Brighter than Gold (Western Rebels Book 1) (49 page)

Katie hurried toward the defense table and whispered to Humphrey. Places were made for her, Sam, and the unidentified man to sit on the bench behind the table, and Victoria was sworn in. When Jack returned to his chair, Katie leaned forward to clasp his hand. Beaming, she whispered, “I love you.” Jack’s heart swelled with relief and hope.

“So, Mrs. Barnstaple, I understand that you were a passenger on the stagecoach the day Harold Van Hosten and Brian MacKenzie were shot,” Humphrey began. “Why didn’t you come forward sooner if you saw what happened?”

“Well, the Griffin wasn’t caught, and I suppose I was afraid to get involved. It was a very shocking experience. I didn’t want to think about it afterward.” She trembled like a frightened sparrow at the memory. “Also, I was a close friend of Brian MacKenzie’s, and I was very upset by his death. I was angry at the Griffin for attacking the stagecoach! But if he might be hanged for this, it’s only right that I come forward and tell the truth.”

“And what is that?” prompted Humphrey.

“I saw it all. Harold Van Hosten had a gun, and Brian tried to get it away from him. The Griffin told Brian not to interfere, but he was too good and brave....” Victoria began to weep. “Such a good man! Mr. Van Hosten’s gun went off, and that was how Brian died. Then, Mr. Van Hosten tried to shoot the Griffin, who fired in self-defense. In fact, I am certain that the stage driver also fired, and he may have been the one who killed Mr. Van Hosten.”

Charles Milton gruffly declined to cross-examine.

Next, the fat young man took the stand, identifying himself as Lawrence Learoyd of Sonora. He testified that he had been on the stagecoach with Katie and Conrad when it was stopped by the Griffin.

“I had been sleeping, and at first I thought I was having a hideous nightmare!” he cried dramatically. “The man demanded our money, and then another man, also dressed in a long duster and hood, jumped down from a ledge on the cliff above. He told the first man to throw down his shotgun, but he—the first man, that is—tried to fight instead, and the gun went off. Soon after that, he—the first man, that is, the one who was killed—was unmasked, and I recognized him as Aaron Rush, the mine owner. He was an acquaintance of my uncle’s. What I want to say is that the killing was accidental. I believe in doing what’s right, and that’s why when Mrs. Wyatt and Mr. Clemens sought me out yesterday, I agreed to come here and testify. I don’t know any of these people. I just want to do what’s right.” Learoyd extracted a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped his moist, moon-shaped face.

“Will you cross-examine, Mr. Milton?” the judge asked.

“No,” he muttered sourly.

“Thank you, Mr. Learoyd,” said Humphrey, smiling. “You may step down. Your Honor, lastly I would like to call Mrs. Jonathan Wyatt to the stand.”

Katie strode regally to the front of the courtroom, her violet silk dress rustling softly. When she began to testify, her voice was clear and calm.

“I would like first of all to verify what Mr. Learoyd has said. I was also a passenger on that stage, but since I am Jack’s wife, I knew that my testimony would not be sufficient to convince the jury. I didn’t know then that my husband was the Griffin. The truth is, I hated the Griffin because I believed that he was responsible for my father’s death. I understand now that it was an accident, and I know that Jonathan Wyatt would have died himself before knowingly allowing any harm to come to my father. They were very fond of each other. Papa would not have wanted Jack to be blamed in any way for his death. The truth is that Harold Van Hosten caused not only Papa’s death, but his own, just as Aaron Rush chose his own fate rather than be exposed for the truly evil man he was.” Katie paused to take a deep breath, then continued, “I didn’t know Jonathan Wyatt very well when I married him but I learned to trust him as I discovered what a truly fine man he is. I love him, but I also respect him. As the Griffin, he only tried to see that justice was done. Aaron Rush impersonated him and sullied his reputation, but I can testify that it absolutely could not have been Jack acting as the Griffin during the past three months, because he was in San Francisco with me.” One crystal tear spilled onto her cheek. “I realize that the jury may think I am biased, but I am also honest. Jonathan Wyatt is the best man I know, and he deserves to be free.”

* * *

At four o’clock, barely an hour after the jury had retired to deliberate the case, they sent word that they had reached a verdict. Jack was returned from his jail cell, and Sam and Katie both stood up as he approached the defense table. Sam gave his friend a hug, and Katie wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.

“I love you, sweetheart,” Jack said hoarsely. “And, no man could ask for a better friend, Sam.... Thank you.”

He was told to stand as the jury filed in and the foreman stood to read the verdict. Jack said a silent prayer, while Katie began to tremble as she clutched Sam’s hand. Her heart threatened to burst, it was beating so hard.

“Gentlemen of the jury, have you reached a verdict?” Judge Kincaid intoned.

“We have, Your Honor,” replied the foreman. “We the jury find Jonathan Wyatt innocent in the deaths of Harold Van Hosten, Brian MacKenzie, and Aaron Rush.”

The judge looked at Jack. “You’re a lucky man, Mr. Wyatt. I suggest that you take your wife home to San Francisco and forget about this Griffin business once and for all.”

Jack flashed a grin. “With pleasure, Your Honor.”

Epilogue

San Francisco, California

June 21, 1865

“Happy birthday, Katie!” the guests chorused as Mrs. Gosling set the beautifully decorated cake on the marble table in the parlor.

“Do you have a birthday wish?” asked Hope Menloe.

Katie turned to Jack, who smiled at her with sleepy green eyes, thinking that his wife had never looked more beautiful. Clad in a gown of pale yellow muslin that flowed gracefully over her swollen belly, she was a vision of summer radiance, her black curls swept back in a simple yellow ribbon.

“I couldn’t wish for anything more than I have right now, unless it might be an extra prayer for a healthy baby.”

“The baby is coming in August, isn’t it?” asked Hope. Smiling at Ambrose she added, “Goodness! You’ll be a great-grandfather!”

Katie nodded. “We can hardly wait. You’ll help me decorate the nursery and pick out baby clothes, won’t you?”

“I’ve already begun embroidering little dresses!” Hope laughed.

“I still can’t believe that you were... with child when we traveled to Columbia in January, Katie,” Conrad complained for the dozenth time in four months. “Why, all sorts of things could have gone amiss—”

“But they didn’t did they?” she replied sweetly. “Don’t fret so, Conrad. You’re too young to have those little wrinkles between your eyebrows. Besides, everything turned out just as it should have—even Jack’s trial.” She laughed. “Thank goodness for that, otherwise Sam and I would have been forced to put our alternate plan into action.”

“Do I want to know about this?” Jack asked, pretending to cringe.

“I don’t know why not. We were simply going to break you out of jail if they’d sentenced you to hang,” she replied offhandedly.

“Of course,” he murmured. “I should have guessed.”

Katie began to cut the cake, all the while surveying her guests. “I am so very happy!” she announced. “It’s staggering to think how much my life has changed since my last birthday. Then, I never would have imagined that I would fall in love, let alone get married... or leave Columbia. I miss Papa at times like this, yet I have to remember that other people have entered my life who love me. I have a tremendous amount to be grateful for.”

“Well, we’re grateful, too, sweetheart,” said Ambrose. “You’re a ray of sunshine in this house.”

Katie grinned at him. “I love you, too, Grandfather!” Then, handing a cake-laden plate to Lim Sung, she inquired, “Lim, how have you been? I don’t think you’ve come to see me all this month.”

“I’m happy, Katie. I like San Francisco, and I’m glad to be with my family again.” He lowered his voice, blushing slightly. “You haven’t seen me very much because I’ve been courting Li Wong, the girl my parents introduced me to. I like her very much....”

“Well, you are nineteen now,” Katie said doubtfully. “You’ll have to bring Li to dinner soon. We’d like to meet her.” She glanced over at Conrad and Emma. Sunlight glinted off the new diamond ring Emma wore on her left hand. “Love certainly seems to be in the air.”

Ambrose cleared his throat suddenly, and Hope turned pink. Katie, in the process of passing out the last pieces of cake, gave Jack a mischievous look.

Then they all took seats and chatted amiably over coffee and birthday cake. Katie shared the news from Abby’s latest letter. The Hendersons had purchased the saloon but kept the name unchanged in honor of Brian, and they had moved into Katie’s house in March. “It was silly for them to live with Gideon’s mother while my house stood empty,” Katie explained. “I wanted it to be lived in, and with a baby coming, they can certainly use the extra space. They both sound very happy, and apparently the town is, too. Finally, after I don’t know how many years of doing without, Columbia has found a sheriff. Jack’s old friend Missouri Dan has taken the job!”

“Just the man to breathe some new life into that town,” Jack said, chuckling.

Hope spoke up. “I have a bit of news, too. I saw Elizabeth Braithwaite at Madame Braust’s yesterday, and she said that Genevieve is engaged to marry a wealthy banker from New York. They’ll make their home there, and apparently will be sailing next week.”

“How lovely,” Katie remarked. “I can’t think of a better place for Miss Braithwaite than New York.” While her guests laughed, she gazed pensively out the window.

“What’s wrong, darling?” Jack smoothed back one of the loose curls that had fallen over her brow.

Katie sighed and turned to him with a wistful smile.

“I miss Sam. How I wish he could be here today! It seems like an eternity since he left for the Sandwich Islands. I keep thinking about the fate that befell Captain Cook, and I can’t help worrying about Sam.”

Jack laughed. “Allow me to set your mind at ease, my sweet.” He reached into the inner pocket of his coat and withdrew a letter. “This arrived two days ago, but Sam asked that I save it for your birthday.”

“He remembered?” Katie exclaimed, delighted.

“Kathleen,
no
one forgets about you!” Eyes twinkling, he opened the letter and read aloud:

“Birthday Greetings, dear Katie! When I return, we’ll celebrate again. The schooner leaves within the hour, so I must be brief, but I wanted to assure you and Jack that I am well. I have been hard at work on my articles for the
Union
about the sugar interest, and recently managed to carry off an exclusive story that you may have heard about. While in Honolulu, I met with the survivors of the clipper
Hornet,
which had burned on the line. They were mere skin-and-bone relics, having spent forty-three days in an open boat on ten days’ provisions. I wrote an article about the matter and flung it aboard a schooner bound for California. It should be the only full account in print. Aren’t you sorry now that you didn’t fund my journey to the Sandwich Islands, Jack? Perhaps when I return to San Francisco, I’ll break into the lecture field.... In the meantime, Katie, you have my permission to steal any or all of what I wrote in the
Union
for an article of your own. I’m glad to hear that your ‘condition’ hasn’t put a stop to your journalistic pursuits.

“I miss you both, and often reminisce mistily of our adventures in the foothills. I hope to be on hand when your baby is born, trusting that he will be named Samuel—or, Mark, perhaps? Either one will do. Until then, I remain, your faithful comrade, Sam.”

“Oh, how good to hear from him,” Katie said happily.

“You know,” mused Jack, “I predict that Sam won’t linger long in San Francisco once he returns from the Sandwich Islands. His reputation is growing even in his absence, and intuition tells me that he’ll soon travel east in pursuit of real fame and fortune.”

“Yes, you’re probably right,” Katie agreed, “but in the meantime, we can enjoy him for as long as he does remain with us.”

Before long, the guests began to depart, and Katie thanked each of them for their gifts and their friendship. Conrad and Ambrose left to escort their ladies home, and then Lim, who was the last to leave, said good-bye as well. As Katie closed the front door behind him, Jack gathered her into his strong embrace, and she contentedly pressed her face against his chest.