The Rightful Heir (17 page)

A grin creased the judge's face. “Where's your pa, son?”

Reilly dropped his head. “In heaven, sir.”

“I'm right sorry about that, Reilly Ledford. What about your ma?”

“I'm here, Judge Sawyer.” Everyone turned to see a breathless Milly Ledford come in through the open doors at the end of the aisle. “I'm so sorry Reilly interrupted your court. When I came onto the churchyard, I saw him slipping in the window. I was working and didn't see him leave the house.” She sent a stern look in her son's direction. “I promise it will never happen again.” She took Reilly by the hand to leave.

“Just a moment, ma'am.”

Reilly looked more afraid of facing his mother than the judge. Mary Lou pulled her lips in and clenched them together to keep from laughing. The poor boy was in for a terrible scolding when he got home.

The judge asked, “Is your son one to lie?”

Mrs. Ledford stood straight and held her son's hand. “No, sir. He knows the Lord doesn't tolerate lying.”

To Reilly he said, “How did you know it was this exact mirror that this fellow had?” He pointed to Elmer Finch.

A blush crept up Reilly's neck and turned his face pink. “'Cause I seen it in the store. I wanted to buy it for Ma's birthday, but Mrs. Croft said it cost too much money.” He leaned in close to the judge. “It was s'posed to be a secret.” He put a hand up beside his mouth in an effort to keep his mother from hearing him. “Pink is her favorite color.”

This was like no courtroom Mary Lou had ever attended. She smiled at Reilly's boyish charm. The respect she held for Judge Sawyer would make it easy for her to write an article about the events of the day when this was over.

She dropped her hand from Jared's and shifted in her seat.

He released her and tilted his head to see her face. She wouldn't meet his gaze.

Andrew was going home. Reilly just ensured the truth would be known. Mr. Finch would likely go to jail. And at the end of the day, Mary Lou would have no home, nowhere to tell the stories that burned in her to be written, no way to help the people of Pine Haven who had been so good to her.

The judge had Reilly explain how and when he saw the mirror in detail.

“So, Reilly, the last time you saw the mirror, Mr. Finch had it?”

“Yes, sir. And he was walking real close behind Andrew. Andrew was on his way to the hotel. He always goes there when the train comes to town.”

“Thank you very much for coming to court today, Reilly Ledford. But next time, you make sure and talk to your ma first.”

Reilly nodded his head. Milly Ledford still held his hand. Mary Lou doubted the boy would be allowed out of her sight for some time.

“You may go, Mrs. Ledford.” The judge looked at Andrew. “I think we have a clearer picture of what happened that day now, Mr. Nobleson.”

To Mr. Finch he said, “I would imagine that a man who is adept at stealing is a man who can reach into someone's pocket and take their things without the person even knowing someone had stolen from them. Especially on a crowded sidewalk with passengers milling around town while the train is in the station for a short stop.” He leaned back in his chair again, propped his elbows on the arms and steepled his fingers. “I'd say someone with that skill could slip something into someone's pocket with them none the wiser.”

A disgruntled murmur ran among those gathered as they agreed with the judge.

Jared shifted his weight from one foot to the other. Mary Lou wanted to see the end of this matter. But she was loath to move forward to the judge's decision between her and Jared. Everything she'd seen today spoke of his wisdom and fairness. How would he decide?

“Judge Sawyer.” The lawyer who would defend Mr. Finch asked to be recognized.

“Wait just a minute, counselor. I'd like to make an offer to Mr. Finch.” To the newsagent he said, “You have a choice here. You may move forward to trial and try to convince this room of people, among whom are your potential jurors, of your innocence and Mr. Nobleson's guilt. Or—and I would strongly suggest you consider this option—you may confess to any crimes you have committed and throw yourself on the mercy of this court.”

The train whistle blew in the distance.

The judge continued. “These folks may not take kindly to you accusing an orphan they've all banded together to raise. You might get more mercy from me than you would from these jurors. Might.”

Mr. Finch resisted. “Why would I—” The judge motioned for him to stand while he was speaking. Mr. Finch grumbled as he stood. “Why would I confess to something I didn't do?”

Henry Hall, the telegraph operator, came in the door. He took a telegram to the judge and left without saying anything.

The judge silently read the message and then folded it in half. “Mr. Finch, this telegram is from a sheriff near Houston. It is a reply to a query I sent asking for details about you. I needed to confirm some things I'd been told about you for myself. I want you to know that I will use the information it contains should you insist on a trial and a jury finds you guilty.”

Mr. Finch's face tightened. He looked from the judge to the sheriff and around at the people in the room. From Mary Lou's perspective he did not encounter one friendly face.

The whistle blew again and the judge added, “If you decide promptly, I may be able to make the train this morning. That would most likely put me in an agreeable mood.”

“Judge, that's not fair.”

“Do not push me by the margin of fair. I am a fair and just man, who has full authority to call a jury and spend the next several hours listening to the people of this town tell me where and when you have been seen. And there are still the matters in Gran Colina to be settled.”

The lawyer leaned in and spoke quietly to Mr. Finch. He shook his head at the first words but nodded at the second communication.

“Judge, I'd like to take the option of throwing myself on the mercy of the court.”

“You will have to confess to your crimes and testify to the innocence of Mr. Nobleson.”

“The kid didn't have anything to do with it. I slipped the mirror in his pocket when I saw those two following me.” Mr. Finch pointed at Jared and Mary Lou.

The judge looked at them. “Were you following him?”

Jared answered. “We were. He'd been in town every time something went missing. We knew Andrew was innocent.”

The judge passed a sentence on Mr. Finch of just a bit under the maximum allowed. It would be a long time before he was out of jail. When the thief protested, the judge reminded him that the leniency he'd received was because he'd cleared Andrew's name and then warned that protesting could change the judge's mind. In the end, Mr. Finch went quietly with the sheriff back to jail.

“Now if the rest of you fine folks would make your way out of the church, I need to settle a private matter between Mr. Ivy and Miss Ellison.” Judge Sawyer rapped the gavel on the desk and the room cleared in a matter of minutes. The judge asked the lawyers to have the train wait for him, as he would only be a matter of minutes.

The decision Mary Lou had been dreading was about to be made.

* * *

The judge took his watch from his vest pocket. “Tell me what this is about, Mr. Ivy.”

Jared hated this. If his mother hadn't hidden Grump's letters, he'd have been here years ago. He could have been Mary Lou's friend—maybe more.

He faced the judge. He couldn't bear to watch Mary Lou's face while he told his side of the story.

“My father and his father built the
Pine Haven Record
as a family legacy when I was four years old. My father died in an accident during the construction of the building. My mother blamed my grandfather for his death and took me back to her home in Maryland, where we lived until she died not long before I came here.”

“Is this your knowledge of the events, as well, Miss Ellison?”

Jared turned to see her nod one time.

“What happened next, Mr. Ivy?”

“My mother was very ill at the end. She confessed on her deathbed that my grandfather had written letters to me all of my life. She'd burned them so I would never find them. She told me she'd kept the will he sent leaving the newspaper to me in the event of his death.” With a hand, he gestured toward Mary Lou. “Miss Ellison told me that Grump even sent money for my schooling and care.”

“Grump?”

Jared smiled at the memory. “To a small boy he had a grumpy voice. It was my name for him.”

“Go on.”

“When my mother passed, I sold everything except my saddle and came here to connect with my grandfather, but he died two months before I arrived.” Jared told the judge about the day he'd arrived and found Mary Lou running the newspaper. He ended with the sheriff's decision to make them work together.

“I'd like to see the will.” Jared gave the will to the judge and sat down.

Judge Sawyer put it on the desk and addressed Mary Lou. “What is your claim to the business and property?”

Mary Lou rose and told her story of how Grump took her in and how they bonded like family and loved one another. “Everyone in town knows how special he was to me, and I to him.”

“I understand that, Miss Ellison, but did he leave a will establishing you as his heir?” He pointed to the one Jared had given as evidence. “This will is very old, but it is signed by Jacob Ivy and valid unless he made a change later in life to void this.”

“All I have is my word that he wanted me to run the
Pine Haven
Record
and the deed the land agent made out in my name after Mr. Ivy passed.” She looked the judge in the eye and handed him her deed. “Jacob Ivy loved me. I was his family. The fact that Mr. Ivy's mother kept him away doesn't change that. I'm sorry he missed out on knowing his grandfather. He was a fine man. He took me in when I had no one.”

“Like you care for Andrew Nobleson?”

She smiled, and Jared's heart started to melt. “Yes, sir. I think it's important to share the kindness he instilled in me with others.”

“So that's why you got on a train and went to Gran Colina? To help someone in need?”

She only nodded. Jared felt like a traitor.

“What have you to say about this, Mr. Ivy?”

He stood beside Mary Lou. “I know Miss Ellison is a noble and worthy person. She's a fine journalist and publisher. My grandfather must have loved her dearly because I see her love for him in every aspect of her work. She is a credit to the
Pine Haven Record
, and I'm grateful for all she's done to guard and protect it.”

Mary Lou stood there with her hands clasped in front of her skirt, her face forward and no words.

“That will proves my grandfather wanted me to have the
Record
. He signed it and sent it to my mother.”

“Why do you have this and nothing else?”

He shook his head. “I have no idea why she kept this and burned everything else. I only know it says that I'm the rightful heir.” He turned to Mary Lou. “I'm sorry, Mary Lou. I know how important the paper is to you. And how much you loved Grump. And what a fine person you are. You risked your safety for Andrew and taught me how to run the paper.”

She looked up at him then. “But you're still going to take it from me.” Her voice was soft and calm. Just like her heart.

“I have to fulfill Grump's wishes. I'm doing this for him. For the legacy he built.

“Judge Sawyer, I don't want to do anything to hurt Miss Ellison, but I have to honor my family's name. I'm the last Ivy in this line. If I don't keep the newspaper, there will be nothing left of my history. I can't let it go.”

The train whistle blew a warning and the judge looked at his watch again. “I can see that neither of you wants to hurt the other.” He stood to gather his papers and gavel and put them in his valise. “You are both good people. I saw it in the things you said to me during our meal at the hotel and again in what Andrew Nobleson told me today.”

Jared stood shoulder to shoulder with Mary Lou and knew this was the last moment that the two of them would be tied together, bound by the paper they both loved and needed. He reached for her hand and she opened her palm to his. They waited together for the judge's decree.

“As much as it pains me to separate two people who are bound together in so many ways, I have to obey the law. It's not within my power to force either of you to forfeit your interest in order to avoid an official ruling. But my responsibility is to make this difficult decision.”

He looked at them and held the will in one hand and his valise in the other. “I declare this will to be valid and rule that the ownership of the
Pine Haven Record
and all properties, furnishings and equipment associated with the business and private residence are the property of Jared Ivy, grandson of Jacob Ivy.” He handed the paper to Jared. “Effective immediately.”

The judge stepped around the desk and shook Jared's hand. “My advice to you is to perpetuate the legacy of your grandfather—not just his business.”

“I'll try, sir.”

To Mary Lou he said, “I'm so sorry, Miss Ellison. You are a testament to the goodness of Mr. Ivy. I know the Good Lord will look after you. He always takes care of those who trust Him.”

And with those words, Judge Solomon Sawyer walked out the door of the church and left Jared and Mary Lou standing in the rubble of their lives.

Chapter Seventeen

M
ary Lou walked into the office and stood in the middle of the room staring. What would she do?

The door opened and closed quietly. She knew it was Jared.

“Will you stay?”

She didn't turn around. “I can't.”

“Grump would want me to ask you to stay.”

“You don't have to take care of me like your grandfather did, Jared.” She put her reticule on the desk. “I'm all grown up now. I know about real life and its challenges.” It took all of her effort to speak. The pain in her heart left her weak and sad. Sadder than she'd ever imagined.

Losing the paper was like losing Mr. Ivy all over again. Everywhere she looked there was a memory. She could almost hear the echoes of the laughter they'd shared and the fun they'd had working together.

“Please stay, Mary Lou.” There was sadness in his voice, too. Probably because he knew she had nowhere to go. But she couldn't stay because he felt obligated to care for her. That's how she'd ended up with her uncle. Her aunt had wanted her, but when she'd died her uncle had inherited the responsibility for Mary Lou.

She'd been passed down before. She wouldn't be passed along like that again.

Mary Lou turned around and looked at him. “Don't be sad. This should be a happy time for you. You've just inherited your family's legacy.” She took his hand in hers. “Thank you for asking. I'm very grateful. You'll never know how much, but I can't stay.” She released his hand.

Jared took a step back. “I'm glad you were right about Andrew. Will you do something for me? And for Andrew?”

“Anything.” She meant it. The two of them were the most important people in her life. And she was losing them both today. Andrew would be going to work on the Double Star Ranch and she and Jared would be parting ways within the hour.

“Write the story about the thefts.”

“Oh, you don't need me to do that. You've gotten so much better. And people respond to you so well. You'll have no trouble with that article or any other in the future. I think it's in your blood.”

“I want you to do it. You were here when Andrew came to the paper. It's only fitting for you to write his final chapter here. Andrew is free because of you.” He was serious.

“Okay. I'll do that.”

The front door banged open and Andrew burst into the room. “Miss Ellison, you saved me!” He darted around the desk and wrapped her in a hug. “I'll never forget what you've done for me. Never.” He lifted her off her feet.

Mary Lou laughed and pushed against Andrew's shoulders. “You need to put me down now.”

He dropped her to her feet but held her arms until she found her balance. “You had faith in me when no one else did.”

“Ahem...” Jared grunted behind him.

Andrew laughed and nodded his head in Jared's direction. “Well, he had faith in me after you convinced him to.”

They all laughed then. Mary Lou put a finger on his chest. “I want to make sure you get that job now.”

Andrew grinned. “You don't have to worry about that, either. Mr. Barlow was in the church today. He came by the livery and told me he was going to speak to Señor Morales this afternoon. He wants me to come out to the ranch to start work at first light tomorrow.”

Jared clapped Andrew on the back. “Well done, young man.”

“Thank you, Mr. Ivy.”

“If you need anything, you let me know. I worked on a ranch for several years before I came to Pine Haven. I'll be glad to help any way I can.”

The joy of the moment seeped into the brokenness of Mary Lou's heart. “Look at the two of you. I'm so grateful that God has made friends of two men who could so easily have become enemies.”

“We owe that to you, Mary Lou.” Jared's words were kind and tender. “You taught me to look deeper than the surface. You were right about Andrew. And so much more.”

“Then you owe your gratitude to your grandfather. He taught me that.”

Andrew hugged Mary Lou again. “I have to go talk to Mr. Warren. I'm going to work for him this afternoon, but I won't be back after that.” He headed for the door and shook Jared's hand. “Thank you for the offer of help. I'll let you know if I need it.” He looked over his shoulder at Mary Lou. “You take good care of her now.”

Jared smiled at Mary Lou. “I think she'll be all right. She's a strong lady.”

“It won't hurt for her to have someone looking after her like she looked after me.” He opened the door. “I think Mr. Ivy would have liked for you to take care of her.” Andrew waved and closed the door behind him. The happy tune he whistled faded as he walked toward the hotel.

Jared watched Andrew through the front window. “That's one exuberant young man.”

“Yes.” Mary Lou came to stand beside him. “Your grandfather loved him. He'd be very proud of him today. Andrew didn't take as long as some people do to find his way in life.”

“That's true of your relationship with Grump, too. I couldn't see it at first. Please forgive me.”

“There's nothing to forgive. You couldn't know what was going on here with Mr. Ivy. Your mother didn't give you that choice.”

“She blamed Grump for Pa's death. That's why she didn't want to stay here. She became a bitter woman.”

“He thought you blamed him for your father's death.”

Jared shook his head. “No. As a rancher you see the cycle of life and death every day. As a boy I may have wondered what happened, but as a man, I know it was no one's fault. My mother should have known that, too. Then maybe she wouldn't have kept me away from Grump.”

“You need to forgive your mother. It's the only way to move forward with your life. Hurt and anger, even bitterness, will keep you trapped in the past. Bitterness is a root that chokes the life out of your heart.”

“She kept me away from here. From Grump. I might even have gotten to know you without the strife of the inheritance hindering our friendship if she'd been open with me.”

“Forgive her and remember the good things. There had to be good things.” She watched his face as his mind searched for and found things that made him smile. “No one should only be remembered for the bad they've done.”

She sat at the desk. “I'll write the article now, if you don't mind. Then I'll get started clearing out my things.”

“There's no rush.”

“Just the same, it has to be done.” She pulled her pencil from its place over her ear and opened her notes.

Even with her head bowed over the desk, she could see his restlessness as he moved around the office doing one thing and then another.

Unable to focus on the article without her mind wandering to her uncertain future, Mary Lou took a full hour to complete the story. She slid it under the magnifying glass on the desk.

“I've finished.” The finality of the words hit her. She was done. Finished. What was next?

* * *

Jared came downstairs after lunch to find Mary Lou removing her personal belongings from the desk. Her movements were deliberate and steady. Unlike his heart that quivered in his chest at the thought of her leaving. But there was nothing he could do. He'd known she wouldn't stay, but he'd offered anyway. He couldn't help himself.

“You don't have to do that now.” He sat on the front corner of the desk while she sat behind it with the drawers open and papers askew.

“I do.” She put more papers on the desktop. “For me. I have to prepare for the next stage of my life.” She stopped for a moment. “Whatever that may be.”

He caught sight of her lists among the things she stacked. “Did you finish the things on your lists?”

“Most of them.”

He pulled them free of the other papers. “You accomplished everything on this one.” He held up the list about getting Andrew released and writing the Christmas articles.

“I don't have to finish the other things.”

She reached for the paper but he read aloud, “‘Find somewhere to live in case the judge gives Jared the paper. Search for a new job. Save money for the time between jobs. Deep clean the house before moving out.'” The more he read, the more he hated this day.

“You're embarrassing me.” She sat in the chair, watching him read her deepest fears. The ones he'd brought into reality.

“You have nothing to be embarrassed about. I'm the one who put you in this position.”

Mary Lou shook her head. “What else could you do?”

He didn't know what he could have done differently, but he wanted her to know he'd tried to find a way to keep from hurting her. He went to the composing table and got his journal. He put it in her hand.

“Open that to any page and read. I've read your deepest concerns. You should read mine.”

“I don't want to.” She pushed the book back at him.

“I'll read them to you.”

“You don't have to.”

“‘Find a way to make Mary Lou smile. Practice spelling. Ask Tucker Barlow about hiring Andrew even if he isn't cleared. Find a way to kiss Mary Lou again.'”

“Stop, Jared. We can't go back there. I told you it would tear us both apart.” She pulled a key from her reticule and opened the locked drawer on the left side of the desk. Another stack of papers from the drawer joined the ones teetering on the desk next to a rolled parchment tied with string.

“Why do you still have that?” He toyed with the string that held her copy of the deed to the
Record
.

Mary Lou sat back in the chair. There it was again—the fresh sadness of loss. “It's not valid anymore, but Judge Sawyer left it on the desk. I want to keep it as a memento of what can be achieved by hard work.” She pulled several of her notebooks from the drawer and held them in her lap, seemingly trapped in the memories they held.

“Can I help you?” He stood. Watching her felt so awkward, not helping seemed unkind, and offering to help seemed heartless. There was no good answer.

“No, thank you. I'll have it all out of your way in a few minutes.” She swooped her hands across the desk to rake the piles of paper into some sort of order. One handful at a time, she added them to a small crate by the desk. She reached out again and the deed rolled onto the floor and under the desk.

“Let me get it.” Before he had time to bend, she was on her knees under the desk. She grabbed the deed and banged her head on her way out from under the desk. “Ouch!”

Jared knelt beside her to see if she was injured. “Let me see.”

“You don't have to help me.” She sat on the floor, bent over under the desk and holding the crown of her head.

“Please, Mary Lou—” He tried again but she cut him off.

“What is this?”

He twisted to see what she was pointing at under the top of the desk. “It looks like a drawer.” He leaned out to look at the drawer side of the desk. “There is no front for this compartment.”

She ran her hands along the edges of the small boxlike shape. On the third side she stopped and reversed direction. “I think I found a keyhole.”

“Let me see.”

She laughed. “Really? There's not enough room for me under here, and you're already pushing in too close.”

He didn't want to, but he backed away. “Do you have a key for that?”

“I didn't know this existed.” She fumbled with the key that opened the drawer on the front of the desk. “This one doesn't work.”

“Let me try.” He held out his hand.

“I'll let you look at the key, but I promise you it doesn't work.” She showed him the key in her open palm.

“Try the other end.” It was intricate and much smaller than the opposite end.

“Why?”

“Just try it. Trust me.”

It took a bit of maneuvering, but she got the key into the lock. “You were right.” She tugged on the box and it dropped into her hands. She passed it out to him.

He left her under the desk and sat in the chair to explore the contents of the secret compartment. “There are several things in here. Photos of my parents. And Grump.” He became absorbed in the treasures she'd found until she came out from under the desk on her knees.

He offered his hand to help her up but she refused. “I'm fine.” She pivoted to use the desk to pull up to her feet, and then he saw it. She was trying to tuck something into the pocket of her skirt.

“What is that?”

“It's nothing.” She faced him and held something behind her back.

“What did you tell me about always being honest?”

“This is something, but it's mine. It was wedged between the box and the desk. It's private, and I don't wish to share it.”

He pointed at his journal where it lay across her lists. “We've already shared our private thoughts.”

“This is different.” She went to step around him and her skirt snagged on the crate that held her papers, tripping her.

Jared caught her in his arms and the paper she held fell to the floor. He made sure she was steady on her feet and bent to pick up the document. As if drawn by a force he couldn't resist, his eyes fell on the words at the top of the page.

Last Will and Testament.

He looked up at her.

“Don't read it. It doesn't matter.”

He unfolded the paper to see his grandfather's name and last wishes. The wording of the document was much like the will he'd given to Judge Sawyer. The signature was the same. He was certain of it. And according to the date, it was only three years old.

“Mary Lou, Grump gave the paper to you.” A weight like none he'd ever known lifted from him. He took a deep breath. The first one since the judge had ruled in his favor.

“It doesn't matter. Mr. Ivy wanted you to have it. I was only a second choice to a man who had no one else.” She shrugged one shoulder. “He'd rather have had you.”