“You’re forgiven,” he said as he shouldered Miller through the door held by Camy.
Camy glanced at Miller, then at Duncan. “He’s forgiven for what?”
Duncan laid the man on the bed, the springs creaking beneath his weight. “I don’t know, but it seemed important.”
And somehow giving the young man forgiveness changed something in Duncan; it gave him peace and a sense of resolution. If he could forgive this young man for whatever part he had in bringing trouble to Camy’s door, he could begin to forgive his father, and then maybe he could forgive himself, freeing him to become the husband Camy deserved, the husband he desired to be. The kind of husband who gave his heart to his wife without hesitation. The kind of husband who loved his wife as much as Jesus loved the church.
Chapter Sixteen
Morning came too soon or maybe not soon enough. The storm that had started yesterday afternoon had continued through the night. At times the violent winds forced through the nooks and crannies of the cabin, vibrating the barred door on its hinges and causing Hound to whimper from beneath the bed. Duncan had hoped Benjamin would arrive and ease the minds of everyone hovering over Miller, but the rooster had crowed hours ago, and still no sign of the doctor. And according to her sister, Camy had disappeared nearly an hour ago. Enough time for her to find trouble. Anguish unlike anything he’d known, even throughout the war, churned in his gut, each second propelling his feet to move faster as his boots ate up the ground.
He’d checked the barn, the loft and the root cellar. Checked every animal stall, and the field, and now he paced along the porch worrying over her whereabouts and wondering if he’d misplaced his trust in Benjamin. The missive he sent with Northrop to his friend Deputy Nate Cooper had been of a delicate nature concerning Weston and the railroad. If it had fallen into the wrong hands, things could go horribly wrong. As if they hadn’t already. Was Benjamin in league with Duncan’s investment partner? Considering the condition of his brother, Duncan didn’t think so. But what if he was wrong, and where was Camy? Could she have gone out to feed the animals and fallen into the hands of Weston’s hired hands?
He was about to saddle Heather Glenn when Camy and Hamish appeared from the tree line. The jolt in his chest interrupted his sigh of relief, and all thoughts of shaking sense into her for scaring him vanished. He’d seen her looking like a river rat, soaked to the bone, in her work dress dusted with flour, and in a gown fit for a queen, but right now she was the prettiest picture he’d ever had the pleasure of seeing. A floppy hat shielded her eyes, covering the upper half of her heart-shaped face. Her hair, tied with a blue ribbon, hung over her shoulder. The fingers of her right hand peeked out from the sleeve of his buff-colored coat. She wore a pair of oversize britches tucked into mud-covered boots, two revolvers belted at her side. This was a side of her he hadn’t seen, although he sensed it was there beneath the anxiety of being shot and the inability to protect her sisters.
Her animated conversation with Hamish came to a halt when she saw him. “G-good morning, Duncan.”
More like good afternoon, but he wouldn’t mince words with her. “Where have you been? And why are you prancing around in trousers?”
She flinched, and he immediately regretted his tone.
Hamish shook his head. “Son, if ye’re marryin’ her, ye best learn how to communicate.”
Duncan narrowed his eyes. What was that supposed to mean? He wouldn’t mind his wife wearing such attire, but at least after they said their vows he would have the right to haul her behind a tree and kiss her senseless. “I’ve been worried.”
“And rightly so, Mr. Murray. Hamish had a beastly time protecting me from the nasty little squirrels tossing sticks upon my head as I looked for you.” She shook, her cheeks flushed with anger.
Duncan growled. Funny how when she became irritated with him her stutter disappeared.
“Camy girl, that’s not a way to respect yer husband. He has every right to be concerned after what happened yesterday.”
“He isn’t my husband. Yet.”
Duncan held his tongue before he dug a bigger hole for her to bury him in.
Foot tapping, she glared at Duncan until Hamish disappeared into the barn. “What was that about?”
“What?” He shrugged. “You weren’t here when I came to check on you, and nobody knew where you’d gone.”
“And just where have you been, Mr. Murray?”
“Duncan.”
“For your information, Mr. Murray, I went looking for you to see if you would escort me to the river, but you—” she poked him in the chest with her finger, her freckles hidden behind the rosy hue filling her cheeks “—were nowhere to be found. Did you know there is a man lying in my home who’d not only been beaten but carved like a piece of soft wood? Of course you know, you carried him in there.”
Which was exactly why he’d been concerned over her disappearance. Needing space to think without her overtaking his every good sense, he stepped back, before he grabbed hold of her and molded her to him until they were inseparable with no ending and no beginning. “If you must know, I was checking for signs of intruders.”
She gave him a look that said she didn’t believe him. “After the rain we had?”
Oh, he wanted to pull her into his arms and kiss her. A sweet gentle caress wouldn’t do, not this time. He clenched his jaw and breathed through his nostrils, willing self-control into his mind. “Yes, Cameron. If they are here, I would know as their boots and their horses’ shoes would leave impressions in the rain soaked ground.”
Her mouth formed an O. She held out her hand. “Truce?”
He wasn’t giving in that easy. “Where were you?”
She glared at him. “If you must know, I was worried about you, so I donned this ridiculous hat and went searching. And after all the rain last night I needed to check the river.”
“And?” He crossed his arms in front of him to keep from grabbing her.
“It’s high.” She chewed on her lip. Her confidence wavering as the heat of her words cooled, why? “Maybe t-too high for Benjamin to cross when he gets to Rusa Valley. I never thought I’d say this, but we sure could use a doctor right now.” She kicked the toe of her boot into the mud. “Ellie’s doing the best she can.”
“And? You were gone over an hour, Camy. It only takes a few minutes to walk to the river and back. Your sisters are worried.” As had he been; now he just wanted to lock her up in a room and keep her safe until the men were captured.
“I checked the road to see if it was washed out. I wouldn’t want to miss the party tomorrow.”
All the tension in his shoulders drained. He pulled her toward him. “You don’t seem the type to enjoy parties, even if you are an honored guest.”
“Ha, most likely Mrs. Smith wishes to make a fool of me. But you’re right, I don’t like parties. I despise them.”
“I know, then why the urgency? Why, after all that happened yesterday, would you go off on your own?”
“I was with Hamish.”
Duncan had crossed up with Hamish less than an hour ago. The old man had been alone.
“Camy, he wasn’t with you when you left, as he’d been with me.”
Her mouth pressed into a thin line. He glanced past her shoulder, toward the roaring of the river. After meeting Mrs. Smith, he knew she wouldn’t pass the chance to have a social occasion and would reschedule as soon as the road was passable. So what was so important about tomorr— Oh!
Smoothing his palm over her cheek, he dislodged the floppy hat from her head to her back so he could gaze into her beautiful brown eyes. “It will take more than a thunderstorm and a rain shower to stop us from saying our vows and sealing our business deal. You don’t have to worry about losing your home.”
* * *
“Business deal? Losi
ng my home?” She pulled from him and rested her hand on the butt of her revolver. She’d been looking for him, but she’d been ready to shoot any man she couldn’t identify who crossed her path. She was tired of standing and tired of fighting. And she’d do just about anything to keep Duncan from Miller’s fate. Even hunt down the scoundrels herself. “How can you even think about our deal at a time like this? In case you’ve forgotten, I’ll remind you once again that Miller is recuperating from very grievous wounds. It very well could have been you after you chased the bounders off my land.”
His eyebrows hiked at the mention of her land, and she waved his silly argument off with her hand. “Whose ever land it is, yours, mine, ours it could have been much worse. You—” she poked him in his chest “—could have died!”
He could have died, and it would have been her fault. All because of her foolish, prideful heart. Didn’t the good Lord’s word say Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall? Pride had told her to fight for what belonged to her and she hadn’t counted the cost to her sisters, to Miller. In her arrogance she thought she could keep the farm, to care for it on her own. She’d even tried to convince Hamish of such. Obviously, after seeing all the improvements Duncan had made, she couldn’t. She should have pushed Hamish to agree to Mr. Weston’s offer months ago and saved them all a great deal of turmoil. At least his offer was a mite higher than Mr. Henry’s had been for the railroad.
“How will attending Mrs. Smith’s party tomorrow change anything? How will we being married change that fact?” Duncan asked.
Her jaw fell slack. Was the man daft? Wasn’t it plain? Every hobnobber in the county flocked to Mrs. Smith’s social calls. If Mr. Weston wasn’t in attendance, Hamish could auction it off to the highest bidder. Or give it away to old Dr. Northrop, although that would have Hamish falling into an early grave. She wouldn’t expect Hamish to keep his promise to her. She loved her home, but she didn’t want it anymore, not when it was obvious someone else wanted it enough to cause serious harm.
“Camy, why were you so worried about attending Mrs. Smith’s party if you weren’t worried over sealing our business with marriage vows?”
“The business deal is off. I’m not marrying you.” She stomped by him, angry that she had to remain Miss Cameron Sims instead of becoming Mrs. Murray, wife of the man she loved.
He grabbed her arm, spinning her around. “Why not?”
Stupid man. “Don’t you see? Just because we marry doesn’t mean this will stop. Before they were only tormenting us with silly games. Now they’ve nearly killed Miller. I will not allow that to happen to you, nor to anyone.”
The muscle in his jaw furiously ticked. “The party. Why do you want to go if not for the wedding? I want an answer.”
She huffed. “Shortly after the first fire, an acquaintance of Mrs. Smith offered to help us out by buying Sims Creek. He’ll buy the land, and the railroad will no longer be my problem and you can go back to where you came from, and perhaps find a more suitable wife, one who doesn’t walk around in trousers unattended on her own property.”
Duncan winced as if she’d slapped him. His face darkened in anger. “We signed an agreement. It’s legal. It’s binding. This land is as good as mine, and you are as good as my wife. The only thing lacking is standing before Pastor Hammond and speaking our vows.”
“You would force me to keep our agreement?”
“Yes.”
She could love him from afar. She could love him close by without saying a word, but she couldn’t love him dead. The very thought shattered her heart into tiny remnants like the twinkling stars surrounded by black nothingness.
“Cameron.” The anger in his voice relented, but it still rang hard, unyielding. He ran his hand down her arm until he met her fingers. “I just joined this fight and I’m not backing down. I never back down. I’ll fight for this land. I’ll fight for your family. I’ll fight for you.”
Warmth filled her chest, filling every crevice threatening to render her apart. The unspoken promises in his eyes begged for her patience and understanding. No one had fought for her and her sisters. They’d been left, pushed around and passed around and left again. Why would Duncan be any different?
“I’ll fight for us.”
He left her standing in the middle of the yard, staring at his broad back as he disappeared into the barn. He believed every word he said. Why couldn’t she believe them? Because she didn’t want to believe them. Because he wouldn’t fight if he didn’t think it was worth the cost, which meant she needed to diminish the value by ridding them both of the problem. She squeezed her eyes against the tears threatening to spill. The fight wasn’t worth his life. It wasn’t worth anyone’s life. She only prayed Mr. Weston was still interested.
Chapter Seventeen
Benjamin Northrop jumped from his spotted horse and tossed the reins around the hitching post near the barn. “I left your friend at the boardinghouse in Rusa as you requested. Your trunk is in the back,” he said, pointing to the brown leather trunk.
“My thanks for retrieving my belongings and delivering my message.” Duncan hefted his trunk and set it inside the barn. Benjamin followed him. Duncan unlatched the buckles and popped open the lid. After discovering the theft of his father’s pocket watch, he held his breath as he dug into the bottom and felt for the small lump tucked into the lining.
“I’m sorry it took me so long.”
“I understand. There was a lot of rain.” Duncan’s fingers brushed against the velvet bag and he breathed a sigh of relief. Tucking it into his pocket, he closed the lid and returned outside.
“By the time I was able to cross the river, it was late, and it seems my father has had some sort of fit, maybe even an apoplexy, after he heard the news about Miller.” Dark circles underneath Benjamin’s eyes were proof of the sleepless night.
Duncan paused. How would the elder Northrop have heard about Miller? Duncan had been planning on riding out to see Dr. Northrop to let him know his son was recuperating at the farm. “I’m sorry to hear that. We’ve been watching for you. Ellie fixed him up nicely, but—”
A V creased Benjamin’s brow as he interrupted Duncan. “Who?”
Duncan raised an eyebrow. “Miller.”
“He’s here? He’s not dead? How? One of his friends showed up at the house and told Father he’d fallen in the river and drowned. When I came home Julius had been out looking for him. He’s here?” Benjamin grabbed his medical bag from his horse.
Duncan wasn’t sure what to think about Miller’s “friend.” Was Miller part of the threats against the Sims sisters? Or had he been used or coerced and then beaten to a pulp when things had gone too far? Duncan had no idea. He also had no idea if he could trust any of the Northrops. Including the man standing before him.
“He didn’t drown,” Duncan said. “Hamish found him out by the goats’ pen. Before you see him, I must warn you about his condition. He’ll live, but he’s damaged.”
Benjamin paled. “How bad?”
“A broken arm, perhaps a few broken ribs. It remains to be seen if his fingers can be saved.”
Benjamin stalked toward the house.
“Benjamin, there’s more.” Duncan gritted his teeth, knowing what he was about to say wouldn’t be easy to hear.
Benjamin halted. His long black coat billowed around his legs.
“On the afternoon of the attack, three riders tore up the fields. No real harm was done, as I was able to chase them off, but you must know, Miller was one of those men.”
Benjamin squinted. “Did you harm my brother?”
Duncan shook his head. “I didn’t know he was one of them until Hamish found him and brought him into the barn. Even if I had known I wouldn’t have done anything more than secure him and let the law have him. You should know, there was an X carved into hi
s face. Like a mark left on a signature note.”
A puzzled look creased Benjamin’s brow. “What are you saying?”
“I’m not certain. Somebody wants this land. I know Sims Creek has been a source of contention between your father and Hamish for years, and Camy believes the railroad has been behind the attacks here. What was done to your brother was more than a beating, it was personal. Is there anyone Miller owed money to, or your father?”
“I wish I knew. I’ve only recently returned to Kansas. Miller was a boy when I left. Did you ask him about it?”
“No. He’s been groggy much of the time.” He massaged his neck. “Besides, the girls don’t know he was one of the riders. Until I had proof of the extent of his involvement, I thought it best to keep quiet.”
“I appreciate that. No need to have further discord between our families at the moment.”
“By the way, does your father smoke?” At Benjamin’s nod, Duncan pulled the foil wrapper from his pocket and unfolded it. “Do you recognize this?”
“No. Should I?”
“This was left out in the field around a package of smokes.” Duncan didn’t want to tell him he knew of only one man who smoked this brand. It was best to keep as much as possible to himself until he unraveled the mystery. “Ellie’s been keeping a close watch on Miller. She stitched him up real good, but I know she’s been anxious for you to arrive.”
They entered the cabin. Camy glanced up from the book she held in her hand. “Ben, I’ve never been so happy to see a doctor before. Ellie’s resting a moment. She’ll be relieved to know you’re here.” Camy stood and laid the book on the table.
“Please, let her rest.” Benjamin removed his coat.
The Negotiated Marriage Page 17