“But lemme just say, if the man don’t show or he done try to double cross me, I’m gonna definitely be spoilin’ you,” he went on. “Yeah, you’ll be real spoiled.”
This is without a doubt, the most repulsive and reprehensible man I have ever encountered but I dare not provoke him.
“Who is he?” Adeline asked. “The man you keep referring to. Who is he?”
He stared at her as he took another long drag on his cigarette and blew out a long plume of smoke that rose toward the ceiling, gracefully ascending toward the heavens.
“Don’t need to worry your pretty little head none about that none,” he said. “You’ll find out soon ‘nough anyway.”
“So he’s coming tomorrow?” she pressed. “He coming to take delivery of me tomorrow?”
“Some time in the next couple days I s’pose,” he confirmed. “But I gotta be honest – there’s a little piece of me hopin’ he don’t show just cuz I’d sure like to have a go at ya.”
“You are a vile, disgusting creature, Mr. Ford,” Adeline said.
He laughed like it was the funniest thing he’d ever heard, doubling over with the effort. When he straightened up again, he used his big, meaty hands to wipe away his tears of mirth and took a moment to catch his breath.
“You don’t even know the half of it,” he said ominously.
Horace took another long drag of his cigarette and blew out a thick streamer of smoke, his eyes never leaving hers. Adeline felt a slick, greasy feeling crawling along her skin. He dropped the cigarette at his feet and crushed it with his boot, chuckling the whole time. He tossed a waterskin in the hay beside her and smiled.
“You sleep tight now,” he said.
He turned and shuffled out of the barn, slamming and locking the door behind him. Adeline waited, listening to his heavy footfalls fade away before she let the ropes fall from her wrists. She gingerly picked up the bowl he had set before her and sniffed at it and frowned. It was not the most appetizing thing she had ever smelled but Adeline knew she would need to keep her strength up for what came next. Besides, the longer she waited, the better her odds of not getting caught.
Her plan was to wait until Horace was likely asleep and then steal away into the night. She hoped by the time the sun crested the horizon starting a new day, she would be long gone and far away from the barn he was keeping her in. Adeline had no idea where she was or where she was going to go once she’d freed herself but that was a detail she could worry about when she put the farmhouse well behind her.
Adeline ate the mutton stew he had given her and was surprised to find that it tasted far better than it smelled. It was far from gourmet but it was hearty and would give her body the fuel it needed for the journey yet to come. She supposed that being on his own as he was, Horace had learned to cook something that was passably edible. Uncapping the waterskin, she took a small swallow knowing she needed to conserve her water until she found a stream she could refill the skin from.
Creeping over to the door, she peered out at the farmhouse and saw Horace sitting in the chair on the porch again. The red glow of the tip of his cigarette betrayed his location. It wasn’t long though before he crushed it out beneath his boot and went inside, closing the door behind him.
Hopefully he is off to sleep now.
Moving over to the far wall of the barn, Adeline searched for holes or cracks in the boards. It was difficult, slow going without any light to see by. The clouds overhead smothered out the silvery glow of the moon, leaving her in a dank, dim ambient light to see by. All she could do was run her hands over the boards searching for weaknesses – and picked up several painful splinters for her efforts.
Her labors were rewarded though, when she passed her hands over a board and felt it wiggle beneath her hands. Her heart raced and she felt a swell of hope blossom in her chest as she worked at the board with both hands. She wiggled it harder, trying to work the rusty nail out of the wood.
It felt like forever but when the nail finally came free, it let out a squeal of protest and a sharp crack of splintering wood. She held her breath, sure the noise echoed across the land as loud as the shot from a cannon. Adeline froze in place, waiting to hear the telltale stomping of Horace’s boots on the yard outside.
Her breath and pulse both quickening, Adeline raced back to the door of the barn and peered through the crack again. She expected to see Horace marching across the yard, his trademark shotgun in hand. But a breath of relief escaped her when she saw nothing. The yard was empty.
If only my luck will continue to hold. Please God, help me.
Adeline ran back to the hole she had created in the back wall of the barn. It wasn’t quite big enough which meant she needed to wrench one more board free. She wiggled and yanked on it slowly, as quietly as she could, and felt her eyes well with tears when it came free with a soft pop.
She set the board down on top of the other and ran back to pick up the waterskin. Looking around, she searched for anything else she might be able to use on her journey. All she found was a musty old horse blanket.
Beggars cannot afford to be choosers.
She used the ropes that had bound her wrists and quickly tied the blanket into a bedroll which she carried with her to the hole she’d created in the back of the barn. She took a deep breath and let it out, doing her best to steady her heart. Adeline then dropped down and wiggled through the hole. Her dress snagged on a sharp piece of wood and tore, and she had to bite back a hiss as the shard sank into her leg.
Getting back to her feet, she pulled her dress up far enough to inspect the wound. It stung like a hornet sting and there was a small trickle of blood that she wiped away. It wasn’t bad but she knew she would need to clean the wound when she found water to keep infection from setting in. Adeline crept to the edge of the barn and peered around cautiously. The yard was still empty and the house was dark. It seemed to her that her luck was indeed continuing to hold.
Stifling the cry of triumph that bubbled up inside of her, Adeline slung the bedroll and waterskin over her shoulder.
You are far from out of the woods just yet. Save your hollering for when you are actually free.
Adeline turned and ran toward the forest that sat behind the barn. She plunged into the darkness and barreled straight ahead. The trees pressed close all around her and the branches from the brush tore at her as she passed. She felt all the small scrapes and cuts accumulating on her hands and face as she ran but ignored the stinging pain. Her only focus was putting as much distance between her and the farmhouse as possible.
She ran until her lungs burned and the muscles in her legs screamed at her. She ran until she was sure she would drop of exhaustion. And then she ran some more. Her entire body was aching and she was running blind – a fact that was reinforced when she toppled over an embankment and into the darkness below.
She let out a terrified cry as she fell – a cry that was cut off when she hit the forest floor about five feet below. The impact drove the air from her lungs and left her gasping for breath. Her head spun and she was literally seeing stars dancing before her eyes.
Adeline lay where she was, trying to take stock of the multitude of pains that racked her body until the darkness crept in at the edges of her vision. She fought it as hard as she could but the darkness pulled her under.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Ernest reined his horse to a stop at the foot of the stairs that led up to the porch. Richard sat in a chair carving off pieces of apple with a large knife and popping them into his mouth. He stared off into the distance, looking to Ernest like a man without a care in the world. It didn’t quite set right with Ernest and he hoped without Milton around, he’d be able to get some actual answers.
Richard’s eyes flicked over to him as Ernest dismounted and stood at the foot of the stairs for a minute to collect himself. He knew their last conversation had gone badly and he wanted to start this one off on the right foot. Or at least, do his level best to.
He
took off his hat and looked up at the sky. It was cast in hues of red and orange, making the sky look like it was on fire. In the distance, dark and ominous looking clouds were rolling in and would likely be there by midnight or so. Whether they brought rain or not was a different story.
Clearing his throat. Ernest mounted the steps and walked over to where Richard sat. The older man continued cutting his apple, chewing the slices he popped into his mouth.
“Evenin’ Richard,” Ernest started.
Richard remained silent as he chewed, never taking his narrowed eyes off him. The air between them was tense and crackled with a barely contained hostility.
“Ernest,” he finally acknowledged him.
Ernest looked down at his boots, still not entirely sure how to begin. He needed to get information out of Richard but he also needed to show enough contrition for his actions earlier to put the older man at his ease.
“Listen Richard,” Ernest said. “I wanted to apologize for the way I behaved earlier. I know I stepped outta line with you.”
“That you did, Ernest.”
Richard eyed him for a long moment but Ernest stared back, determined to remain unflinching beneath the other man’s scrutiny. The older man just continued to chew on his apple. He finally let out a long breath and set his apple and knife down.
“But it takes a strong man to admit his mistakes,” Richard said. “And I can respect that.”
Ernest nodded and leaned back against the railing that surrounded the porch. They both remained silent for another long moment but some of the tension that had infused the air around them a moment ago began to dissipate.
“I know you care for her,” Richard says. “The question is, do you care for her the same way?”
“I don’t know what you’re talkin’ about,” he replied.
“Of course you do son,” Richard said. “Can’t say I blame you. Adeline is a beautiful young woman. Intelligent as the dickens and fierce.”
Richard chuckled as he pulled a cigar out of his jacket pocket and took a long moment to prep it before lighting it, watching Ernest the whole time. Ernest stood fast and watched the thick plume of smoke rise upward, not giving the older man the satisfaction of seeing him squirm. He’d thought he and Adeline had been circumspect in their feelings for each other. So having Richard confirm he knew what was happening behind his back, that he knew about the feelings that blossomed between him and Adeline was jarring.
“Believe me,” Richard went on, “I know her charms well. I know how easy it is to let yourself get caught up in her.”
“She’s a woman with considerable charm,” Ernest said. “But believe me –”
Richard waved him off. “Let’s speak plainly with one another and without pretense,” he said. “I know there have been feelings exchanged between the two of you.”
“Richard, I –”
The older man arched an eyebrow at him. “I said we should speak plainly, Ernest.”
Ernest sighed and ran a hand through his hair. The game was up and he knew it. All that was left was for him to be honest and do whatever damage control he could.
“Richard, I never intended for this –”
The older man waved, cutting him off again. “I know, I know. We never intend for these things to happen,” he said. “But here we are nonetheless.”
Ernest looked away, doing his best to control his emotions and his racing heart. This conversation was going nowhere and every moment they delayed, the smaller the chance to save Adeline got. Richard knew something about her disappearance. Ernest was sure of it. He just didn’t know what it was he knew. But he was damn sure gonna find out.
“The one thing you need to learn Ernest, is that you can’t just come into another man’s home and take his property,” Richard said. “You can’t just walk in here and take what’s mine.”
“Is that what Adeline is to you? Property?”
Richard gave him a small shrug. “She is mine, Ernest,” he said, his voice ice cold. “And she will never be yours. You need to get that through your head, son.”
Ernest crossed his arms over his chest and stared at the older man. He found his attitude toward Adeline – thinking of her as his property – entirely off-putting. She was not something to be owned or collected. She was somebody to be cared for and cherished.
“Since we’re speaking plainly with one another, may I ask you a question?” Ernest asked.
“Shoot,” Richard said as he drew a long pull off his cigar.
“Did you have anything to do with Adeline’s disappearance?”
A small grin quirked one corner of his mouth upward as he blew out a long, thick cloud of smoke.
“Haven’t we already covered that, Ernest?”
Ernest gave him a small shrug. “I don’t think we have. At least, not to my satisfaction.”
“And what would satisfy you here, Ernest?”
“Getting some straight answers from you to start.”
Richard’s grin was just short of malevolent as he settled back in his seat and drew from his cigar again.
“Forgive me for saying so but you don’t act like a man too torn up about his fiancée disappearing?” Ernest said.
“And how should I be acting?” Richard replied. “By your estimation.”
Ernest shrugged. The truth was, he had no idea how Richard should be acting. But to him, the older man was too relaxed. Too casual. There was just a smug arrogance about him that wasn’t sitting right with Ernest. It was as if he had some sort of foreknowledge of the situation and knew he didn’t have to worry.
“Personally, I’d think you’d seem a little more concerned,” Ernest said.
“Oh, I’m plenty concerned,” he replied. “I just know this issue will be resolved and Adeline will be returned to me. Soon.”
Ernest nodded slowly as some of the pieces fell into place for him. “The telegram,” he said. “You’re paying a ransom for her.”
“I can certainly afford to pay a ransom, could I not?” Richard asked.
“If that’s the case, why not tell Milton about it?”
Richard sighed, an inscrutable expression upon his face. “Sheriff Stephens is a good man. And he always means well,” he said. “I just could not afford to let anybody else get involved in this affair lest something go wrong and Adeline ends up paying the price. I prefer to handle this, as all things that involve my business in house. I’m sure you understand.”
Ernest scratched at the stubble on his chin and nodded. He could certainly understand Richard’s reasoning for keeping this to himself. In his place, Ernest would probably do the same. He let out a long breath.
“Fair enough,” Ernest said. “I get it.”
Richard nodded. “I thought you might. After all, as you said before, we both want the same thing – Adeline’s safe return.”
“Yeah,” he replied. “Course, Milton’s gonna be plenty fired up when he finds out –”
“Let me worry about Sheriff Stephens,” Richard cut him off. “As I said, he’s a good man and I’m sure that like you, he’ll see reason.”
“I’m sure he will.”
Richard nodded. “And let me be very clear about something,” he started, “I like you Ernest. I believe you to be a good and honorable man. And because I do, I have to believe you’ll understand when I tell you that you are to stay away from Adeline. No more afternoon trysts or secret rendezvous together. Am I clear?”
“Crystal clear.”
“Very good,” he said. “Then I believe our business has concluded.”
Ernest looked off into the dying light of the day, feeling a heaviness settling down over him as he contemplated a life without Adeline in it. And as the light of the sun was being smothered by the darkness as nighttime approached like a speeding train, so too did the spot in his heart that Adeline had lit up feel as if it too, were being consumed by darkness.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Her eyes fluttered and then opened. She was disorient
ed, not knowing where she was or how long she’d been out, and Adeline immediately felt a ragged jolt of fear rip through her. The ground beneath her was spongy, damp, and it carried a heavy musky, earthy aroma. It wasn’t entirely unpleasant but it wasn’t the fragrance Adeline would have chosen to wake up to.
Her body was a singular mass of bruises and abrasions, a litany of aches and pains singing out high and bright. It was a Herculean feat for her to manage to sit up and get her legs under her. Adeline slowly got to her feet and looked down at herself.
I’ve seen pigs in slop that have been cleaner than I am.
Her dress and blouse were caked with the dark, rich mud she’d passed out in and every square inch of herself she could see was black with it. She shrugged and struggled to recall a single time in her life she’d ever been as filthy as she was in that moment. She couldn’t think of one but there was nothing to do for it now. She could worry about cleaning herself up and putting on fresh clothes later, once she was safely back at Richard’s ranch.
The Cowboy's Stolen Bride (Historical Western Romance) Page 21