Page 4 of Bride in Blue
Shelockedher legs to hold herself up. Mr. Weston was a widow. It was said he had a son, but no one heard about the younger Weston after his mother’s death. It was as if he disappeared as well.
Rumors, Cassie thought.They were just rumors.
“I’ll give you twenty-four hours to think about it and come up with the correct answer.” He walked over and took Cassandra’s hand, placing a sloppy kiss on the back of it. “I know I can make you happy, my dear. And you’ll be saving your father and brother from any further embarrassment.”
Cassie pulled her hand away and curled it up to her chest. “I would never marry you.”
“You might want to rethink that, Cassandra, dear. Your brother and father wouldn’t make it in prison.”
“My brother has done nothing. Neither has my father.”
“So, you keep saying. Several pairs of new pants disappeared. They haven’t been located yet, but I will find them.” He looked at his watch. “I have other families to see tonight.” He walked back to the door.
When the door shut, Cassie turned to her father and brother. “Care to tell me what is going on?”
Her father opened his mouth as if to speak, but Charles interrupted him. “I am pretty sure that it was one of the other lads framing Pa.”
“How can you be sure?” Charles thinned his lips. “What is it, Charles?”
“Because I got involved in some underhanded business in the factory.”
“Does that explain the pants you had in your bag?”
Charles looked ashamed. “I needed to give them to someone.” Charles stole a glance at their father. It was so slight, Cassie almost missed it.
“Did you know about this?” Cassie asked her father. He didn’t look at her. Instead, he chose to stare out the small window. “You did, didn’t you?”
Her father looked back at her. “I told you and Weston I didn’t steal a thing from him.”
“Then why does he think you did?” She turned back to Charles, since her father wasn’t providing an answer.
“Because I wanted out. Framing Pa is a message for me. But I’m in danger because they will come after me. You can’t say a thing to anyone, Cassie. Got me?”
“What are you going to do, Charles?”
“I’m going to fix this. But in the meantime, we need to get you and Pa as far away from here as possible.”
“You mean run away?”
“Do you want to get married to Weston?” Charles was rearranging things in his bag. Cassie shook her head. “Pretend everything is normal when you go to the factory tomorrow to turn in your sewing. I’ll get you on a train tomorrow night.”
“Where to?”
“West. Somewhere West.”
Cassie nodded and looked once more at her father. She almost felt sorry for him in that moment.Almost. “I better get packing then.”
Cassie went to take the basket of sewing back to her room. It was knocked over and the jackets were sitting in the dust on the floor. Cassie wanted to cry. She knew she’d be penalized for the dirt on the fabric.
She tried to brush the dust off, but it held fast. becoming a stain on the dark fabric. She wondered if this incident with her father and brother would become a stain on her as well?
Chapter 2
Creede, Colorado
Maximillian Blue didn’t hurry anywhere, but this morning was the exception.
Normally, Max was slow and deliberate in his movements. Each step, each placement of his foot had a purpose. To line up in a pattern for getting him from point A to point B.
