Chapter 12

Elizabeth woke up the next morning with the worst headache of her young life. Oh dear...as images from the previous evening came back to her, she didn't know which was worse, her pounding head, or the memories of her outrageous behaviour.

Then as she recalled having not seen her grandmother or Sarah since the social, Elizabeth jumped out of bed and still in her night gown, ran out of the room, down the stairs toward the kitchen.

But no one was there. From the kitchen window she could see the sun was now high in the sky. Where were they? Quickly running up the stairs, Elizabeth knocked softly on Sarah's door.

A curt, irritated "What is it?" could barely be heard.

Frowning in concern, Elizabeth said, "It's Elizabeth. I was wondering why you and Grams were not up and about yet."

After a long moment, the door opened to reveal an unusually haggard looking Sarah. Her usually perfectly arranged golden locks were in disarray around her unusually blotchy face. "I have the worst headache, Lizzie. Please leave me alone..."

"But..."

Sarah walked back to her bed, and laying back down, she pulled the covers over her head. "Do you know how humiliating it was last night when all those men left...and I can't even remember the rest of the evening..."

"Oh!" Elizabeth exclaimed. Sarah must have taken in the punch as well. It seemed her sister was in no condition to answer her questions at the moment. "Then...I'll let you have some rest."

As she closed her sister's door, she saw her grandmother walking down the hallway. She looked positively ghastly! Her face was white, and the usual frown on her face was even more marked. "Grams!"

Tucking her grey hair into her bun, Audrey snapped out, "Must you shout, Lizzie?! Mind my aching head, please!"

Elizabeth nodded apologetically. As she had thought, both her sister and grandmother had imbibed in too much punch. "Are you not feeling well?"

"No!" Audrey shouted, "You'll have to take care of the chores today with the hands. I don't know what happened last night but just be glad you left with the Spencers. Everyone was behaving quite strangely at that dance."

Left with the Spencers? "How did you know I left with them?"

"When Lucky told us his parents left early to check on Lulu, we assumed you must have gone with them...but enough with that subject. I simply must get some tea!" And Audrey headed slowly down the stairs.

Elizabeth nodded eagerly, calling out, "Yes, Grams!" So that was why no one had been searching for her! And as long as Luke and Laura never said anything, she was safe. But what if they did? No...with everything else happening, she thought it unlikely her grandmother would be discussing her with the Spencers! Quickly she returned to her room to dress for the day.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

It was late afternoon by the time Audrey and Sarah were ready to face the day, or more precisely ready to head to town to find out precisely what had happened at that dance. By this time, Elizabeth had finished the chores, and decided she had better come along in case someone mentioned anything that would arouse their suspicions about her whereabouts the previous evening. She was more than a little nervous someone who had seen her in the saloon would say something.

They arrived in town and headed directly over to the supply store. If there was news to be told or heard, it would be told or heard there. As expected, a great number of folks had congregated both outside and inside the building.

Making their way past Reverend Jones who was in conversation with his wife and Doc Collins, the three ladies stepped onto the walkway in front of the store. As Elizabeth walked through the door, she caught little snippets of conversation that she any sense to her.

"...can't believe he's gone..."

"...always thought that man was dangerous..."


"...heard the girl's his..."

As her grandmother and Sarah walked over to a group of women, someone bumped into Elizabeth and she looked up to see Miss Alexis Davis. The striking dark-haired woman had her head tilted to one side while scribbling furiously down on a pad of paper. When she noticed Elizabeth glancing shyly at her, she smiled with a gleam in her eye. "Well, it sure is the day for news around here, isn't it...Miss Webber, right?"

Elizabeth nodded, "It's just Lizzie, Miss Davis." The woman must be speaking of the dance.

Alexis tilted her head. "Then you must call me Lexie, Lizzie. You wouldn't by any chance have heard anything about all this?" As Elizabeth firmly shook her head, the woman let out a sigh of frustration. "It sure is difficult getting a story around here even with all the gossip. I can't get a straight answer out of anyone, especially that sheriff!"

As her curiosity won out over her shyness, Elizabeth asked, "Is the sheriff investigating the matter?"

Alexis's dark eyes widened. "Of course he would be investigating such a serious matter!"

"Oh dear," Elizabeth said softly, "Do you think whomever did it will get severely punished? It could be simply be some children..."

Alexis's mouth stood agape. "What?! Children? You think kids are responsible for the-"

"Murder?!" screamed both Sarah and Audrey in horror from their position near Amy Vining and Lucy Collins across the room.

Elizabeth's eyes widened, and she whispered in disbelief, "Murder?"

Staring at the girl in surprise, Alexis said, "Yes the murder of Edward Quartermaine. Was that not what we've been talking about?"

"Edward Quartermaine..." Elizabeth repeated in shock. Mr. Quartermaine had been killed? No...imurdered/i?

Alexis was about to say something when she caught sight of Ned. Excusing herself, she walked the short distance where her beau met her. "Ned? Did the sheriff let you see him?"

Ned nodded and said with a frustrated sigh. "But I didn't get much out of him. He's making it damn difficult to help him."

"Do you think he did it?"

Shaking his head, Ned said, "It's not in Jason to shoot a man in cold blood...even if it was Edward."

A small gasp rang out from behind the couple, and Alexis turned to see Elizabeth looking quite pale. Taking the girl by the hand, she asked, "Are you alright, Lizzie?"

Taking short breaths, Elizabeth asked Ned, "Do-do you mean Mr. Morgan shot his grandfather?"

Ned curiously looked over the young woman he couldn't ever remember seeing before. "You know Jason?"

Alexis explained to him, "Do you remember how I told you that story about your cousin helping out a Miss Lizzie Webber when Sorel was hassling her? Well, this is her."

So she was one of Audrey Hardy's granddaughters. Not the renown blond beauty, but the shy one. Nodding his head in acknowledgement, Ned said to Elizabeth, "Well, to answer your question, Miss Webber, no I do not mean Jason shot his grandfather. But he's been arrested for it."

"Oh heavens!" Elizabeth exclaimed as she leaned against the counter. She had found him frightening...istill/i did find him somewhat frightening...but she couldn't believe he would kill his own grandfather, even if he had reason to...Oh dear...Rebecca! He had threatened Mr. Quartermaine the other day at the fair for the return of his daughter...

Still keeping thoughtful eyes on the girl, Alexis asked Ned, "Did Jason say anything at all about what happened last night?"

Shaking his head, Ned said, "No. All he would say was he went riding. Alone."

Elizabeth, who had been trying to digest the horrifying news, finally broke out of her daze and stared up at Ned, anxiously waiting for more details.

"And no one saw him at all?" Alexis asked while scribbling a few notes.

"Apparently not."

Frowning, Alexis looked up from her writing. "Did you get anything from the sheriff? He wouldn't say a thing to me. Apparently, I may own the only paper in town, but I'm still ionly/i a woman." Alexis rolled her eyes at this last part.

Smiling slightly at her frustration, Ned shook his head, "He wasn't saying much to anyone. Only said he was getting a judge to come down so the trial can start as soon as possible. If you ask me, I think Scorpio's itching to see Jason hang."

As the good writer she was, Alexis pressed, "And he didn't say anything more about the details of the shooting?"

Elizabeth held her breath as she waited for Ned to reply. There was something about this whole thing that just didn't feel right...

"He mostly went over the same things Sonny told me when he came pounding at my door this morning. Edward was out riding his range with a number of his men and AJ. I'll have to ask AJ why they were out so late a little later. Just before midnight they arrived back to the ranch, but Edward stayed out, saying he wanted to smoke his cigar. Less than a half an hour later a shot rang out and a hand went around to the back of the house. He found Edward lying a short distance away in the fields. He was still alive and they brought him in. By the time the sheriff and his men arrived, he was dead. AJ apparently told them Edward's last coherent word was Jason's name, and when Lila was questioned she didn't deny it...But there's one further detail and it looks bad for Jason, Lexie. When they went to search his room, they found a note from Edward asking for a meeting with Jason last night. For around the time of the shooting."

By now Elizabeth was only half listening to the story...all her attention was focused on the time of Edward Quartermaine's apparent shooting. A half hour after midnight...an image of the clock in Jason's room came into her head. It had been just past twelve when they had left. It took at least half an hour to reach her farm from town...so Jason must have been with iher/i at the time..."Oh no!"

At the exclamation, Alexis and Ned ceased their conversation and stared down at the now even paler Elizabeth. "What is it, Lizzie?"

Oh what was she going to do?! If Edward Quartermaine had been shot at that time, there was no way the man could have done it because he was with her! And only she knew it...well, Carly and the others at the saloon may suspect but did they know Jason escorted her all the way home? And why hadn't Jason informed the sheriff he had been with her? Because if he had, the sheriff would've come by the farm this morning. Oh dear...she couldn't understand it...but she knew she had to tell the sheriff the truth. But what about Grams? The whole story would have to come out about her escapades at the saloon and Grams would be horrified...What iwas/i she thinking! There was a man's life at stake!

As Elizabeth's mind continued in its turmoil, Amy Vining's voice rang out. "Well...he may be a Quartermaine...but they do say he was a hired gun. It isn't too surprising he would kill someone in cold blood. Why those eyes of his seem to look right through a person...no emotion whatsoever."

Audrey's sharp disapproving voice replied, "I quite agree. And anyone staying at that sinful saloon must be questionable in character. Associating with all that riffraff, doesn't surprise me in the least he would murder his own grand-"

"But he ididn't/i!"

The small outcry caused a shocked silence to fall over the shop as every pair of eyes slowly turned to stare at the young lady in the white shirtwaist and green skirt. Elizabeth swallowed hard as she felt her face go red beneath her straw hat. For someone who hated attention drawn to her, she was receiving a great deal of it lately!

Audrey walked over to Elizabeth and hissed, "And what young lady do you mean by making such a ridiculous claim?"

As she looked down at her shoes, Elizabeth could actually feel the outrage coming from the elderly woman. Slowly, Elizabeth raised her head, and said quietly, "Mr. Morgan did not kill his grandfather, Grams."

Alexis and Ned exchanged curious glances, and the crowd in the store moved a step closer toward the scene by the counter, anxious to hear what would be said next.

Audrey said sharply, "You do not know of what you are speaking."

Elizabeth shook her head, looking away from her grandmother. "But I do, Grams. I know he didn't kill Mr. Quartermaine."

"Lizzie," Alexis asked gently, "How could you possibly know such a thing?"

Turning to the taller woman, Elizabeth began, "I know because..." Her eyes wandered over the room to take in all the curious faces, and then she started to feel light-headed. Lord...she needed air! With a feeling of panic, Elizabeth suddenly pushed her way past Ned and a few onlookers toward the door.

As she ran out of the store, she heard the exclamations of shock and her grandmother's outraged cry, "Get back here Lizzie, you hear?!" But she kept on running...until she realised which direction she was running in. Looking up she saw that just down the street was the jail!

She was about to make an abrupt turn, when she realised ihe/i was in there. For a crime he didn't commit. And she couldn't just leave him there. Taking a deep breath, she ran the rest of the way toward the jail.

"Lizzie stop this minute!"

She had just reached the steps to the building when she heard her grandmother's shout. Turning around, she saw that the whole crowd from the shop was following her to the jail! She spun around and headed up the stairs. Surprisingly the door opened just as she reached the porch.

"And just where do you think you're going, Miss Webber?"

As she stared up at the sheriff, who was standing just inside the doorway, she said breathlessly, "I must speak to you, sir."

Mac shook his head wearily. "'Fraid I don't have the time today, miss."

"But it's important, sir."

Ignoring her, Mac turned around and shouted, "After you kick these folks out, one of you escort Miss Webber home."

It was only at that moment, Elizabeth noticed that Sonny, Carly and a number of deputies were standing behind the sheriff.

As Carly shouted at Mac, "I said I ain't leavin' 'til you let me see Jase," Sonny caught Elizabeth's eye and gave her a questioning glance. She wanted desperately to speak to him about the whole matter, but the sheriff stepped in her way.

"Get them out of here, now!" Mac ordered. Two deputies grabbed Sonny and a struggling Carly, pushing them toward the door.

"Wait!" Elizabeth cried in agitation, blocking the doorway. "You can't send them away without releasing Mr. Morgan!"

Mac, who was reaching the end of his tether, growled, "I told you to go home, Miss Webber! This ain't your concern!"

A hand grabbed Elizabeth's arm, and spun her around. "The sheriff's right, Lizzie. This isn't your concern. Stop making a spectacle of yourself! You're coming home now!"

Elizabeth shook her grandmother's hold off her arm, and said desperately, "But it is! I know Mr. Morgan didn't kill Edward Quartermaine!"

The sheriff asked sarcastically from behind her, "And how would you know that young lady?"

Taking a deep breath and a quick glance at her grandmother's furious eyes, Elizabeth began agitatedly, "Because...because he was no where near the Quartermaine ranch when his grandfather was shot," and then closing her eyes, she finished in a whisper, "He was with me."

From amidst the growing numbers of people gathered around the bottom of the stairs, Alexis shouted, "What did you say, Lizzie?"

Opening her eyes, Elizabeth took another deep breath. Oh dear...Well she had already admitted it...there was no going back now! She repeated in a shaky, but louder voice, "Mr. Morgan was with me at the time Edward Quartermaine was shot!"

You could've heard a pin drop in the ensuing silence, and then a huge uproar broke out.

Amidst all the questions being directed at her, only her grandmother's shout of indignation got through to Elizabeth, "But that's impossible, Lizzie! You were home, sleeping."

Visibly shaking now Elizabeth explained, "No...no, I-I was not. Mr. Morgan was escorting me home."

"But you left with the Spencers, Lizzie," interjected a shocked Sarah, who had until now been standing quietly behind her grandmother.

This was the part she had been dreading...but only the whole truth would make them believe her. "No, Sarah. I never left with the Spencers..." She paused as she noticed everyone had quieted down again waiting for her next words. Taking a deep breath she began, "I left the dance and went over to the saloon to see-"

"What?!" Audrey gasped, "No granddaughter of mine would go to that house of sin!"

Elizabeth reddened and looked down at her clasped hands. "I'm sorry, Grams...I don't know what came over me...but I went over to see Burt."

"Burt?! You don't mean...the pig?" Sarah exclaimed, "How did he get to a saloon?"

"Hey! I remember ya now, miss!" shouted out one man from the far back of the crowd, "You're the gal in peach! Ain't had such a hog killin' time-uh, sorry li'l lady! Forgot ya were there to see your hog friend."

Another man hollered, "Hey boys, she's the gal that sang that purty song. That was bang up, miss! Brought a tear to my eye, it did."

If possible the flush on Elizabeth's face deepened. As her grandmother's eyes widened, Elizabeth explained quietly, "I-I went over to see Burt...and I ended up causing a small scene. Mr. and Mrs. Corinthos realised I was slightly tipsy, and they gave me some coffee..."

"What is this about Burt? I thought he had escaped...wait...did you say, 'Tipsy'?!" Audrey exclaimed in pure horror, "You're telling me you had spirits over there, Lizzie?!"

Elizabeth winced before continuing, "No. I think...the punch at the dance must have contained something...that's why everyone behaved so peculiarly last evening."

Shaking her head adamantly, Audrey said, "That is quite ridiculous, Lizzie! Why I drank that punch and there was nothing wrong with me."

"Is that right, Mrs. Hardy?" cried Dr. Collins, next to his wife, whose eyes were gleaming with all this juicy news to be told. "So you go about calling my wife a horse, and pushing the mayor's wife into haystacks often do you?"

Audrey's eyes widened and she turned around to face the doctor. "What?!"

Kevin Collins chuckled slightly. "I suspected something was wrong last evening when all you ladies were behaving so strangely, and now, that I think about it more clearly, I believe the girl is right. Someone put spirits in the punch. You were all quite roostered!"

Sarah let out a cry of distress, and Audrey continued to shake her head adamantly. However, Mac, who had more important matters on his mind, turned Elizabeth to face him and asked, "You went to the saloon, Miss Webber?"

Elizabeth nodded.

"And then what?"

Feeling herself once again the center of attention, Elizabeth blurted out nervously before she lost her courage, "I-I think I caused a fight with my singing and then someone spilled whiskey on my dress. Mrs. Corinthos took me upstairs and gave me coffee. Then she left to clean my dress for me. I fell asleep and..." Elizabeth blushed as she remembered the next scene.

"And..." prompted Mac ruthlessly.

Swallowing hard, staring unseeingly down at her wringing hands, Elizabeth answered quickly, "And Mr. Morgan came into his room, and found me there...And then Mrs. Corinthos came back with my dress...and Mr. Morgan offered to escort me back to the dance. But no one was there you see, and so he took me home." As she finished, Elizabeth took a deep gulp of air. She couldn't believe she had said all that without taking a breath!

"It's true, Sheriff!" Carly shouted out excitedly, while staring at Elizabeth in amazement. Did the girl even realise she was subjecting herself to the scorn of all these people? Whether or not she did, Carly was grateful that the girl had enough gumption to help out Jason. She knew there was a reason she liked this girl!

Mac scowled ferociously. He didn't like the sound of this at all. "And how do you know that Mr. Morgan was with you around the time of the murder if you were tipsy?"

"I believe the coffee Mrs. Corinthos gave me and my nap helped to clear my head somewhat, sir." Then looking up into the sheriff's eyes, she said, "And I remember quite clearly glancing at the clock just before leaving the saloon. It was just a little past twelve at that time."

"And that means," drawled Sonny from behind Mac, "That there's no way, Jason could've shot his grandfather."

Nodding his head, Ned spoke out from beside Alexis, "He's right. It takes at least twenty minutes riding hard to get to the Hardy farm from town, and then another twenty to get to the Quartermaine ranch. If he escorted Miss Webber first to the town hall and then to the Hardy farm, he would never have made it in time to the ranch to fire that shot!"

Carly shouted out in joy as she leapt into her husband's arms. Then turning to Mac, she demanded, "You have to release Jase now, sheriff!"

"Just wait one minute!" Mac growled as he stared down at Elizabeth, "And how do I know you're telling the truth?"

Before she could respond, Audrey shouted, "She's not! No granddaughter of mine would behave so outrageously! Why she wouldn't just head over to a saloon, to sing for those seedy characters and then appear in a state of undress in a man's bedroom! Tell the sheriff that for some foolish reason you're lying, Lizzie!"

Elizabeth spun around to her grandmother and with tears in her eyes, she whispered, "I can't, Grams." Then turning back to Mac, she said softly, "I'm not lying sir. Why would I?"

"Unfortunately it seems the young lady is telling the truth, Sheriff," Reverend Jones spoke up in tones of supreme disapproval, "No young lady would admit to such sinful behaviour willingly. It really is unfortunate how the young are often tempted off the path of righteousness. Yet even though they sin, the Lord will forgive his children. You must repent child..."

Wanting this whole nightmare over with, Elizabeth cut off the man's preaching and repeated softly, "Mr. Morgan iwas/i with me, Sheriff. Please release him."

Silence followed as Mac swore and took angry strides away from the girl and her grandmother toward a smiling Carly and Sonny. As Carly was about to open her mouth again, Mac reluctantly nodded to his deputy. The tall, fair-haired man walked through a set of doors and after a moment, a faint, "You're free to go, Morgan," could be heard. And after a little jingling of keys, two pairs of footsteps could be heard making their way to the front of the building.

"Jase!" cried Carly in joy the moment she saw her friend's tired but passive face. "You're free!"

As Carly's arms went around his neck, Jason asked Sonny, "What's going on, Sonny? Why am I free to go?"

Sonny's eyes moved in the direction of the door where Mac was still standing. As Jason followed the movement, Mac moved to the side to reveal Elizabeth. "Because you're one lucky bastard, and this young lady says you were with her at the time of your grandfather's death!"

Jason's eyes widened as his gaze locked with the girl's shimmering one. When he had realised that he'd been with the girl at the time Edward had been shot, Jason hadn't even considered saying anything. He had suspected it would get very ugly for her if the truth came out, and wanted to find away out of this mess without involving her. But he never imagined ishe/i would be the one to tell people...

Damn! Turning his eyes away from her, he said bluntly to Mac, "She's lying."

Once again gasps ran through the growing crowd of people.

Mac's eyebrows rose in disbelief, and he shouted in anger, "What?! What the hell are you trying to pull, Morgan? Now, you're sayin' you weren't with her?! Then why would she be lying for you? And why did Mrs. Corinthos corroborate what she said?"

Jason glared at Carly, who said stubbornly, "I ain't lettin' ya hang for somethin' ya didn't do, Jase! And it was the gal who told 'em the whole story."

Before Jason could reply, Sonny placed a hand on Jason's shoulder and said, "Jase, you can't protect her anymore. The whole truth's out now."

Swearing under his breath, Jason ran a hand roughly through his hair, and turned to look back at Elizabeth. Did she know what she had just done?

Elizabeth stared back in some shock. Why had he tried to lie about being with her? Did he prefer to stay in jail? Of course not...even though he could hang for murder, he was trying to protect iher/i. As his eyes glared down at her, Elizabeth almost forgot about the horrible situation she was currently in. Almost...but not quite. Tearing her eyes away, she turned around to face her grandmother...

With narrowed eyes, Audrey shouted in outrage, "How could you, young lady? How could you dishonour our family this way?! And after I took you in and gave you a roof over your head. Is this how you repay me? With such scandalous behaviour? I thought I raised you with a sense of decency?"

"I-I'm sorry, Grams!" Elizabeth said softly as the tears she had been trying to hold back, began flowing from her eyes. Her heart ached to know she had caused such disappointment in her grandmother.

Audrey's eyes became hard and cold. "I know you've always been a bit of trouble but I thought that deep down you were a good girl. But perhaps you have just always been wicked."

Elizabeth gasped, shaking her head in denial. "No, Grams...please. I never meant..." She reached out for her grandmother's hand.

Audrey angrily struck Elizabeth across the cheek with the hand, sending Elizabeth's head reeling back. "You have behaved wickedly Lizzie! You deserve no sym-" Suddenly the old woman let out a shriek of anger, "Unhand me!"

As soon as he had seen Audrey's hand rise, Jason had made his way to Elizabeth's side. Holding the elderly woman's wrinkled wrist in a firm grip, Jason looked down at a shocked Elizabeth, whose hand was pressed to her cheek. "Are you alright?"

She didn't answer as she continued to stare at her grandmother in horror. How could her grandmother actually strike her like that? How could she say such things...Elizabeth hadn't meant to be wicked...

Carly, who had only moments before been overjoyed by Jason's release, was now enraged by the elderly woman's treatment of her granddaughter. Quickly walking up behind Elizabeth, she placed a gentle hand on the girl's shoulder and said, "Let me have a look, honey."

Still Elizabeth couldn't speak, but she let Carly guide her hand away from her face. "You'll be needin' somethin' cold on that." The dark red print of a hand stood out clearly against Elizabeth's pale skin. Jason's eyes blazed with anger.

Sarah let out a small exclamation as she too saw the mark, but seeing her grandmother still struggling in vain to get her hand out of Jason's grip, she cried out to the sheriff, "Please make this man release my grandmother, Sheriff!"

Mac, who along with everyone else, had been watching the whole scene in some shock, said, "Let Mrs. Hardy go, Morgan, or you'll be going back where you belong."

As he turned his cold eyes toward the old woman's grey ones, Jason slowly released her hand. But he warned in a low voice, "Don't ever raise your hand to her like that again."

Rubbing her aching wrists, Audrey glared at the man. "Don't you be telling me what to do!" Then turning to look at Elizabeth, she spat out, "You like frequenting that saloon, Lizzie? Then you can live there with all those other sinners. You will no longer be welcomed in my home!"

The cruel words left everyone watching the scene speechless. Elizabeth gasped and whispered, "No Grams...you cannot mean that."

"Audrey!" exclaimed a shocked Mrs. Collins at the same time from the crowd.

Ignoring her friend, Audrey nodded. "You're ruined, Lizzie. I won't have you corrupting Sarah and ruining her reputation as well."

"But nothing happened, Grams. I-" Elizabeth was trying desperately to get through to her grandmother.

"I don't want to hear another word. You brought this on yourself, Lizzie." Turning to Sarah, she ordered, "Come Sarah, we're leaving."

As the two women turned, an enraged Carly walked out onto the porch and shouted, "Ya may think we're all sinners, Mrs. Hardy...but if this is what ya call Godly behaviour, I'm wantin' no part of it. To disown your own grandchild because she has the honor to speak the truth! I've seen plenty of cruelty in my lifetime, but you've shown me a whole new level, ya old biddy!" She was about to follow Audrey, but Jason put a restraining hand on her arm. However, as he glanced down at the tear stained face of the young woman beside him, he had the distant urge to go after the old woman himself.

Despite the gasps of outrage Carly's comments arose from many of the women in the crowd, Audrey ignored her, and continued her progress down the stairs with back straight and head held high.

"Wait! Mrs. Hardy!" shouted out the Reverend Jones as he took a step up in Audrey's direction on the stairs. "You cannot simply abandon this child to sin!"

Audrey glared at the preacher, "Reverend Jones, tell me, what am I to do with the girl? I am an old woman. I have tried to do my best in raising her, but I have failed. And now she's completely ru-"

"If you say she's ruined one more time, I'll forget you're an old woman..." Jason warned angrily. He'd had about enough of the damn crow!

Audrey gasped, and turned around to glare in outraged indignation at him. "Are you threatening me young man?"

The tightening of his jaw, and the narrowing of his eyes answered her. Cold blue eyes bore into angry grey ones...

Glancing nervously from one to the other, Reverend Jones cleared his throat and said, "Mrs. Hardy, while the girl has certainly done wrong, one cannot abandon those who can still be reformed." He paused before saying, "Perhaps there is a way to salvage her reputation."

Audrey turned back to face the minister. "The girl admitted boldly to the whole town that she was with this man in the middle of the night in his bedroom! What possible way can her reputation be saved?! She's ruined!"

As soon as the words left Audrey's mouth, the whole crowd collectively turned their eyes toward Jason, who had begun to make his way purposely toward the elderly woman. As the crowd gasped, Audrey spun around on the stairs. She placed her hand on her waist ready for the confrontation. "Mr. Quart-Morgan do you wish to add harming an elderly woman to your long list of sinful deeds? Was damaging Lizzie's reputation beyond repair not enough?"

Before Jason could respond, the ever meddlesome Reverend Jones, shouted, "But it is not beyond repair! There is one way to repair it!"

All gazes turned toward the preacher, waiting for him to continue. Slowly, the preacher smiled and pronounced, "Mr. Morgan will simply have to marry the young lady!"

~ * ~ * ~ * ~