The Sheriff Wears Pants (14 page)

“He will punish you again if you get involved in this, my dear.  He told you to stay here, and I think you should.”  Eleanor didn’t know what to do to keep her granddaughter out of trouble!

“In a perfect world, Gram, I would.  Outlaws don’t fight fair, however, and I’m not going to let them sneak around him and shoot him in the back so they can brag they killed another lawman.  You know perfectly well Will would have my back if the situation was reversed, and I love him a lot, Gram!”

“I know you do, darling.  You remind me of me, and Will is like your grandfather.  You aren’t going to sit for days once this is over, and I know that from experience,” Eleanor admitted, remembering one incident that involved the Comanche.  Eleanor sneaked up on their camp, and while they were drinking and getting ready to torture Jonathan, she cut him free and then they ran for their lives.  He paddled her soundly for risking her life to save his life, but she didn’t care.  She loved Jonathan, and she would do it all over again today if she could.

“Don’t worry about us, Miss Darcy,” Greta said calmly.  “I know how to shoot better than most men.”

“So do I!”  Eleanor admitted, showing the gun she had hidden under her lap robe.  “We’ll be just fine.”

“I will do my best to make sure we don’t have to kill anyone, Darcy, but frankly, I am glad that Greta and Miss Eleanor are such crack shots.  I think I should fill a syringe and hold it where they can see it.  Even tough outlaws are afraid of getting a shot!”  Louisa said with surprising humor, and the women all laughed.

“I will be careful, too,” Darcy promised, and then she left, waiting until she heard Greta slide the dead bolt lock behind her before she took off down the street.  She went the back way to the center of town, taking care to stay out of sight.  She didn’t want to be seen by any of the Simpson Gang, and she didn’t want to be spotted by Will, each presented a form of danger!

She heard a sharp whistle and then heard hoof beats.  The Simpson Gang was earlier than originally expected, and they rode up to the jail, oblivious that men at each end of town were blocking them in. 

“Sheriff, it’s time to meet your maker!”  Billy Simpson called out joyously.  “Get your ass out here and face me like a man!” he taunted.  “Or are you a woman!” he asked, letting Will know that he’d already heard that Darcy was elected Sheriff.  They came this way purposely to humiliate her.

“I’m right behind you, Simpson.  You’re under arrest for the murders of at least three people in Baily, and the rape of a woman.”  Will already had his gun drawn and leveled right on Billy.

“You’re a brave one, mister.  We done heard this town has a woman for Sheriff.  Where is she?”

“She resigned.  You’ve got me to deal with, Simpson.”

“You got a woman?  Maybe we’ll do for her like we done for that mouthy Sheriff’s wife in Baily.  She sure hollered a lot until we gave her a reason not to holler.”  He gave an evil laugh.

“Drop your guns on the ground.”  Will counted the men and could only account for six.  His hope was that the other men were on the ball and would find him before he was shot in the back, and the hair rising on his neck warned him that was a real possibility, that and the fact that Billy kept looking behind Will as if expecting help.  Will had to trust that his men would protect him.  He had everything to live for now that he had his sweet Darcy.

Darcy used one swift kick to disarm the outlaw before he could shoot at Will’s back, and then she handcuffed him to the pump behind the General Store.  Since he was unconscious, he wouldn’t be calling out to Billy to warn him that the trap was set.

Darcy watched, as the other outlaws grew more agitated when Will remained standing.  “Drop your guns or I will start shooting, Simpson.  You might as well know that you are surrounded and there is no way out of town.  I have men on the roof, and men at each end of town.  Your seventh man has already been dealt with.  You can make this easy on yourselves, or get shot down in the street.  My town is deputized, and will deal with you according to your behavior.”

One of the men dropped his guns.  “I ain’t getting shot, Billy!” he said, his eyes darting around nervously.

Billy went for his gun and shot the man down in cold blood.  “Damned coward.  I never did trust Gruber, didn’t like him, neither.”

“Now there are only five of you against the entire town,” Will said without flinching.

“Is that so?  Well, just maybe I’ll shoot you first, Sheriff.  Then what?  Ain’t no one in this town going to put me in jail.”

“I will,” Darcy said as she stepped forward to stand with Will against the five men.  “I will shoot you first, Simpson.  No matter what, you will be the first of your men to die.”  All of a sudden, more townsmen stepped out to surround the outlaws, and Billy’s eyes went wild with terror.

“Let us ride on out of here and we won’t bother you folks again.”

“You don’t expect me to believe that, do you, Simpson?  This is the last opportunity I’m going to give you and your men to drop your guns before we open fire on you.” 

One by one, the men dropped their guns until Billy was the only one holding a weapon.  He took aim at Will but before he could pull the trigger, Will drew with lightning fast speed and Billy Simpson was dead before he hit the ground.

The remaining outlaws, plus the one that Darcy disarmed, were thrown in jail, and Will sent a wire letting the authorities know that Billy and one member of his gang were dead, and the other five were securely locked behind bars.

“Miss Darcy what were you thinking?” the Mayor grabbed her arm and gave her a shake.  “My goodness, I wanted to paddle you when I saw you step out beside Will!”

“I was thinking that I needed to have Will’s back,” she said, her lower lip trembling emotionally now that the danger was past.

“It was a brave stunt, but it could have gotten you killed,” Brian told her, and Geoffrey nodded in agreement.

“You can be very glad you are not
my
daughter,” Geoffrey added ominously, and Darcy didn’t have to ask what he meant.  Even worse, the men all agreed with Geoffrey.

“Sir, I want to get back to Priscilla and ease her mind,” Brian said to Geoffrey.

“I am right here,” Priscilla said as she stepped out of the General Store carrying a gun in her hands.

“What are you doing here?”  Geoffrey and Brian roared together.

“The same thing as Darcy, only it was
your
backs I was trying to protect.”  She smiled when Darcy looked at her and grinned.

“We aren’t helpless, are we, Priscilla?”  Darcy dared to say.

“No, we are not, Darcy.  Love is powerful, isn’t it?  There was no way I could stay inside that big house and wait while you could be in danger, Brian!”

“That is how I felt, too,” Darcy admitted.

“You are in big trouble, Priscilla Clemons!”  Brian said in a low voice, and Pris took one look at him and started running for home.

Darcy immediately realized that Priscilla had the right of it.  She didn’t want to deal with Will’s temper in front of the town, so she turned on her heel and headed for home.  She was going to change into her prettiest dress and make sure she smelled good, too!  Besides, she needed to let Gram, Louisa, and Greta know the outlaws were all locked up and the town was safe.

She arrived home and then knocked on the door, calling out, “Gram, it’s me!  Please unlock the door, someone!”  She heard running footsteps and Louisa slid the bar and let her inside.

“Are you alright, Darcy?” she demanded, carefully looking her over, head to toe.

“I’m fine.  It’s all over,” Darcy announced as Greta pushed Gram into the large foyer.  “Billy Simpson shot one of his own men, and he made the mistake of trying to shoot Will.  Will is fast with a gun, and Billy didn’t stand a chance.  The other five are in jail, and I am going to get out of these pants before Will gets here.  Gram, please run interference for me!”  Darcy took off running up the stairway and down the hall to her own bedroom.

“Run interference for her?  Not likely!  I’m going to hand Will a paddle and tell him to use it thoroughly!”  She started to roll herself toward her room, but Louisa put her hands on the back of the chair and pushed her, making it easy on Eleanor. 

To Louisa’s surprise, Eleanor opened a drawer in her vanity, and she reached deep in the drawer, beneath everything, and then she took out a thin wooden paddle that was oval in shape.  It looked worn, but Louisa was positive it still had a lot of life left.  Eleanor then said, “Louisa, take me to the front parlor, please, and when Will arrives, I want to see him immediately.”

* * * * *

Will’s temper was well hidden, but it was difficult for him not to snap at the men who thought his fiancée was very brave to stand at his side.  He also wanted to snap at the ones who suggested he paddle her senseless!  He was furious with the tiny redhead for risking her life, but no one else had come forth and said they could see the man taking aim on him.  He just might be dead if not for Darcy, and that made him angry! 

He made sure the outlaws were locked up, and the Mayor hired two men to act as temporary deputies to help watch the outlaws until the Marshals came to escort them to where they would stand trial.  He was still bothered at the crack Billy made about raping the Sheriff’s wife.  Will did not want to put his Darcy in that kind of danger.  And, he wasn’t going to let her put herself in danger, either.

He went over the jail rules with the new deputies, then sent one of the men home with instructions to come back later to work a shift.  Will also made it a point to personally thank each and every man who assisted with the arrest, and those who stepped out at just the right time!  It was good to know he could count on them in an emergency.  Will also received apologies from many of them for voting for Darcy in the first place. 

“Will, you keep this town so safe that we never realized that something like this would happen and put Darcy’s life in danger,” one man said.

“I was wrong to campaign for Miss Darcy,” Waldo told him.  “I will publicly admit it in my next edition, too.  Thank you for coming to the town’s aid in our time of need, Will, and forgive me my ignorance.”

Will was gracious to everyone, but he was glad when the crowd finally dissipated and he could give his deputy instructions.  “Do not let them trick you into coming into the cell with them, or getting near enough the bars they can grab you.”

“I’ve helped you before, Will, and I’ll do you proud.”

“I know you will, Jake.  I just don’t want to go to your Ma and tell her that something bad happened to you.”

“I don’t blame you there.  It’s okay.  You go and iron things out with Miss Darcy.  She was brave for sure, but if she was mine, I’d spank her good.”

“Precisely how I feel.  I won’t be long.”

“Don’t forget to hug her afterwards, Sheriff.  Tell her you love her.”

“How did you get so smart about girls, Jake?” he asked.

“I have five older sisters, remember?  I’ve had plenty of man to man talks with my brothers-in-law, and they say the way to get the most out of a spanking is to make it firm, don’t stop too soon, and make sure she knows it was given with love.”

“Sounds like good advice, Jake.  Thanks.”

“I’ll take care of things here, and if I need help, I’ll send someone for you.”

“Sounds like a good plan.”  Will walked out the door and took a deep breath.  He was happy to know that Darcy loved him so much she was willing to put her life in danger for him, but he loved her too much to let her get away with it.  He walked in purposeful strides toward the Hamilton house.  He was tempted to simply walk inside and find Darcy, but he recalled that Miss Eleanor was big on manners.  He knocked politely. 

The door was opened by Louisa and she said, “Miss Eleanor would like to speak with you in the parlor, Will.”

“This isn’t some elaborate plan to give Darcy time to sneak out the kitchen door is it?” he asked.

Louisa’s dark eyes widened, and then she smiled.  “No, it isn’t.  Miss Darcy is in her room, having a bath.  Come on inside and speak with Miss Eleanor.”

Will nodded and entered the parlor.  “Miss Eleanor,” he greeted the elderly woman.

“Thank you for seeing me, Will.  Louisa, would you mind giving me some privacy.  Some things I want to tell him are very personal, and if I wasn’t so sure that he needed to know, I wouldn’t say a thing.”

“It’s fine, Miss Eleanor.  You don’t need to explain.”

“But, dear, we consider you family.  I don’t want you to think we care less for you because I am a foolish old woman!”

“You are far from foolish, Miss Eleanor, and everyone in this world is entitled to keep some things personal and private.  I don’t feel less because you want to speak with Will alone.”  Louisa leaned down and kissed her cheek.  “You have more than expressed your feelings for me, and I am blessed.”  She sniffled as she left the room.

“That poor child feels so sad about Doctor and Mrs. English, and she blames herself because it happened.  I don’t think she realizes that he would have tortured her to death if she’d been there.”

“I agree, Miss Eleanor.”

“Please, Will, sit down.  Don’t stand on formality when you are here.  This is your home, too.”

“Thank you, Miss Eleanor.  What is it you wish to discuss with me?”

“This!” she answered, taking a thin wooden paddle from beneath her lap robe and holding it up.  “This, I am ashamed to admit, belonged to my dear husband.  During our marriage, he used it quite frequently.  I was every bit as headstrong and stubborn as my granddaughter is now!  Jonathan had his hands full with me.  When I did something that rivaled what Darshana did today, he used this paddle to see to it I regretted my actions.  For ordinary things, he spanked with his hand.  I am passing this on to you, Will, because I fear you need it, and it is serving no purpose in my drawer.”

“I don’t really know what to say, Miss Eleanor.”  Will might not know what to say, but he damn well knew better than chuckle or laugh!

“This would be a good time to reassure me that you love my Darshana and you honestly intend to marry her.”

“I do love her, and I am going to marry her just as soon as a wedding can be arranged.  I want to spend the rest of my life with her, Miss Eleanor.”

“I will be able to go on home with my Jonathan once I know our granddaughter is safely in your hands, Will.  I hope the wedding is very soon so that I may attend.  I don’t think my body is going to last much longer, and Darshana needs me to be with her on her wedding day.”

“I will try to convince her to marry me next week.”

“Thank you, Will.  I know I can safely leave my precious grandchild in your care.”

“I promise I will always care for her,” Will said emotionally, trying his best to give Eleanor the reassurance she needed.  He kissed her cheek, and said, “Thank you for entrusting this paddle to me.  It will only be used in love, never in anger.”

“My Jonathan would be proud to shake your hand, Will.  Thank you for easing my mind.  Go on now before I decide I need to protect that child of mine.”

“Has anyone told you lately that you are a truly remarkable woman?  I haven’t met one person in this town who doesn’t think the world of you, Miss Eleanor.  I’ll take care of Darcy, I give you my solemn word.  I love her.”

“I know you do.”  Eleanor had tears in her eyes.  “I loved like that for many years.  Cherish whatever time you are given.  It will end much too soon.  I will soon be with my Jonathan again, and I do not want Darshana to weep for me.  Going home is what I want now.”

Will gave her hand a squeeze and then went to see his errant fiancée, leaving Eleanor to her memories.  He was truly humbled that she entrusted to him the paddle that obviously meant a lot to her. 

He stopped in front of Darcy’s door and listened to her singing.  He knew she had a beautiful voice because she often sang in church, but it was nice to hear her singing something besides a hymn.  He gave a perfunctory knock on the door before turning the doorknob and walking into her room.  He quickly realized his mistake.  Darcy was wrapped in a bath towel, and she was sitting at her dressing table, combing the tangles out of her freshly shampooed hair.

“Will!”  Darcy exclaimed.  “You frightened me!  Go back downstairs, and I will join you shortly, once I am dressed.”

“You will not need clothing for what I have planned, Darcy Hamilton.  You are going to get a lesson in obedience.”

“I don’t need a lesson, Will.  Most likely this will never happen again,” she said, smiling at him.  “Please, Will, I am very uncomfortable to have you in the room when I am not dressed.  Gram would have a fit.”