For the Love of a Woman by Orrin Russell

Author:Orrin Russell [Russell, Orrin]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2018-03-10T05:00:00+00:00

13

Another day in court. Enough to lose count of them. As he stood in front of the mirror of the hotel room in the early light of dawn he wished only to know the number left. May he move on with his life, he thought. A life with Sara Sanderson, a house in the countryside, mornings spent together on a rocker on the porch. The more he thought about it the more the fantasy grew in his head. He projected onto it all the joy his mind would muster.

He pulled on his boots and placed his hat over his head. Every movement was carried out in a way that spared his eyes having to land on the letter still resting on his desk. He walked wide of it on the way out the door and left the Berlamont Hotel by way of the front door where Daniel Randolph surprised him in the street.

‘Morning there, early riser,’ Randolph tipped his hat. ‘I thought I’d invite you to breakfast. No good sitting in court on an empty stomach.’

‘Let’s see if we can fill it.’

They took seats in the cafe across from the Denver Commercial Bank and ordered eggs and grits and bacon and endless cups of coffee brewed black and scalding. Their tongues balked at the bitterness but they drank it anyway while Randolph filled Balum in on Chester’s continued streak of luck at the Silver Nest. They ate breakfast and rambled on to each other on a field of meaningless topics until the hour came for Balum to leave for the courthouse. He made to rise from the table but Randolph stuck out a hand and motioned for Balum to wait.

‘There’s something else,’ he said. ‘Something I saw last night and thought I should tell you.’

‘Alright. Let’s hear it.’

‘I hit a bad streak of luck at the Silver Nest last night. Lost some money I shouldn’t have gambled. When I left I took a walk, ruminating mostly and kicking myself. Didn’t feel like going back home. I didn’t pay much attention to where I was going, and I ended up on High Street, just as you were riding in with the Sandersons. It was late. I was in a foul mood and you looked pretty haggard yourself, so I stayed on the other side of the street and didn’t say anything. I saw you climb up onto that carriage seat and drive it away with the two horses trailing after you. When I got to the end of that street I figured it was no use beating myself up anymore and I’d be better off asleep in bed. So I turned around and came walking right back down High Street. Past the Sanderson’s house.’

‘What are you getting at?’

‘They had a visitor.’

‘Alright.’

‘Saul Farro.’

Balum’s shoulders tightened and he bent his head forward. ‘What do you mean Saul Farro?’

‘He walked right out the front door. Shook Aston Sanderson’s hand before he left.’

Balum snorted and looked away. Randolph waited for a reply, but none came.

‘You

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