by Joyce Alec
Calling himself every sort of name under the sun, Reuben let out a roar of agony and frustration, bellowing her name as it echoed across the plain. His horse whinnied and stamped its foot in surprise, but no response came from anywhere.
Hanging his head, Reuben let out a deep, painful sigh. He couldn’t lose her, not now. Not when they were on the threshold of something wonderful, something unspoken. If only he’d listened more carefully and allowed himself to just consider what she’d been saying about Gus. Yes, he was his friend, and yes, he’d known him for a really long time, but that didn’t mean that he should immediately disregard everything Etta had said.
The moment she’d left, he’d looked at the brooch again and saw the initials on the back. He had wanted to rush after her – although what he’d intended to say, he hadn’t been sure. The disappointment in her eyes had been fierce, tearing at his soul as she’d turned on her heel and left, leaving him feeling as though he’d let her down dreadfully.
And still, despite that, she’d been so gracious in her understanding of his predicament. She’d told him that she understood, that she wasn’t demanding that he agree with her or that he help her. All she’d done was told him the truth, finally letting him know what she’d been holding back from him ever since she’d first arrived.
He’d expected to feel relief that he’d finally been able to discover what had been between them, but instead, all he’d felt was sadness and confusion. It had almost split a valley between them, shattering the once solid ground until he felt further away from her than ever before. Now, because of his reluctance to listen, because of his unwillingness to even consider Gus, he’d let her go—and whatever had happened to her was on his own head.
A deep sigh ripped from him, leaving him hanging his head as his horse came to a dead stop. The air wrapped about him like a shroud, covering him with ice and weighing down his very bones. He felt himself shrink, desperate to find her but having no idea in which direction to go or where to look.
Then, a whinny came across the plain – and his horse raised its head, its ears pricked forward.
Reuben caught his breath, heat rushing through him and chasing away the dead weight.
“Did you hear that?” he whispered, leaning forward over his horse’s neck, as though the creature could understand him. The sound came again, so dim and so faint, but yet, still there.
It had to be Etta’s mare, surely.
His horse whinnied in response and began to move forward as Reuben patted its neck encouragingly. The reins lay loose in his hand as he let his horse lead the way, hearing the whinny come again.
They made slow progress. Every so often, his horse would stop and listen, and Reuben would feel his stomach twist anxiously as he waited, terrified that he wouldn’t be able to find the mare. And then, it would come again, and they would move forward into the darkness of the plain, seeing nothing but the occasional bare tree or half-dead shrub.
A wolf howl split the air, making Reuben shiver, his skin crawling with a sudden dread. If Etta was out here with these creatures, if she was alone and unable to protect herself, then…he didn’t want to even imagine what could happen to her.
Suddenly his horse cantered forward, his heart racing madly as he leaned over his horse’s neck, trusting that he would know where to go. Every part of him was alive with urgency, desperate to see just a glimpse of the mare.
And then, without warning, she came into view, standing by a large outcropping of rocks. She tried to trot forward to greet them, trembling all over as another wolf howl split the air. Jumping down from his horse, Reuben tried to pick up the mare’s reins and realized that they were snagged on a jagged rock. Hurrying over to release her, he called out Etta’s name, his voice disappearing into the air. Finally freed, the mare drew closer to Reuben’s horse, standing side by side with him in evident relief. Quickly, Reuben tied both reins together before looping them over a rock, making sure neither of them could go anywhere.
Then he continued his search.
“Etta,” he called, moving slowly in between the jagged rocks that left the ground bathed in shadows. “Etta, where are you? Etta!”
There was no answering cry, no groan of pain. There was just silence. Reuben wanted to weep. He wanted to stand there and put his head in his hands, letting his regret and his agony pour out of him, but his urgency and fear refused to let him. Leaving the horses where they were, he carried on a little further into the plain, seeing another area of rocky ground a little further away.
His breathing was ragged as he hurried forward, stumbling in the darkness as he tried to keep his footing. “Etta,” he called again, sweat beading on his forehead. “Etta!”
“Reuben?”
He stopped dead, hearing his name floating by him on a whisper. It was there in a moment and then gone. For a moment, Reuben wondered if he had imagined it.
“Reuben.”
It came to him again, and he let out his breath slowly, as though not to disturb the sound. “Etta, where are you?”
Listening hard, he let his eyes travel across the rocky ground but saw nothing but shadows. In the moonlight, it was hard to distinguish anything.
“Reuben, I’m here.”
A ragged gasp caught his ears, and suddenly, he saw one of the shadows move. Hurrying towards her, he fell on his knees beside her, ignoring the pain that tore through his legs as the jagged edges caught his skin.
“Oh, Etta,” he breathed, putting out his hands to help her sit up. She reached for him and let him lift her slowly, her face contorted in pain in the moonlight. To his horror, he saw a dark streak running down her face. He saw her hand reaching for the back of her head and realized what had happened.
“Someone attacked you,” he whispered, hardly daring to speak aloud as though it might add to her pain. “Oh, Etta, I am so sorry.”
She looked up at him, dazed. “I want to go home, Reuben.”
He nodded, his voice thick with emotion. “Sure. I’ll get you home, Etta. Come on, let me help you up.”
Somehow, he managed to get her into his arms. She tried to protest, albeit feebly, but it didn’t take much convincing for her to let him carry her back to the horses. He had so many questions, desperate to know who had done this to her and why, but instead, all he did was hold her tightly as he carried her back to the horses.
Her eyes were closed, the evidence of blood marring her face firing both anger and terror into his heart.
“I’ll get you back to the cabin,” he whispered in her ear, as they reached the horses. “Can you sit up on the mare, Etta? I can swing up behind you.”
She didn’t answer.
“Etta?” he said again, standing by his horse. “I’m going to lift you up on the horse now. Can you manage that?”
Again, there came no answer. Her eyes were shut. As he tried to speak to her again, to wake her, Reuben felt his alarm slowly beginning to build to dread. She wasn’t waking. She was so pale, so very pale, and he felt his heart cry out in alarm.
“Come on, Etta,” he said, having to put her up over the horse’s saddle before quickly climbing up after her. Pulling her in tight to himself, her head resting on his chest, and her legs over his thighs, he held her close, relieved that he could, at least, feel her heart beating.
He needed to get back to the cabin and get back there soon. With fear snapping at his heels, he wheeled both horses around and rode, as fast as he dared, back towards his home where he knew his mother would be anxiously waiting.
“Just hold on a bit longer, Etta,” he said desperately, as though she could hear him. “We’re almost there. You’re safe now.” He rested his chin gently on the top of her head, feeling his eyes burn with tears. “I-I’m sorry, Etta. I should have never let you go.”
The look of shock on his mother’s face when he carried Etta into the cabin reflected everything he felt.
“We need bandages, and hot water,” Hettie said at once, as he carried Etta into his bedroom and set he
r down on the bed. “I’ve had hot water on to boil. Get some in a bowl and bring it here with any rags you have.”
Knowing that his mother was well able to take control of a situation like this, Reuben set about doing exactly that. He hated leaving Etta even for a moment, but he knew she was in good hands with his mother. Bringing everything back to the bedroom on a tray, he set it down carefully beside his mother, who was busy examining the still unconscious Etta.
“I reckon that might need stitching,” she murmured, picking up one of the rags and putting it in the bowl of hot water.
“You can do that, can’t you?” he asked, stepping back and looking down at Etta’s form, his stomach clawing with tension. “I can go fetch whatever you need.”
His mother hesitated for a moment. “We might need the doctor,” she said eventually. “But I know he’s out at the Longton farm, looking after Martha. I saw him leave when I headed out to you this evening. Martha’s gone into labor—and her labors usually last a good few hours.”
Reuben pressed his lips together tightly, feeling as though he were lost in the darkness without a single sign of light. “Tell me what to do, Ma, and I’ll do it.”
Turning to him, she put a hand on his arm. “You’re all right, Reuben. She’s not going to die.” A small smile crossed her face, despite the worry in her eyes. “I had a look at the wound, and it’s long but not deep. It’ll be the cold that will have got to her now. I can clean and stitch the wound, and with a few blankets over her, she’ll soon warm up. You’re right though; I’ll need a few things from the store. Whilst you’re there, put a note on the doctor’s door. He can come to see her as soon as he’s back from the Longtons.”
Reuben nodded mutely.
“How did this happen, Reuben?” his mother asked, her eyes full of concern. “Who did this to her?”
“I don’t know,” he rasped, his mind filled with only one person as he shook his head. “There’s a lot more going on than you know, Mama, but I can’t explain it now. Just keep the door locked until I get back. Max is here with you, isn’t he?”
“Asleep, but yes, he’s here,” his mother replied with a wry smile. “We’ll be quite safe, don’t you worry.”
He nodded but didn’t move, his eyes fixed on Etta’s prone form, as his mother began to wipe away the blood from her face. The guilt that weighed on him seemed to drag him down all the more, sending a shudder of regret through him. This was his fault. He should never have let her go, not on her own.
“Go,” his mother said gently, breaking into his tortured thoughts. “Go, Reuben. She’ll be awake by the time you get back, I reckon.”
Swallowing the lump in his throat, Reuben tore his eyes away from Etta. Turning on his heel, he strode quickly from the bedroom and out again into the night, knowing exactly what he’d need to get for his mother to sew up the wound. It wasn’t exactly the first time she’d done it.
I’m sorry, Etta.
Regret dogged him as he mounted his horse again, who complained about going out again into the dark, cold night. Reuben didn’t have any intention of going to sleep in what was left of the night. Once the morning came, once Etta was awake, he was going to make his way over to Gus’s ranch, and this time, he wasn’t going to be leaving without answers. He had to find out the truth, for Etta’s sake.
9
Something was floating far away in Etta’s vision. She couldn’t work out what it was, her whole world fading into blackness before pieces of it slowly began to come back to her again.
Pain ripped across her skull, and she groaned, trying to lift one hand to her forehead but finding that her arm was, for some reason, peculiarly heavy.
“Don’t move,” she heard someone say, a voice that she recognized coming towards her. “Don’t try and do anything, Etta. You’re safe. We have you.”
Squeezing her eyes shut, Etta tried to move, to speak, to say something, but all she could do was groan.
“Is she going to be all right, Ma?”
Reuben. She knew his voice. Trying to speak again, Etta attempted to lift her hand, desperate to feel his fingers brushing hers, but found the only thing she could do was groan.
“You’re safe, Etta, I’m here.” The warmth of his voice brought her a wave of relief, her panic subsiding as his fingers touched her own. “You were hit on the head. I don’t know who did it yet, but I swear I’m gonna find out.”
“Reuben.” Her voice was hoarse and cracked, and yet she managed to force the word out from her lips. Reuben’s fingers tightened against hers, and she felt his hand brushing lightly across her forehead.
“Sleep, Etta,” he said softly. “I’ll be here when you wake up. I swear.”
That was all she needed. Letting go of her last bits of strength, she let herself fade back into the welcoming arms of slumber.
“Hettie?”
Etta hated how her voice rasped as she tried to speak, but yet, was glad that she had woken with a good deal more strength than last time. She had no idea what time it was, or what she was doing here in Reuben’s cabin or even how long she’d been asleep for, but at the very least, the pain in her head had subsided a good deal.
“Hettie?” Etta focused on her friend’s face and saw that Hettie was sound asleep in her chair, her hands clasped gently in her lap. Not wanting to wake her, Etta pushed herself up in bed a little more and managed to plump some pillows just a little so that she could sit up comfortably. Even that wearied her, and she had to sit quietly for a few minutes, just to regain her strength.
“Etta? Are you—?”
She turned her head to see Reuben coming into the room, stopping dead as he saw her sitting up in bed.
“I’m fine, Reuben,” she replied with a smile of relief etching itself on her face. “Thank you.”
He hurried towards her then, as though woken from a trance. Hettie didn’t even stir as he kissed Etta’s cheek, clutching her hands as he exhaled with a huge, heavy sigh.
“You’re here,” Etta said slowly, looking at his gentle face and finding her heart swelling with gladness. “You said you would be when I woke up.” Her features darkened, her brows furrowing with confusion. “What happened to me, Reuben?”
Reuben shook his head. “You were hit on the back of the head, Etta. It was only by sheer chance I found you.”
It all came back to her with a sickening thump. “Oh, yes,” she mumbled to herself, her heart suddenly quickening with fear. “I was just walking back to town when something hard hit me and then…” She trailed off, her mind scrambling painfully to remember anything else, but it was no good. Nothing else came to mind.
“You don’t remember who did it then?” Reuben asked, sounding a little dejected. “You don’t know his face?”
Etta shook her head, and then instantly regretted it as a stab of pain seared her skin. “No,” she replied, squeezing her eyes tight until the pain lost some of its fierceness. “I don’t.”
Reuben’s eyes darkened with intensity. “Do you know why, Etta? Is it to do with the brooch?”
Etta looked back at him without flinching, relieved that he, at last, knew everything.
“Your pockets were torn,” he explained, as she said nothing. “Someone had searched you, Etta. It’s maybe just as well that you left that brooch with me after all.”
She managed a tiny smile, remembering how they had parted. “I guess so.”
“I sure am sorry for that, Etta,” he said, leaning a little closer to her as his eyes sought hers. “I ought never to have let you go just like that. That was foolish on my part.”
Grasping his fingers, she tried to smile into his eyes, wanting to reassure him. “What happened to me wasn’t your fault, Reuben.”
“It was,” he replied at once—fiercely. “After what they did to your room, I ought to have known that you might be in danger, Etta. I just never thought…”
“But I’m all right, aren’t I?” she replied softly. “You don’t need to torture yourself over this, Reuben.
You weren’t the one to attack me, were you? Whoever it was who did this, it’s their responsibility, not yours. Besides, I was the one who headed out of here without even a thought.” Patting his hand, she saw him smile hesitantly, as though he wasn’t quite sure about what she’d said. “Now, all we need to work out is why this brooch is so important, and who around here is so desperate to get it.” Realizing what she’d said, Etta felt heat ripple into her cheeks and she slowly let go of Reuben’s hand, her gaze falling away. “I mean, of course, I gotta find out who is after the brooch. I’m sorry, Reuben. I wasn’t meaning to pressure you into helping me. I know how you feel about Gus and—”
“No.” His hand caught hers, and Etta’s eyes returned to him almost immediately, hope building in her chest. “No, Etta. After what’s happened, there’s only one thing I can do, and that’s talk to Gus. I promised myself I’d go once you woke up, once I’d made sure you were all right. I’m gonna ask him everything I need to, and this time, I’m sure not gonna leave without answers.”
Her face broke into a smile. “Oh, Reuben. Thank you.” The truth was, without Reuben’s help, she probably wouldn’t have gotten far, especially since Gus wasn’t likely to tell her anything. “I’m gonna come with you, of course.”
Reuben’s eyes widened in alarm. “Oh no, you ain’t! You’re gonna stay right here and let Ma look after you. You’re not strong enough to—”
“I have to come with you,” she interrupted, feeling stronger with every minute that passed. “I’m not going to sit by myself in here, wondering what Gus is telling you. Can’t you just give me until tomorrow so that we can go together? After all, Laurel trusted me with the brooch.”