night in a brothel...” The whispers came from one of the pews to Emma Jane Logan Jackson’s left. But as she looked in the direction of the sound, all she saw were pious young women seemingly engrossed in their Bibles.
Jasper reached over and patted her hand. “Ignore them,” he said quietly, clasping the fingers that rested in the crook of his arm and giving them a gentle squeeze. Odd to be receiving this small amount of comfort from the virtual stranger she’d just recently married. He’d barely talked to her, let alone touched her, since their wedding two weeks ago.
Ignoring the gossip was easy enough for him to say. He was Jasper Jackson, son of the richest man in Leadville. But Emma Jane? She’d spent her whole life the laughingstock of town.
Smoothing the delicate fabric of the pale blue silk dress her mother-in-law had purchased for her, Emma Jane remembered all the times she’d wished for finer clothes to wear to church. She’d been wrong in thinking a new dress would keep the other women from talking about her. Whether it had been the poorly mended hand-me-downs, her father’s drinking, her mother’s antics in trying to make their family more respectable and even Emma Jane’s own awkwardness, people always found a way to make fun of her.
All she’d ever wanted was to find respectability in the town’s eyes, but even with marriage to Leadville’s most eligible bachelor, it eluded her.
“I thought getting married was supposed to stop all the talk,” Emma Jane whispered back.
Jasper squeezed her hand again. “It will be all right. Eventually some other scandal will hit town, and they’ll forget all about the circumstances of our nuptials. Soon enough, they’ll be begging to be invited to tea because they can’t resist the Jackson fortune.”
His emphasis on the words the Jackson fortune made Emma Jane stop and look at him. Her strikingly handsome husband, with his dark good looks, seemed almost bitter, like he resented having so much wealth. Surely being well-to-do was a good thing. With her father’s rising and falling fortunes, she knew both what it was like to be in plenty and in want, and frankly, she’d much rather have the plenty.
“What do you expect from a marriage practically forced on him by a scheming...”
Emma Jane turned in the direction of the voice, but all she saw was a group of women demurely peeking behind their fans. She squared her shoulders, straightened her back and gave them all a tight little smile. The only scheming going on was among the other women and their nasty gossip.
Jasper tugged at her hand again. “It’s not worth it. They’re just jealous because they aren’t Mrs. Jasper Jackson.”
More of the bitter tone as he emphasized Mrs. Jasper Jackson.
“You seem...” Emma Jane struggled for a descriptor that might induce her reticent husband to talk to her about it.
His lips turned upward in a smile that looked to be more painful than the effort was worth. “It’s no secret that every woman in town wanted to marry me.” He snorted. “Or, at least, they wanted to marry my fortune.”
Then he looked down at her, his dark brow creasing. “I’m sorry. I know our marriage benefited your family financially. I didn’t mean to insult you.”
She couldn’t give an answer to that, even if he’d wanted her to. The truth was, her family had insisted on the marriage, more for the funds it would bring to their coffers than any cares for Emma Jane’s reputation. Her father had gambled away her sister Gracie’s hand to settle a debt, and the only way to save Gracie from marriage to the town’s most odious man had been for Emma Jane to marry into wealth. Her mother had come up with a scheme for Emma Jane to trap Jasper into marriage, but Emma Jane hadn’t been able to go through with it.
Fortunately for the Logan family, Emma Jane’s clumsiness took over where her conscience wouldn’t let her act. She’d ended up trapped overnight in a mine with Jasper. Emma Jane’s reputation at stake, marriage to Jasper was the only solution. Her family caused such a fuss that the Jacksons were glad to give them whatever funds necessary to avoid any further embarrassment. Emma Jane’s family left town shortly after the wedding, pockets full of Jasper’s money.
No wonder he was bitter.
Jasper cleared his throat. “It just would be nice, you know, if people cared about what I wanted to do with my life.”
“Forgive me,” Emma Jane said softly, pulling her hand out of his arm, then she tugged at the lace edging on the sleeve of her dress.
She hadn’t considered what their marriage had cost Jasper. Nor had she thought about what he’d wanted. Her parents had browbeat her into the marriage, and because it was what Emma Jane had always done, she’d meekly agreed.
“No, forgive me.” Jasper took her hand again and settled it back into the crook of his arm. “It was a thoughtless remark. You had as little choice in the matter as I did. Honestly, my frustration isn’t even about that. I just can’t stand the way everyone is so concerned with trivial matters.”
Now that Emma Jane could understand. “We should find our seats,” she said, tugging at her husband’s arm.
“You go on. I see the sheriff has arrived.”
Jasper’s brow furrowed, and the line between his eyes had deepened. His thick, dark hair flopped over, seeming to have ignored the way he’d slicked it back earlier this morning.
“Is everything all right?” She followed his gaze and noticed Sheriff Calhoune standing on the other side of the church.
“We’re tracking down some of the bandits who got away the night of the brothel fire. I’m hoping he has some leads. This town’s not safe with scoundrels like them on the loose.”
The brothel fire. Jasper had spent their wedding night helping their friend, Will Lawson, rescue an innocent young lady from the clutches of a gang of bandits. During the rescue, the brothel had gone up in flames, creating chaos in their community. With Jasper’s scornful words about no one caring about what he wanted, it seemed wrong to prevent him from speaking with the sheriff. Even if church was about to start.
“I’ll see you at our seat,” she said.
Jasper gave a quick nod before turning away.
Polite strangers, that’s what they were. And while part of her yearned to know more about this enigmatic man she married, she couldn’t bear to impose on him any more than she already had.
“Don’t be a bother, Emma Jane.” Her mother’s words echoed in her head. Day and night, she’d worked so hard to not be. But because of her, Jasper was in a marriage he didn’t want. How could she ask him to give more than he already had?
The sound of giggles to her right drew Emma Jane’s attention. A beautiful baby girl, with golden hair and dressed in a pretty lace dress, bounced on a woman’s lap.
“Your baby is darling,” Emma Jane said to the woman, who gave her a smile in return.
“Thank you.”
“What’s her name?”
“Hannah.”
“What a lovely name. I’m Emma Jane...” She paused at the introduction. No longer Logan, it didn’t seem right to call herself Jackson, either.
Would being married ever seem normal?
“Pleased to meet you. I’m Pamela Woodward.” The baby reached in Emma Jane’s direction. “Would you like to hold her?”
Emma Jane automatically took Hannah in her arms, breathing in the soft powdery scent. Her heart warmed as the baby immediately snuggled up to her.
Hannah pulled at the collar on Emma Jane’s dress, and Emma Jane gently took the baby’s tiny hands in hers. Such a sweet child.
Which was when it hit her. Married to Jasper, there would be no children. He’d told her, just before they were married, that theirs was to be a marriage in name only.