For the next fifteen minutes, the two women told him their story. Christine’s wasn’t much different than Pearl’s. She’d been indentured by the madam.
“I’m going to send the sheriff in Charleston a telegram. But in the meantime, I want the women in one cell and the men in the other. You’re going to stay here until I return.”
Wesley wasn’t certain he liked this idea, but what choice did they have?
The next morning, the sheriff came in with a big smile on his face.
“You are free to go,” he said. “This morning the sheriff responded and said Miss Champe was escorted out of town because she liked to enslave young women. You two ladies are some of her victims. She’s already been issued a notice to leave the town of Helena and never return. I gave them two days to get out of here.”
While that sounded all great and wonderful, Wesley feared that for the next two days, they would be watching to make certain the woman didn’t do something stupid like try to attack them.
The sheriff unlocked their jail cells.
Anthony and Wesley both reached into their pockets and pulled out a couple hundred dollars and gave it to Christine.
“Buy yourself a nice dress and then get on the next stage out of town,” Wesley told her. “And thank you for helping us last night.”
She reached for the money, tears filling her eyes. “I’m going home. Thank you so much for helping me.”
The sheriff smiled. “Next stage leaves in about two hours. You still have time to leave today if you want to go.”
She reached out and hugged first Wesley, then Anthony, then Pearl, and finally the sheriff. “Thank you. I’ve got to go.”
With a sigh, Wesley watched as she hurried out the door. It felt good to help someone start over.
Now it was time to take their wayward bride home.
CHAPTER18
The ride home had been quiet. Pearl rode with Wesley, sitting in front of him, his arms wrapped protectively around her. No one said much as they swayed in the saddle.
Spending the night in the city jail had not been fun. It had been harrowing. Now she wondered how they would react to her when they arrived home. Already she’d been promised a spanking. And she feared this one would not be for pleasure.
As they rode up to the house, a sense of homecoming filled her. This was their home. This was the place her husbands had welcomed her into their lives and she wanted to please them, to make them happy in every way like they made her feel so very special.
Anthony dismounted his horse and then he helped her down. She still wore the dreaded dress the madam had given her, though they had put a blanket around her.
Wesley slid down and then he turned to her.
“In the house. Go up in the bedroom and wait for us.”
From his demeanor, she knew he wasn’t pleased. “Can we please talk before you punish me?”
“Mind me, Pearl,” Wesley said.
With a sigh, she turned and walked into the house. Gazing around the cabin, she couldn’t help but feel like she’d come home. Hopefully, her men would forgive her and they could move past her indiscretion.
She went into the bedroom, removed the hated dress, and climbed up on the bed. She assumed the position she knew they enjoyed and waited.
It wasn’t long until she heard them enter the house, their voices low, and she knew they were discussing how much to punish her.
When they walked into the bedroom, she didn’t say a word, but heard their boots and then their pants hit the floor.
Wesley came up behind her and pulled her down the bed toward him. She felt him remove the butt plug.
“You should have told us, Pearl,” he said.
“I know,” she said. “And I almost did, but honestly, I didn’t think the past would follow me to Treasure Falls. What are the odds of the madam coming out here to open a brothel?”