“Now you’ll have to pity yourself.”
Finally, a grin tugged at the side of Jasper’s mouth. “You’re telling me. I plan on staying as far away from the in-laws as possible. Which means...”
Will knew that gleam in his friend’s eye. It had gotten Will into a number of scrapes when they were in Denver, and it had popped up lately when they spoke of Ben.
“I can’t have a married man endanger himself by chasing down a gang that’s not afraid to shoot to kill. I was fortunate to survive.”
The grin faded from Jasper’s face. Finally the other man saw some sense.
“Even if the man Mary’s sister ran off with is Ben Perry?”
It was like being gut-shot all over again.
Of course the savvy Jasper had put two and two together as Mrs. Logan had gleefully shared Mary’s family shame. Ben would do anything to get what he wanted, even if it meant taking advantage of a good woman like Mary. And if Mary wasn’t available, her sister.
Will had done it again. He’d allowed his focus on a woman to get in the way of pursuing a case.
Worse, another innocent woman’s life was ruined because Will hadn’t found a way to put Ben behind bars.
“How bad is it?” Will finally asked, ignoring the tightness in his chest.
“Mr. Logan said that Rose ran off with Ben and they’re living in sin above The Pink Petticoat. Pastor Lassiter tried to get her to come home, but Rose says she’s in love, and she and Ben are going to get married.”
At least they weren’t married yet. The very worst thing for Rose would be marrying the scoundrel. Sure, her reputation would suffer for her mistake in allowing herself to be taken in by Ben, but it would be far better than being chained to him for the rest of her life.
Hopefully, he could convince both the good pastor and the aspiring bride of the fact. Not to mention the bride’s sister.
Mary had been willing to risk her own life to marry Ben to protect her family, but would she force an innocent girl down that path?
No. Mary had seemed horrified at the idea of Emma Jane being forced to marry Jasper. And she’d seemed horrified at the idea of a future with Ben.
Maybe now, Mary would be willing to help him.
He just wouldn’t allow himself to get caught up in feelings for her. She wouldn’t distract him from his primary purpose—taking down Ben Perry.
They’d save her sister, find a way to get Ben in jail, and then Will would walk away. No attachments, no hard feelings. Ben Perry had ruined the last life he was going to ruin.
Chapter Fourteen
The wagon jostled along the still-muddy ruts of the road, preventing Mary from any coherent thought.
Why had Mary been so selfish as to think that she could have some time away from home? Why had she forsaken her family for a friend? She’d been utterly useless in helping Emma Jane out of her situation, but perhaps if she’d only gone home with Polly, this crisis would have been averted.
“It’s going to be okay,” Will said softly as he scooted next to her. “I’m going to do my best to get your sister safely home. Jasper has promised to help.”
Mary didn’t look at him. “There’s not much you can do if she’s already ruined. I should have been there.”
“And done what? If Ben’s as determined to get at your family’s fortune as he seems to be, you’d be ruined in her place.”
This time, she stared at him. “Which would have been my due, for introducing that serpent into my family’s bosom. I made poor judgment in associating with Ben, and for all of my mistakes in dealing with him. Rose is innocent.”
But as she protested Rose’s innocence, she couldn’t help but remember the sting of Rose’s hand across her cheek. Though it certainly was Mary’s due, such actions were completely unbecoming of the kind of women they were brought up to be.
“Rose is capable of making her own decisions.” Will’s jaw set firm as he stared at her.
A thought Mary had also had. The other, more sinister, reason lurked in the shadows of her mind. “What if she’s not with Ben of her own accord?”
Her question silenced Will, as though he’d also thought of that possibility. Everyone, it seemed, knew what a bad man Ben Perry was. So how was it that she could have been so easily duped by him in the first place?
“The account Jasper heard would indicate she was with him willingly. But I suppose we won’t know for sure until we are there and learn the truth for ourselves.”
Truth was miles away, leaving Mary too much time to consider and think the worst.
“I know you don’t like me asking, but maybe it’s time you told me the full details of your involvement with Ben. There might be something in your story that can help your sister.”
Though Will’s voice was gentle, it threatened to rip out her very soul. Yes, she’d planned on coming clean to Frank and asking for his guidance. But that was before her sister had run away with Ben. What had Ben told Rose? What was Ben using to hold her? And what could Mary say that would gain her sister’s freedom?
Things she didn’t know until she understood Rose’s situation for herself.
“There isn’t anything to tell. I met him in Ohio. We had a secret romance. I thought he loved me. He asked me to run away with him, but I wasn’t able to abandon my family obligations.”
All true. The barest of facts. Scarcely scraping the surface of how deeply Mary had almost betrayed her family for love. Not almost. Had. Her family would be better off now had Mary only done the deed and run off with Ben.
“Why the scathing letter? Why the refusal to pick up where you left off when
