by Jill Maguire
“What doctor, Jed?” Noah urged as his brother twisted a handful of his shirt in his fist.
“Why don’t you go see for yourself? He’s tending to Ma right now.” Jed let go of Noah’s shirt and pushed him toward the door. “She’ll get better because of me, not you. You’re nothing but a weak, scared rabbit,” Jed hollered as Noah bounded up the steps and disappeared inside.
****
Noah nervously snuck in the front door, closing it quietly behind him. He felt unsure and uncomfortable about what he would find inside. If Jed had anything to do with it, it probably wasn’t good.
Much to Noah’s surprise, he heard his Ma’s gentle laughter coming from her bedroom. As he crept closer the pine planks creaked under his weight, alerting his mother.
“Jed? Noah? Who’s out there?”
“It’s just me, Ma,” Noah answered quietly.
“Noah, come quickly, dear. There’s someone here I want you to see.”
Noah could hear the quiet hush of a man’s voice and wondered about the strange man at his mother’s bedside. Doctor’s in these parts were few and far between. How could Jed have found one willing to look after his dying mother?
As Noah pulled back the faded yellow sheet that divided his mother’s bedroom from the rest of the cabin, Noah saw an elderly man perched next to his mother, holding her hand. He had a full head of silver hair, a gentle smile and caring eyes. Not the sort of character who was usually associated with Jed.
The man released his mother’s hand and laid it gently on the bed at her side. He stood and walked toward Noah, stretching his arm to offer a gentlemanly handshake. “Hello Noah. It’s nice to see you again.”
Noah didn’t respond but the look of confusion on his face said it all.
“You probably don’t remember me,” the man continued, still firmly gripping Noah’s hand in his and chuckling at Noah’s stunned expression. “I’m William Ridgeway. We used to be neighbours back in Cranberry Bay. You may remember my daughter, Elizabeth?”
Noah’s mind was racing. He didn’t recognize the man standing in front of him, and although the name Elizabeth Ridgeway sounded vaguely familiar, his childhood in Cranberry Bay seemed like another lifetime ago.
William could tell Noah was at a loss for words. “You and my daughter were quite close when you were children. I remember the two of you scouring the beach for sea glass and shells almost every day. She was always very fond of you, Noah.”
The elderly man returned to Marion’s bedside and gently stroked her arm. “Don’t you remember, Marion? Having to whistle and holler to get the two of them to come in for supper?”
“Oh, yes,” she recalled, smiling sweetly at William as she wheezed deeply trying to fill her failing lungs.
Noah cleared his throat, finally ready to speak. “Thank you, sir, for coming all this way to care for my mother. Jed said he brought you here?”
William Ridgeway’s smile left his lips. He stroked Marion’s arm again and helped adjust the pillows behind her neck. “Get some rest now, Marion. We will do some more catching up once you’ve had a bit of sleep.” William smiled at her and stood, his back a little hunched inside the small cabin. He asked Noah if he could have a word with him outside.
Noah followed William out to the porch. Thankfully, Jed’s horse was gone, meaning his menacing older brother was gone as well. Noah didn’t want to endure another one of Jed’s powerful choke holds.
“So, I’m assuming your brother didn’t tell you the whole story of how I arrived here in Tangle Creek?” William plopped himself down in the porch chair and wiped the sweat from the back of his neck.
“No sir. He just said he found a doctor to care for Ma.”
“Well, your brother didn’t exactly find me. It was more like kidnapping.”
Noah gasped. Jed had done a lot of law breaking in his day, but kidnapping? Kidnapping a doctor? Noah shook his head as William continued.
“My daughter Elizabeth and I were travelling on the train when your brother stormed aboard and demanded I come with him. At the time, I had no idea who he was. It wasn’t until he brought me here and I recognized your mother, that I realized it was Jed. I see he hasn’t changed his ways much since he was a boy. Still getting in trouble?”
“Afraid so. He’s pretty angry,” Noah whispered, his eyes lowered to his dirty boots. “I’m sorry he did that to you, Doctor Ridgeway.”
“No need for you to be sorry, boy. But there is something I need you to do.”
“Anything sir. It’s the least I can do.”
“I’m assuming my daughter continued her journey after I was…,” William paused. “Borrowed by your brother. She most likely arrived in Tangle Creek sometime this afternoon to meet her intended husband. She is probably worried sick about what has happened to me. Go fetch her for me, will you? I need to let her know I am safe. I will stay here and care for your Ma while you’re gone.”
Noah tipped his hat in agreement and saddled up his horse. He needed to get to Elizabeth Ridgeway – and fast. If she had recognized Jed as the outlaw on the train, it would only be a matter of time before the Tangle Creek lawmen showed up at the doorstep.
Chapter Seven
“Welcome,” a kind elderly man offered as Elizabeth plopped her bags down in the entryway of the Tangle Creek Inn. “Let me guess? An Easterner? I’m guessing the coast…..maybe New Jersey area?”
Elizabeth tried to smile, but after the events of the day, she didn’t feel much like engaging in small talk. “Maine actually,” she whispered. “Do you have any rooms available? It’ll just be for a few nights. I’m hoping to return home very soon.”
“For a pretty lady like you? I think I have just the thing.” He snatched a key from the box mounted on the wall and slid it across the counter. “It’s our biggest room; complete with some of the nicest woven broadcloth this side of the country and a large mirror for your morning rituals. I think you’ll be very comfortable.”
“Sounds lovely. How much do I owe you?” Elizabeth dug into her bag and paid the man six dollars for three nights.
“Just follow the steps to the second floor. Your room will be the third door on the left,” the man told her.
“Thank you very much, kind sir.”
Elizabeth made her way to the base of the stairs but stopped suddenly when a poster pinned to the cork board caught her attention. It said Wanted: Robbery at the top with a hand-drawn sketch of a man with a handkerchief over his face. Elizabeth leaned closer and studied the picture, finding the man’s eyes eerily familiar. Could it be? Could this be the same man who had kidnapped her father?”
“Excuse me,” Elizabeth called to the man at the front desk. When he looked at her, Elizabeth pointed to the poster and asked, “This poster?”
“Sorry, Miss. Don’t let that frighten you.” The man joined Elizabeth in front of the board and shook his head. “He’s just a boy, but some folks call him an outlaw. Word is he robbed some folks in the next town over. He’s not dangerous, just lost his way is all.”
“So you know this man?” Elizabeth could feel her pulse quickening. If this was the same man who kidnapped her father, she needed to do everything she could to find him. “If you know this man, why don’t you turn him in to the authorities?” The man looked oddly at Elizabeth but didn’t answer. “If he is indeed a criminal, you need to go to the Marshall,” she insisted.
“I prefer not to get involved, Miss.”
“Well, where can I find him?”
“Like I said, I prefer not to get involved.” The innkeeper’s manner went from pleasant to perturbed as he limped away from Elizabeth, leaving her determined to find the outlaw, even if it was the last thing she ever did in Tangle Creek.
****
After a brief stop at her hotel room, Elizabeth returned to the bulletin board and ripped the poster from its tack. Gripping it tightly in her hands, she marched out of the hotel and surveyed the townsfolk littered through the street in front of her. She needed to
find just the right person.
Her gaze landed on a gruff looking man standing against the railing in front of the General Store. His beard was thick and red, his shirt tight over his bulging belly. He stood whittling a small piece of wood, completely oblivious to the ruckus going on around him.
Elizabeth squinted at him stubbornly from across the street. He would be her first conquest.
“Excuse me, sir. I’m new to town and I’m hoping you can help me.” The unsavory man looked at her, his focus falling mainly on her womanly areas rather than her eyes. Uncomfortable, Elizabeth got right to the point. “Do you know where I can find this man?” She held the poster in front of her chest, hiding herself from his glare.
He laughed but didn’t answer.
“I’m willing to pay for your help,” Elizabeth said, assuming he would be happy to take her money. “Name your price.”
“Yeah, I know where you can find him,” the man grumbled. “Give me that purty necklace and I’ll deliver you right to his doorstep.”
Elizabeth swallowed hard at the man’s proposition. With the exception of the man on the train, she had never even seen a real outlaw before let alone confronted one. But it was what she needed to do. She had to know if this was the same man who had taken her father.
“Consider it yours,” Elizabeth said confidently as she undid the clasp and slipped the jewellery from her neck. The man snatched it from her, told her his name was Jeremiah Hagen, and agreed to take her right away.
****
Elizabeth nervously clasped her hands together in the back of the wagon as Mr. Hagen navigated down the twisting gravel roads. Her stomach was in knots and she could feel the tension tightening to a kink in the back of her neck.
It took all of her strength not to tell the man to pull over and let her off. Dealing with an outlaw was certainly not something she had ever done before and the idea of it made her feel sick. Maybe she wasn’t so brave after all.
After what seemed like an eternity, the wagon finally came to a halt. Elizabeth heard the man tell her they had arrived but she hesitated to climb out. Nervously she peeked out of the wagon and saw a tiny cabin made of stone, wood and dirt to her left. So this was what an outlaw’s home looked like. Oddly, she noticed a small vegetable garden, two beautifully planted window boxes full of yellow and blue wildflowers and a trellis with an array of tangled vines. An outlaw with an affinity for gardening? Strange indeed.
Elizabeth quietly hopped down, the dirt billowing into a dusty cloud at her feet. She shielded her eyes from the sun and peered again at the small cabin. She had no idea what to do next, except march up to the door and demand her father be returned to her.
Elizabeth tried to convince her feet to move as the wagon pulled away, leaving her stranded. With no other options, she took a deep breath, straightened her shoulders and reminded herself that his outlaw was going to be sorry he had ever messed with the Ridgeway’s.
****
The sound of her knock echoed through the quiet countryside but Elizabeth was quite certain that the thumping in her chest resounded even louder. She was petrified -- her gnawed fingernails were proof of that.
She could hear footsteps coming from behind the door. This was it. Time to come face to face with an evil unlike any she had ever known. She closed her eyes briefly to prevent from fainting and clenched her hands into fists. The doorknob twisted and the door creaked open as Elizabeth opened her eyes.
The sight in front of her made her gasp out loud. “Father!” Tears spilled from her eyes as she fell into her father’s warm chest and William gathered her in his arms. “I’m so glad you’re alive,” she cried.
William chuckled softly and hushed his daughter’s concern with soothing reassurance. “It’s alright, Elizabeth. Of course I’m alive. It’s not what you think.”
Elizabeth squeezed him tighter, so relieved that her father was safe. William kissed the top of her head and gently pried his daughter away so he could see her face. “And you? You’re alright?”
“Yes, father. I’m just fine – especially now that I know you’re safe. I was sick with worry about you.”
“I’m sure you were dear, and I’m sorry you had to suffer. But now you can rest easy. I am just as healthy as I was when we were enjoying our lunch on the train.” William held her face and lovingly convinced her he was fine.
Elizabeth’s expression turned to fear as she looked past her father and into the kitchen. “Where is he now? We have to get out of here!”
“Elizabeth, listen to me,” William explained as he pressed his fingertip to his lips, urging his daughter to quiet her voice. “There’s nothing to be fearful of. Let’s talk outside, shall we?”
William held his daughter’s hand and led her down the steps to the middle of the yard. The sun was beginning to set and Elizabeth could hear a bird chirping in the tree behind the cabin. If she wasn’t at the home of a kidnapper, this moment would have taken her breath away.
“Father, really……we need to leave,” Elizabeth persisted. “Are there any horses in that barn? We could take two and ride back into town.” Elizabeth pulled her father toward the barn but he dug in his heels and stopped. “Father?”
“There’s something I need to tell you about the man on the train Elizabeth and it’s going to be quite a shock.”
Elizabeth stepped closer to her father. “Can you tell me about him while we’re riding back to town? We need to go now!” She tried again to convince her father to leave but was met with stubborn refusal.
“There’s no need to run away. In fact, we need to stay.”
“But father…..”
Before Elizabeth could say any more, she heard the pounding of a horse’s gallop coming down the road. Her heart leapt to her throat and she ran behind her father, hiding like a child in a game of hide-and-seek.
Her father didn’t say anything to the man who quickly dismounted his horse and Elizabeth refused to look. Even with her father at her side, she was still terrified of facing the outlaw.
“I couldn’t find her anywhere, sir.”
Elizabeth jumped at the sound of the man’s voice. Sir? Did the outlaw just call her father sir? What in the wilderness was going on?
“It’s alright, son. She’s just fine.” William reached behind his back and put his hand around Elizabeth’s forearm, pulling her to his side. “Elizabeth, you remember Noah Cartwright?”
This time there was no stopping the dizziness. Elizabeth took one look at Noah Cartwright and fainted – for real this time – into a puddle at her father’s feet.
Chapter Eight
“Help me get her up,” William asked Noah. “The poor thing has been through a lot today. We need to get her inside.”
Noah rushed to William’s side and helped collect Elizabeth from the ground. Her crinoline was covered in dirt and a small parched leaf that had fluttered down in the wind was tangled in her hair.
Knowing William was too feeble to help Elizabeth back to the cabin, Noah knelt down and scooped her into his arms, carrying her easily across the yard. As he followed William, he couldn’t help but steal a quick glance at Elizabeth’s face. Her skin looked as soft as cotton and her freckles, although faded over time, were still scattered across her cheeks. Just looking at her, Noah was transported back to Cranberry Bay and some of the happiest memories of his life.
“Do you mind if we lay her in your bed Noah?” William asked as he held the door open.
“That’s fine,” Noah answered, softly guiding Elizabeth’s limp body down onto his bed. “Is she going to be alright?”
“Of course she will. Emotions overtook her, that’s all. She just needs time to rest.” William plucked the leaf from his daughter’s hair and covered her with a blanket. “She’s my little firecracker. Nothing will keep her down for long.” William laughed and put his hand on Noah’s shoulder.
Noah took one more look at Elizabeth stretched out on his bed before he and William left the room. He couldn’t believe t
he unfortunate coincidence that had brought her here. What were the chances that Jed would kidnap the father of his closest childhood friend? And what were the chances they would still be friends when she found out?
“How’s Ma?” Noah asked as he inched back the curtain and saw his mother sleeping peacefully. “Her wheezing sounds a bit better.”
“I gave her something to keep her comfortable but I’m afraid there’s not much I can do. It’s only a matter of time Noah.”
Noah nodded. Only a matter of time and he and Jed would be orphans. He swallowed back his sadness and excused himself.
Out on the porch, Noah removed his hat and leaned back against the railing. He looked to the denim blue sky and prayed for his Ma. He wasn’t ready to lose her yet. She was everything good in his life and without her he wasn’t sure how he would cope. But he hated to see her suffer too.
As Noah sat, he thought back to his days in Cranberry Bay. He remembered the salty taste of the ocean, the hot sand beneath his feet and how much fun he and Elizabeth used to have back home. They’d meet almost every day to search for treasures along the coast – he’d tell her of sunken ships and she’d sing and twirl the day away. If only life could be that simple again.
“Mind if I sit a spell?” William folded himself down beside Noah on the front porch steps, grunting and grumbling about his creaky knees. “Both of the ladies are resting comfortably inside,” William added.
“I’m not sure Jed will be very happy about your daughter being here Doctor Ridgeway. I’m actually afraid of what he might do. It may be best to take her back to town when she wakes up.”
“No need to worry about your brother. I sent him to San Diego for more morphine – should be gone at least three days.”
Noah breathed a sigh of relief. “That’s good – for all of us.” Noah picked at the dried dirt caked to the toe of his boot. “Why are you doing this?” Noah cocked his head to the side and looked William in the eye. “After what Jed did, I’d understand if you took Eli and left this place.”