Chapter 17   

Saying goodbye to Ben last night was the hardest thing Elizabeth had ever done, and she’d hardly been able to sleep.

Ben had said he loved her, and that had made it even harder. His words of love had triggered a rush of feelings inside that she could no longer contain. And those feelings all added up to one undeniable truth. She loved Ben too. Loved him more than words could say.

Oh, how she wished she didn’t. How she wished she could walk away and never think about what she’d left behind. She’d worried about losing herself if she stayed. Now she knew she’d already lost more than she could ever regain; she’d lost her heart.

Pushing aside her thoughts, she reintroduced herself to Mrs. Culpepper, who never failed to act like they were strangers meeting for the first time. After saying goodbye, she hauled her two valises to the train station.

As much as she hated spending the last of her savings for a train ticket, she had no intention of enduring a miserable stagecoach ride for a second time.

Though she was early, already the open-air train station was buzzing with activity, and she was stunned to spot Ben’s three mothers in the crowd.

Waving madly, Mrs. Baer rushed up to her, the feathers on her hat bopping up and down. “Ben told us the news,” she gasped, looking as anxious as a new mother.

Mrs. Norton rushed to join them and hooked her walking cane over her arm. “You can’t possibly want to leave.”

Elizabeth gritted her teeth. She should have known Ben’s mothers would try to stop her. “I’m afraid it’s best.”

Mrs. Baer stared at her in disbelief. “But … but why?”

“It’s the wedding gown.” Mrs. Edwards walked up to them with a smug look. “I knew it!”

A look of relief crossed Mrs. Baer’s face. “Well, if that’s the reason you’re leaving, we can take care of that.” She looked to the others for confirmation before continuing. “Nothing’s set in stone. There’s still time to make changes. Mrs. Stewart is very understanding and has several other designs you can choose from.”

“I personally favored the bell-shaped dress with the winged-shaped sleeves and the ruffled train,” Mrs. Norton said.

“It’s not just the dress,” Elizabeth began, but before she could explain that her decision to leave was out of concern for Ben, she was stopped by a woman’s scream.

Three masked men hurried across the platform brandishing guns.

“Don’t move!” yelled the tallest of the three.

Mrs. Baer looked more indignant than afraid. “Of all the nerve—”

She would have said more had one gunman not pointed his gun directly at her. “Your jewels or your life.”

Glaring at him all the while, Mrs. Baer pulled a silver bracelet off her arm, but the gold wedding band remained on her finger.

Elizabeth glanced around to see if any help was available. But all she saw was the other two bandits quickly and efficiently relieving men of their wallets and women of their jewelry, and no one looked inclined to argue.

“The ring!” the masked man yelled, drawing Elizabeth’s attention to the problem at hand. Mrs. Baer didn’t like being told what to do, and she looked determined to fight her assailant.

Fearing for the older woman’s life, Elizabeth clutched her purse close, the pistol inside hard to the touch. She wished she’d thought to carry her weapon in her pocket for easy retrieval.

After Mrs. Baer handed over her ring, the bandit’s gaze swept over Elizabeth’s valises. “What have you got there?” he asked.

Elizabeth’s hand froze. “J–just clothes,” she stammered.

He held out his hand for her purse, but not wanting to part with it, she held on tight. A tug-of-war ensued, which ended with his grabbing her, pulling her into his arms, and holding his gun to her head.

“Don’t move, anyone,” he shouted. Then, with a nod at his partners, he backed away, dragging Elizabeth with him.

That’s when pandemonium broke loose. Mrs. Baer pulled off her hat and flung it at him. Her aim as precise as her opinions, the hat hit him square in the face, stuffed bird and all.

Momentarily distracted by the onslaught of feathers, the man lowered his guard. Elizabeth pulled free and grabbed the gun out of his hands. All three of Ben’s mothers came rushing up to attack him, Mrs. Norton swinging her cane.

Falling to his knees, the man held his hands over his head to ward off the blows. One of his cohorts came running over to rescue him, but Elizabeth pointed the gun at him and made him drop his.

Mrs. Baer tossed him a warning look. “You’d better watch it, mister. She’s already shot one man.”

Refusing to heed Mrs. Baer’s warning, the man reached out and tried to grab the gun out of Elizabeth’s hands. Refusing to let go, Elizabeth held on tight. Just as it looked like the masked man was about to claim victory, the gun went off.

Everyone at the station froze, and a hushed silence fell over the crowd.

“Oh, dear God,” Mrs. Baer exclaimed when the smoke cleared. “You shot Ben!”