Aftershocks
An hour after the visit out to the Morton's, the couple was sitting in the office of the sheriff with Helen getting further worked up. Arthur had spent the ride back into town trying to calm her down. There had been something scary about Rufus Morton; he was certainly not someone to cross. The man's threat of slander was all too real in Arthur's opinion, and he'd tried to point that out to his wife.
The jewelry wasn't worth it was his thought, and Arthur was pretty sure by now that Emily was a married woman. The way Rufus had used the term daughter-in-law made it sound like it was true. There was also the thought that if the son was like the father, Arthur knew that he wouldn't be able to get close to Emily at all. She was out of his reach, he saw clearly and was ready to cut his losses. Helen pointed out that they needed her, and they had to stop or annul the marriage. Arthur realized that the situation, and his wife, had spun out of his control. That thought, coupled with too many treks down hot dusty lanes, made him want to slink off to the nearest bar.
"Mrs. Wilson, I don't think you understand where I am coming from!" The sheriff declared, having listened to the woman with the shrill voice for too long. "Your allegation of Zack Morton kidnapping your niece is offset by the fact that she left letters for you, and Mrs. Nicholas Barkley indicating an elopement. In my books that is not a kidnapping!"
The sheriff, when Helen and Arthur had first come into his office had been attentive to them. However, that had all changed when he'd heard what their complaint was. Fred had met Emily at several social occasions, and had noticed her beauty as well as the fact that Zack Morton was accompanying her. The sheriff was smart enough to know that the Morton's were always on the same page, and he'd seen Rufus happily talking to the girl. After listening to Helen for ten minutes, he saw the handwriting on the wall clearly.
"She is a British citizen and an underage girl – I am her legal guardian and she needs my permission to marry!" Helen had decided that her best defense was the Union Jack, and she would exercise it with no problem. She wished there was a British consulate in town, sure that it would help her case.
"My hands are tied at this point, because it is all heresy evidence. You have written proof that your niece eloped willing with Zack Morton – ergo that means he did not kidnap her. You might not like how the marriage occurred, but I think it is a moot point." The sheriff huffed with annoyance, wanting the woman out of his office.
"Why the bloody hell does everyone think he has already married her? I have not seen a marriage certificate, which would not be valid anyway, because she is not an American." Helen was done with everyone assuming that the chit and her worthless boyfriend had found someone to actually marry them. "Please they are probably holed up somewhere, while he takes advantage of her! Trust me; I will see that he pays the piper!"
"May I point out, Mrs. Wilson, that if they were married by a man of the cloth, it doesn't matter what her nationality is." The sheriff noted, and had pleasure in seeing shock on the woman's face. "Mrs. Wilson, what exactly do you want me to do?" Fred threw up his hands as he asked the question, just wanting the woman out of his office.
"I want you to track them down, and bring them back. The boy needs to be arrested for kidnapping!" She declared vehemently, pounding the desk with her fist. Fred heaved a frustrated sigh, and tried to look at Arthur Wilson for support. None was forth coming though, and the man looked like he wanted to be somewhere else, a sentiment that the sheriff could relate to easily.
"Mrs. Wilson, I don't have the resources to track them down! Last night three trains left the railroad station, along with two stage coaches from the depot. There is also the fact that they could have ridden on horseback. And don't get me started about the waterfront!" Fred retorted with annoyance, starting to wonder about the woman's mental capacities.
"What do you mean, you can't go look for them? Go ask at the station – someone must have seen them!" Helen demanded in an angry tone, "If this was England I would be getting some support from the law." She added the insult for good measure, hating America even more than before.
"But this is not England, and I am too busy dealing with real criminals to waste my time tracking down someone who hasn't broken the law." Fred stood up; hoping the Wilson's would get the hint and leave. Helen though heard his words, and realized how she could get the lawman to do what she wanted.
"My niece is a thief, and while you might not care about the kidnapping, it sounds like you would care about theft!" Helen threw her accusations out there like a gauntlet, which caused Arthur to audibly groan. Up until now his wife's threats had only been uttered in a private setting, but the declaration to the sheriff changed everything. Fred sat back down, with a serious look on his face, trying to figure out what angle the woman was playing.
"Did your niece steal something?" The sheriff asked, thinking that the only thing that seemed to be stolen was Zack Morton's heart.
"I was in possession of some family heirlooms, and Emily took them from my bag when she ran away in Denver." Helen ignored Arthur prodding her with his elbow, trying to get her to stop talking.
"Do you have a copy of the police report, from Denver?" Fred didn't believe the allegation the English woman was saying. His suspicions were confirmed when he saw her get a very surprised look.
"Police report? What do you mean?" Helen was flummoxed by the sheriff's question, and looked at the man in puzzlement.
"When the theft occurred, you reported it to the police in Denver, right? They would have filed a report, listing the time, place, and what was stolen. Didn't they give you a copy?" He inquired, already knowing the answer.
"You must understand sheriff, we were boarding a train, and I didn't realize the items were gone until we arrived in Medicine Bow. We were in the middle of nowhere, and I had hoped to handle it as a private matter with my niece." Helen was glad that she'd always been good at thinking on her feet. The story sounded plausible, and she delivered it matter of factly.
"Mrs. Wilson, if as you state, your niece stole the items – and you want me to track them down – you must file an official complaint." Fred informed her, "However, it is against the law to file a false report, and if this turns out to be a family matter you will be fined." He wanted her to understand the implications of her quest for revenge.
"Helen, I think before we do anything we go back to the hotel and rest. Undoubtedly Emily and the fella will turn up in a couple of days, and we can discuss the matter then." Arthur had heard the warning in what the lawman was saying, and decided that he needed to stop his wife before she dragged both of them down. He'd barely missed serving time in an English prison, and had no interest in an American one.
Fred felt a glimmer of hope that he would be done with the couple. At the back of his mind he was relieved that the florid blonde man was finally doing something about his wife. It was clear that the woman wore the pants in the family, from what the sheriff could see. However, everyone knew that women could get overwrought about little things, and that was when the man should step in.
"Be quiet Arthur! I will be happy to file an official complaint, and give you a detailed description of what was stolen." Helen spat the words, visualizing the pearls around her neck while Emily scrubbed the floor in rags. She was so wrapped up in hatred and greed that she couldn't think of anything else but getting her way.
The sheriff looked over at Arthur, who seemed to have used up what little bit of will power he had, and sighed. He went to the file cabinet and brought out the form, and wrote out what Helen Wilson said. Fred could only imagine the talk this would cause, coming on top of the elopement. He didn't think it was fair for the young couple to start out under a cloud, and he didn't even want to think about Rufus Morton's reaction.
"Ma'm, I've filled out the report, and when your niece returns I will go talk to her your accusations." Fred announced when they were done, handing her the second form he'd filled out. "May I give you a piece of advice, since you're not from around here? The Morton's are a very prominent family, and Rufus is a hard man with a great deal of pride. Making these kind of allegations will not go over well, and could backfire badly."
Arthur swallowed as he heard what the sheriff was saying, and wished his wife would listen to him. The lawman's comments about Rufus Morton made Arthur remember the man behind the desk, and his trepidation then about the threat of slander. He started to wonder if maybe he should quietly leave town and head to Australia, leaving Helen to fend for herself. There had been stories of gold and riches to be found, and since it was a British colony Arthur figured there would be gin there.
"Sheriff, exactly what are you saying? That you don't believe me? That is what it sounds like to me, and the fact that you don't want to do your job!" Helen was furious that the man was questioning her, and would take the side of the wrench. Fred sighed yet again, willing to believe the old saying that hell had no fury like a woman scorned.
"What I am saying is that I would not go around town spreading your accusations. It will cause unpleasant talk and could compromise my investigation." He hoped that the last comment would make her listen, since nothing else was.
"Fine! As long as you are willing to do your job! We will be at the Cattleman's Hotel." Helen stood up and sniffed, before putting her nose in the air. The place was a dump, and the man incompetent in her opinion, but at least he would recover the jewelry. Helen herself would deal with Emily and the boyfriend. Leaving Arthur to trail in her wake, she walked out of the office and headed back to the hotel.
Once the couple was gone Fred decided to ride out to the Morton's and give Rufus a heads up. He also thought that if maybe Rufus talked to the woman, and assured her that Zack would make her niece a suitable husband, she would calm down. Fred thought it surprising that the English woman was upset about the marriage. The women in the valley, who had marriageable daughters, would not be in his office complaining if Zack had eloped with one of their girls. Disappointed not to have a wedding, but thrilled to have the girl so well married. Figuring that Helen Wilson didn't know the status of the Morton's was his explanation, so he hoped his idea for Rufus to talk to her would work.
For the next four days the only talk in the valley was of Zack and Emily's elopement. Abe Forrest drank free every day, as he told the story of driving the Wilson's around to the Barkley's, the Morton's, and the sheriff. The woman's declaration of annulling the marriage was well known by then, which caused great amounts of laughter among the men. The idea that Zack would waste any time in bedding the girl was hard to fathom, leaving no grounds for an annulment. It was said that Helen Wilson had even gone to see Judge Perkins about the matter, and had been thrown out of his office.
The mothers of marriageable age daughters were privately aggravated that yet another rich bachelor had been snagged by a foreigner. Nick Barkley's marriage to Catherine had caused much hand wringing, and now Zack was married to the woman's friend. Of course it did cause interest in JR to rise very high, but he was nowhere to be seen. In fact, none of the Morton's had been seen in town since the elopement, but everyone knew their lawyer had been out to the ranch.
There were rumors that Rufus was going to sue the Wilson's for slander, while the couple was going to sue the Barkley's for letting Emily run away, provided they found a lawyer. It was said that the disagreeable aunt had consulted almost every legal person in the valley, but no one would take her case. The Barkley's and the Morton's were just too important, and the general consensus was that the woman was slightly unbalanced.
Rufus was in fact busy at the house, and he was keeping JR busy on the ranch. The last thing he wanted was to add fuel to the talk, which is all that JR would do, wanting to brag about his role in the elopement. Rufus had warned his ranch hands not to gossip about the couple, even in the saloon unless they wanted to be fired. The men knew that Rufus meant it, and no one wanted to lose a well paying job. He did though instruct his lawyer to have Reverend Kelling file the notice of the marriage at the courthouse. It would also be announced in church, but the couple should be back by then. Rufus thought it important for everyone to know that Emily had left with Zack as his wife. He also hoped it would give the aunt fits when she heard.
Helen Wilson did get apoplectic, but it wasn't about the marriage being recorded. Rather, she woke up on the third morning to find a note from her husband. The gist, according to the hotel desk clerk, was that the man was going to Australia, in search of gold and decent gin, and that Helen was welcome to divorce him. Everyone thought the aunt was only getting what she deserved, and were on Zack and Emily's side.
They were also very interested in what Rufus Morton was going to do to her. Helen Tisdale Wilson had been vocal in her attacks on Zack and his character, and everyone was sure that the Morton patriarch was not going to let it slide. Suing for slander seemed a very tame response from Rufus, who tended towards the fire and brimstone solution.
The Barkley's were also the object of speculation, since Emily had been staying with them. None of the women were seen in town, being busy with babies. Jarrod withdrew behind his curtain of lawyer/client privilege, while Nick and Heath laughed about what Zack had done, announcing that they would buy him a drink when he returned.
The Clark's chandler shop saw an uptick in business though, because word had gotten around that Heath Barkley's wife was helping out her aunt and uncle. When Heath had told Lily that evening, when he first learned of the elopement, they had laughed about the aunt and her husband. Lily was able to keep Heath up to date with the latest gossip from town, happy for Zack.
She and Heath had reconnected magically the night of the BBQ, and things had never been so good since the honeymoon. The following morning, instead of getting up at 5:00am, he had stayed in bed with her. They had eaten breakfast together, before she left for town and he went to the ranch. The days had followed with him spending lots of time with her, giving her the attention she'd craved.
When Heath had wanted her to go riding she had finally told him that she didn't like the mare he'd purchased, and that she wanted to ride Buttercup. He hadn't said a word as he offered Nick a swap, who was delighted to get the perky little bay horse. The placid Palomino was glad to switch barns, and liked the fact that she had a rider who was content with her. Buttercup didn't want to work any harder than she needed to, and had no interest in the thrill of open pastures.
Victoria and Catherine had paid a private visit out to the Rising M, to take the lay of the land, so to speak. The older woman was concerned about what Emily's reception would be with Rufus. The man who had once been so open had become hard and combative since his wife's death. Victoria knew that anger and loneliness were the causes of his personality change. She didn't want Emily to suffer the consequences though. Catherine was along to tell Rufus all about Emily's family, and the high regard her grandfather had held General Tisdale in. Victoria knew that Rufus was a snob, even if he tried to hide it. All parties involved felt very happy after the visit, based on the information shared.
By the fifth day the entire valley was ready for the 'second act' of the drama to begin. Everyone was waiting for Zack and Emily to turn up, which would put the play in motion. Luckily, or unluckily, depending on the player, they wouldn't have long to wait.