Page 66 of A Steadfast Heart
Michael rose to his feet. “I’m her brother and her guardian. I didn’t give my permission for her marriage.”
“How old is your sister?”
“Twenty-three, Your Honor.”
“Old enough to marry without a guardian’s permission.”
“Under normal circumstances. I’m afraid the circumstances are not normal. You see, Kaitlyn hasn’t been the same since our father died. She stopped seeing her friends. Fired the entire staff in a fit of hysterics. I thought she was doing better when she started spending time with me again instead of staying alone in her room. I’m afraid I let my guard down. Then I found out she was…” Michael’s gaze dropped. “Well, Your Honor, I’d rather not say the words, not about my own sister.”
Kaitlyn’s cheeks warmed, but she refused to drop her eyes. She’d done nothing wrong.
The judge studied each of them for a moment before focusing on Michael. “Young man, this is a courtroom. Facts must be presented, not implied.”
Michael’s lips narrowed. “Yes, Your Honor. I learned my sister was having an affair with a married man. I kept her home, but she snuck out of the house and ran away. She left a diary filled with rambling entries showing she clearly wasn’t in her right mind.” Michael held up a book. “I brought it to show you.”
Kaitlyn’s heart banged in her chest. That diary was fabricated. It didn’t belong to her—Michael must’ve written it. Or hired someone to do it. She watched the judge’s face. Would he believe her brother’s lies?
“I looked for her everywhere,” Michael continued. “I take my duty to my sister seriously, but I feared she was dead.”
Michael withdrew a bundle of papers from his jacket pocket. “I didn’t know she’d married until her lawyer contacted mine. And then I learned the name of the groom.” He put the papers on the judge’s desk, along with the leather book. “Your Honor, this Drew McGraw was so desperate for a wife that he let my sister substitute for his mail-order bride, and she agreed to it. That’s clearly not a sane decision.”
The judge took the letters. “Where did you get these?”
“From the woman who had the good sense to refuse to marry a stranger. I only wish my sister had done the same.”
The judge nodded, pulled out the first letter, and skimmed it.
Michael’s gaze cut to Kaitlyn. He returned to his chair, his eyes narrowing slightly.
The chill spread from her limbs and invaded her heart. He was sure he had won.
Finally, the judge looked up. “I’m not going to take the time to read all of these at this moment, but I may need to before I make a decision. Meanwhile, I’ve heard your arguments.” He turned to Kaitlyn. “What do you have to say about this?”
She rose, her knees wobbling under her. “Your Honor, the stories about my…” She swallowed hard. Even her ears were burning now. “…activities are just that, stories. They aren’t true. The facts in this case come down to money.” Her voice trembled. She swallowed a couple of times, trying to steady it. “My brother has managed my inheritance since my father passed away. He used the money in ways that only benefitted himself. It is true that I let the staff go. He mismanaged the funds so badly that there was no choice.”
Michael scoffed. “Your Honor, financial matters are beyond the ken of the feminine mind.”
The judge eyed Michael, his expression stern. “You have had your turn. It is hers now.”
Kaitlyn’s heart rose from her boots. The judge wasn’t allowing Michael’s interruption.
Her voice strengthened. “I managed our household as best I could, but he continued to squander the money we had left.” She met the judge’s gaze squarely. “I was completely in my right mind when I went to the train station on my own and when I met Drew McGraw. No one forced me into marriage.” She touched the picture in her pocket. She couldn’t wait to get back home and hug that little artist.
Home. The ranch was home. Or was it Drew that made it home?
“Your Honor, the two months I’ve spent in Wyoming have been the happiest in my life.”
Danna stood and cleared her throat.
The judge looked at her. “Do you have something to add?” She stepped forward and placed the copy of Kaitlyn’s marriage license on the judge’s desk. “Your Honor, the character of Mr. McGraw is not the question today, though I can speak to it, if you wish me to.”
“And you are?”
“The marshal of Calvin, Wyoming. I’ve known Mr. McGraw for years. He’s not rich, but he is an honorable man. He’d never steal from anyone, much less his sister like Mr. Montgomery here did. But the only question today is if Mrs. McGraw’s marriage is legal. When this issue came to my attention, I found the county’s copy of the marriage license and questioned the preacher who performed the ceremony. He told me very clearly that Kaitlyn was present of her own free will.”
Michael moved closer to the judge’s desk. “Your Honor, no woman in her right mind would make the decisions my sister made. She left a good home to marry a stranger.”
“Your Honor, not only has my brother taken my inheritance for his own use, he has also prevented me from following paths to support myself. When I had an offer to teach school, he found the letter and the train ticket and burned them. All because he was determined that I should marry his friend, Brian Matthews. I could not agree to his ultimatum, and I was forced to sneak out of my own home.”
