The Rancher’s Bride Arrangement (Brides 0f Inspiration Book 1) Page 17

  Sophie moved toward Johanna and took gentle hold of her arm. “That isn’t true, Johanna. Not at all true.”

  Johanna felt emotion choke her. “Then why didn’t you tell me what was going on? Why didn’t Zane?”

  “I’m sure he has his reasons,” Sophie said. “As for me, I knew there was a need for brides up at the Buchanan ranch.” Sophie’s brows furrowed. “And that was about it. I just didn’t know the whole story. I’m sorry we all made you feel bad.”

  Johanna sighed and shook her head. “I can take it,” she said. “I’ve had worse than this happen to me.”

  “Did Zane apologize?” Sophie asked.

  “He didn’t get a chance.”

  Sophie frowned. “What are you talking about?”

  “I left before he could say anything else.”

  “You walked out on him?” Sophie asked, her face incredulous.

  “Not exactly,” Johanna replied. “I told him I need some time to think this over.”

  Sophie nodded. “That’s probably wise. Still, if you had been a regular mail order bride, you might not have gotten the chance to think things over before marrying Zane.”

  Johanna’s eyes widened. “Sophie. I told you I haven’t made up my mind about that. Not yet, anyway.”

  Sophie sighed and placed a hand on Johanna’s shoulder. “You need some rest. It’s been a hard day for you. And, don’t you worry. I’m going to talk to Nathan about Brett Calhoun.”

  “Please don’t,” Johanna pleaded. “It’ll just make things worse.”

  “We can’t have the likes of Calhoun treating you like that,” Sophie replied. “Besides, if you’re going to be a part of our community here in Inspiration, he’s got to understand he won’t get away by causing mischief.”

  “I think the likes of him like to stir up more than mischief,” Johanna said.

  “Nevertheless, I think Brett Calhoun needs a quiet word from my husband,” Sophie said with a frown.

  “I can’t stop the sheriff doing his job,” Johanna admitted.

  Johanna glanced up the stairs. “I think I’ll go to my room,” she said. “Have a nap.”

  Sophie smiled. “You do that. And when you come down, there’ll be a nice, home-cooked pie waiting for you.”

  Johanna grinned. “That sounds wonderful, Sophie,” she said. “I’m sorry if I’ve caused you any trouble.”

  Sophie’s eyes widened. “You cause trouble? What gave you that idea?”

  Johanna shrugged. “I don’t know. Coming all the way out here has proven to be harder than I thought.”

  Sophie rubbed Johanna’s shoulder reassuringly. “I think you’re more than capable of taking anything this place can throw at you,” she said.

  “You think so?” Johanna asked. She felt her eyes beginning to moisten slightly. She knew she shouldn’t be surprised at Sophie’s kindness and support. Johanna felt touched by the genuine concern Sophie had for her. In fact, since she’d arrived, the kindly woman had been nothing but completely generous to her. For a moment, Johanna felt as if she was simply being ungrateful.

  “Go on upstairs,” Sophie said. “Rest a while.”

  And Johanna knew she was right. She smiled at Sophie and made her way up to her room.

  Flopping down on the bed, Johanna felt the tiredness in her body and, most of all, in her mind. Her thoughts were racing with impressions of when she’d confronted Zane. What he’d said to her had shocked her at first. The idea that he and his brothers would have to marry with such haste seemed so strange in this day and age.

  But, then again, people married quickly all the time, she told herself. She could understand why Zane had been reluctant to be open with Johanna about exactly why the marriage had to take place. Being the eldest brother, he had probably assumed the responsibility. Maybe in order to set an example to his younger brothers. She wondered how Micah, Gideon and Reese felt about having to take wives in haste. Johanna was sure at least one or two of them had reservations about going ahead with the plan.

  But, there was so much at stake for the family. Johanna understood what it meant to lose land. To lose a livelihood. If Calhoun succeeded in taking some of the Buchanan land, maybe he wouldn’t stop there. Perhaps he’d try and take the whole spread, pushing out the family entirely. Nathan had told Johanna that Calhoun might have cheated some local folks out of land when the railroad had come to town. But nothing had been proved.

  Calhoun was a wily fox. Maybe that just called for everyone to be equally clever, if they were to succeed a keeping him and his schemes at bay.

  Johanna sighed and turned over onto her side. She felt sleep clutching at her as her tired eyes gazed out of the window. The late afternoon light was soft outside. For now, Johanna was glad of the respite. It had been a terrible day. She desperately needed to give herself a chance to consider what she should do next.

  As her eyes closed and sleep started to claim her, a thought flickered into her mind. It was simple, really. It boiled down to a simple choice.

  Should she stay and marry Zane Buchanan, or should she go back to an uncertain future back East?

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  Next morning, after breakfast, Sophie went out to buy some supplies. Johanna was up in her room, when she glanced out the window and saw a man coming toward the house. She didn’t recognize him. As far as she was concerned he could have been anyone from town, or even from the ranch.

  For a moment, she wondered what she should do. Determined not to allow what had happened the day before to weaken her resolve, she decided to go downstairs and greet the man.

  However, by the time she reached the bottom of the stairs and opened the front door, there was no sign of the man. Instead, she found a folded note lying on the porch. She stooped and picked it up, opened it and read its contents.

  Dear Miss Henderson,

  I would be most obliged if you could come to the bank this morning to discuss a matter of some delicacy which concerns yourself.

  Yours sincerely

  Lucius Barnes

  Johanna stared at the note. It had been written in a careful, tidy freehand. She asked herself why the owner of the bank would possibly want with her. Maybe there was some financial transaction she had to deal with. Perhaps money had been wired to her by her aunt. She’d informed her aunt about where she was going. Maybe her aunt had had a change of heart and decided to send aid to Johanna.

  She thought a while longer, and then decided she should go to the bank and find out exactly what was going on. Johanna readied herself quickly, putting on a plain, grey gown and bonnet. As she dressed, she thought about the events of the day before. Having slept on things, she was still no nearer a decision. Doubt hovered at the back of her mind. It wasn’t that she had been lied to. She knew she hadn’t. But, the fact that people had not been plain with her still gave her cause for concern.

  As she fixed her bonnet on her head, she looked at herself in the mirror and chided herself for not trusting. And especially at not forgiving, as she knew she must.

  Somewhat to her surprise, when she thought about Zane, she felt the stirrings of a moderate affection. Barely a week ago that would have seemed inconceivable. And now she was almost in a situation where she was missing his good humor, his handsome looks, not to mention the soft glances he’d been putting her way during the last couple of days.

  She left the house and made her way to the Main Street and found the bank office. Inside, the teller showed her to a backroom office and knocked on the door.

  And imperious voice called from inside. “Enter!”

  The teller nervously opened the door and held it wide for Johanna to enter. Behind a wide desk, upon which were piled numerous papers, sat Lucius Barnes. He stood and smiled at Johanna. He was a short, plump, balding man dressed modestly in a dark suit.

  “Miss Henderson,” Barnes exclaimed. “Please come in.”

  Barnes waved a hand at the teller who quickly closed the door.

  “I take it
you received my note,” Barnes said.

  “I did. I have to admit, it made me curious.”

  “As it should, Miss Henderson,” Barnes replied. “Please take a seat.”

  He held a chair for her as she sat down. For a moment, she felt a chill up her spine as the man leaned closer to her. There was a scent of tobacco and alcohol on the man’s breath. She ignored that, forcing her attention on to the reason for her visit.

  Barnes took his seat and leaned his elbows on the desk, clasping his hands. His eyes were bright. She did not know this man, but she presumed that anyone in charge of the town’s bank could not be all bad. It was her habit to give people the benefit of the doubt, until she knew for sure that they could not be trusted.

  “What is the matter about which you wished to see me, Mr Barnes?” she asked.

  Barnes slid a large envelope across the desk, pushing it toward Johanna.

  “It is about this, Miss Henderson,” he said.

  She stared at the envelope. It looked as if it contained a thick wad of papers. “What is it?” she asked.

  “It is for you,” he replied.

  “Me?”

  Barnes nodded. “Open it and see.”

  Johanna hesitated. She squinted at Barnes. “What’s in it?”

  “A consideration.”

  Johanna didn’t like how the man had said that word. An uneasy sensation twisted in her stomach. She narrowed her eyes. “What kind of consideration? And who is it from?”

  “Zane Buchanan,” Barnes said in flat, even voice. He leaned back in his chair and sighed. “It seems Mr Buchanan felt the need to offer some kind of compensation for all the trouble you’ve gone through on his behalf.”

  “What!” Johanna scoffed. She glanced at the envelope. “Are you saying that Zane has instructed you to give me money?”

  Barnes nodded slowly. He propped his elbows on the edges of his seat and steepled his fingers together. “An act of generosity, in my opinion.”

  Johanna gasped. “Generosity for what?”

  “I think he understands the great inconvenience you’ve been put to,” Barnes said. His voice was thick and drawled slightly.

  Barnes leaned forward and lifted the envelope, holding it out toward Johanna. “Open it, Miss Henderson,” he said. “I think you might be pleasantly surprised.”

  Johanna widened her eyes at Barnes. “Shocked would be a more appropriate word, sir,” she snapped.

  Barnes frowned and sighed heavily. He ran his thumb along the edge of the envelope and flipped it open. He held it out and she saw the contents.

  Money.

  Johanna’s mouth opened in absolute shock. Could this be true? She was being paid off for her trouble? Was she being offered a reward to take herself away from Inspiration? Surely that couldn’t be true, she told herself as she stared at the thick wad a bills which had been stuffed into the envelope.

  Barnes’ gaze was fixed upon Johanna, as if he was trying to assess her reaction. She saw him frown. Had he just expected her to smile and take the money? What did he take her for?

  “I think this is a very generous offer,” Barnes announced.

  “You say Mr Buchanan gave you this instruction,” Johanna said.

  Barnes nodded.

  “For what purpose?” Johanna asked.

  “Isn’t it obvious?” Barnes said.

  “No, sir. It is not,” Johanna declared sharply.

  Barnes looked at her steadily. “To leave, Miss Henderson,” Barnes said.

  In spite of herself, the words triggered a painful sensation in Johanna. She desperately didn’t want to believe this. It couldn’t be true. And even if it was, why would Zane do it like this? Maybe he didn’t want to see her. Maybe he couldn’t face her after the way she’d confronted him up at the ranch.

  Johanna leaned back on her chair and swallowed. Emotion surged through her as she stared at the envelope. This couldn’t be happening, she told herself. Zane would never have done this to her.

  But a part of her said that maybe she wasn’t wanted here, after all. That perhaps she had been fooling herself. That this whole enterprise had been doomed to failure from the start.

  Barnes was still looking at Johanna.

  Waiting.

  “I don’t believe you,” Johanna said acidly. “I cannot believe that Zane Buchanan would do such a thing.”

  As if he’d been expecting her to say that, Barnes reached to one side of the desk and lifted a sheet of paper. “Here is his instruction to me.”

  Barnes handed her the sheet of paper. Johanna gazed at it through moistening eyes. It was a note, written in an easy scrawl that instructed Barnes to do what he’d just done. But it was the final line of the letter which really cut into Johanna.

  “Please ensure that the lady concerned agrees to leave Inspiration on the Friday train as a condition of accepting the money. Yours, Zane Buchanan.”

  Johanna’s throat tightened. The hand that held the sheet of paper began to shake uncontrollably. She threw the paper down onto the desk, determined that Barnes would not see her reaction.

  For a moment, she could hardly breath. This couldn’t be happening. She stared at Barnes. The corner of the man’s mouth had creased into the barest hint of a smile. He looked pleased, she told herself.

  Immediately, she felt indignation seize hold of her. “I will not accept this,” she stated.

  Barnes tilted his head. “You want more money?” he asked. Why did he not seem surprised at that? Was he so used to dealing with corrupt people that it was commonplace for such a demand to be made. Johanna wasn’t bargaining. Quite the contrary.

  She stood and glared down at Barnes. He stood and faced her. “I understand this may have come as a shock to you. Perhaps, even a disappointment.”

  Johanna shook her head. “I am not disappointed Mr Barnes,” she said. She lifted her chin. “I am offended!”

  Barnes’ mouth dropped open. For a few moments, Barnes seemed speechless. Then he composed himself. “You perhaps need some time to consider this,” he suggested.

  Johanna shook her head emphatically. “I need no time, Mr Barnes. There is nothing to think about. I have made my decision.” She glared down at the envelope which Barnes still held in his hand. “The money will remain here.”

  “And you?” Barnes asked. “Will you remain in Inspiration? I must have an answer.”

  Johanna peered at Barnes. Her jaw tightened, and for a moment she considered telling him exactly what she thought of him. He was an odious, hateful man, she told herself. But she refused to stoop to his level. All she wanted to do was get out of this office with her head held high and her dignity intact.

  With one final shake of her head, Johanna spun on her heels and threw open the door. From behind her she heard Barnes blurt out something, but she paid it no heed. Johanna strode out the bank, ignoring the wide-eyed look on the face of the teller.

  And with a final flourish she slammed the door of the bank shut firmly behind her.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  It was Friday and Zane didn’t know what to do. Just like always when he felt bad, Zane had thrown himself into honest, hard work in order to distract himself, and to stop himself from going crazy thinking about Johanna.