The Way Home (24 page)

CHAPTER 11

The words hung in the air and Ty had the urge to look around to see who had uttered them. It couldn’t have been he. It was, as he might have expected, his mother who recovered first.

”You wouldn’t have gotten married without telling us,” she said, the words more a plea than a statement.

“I’m sorry, Mother. If we’d known you were going to be home today, of course we would have waited. Wouldn’t we have, dear?” He gave Meg a look that was both warning and promise.

She nodded dazedly, obviously responding more to his tone than to his words. She looked as if she were in shock. Ty gave her a reassuring smile, hoping it didn’t look as desperate as it felt.

“A wedding. Isn’t this exciting!” Edwina clapped her hands together, giving the “newlyweds” an indulgent look.

She’d been so quiet throughout the proceedings that Ty had nearly forgotten her presence. But he was suddenly glad she was here. With Edwina sure to spread the news about their “marriage,” it could make Davis hesitate before causing any real trouble. Considering his concern for his precious name, he might think twice about creating a full-blown scandal.

“But you can’t be married,” Helen protested. “Not to Meg Harper.”

“Careful, Mother.” Ty kept his smile in place with an effort, wondering what she’d say when she found out that she was right — he wasn’t married but that he had every intention of making the lie a reality.

“I can’t believe you’ve done this.” For the first time, genuine tears sprang to her eyes, and she groped for the handkerchief she was never without. “The airplanes were one thing. I thought you might grow out of those, but now you’ve thrown your life away on a — “

“That’s enough now, Helen.” Elliot’s placid voice cut through his wife’s shrill protest. She looked as if she might continue but caught his eyes and subsided into soft sobs instead, muffling them with a lace-edged handkerchief. “Congratulations, son.” Ty met his father’s look and knew that at least one person in the room was not in the least fooled by his hasty announcement.

“He’s lying!” Davis was so agitated that he momentarily forsook his safe position behind Ben Marlon, bumping into the other man in his haste to come forward. “He’s lying to keep me from getting what’s rightfully mine.”

“Meg isn’t a piece of property,” Ty snapped, taking a quick step forward. Seeing the look in his eyes, Davis retreated, putting Sheriff Marlon’s bulk between himself and Ty.

“He’s lying,” he said again, giving Ty a venomous look. “It’s not possible that they’re married.”

“I was a witness,” Jack said calmly, speaking for the first time since the whole scene had begun. “It looked pretty possible to me.”

Ty didn’t even look at him. He’d known he could count on Jack to back him up. His attention was all for Harlan Davis, whose face twisted with anger.

“You’re his friend,” Davis snapped furiously. “Of course you’d lie for him.”

“I don’t much like being called a liar,” Jack said, all his usual good humor gone, leaving him looking cold and hard. “Now, hold on a minute.” Ben Marlon raised one large hand in a gesture that commanded silence. “I want all of you to be quiet while I get things sorted out.” He paused to make sure his order was being heeded and then turned his attention to Ty. “So, the two of you were married yesterday. Mind telling me where?”

“In Hemdale. Meg’s sister lives there. She was our other witness.”

“What about a license?” Davis demanded, pushing himself forward again. “You can’t get one of those overnight.”

“I’ve-had the license for a couple of weeks,” Ty said easily. Inwardly he was amazed by his hitherto undiscovered talent for lying. “We’d planned to wait until my parents returned from Europe, but when Meg was forced to run away, we decided that we shouldn’t delay any longer.”

He ignored Davis, keeping his eyes on Ben Marlon’s face. If Ben believed him, even halfway, he’d have managed to buy some time.

“Ask him for the marriage certificate,” Davis demanded. “Ask him and you’ll see he’s lying.”

“Harlan, if you don’t stop telling me how to do my job, I’m going to arrest you for interfering with an officer in the performance of his duty.” Ben turned and looked down at the smaller man with an expression that suggested he wouldn’t mind an excuse to do just that.

“You can’t do that.” Davis’s eyes were nearly popping with outrage.

“And just who do you think is going to stop me?”

“It wouldn’t be legal.”

“It’s a fine legal point, all right,” Ben said, stroking his chin thoughtfully. “We’d probably have to have a judge decide whether or not you were guilty. And that would mean setting a date for a hearing. And, after I’d arrested you, I’d feel obliged to put you in jail, leastwise till you raised the bail.”

Aghast, Harlan stared at the sheriff, reading the calm threat in his eyes. He opened his mouth to offer another protest. Ben lifted one eyebrow. Harlan’s mouth shut with a snap. It was all Ty could do to keep from laughing out loud. His good humor faded when Ben turned back to him.

“How about it, Ty? If you can show me a marriage certificate, I reckon we can end this whole thing right here.”

Ty hesitated, knowing that it could all fall apart right here. Where his hand still rested on her shoulder, he felt the tension in Meg’s frame.

“I don’t suppose you’d like to show me the marriage certificate,” Ben repeated, sounding as if he already knew the answer to that question.

“I left it in the judge’s chambers.” The tissue of lies was growing thin enough for the sun to shine through it, Ty thought, but he didn’t drop his eyes from the sheriff’s.

“He doesn’t have it,” Harlan said triumphantly. “He doesn’t have it because there isn’t a certificate.”

For once the little weasel was speaking nothing but the truth. The question was, would Ben believe him? Ty had almost given up the game for lost when help came from an unexpected quarter.

“Well, I can’t say for certain that they’re married, of course.” Edwina hadn’t said anything since her comment about them being newlyweds and Ty had nearly forgotten her. Now he swung his eyes in her direction. “But Ty did come over yesterday afternoon and ask me if he could pick a few of my roses for a wedding bouquet. My roses bloom later than most people’s, you know,” she said, looking smug. “Some people have said it’s because they have a sheltered location.” She cast a pointed look in Helen’s direction. “That may have something to do with it, 1 suppose. But I also take the most particular care of them and I do think that makes a difference.”

“And you
gave
him the roses,” Helen asked, as if, without the roses, Ty couldn’t possibly have gotten married.

“Well, I didn’t see any reason not to, Helen. After all, I did tell you that I’d keep an eye on him and make sure he had everything he needed.”

“So you’re saying Ty told you he was going to get married?” Ben asked, ignoring the interruption and expressing no interest in how late Edwina’s roses bloomed or what the cause might be.

“Well, he said he wanted roses for a wedding bouquet,” she lied without a blink. “I didn’t ask
whose
bouquet, of course. I’m not one to pry,” she added mendaciously.

Ty didn’t have it in him to wonder why Edwina Vanderbilt had just lied through her teeth for him. For the moment he didn’t care. All that mattered was that she’d helped patch a few of the holes in his story, at least for the moment.

Sheriff Marlon looked from Edwina to Ty to Jack and back to Ty again before dropping to Meg. Her head was lowered, her hair swinging forward to conceal her face in a golden curtain. She wore a dress that belonged to Jack’s sister, a subdued gray and blue print, the cut as conservative as a nun’s habit, which was one of the reasons Beryl had been quite happy to part with it.

As if sensing the sheriff’s gaze on her, Meg lifted her head, meeting his eyes with a blank look that asked for nothing, expected less.

“Well, I guess I’ve heard all I need to.” Ben spoke abruptly, taking his hat out from beneath his arm and dusting it against the side of his pants.

“I’ll be taking Meg home with me,” Harlan said, sensing victory in his grasp. Ty felt the shiver that ran over Meg and tensed.

“Just a minute, Davis.” Ben’s beefy hand caught his arm. “Far as I’m concerned, Meg stays right where she is. With her husband.”

It was all Ty could do to keep from sagging with relief. Now that Ben had shown himself willing to accept the story he’d spun, it was possible to admit just how little he’d believed the desperate lie would work.

“Husband!” Harlan’s mouth gaped. “You can’t believe this … this lie they’re telling, Sheriff. They don’t even have a marriage certificate.”

“Well, now, I’ll admit that’s a concern, but I figure, as long as Ty agrees to bring the certificate by my office in the next day or two, there’s no real problem.” He gave Ty a shrewd look, his eyes holding a warning. “You ought to be able to get a copy of that certificate by then, Ty.”

“I’ll have it,” Ty said steadily.

“Be sure you do.” Ben clapped his hat on his head and nodded his farewells. “Sorry to interrupt your day like this, folks.”

“That’s quite all right, Sheriff,” Elliot said, setting his pipe down and rising. “We understand you have to do your duty. Let me see you to the door.”

For a moment Ty thought Harlan Davis was going to refuse to leave. He stood there, nearly quivering with frustrated anger, his mouth working as he struggled to find the words that would turn the situation his way. Before he could say anything, Ben clapped a heavy hand on his shoulder.

“Let’s go, Davis. We’ve taken up enough of their time.”

With a last furious glare in Ty’s direction, Harlan turned and followed the sheriff out. Ty didn’t make the mistake of thinking Davis had given up. He’d be hovering like a vulture waiting for any opportunity to snatch Meg back into his keeping. It was up to him to see that Davis didn’t get that opportunity.

The sound of the front door closing behind the sheriff and Davis seemed to echo oddly. There was a moment’s silence and then Meg rose, pressing one hand to her stomach.

“Excuse me, please,” she muttered, and then hurried from the room, passing Elliot McKendrick without seeming to see him. Ty started after her.

“Don’t you dare leave this room, Tyler Douglas McKendrick!” His mother had spent the last ten minutes dabbing at her eyes with a hanky, but her voice sounded more drill sergeant than grieving mother. Ty would have ignored her command but his father caught his eye and shook his head.

“Let her have a little time alone, son. I’d guess that’s what she needs more than anything.”

Ty hesitated and then nodded reluctantly. Perhaps his father was right.

Meg rinsed her mouth out and splashed cool water on her face, trying to drive away the clammy chill that had crept over her whole body. She’d lost what little breakfast Ty had insisted she eat, but her stomach still churned. Forcing her trembling knees to support her, she turned away from the sink, careful to avoid her reflection in the mirror above it.

Moving slowly, Meg made her way down the hall to Ty’s bedroom, giving a brief thought to his mother’s indignation should she find her there. She made it across the room before her knees gave out and she sank onto the welcoming surface of the bed. Meg sat there for a moment, staring at the gently faded pattern in the carpet beneath her feet.

She made a concerted effort to keep her mind a complete blank. When that proved impossible, she sighed and lifted her head. Looking at the clock, she was shocked to see that it wasn’t even ten o’clock in the morning yet. So much had happened, it seemed as if it must be midaftemoon, at least. Yet here it was, not even lunchtime.

There were, she thought, a hundred things she needed to think about, to decide. Ty had bought her a little time with his crazy story about them being married. She had to try to make some decisions about her future. But all she could think about was Ty’s voice saying
Meg and I were married yesterday.
If only that were true. Freedom from her stepfather and her dearest wish all in that one little sentence.

She was still sitting there, her thoughts drifting aimlessly, when Ty tapped on the door and then pushed it open. He seemed surprised to see her sitting up and Meg wondered if he’d expected to find her in a state of collapse. Heaven knew she’d given him little reason these past two days to expect anything else.

“How are you?” He stepped into the room and pushed the door shut behind him.

“I’m fine. I’m sorry I ran out like that.”

“That’s okay. It was a … difficult morning.”

“Yes.” She sighed and reached up to push her hair back from her face, giving him an apologetic look. “I’ve been a lot of trouble the past couple of days. I’m sorry.”

“You don’t owe me an apology.”

“Don’t I? I’ve dragged you into the middle of this mess with my stepfather and now I’ve upset your parents and forced you to tell that ridiculous lie. I think the least I owe you is an apology.”

“My parents will recover,” he said. He walked over to the wing chair and sat down. “I’m just sorry you’ve had to go through all of this.”