Her family needed her. More important, now that her family was linked to the pastor’s through Joseph’s marriage to Annabelle Lassiter, they needed Mary’s reputation to be untarnished. Who would welcome Mary into their homes, knowing what she’d done? And how much damage would it do to Frank’s ministry?
Jail and pariah-hood. That was what Mary faced if the truth came out. Yet here stood Will Lawson, thinking he could just stare his way into ruining lives.
“So, what’s it going to be?” he asked, not breaking his stare.
“Meet me after. I’ll slip out, and we can talk over by the fence.”
She’d become good at slipping away and meeting with people undetected. Well, a person. Ben. She’d vowed to be different now that she knew the truth. But here she was, sneaking around again.
Would she ever be free of her past?
“You’re holding up the line!” Ernie, one of their regulars, shouted from the back.
Mary didn’t bother hiding her relief as Mr. Lawson moved on. She continued serving the men in line, giving Ernie an extra portion for his patience. He rewarded her with a toothless grin.
“I’ll be naming my next big strike after you, Miss Mary.”
“I’m honored,” she told him, ignoring the sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. She already had a mine named after her—by her father, who had done unspeakable things in pursuit of those riches.
At least Ernie didn’t have a family back home relying on him. Like her father, he put every dime he had into prospecting. If it wasn’t for the church feeding him on a regular basis, Mary had no idea how the poor man would survive.
She watched as Ernie took a seat among some of the other men, grimacing as she realized he’d sat right next to Mr. Lawson. Mr. Lawson caught her eye, and she turned away.
“Well, if it isn’t Miss Mary Stone.” The familiar drawl jerked her attention to the man standing before her.
Ben Perry. The reason her life was in such disarray.
“What are you doing here?” she said, looking around again to be sure none of her family noticed that two of tonight’s visitors, both of questionable character, knew Mary.
“Now, that’s not the way to treat a man you promised to marry.”
His voice slid down her spine, making the hairs on her arms stand on end.
“I sent you a letter ending things.” Mary looked around. A letter, she realized, that Will Lawson now had in his possession.
Fortunately, Frank was engaged with a group of men, eating and talking. Her siblings all seemed to be occupied with their respective tasks. Even Polly, her friend and possibly the only confidant she’d consider telling, was busy.
“Please, leave,” she told him in the harshest voice she could muster without drawing too much attention to herself.
Gone was the charming smile he’d used to lure her in. Something evil glittered in his eyes as he said, “I don’t think so.”
Then, in a voice so loud it would have been impossible for anyone not to hear, he said, “My darling Mary, I’ve finally found you.”
Ben looked as though he was about to try to embrace her, so Mary did the only thing a woman in her situation could do. She dumped the plate of beans square down the front of his shirt.
“You will regret that.” His voice remained low and menacing, all while he was putting on an act of the charming, debonair man she’d once fallen for.
“Dear, sweet Mary. You’re so overcome with joy that your clumsiness has come upon you again.”
People began surrounding them. Polly was first at her side. “Mary! I can’t believe it. A secret beau!”
Somehow she found herself brought around the table and next to Ben with his arm around her.
“My Mary made me promise to wait until she’d heard news from her brother. I left only briefly to find a job to support us, but when I returned, Mary was gone, and it’s taken me all this time to find her.”
Mary’s eyes narrowed at the vile man pretending to be the loving suitor. What was he up to? When she’d refused to participate in his foul plans, he’d cast all sorts of insults at her.
“Imagine my surprise at finding her here, her brother building the family a fine home down the block, the pillars of Leadville society caring for the poor.”
Of course. Ben knew they had money. What he’d stolen back in Ohio hadn’t been enough to keep him long. So now he was here, trying to get himself a rich bride.
Mary removed herself from Ben’s grasp, noticing that Mr. Lawson had wound his way to the front of the crowd that had gathered. At least now he wouldn’t be confronting her. He’d said he’d wanted to find Ben. Well, here he was.
“That was a long time ago, Ben. So much has happened since we last saw each other.” She gave him a long, hard look. “I’m afraid it wouldn’t be right to take up where we left off.”
“So, that’s how it is.” Ben gave a long, exaggerated sigh. “Now that she’s a wealthy heiress, she doesn’t want anything to do with a lowly workingman, taking what odd jobs he can to support himself.”
With a long look of sadness that she couldn’t believe the others didn’t see through as being completely fake, he continued, “Back in Ohio, Mary said that love was all we needed. But now that she’s had a taste of the good life, she can’t bear the thought of a simple rented room.”
Oh, the nerve of the man... Mary shook her head, wishing she could ask God for a way out, but knowing that since her sin was what had gotten her here in the first place, God wasn’t likely to offer his assistance.
Of course!
Mary gave him what she hoped was a look of deep regret, then turned her attention to the crowd. “While it’s true that at one point I may have had feelings for Ben, I’ve had time to grow and reflect upon my relationship with the Lord. Given that Ben doesn’t have a relationship with Christ, it isn’t right for us to be together.”
Of all the things Ben most despised, it was anything to do with the church. In her foolishness, she’d thought that by loving Ben, she could get him to love the Lord, but in the end, it had only rent a hole in her own faith that she wasn’t sure could ever be repaired. At least that was one mistake she’d not repeat.
Ben stepped in front of her and clasped her hands with such fervor she thought they’d break. “Oh, Mary darling, then all your prayers have been answered, because I’ve been going to church.”
More lies, she was sure, but with the oohs and aahs from the gathered crowd, she wasn’t going to let him get away with it.
“Which one?” The words came out more peevish than she would have liked, but she simply couldn’t allow anyone, least of all Ben, to think they had any future.
His grip on her hands tightened, making her wince with pain. “Lots. I’ve been moving around, searching for you. But now that I’ve found you, and I see what a wonderful job this church is doing for the poor, I believe I’ll be staying.”
She knew she’d been beaten. The only way out was the truth, and by the way everyone had all fallen under Ben’s spell, Mary knew that not one of them would believe it. An accomplished thief and scoundrel, Ben knew all the tricks of worming his way into people’s hearts.
“Please,” she whispered, “don’t do this. Just go, and I promise, we’ll talk later.”
But Ben didn’t release her hands. “I could never bear to leave my beloved’s side.”
He bent, and as he kissed her hand, he whispered, “I still have