It happened suddenly. The door was shoved open and several men rushed in, guns drawn.
“Get out of this cabin,” Billy yelled, rising from the table.
“Stay where you are,” one of the gunmen said. “So much as twitch and I’ll blow you in two, might save the hangman a job.”
“You have no right bursting in here, harassing innocent folk. I’ll, I’ll, complain to the sheriff,” George threatened indignantly.
“Shut up, gal. It was the sheriff who hired us. Search the place.” The gun slinger barked out his orders causing the men to scatter. Some went outside, others disappeared into the bedrooms and she could hear them rifling through McGuire’s wardrobe.
“What do you want?” George fumed. The gunman was a horrible man with close-set piggy eyes and a dirty, drooping moustache.
“We heard Johnny Valentine was hiding here.”
“Who told you? Some paid informer? Well, he told you wrong, because Johnny isn’t here,” Billy jeered.
“Watch your mouth, boy.”
“Be quiet, Billy. Don’t argue with them.” George glanced at the gunmen who all wore twin colts, and inwardly quaked. “Johnny isn’t here; we haven’t seen him for weeks.”
“Liar. You were both seen with him today at the race meeting, either you tell us what we want to know, or...”
“You’ll what?”
“Stop it, Billy you’re only making things worse.”
“How does jail sound to you?” A couple of the men snickered.
“You can’t take us to jail; we haven’t done anything wrong.” George’s mouth went dry at the prospect. “We don’t know where Johnny is, honestly.”
She debated about squeezing a few tears out of her eyes, but knew it was useless. These hired guns were hard as granite and Billy’s sneering attitude was doing them no good.
“Nothing.” Each time the men reported the same thing.
“Where is he?”
“We don’t know, honestly.” She deliberately injected a servile note in her voice, inwardly raging. Overbearing oaf.
“You’d better come along into town with us, boy, for further questioning.”
“Go to blazes.”
George watched in horror as one of the gunmen advanced threateningly toward Billy.
“Stop it, he’ll go with you, just call your men off.” If he didn’t watch himself they would end up shooting him. They were obviously only waiting for such an excuse. How could the sheriff deputize such men?
Without another word, she rose to her feet. “Go with them.” She smiled reassuringly. “Do exactly what they say.”
Billy stood up slowly, deliberately taking his time.
One of the men brought up the horses and she was forced to watch Billy struggling with his captor. A crack on the head knocked him senseless. She would have darted over only two men barred her way. With fearful eyes, she watched them dump Billy in the saddle and rope his hands and feet so he couldn’t move.
They set off with one man leading Billy’s horse. She felt frightened as she watched them riding away. Surely, they couldn’t send him to jail for nothing? He hadn’t moved from where he was slumped in the saddle. How seriously injured was he? Not knowing was purgatory.
Back inside the cabin she anxiously paced the floor. What was the best thing to do? Not panic, of course. In the morning, she would ride into town and demand to see the sheriff. They would have to let Billy go. If only McGuire was here, he would know what to do for the best.
She was tempted to signal Johnny, but dare not as he would only go tearing into town, risking capture when there was little he could do. If Johnny was caught he would hang, but they would have to let Billy go when they found he could not help them. After all he hadn’t committed any real crime.
The sound of hoofbeats interrupted her thoughts, and she raced to bolt the door, cursing herself for not having done it before. Her hand had barely touched the latch when three men charged in, almost knocking her over.
“Where’s your cousin?”
“Don’t tell me he escaped.”
One of the men dropped a shocking oath.
“He isn’t here.” She forced herself not to laugh in their faces. One youth had got the better of a bunch of bullying hired guns. “What will the sheriff say about this night’s work?” By the darkening of their faces she knew her taunt had reached its mark.
“You’ll go in his place, gal, if you think it’s so funny.” A big oaf lunged forward and grabbed her arm. “What do you think of that?”
“She’ll be better,” another said with a leer. “Valentine mightn’t worry too much about the boy, but she’s his bed faggot, he’ll move heaven and earth for her. Not a bad looking gal, either.” He pushed his face so close to hers she could smell his rancid breath.
“We could have a bit of fun with her first,” another horrible creature suggested.
“Johnny will kill you if you touch me.” Screaming in fury, she kicked out at him.
“Plenty of fight in her. Never did like poking tame women. If you be nice to us, we can make things easier for you.”
What could have happened next, she would never know because the leader arrived on the scene.
“Let her go, she’s my prisoner until we get into town. After I hand her over to the sheriff and get paid, I don’t care what happens.”
“You, filthy varmint.” She wrenched herself free. “Brave aren’t you when you’re fighting me? Twenty of you couldn’t catch Johnny Valentine or Billy. They’re too smart for the likes of you.”
“Watch your mouth,” the man snarled.
George fought them all the way, kicking and biting. She could not win against them, that was a certainty, but she wasn’t giving in without a show of resistance.
“Little wild cat!” One of them screamed his rage as she raked his face with her nails.
They dragged her kicking and struggling outside. Dumping her roughly on a horse, they tied her hands and feet together so she was trussed up like a Christmas turkey. The night was so black, as they rode away, she could barely make out the dim shapes of the mounted men in front of her.
An owl hooted close by. When a coyote howled mournfully from not far away she tasted real fear for the first time in her life. It rose like bile in her throat until she almost gagged on it. What was to stop these men raping her before she was handed over to the sheriff?
What had become of Billy? He must have made a clean getaway, otherwise they wouldn’t have bothered with her. It wasn’t Billy they wanted, but Johnny. And I’m going to be used as bait. Once he knew she had been captured, he would risk everything to save her.
The cords binding her wrists and feet were so tight they cut into her flesh. They would have done it on purpose to add to her misery. No one spoke and this terrible silence made her feel desperately afraid.
Chapter Nine
Marcus lay sprawled out on a chair in his room. It had been a most satisfactory day. Miss Olivia Fitzgibbon was quite attractive and had been a pleasing companion. It was flattering that she attentively hung on his every word. A man’s spirits lifted when his companion made it so obvious she liked and admired him, especially after the beating his pride took from Georgina.
He scowled when he thought of her snub. It hurt more than he was prepared to admit, even to himself. Thank God, she wasn’t with child, either his or Johnny Valentine’s. Damn this place, he thought savagely as the sound of men’s raised voices interrupted his reflecting. It was almost midnight. Who would be calling on the Colonel at this hour of the night? Standing right under my bloody window, too? It was just too much.
About to poke his head out the open window to tell them to go about their business more quietly, he froze at the words drifting up to him.
“Yeah, did she put up a fight, little wild cat. A night in the cells will cool her temper down. Look at the scratches she put on my face.”
“Your wife might have something to say about them,” someone else said with a snicker
.
“Yeah, redheads are always fiery, even if she is Johnny Valentine’s bed faggot.”
They were talking about Georgina. Quickly Marcus dragged on the boots he had so carelessly kicked off less than an hour ago, and wearing only his shirt and trousers he left his room and hurried downstairs, taking the steps two at a time.
A light still burned in his Uncle’s study. Just as he reached the bottom of the stairs, he saw a man letting himself out the front door. The Colonel, a big florid faced man, had never appealed to him, and he disliked the thought they were related, even if it was only by marriage.
“What was all that commotion outside, Uncle?”
“Ah, good news, good news.” He gleefully rubbed his pudgy hands together. “Johnny Valentine is as good as dead.”
“Who’s the girl I overheard those men speaking about? Was it Georgina?”
“What if it was?”
Marcus felt an overwhelming desire to reach out and punch him about his fat jowls. “What have they done to her?”
“She’s in a jail cell where she belongs. You had the effrontery to bring her here and insult my sweet little Kathryn.”
“To hell with that,” Marcus snarled. “Exactly where is she and what do they intend doing?”
“She’s in the town jail sharing a cell with drunks and other vermin.” He chortled, causing his fat jowls to wobble.
“You allowed them to put a young girl in with men?”
“Yes, fine idea, one of the deputies thought of it. Came out to make sure I agreed.”
“You couldn’t, I mean you wouldn’t condone such a thing. It’s immoral.”
“Of course, I would when it concerns white trash; besides, once Johnny Valentine gets to hear about his whore being held in the cells with all those brutes having their way with her...”
Marcus waited to hear no more. He felt murderous at the thought of Georgina being put anywhere near common criminals. Striding angrily out of the house, he slammed the door, not giving a damn whether he woke the whole household or not. He strode over to the stables and banged at the door until he woke up a groom.
“Saddle my horse quickly.”
The sleepy youth blinked at him. “Damn you, boy, saddle my horse and be quick about it.” Marcus did not even try to hide his fury. Within minutes, he was mounted and galloping out of the yard.
The night was as black as a deep hole, but the starlight eerily illuminated the road. He started at a gallop, spurring the horse to even greater effort until the powerful grey was running flat out. When the outskirts of town came into view he still did not slacken his pace, and they thundered down the main street.
Marcus dismounted, tied his horse to the hitching rail, and banged and thumped at the heavy wooden door of the jail, until a yawning man opened it.
“Colonel Stanton sent me. I must see the man in charge.”
“You’ll have to wait until morning we don’t allow visitors here at night.”
“Visitors?” Marcus stifled a curse. He felt like knocking this oaf down but restrained himself with difficulty. Instead, he took out his money purse, which he had fortunately left in his pocket, and it did not take long to bribe the man into letting him in.
He followed the man down a lantern lit passageway. On entering a room, Marcus strode straight up to the thin middle-aged deputy who sat behind a paper-strewn desk.
“Did your men bring in a girl tonight?”
“You mean Johnny Valentine’s woman?”
“Yes. Where is she?”
“Safely locked away.”
“I want her released at once.” Marcus pulled himself up to his six feet one inch height and glowered at the other man.
“I have strict instructions.”
“To hell with your instructions. Do you know who I am?”
“Colonel Stanton’s nephew.”
“Exactly, now are you going to do as I ask and release this girl?”
“I can’t. It would be more than my job’s worth, the sheriff said...”
“Damn the sheriff. My father happens to be Lord Lindquist and believe me, he has friends in high places both here and in England. I demand you release her.” He thumped his clenched fist on the desk. “Immediately.”
“I can’t let her go until the sheriff says so.”
“Look, I can make it worth your while.” Marcus suddenly felt desperate in the face of this stubborn idiot. Who the hell did he think he was?
“It’s not my idea keeping the girl here; it’s highly irregular, but what can I do?” He shrugged his shoulders in resignation.
“Let her out.”
“I can’t, I’ve been given my instructions. I’m only here tonight because someone took ill. I’m a married man with a daughter about the same age myself, but I’ve got my orders.”
“You have a daughter of your own, yet you condone this, this, disgusting treatment? Putting a young girl in with hardened criminals. You should be flogged.”
“I feel bad about it, but I’ve got my orders. The sheriff will be here sometime tomorrow. I can’t release her until he gets back.”
“How can you have it on your conscience, a young girl like that? God, man, have you any idea what those animals might do to her?”
“I know, I know.” The man rose from his desk to pace nervously about the room. “Pity the boy escaped, they mightn’t have worried about her then, or at least he could have seen nothing happened. I can’t release her, much and all as I’d like to. I tried to get them to put her in a cell on her own, but I was powerless to do anything except protest.”
Marcus clenched his hand into a first. “Will you put me in the cell with her?”
“You in a cell?”
“Yes, you can do that surely?” The two men faced each other and the older man’s gaze fell away first.
“You’re volunteering to spend a night in jail?” he asked, as if he could not believe any sane person would do such a ridiculous thing.
“Yes, can you arrange it?” Still the man hesitated. “How would you feel if your daughter was in this position? The girl’s not a criminal; you know that.”
“Do you have any weapons?” the man asked. Marcus felt a great urge to shake this imbecile until his teeth rattled.
“No. If you wish to search me, go ahead, but I tell you this, you have not heard the last of this night’s work. That’s a promise.”
“Give me your word as a gentleman that you have nothing concealed on your person, which could be used as a weapon.”
“Damn you, man, I just said so, didn’t I?”
“Your word, Lindquist.”
“I give you my word I have no weapons. Satisfied?”
“I’ll have someone escort you to the cell. Are you sure you want to do this?”
Marcus ignored him, and within a few minutes was being escorted by two men to the cells.
“Have a pleasant night, M’lord,” one of the guards mocked, while the other pushed a huge key into the lock.
The smell of unwashed bodies assaulted his nostrils straight away. Before he had a chance to do more than peer inside, a shove sent him hurtling into the cell. The door clanged shut behind him. He stumbled against someone lying on the floor, and a string of abuse, the like of which you wouldn’t hear in an army barrack, filled his ears.
He blinked, trying to accustom his eyes to the semi darkness. The only light came from a feeble glow filtering through a small barred window high up in the door.
“Where’s the girl?”
He spoke to the shadow of a big hulking fellow who reeked of whisky. The vile smell of unwashed bodies sickened him and he clenched his teeth to stop from retching.
“She’s in the corner over there.”
“If any of you have touched her, I’ll kill you. Understand?” Marcus threatened.
“We haven’t done nothing to her, no man in here would harm Johnny Valentine’s woman.”
Marcus pushed his way passed them and there was a muttered curse as he stepped on
someone’s leg. What sort of men ran this vile place? What decent person would put a young girl in with vermin like this?
“Georgina.” He made out her silhouette huddled in a corner. “Georgina.” He knelt beside her.
“Marcus, you came to get me out?” She collapsed against him and he held her close as huge sobs shook her slender frame.
“It’s alright, I won’t let anything happen to you, I promise.”
“I want to go home. Take me away from this horrible place.”
“In the morning, Georgina.”
“No, now. I can’t bear it any longer. It’s so dark and all those men...”
“Did they touch you?” Her sobbing started to subside as he held her trembling body close to his own to infuse hers with warmth.
“Take me home.”
“I can’t, not tonight. In the morning.”
“Don’t leave me, Marcus, I’m frightened.”
“I don’t intend leaving you, I’ll spend the night here, too. Why do you think I got them to put me in here if it wasn’t to be with you?”
She cuddled up to him, her damp face nuzzling into his throat.
“I’ve been out of my mind thinking of you being incarcerated here with these vile creatures. Whatever happened?”
Slowly, between small hiccoughing sobs she told him, and he swore savagely under his breath. Someone would pay for this. He spoke to her softly, explaining how he had learnt of her being brought here, and the sound of his voice soothed her.
“Hold me, Marcus. You don’t hate me anymore?”
“I’ve never hated you, Georgina. I shouldn’t have spoken to you as I did, but I was so shocked and disappointed. Try to sleep; the night will pass more quickly if you do.”
Shame washed over him as he recalled the way he had abused her that day by the creek, but he had been maddened with jealousy and grief because her virginity had been stolen from him. Could he have made a terrible mistake? Georgina dressed and rode like a man, so it was possible she might have lost her virginity that way. It was disgusting the way he had accused and berated her without a shred of evidence. Could she forget all those vicious words he had flung at her?
He stretched out beside her on the cold floor. No bed or blankets, not even straw, a wild beast should not be treated in such a manner.
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