your nephew?”
“Who better to send for protection than someone who knows his way around firearms?”
“But he killed a man the first night he was in town, didn’t he? That’s the kind of man you want escorting your kin?”
“If you have heard that he killed a man, you have also heard that the man he killed provoked the fight,” Frewen said.
“Kyle Houston. He was supposed to be very good with a gun, I’ve heard,” Teasdale said.
“Evidently he wasn’t good enough,” Frewen replied with a chuckle.
“You laugh about this,” Teasdale said. “But just how safe do you think someone like Matt Jensen is? He obviously draws men like Kyle Houston to him, men who want to make a reputation for themselves. I mean, do you really want someone like that around?”
“That is exactly the kind of man I want around,” Frewen said.
“I hope you haven’t made a mistake,” Teasdale said.
“I’m sure I haven’t, but I do appreciate your concern. I’d better get back over to Clara. She doesn’t like to sit alone for too long.”
As Frewen returned to his carriage, Teasdale controlled a smile. If things went the way he hoped, the only way Matt Jensen would be on that stagecoach would be if his body was sprawled out on top. If someone like Kyle Houston hadn’t been able to take care of him, then it was obvious that one man couldn’t do it. But Logan had told him this would be three men, three professionals who knew guns, and who had experience holding up stagecoaches.
“Coach is comin’ in!” someone shouted.
“Coach is comin’,” another repeated, and those people who were in the part of town near the stagecoach depot paused long enough to watch the arrival.
Ed liked to depart and arrive with a bit of a show, so, though he didn’t whip the horses into a gallop, they were at a rapid trot as the coach came moving quickly down Sussex Road. He pulled the team to a stop in front of the stage depot, then set the brake.
“Hello, Ed!” the depot manager called. “Any trouble?”
“Ha!” Ed replied. “No trouble for us, thanks to Mr. Jensen.”
Hearing that, Teasdale looked toward the coach. He saw a man step down, then help three ladies in the coach exit, including Jennie Churchill, whom he recognized. Teasdale had never met Matt Jensen, but he knew without having to be told that this was him.
“Jennie!” Clara Frewen called and she and Jennie ran toward each other with arms extended, meeting in the middle with a big embrace. Winnie stood quietly alongside his mother until Clara bent down to greet him as well.
“My, how you have grown!” Clara said. “I certainly hope you don’t consider yourself too big now to give your aunt Clara a hug.”
Winnie smiled and complied with Clara’s request. When Frewen extended his hand, Winnie took it and they shook hands.
“Oh, you must be exhausted, poor thing,” Clara said.
“Perhaps more exhilarated than exhausted,” Jennie replied. She extended her hand toward Frewen. “It was so wonderful of you to agree to receive us as guests,” she said.
“You are always welcome in our home, Jennie,” Moreton said. “I see you met Mr. Jensen.”
“Indeed we did,” Jennie said. “It was very thoughtful of you to send him for us. He was not only the perfect gentleman and a pleasant traveling companion, he also saved us from what could have been an unpleasantness.”
“Our stagecoach was almost robbed!” Winnie said excitedly. “But Mr. Jensen prevented it.”
“Oh, how frightening that must have been!” Clara said.
“Frightening? No,” Jennie said. “It was exciting! Wasn’t it, Winnie?”
“Yes, very,” Winnie replied.
Marshal Drew was one of those who had come to meet the stage, and upon overhearing the conversation, he walked over to the driver who was talking to the depot manager.
“Mr. Frewen’s guests are talking about a holdup,” Marshal Drew said.
“That’s right, there was a holdup,” Ed replied. “Well, no, there weren’t really no holdup.”
“Was there, or wasn’t there?”
“There wasn’t, but it ain’t cause the robbers didn’t try.” Ed laughed. “They was waitin’ for us like they done before, only Matt here, he seen ’em from the coach. It was back at Crowley Ridge it was, you know where the road makes a real hairpin turn around the end of it? It’s real near Teapot Dome. Anyhow, Matt clumb up over the ridge and then come down behind ’em. And when me ’n Gary got there, we seen Carter, Hodge, and Decker sittin’ just as purty as you please on the side of the road. And there was Jensen standin’ in the road waitin’ for us, holdin’ on to all their guns.”
“You weren’t carrying any money this time, were you, Ed?”
“Nope, nary one red cent,” Ed replied.
“Then I don’t understand why they tried to hold you up. Ever’ time they’ve done it before, you’ve had something to rob.”
“Yeah,” Ed said. “Well, truth is, I don’t know why they tried it, either. All I know is they did try it, and, thanks to
