Her face softened for a moment but then hardened again. “There’s nothing I can tell you. I knew him in Ohio, before he came to Colorado. He left Ohio before I did, and we hadn’t spoken from then until he showed up last night at the church.”
Will stared at her and examined her expression for any sign of prevarication. “He claimed you were engaged. Last night, you looked every bit the happy couple.”
That part might have been an exaggeration. Through the cheers and Ben’s loud proclamations, Mary looked like a rabbit caught in a snare. Will had replayed the scene in his mind over and over, trying to figure it out. She’d looked just as miserable with Ben as she had when Will questioned her about him. Which would almost have convinced him that Mary would be an ally—except that Daisy had told Will over and over that she wanted nothing more than to escape Ben’s clutches.
The wagon hit a bump, jostling everyone and sending Mary nearly into his lap.
“Easy there.” He tried to steady her, but Mary jumped again.
“I’m fine.” She glared at his hands, then smoothed her skirts. “As for my supposed engagement to Ben, it’s a misunderstanding that will soon be cleared up.”
Her voice shook as she explained her status with Ben. Will didn’t need his aching bullet wound to tell him something was definitely not right with Mary. But how could he get her to trust him? And how would he know to believe her?
The wind picked up, blowing tendrils across her face and stirring something inside Will. Was he stepping into a trap by thinking that somehow Mary was different? That his feelings for her were different?
“I can help you with that,” he told her quietly. “Help me, Mary. And I’ll help you.”
The words echoed dangerously in his brain as he recalled saying that exact phrase to Daisy. Of course, he’d been trying to help Daisy escape her work as a barmaid, where she’d claimed to fear that Ben was pushing to get her to work above stairs, as well. Surely this was different.
But Mary remained stiff, straightening beyond her already perfect posture. “I don’t need your help. I don’t know anything about Ben robbing a bank. So, please, leave me alone. It’s going to be hard enough to maintain my reputation as it is. Don’t make it worse for me.”
Her clipped tone made him realize how different the situation was. Daisy had never been a lady. But Mary...not only was she a lady, but by all accounts, she was a lady with standing. Building on their father’s first discovery, Mary’s brother was mining one of the richest veins of silver found in Leadville to date. Mary was an heiress of significant worth. Even though the fortune would be enough to tempt any man, the women of the community still refused to accept any woman who failed to follow proper standards of behavior.
Will’s brain started to spin. What if Mary had been honest with him? What if things really had been over between her and Ben? Could Ben only be chasing her because he wanted access to her fortune? Marrying a fortune would surely be easier than stealing one.
The wagon rumbled over a number of rocks, making it too noisy to carry on a normal conversation. Will leaned closer to Mary. “If Ben’s after your fortune, he’ll go to no end to get it. Even if it means ruining you in the process.”
Mary’s face blanched, and he knew he’d hit his mark.
“I hadn’t considered...” She uttered the words so softly that he almost didn’t catch them. A lone tear trickled down her face.
Though he wished he could dry it himself for being the one to suggest the painful truth, Will merely pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and handed it to her.
“If you don’t help me, you may have no other choice but to marry him.”
You couldn’t fake the level of horror on Mary’s face.
“Will Lawson!” Polly’s shrill voice interrupted any chance he had of gaining Mary’s cooperation. “Whatever have you said to make my friend so upset?”
Mary glared at him with such malice, he knew he was right back at square one. She’d made it clear that she wanted as little attention drawn to her and the situation as possible, and here he’d created the kind of scene she’d probably wanted to avoid.
“I, uh...” Will looked at Mary, who shook her head.
Mary dabbed at her eye, then handed the handkerchief back to Will. “I’m not upset. Something caught in the breeze and got in my eye, that’s all.”
Polly didn’t look convinced. Moreover, the other ladies had turned their attention to the scene.
“Truly, I’m fine,” Mary said with more calm than he’d thought her capable of with the way her hand shook. “But Will here was just telling me how he knew Jasper in Denver.”
All the girls giggled, and Mary smiled at the pretty redhead next to Polly. “You should ask him about their time together. I’m sure he has all sorts of tales that would interest you.”
The girl’s face turned the shade of her hair, and Ben knew that the only way to salvage his chance with Mary would be to play along and regale the women with tales of Jasper Jackson. Only he didn’t know anything that would excite a woman beyond the fact that he was a nice enough guy who played a good game of billiards.
Still, if that was what it took to put Mary back at ease, then that was what he had to do.
“Jasper,” he called to the gentleman at the front of the wagon. “These ladies here would like to hear about our times in Denver. Any particular tale you’d like me to tell?”
His old friend glanced his way, and recognition dawned on him. “Will? How are you? Why didn’t you tell me you’d come to
