“Do you think it will be so easy for Rose to walk away? Even if she hadn’t given up her virtue, her reputation is in tatters. No honorable man would be willing to have anything to do with her.”
And then with a look that was typical Ben, he grinned. “Except buy her for a night.”
Jasper glared at him. “Not all men are bothered by such trivialities.”
“Says the man forced to marry a shrew.”
“Emma Jane is a decent and kind woman. I’m proud to call her my wife.”
“So proud that you’re spending your wedding night in this establishment.”
“To save another good woman from ruin.”
“She’s already ruined.” Ben’s tone couldn’t be mistaken. Especially as he grabbed Rose and pulled her back into his lap. “You’ve got nowhere else to go.”
Will knew this was how a lot of women got trapped into this life. Until today, he couldn’t say that he understood ministries like Pastor Lassiter’s. But seeing an innocent girl like Rose being given no options, he knew.
How many people fought for girls like Rose? How many simply turned their backs the second they left home?
He looked over at Jasper, who held his hand out to Rose. “For now. But it won’t be forever. Don’t let his lies get to you. Yes, people will talk for a time. But then some other scandal will hit town and yours will be forgotten.”
Will was glad his friend could be here to help Rose see reason.
Tears streamed down Rose’s face. “You don’t understand. I am truly ruined. No man will take me for a wife.”
But she slid off Ben’s lap and took a step in Jasper’s direction.
Jasper reached forward and wiped at the tears on Rose’s face. “A man worth having would.”
“It’s true, Rose,” Will added. “I’ve met many respectable women who once had unsavory pasts.”
As the single man in the bunch, the right thing to do would be to say that he’d be honored to have a woman like Rose for a wife. But he couldn’t hint at a promise he’d never be able to make. Marrying Will meant taking dishonor for a name, and he wouldn’t do that to anyone, not even to salvage the kind of damage Ben wrought.
He glanced over at Mary. How could he consider offering to marry someone else when he knew that she was the only one who could make him happy?
“My family will never take me back.” Despite her words, Rose took another step toward them.
Mary took her sister by the hand and led her to the rest of the group. “Why do you think we’re here? Of course we want you back. Frank is beside himself, wondering what he could have done wrong.”
As Will watched Mary put her arm around her sister, Jasper indicated the direction of the window. Will realized that several more gunmen were approaching the building.
“If we’re free to go, then why do you have so many hired guns surrounding the place?”
“I said Rose was free to go.” Ben’s eyes glittered in the moonlight. “As for you, well, I have other plans.”
“Me?” Will could easily guess what they were. Fine by him. He could take Ben before Ben’s men entered the room. As long as he could ensure the safety of Jasper, Mary and Mel. “What about the others?”
Will looked over at Jasper, who nodded slowly in the direction of the window. Sharpshooters were getting into place as though they were waiting to take a shot. Ben had no intention of letting any of them leave the place alive.
“I haven’t decided yet—I have a score to settle with Miss Mary Quite Contrary.”
Mary didn’t flinch. Instead she stared directly at him. “I’m not afraid of you.”
“No, you aren’t, are you?” Ben looked at her intently. “That’s all right. You will be.”
Will turned his attention to Rose. “This is the sort of man you fall in love with and want to marry?”
Rose blanched. “I didn’t mean what I said about hurting Mary, Ben. I was angry. She’s my sister. The fact that she came here for me and said that the family is willing to take me back... Don’t hurt her.”
“We all know Mary is a liar,” Ben said, so smoothly it would have been easy for anyone to believe him if they didn’t know any better.
And it seemed Rose did. Was she really such a fool to believe in Ben even after all the evidence to the contrary had been presented?
“We’re supposed to forgive one another’s sins, and Mary is my sister.” Rose’s voice wavered.
“I thought you said you weren’t sure you believed all that Pastor Lassiter taught you.”
Couldn’t Rose see what Ben was doing? Twisting her words to turn them into what he wanted? Was it any wonder no one believed Will when he said he was innocent? Will glanced at Mary. Now more than ever, he was convinced that there had to be a reasonable explanation behind Ben’s accusations—one that had been twisted into something that made Mary look bad.
“What are you going to do to her?” Rose looked at Mary as if she finally believed her sister might be in real danger.
“Nothing she doesn’t deserve.”
Will tried to determine Mary’s reaction, but she remained expressionless. Mel, on the other hand, looked as though the end of her fuse had been lit, and she was about to blow.
“What do you know of what Mary deserves? Despite the risk to her reputation and safety, she climbed to my window to rescue a spiteful sister who wanted to steal her beau. Rose should be grateful for such a sister.”
“Stop.” Mary glared at Mel. “I appreciate you taking up for me—but this is between my sister and me. Rose, I hope that we can work this out between us. If you truly love Ben, despite what everyone here has told you, then I’ll support your marriage. I only
