So, cocky, so sure, so presumptuous. The spite raged through her, but she said nothing.
Jarrett Cain eyed her carefully. He, too, was betting on her silence. And for now, he could trust it. He could sense that the lovely Hannah Crowe was more than outraged, more than indignant and shamed and debauched by the crude sex. Oh, she’d never divulge her true feelings to him, but he could feel the passionate beat of her heart, and the hot fire bursting in her loins. And no matter how she tried to disguise her emotions, he could see the glimmer of sexual lust in her eyes.
Hannah returned his careful stare with smoldering eyes that in the intervening seconds gradually resumed their haughty luster.
“You will not get away with this!” she swore.
“No? ’Peers like I already have, my fine lady.” He bowed a bit in mockery.
The man seemed to have no fear at all, and this fact dimmed her spirit.
“Please take me home,” she demanded.
“Indeed,” he sneered.
Hannah worried about what she would find when she returned to the farm. She sat behind Jarrett Cain on his horse, with her open groin pressed to his ass and her arms around him for support. Every bump and jolt in the road sent a shooting pain through her sore behind. The discomfort in riding was almost as difficult as the buggering had been, but she couldn’t dwell on her own suffering. More important was the fact that she’d been missing from the farmhouse for over an hour’s time. Had Daniel returned? Had he found Jolie? What possibly could she say to him? What excuse could she give him to explain her absence? Maybe she should tell him the awful truth?
The lanterns in the farm house were still burning when the pair on horseback approached the yard.
“I’ll be getting down now,” she whispered. He drew in the reigns and Hannah slid to the ground.
“I’ll be needing you again, Mrs. Crowe,” the man said. “Don’t you forget that. In time, you’ll come to look forward to our meetings. That I promise.”
Hannah didn’t look back as he made his vow; but trudged to the house worried more about her next hour, than her future with Jarrett Cain.
The farmhouse was eerily empty inside. She moved from room to room calling Daniel’s and Jolie’s names, hoping, and at the same time afraid to find them there. As she suspected when she first entered, they were not home yet … and thus she was faced again with the same terrorizing fear for her sister that began her evening. What could have kept them so long?
Making a cup of tea to calm her jangled nerves, she sat in the rocking chair for several minutes, hoping to forget her last horrible hour. But again, the soreness in her bottom wouldn’t go away. In a fit of self-contempt, she bolted from the chair and poured hot water from the kettle on the stove into a basin. She tore away her clothes and scrubbed her bottom, her arms, her legs and thighs, everywhere the foul man had touched, as if she could somehow cleanse her tainted soul. Perhaps an hour after her return, still naked and still scrubbing her raw skin, she heard noises in the yard. She hastily drew a nightgown over her damp body, then dumped the basin of water out the back door. Covering herself with her night robe, she stepped out on the porch in time to see Daniel and a sullen Jolie walking toward the woodshed.
Thank God he’d found her! she inwardly sighed her relief. And yet, the gladness in her heart did not move her to rush forward and welcome the girl home. Had Jolie’s behavior a legitimate excuse, Daniel would have immediately brought her into the house. Obviously, she was guilty of the same irresponsible deeds that so marked her recent behavior. If only Jolie knew what prices her sister paid for Daniel’s absence that night. If only she understood that there were consequences far beyond her selfish world for her reckless immaturity.
Daniel was right to take her to the woodshed. He was right to punish her hard. The fierce feeling of revenge that Hannah could not express toward Jarrett Cain now poured from her soul, a bitter venom.
At first, Hannah had no will to attend her sister’s punishment. She stood on the porch as she watched Daniel light the lantern in the woodshed, then as he pushed Jolie toward the woodpile where she’d take her licks. The pair were now beyond her line of sight, though even from some yards away, Hannah could feel the tension in the air mount with each passing second.
Hannah knew the reprimand would be as rough as it was justified. She should be there as a witness and afterward to offer up the usual threats and cautions. But after her own terrible ordeal that night, the thought of being part of another emotional battle almost made her sick to her stomach. How could she put away that previous horror and stand firm with her unruly sister? How could she hold in her own despair?
The sound of an angry Daniel scolding the girl greeted her ears. Although she could not hear the words, she knew the message her husband was delivering to her sister. Then there was silence for several seconds, followed by the sound of leather cracking against bare flesh. Emotion bloomed like a cloud about the woodshed, and with Jolie’s first pained howl, Hannah abruptly scooted down the porch steps and made her way to the scene.
She stopped in the doorway and watched, wilting wearily against the doorpost.
Jolie’s bottom was bared and her small feet danced on the dusty floor as Daniel laid the thick leather razor strop across the tender underside of the girl’s behind.
“Ooo, ouch! Ouch! Stop!” Her cries became more frequent the more Daniel hit his target. Jolie stomped her feet vehemently, and thrashed about in an angry stew. The strikes just kept on coming. The girl didn’t dare put her hands back to cover her flesh from the blows. Anyone who’d submitted to a punishment from this man knew that he wouldn’t stop regardless of such a move. It was better to have a hurting ass than the razor-like cuts to the hands.
The last time Hannah had seen her sister punished it was Eldon Tremaine’s belt pummeling Jolie’s tender skin. What had been a gross violation in one instance was justified punishment in another. What irony this life contains!
Numbed by a night of extremes, of horror and passion and physical hurt, Hannah felt little now as she watched her sister suffer under each strike, but a continuing resentment toward her absent parents. Her own life was difficult on its own, but if it were not for a no-account brother and a foolish sister, she might know some peace.
She almost turned away from the scene as if she didn’t care, but then the punishment was over and Daniel turned to her. “You have anything to add?” he asked, as he held the strop for her to use.
She brushed his hand away. “I don’t need that,” she said. “I have only to add that Jolie will be leaving here as soon as it can be arranged with Aunt Grace. I will post the necessary letter tomorrow.” That said, Hannah tiredly turned away and returned to the house, leaving Daniel and Jolie to digest this piece of information. Daniel was surely relieved—if his wife hadn’t suggested the move herself, he would have.
Jolie stood stunned. The tears from her punishment had dried on her cheeks, but there remained a look of wonder and sorrow on her face that spoke plainly. She was troubled by her own misconduct, but there was more. What was that she’d seen in Hannah’s eyes? Something else, she could not quite name. She hadn’t seen such an expression on her sister’s face since the day Jarrett Cain had his way with her.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Hannah stayed at home while Daniel took Jolie to the train station in Springfield. Although he urged his wife to accompany them, she was adamant in her refusal.
“It’s going to be difficult enough to let her go. I’ll say my goodbyes here and avoid the tears in a public place.” She smiled as if this was a desperate plea. “Besides someone has to look after the farm.”
“Agreed, but Travis can take of things for a few days.” Daniel reminded her that his good friend had returned after being away for several months.
“But who will cook for him, and put up the fruit for winter? My goodness, there’s are so many things to do here now. We can’t both be away.”
She wouldn’t budge from her decision, and o
n this matter Daniel decided not to insist, though he did wonder why on this point Hannah was so unyielding. “You can stay, wife,” he said, “as long as you stay clear of Beau and his sorry friends. Mind you, I’ll have a report from Travis should you leave. Understood? Unless you want to earn a trip to the woodshed on my return, you’ll behave yourself.”
Hannah assured him, “I’m sure Travis will watch me like a hawk.” She smiled again in hopes of assuaging his fears. But there was little way to assuage her own. Part of her knew that she should be going on this trip. She would be safer in Daniel’s hands. But she hadn’t the strength for such a long excursion, the painful goodbyes and a difficult trip home. She imagined that Daniel would want to extend the trip several days to buy up stores for winter and visit his cousins in Springfield, who she didn’t particularly like. In his place, their friend and hired man Travis Runyon would certainly do. He was as strong and fierce as her husband, as protective of the farm as she was, and there’d be little to worry about with him close by—Cain wouldn’t dare approach her with so formidable a man at her side. Still, she harbored some misgivings about her choice, even as she assured Daniel that she was doing the right thing by staying home.
Hannah was aware that she took some risk in leaving her husband and Jolie together for so many hours, but she was willing to rely on her sister’s sworn promise to keep the incident with Cain a secret. It was, in fact, the topic of their last exchange.
“I’m afraid for you… that man is dangerous,” Jolie furtively admitted. Jolie had rightly noted that part of the reason she was being forced to live with her Aunt had to do with the threat Cain posed to them both.
“It was an isolated incident, Jolie; I haven’t heard from him since,” Hannah lied boldly without batting an eye.
“But with Daniel being gone—?”
“I have Travis here, dear. Please don’t worry. And don’t you go saying a thing to my husband and upset him with your unwarranted fears. I swear I’ll come after you if you do.” She peered deeply into the girl’s eyes. “Tell me your promise stands, Jolie.”
The girl eyed her sister carefully, then reluctantly replied, “I promised I wouldn’t say a word and I won’t…I just wish you were coming with us.”
“That’s been decided. I don’t travel well…and your leaving makes it all the worse. I’ll be all right here. I will.” She held her sister at arm’s length; their eyes were filled with tears. “Oh, you’ll have a fine life with Auntie and I’ll come see you in the spring.”
“You will?”
“I will. I promise.”
Jolie’s countenance suddenly took on a child-like expression and she wistfully said, “Auntie seems like such a stranger.”
“But a kind one. I remember her as a warm, gracious woman, so much like father. It’s too bad… well… you know…”
“Too bad mother couldn’t have been as nice as Aunt Grace?”
“Yes, I guess that’s what I meant.” She smiled lovingly, and as the tears streamed down their cheeks, she gave her sister a hearty hug. This was the first time they’d been separated from each other. Spring was a long ways away. Her heart was heavy, but Hannah was certain this drastic move was the right thing for them all.
***
It was a fine, warm autumn morning. The leaves crackled underfoot and on their yielding branches. As Hannah carried a basket of eggs from the chicken coop to the house, a rider came galloping into the yard and stopped abruptly, his horse rearing slightly as it snorted a cloud of breath.
“Travis Runyon here, ma’am?”
“Yes, he is. In the barn.” She pointed in that direction.
The man dismounted and strode brazenly toward the open barn door, where Hannah watched the brusque fellow confer with Travis, who had appeared from the dark interior and loomed like a giant over the smaller man. Standing six feet tall, Travis was a hefty man, naturally strong, a former fighter and a soldier. He sported a bit of a potbelly and his hair was graying with age. He was now a gentle giant, and yet, his willingness to take on any battle if a battle needed to be fought remained firm. If only he’d been around when her run-ins with Jarrett Cain took place.
“He’s brought me a note from my brother, Hannah,” Travis met her midway between the house and barn, with the rider following him close on his heels.
“Something’s wrong?”
“Lorna has taken a bad turn just when we thought she was recovering from the virus. It seems my return here was premature.”
“Then you must go to her.”
“I doubt I’ll be there in time.” He shook his head, looking at the yellow telegram. “It may be too late now.”
“But still, you must go. Your brother needs you, and there are arrangements to be made if it comes to that…”
“Miz Crowe, I can’t just go off and leave you with Daniel gone.”
“Yes, you can. I’ll be all right here. I’ve stayed by myself many times and no calamity befell me.”
“Nope. He won’t like it. There’s no way I’ll leave you here by yourself. Maybe if you’d stay with your friends in town…”
“Don’t be absurd, Travis. That won’t be necessary.”
“Oh, yes it will, my sassy miss.” The man’s eyes narrowed. “If I leave now, you’ll swear to me you’ll be there by nightfall. You can have Damien bring you back for chores.”
“I’ll be safe Travis, I promise,” she assured him.
“But you will go to town. Is that your promise?”
“Very well; that’s my promise.”
“And I will hold you to it.”
A large gust of cooler autumn air buffeted her, picking up her skirts and teasing her loose hair to blow across her cheek, the chill wrapping her body all the way to her toes. The weather was changing. Arms crossed in front of her body, she watched as Travis hurriedly gathered a few things and left on horseback, following the bearer of bad tidings to the road. An abnormal thrill crept in amongst the gloom, as if this unexpected turn of events foretold some mysterious, as yet unknown and exhilarating event. Buoyed by the feeling, she finally turned toward the house and marched back inside with her basket of eggs, thinking all the while that perhaps she wouldn’t bother staying with April and Damien.
Hannah wondered later if fate delivered her this hand to play, if she were destined to have her character challenged by the untoward designs of vile men, if somehow her nature required tests of her endurance and resolve. How else could she reconcile the circumstances that one by one fell into place, allowing her to once again be alone and vulnerable to a man who, with ever-increasing vigilance, seemed to know when and where she was ripe for capture?
Hannah promised Travis she would be in town, safe in April’s home that evening before the sun set. If the man had truly wanted to intervene to stop the tide that was barreling down on her, he would have taken her there himself. But he was distraught knowing that his favorite sister lay dying or dead. Even in a good man, logic and good sense do not dictate actions when the heart rules, and he had no idea the fate that awaited his best friend’s wife, or the fear she quietly nurtured.
For her first hours after Travis left, Hannah maintained a sunny, unquenchable spirit that dared her to stay home even when her dear friend ordered her to leave. But little by little, her worries seemed to creep into her mind, eroding her calm and giving way to fear. The image of Jarrett Cain kept returning to her thoughts as a reminder of why she should take precautions to ensure her safety—why she should leave immediately, not wait a minute more. Soon, however, tempting fate became a perverse thrill. If she could beat him back just once and thwart his vile schemes she would win. But even more than that, the same strange stirrings that arose when in his presence returned, making her body hot and her loins awaken with feral excitement. She nurtured a brave determination to fight the arrogant bastard. Although on imagining another likely scene with the man, she saw the same torrid and sexually brutal events taking place as had before. What was this? Could she be drawn to
the man? Was this her motive in staying home? Was it possible that she enjoyed the demeaning treatment, the abuse, the degrading sex?
Dear God! As soon as she grasped that thought completely, she knew she had to flee. She worked hurriedly, closing down the house—figuring that she’d return the next day with Damien, just as Travis recommended. Hannah was on the road to town at three o’clock that afternoon. By the time she finally mounted Little Jenny, she gave the filly a swift kick and took off at a gallop toward her destination.
Hannah could see the wood frame buildings of the small town appearing before her, a welcome sight. She slowed from her frantic pace—both she and Jenny needed a breather. She almost laughed at the sudden hysteria that propelled her quick flight from home.
But from behind her, the thundering sound of horses suddenly rose up like a tornado. She twisted in the saddle to look down the road and saw the face of Eldon Tremaine appear in the midst of a dusty cloud. There were others with him, but his face stood out from the rest as the one she immediately recognized. Dread and fear and that peculiar thrill rattled her body with a terrible and ugly force. She was panicked but unable to act, and before she could urge the filly on, four men had overtaken her and were steering her north, away from town, away from April and Damien’s house, away from safety.
“Where are you taking me?” Hannah asked, even as she attempted to bolt from their midst.
“Why don’t you just guess, ma’am,” Eldon’s arrogant tone bruised her ears with the truth.
“I will not!” She dug her heels into Jenny’s side and reined her sharply to the left, breaking through a small gap. She rode furiously and for a moment felt she might escape. Seconds later, a lasso circled her around the middle and she pulled up short, lest she tumble backwards off her mount.
“Now you just play the game, lady, real nice. Mister Cain’s got some fun for you tonight.”
Her cheeks blushed red as that hated pictured formed in her mind, while those strange and unbidden stirrings in her gut warned her that once again, her body would not cooperate with her need to resist.
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