His Mail Order Bride Was the Prettiest Woman He Ever Laid His Eyes On
Chapter 11
Marriage did not make the danger disappear.
It made the stakes higher.
Crowe challenged the marriage settlement.
Jonathan claimed Eleanor was mentally incapable of managing the estate.
The magistrate refused to accept the claim.
Ashford sent letters demanding that Thomas sell the ranch.
Thomas burned them.
Eleanor opened a schoolhouse on the property for local children.
She hired two widows to help manage the kitchen and garden.
Thomas repaired the eastern fence.
Life became almost normal.
Until one morning, a messenger arrived.
The courthouse had burned.
Several records were destroyed.
Including the copy of Eleanor’s inheritance file.
Thomas looked at the messenger.
“Who started the fire?”
“No one knows.”
Eleanor understood.
“Crowe.”
The messenger nodded.
“He also took something.”
“What?”
“The land registry.”
Thomas cursed.
Without the registry, Crowe could claim that Eleanor’s property had never belonged to her.
Samuel Gray said there was still one copy.
“Where?”
“The old church archive.”
They rode there immediately.
The archive was in a stone building behind the chapel.
The priest opened the door.
He looked frightened.
“Mr. Reed.”
Thomas stepped inside.
“Where are the records?”
The priest pointed toward a cabinet.
“Someone came earlier.”
Eleanor opened it.
The registry was gone.
Thomas looked around.
Then noticed muddy footprints.
They led toward a side door.
Outside, a carriage disappeared down the road.
Thomas mounted.
“Stay here.”
Eleanor mounted beside him.
“No.”
“Eleanor.”
“You said you wouldn’t treat me as fragile.”
Thomas smiled despite himself.
“Fine.”
They followed the carriage.
It led toward Crowe’s warehouse.
The building stood beside the river.
They waited until dark.
Thomas and Eleanor entered through the rear.
Inside were crates.
Ledgers.
Bundles of papers.
Then Eleanor saw the registry.
It was on Crowe’s desk.
Beside it was another document.
A marriage contract.
Thomas picked it up.
His face changed.
“This isn’t ours.”
Eleanor read it.
The document claimed she had married Jonathan Hart.
Her name had been forged.
If submitted, it would invalidate her marriage to Thomas and transfer her property.
Eleanor looked at him.
“They were prepared before I even met you.”
Thomas nodded.
“This was always the plan.”
A floorboard creaked.
They turned.
Crowe stood in the doorway.
He was holding a pistol.
“You finally understand.”
