed through town several times before, they were able to find out my name. Well, in the meantime, I had no idea I was wanted, and I continued doing business and keeping my appointments until one afternoon, I was approached by a sheriff and apprehended.”

  Nathan licked his lips, exhausted at telling the story. It had been the most horrible experience of his life and he didn’t want to recount it, but he had to if he was ever going to have a chance at mending things with Ori.

  “I was given a short trial, the woman identified me, and I was sent to jail. I spent one year serving time for that crime, and then somehow, one of the other customers at the bank decided to come forward and testify that they believed I had nothing to do with it, that I was just being used by the real culprits. I have no idea why it took so long for that man to come forward. I’m grateful he did, though, so I suppose I shouldn’t complain too much.

  “And there you have it. I was released about two weeks ago, given a full pardon and even somewhat of an apology, and I decided it was time to put my life back together. They’d kept my tools in storage for me, so I had what I needed to start over, and here I am.”

  He sat back, knowing he’d said all he could and that it was now up to Ori to decide if she believed him.

  “The marshal will need to verify your story, sir,” the deputy said. “He’s sent a telegram to Kansas City, and in the meantime, I’ll need you to come with me.”

  Nathan blinked in surprise. “I . . . I beg your pardon?”

  “Sorry, sir, but we need to know that you’re not an escapee looking to bring Miss Britt here into your confidence. As soon as we get verification from Kansas City, you’ll be free to go.”

  “But . . .” Nathan glanced over at Ori. Tears poured down her cheeks now, and he couldn’t make this harder on her than it already was. “May I leave my tools just where they are? I’ll be back, Ori. I know I will be, and I want things to be ready to finish up the job.”

  “Of course,” she said, and that was all.

  He gave a nod, picked up his hat, and walked outside with the deputy. He would not give Ori the memory of him resisting arrest in her parlor, no matter how much he wanted to protest. They would get to the bottom of this, and then he’d be able to make things right with her.

  If that was possible.

  Five minutes after Nathan left with the deputy, Orinda Lou heard another knock on her door, and she knew exactly who it would be.

  “Did I just see Mr. Perry leave with the deputy marshal?” Kristin asked as she stepped into the house.

  “Yes, you did.” Orinda Lou invited her neighbor to come into the kitchen. She would have preferred the softer chairs in the parlor, but after everything that had just happened in that room, plus the piano string mess everywhere, she couldn’t face going back in there.

  “What’s going on?”

  Orinda Lou told her the whole story while she sliced up some ham and scrambled a few eggs. She’d been in such a rush to get over to the marshal’s office that she hadn’t eaten, and if she didn’t take a moment, she’d soon be sick for more reasons than one.

  “I can’t believe it,” Kristin said when the long explanation was finally over. “Jail? Bank robbery? I just can’t believe it.”

  “I know.” Orinda Lou slid a plate across the table to Kristin, then sprinkled some salt on her own. She so very badly wanted to go back to bed, to pull the covers over her head and pretend that none of this was happening. But if she were to do that, as soon as she climbed in, someone else would come to the door—she was sure of it.

  “So, what are you going to do?”

  “There’s nothing I can do. This is entirely out of my hands. Either he’s guilty or he’s innocent. Either he was cleared, or he’s an escaped convict. All I can do is wait to find out.”

  “No, I mean, what are you going to do about your feelings for him?” Kristin gave her a pointed look.

  Orinda Lou chewed and swallowed a bite of ham before answering. Not only would food keep her from fainting, but it also provided a good excuse for delaying her responses. She needed time to think.

  “I don’t know,” she said at last. “When he arrived, I thought we might have a chance, and last night, I certainly believed it more than ever. But now . . .”

  Kristin shook her head. “If he’s innocent, what difference does it make?”

  “We don’t know that he’s innocent—we can only hope that he is.”

  “Oh, come on, Ori. I know he’s innocent and I’ve only spent a few minutes with him. He’s too kind, too gentlemanly to be a criminal.”

  “But that’s just it. The very best criminals are the ones you’d never suspect. You’ve read enough of my books to know that.”

  “And this isn’t a book!” Kristin put her fork down with a clatter. “You know how your heart feels, Ori. What is it telling you?”

  Orinda Lou stared down at her plate. “It’s telling me that he’s innocent. But it’s also hurt that he didn’t tell me the truth.”

  “You mean he never once tried to? He’s been here for a few days now and hasn’t brought it up?”

  Orinda Lou shook her head, but then paused. “He did tell me last night that he needed to speak with me. I asked if we could put it off because I was tired.”

  “And he said yes, because he’s a gentleman, and now you’re finding out in the worst way possible.” Kristin sighed. “You’ve got to put some trust in him. If he was guilty, why would he come back here, where anyone who knows his routine would be able to find him?”

  “That’s what I told the marshal,” Orinda Lou said.

  “See? That’s an expression of trust right there. If you believed he was a horrible person, you wouldn’t have taken his side.”

  “I never believed he was a horrible person,” Orinda Lou pointed out.

  “But you’re not sure if he’s a bank robber?” Kristin chuckled. “Maybe I’m being too harsh, but I’ve never considered bank robbers to be a warm and cuddly sort. If you think he’s a bank robber, you think he’s a horrible person. I don’t see how you can separate the two.”

  Kristin was making too much sense, and Orinda Lou felt foolish. “It’s more than that.”

  “It’s your pride?”

  “Gracious. She finds out she’s going to be a mother, and suddenly she has all wisdom.” Orinda Lou sighed. “Yes, that’s what it is. I’m angry at him for not telling me, even though that’s probably exactly what he was going to do last night. I interrupted him, asked him if we could talk about it later, and now I’m holding that against him. It was just such a shock, you can’t imagine.”

  “You’re right—I can’t imagine it. What I can imagine, though, is that you’re tired,
hungry, and overwrought. Finish eating, and then I’ll clean up while you rest. And you can’t argue with me because I can see the dark circles under your eyes from over here, and I know you’re worn out.”

  Orinda Lou had been hoping that she’d be able to hide her fatigue, but no such luck. “All right,” she relented. “But only because you’re completely right.”

  “I like being completely right.” Kristin forked up another bite of eggs, looking very pleased with herself.

  Orinda Lou finished her own food and then pushed back from the table. “Are you sure you want to clean up?”

  Kristin waved her off. “Go. Rest. Let me do something nice for you.”

  That was hard to argue with. Orinda Lou went into her bedroom, closed her door, and changed into her robe. Then she lay down on her bed, completely unused to being there at this time of the day, and stared at the ceiling. She was tired. She was so very tired. But rest would not come.

  Instead, she listened to Kristin puttering around in the kitchen, then her footsteps leaving the house and closing the door. It was silent, the kind of silent Orinda Lou liked best for sleeping, and yet, she couldn’t. Thoughts about Nathan were buzzing around in her head like a swarm of angry bees, and until she’d spoken to him again, she knew she’d have no peace.

  With a sigh at the wasted nap, she got up, dressed again, and headed out the door.

  Chapter 9

  Nathan sat on the rickety bed in the corner of the jail cell, clenching his fists. He’d remained as calm as he could while he was brought in, but now, with the bars all but in his face, he found it difficult to draw a breath. What if they didn’t let him out this time? What if he was in here forever?

  But that was ridiculous, he told himself. The colonel was sending a telegram, and because it was police business, it would be delivered immediately. They’d know the truth soon enough and he would be released, but that thought didn’t do much to calm his racing heart.

  He stood and began pacing back and forth. Perhaps some physical movement would give an outlet to his building panic.

  “Hello. I’d like to see Mr. Perry, please.”

  He stopped his pacing at the sound of the soft voice coming from the front room.

  “Of course, Miss Britt. Right this way.”

  Just a moment later, Deputy Hayes showed Ori into the jail area of the building, and Nathan stepped over to the bars to get a better look at her. He’d seen her just a short time before, but it felt like an eternity.

  “You came,” he said around the sudden lump in his throat.

  “Yes, I did.” Ori smiled and nodded at the deputy when he carried in a chair. She scooted it a little closer to Nathan’s cell and sat down. “I have to admit, you left me in quite a whirlwind this morning.”

  “I imagine I did.” He chuckled without humor. “I wish I could find the words to apologize, but there don’t seem to be any. I should have told you the truth right from the start, Ori. I shouldn’t have kept it from you even for a minute.”

  She held up a hand. “It’s all right. I understand why you didn’t. You must have been worried about your reputation, what everyone would think, if you’d lose your clients—please don’t give it another thought.”

  Could she really be this understanding? “I wanted to tell you last night. I wanted to come totally clean and tell you the entire story.”

  “I realized that after you left. I should have let you speak—it would have saved us a lot of surprises this morning.”

  “That it would.” Nathan wished he could reach through the bars and take her hand, but if he tried, he’d most likely get his arm stuck. “So what do we do now?”

  Ori shrugged. “Wait and see, I suppose. It shouldn’t take long to get confirmation from Kansas City, should it?”

  “No, but I meant . . . about us.”

  “Us?” She lifted her gaze to meet his.

  He swallowed. This was proving more difficult than he’d imagined, and he’d definitely never imagined it happening in a jail. “I realized some things last night, things I’d suspected before but wondered if they could possibly be true. Ori, there’s something building here, something we need to discuss. And we’ll do that as soon as I’m released, all right?”

  She didn’t speak, but nodded, and that was all the promise he needed. He would cling to it until they finally opened the door and let him go free.

  Orinda Lou was so tired, she walked home in a stupor, just putting one foot in front of the other and relying on instinct to guide her. When she finally reached her house, she was a little startled to hear voices coming from her parlor. She closed the front door and headed down the hallway, wondering who on earth had broken into her home.

  “Isabel?” she said with surprise when she saw the woman sitting on the farthest chair.

  “Orinda Lou!” Her sister rose and enveloped her in a big hug. Kristin sat nearby, a smile on her face.

  “I can’t believe you’re here,” Orinda Lou said, grasping her sister by the hand. “Please sit down and tell me everything.”

  Isabel settled herself back in, the full skirts of her sage dress rustling as she did so. “Well, I was quite bored at home. Thomas is off at school now, and with just me and Ronald, the house is so quiet.”

  “How is Ronald?” Orinda Lou asked. Her brother-in-law had been in ill health for several years, but he was never ill enough to worry about—just enough to be inconvenient.

  “He’s all right. And Thomas is doing so well in school, he’s like a totally different person. He had a very good teacher last year who made all the difference.”

  “I’m so glad to hear that.” Orinda Lou was truly grateful to see her sister, but she still wasn’t satisfied. “You haven’t explained why you’re here, Isabel. This is quite a trip to make simply because you’re bored—Chicago is nearly six hundred miles away.”

  “You know, this sounds like a conversation best had between sisters.” Kristin rose. “It was a pleasure to meet you, Isabel.”

  “Likewise. And thank you for helping me break into my sister’s house.”

  Kristin chuckled. “The side door was open. I didn’t break into anything.”

  “Still, I appreciate it,” Isabel said.

  Kristin smiled as she left, and Orinda Lou turned back to her sister. “All right, the full story this time.”

  Isabel played with the cuff of her sleeve. “I’m not at all sure that I’ll be returning to Chicago. Or to Ronald, actually. I believe our marriage is over.”

  “What?” Orinda Lou reached out and took her sister’s hand. “How can that be? The two of you are as compatible as any couple I’ve ever seen.”

  “Yes, that’s always been the case with us, but over the last few years, it’s as though we’re so compatible that we have disappeared from each other’s sight. I know exactly what he’ll say in every given circumstance, what he’ll wear to every event—it’s so predictable, and I know for a fact he can predict all those things about me, too. And when Thomas went away, I had to confess that there was nothing else holding us together. We can go for days without speaking more than a few words to each other.”

  “But is that sufficient reason for a divorce?” Orinda Lou asked. She still felt tired, but she pushed away all thoughts of it. This was too startling.

  “Perhaps not a divorce, but a separation. We could continue forward with our lives, but without the social stigma a divorce would bring.” She sighed. “We’re already separated emotionally—there’s really not much difference.”

  “Have you given this some serious thought? How long have you been contemplating this?” Isabel could be impulsive—perhaps she’d climbed on the train on a whim.

  “I’ve been thinking about it for a year. This isn’t something I take lightly, Orinda Lou.”

  “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to sound judgmental. It’s just such a shock.”

  “I know. It is for me too, really. Ronald and I were always like two halves of the same coin. Is this how it’s
supposed to be as couples get older? Do they usually lose that special spark and become strangers living in the same house?”

  “I don’t think so. I hope not. Look at Mother and Father.”

  Isabel nodded. “You’re right—Father always did have that special ability to make Mother blush. I don’t think that’s ever gone away.”

  “Listen, Isabel, you don’t have to decide right now. Why don’t you plan to stay here with me for a little while and think things over? We’ll tell people that you’re just here on a visit. Take all the time you need, and maybe you’ll change your mind and want to go back.”

  “Thank you, Orinda Lou. I’d like that. I don’t know about the whole changing-my-mind thing, but I do believe that having time to think would be good for me.” Isabel looked over at the piano with a little smile. “I understand you’ve got a project underway here. Poor thing looks like it’s been disemboweled.”

  “It has. It’s being completely restrung.” Orinda Lou tried to keep her tone light. No point in making this more of an issue than it needed to be.

  “When do you think it will be done? I’ve been longing to play it.”

  “The piano tuner should be back Monday, and I imagine he’ll have it done a day or two after that.” Orinda Lou hoped that the warmth she felt in her cheeks wasn’t obvious.

  “I’ll look forward to it.” Isabel stood. “May I be very impolite and ask you to show me to your guest room? I’d love to freshen up and rest for a bit.”

  “Of course. It’s right down this hall.”

  Orinda Lou helped Isabel with her bags, then closed the door and leaned against it. She was glad to see her sister, but the timing of this visit couldn’t have been any worse. Although, if Isabel had shown up while Nathan was being hauled off by the deputy, that would have been pretty bad . . . Orinda Lou shook her head. She would make the best of it, whatever that turned out to be.