“I don’t care about my reputation. Perhaps if you’re the one to ruin it, then Ben won’t have any reason to continue his pursuit of me.”
“You want me to ruin you?” His words were meant to shock her into reason. The look on her face told him he’d succeeded.
“I can’t just sit around dithering while Emma Jane is missing.”
She barely knew the girl, and yet, Mary was staking her honor on making sure Emma Jane was safe. Unquestioning loyalty. Was that what kept her from revealing the truth about Ben? Would that Ben were so loyal. His loyalty was only in advancing himself, without care to who he ruined in the process.
He needed to be careful. Gaining her trust was one thing. Getting attached was another.
“You won’t be dithering. You’ll be sleeping with the others, getting rest so that you can be of use to us in the morning.”
Mary appeared to consider his words. After all, they were of the kind of logic she was sure to appreciate. Her desire to be useful was something he admired about her. Surely he could find qualities to admire without sinking in too deep.
“I won’t be able to sleep a wink. I’ll be too worried about Emma Jane.”
Compassion. One more good quality that defined Mary. Had he ever noticed that in Daisy? He could hardly remember for the betrayal he’d suffered. He caught himself before he was steeped in memory. Perhaps he needed to not focus on Mary’s finer qualities, but on the qualities he found not so attractive. Like her connection to Ben Perry.
“You’re not equipped for a search in the dark. Sleep or not, you need to go back inside with the others.”
Mary squared her shoulders. “I don’t think you understand me clearly. I categorically refuse to go back inside until Emma Jane is found.”
Stubbornness. Now, that was a quality he could find to be lacking in her character. Only it didn’t bring him closer to solving the problem at hand.
“I can’t put you in danger.”
“If you go without me, I’ll go on my own once you leave.”
Not just stubborn, but downright mule-headed. Worse than mule-headed. Mary Stone was completely daft in her refusal to see sense in this matter.
The look on Mary’s face said that she’d brook no refusal. And maybe letting her search with him was an opportunity to talk to her and get her to open up to him about Ben without giving her the excuses to run off. But he needed to be mindful of her reputation—especially given the biddies in the barn who were already stirring up way too much talk for his comfort.
“If we can get Mrs. Haggerty or another lady to come with us, then fine. But I’m not risking your safety or your reputation to rescue a woman who didn’t have the sense to stay close in the first place.”
His answer appeared to mollify her, and his only hope in succeeding lay in procuring someone to chaperone them and save Mary’s reputation—and his heart.
Chapter Ten
Mary ate the breakfast Mrs. Haggerty provided as quickly as she could, trying to ignore Will’s smug eyes on her. Not only had Mrs. Haggerty refused to chaperone her in the search for Emma Jane last night, but Mr. Haggerty had joined in the discussion and insisted they wait until morning for the search. While they were wasting time eating breakfast, Emma Jane could already be dead—or dying.
None of the other girls seemed to care that Emma Jane was missing. Most of them seemed more put out that Jasper was also gone, and in the minds of a bunch of busybodies who didn’t have any facts, they were all certain Emma Jane had somehow absconded with the catch of the century.
Mary forced herself to take another bite, making exaggerated motions to show that she’d slowed down her pace. “I don’t care what the others say. I’m certain something terrible must have happened to Emma Jane.”
Will’s face darkened into an unreadable expression. “Saying it more often isn’t going to make a difference. We’ll find her. But we’ve got to do it right, or else we risk others being harmed in the process.”
Mary nodded slowly, his words clunking together in her brain. When had she become a ninny, wringing her hands and dithering about when it did no good? She’d done everything she could to get the rescue party moving, yet none of her efforts had done any good.
“I’m sorry. I feel so helpless right now, and Emma Jane must be cold and afraid. I can’t imagine how horrible it must have been, spending the night alone. If she survived...”
She was doing it again. “I should help Mrs. Haggerty clean up.” The first sensible thing Mary had managed to put together since they’d first discovered Emma Jane missing.
Mary walked past Flora and one of the other girls who’d been particularly nasty about Emma Jane’s disappearance.
“I’m sure Emma Jane kidnapped Jasper. Everyone knows she’s desperate to restore her family fortunes. A man like Jasper would never be interested in her.”
Mary’s skin prickled on the back of her neck. Flora had been nothing but nasty, and what did she know of Emma Jane? Certainly nothing to indicate a level of kindness or compassion. Merely mean-spirited gossip.
She turned toward the other two women, screwing a pleasant smile on her face. “We don’t know what happened to either of them. Perhaps if you joined in our efforts to find them, rather than engaging in idle gossip, we’d find them sooner.”
Flora tossed her head. “As if any of us give a whit for Emma Jane Logan. What’s she to us?”
Mary opened her mouth to defend the other girl, but Mrs. Haggerty took Mary by the arm.
“Will said you were on your way to help me. You’re so thoughtful.” Mrs. Haggerty smiled, then looked at the other girls. “I’m sure if you were lost in the mountains, you’d want your church sisters to be praying for your safe return. Perhaps that would be
