Marblestone Mansion, Book 4 Read online

  Sweet Susie picked up the telephone, asked the operator to connect her to Mr. Whitfield and then invited him to her room.

  Claymore was dumbfounded. His hands trembled as he gently hung up the telephone, and then he buried his head in his hands. It was a setup, and a very clever one. At this time of day, half the town would see him going to the hotel room of a woman not his wife. He considered disguising himself, but that wouldn’t work. He even considered not going, but that was out of the question too. Never in his life had he felt so helpless. He picked up the satchel full of money, told Moan he would be back soon and headed out the door.

  The beads of sweat were back on Claymore’s upper lip.

  Watching Claymore come across the street was the last thing Cameron expected to see. Seeing Cameron was the last thing Claymore expected too, and he couldn’t help but heave a sigh of relief. “She wants me to go to her room,” he whispered as soon as he stepped inside and went to stand beside Cameron.

  Cameron stared at Claymore for a moment, letting the implications of that sink in. “Wait here, Hannish is out back.”

  “You intended to follow her?”

  “Aye.” Cameron hurried down the hallway, opened the back door and motioned for his brother to come in. A moment later, the three of them slipped into the hotel’s private room to talk it over.

  “She is waiting,” an anxious Claymore said.

  “She will wait, at least for a moment or two,” Hannish assured him.

  “I say simply capture her and take her to the sheriff,” Cameron suggested.

  “And have her claim to be my mistress?” Claymore asked. “I cannot have that.”

  “No one will believe her once she is arrested for blackmail,” Cameron said. “Are there not lads in Cripple Creek who can witness to your character?”

  “Indeed there are,” said Claymore, taking a deep breath finally. “I had not considered that. That is what we shall do then. We shall notify the sheriff.”

  Hannish shook his head. “Not just yet. I wish to question her first. If the duchess put her up to this, we shall have her arrested as well. For once, I would like to see my beloved first wife locked up where she cannae hurt anyone else.”

  “So would I,” Cameron muttered.

  *

  In her hotel room, Sweet Suzie was getting nervous. Five minutes had passed since she saw Mr. Whitfield walk to the hotel. Where was he? Perhaps someone stopped to talk to him, maybe he had to use the facilities, or worse, he might have had a heart attack. He was getting on in years and such a thing was not unheard of. Apprehensively, she sat in a chair next to the bed. Her bag was packed, not that there was much in it. Her scarf completely hid her hair and there was nothing more to do. She decided to wait another five minutes and then go out the back door. She could call Claymore anytime and arrange another meeting place.

  Once more, she went to the window to look for her brothers. So far, they had not shown up, but it couldn’t be long now. At last, someone knocked on the door. Cautiously, she opened it a crack, saw that it was Claymore and opened the door a little wider.

  “I hope you do not mind my bringing a couple of friends,” said Claymore, putting his foot in the door so she couldn’t close it. Behind him, Hannish forced the door open, made her step back and then both brothers entered.

  Suddenly, Sweet Suzie was staring at the two largest men she had ever seen. She watched Claymore tip his hat and then leave which made her mouth drop. “Where is he going?”

  “To get the sheriff, I imagine,” Hannish answered.

  Suzie began to wring her hands. “Please…please do not have me arrested. This was not my idea.”

  “Who’s idea was it?” Hannish asked.

  “Ethel’s…Ethel McGraw.”

  Claymore stuck his head back through the open door. “Who?” He came back in, set the satchel full of money on the bed and took a seat. “Don’t worry, my dear, I am quite able to get the sheriff in the by and by. Now, perhaps you might start at the beginning.”

  Sweet Suzie narrowed her eyes. “Ethel is stupid. She said you would come alone, that you would be scared not to, in case I had a partner.”

  Cameron watched the expression on her face change from fear, to anger, and back to fear. “You have no partners?”

  “No, I am alone.”

  “Yet, you need not go to prison alone,” said Hannish. “Tell us where to find this Ethel McGraw and we shall have her arrested too.”

  Suzie laughed. “You will have to get her out of prison before you can put her back in.”

  “She is in prison?” Cameron asked.

  “This very day, unless the walls fell in.”

  Claymore cleared his throat. “We have an acquaintance who uses many different names. Tell me, what does Ethel look like?”

  “Well, she is my same height, has a pointed nose, dark hair although some of it is turning gray, and fiery blue eyes - the kind that can bore right through you when she is mad.”

  “Have you seen her upset?” Hannish asked.

  “Twice. I decided right then, I best stay on her good side. That woman is the most dangerous woman in all of Colorado. She shot a train conductor.”

  “No,” Hannish said.

  “That’s what landed her in prison. She didn’t give the particulars until she came up with this plan to get herself free.”

  “What plan?” Cameron wanted to know.

  “I was supposed to ask for money, alright, but I was also to tell you to bribe the conductor and get him to say the shooting was an accident.”

  “I see,” said Claymore. “You never mentioned that.”

  “I am not that stupid,” Suzie said. “It would take weeks, maybe months to find that conductor, and I’ve gotta get away.”

  “Get away from whom?” Hannish asked.

  “My brothers. They force me to…” she paused to look in each of their eyes. “You know, Mr. Whitfield, you once socked a man who wouldn’t pay up.”

  “Oh, I do remember you now,” Claymore muttered. “I do not look kindly on a man who does not pay up, no matter the service. I was a bit younger then, but…”

  “Suzanna,” Hannish interrupted. “Tell us more about Ethel. What is she like?”

  “High and mighty, if you ask me. We all hate her, even after she promised to teach us how to be a lady. Are you going to have me arrested?” Suzie asked with tears beginning to form in her eyes. “I won’t do it again, I swear.”

  Claymore stared at the floor for a moment. “Why do your brothers force you?”

  “They are mean and too lazy to work. They are probably out there looking for me now.”

  “I take it you have no money,” Claymore said.

  “A little, enough to get to Texas, I hope.”

  “And then what will you do?”

  “I do not know. Find work of some kind.”

  Claymore stood up, went to the bed and opened his satchel. “If you promise never to come back, I shall give you enough to tide you over for a while.”

  Suzie tried to wipe the tears away, but they kept coming. No one had ever offered to help her before. “I do promise. I only wanted to get away from my brothers.”

  “They deserve to lose you,” Claymore soothed. “You will…”

  “I have a better idea,” Hannish interrupted. “I say she signs something swearing she never had an affair with you. After that, do what you will, Claymore.”

  “Yes, a very good idea indeed. I shall go downstairs and ask for pen and paper.” Claymore tossed the packet of bills back in the satchel and left the room.

  “Susanna, did you see any marks on Ethel, a scar perhaps?”

  “I did. She has a scar on her left arm. I think someone burned her, but she wouldn’t say what happened.”

  “I see.” Hannish turned and nodded to his brother. “It is she. At least we know where she is now.”

  “You’ll know where she is for quite some time. She was sentenced to two years for attempted murder,” said Suzie.<
br />
  *

  His was a very fine office with polished oak furniture, Tiffany lamps, carved fruitwood chairs and soft seat cushions. It was exactly the kind of room the duchess deserved to have for her surroundings and felt most comfortable in. Yet, the governor did not stand when she entered and therefore, she was well aware of the kind of reception she was about to receive.

  Instead of taking the chair facing his desk, she chose one near the door, smoothed the back of her skirt and sat. She kept her back straight; her hands folded in her lap and began. “I require my freedom and the reward money.”

  The governor slowly removed his wire-rimmed glasses and looked her over. “In exchange for?”

  “The truth,” she answered.

  He couldn’t help but chuckle. “That would be a novelty indeed.” Governor Richards was a stout man with a dark mustache that was longer on the ends than most. His hair was a dusty brown and his green eyes held a hint of mischief. “Tell miss…” He paused to glance at a paper on his desk.

  “Mrs,” she corrected him. “Mrs. Tanner, to be exact.”

  “I see. You used a fictitious name when you were arrested for…” again, he paused to look at his paper.

  “Attempted murder.”

  “Attempted murder,” he repeated. “Naturally, you are not guilty.”

  “I am guilty. I shot him and I would do it again.”

  He was beginning to like her brashness and took a moment to admire her beauty. It seemed incarceration had not robbed her of her good looks, although she was a bit too thin and needed a touch of color on her lips. In the very least, she was smart enough not to lie to him. “Where is your husband?”

  “Kansas, I suspect.”

  The duchess fervently wished it and often dreamed of it -even so, she was surprised when a woman guard woke her early that morning, took her to bathe and told her to dress in the same clothing she wore when she was brought to the prison. She was even allowed to wear her corset, her wide brimmed white hat and her very own shoes.

  With nothing but the clothes on her back, she was escorted to the train station in Canon City and put aboard. Fortunately, when her guard transferred her in Colorado Springs to the noon train to Denver, she managed to keep her hat low and as far as she could tell, she was not seen by anyone who might recognize her.

  She should not have been all that surprised, for although they were old by the time she managed to read them, newspapers reported several more train robberies and a bank robbery or two since her arrest. It was afternoon by the time she pinched her cheeks to add a bit of color, unbuttoned the top two buttons on her blouse and was let into the Governor’s office.

  “Your husband deserted you?” Governor Richards asked.

  “Not until after he stole all my money.”

  The governor appeared shocked. “He stole money from his wife?”

  “Governor Richards, I assure you what I am about to say will shock you even further, but I must first secure my release. Have we an agreement?”

  “And the reward money?”

  “Naturally.”

  “How much do you suppose that to be, Mrs. Tanner?”

  “I believe the reward offered is in the amount of $1,000.00.”

  “Perhaps you have not heard, but the reward has gone up recently.”

  “I have heard, but I can only attest to one of the robberies. A thousand dollars is fair, is it not?” She held her breath and waited for his answer.

  Now, not only had the woman gained his admiration, but her apparent lack of greed made him also respect her. “You understand that I cannot agree until I hear your evidence, and judge the information to be worthy of both your freedom and the money.”

  “I would expect nothing less.”

  It was a slight contradiction having just demanded the agreement in advance, he realized, but he let it pass. Instead, he finally set his glasses on his desk and stood up. He walked around his desk, moved a chair until it was directly across from her, sat and crossed his legs. “Perhaps you might begin at the beginning.”

  “Very well. The robbery to which I was a witness occurred west of Denver in June. There were five robbers, one of which came to my compartment with the intention of taking all I owned. Instead, he asked me to meet him four days later.”

  “I can’t say I am surprised to hear that, you are quite becoming.”

  She feigned a blush, something she was well practiced at, and continued. “I should not have, but I did meet him. He took me to dinner and I found I liked him.” She lowered her eyes and bit her bottom lip. “You must think me simpleminded, but I was all alone in the world and I was curious to see what such a dangerous man was truly like.”

  “Go on, what happened next.”

  “There is not that much to tell, really. We spent a good deal of time together and I fell in love with him.” She abruptly stood up, went to a window and kept her back to the governor. “I was completely taken in by him. He was…such a gentleman, so romantic and I simply could not help myself.” After she tightly squeezed her eyes shut to make tears, the duchess slowly turned to see the governor’s expression. He appeared to believe her, but she couldn’t be quite sure. “When Jedediah asked, I agreed to marry him.”

  “You married a train robber, knowing what he was?”

  She went back to her seat, pulled out her handkerchief and dabbed at her tears. “I do not believe it either, now that I’ve had time to consider it.” She wrapped her arms around herself and closed her eyes. “But when he held me, I lost all reason. Surely you can understand how that might happen.”

  Governor Richards stared at the floor a moment, remembering a wild encounter of his own not long ago. “I believe I can.”

  The duchess quickly glanced down to make certain her blouse was open enough. “I assure you I have paid handsomely for my foolishness. I married him, we quarreled, and he took my savings and my jewels. In only two days, he was gone.”

  “You were only married for two days?”

  “Two glorious days, or so I thought. I now suspect he meant to rob me all along.”

  “It would appear so.” The governor suddenly wrinkled his brow. “Why did you shoot the train conductor?”

  “I had to, he was…he wanted to be a bit too friendly.”

  “He accosted you?”

  “No, I wouldn’t let him. I shot him before he could, but I only wounded him. I never meant to kill him, I swear.”

  “Did you say as much in your trial?”

  “I didn’t think to. I was upset, completely without funds and terrified of going to prison. The judge charged me with attempted murder, and I tried to tell them I was a better shot than that. If I wanted him dead, he truly would be.”

  At last, the governor smiled. “I suspect that much is true.” He once more lowered his eyes and paused to think. “You suppose your husband is in Kansas?”

  “I cannot be certain, but he said he has family in Kansas City.” Her handkerchief accidentally slipped off her lap and she quickly leaned down to fetch it.

  The governor leaned down too, and just as she planned, he took a moment to admire what he could see of her bosom. At length, he composed himself, cleared his throat and gave the handkerchief back. “One last question, Mrs. Tanner, what is your husband’s first name?”

  The duchess stared at the governor for a long moment. She didn’t imagine betraying the one man she truly loved would be so difficult. At last, she reminded herself he stole her precious jewels and spit it out. “Jedediah…Jedediah Tanner.”

  *

  Claymore Whitfield was concerned when he left the Antlers Hotel. The woman he knew as Suzanna feared her brothers, and although she now had the money he gave her to make her escape, he worried that she would get caught before she managed to get to the southbound train. Therefore, he went back up to her room and knocked on the door.

  Suzanna sheepishly cracked the door an inch, saw who it was and opened it. “They are here, Mr. Whitfield. I just saw my brothers ride
into town. What shall I do? The train does not leave for another hour and I cannot go out there.”

  “Wait here; I shall fetch the MacGreagor brothers. They will protect you.” He hurried down the hall, quickly descended the stairs, rushed across the lobby and out the door just in time to shout for Cameron.

  “What is it?” Cameron asked after he walked back to the hotel.

  “Where is Hannish?”

  “He went round back to fetch his horse. He is to meet me at the office.”

  “I see. Suzanna’s brothers are here and she needs an escort to the train in an hour. Will you help?”

  “Of course.”

  “I knew you would. I shall bring her to the office and from there take her in my carriage to the train station.”

  Before Cameron could stop him, Claymore hurried back inside the hotel. Cameron shrugged and went to meet his brother.

  *

  Sweet Suzie was extremely panicky when Claymore walked her out the front door of the Antlers Hotel. She continually looked this way and that, certain she was about to be abducted. Then she saw him. Her eldest brother was the meanest of the lot and was headed down the middle of the street straight for her. Suzie gripped her traveling bag tighter and started to run. “No!” she shouted.

  An instant later, she was in Hannish’s arm. Carefully, he pried her tight grip off and then moved her behind him.

  “She is mine, give her back,” Suzie’s brother demanded.

  “A lass belongs to no lad,” Hannish said.

  “A lass?” her brother snickered. “She ain’t no lass and she ain’t no lady either. She is my sister and we come to take her home. He glanced back for just a moment, noticed her other brothers coming and grinned a disgusting grin. “Do you aim to stop us?”

  “I do,” said Hannish. ‘Twould be a good thing to leave her be.”

  “Leave her be?” he snickered again. “We won’t ever leave her be. We need her.”

  Just then, Cameron stepped out of the building and went to stand beside Hannish. “She dinna need you.”

  “Two of you? I am not afeared, I can fight as well as any man.”

  “Not as well as me,” Prescot said. When he noticed the look on Hannish’s face, he explained, “Egan let me drive the carriage to town for a change.”