Page 51 of Taming Lady Temperance

Mrs. Templeton pressed her lips together, shame darkening her cheeks. Cheeks that were already starting to bruise.

He tipped his chin toward her face. “Did Claude hit you, ma’am?”

She said nothing.

James worked his jaw. He wanted to help. To protect these women. But if they closed ranks on him, his hands would be tied.

“Did he thrash your daughter?”

Trudy’s eyes lifted to meet his, desperation screaming from their blue depths. “Have you seen my Luella? Is she . . . ?” Gathering tears added a sheen to her eyes that tugged on James’s heart.

“She’s alive, ma’am. Dr. Perry was tending her when I left the schoolhouse.”

“Thank God.” The woman seemed to crater in front of him. James took hold of her arm and guided her to the sofa.

As much as he wanted to sit beside her and offer comfort and compassion, he had a job to do. “Where’s your husband, Mrs. Templeton?”

“Gone.”

“Where?”

Her hands shook as she smoothed the fabric of her skirt over her knees. “Don’t know. Don’t want to know.”

Keeping his voice gentle, James sought her face. “He’ll be back, Trudy.”

She nodded. “I know. But Lu and I won’t be here. I’m takin’ her to my son’s home in Abilene. Soon as she’s well enough to make the trip. We can stay with Miss Lockwood until then. She came to see me after the parade. Said if Luella or I ever needed a place to stay for a night or two, she kept a guest room ready.” Trudy rose from the sofa and turned pleading eyes on James. “My husband’s not a bad man, Deputy. He loves us. He just . . . forgets himself when he drinks.”

A circumstance that happened far too frequently of late.

“He could have killed your daughter today. Had he assaulted anyone else to that extreme, he’d already be behind bars. You need to help me protect her. Protect you.”

Trudy’s mouth pinched. “By shaming my husband in public? That’s what brought this on in the first place. Luella spoke out against him in front of his friends. She never should have done that. Had the child minded her own business, none of this would have happened.”

James’s gut hardened. “What happened to Luella is not her fault. Not any more than the bruises on your face are yours. The blame belongs to your husband, and him alone.”

The man sickened James, taking out his anger and self-loathing on women and children. Making them feel as if they were the ones to blame for his despicable actions. Endangering the lives of the precious souls God had placed in his care. The man deserved to be behind bars, preferably after accumulating a few bruises of his own. Though as much as James itched to mete out some frontier justice, he’d not dishonor his God by forfeiting his honor. Vengeance belonged to the Lord, not to man. James would have to trust the Lord to repay Claude for his wrongs, especially if Trudy refused to press charges.

The woman raised her chin, a spark of defiance and an entire bonfire of pride radiating from her tear-filled eyes. “Thank you for coming to check on me, Deputy, but I need to ask you to leave. I’ve no crime to report and no time for pointless conversations. You can see yourself out.”

A sigh deflated his chest. Expecting her lack of cooperation didn’t make receiving it any less disappointing. Yet he’d not leave her out here unprotected should Claude return sooner than anticipated.

“Yes, ma’am.” He dipped his chin in deference. “I’ll hitch up your wagon and have the team ready to go by the time you finish packing. Then I’ll follow you into town.”

She gave a disdainful sniff. “Suit yourself.”

James smiled. He’d take that as a thank-you.

Trudy didn’t dally. By the time James tacked up the team, hitched them to the wagon, and drove to the front of the house, a large leather suitcase and a bulging carpetbag sat waiting for him on the porch. He tossed them into the wagon bed, then found Trudy locking the front door with a third bag tucked under her arm.

James hurried up the steps. “I’ll get that for you, ma’am.”

She offered no protest as he relieved her of her physical burden. He wished he could relieve her of her emotional burden as well. The woman looked haggard and defeated as she turned her back on her home.

After storing the last of her luggage, James offered Mrs. Templeton a hand up as she climbed into the driver’s seat. She collected the reins, her eyes focused straight ahead. James started to move away, then halted when she finally spoke.

“Would you . . .” She swallowed, probably to rid her throat of the pride obstructing her plea. “Would you arrange for the wagon and team to be returned?”

“I’ll take care of it personally.” It would give him a reason to plant himself in Claude’s house and wait for him to come crawling back.