A Marriage of Inconvenience
Chapter 11 – Call My Bluff
The whole buggy situation seemed to go more smoothly this time. Caroline let Bart help her up and they were off at a quick pace. There was no small chit chat; both seemed shy with each other. The road to town was well traveled and they passed several folks returning from errands.
Bart pulled the horses up in front of the general store. "Do you need my help?" He asked, turning to face Caroline.
"That would be most pleasant." He helped her down and tied up the reins. Then he politely took her by the arm and guided her inside. She gave a short list to the store clerk and Bart tried to busy himself by looking around. What did you do in a store other than buy cigars or a new hat? He'd never had to kill time waiting for anyone before.
"Will that be all, Miss Crawford?" the clerk asked Caroline.
"Mrs. Maverick now" she corrected him. What a strange sound those few words had. Smiling like a bridegroom should, he walked over to her and shook hands with the clerk. "Mr. Maverick, I presume."
"That would be me," he offered. "Nice to meet you." He picked up several small bundles and turned around just in time to see Caroline smiling at him. A soft smile, a new bride smile, a "happy to be Mrs. Maverick" smile. No woman had ever looked at him like that. It was confusing, to say the least. He coughed slightly, just long enough to give him time to regain his composure, and turned back to Caroline. "Are you done, Mrs. Maverick?"
"Quite, Mr. Maverick."
Bart carried the bundles to the buggy and set them in back. "Shafer's office?"
"Down the street on the left. Don't be nervous, we're doing fine."
It was strange to be referred to as "we." Especially since the only one who had ever used that term was Bret. And Caroline certainly didn't sound, look or act like his brother.
They drove down the street and pulled up in front of a storefront that simply read "Thurgood Shafer, Esq." The getting down and getting inside procedure of earlier was repeated. Bart found himself in front of another new person, this time a law clerk. "Mr. and Mrs. Maverick to see Mr. Shafer, please." Caroline's tone was firm and unwavering. She has nerves of steel, Bart thought. She'd make a great poker player.
The law clerk nodded his head, said "Yes ma'am, please have a seat", and scurried off down the hall to a private office. Several minutes passed before he returned. "Mr. Shafer will be with you in just a moment, ma'am. He asked if he could see you alone first."
"Anything he wants to discuss can be said in front of my husband."
"Yes, ma'am," came the reply, and the clerk once again scurried off down the hall. When he returned he was followed by a tall, thin older gentleman with a mustache. Mr. Shafer, obviously. He reached out and took Caroline's hand in both of his. "Caroline, dear," he drawled. "So sorry for the misunderstanding. Please, won't you join me in my office?" He indicated his office with a sweeping gesture and scowled in Bart's direction. "This must be your new husband. Morrick, was it?"
"Maverick." Bart smiled as he said his name. Why was he so irritated by the lawyer's abrupt dismissal of him? He'd been called all sorts of things in the past and it had never bothered him; maybe he just didn't like the condescending way that Shafer spoke to Caroline. He extended his hand to the attorney and volunteered "So nice to meet you, Mr. Slater." Two could play that game and Bart was an old hand at dealing with disgruntled gamblers.
Caroline and Bart followed Shafer into his office and sat across the desk from him. "I assume that you have come to discuss your fathers will."
"That's correct."
"I've already begun the legal papers necessary to move things along. The only stipulation that he left was that you either be married for at least 30 days or . . . . be . . . . with . . . . .child." He drew the last words out as slowly as he could manage and seemed to delight in releasing them on Caroline.
Bart swallowed but stayed calm. It was just like five card draw when all you had was a lousy pair of deuces. "No problem. We'll see which comes first, won't we?" He smiled that disconcerting Maverick smile and took Caroline's hand in his. "If that's all for now we'll see you in 30 days."
If Thurgood Shafer was a poker player then he was a good one. "I certainly expect so," he replied and his expression never changed. They rose to leave and walked back down the hall. Neither said a word as they got in the buggy and headed for home. Finally the silence was broken. "He didn't much like me, did he?"
"It has nothing to do with you. After my father died Mr. Shafer offered to buy the ranch and pay off his debts. He thought it would be easy to convince me to sell to him since I had no prospects. I would imagine him quite upset to find me married." Caroline paused for a moment, choosing her words carefully. "I'm sorry he brought up the 'with child' part. There was no need for that. But you seemed to throw it right back at him."
"Quick witted," he chuckled. "Better than being half witted, which I have been accused of." The horses' hoofs on the dirt road were the only sound for the next few minutes. Bart thought about his earlier decision, to tell Caroline the truth of his "willingness" to play along with the marriage, and changed his mind. He was caught in the situation now, and it looked like it would be that way for a while. No sense in making Caroline any more uncomfortable than she already was. He would keep the truth of his commitment to himself.