Page 74 of The Rancher's Wedding

“Pleasure to meet you, sir,” Michael said. “And, I’m real sorry, but who are you exactly? How do you know Estelle?”

Ethan laughed and looked Michael in the eyes, establishing dominance.

“She’s my wife.”

***

Michael stared right back at the man from the city.

“Excuse me?” he asked.

“He’s lying,” Estelle said, then looked at Ethan. “We never got married, Ethan.”

“No,” he said, speaking calmly and slowly, the pace of a man with confidence who firmly believed he was in the right, “but it was arranged and agreed upon by all the parties involved.”

He reached into his coat and pulled out a sheet of paper, folded in three, that he handed to Michael, who read through it.

On this date of May the 1st, 1871, I, Richard Williams, do offer my daughter, Estelle Williams, to wed Ethan Fitzgerald upon her 18th birthday, or shortly thereafter, in exchange for a payment of $1500 and a 10% ownership of the Fitzgerald Family Bank & Loan Company…

The text continued and Michael didn’t understand much of it, but what he did understand was in line with what Ethan was telling him. But it didn’t make sense.

“It sounds to me,” Michael said, “that you better take this up with Richard Williams. I don’t see Estelle’s signature on this.”

Ethan took the contract back. “As she was only a child at the time of this agreement, her father signed on her behalf. Her father and I still have a deal. It’s Estelle who’s broken her end of it.”

That didn’t make a whole lot of sense to Michael, but the man spoke with the authority of someone who knew what he was talking about. He wouldn’t have come out all this way if the contract wasn’t legally binding.

“Well, I’d love to help you, sir, but I hate to tell you that she and I have already gotten married. She can’t very well be married to two people, can she?”

Ethan smiled at that. “That’s why it’s good you and I are speaking. You see, because she was already engaged to me, it makes your marriage to her invalid. You’ve been living in sin with this woman and I’ve come to correct that.”

Now that was something Michael did know something about.

“I’m afraid you’re mistaken,” he said. “You see, we were married in a church in the eyes of God. Now your little contract there may hold up in a court of law, but that’s not the court that I need to answer to. Far as I’m concerned, she’s my wife.”

“My issue is not with you, sir,” Ethan said. “My issue is with her. While God will certainly forgive you, Estelle knew well and good that she was engaged to another when she said ‘I do.’ That invalidates your marriage, I’m afraid, both in terms of the law and in the eyes of God.”

Michael looked over at Estelle, who looked crushed.

“I’ve wanted to tell you,” she said. “Really.”

But you didn’t, Michael thought.

Michael turned toward Ethan. “So what do you propose as a solution?”

“I suggest that she come back to Philadelphia with me. Then two of us will be out of your way and you won’t need to deal with us again.”

Michael felt hurt and defeated, but mostly conflicted. He did love Estelle, but at the moment, he was also upset with her. However, he could deal with his feelings later. Right now, he had to honor his commitment to protect his wife. In as calm and confident a voice as he could muster, he said, “That doesn’t work for me.”

Ethan laughed. “I’m afraid you don’t have a choice in the matter. A deal’s a deal.”

“The way I see it,” Michael said, “is you’re an uninvited trespasser on my property. And I’m kindly asking you to leave. Without Estelle.” Michael and Ethan were staring at each other, neither daring to break the gaze. “And then you go on with your life and we go on with ours.”

Ethan broke the gaze and stepped back, not in a sign of weakness, but exactly the opposite. “I’m sure you fancy yourself a rugged, tough man and I admire that about you,” he said. “If I lived in this world with you, I’m sure it would come down to a hand-to-hand fight that you almost certainly would win.

“But I don’t live in this world and, though you may not realize it, you live in the United States and need to abide by the laws of this land. You’re right about this being your property, I’m sure. And if you ask me to leave, then I have to leave. But I assure you, I’ll be back with lawyers and you’ll wish that you just let her go peacefully.”

Ethan walked out the door and waved to them. “Wonderful meeting you, Michael. And always a pleasure, Estelle.”

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