by Tracey Lyons
“Oh dear me, no, Hannah. I have to get on with my chores.” Sallie had already risen from her chair and was busy pulling Sara’s pinafore and dress over her head. “Thank you for stopping by.”
“Take care of yourself, Sallie, and the next time you’re feeling poorly, you have Joe come get me.” Hannah mounted up and rode Bonnie out of the yard.
She paused when she reached the divide in the property where the road veered off and continued on to the mine. Were the miners working under cover of darkness? What exactly was going on at that mine? One thing was for certain, she intended to find out, before Chase came back.
Chapter Sixteen
“More potatoes, Hannah?” Her grandmother raised the yellow pottery bowl to pass along.
Hannah shook her head. “No thanks, Gram.”
With her elbow propped up on the edge of the table, Hannah rested her chin on the palm of her hand. In her right hand she held a silver fork. Back and forth she pulled it through the mound of fluffy white mashed potatoes. The brown gravy pooled in the center and then ran in small rivers, covering the bottom of the dinner plate.
“Hannah?”
She heard the concern in her grandmother’s voice and raised her head to look across the table. “Yes.”
“What’s the matter? You seem so…preoccupied.” She looked pointedly at the mess Hannah had managed to make of her dinner.
“Oh, Gram. I’m sorry.” Hannah knew that she was acting like a schoolgirl. She took her elbow from the table, resting her hand back on her lap. Stiffening her spine, she sat straight in the ladder-back chair.
“Everything is fine, just fine. Why, shouldn’t it be?” She caught the look of worry that passed between her grandparents.
Clearing his throat, her grandfather reached out to pat her on the shoulder as if to reassure her. “Tell us about your visit to the McClearys.”
Placing her fork on the side of the plate, Hannah wiped her mouth with the linen napkin, setting it down on her lap before she spoke. “Sallie is expecting again. I think she said the baby is due in early spring. Just in time for their house to be completed.”
Matthew’s eyebrows shot up. “And where are they building?”
“Down at the base of the ridge. She seems quite happy about the move.” Taking another small mouthful of the now cold potatoes, Hannah swallowed hard.
“My guess is they would’ve needed a bigger house eventually,” Gram said as she waited for first Grandfather and then Hannah to pass the plates to her. She scraped and stacked each one.
“They’re moving because Sallie can’t stand being so close to the mine.” Hannah took the coffee percolator from the back of the stove where her grandmother had placed it before the start of the meal to keep the rich brew warm.
She turned just in time to witness the look her grandparents exchanged. Hannah knew what they were thinking—she should mind her own business. It was possible there was nothing more to be done at the McClearys’. She would just have to accept that. What she didn’t have to accept was the fact that Harold Tyler and Amos Smithson were up to no good. And that somehow, Chase was involved.
Hannah poured the steaming coffee into the cups. After setting the pot on a plate warmer in the center of the table she sat down. Wrapping her hands around the smooth, warm cup, she stared at the flickering flame of the kerosene lamp. Awash in the comforting sound of her grandparents’ conversation, Hannah gazed out the back screen door.
Long shadows stretched across the yard. The sun was just beginning its daily descent. Suddenly a great longing came over her. Hannah couldn’t explain the feeling, only aware of the need to be on top of her mountain where she could feel the warm summer breeze caressing her skin. The need to be able to see the sun go down, leaving behind its blaze of color.
Setting aside her coffee cup, she announced, “I’m going for a ride up to the mountain.”
Worried looks passed between her grandparents. “But what about your dessert? I made apple crumb cake.”
“I’ll have it later, Gram.” Pushing herself away from the table, she kissed first her grandfather and then her grandmother. “I won’t be gone long, I promise.”
The screen door let go its familiar squealing of hinges as she pushed it open. Tugging at the blue ribbon that held back her hair, she shook her head, letting the long dark strands go free. She slipped the ribbon in the pocket of her riding skirt and headed off toward the barn.
After saddling Bonnie, she opened the double doors of the barn and led the mare out by the reins. She rode with carefree abandon, letting the wind take hold of her spirit. She didn’t slow the horse until she reached the bottom of the winding trail leading up the mountainside.
“Come on, girl. Let’s go watch the sunset.” Gently she kneed Bonnie’s flank, urging her mount along.
She was halfway up the trail when she noticed it. If it weren’t for the fact that she had been brushing some dust from her skirt, she might not have seen it at all. The tree branches swayed back and forth in the breeze and every time the sunlight played along the ground, she saw it. She dismounted.
She let the reins drag along in front of Bonnie. “What do you suppose this is, girl?”
Pushing aside the loose dirt, Hannah picked up the piece of stone off the forest floor. Blowing the soil from it, she held it up to the fading sunlight for closer inspection.
“Why, it’s a garnet!”
The stone, oval in shape, was no bigger than a thumbnail. Still, even with her untrained eye, she knew she held a fine quality, rough-cut garnet.
Clutching the garnet in her palm, she knelt down and brushed her empty hand over the spot where she’d found the stone. At first the only things she saw were some red and gold leaves that had fallen from the maple trees above. She continued to search, moving slowly along the ground. Reaching out, she snatched up a small bit of red paper. Still holding the garnet, she studied the paper, trying to figure out what it belonged to.
“I don’t know, Bonnie. This is odd, though.” Standing, she pocketed the paper along with the garnet. Brushing off the few leaves that hung to the hem of her green skirt, Hannah continued to ponder her find as she led the horse along the trail.
The McCleary mine was only a few miles from here, but even so, how did the garnet find its way to the trail? Perhaps someone had dropped it. But that still didn’t explain why, or who’d had it to begin with. What about the bits of red paper Hannah had found in the same spot? Where had they come from? By the time she reached the summit of the hill, the sun had just dropped out of sight below the tree-lined horizon. As always, the glorious spectacle of another Adirondack sunset left her in awe of nature and all its splendor. Framed by the pine trees, the sky was painted in brilliant hues of red, orange, and yellow, with just a splash of violet. The vivid shades were a prelude to the colors of fall yet to come.
Inhaling deeply, she savored the comforting scent of the pine needles. It was so easy to forget about all her questions and problems here. If she allowed it, she could have been lulled into a false sense of complacency, easily forgetting all of the questions and doubts that had plagued her since Chase’s departure. But she had only to reach into the pocket of her riding skirt and touch the stone surrounded by snips of the red paper to be reminded of those doubts once again.
As she led Bonnie down the gentle slope, she ran her fingertips over the surface of the stone. Coming to a fork in the trail, she veered off to the right. It was more than just the feel of the cool, rough-edged stone that compelled her to change her course of direction. She needed to know all the answers to her questions.
The world was shrouded in the blue-gray glow of twilight by the time she reached the edge of the camp. Leaving Bonnie tethered to the skinny trunk of a dying oak tree, she made her way up the rock-strewn incline that rose up behind the mining camp. Heel to toe Hannah walked, each step painstakingly slow and exaggerated.
When she got to the top of the incline, she crouched down under the low branches of a pine t
ree. A shiver of fear ran down her spine, her senses alert for any sign of danger. She realized that the impulse to come out here was irresponsible and could very well get her into a great deal of trouble. As she started to move back down the hill, the sound of voices reached her.
Curiosity getting the best of her, Hannah maneuvered back to the spot under the branches. Crawling to the edge of the branches’ circumference, she peeked up over the top of the ridge.
The moon was just topping the mine pit, its round orb illuminating the earth below. With dusk drawing to a close and darkness falling around them, the moon shone just enough to illuminate the scene spread before her. Several campfires were already lit in front of the ramshackle cabins. The pungent smell of the cook’s fire lingered in the evening air.
The night peepers and crickets were beginning to make their presence known. The mournful call of a loon shattered the stillness. Two men approached her hiding place. She froze in terror as Bonnie’s nickering sounded from behind her. Slowly she let her breath out. The two men, one tall and one short, didn’t seem to notice her horse. They stood no more than ten feet from her.
“What’s up with the boss?” the shorter fellow asked.
The taller one shrugged. “I dunno. I’m just glad he’s letting us go into town. Been a long time since I’ve had a good glass of whiskey. What about it, Red? You gonna have a couple tonight?” He slapped the other man on the back.
“I don’t think so, Hank.”
She pressed a hand to her mouth, stifling the gasp that escaped her. She recognized the long haired man, Hank! He’d been standing above her, on top of the rocky knoll of the mine, the day of the accident.
“Amos said he’ll be coming along with us.”
The miners drifted away from her and wandered down into the camp. Sighing in relief at not being discovered, she sat back on her haunches. She rubbed her hands together, feeling the lined imprints the pine needles left on her palms.
She didn’t belong here. It would be best to head on home. Hannah turned and started once again down the slope. Just as she was about to move, a shadow fell over her. She didn’t move, didn’t breathe as she waited, sitting poised on the damp ground, her body stiff with tension.
She dared to turn her head to look over her shoulder. Instantly she recognized Hank’s silhouette. In the next moment he was joined by a bigger, round man. His shock of blond hair looked almost white in the moonlight.
“Did you do like I asked?” Amos’s voice ground out the words into the darkness.
“I put the box under your bed. Just like you told me to.” Hank’s nasal-sounding voice grated on Hannah’s nerves.
“You put in only the best?” Amos moved in closer to Hank. The two men stood nearly toe-to-toe.
She turned toward them, straining to hear what they said.
“I stuffed only the perfect stones into those sticks. When can I be expecting my share of the take, Amos?”
“I’ll let you know.”
Hank advanced on Amos, who was walking away, grabbed him by the upper arm and spun the big man around to face him.
“Don’t be messing with me, boss man. ’Cause I have enough on you to send you away for a long time.” His voice was low, menacing. “I’m sure the sheriff would be mighty interested to learn how you’ve been moving those stones out of here.”
Stabbing Hank in the chest with his finger, Amos whispered into the night, “You best be keeping your mouth shut! You’ll be getting your share of the take when I get mine.”
Hannah waited in the darkness for what seemed an eternity. The sound of their retreating footsteps faded into the night. A cool summer breeze whispered through the pines, lifting her hair from her face. From somewhere high above, in the branches of the tree, a lone owl hooted. She wrapped her arms around herself, trying to still the shivering that ran in tremors through her body.
Oh, God what am I going to do now? Reaching into her pocket, her fingers grasped the single garnet. She would wait until the camp quieted down some more and then sneak in.
Hannah knew the risk she was about to undertake was great, but she needed to know what Amos and Hank were up to. What were they doing with those garnets?
Does any of this involve Chase?
Rising from her place on the ground, she stood in the protective shadow of the pine tree. The moon shone brightly over the land, forcing her to move in the shadows in order to stay hidden. Sure-footed, she moved to the other side of the camp, stopping just outside the place where Amos’s tent once stood. On the same piece of land a white clapboard cabin had been erected.
Carefully she sidled up to the wall. From the back of the cabin a faint glow of a light shone. Peeking around the corner, she checked to make certain no one was about. Gripping the windowsill above her head, she stood on tiptoe to peer into the dim room. She ducked her head down as a shadow moved across the ceiling.
Her pulse raced and her palms grew sweaty. Someone was in there.
Amos had gone into town with most of the crew. She’d seen them ride out herself. Once again she pulled herself up to look in the window. She could just make out the shadow of a single bed, a dresser and a nightstand.
She held her breath as a man entered the room. He carried a candle, the single flame shadowed by his hand. From his hat down to the boots on his feet, the man wore black. He placed the candle in the tin holder on the rickety night-stand. Wide-eyed, she stared in through the windowpane as he pulled the bed away from the wall. The muffled sound of the bed-posts scrapping against the floorboards reached her through the thin walls. He pulled up two thick pieces of floor planking and then reached into what appeared to be a hole.
She blinked once and in the next instant noticed he held a box. He tugged the lid of the small wooden box and it came free. Wax spilled over the edges of the candle, running in rivers down the short taper. Her heart raced and blood pumped fiercely through her veins.
She would have recognized the firm muscles of his arms and his dark curly hair anywhere. He held what appeared to be a stick of dynamite in his hands. Mesmerized, she watched as he pulled the fuse and the cap from the stick. Opening the palm of his other hand, he dumped the stones out. Garnets, of varying sizes, filled his gloved hand, glowing in the candlelight like stars twinkling in the night sky.
“Chase…” Hannah breathed his name against the cold, smooth surface of the windowpane.
It was as if time stood still. Except Hannah was at another time, another place, remembering clearly the first time she had taken Chase to Crane Pond. It was the day he dropped the star garnet into her hand. She was amazed at how much it looked like the ruby broach her roommate at boarding school had worn. Squeezing her eyelids tight, she tried to close out the memory.
“Please, don’t let it be so…” Hannah mouthed the words against her balled-up fist.
She opened her eyes once again, forcing herself to look into the room. Suddenly the mystery and questions—the secret he’d held so close—was clear to her now. It all fit so perfectly.
She watched as a smile played across his mouth, the same mouth that had kissed her so passionately. He coveted those stones! Oh, God. Please, please don’t let Chase be involved in this. She leaned her head against the windowsill, unable to look at him another minute.
When she turned to move away, the toe of her boot caught on a piece of discarded lumber. She let out a shriek, catching herself on the edge of the cabin wall. Behind her the candle was extinguished and she heard the floorboards thrown into place, the bed scraping along the floor. Then came the thud of Chase’s heavy footfalls. The back door of the two-room cabin opened and then tapped shut.
His presence was all around her. She could smell the sandalwood soap on his skin.
Just when she thought for certain he was going to find her standing there in the shadows a cloud covered the moon, plunging the earth in darkness. She made her escape. Into the woods she scurried, groping for Bonnie.
Her fingers fumbled with the reins. Her h
eart pounded in her ears. She could hear him thrashing through the woods behind her. He mustn’t find her! Hot tears ran down her checks as she untied the horse. In one swift motion she mounted Bonnie and turned her around, racing numbly down the path toward home.
Chapter Seventeen
Chase stepped out from behind the large boulder just as the cloud released the moon. He watched in silence, his hands clenched tightly in fists by his side, staring in wonder at the sight of Hannah’s raven-black hair caught in the breeze, lifting off her shoulders, flowing like a river behind her.
Frustration raged in every fiber of his being. Hannah rode away from him into the night. The thud of Bonnie’s hooves echoed all around him—the only sound he could hear other than the frantic beating of his heart.
He was almost relieved that it was Hannah who’d discovered him in Amos’s cabin. More likely than not, had it been one of Tyler’s henchmen, he’d be a dead man right now. He felt her name rising in his throat, even opened his mouth to call out to her, but he couldn’t risk putting the woman he’d come to treasure so dearly in such jeopardy.
He knew what thoughts were running through Hannah’s mind. He’d never in his life known such a stubborn, strong-willed woman. He wished she’d had sense enough to keep her stubborn self at home where she belonged.
He turned and walked with his hands stuffed in his pockets, his head down, back to where he’d left his mount. He’d come here to finish the job he’d started all those long months ago, and that was what he intended to do—it was what he had to do.
He waited until he was clear of the mining camp before he lit the cigar. A thin cloud of smoke trailed behind him, curling up into the night sky. He made an effort to stay off the trails that led down to the McCleary and Jackson homesteads, allowing the horse to lead the way through the dense woods.
The sounds of the night animals gave him a strange sense of comfort. Odd that a few short months ago he couldn’t wait to leave these same mountains. A warm breeze rustled through the trees and stirred up the leaves on the ground. Moonlight played along the moss-covered earth in front of him.