Duncan stared down at the redheaded woman in front of him and tried not to smile. Charlotte Cooper, “Charlie” to the entire town, was the hardest working woman in the area. Deceptively attractive under her dusty clothes, Charlie did a good job of hiding her beauty beneath the hat she wore, the brim of which was always stubbornly pulled down to her brows.
Charlie and Duncan were alone in the judge’s chambers where she had just become Mrs. Patrick Sean Donovan III. She didn’t appear overjoyed, and Duncan was thankful that they had tied the knot before she could change her mind. He didn’t by any means believe this was a match made in heaven, but he did believe that if God had brought Sean this far, He would see him the rest of the way.
“I think he’ll be just fine, Charlie,” Duncan told her after Sean went to her wagon with his deputy.
“He’d better be, Duncan,” she told him seriously, wondering again at the impulse that now had her married. “Because if he makes one move out of line, I’ll bring him back here and you can just go right ahead and hang him higher than Haman.”
Duncan did smile then, not believing for a second that she was as indifferent as she sounded. His smile only caused Charlie to frown.
“What are you grinning about?” she growled at him.
Duncan didn’t answer, and Charlie shook her head and exited the courthouse.
Sean was waiting patiently where he had been directed. He watched his wife approach and felt a state of shock settle over him. His wife. He was married! And to an absolute stranger!
Charlie stopped in front of him and looked out under the battered hat. Her eyes were serious, and Sean wondered what she was thinking.
“I hope you’re not afraid of hard work,” she muttered as she hitched her skirt enough to climb into the wagon unassisted. “You can sit in the back.”
Sean did as he was told, careful not to sit on the supplies neatly stacked in the rear of the wagon. Duncan stepped to the sideboard and spoke softly.
“I wanted to warn you about the paper I’d found, Sean, but I was afraid of getting your hopes up. Charlie will do right by you. Just follow the rules and you’ll be fine.” They shook hands, and Duncan told the still-speechless Sean that the door to his office was always open.
A moment later the wagon was moving down the street. Sean sat still as they went into the next block. No more than 30 seconds had passed before the wagon pulled straight into the livery. The sign above the door read “COOPER’S LIVERY” in large, faded letters.
The horse and wagon stopped inside the sturdy-looking building. Sean jumped out of the back as soon as the wagon halted and without forethought, moved to help his wife. Charlie stared at the hand extended to her and then at the owner. Sean’s hand dropped, and he stepped back and watched as she jumped to the ground.
Her manner was plainly suspicious, and Sean told himself he was going to have to watch his step. Feeling rather helpless, he stood back as Charlie stabled her horse and began to rub him down.
“You don’t need to unload that wagon until tomorrow, so just push it into the big stall on the end.” It was a command and Sean was swift to do her bidding. He stood just outside the stall once the wagon was in place, waiting for his next orders. The livery in which he stood was clean, spacious, and well supplied. There were horses in five other stalls, and from where he stood, Sean thought he could see another wagon and two buggies.
When Charlie finished with the horse, she walked to the front of the livery and pulled the double doors shut. There were double doors at the back also, but they were already closed and Sean watched as she headed toward another small door. She hesitated on the threshold.
“I don’t suppose you know an anvil from a saddle, but my blacksmith just walked out on me. I’m finished here for the night, and my supper will be coming. You can start work in the morning.” Sean stood still as he listened to his wife, unsure if he should tell her he was an experienced blacksmith. While he was still debating whether or not to speak, Charlie left without another word.
She walked with swift purpose to the door of her house, not turning to look behind her until her hand was reaching for the handle.
“Now where in the world is he?” Charlie muttered to herself when she saw that Sean had not followed her. She stood still and gave a small sigh, wondering once again why she had married him. Charlie told herself quickly it was because of his size. A man that big would be worth hours of work in a livery, as soon as she taught him how to smith.
She waited a second longer, hoping he would appear in the livery doorway, but it was not to be. Suddenly she felt very suspicious. With a mixture of fear and anger, Charlie moved back toward the livery.
Sean glanced around at his new home and wondered in which stall he should bed down. It was early yet, but if he slept he might not notice how empty his stomach was. He stood for a moment, his hand on the tender area of his throat. His eyes slid shut as he once again felt the rope.
“Thank you, Lord,” Sean whispered, still staggered by the fact that he was alive. He felt down his own arms and then to his legs before the vision of himself hanging from a rope sprang into his mind. His palms became damp, and he shook his head to dispel the image before beginning to walk along the stalls, desperate for something to distract his mind.
The tack wall caught and held his interest. He was immediately impressed with the quality of halters, bridles, and saddles. He stood looking them over when his wife’s suspicious voice made him snatch his cap off and turn to face her.
“Is there some problem?”
“No ma’am.” Sean noticed she was frowning as she had been when she exited the courthouse.
“Then why didn’t you follow me?”
“I assumed you wanted me to bunk out here.”
Something in his voice, as well as the way he held his cap in both hands, tempered Charlie’s voice as she replied.
“Your room is in the house.” She watched him replace his cap and move carefully toward her. Her anger evaporated, and she suddenly felt a little sorry for him. After all, he was to have been executed today. But by the time Sean was close enough to see her face, she’d carefully hidden this emotion.
“Come on,” she said and once again headed outside. Sean followed her this time and saw that she was leading him to a small house some 50 feet behind the livery.
Stepping through the front doorway Sean found himself in the kitchen, but he wasn’t given any time to inspect his new home. “This way’s your room.”
Charlie led him down a short hallway where Sean saw two doors. One door was straight in front of him and one was on the left side of the hall. Charlie opened the door on the left.
“You can have this room. Oh! The bed isn’t made. I’ll get some sheets.” Charlie darted out of the room, and Sean was left alone.
The room was not overly large, but it was more than sufficient. The bed was small, but it definitely outsized the cot in his jail cell, and for that he was thankful. Sean moved to the window. He pulled the curtains back and one of them tore. He knew a moment of panic and then noticed that they were very faded, almost transparent.
“These are clean.”
“The curtain tore. I’m sorry.” Sean’s voice was humble.
Charlie’s eyes darted to the window. It was on the tip of her tongue to ask if he was usually so rough with things, but then she remembered how old the curtains were. They had been hanging there since her grandfather was alive.
“It doesn’t matter. Here.” She threw the sheets onto the bed. “Supper’s in half an hour.” On those words she exited, closing the door behind her.