The Widowed Bride

At the entrance to the hotel Ruby paused to brush a speck of dust off her dove-gray jacket. Anxious to make a proper impression, she’d dressed in a plain traveling suit and high-collared white blouse. Hollis would have called her ensemble schoolmarmish, but his opinion no longer mattered. When Ruby had packed for the move to Colorado, she’d sold her expensive pieces of jewelry and left behind most of the silken gowns her husband had favored, along with the opera-length gloves, the satin slippers and the dyed ostrich plumes that had decorated her hair. She was a different person now—businesswoman, mother and citizen of a conservative town. She was determined to look the part.

Twilight was settling over the valley. Along Main Street, shopkeepers were closing up for the day. Buggies, wagons and Model T Fords rolled their way homeward, deepening the ruts on the narrow dirt roads. The dimly lit saloon was open for billiards and card games, but business had trailed off since the recent prohibition of liquor. Clandestine spots set up in barns and backwoods cabins, where illegal whiskey flowed freely, were stealing the serious clientele.

Squaring her chin, Ruby opened the door and strode into the brightly lit hotel lobby. She’d insisted on joining the two men here. This was a business meeting, not a date, and she had no wish to create the wrong impression.

The dining room was to the left of the lobby. Ruby stood in the entry, scanning the half-filled tables. The mayor had told her that he and his son would be here by six-fifteen, but there was no sign of them. Maybe people were less concerned about punctuality in small towns. But she did feel awkward, waiting here alone.

She glanced around hoping to see Ethan. After Sam’s departure, he’d put in a hard afternoon cleaning out the upstairs rooms, making some needed repairs on the plumbing and reaming out the chimneys for the stove and fireplace. After that he’d excused himself to go back to the hotel. One would think the man would be hungry. But for whatever reason, he wasn’t here. In his absence, Ruby felt strangely vulnerable.

Her knees weakened as the memory swept over her—Ethan’s lips brushing hers, the clean, masculine aroma of his skin, the hardness of his arousal pressing her hip. The sweet terror of it…

“Mrs. Rumford?” The low voice startled her. She turned to see a pimply-faced waiter in a white shirt and black vest.

“Yes, I’m Mrs. Rumford,” she said. “I was looking for Mayor Wilton.”

“He’s expecting you. Right this way.”

The young man ushered her down a paneled hallway, past two closed doors. The third door stood ajar. After a discreet knock, the waiter spoke. “Here’s the lady, Your Honor. We’ll be bringing dinner now.”

Ruby’s senses prickled as she stepped across the threshold. The candlelit room was small and windowless. In a garish attempt at elegance, the walls had been covered in red satin brocade. A gold velvet chaise occupied one side of the room. A circular dining table with a white cloth took up the rest of the space. There were two place settings and two chairs. In one of the chairs sat His Honor Mayor Thaddeus Wilton.

“My dear Mrs. Rumford. How delightful to have your company this evening.” He rose from his place, his manner so unctuous that Ruby feared he was going to bow and kiss her hand.

She glanced uneasily around the room. “I thought your son would be joining us,” she said.

“Oh, Harper had some urgent business come up. He asked me to extend his apologies. Please have a seat. As the owner of this hotel, I took the liberty of ordering for you. The roast beef is excellent here.”

He stood while the waiter pulled out Ruby’s chair. Ruby remained on her feet. “I’d prefer to eat in the dining room,” she said.

“I quite understand, my dear.” His thumb stroked a link of his gold watch chain, its motion slow and sensuous. “But most of the tables have already been reserved. Besides, with so much chatter in there, you can barely hear yourself think, let alone carry on a proper conversation. Please sit down. As a respectable widower and trusted public official, I can promise your reputation will be quite safe.”

Ruby hesitated, then lowered herself to the edge of the chair. What alternative did she have—walk out on an influential man who could help her make friends, insulting him in the process? That would hardly be wise. Besides, she hadn’t eaten since breakfast. She was ravenously hungry, and while the aromas wafting down the hall from the kitchen didn’t quite seem to live up to the mayor’s extravagant praise, they still triggered a growl in her stomach.

What harm could come to her here? If the mayor made an improper move, all she had to do was get up and leave. Ruby forced a smile as she settled back into her chair. She could handle this, she told herself. Still, she couldn’t shake the idea that this meeting was some kind of high-stakes game. And Thaddeus Wilton was holding the trump cards.

Ethan returned to the boardinghouse at dusk, taking the backstreets and cutting through a weeded lot. Moving aside two loose boards, he slipped through the fence and into the backyard.

Tonight he was armed with his .38 Smith & Wesson revolver, and his U.S. marshals badge was pinned to his vest. He didn’t plan to arrest anyone if he could help it. It was too soon for that. But in case all hell broke loose, he wanted the authority of his office made plain.

Pausing next to the six-foot fence, he scanned the yard for a hiding place. He’d considered watching from the safety and relative comfort of an upstairs room. But Ruby could easily discover him there; and a view from above wouldn’t allow him to see faces, hear what was being said or, if necessary, trail after suspects when they left. For that he would need to be as close as possible.

The moon was a thin silver edge above the peaks. Fully risen, it would flood the yard with light. Only the deepest shadow would be enough to hide him.

In the far corner of the yard stood a dilapidated garden shed. Its door had rotted away, leaving the front open beneath the sagging roof. But the narrow space between the fence and the rear of the structure would be buried in shadow. Overgrown with brambles, it wouldn’t be a comfortable hiding place, but it would have to do.

The twilight was deepening into darkness. Knowing he might be there for hours, Ethan eased himself between the shed and the fence, kicked aside the prickly stems and settled in to wait.

“So, how was your dinner, my dear?”

“Fine, thank you,” Ruby answered. In truth, the roast beef had been overdone, the mashed potatoes lumpy and the piecrust like sodden leather. But since she’d been so tense she could barely swallow, the quality of the food had made little difference.

For most of the meal the conversation had been light and trivial—happenings in the town, people, businesses and her own plans for the boardinghouse. But she’d sensed that Thaddeus Wilton was biding his time, waiting to spring some unknown trap when she least expected it. That subtle awareness had kept her on edge throughout the meal.

The mayor had told her a little about the history of the house and implied that if she wished to sell it, he might be willing to make her an offer. “It’s a big responsibility for a woman alone, especially a gently reared lady like yourself,” he’d said, patting the back of her hand.

“You misjudge me,” she’d replied, stiffening at his touch. “I’m quite capable of doing whatever I put my mind to.”

“So I gather,” he’d murmured, withdrawing his hand and reaching for another dinner roll. “You’re a very remarkable woman, Ruby—I may call you Ruby, mayn’t I?”

“Yes, of course.” Ruby had forced herself to take another bite of roast beef. All she’d wanted was for this interminable evening to be over.

Now the meal was at an end. The waiter cleared away their plates and brought coffee. Ruby sipped delicately, aware that too much of it would keep her awake. The mayor leaned back in his chair, studying her over the rim of his cup. His bushy black eyebrows looked as if they’d been dyed to match his toupee.

“Yes,” he murmured. “As I said earlier, you’re a quite a remarkable woman, Ruby. I didn’t know how remarkable until I telephoned some contacts of mine this afternoon.” His eyes narrowed, sending a chill of apprehension through her body. “When you say you can do whatever you put your mind to, I believe you. A woman who can murder her rich husband and get away with it is capable of anything.”

Ruby’s shaking hand sloshed her coffee, scalding her fingers and staining the white tablecloth. Sooner or later, she knew, her secret was bound to come out. But to have it revealed now, and in such lurid fashion, would be disastrous. She needed time to build a good reputation. Her girls needed time to make friends. She couldn’t allow this conniving weasel of a man to ruin their chances. Willing herself to be calm, she set the cup onto its saucer and met Wilton’s leering eyes. “I shot my late husband in self-defense,” she said in a cold voice. “The jury acquitted me of all charges.”

“Of course they did. What jury could convict a woman who looks like you? But don’t worry, my dear. Your little secret is safe with me.”

Ruby battled the urge to fling the hot coffee in his face. “What is it you want?” she demanded, keeping her voice low.

“What do I want?” He feigned a hurt expression. “Why, nothing, except your trust and friendship, Ruby. I understand that you wouldn’t want the story getting out—you know how gossip can spread in a small town. And people here can be so judgmental, especially the women. Why, they’d turn their backs on you, every last one of them! As for your children…”

“Stop it!” She rose, her body quivering. “I did what I had to. In the eyes of the law, I’ve been judged innocent.”

“As you doubtless are.” The mayor remained seated, blotting his mouth with his napkin. His eyes gleamed with victory. “As I told you, Ruby, as long as we understand each other, you’ve nothing to worry about. Now, why don’t you sit down and finish your coffee. Then I’ll walk you through the dining room and introduce you to some influential friends of mine.”

Ruby clasped the back of her chair, her stomach roiling. “Please forgive me, I’m not feeling well,” she murmured. “I think the best thing would be for me to just leave.”

“Of course.” The mayor rose. “Please allow me to walk you home, my dear.”

She shook her head. “I’m not much for company when I’m feeling unwell. I’d prefer to walk home by myself.”

“Alone? But will you be all right?”

“I’ll be fine. It’s only a few blocks.” Ruby edged toward the door.

“And you’ll allow me to call on you tomorrow?”

“Of course. Whenever you like.” Anything to end this wretched evening and get away, she thought.

“Very well, if you insist. At least let me escort you outside.” He came around the table and took her elbow. Ruby willed herself not to recoil as he guided her through the hallway and across the lobby. This vain, obsequious little man had the power to cast a shadow over her future and the future of her daughters. She had no doubt he planned to put that power to use.

On the porch outside the hotel, he clasped her hand. She cringed inwardly as he raised her fingers to his lips. “Until tomorrow, then, my dear Ruby,” he murmured. “Something tells me this evening will be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.”