The Lady and the Sheriff Read online

  Bill’s men laughed loudly and Emma once more looked at the body of the dead outlaw. “Aren’t you going to move him?” she asked, screwing up her face in disgust. Bill nodded and told two of his men to get rid of the body. Emma watched as they dug a hole and threw him unceremoniously into it before covering him up with the earth. Emma started to sob as she thought once more of her father. She was desperate to go and visit his grave but knew that was out of the question for the foreseeable future.

  Bill led Emma away from the fire and took her to what would be her bed for the night. She’d never slept outside before and it was a little uncomfortable, but she enjoyed gazing up at the stars and thinking of her parents. They would watch over her and keep her safe—she was absolutely certain of that.

  Emma watched as all of Bill’s men went to their own beds, leaving Bill alone by the fire. He would have to go to sleep soon, and when he did Emma would make her escape. She wanted to trust Bill, but what was to stop him changing his mind and slitting her throat? Why would he keep her with him? It was too much trouble for him and Emma knew she had to get away from here as soon as possible.

  Eventually Bill lay down with his back to Emma and when she was sure he was sleeping, she got up and crept quietly away, taking her few possessions with her. The moon provided enough light for her to walk in the night without stumbling, at least if she was careful. She wondered if this was a good idea, but she couldn’t think of any other choice. Even if Bill was trustworthy, she feared someone less chivalrous would come along and gun down Bill as ruthlessly as he had shot his own man dead, and she’d then be taken by someone who would not be quite so caring about what happened to her. Then again, leaving didn’t seem like a great option either. What if I’m taken by Indians and scalped, she thought, or captured by some other outlaws and taken to work in a brothel, or perhaps even taken by a man more ruthless than Percival Woodhampton. Emma shuddered as she thought about Percy.

  Emma had almost forgotten about him and what he had done to her and she once again wondered what had happened when he had been found. This is all Percy’s fault, she thought angrily. If he wasn’t such a horrible, despicable man, I would never have had to run away and I would never have ended up here.

  Emma was so deep in thought that she never heard someone creeping up behind her as she walked in the dark. An arm came around her and clamped firmly over her mouth, and she tried to scream but no sound came out. Emma struggled desperately and when her assailant spun her around she came face to face with a furious looking Bill, who had obviously followed her and caught up with her.

  Emma hadn’t gotten very far at all and was dismayed that she hadn’t managed to escape, though she was grateful that it was only Bill who had caught her. He led her back to his camp in silence, gripping her wrist firmly as he pulled her along behind him, but once there he turned her to face him and grasped her firmly by the arms, shaking her roughly.

  “I didn’t shoot one of my own gang dead today to save your skin only for you to steal away in the middle of the night and get killed out in the back of beyond. Promise me you will not do something so foolish again?” Bill said, clearly enraged by her behavior.

  Emma nodded reluctantly. “I thought you’d be pleased to be rid of me,” she responded sulkily. Bill shook her firmly, his fingertips pressing painfully into her upper arms. “Listen to me, young lady. I do not want to spend the next however many days and nights you’re with us chasing around after you. I’ll tie you up if necessary, but I’d rather be able to trust you. I don’t like to be cruel to a lady, but you just don’t seem to realize how dangerous it is out there. Now get some sleep and we’ll talk further about this in the morning.”

  Emma squirmed free of his grasp and headed to her bed where she sat down with her dress and her bag clutched tightly in her lap. She glared at Bill as she got back to her feet. “I’m leaving now and there’s nothing you can do to stop me,” she spat.

  Emma started to walk away but Bill grabbed hold of her again. “You’re going nowhere, young lady. Now heed my warning and get back to bed or I’ll make you very sorry you crossed me.”

  Emma screamed loudly as she kicked out at Bill and started to fight him. Bill easily wrestled her bag from her and threw it down along with her dress. He then pushed Emma to the ground as well. “Heed my warning, little girl, or I’ll make you wish you’d never met me.”

  “I already wish I’d never met you,” she fumed, as Bill grasped her firmly by the wrist, pulled her to her feet and dragged her across the camp.

  “You said you’d never hurt a woman,” Emma whined. “You lied. You’re a bully. You’re hurting me. I want to go and you can’t make me stay.”

  Bill sighed. His men were all out of bed now, wanting to know what was going on.

  “This young lady is just trying my patience, seeing how far she can push me before I turn her across my knee and give her the sound spanking she deserves,” he told his men.

  Emma’s struggles ceased as she glared angrily at Bill. “You wouldn’t dare spank me,” she fumed.

  “This is your final warning. If you don’t get back into bed right now and calm down, you’ll find that I would dare to spank you. What’s more I will very much enjoy doing it after the trouble you’ve caused me tonight,” Bill warned.

  Unfortunately Emma didn’t take his threat seriously. She kicked him once more and when he didn’t release his grip on her, she leaned down towards the hand that was holding her wrist tightly and sunk her teeth in. Bill yelped in pain and Emma would have taken great satisfaction in his reaction if Bill hadn’t immediately tightened his grip on her and dragged her over to a fallen log and sat down on it. His intentions clear, Emma immediately began to apologize.

  “I’m so sorry Bill. I didn’t mean to bite you. Truly I didn’t,” she whined. “I was scared.”

  Her words fell on deaf ears and despite her desperate struggles she quickly found herself tipped across Bill’s lap. As she fought to break free of his vice-like hold on her, Bill’s hand landed firmly on her upturned bottom. Emma howled and kicked her legs.

  “Let me go now or I’ll make sure you go to prison,” Emma screeched.

  Bill laughed as he landed a few more hard smacks on her bottom while she loudly protested and kicked her legs. Emma was not prepared for what happened next, and she gasped with shock when Bill gathered her skirts and petticoats and lifted them onto her back, exposing her bloomers. Emma wailed loudly and kicked her legs frantically.

  “No, you can’t do this to me,” she shrieked.

  Bill chuckled. “You’re putting on a really good show for all of my men, and I’m enjoying it very much too.”

  Emma glanced about and was horrified to see the rest of his gang standing by, watching her kicking and squirming across Bill’s lap, her skirts raised and her bloomers on display.

  “No,” she yelled, “I’ll kill you. I swear to God I’ll shoot you with your own gun if you don’t release me this instant.”

  Bill’s hand landed hard over and over again on Emma’s bloomers and she howled in pain. She kicked and squirmed as his hand continued to rapidly heat her bottom. Emma shouted and cursed and made threats as Bill spanked her bottom firmly. Bill stopped and patted her bottom gently, before yanking her bloomers down and exposing her bare bottom to the cool night air.

  Emma froze in shock and before she had chance to voice her protests, Bill started to deliver a stinging spanking to Emma’s exposed buttocks. Emma howled in pain. She had never been so humiliated in her whole life, and she begged Bill to stop as she kicked her legs and squirmed desperately to free herself from his grasp. Emma’s bottom was burning unbearably yet still Bill’s hard hand continued to fall in a steady rhythm. He showed no signs of stopping and Emma’s shouts and cries of pain quickly turned into pitiful sobs.

  “Are you going to be a good girl?” asked Bill, as his hand continued to smack her stinging bottom. “Yes,” wailed Emma as she squirmed across his lap. “No more, please, I’ll be good,�
�� she sobbed.

  Bill’s hand cracked hard against Emma’s bottom a few more times as she sobbed and shook. He finally stopped and lifted her to her feet, pulled her bloomers up and led her across to his bed. As they passed his grinning men, Emma looked to the ground, her cheeks red with embarrassment. She suddenly realized that with all of her kicking and squirming during the spanking, they had almost certainly seen quite a bit more than just her naked bottom, and she blushed even more deeply.

  “You can’t be trusted to sleep alone so I’m going to give you a choice. I can tie you up and put you in your own bed, or you can sleep in here with me. What’s it to be?” he asked.

  Emma struggled to pull away from the hand holding her wrist. Bill pulled her towards him and wrapped his arms around her. “I’m not going to hurt you, sweetheart. I won’t take advantage of you, I promise. I just want to ensure you don’t try to escape again.”

  Emma nodded and whispered “I’ll share your bed.” She brushed away tears from her cheeks, and blushed as Bill climbed into his bed and pulled Emma down beside him. Her scorched bottom was pressed uncomfortably against Bill’s body as he pulled her against him. Although Emma was utterly embarrassed that Bill had bared her bottom and spanked her, she felt strangely cared for as he held her comfortingly.

  As she began to drift off to sleep in his arms, still sobbing quietly, Bill issued a stern warning. “Let me warn you, I’m a light sleeper. If you move as much as one inch from my side, I’ll bare your bottom and take my belt to it. Do I make myself clear?”

  Still sniffling and wiping away tears caused by her painful and humiliating spanking, Emma whispered, “Yes, Bill.”

  For the next few days Emma was on her best behavior and helped around the camp, cooking meals and cleaning up afterwards, helping Bill to collect wood for the fire, and thoroughly enjoying learning how to light a fire with Bill’s help. She was surprised to find she was dreading the day when he took her into some nearby town and left her. She wanted to stay with Bill. She trusted him and he made her feel safe.

  As they built a fire one evening, Emma tearfully told Bill about how she had come to New York to find a husband, but her father had died and she had found herself stuck with Percy. “I rue the day I met Percival Woodhampton,” she told him. “That man is positively vile. It was bad enough when I discovered he was sleeping with one of the maids. I actually saw it with my own eyes,” she sobbed.

  Bill took her hand as she poured her heart out to him, squeezing her hand encouragingly. “I was due to marry him the next day and I went to my room and cried, the vision of him having sex with his maid burned into my eyes. I didn’t know what I was going to do. Then he came to my room, tore my clothes, and tried to rape me.”

  Emma broke down in tears as Bill gathered her into his arms. “It’s all over now. This Percival can’t hurt you anymore. You’re safe with me,” he soothed.

  When Emma’s tears had finally dried up, she looked at Bill. “I’m worried he might come after me. I stole some items from him and sold them to buy my train ticket to Santa Fe. I also hit him over the head with a vase and knocked him unconscious. I hope he isn’t dead or I’ll be in real trouble,” Emma said solemnly.

  “Forget about him. You’ll have injured his stupid pride more than anything else. I’m sure he’ll be fine. A little thing like you couldn’t kill a man,” teased Bill, brushing away her tears and kissing her cheek gently. Emma smiled. She felt much better to have talked to someone about Percy, and she didn’t feel as bad about what she had done to him now.

  They chatted for hours and Emma told Bill that she had no plans in Santa Fe, it had simply been her intention to find a job and somewhere to live, contact her father’s friends back in England who were looking after his estate, and try to make a new life for herself.

  That night Emma lay beside Bill and when she was sure he was asleep she turned to face him and stroked his face gently, even daring to kiss him softly on the lips. She giggled as his stubble tickled her. She knew it was wrong for her to be so close to a man who was not her husband, but it was hardly her fault that she had found herself in this situation. She was just trying to make the best of it.

  Bill lay quietly in the darkness, feigning sleep. He longed to wrap his arms around Emma and return her kiss. The truth was he was falling for her and he could not allow this to happen. A woman was not part of the equation and the time had come for him to take her someplace else where she would be safe. If she stayed with him she would end up getting killed and he would never forgive himself if she came to any harm.

  The next day Bill was very quiet and Emma realized the time had come for her to leave him. She sobbed and begged him to let her stay but he told her this was no life for a lady. “I’m taking you to Great Bend,” he told her. “It’s a great little town, you’ll love it there, and you’ll be well looked after. You can’t stay with me. I don’t want you to. We rob stagecoaches and trains. We face death every day, and sometimes we are the cause of death. I won’t expose a lady to that,” he told her.

  “You can teach me to be an outlaw. I can ride with you. I can learn how to rob trains,” Emma enthused.

  Bill’s face became stern. “You will do no such thing, young lady. You are better than that. You can make a new life for yourself. Any more talk like that and I’ll take you across my knee again. I’ll spank you so hard that you won’t be able to sit on my horse and you’ll ride all the way to Great Bend the same way you travelled here, bottom up across a horse’s back. This time your bottom would be bare and I’d spank you all the way there.”

  Emma blushed and looked away. She had no trouble recalling the painful spanking she had received at the hands of Bill a few days previously and she had no intention of repeating it. She guessed Bill was right, though becoming an outlaw did sound very exciting.

  Smiling, Emma kissed Bill on the cheek. “Thank you for taking care of me. I’ve loved being here with you. I wish I could stay with you but I understand why I can’t. I need to make my Daddy proud of me and I don’t think he’d take much pride in having a gun-toting outlaw for a daughter.”

  Bill laughed and hugged her. “So are you going to be a good girl and ride up front on the horse with me, or do I need to tie you up, put you across my horse, and bare your bottom?”

  Emma’s cheeks flushed. “I’ll be a good girl,” she promised him.

  That evening Emma kissed and hugged the other four members of Bill’s gang as she reluctantly prepared to leave them. She had grown fond of them, despite them relentlessly teasing her over the bare-bottomed spanking she had received from Bill. There was a tear in her eye as Bill lifted her up onto his horse and she waved goodbye to the camp.

  Emma grew tired as they travelled into the night. Bill seemed to be taking her quite some distance and he told her they had to ride slowly and quietly to keep safe. As they rode on, she turned around to face Bill and wrapped her arms around him. It was cool outside and she was so tired. Bill kept one hand on the horse’s reins while he wrapped his other arm around Emma, pulling her close to him.

  Eventually they reached Great Bend and Bill got down from his horse and helped Emma down. Kissing her softly on the lips, he apologized as he gagged her. Tears rolled down Emma’s cheeks as he tied her hands behind her back and led her onto the porch of the sheriff’s home, where he tied her hands to the railing, giving her just enough room so she could move around slightly and wouldn’t be too uncomfortable. Emma struggled desperately until he removed the gag. “Please, I promise I’ll stay quiet. Please don’t gag me. Please.”

  Bill kissed her softly on the lips. “Take care of yourself. Try and get some sleep. You’ll be safe enough here. It isn’t long until morning.”

  “You take care too,” Emma tearfully replied. “Thank you for keeping me safe. I’ll never forget you. I love you.”

  Bill closed his eyes as he reluctantly gagged her again, apologizing and saying he couldn’t trust her not to scream. He stepped away from a distraught Emma, ti
pped his hat towards her and rode away, leaving Emma to slump down on the porch, her arms stretched out uncomfortably behind her, as she sobbed her heart out. I wonder what will become of me now, she thought, as she struggled against her bonds and tried to scream through her gag.

  Eventually exhausting herself, Emma lay still and waited for someone to come to her aid. Unfortunately for Emma, it would be a few hours before she was likely to be found and although she desperately needed to sleep, fear of what might happen in the meantime kept her wide awake.

  Chapter Seven

  The next morning Emma was found by a very surprised sheriff, Bob Booker, who was stunned to step outside and find the bound and gagged young woman lying on his porch. Her eyes were wide with fear as he approached her, and it was clear from her tear streaked face and red eyes that she had been crying for some time.

  Further tears spilled from Emma’s eyes and rolled down her cheeks as Bob crouched down beside her and gently stroked her hair. “It’s OK sweetheart. You’re safe. I’m just going to remove this gag. Don’t be frightened,” he said quietly to the clearly distraught young woman. Bob carefully removed the gag from her mouth and gently brushed away her tears.

  “I’ll just go and get you a drink of water,” he whispered, before disappearing inside the house. Emma started to sob as she waited for him to return. Please don’t leave me, she thought, please come back. Please don’t let anyone else come along and take me away. Emma tugged at the rope that still tied her hands together and to the railing behind her. She hoped this kind faced man was going to untie her soon.

  Bob returned and held the glass of water to her lips, encouraging her to take small sips. Emma’s throat was parched and she eagerly swallowed the cool water, quickly draining the contents of the glass.

  “Whatever happened to you?” Bob asked with obvious concern. “Who did this to you? Who left you here?”