Page 14 of The Marshal's Bride
“Tea or coffee?” June returned from putting Hope down with a raised brow.
“Tea, please. Is Hope asleep?”
“She fell asleep as soon as I put her down. I think she’s just overly tired. She’s probably sensing that you are upset.” June disappeared and returned a few minutes later with a small tea service.
“Can I ask you a question?” Justine asked, taking the cup and placing it in front of her. The feelings swirling inside her were distracting; anger, frustration and hope were making her a tad bit queasy. She was less concerned about June talking about things out of turn, and more about possibly alienating her friend.
“Of course. Is this a dessert type situation? I have some leftover cake. You have become my sister, even though we are not related. I feel as though we’ve known each other a lifetime.” June settled in the rocker across from her with a concerned look.
“Let’s wait for dessert. Why does everyone in this town cede to what Ingrid Chapman wants? What is it that allows her to control them?” Justine bit her lip. It almost felt like heresy to ask the question that had been burning in her mind.
June’s eyes widened. “I don’t think that Ingrid controls people. I think she just likes to help.”
“And then everyone owes her a favor.”
“Justine, what is happening?”
“I—I’m sorry. Maybe I should keep my counsel on this. I do not want to cause you distress.” Shaking her head, she picked up the lace tatting that she had been working on the last time she visited. She would need to think about this further. Something just didn’t sit right inside of her heart of hearts. But if she couldn’t talk to June about it, then there would be no one else for her to confide in.
What about Sam?a voice whispered in her mind. He would listen to her, but if she was wrong about this, then it could affect his position as marshal in Flat River, too. He seemed happy, and she didn’t want to ruin that for him.
“Justine?”
“Let me apologize, June. I don’t want to misspeak.”
“Justine, I’m your friend. You don’t have to worry about that with me.”
“I know I’ve not been here long, but when Mrs. Chapman decides on something, others fall in line. I could be wrong, but look at the way the judge handled your case. You needed a husband, and she found one. Ranger is one of her husband’s most trusted cowhands. I know you love him, but that’s not the point. Which one of you now owes her a debt of gratitude? Or do both of you owe her one? Her niece married another well-respected cowhand. And that man is the brother of the farmer who owns land bordering the Chapman’s property.”
June raised her hand and cut in. “I don’t know that she was so excited about Addison marrying Lukas.”
“I’ll come back to that.” Justine waved a hand at her. “Hannah’s father worked for Weston and was well respected. I’ve heard that story. If Hannah and Hiram couldn’t work it out, Ingrid intended to send her to Miss Marcy’s. That’s not kind; and the girl had barely buried her father. Are you telling me she couldn’t have given her a chance to mourn before quickly marrying her to another? That the Chapman’s couldn’t have kept her safe for more than a week?”
“Dearest, I hear you are upset, and if you look only at the circumstances, I can almost see what you’re saying, but you can’t forget that Peter Arkin was at the point of self-murder before Elizabet showed up. That feels like a blessing from God.” Swallowing hard, she reached out and placed her hand on Justine’s knee. “Hiram and Hannah matched well; it seems hurried if you haven’t lived here long. Things are different this far out than in the larger towns and cities. I wanted to adopt Amy and Charity. I wanted to take them from Hiram, and I’m not proud of it. I didn’t know what else to do, not with Anna dying and Niall being gone all the time. If she hadn’t married Hiram, and been exactly who she was, I probably would have died in that fire.”
“I know. I was so excited to go to the bank and discuss the café with the banker, only to have him tell me no. I couldn’t believe he suggested I speak with Ingrid. And then to have her appear out of nowhere. It was too much of a coincidence. I thought her saying I didn’t have to observe my mourning period was a little too much, don’t you?” Justine picked up her tea and took a sip. “How do you know Ranger married you because of you, and not because of something the Chapman’s said to him? I don’t think I could live with that kind of doubt in my marriage, even if Sam were to propose now.” Putting her teacup back down, she tossed her lace back into the basket and thrust herself out of the chair to walk over to the windows. “I’m sorry, June. I know Ranger loves you, and that was unkind of me to say. Please ignore me.”
“I will not ignore you. This is clearly something you need to talk about. I understand what you’re saying and from the outside looking in, I can even see how you got to these thoughts. But I was attracted to Ranger before Marmee matched us. I tried to fight it, I even had thoughts about him I would never share with anyone else. Thoughts that I should never have had about him. The other thing is, I don’t know his reasons, but Sadie needed a home, and I needed her. I’d have married a man from Marcy’s if it meant I could give that little girl a home. I fully believe that God had his hand on that as well.”
Justine felt June’s hand on her shoulder. She couldn’t help herself; pivoting she flung her arms around June and hugged her tight. June was right. God had led Justine to Flat River. He had given her the special friendship with June and Hannah. He had provided children for Hope to grow up with. But how would she know that someone wanted to marry her for who she was, and not because they wanted to please Ingrid or Weston Chapman?
June took Justine’s hand and led her back to the settee. “If you had to pick a husband out of the men you’ve met in Flat River, who would you choose?” June asked, pulling back to look her in the eyes. “Or would you write a letter to a different matchmaker and go sight unseen, taking Hope from here?”
“I don’t want to leave Flat River. I’m not going anywhere, but something must change. The Chapmans own the apartment I’m living in. I’m not contributing to the community, and I want to have a home of my own and be able to support myself and my daughter. That may sound silly to you, but it is what I need to do.”
“It doesn’t sound silly. I think you should pray for it, and while you’re at it, keep designing your cafe. I cannot wait to have Bethany come visit to watch the children so that Ranger and I can go have dinner out. It’s all going to be wonderful, but it needs to happen in God’s timing.”
June pulled her in for another hug. A small cry rang out from Sadie’s cradle, and both women pulled apart. Justine hastened to wipe the tears from her cheeks. She was not used to being so emotional about things, and honestly, she was finding it exhausting. Perhaps she would talk to Sam or see if he would confide in her about his chat with Weston.
She couldn’t explain the draw to him, but it had happened from that very first day when he helped her onto the stagecoach and didn’t fall into the rumors and gossip. That he was always interested in how Hope was and what she needed warmed Justine’s heart, too.
But was that enough to build a marriage on?
What if all he ever offered was friendship?
Would a new husband make her abandon someone who had become such a special friend?
Now was as good a time as any to pray about it,she thought as June left to get her daughter.
