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Authors: To Seduce andDefend
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reached across the café table to rest her hand on top of Sarah’s. “So many years together … how could he?”
Sarah gave a quick shrug and then met Jennie’s gaze. “How could your husband marry Luna Lee?”
Jennie looked away, feeling suddenly exposed and vulnerable. Sarah placed her other hand on top of Jennie’s and patted it.
“It’s a small town, dear heart,” Sarah said, softly. “Word gets around fast as a lightning strike. I think it’s quite big-hearted of you to take your husband back after he had married Luna.”
Jennie shook her head, still unable able to meet Sarah’s gaze again. “I didn’t know he had married her.”
“Wh-what? He didn’t tell you what he’d been up to here?”
“He came to Guthrie to buy land for us, but when he returned to St. Louis he said that the land was over-priced and not good for farming.” She sat back and forced herself to look across the table at Sarah again. The older woman was smiling sadly and shaking her head. “After his death, I found the deed to land he had purchased.”
“That must have been quite a surprise.”
“I was confused. I couldn’t understand why he had kept it from me. So I came here to sort it out and to claim the property.”
“And that’s when you found out about him and Luna Lee. Were you visiting her when I came upon you this morning?”
“I tried to visit with her, but she wouldn’t even acknowledge me! She was very rude. Do you know her well?”
Sarah laughed softly under her breath and let go of Jennie’s hands. “Everyone in town knows her. Am I a friend of hers? No.”
“I heard that she is married now to a wealthy man.”
“That’s right. A retired judge. She is a social climber, but I can’t fault her for that. Some of my best friends married for position and money and hoped that love would come after. What do you plan to do now?”
“I plan to claim the land that I know Charles would want me and his son to own.”
Surprise flitted through Sarah’s dark eyes and frown lines bracketed her thin-lipped mouth. “What does Zachary Warner say about that?”
“We haven’t discussed it fully as yet. He didn’t want me to meet Luna, but I thought I could sit down with her to discuss this misunderstanding and come to a reasonable conclusion. Once she understands that Charles and I reconciled and that he only came here to provide a better life for his wife and child, she will surely agree the land should be ours. What does she need with it now anyway?”
“If you want my advice … and I’m giving it to you whether you want it or not … you should follow Counselor Warner’s instructions. You are a stranger here and he knows these people and how things work and how they
don’t
work in Guthrie. He has helped many a woman out of a thicket of troubles, I can tell you.”
“Has he helped you? You trust him and Mr. Polk?”
“Yes, I trust them, and when my divorce petition is finally filed, I know Counselor Warner will use every legal weapon at his disposal to grab as much money as possible from my philandering husband.”
“It appears he was right about Luna. He said she wouldn’t talk to me. But why is she being so hateful?
I’m
the wronged party! She has remarried and lives in a fancy house. She has the world on a string, so why would she be afraid of speaking with me about Charles and his intentions?”
“She probably is of a mind that she doesn’t
have
to speak to you. As far as she’s concerned, you are the ex-wife of her late husband and have no claims on any property that is now legally hers.”
“But that can’t be.” Jennie folded her arms and rested her elbows on the table top, refusing to acknowledge that there was any logic in Sarah’s reasoning. “Charles came here to purchase land for
us
, not for some other woman. I didn’t even know about the divorce! That certainly can’t be right.”
“It doesn’t sound fair at all,” Sarah agreed and offered a smile. “Counselor
Sarah gave a quick shrug and then met Jennie’s gaze. “How could your husband marry Luna Lee?”
Jennie looked away, feeling suddenly exposed and vulnerable. Sarah placed her other hand on top of Jennie’s and patted it.
“It’s a small town, dear heart,” Sarah said, softly. “Word gets around fast as a lightning strike. I think it’s quite big-hearted of you to take your husband back after he had married Luna.”
Jennie shook her head, still unable able to meet Sarah’s gaze again. “I didn’t know he had married her.”
“Wh-what? He didn’t tell you what he’d been up to here?”
“He came to Guthrie to buy land for us, but when he returned to St. Louis he said that the land was over-priced and not good for farming.” She sat back and forced herself to look across the table at Sarah again. The older woman was smiling sadly and shaking her head. “After his death, I found the deed to land he had purchased.”
“That must have been quite a surprise.”
“I was confused. I couldn’t understand why he had kept it from me. So I came here to sort it out and to claim the property.”
“And that’s when you found out about him and Luna Lee. Were you visiting her when I came upon you this morning?”
“I tried to visit with her, but she wouldn’t even acknowledge me! She was very rude. Do you know her well?”
Sarah laughed softly under her breath and let go of Jennie’s hands. “Everyone in town knows her. Am I a friend of hers? No.”
“I heard that she is married now to a wealthy man.”
“That’s right. A retired judge. She is a social climber, but I can’t fault her for that. Some of my best friends married for position and money and hoped that love would come after. What do you plan to do now?”
“I plan to claim the land that I know Charles would want me and his son to own.”
Surprise flitted through Sarah’s dark eyes and frown lines bracketed her thin-lipped mouth. “What does Zachary Warner say about that?”
“We haven’t discussed it fully as yet. He didn’t want me to meet Luna, but I thought I could sit down with her to discuss this misunderstanding and come to a reasonable conclusion. Once she understands that Charles and I reconciled and that he only came here to provide a better life for his wife and child, she will surely agree the land should be ours. What does she need with it now anyway?”
“If you want my advice … and I’m giving it to you whether you want it or not … you should follow Counselor Warner’s instructions. You are a stranger here and he knows these people and how things work and how they
don’t
work in Guthrie. He has helped many a woman out of a thicket of troubles, I can tell you.”
“Has he helped you? You trust him and Mr. Polk?”
“Yes, I trust them, and when my divorce petition is finally filed, I know Counselor Warner will use every legal weapon at his disposal to grab as much money as possible from my philandering husband.”
“It appears he was right about Luna. He said she wouldn’t talk to me. But why is she being so hateful?
I’m
the wronged party! She has remarried and lives in a fancy house. She has the world on a string, so why would she be afraid of speaking with me about Charles and his intentions?”
“She probably is of a mind that she doesn’t
have
to speak to you. As far as she’s concerned, you are the ex-wife of her late husband and have no claims on any property that is now legally hers.”
“But that can’t be.” Jennie folded her arms and rested her elbows on the table top, refusing to acknowledge that there was any logic in Sarah’s reasoning. “Charles came here to purchase land for
us
, not for some other woman. I didn’t even know about the divorce! That certainly can’t be right.”
“It doesn’t sound fair at all,” Sarah agreed and offered a smile. “Counselor
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