Page 82 of Conveniently Wed
“Did Miss Morris also tell you that she stole a valuable family heirloom from me?”
She flinched. It was the only sign she made that she’d been expecting the accusation, but it was enough.
At her side, Edgar went completely still. She couldn’t be sure he was even breathing.
“I didn’t steal anything,” she said quietly. The words carried over the space between the men and the horses.
But they didn’t faze the man beside her.
“She snuck into my home and took a valuable French vase worth at least five hundred dollars.”
“I didn’t,” she argued.
“Then she and her sister ran, attempting to evade the authorities. If the vase wasn’t so priceless, I never would’ve sought them this far, at this expense.”
“Where is the vase?” she cried. “Where is the money? I have neither.”
She turned to Edgar. Matty and Seb and the other cowboy watched too. “Why would I have gone on the orphan train if I had five hundred dollars?”
“To escape,” said Underhill.
Edgar’s unblinking eyes stayed on her face but she couldn’t read him, couldn’t tell if he believed her.
With what she knew about his lack of trust in women in general, she didn’t know what he was thinking.
“I have proof.” Underhill’s voice rang with satisfaction. As if he knew he’d won.
No! This couldn’t be happening. It was wrong, all wrong. The man was pure evil.
“Where is the proof? It’s a lie!” she cried.
“Back in Tennessee. Its very existence is why I was able to persuade this federal marshal to accompany me here to fetch the two of you.”
“He’s lying.” She breathed the words, entreating Edgar with her gaze to believe her. “Please…”
The man with the tin star didn’t bat an eyelash. “It will be up to a judge to decide. I’m to take you into custody now, miss.”
And no doubt by the length of time that would take, Underhill would’ve already had his way with Emma.
“Please,” she said again to Edgar. “Don’t let him take Emma,” she begged.
She couldn’t allow Emma to be hurt. She’d come so far, done everything in her power to prevent it. Married a cowboy, traveled all this way under slightly better than primitive conditions, given her heart…
“You said Fran was the one who stole from you,” Edgar said, turning away from her to face Underhill. “She and I are married. There’s a legal document at the courthouse back in Bear Creek that says so. And that means Emma is given into my custody.”
Fran’s knees threatened to give way, so strong was her relief.
He barely glanced at her. The coldness in his eyes… The warmth she’d seen, what they’d shared earlier in the meadow was gone.
Her heart was breaking.
“You said Fran’s the one who stole from you. Then Emma doesn’t have anything to do with it. Emma stays with me.” With the firmness in his voice, there was no arguing with Edgar.
Some of the men’s horses shifted. The marshal looked back at Underhill.
Matty and Seb put their hands on their guns.
“And Fran’s my responsibility. I won’t turn her over to a gun-toting posse. She ain’t that dangerous.” His voice was devoid of any humor. “I’ll deliver her to the sheriff’s office in Cheyenne.”
