In Love's Territory: A Western Historical Romance

by Lucy Evanson

  So hot in here. I don’t know how he can sleep under that blanket when it’s this warm. Kate took another drink of water and turned back to the journal. Sam had seemingly considered every possibility—he had run numbers on every crop she’d ever heard of and some she hadn’t. He had considered renting land versus saving up money to buy it. There was even a page that showed his likely income if he were to take a job in Mineral Point instead of staying here on the farm. Nothing seemed to work out; page after page showed a final note at the bottom reading simply “no”.

  When he’d finally hit upon a business that he could run single-handed, his writing, usually so neat and compact, had seemed to swell with excitement. The printing grew larger, sloppier, and less controlled as he had neared the bottom of the page. If he set up a cheesemaking shop he wouldn’t need a lot of land. He wouldn’t need to hire help. He just needed to start with a cow. Several lines of figures added up to a nice profit at the bottom, and the final note was now an exuberant “YES!!”

  As Kate looked more closely, however, she could see that a large X had been lightly drawn in pencil across the page, as if to obliterate the entire plan. She turned the page and found a few lines written there:

  Regardless of the profit, no plan will be a success while I remain alone. Concentrate on the real gains to be made.

  Kate closed the journal and looked over to Sam. You’re not alone anymore, my love, she thought. And you’d better make room for me in your plans. She couldn’t guess what might be waiting for them together, but at the same time she didn’t even care. With Sam at her side, she would be ready for anything. She could feel the blood pounding in her veins, either from the excitement of starting a life with Sam or from the heat of the cabin, and took another sip of water to cool herself.

  A cough in his sleep made Sam tremble, and the excitement faded away as she remembered the long recovery that he had in front of him. I should check on him. As Kate stood up, the glass leaped out of her hand, landing with a thud on the rug. The water poured between the floorboards and all she could do was stare mutely at the mess. It was as if she had shrunk inside herself; Kate felt like some gauze had descended over her, making it harder to see and even hear. What’s happening to me? She ran a hand over her forehead and was surprised to find her skin slick with perspiration. Something’s not right. I feel sick.

  “Sam,” she called out, but the voice she heard was not her own. It came out in a whisper that floated away without being heard. The room felt as if it were spinning, and Kate dropped down to one knee. I just need to get to him and everything will be all right. He’ll save me. He always does. “Sam,” she said again, her voice a paper-thin croak, but he remained motionless in the bed, fast asleep. She reached out toward him, but he was entirely too far away. Come on, Katie, just get over there, she thought as she gathered all the strength she had and struggled to her feet again, swaying like a cornstalk in the wind.

  She took one step toward the bed, then another. Everything faded into darkness around her as she then collapsed onto the floor, and the room was silent again.

  ~

  Two sounds burrowed through his dreams and roused Sam. The first was a hollow clunk and splash, an odd noise that sounded completely out of place in his cabin. The second was a louder, heavier thud that sounded like something falling over. Like somebody falling over. He opened his eyes and saw Kate, lying there on the floor of the cabin, her face mashed against the rug. A froth was forming at her mouth as she lay there twitching, and a glass lay next to her on the floor. He could still see water glistening as it soaked into the rug.

  For an instant—only an instant—Sam froze. It was as if he were looking at a nightmare, not real life. This can’t be. This can’t be my love here on the floor.

  “Kate!” he shouted, rolling out of bed as fast as his injuries allowed. He was to her side in a flash, pulling her close, but her head rolled back senselessly. Sam cradled her to him and ran his hand over her forehead. Her skin was clammy and slick with sweat, and although he stared into her eyes, the pupils huge and dark, it was as if a stranger were looking back at him. Please, please help me, Sam thought as he took her into his arms and struggled to his feet, ignoring the pain that leaped through his side as his busted ribs jostled each other.

  He wrestled the door open and began to hurry down the hill to the house. Bruises and aches were nothing; the only thing that mattered was getting Kate some help. We’ve got to get her to the doctor, Sam thought, and as if to underline the thought, a fresh convulsion overtook Kate. She shook and shivered as if she wanted to wriggle out of his arms and fall to earth, but Sam’s grip was firm. He hugged her more tightly, trying to ignore the terror that had begun to creep into his bones. I can’t lose her. I will not lose her.

  Sam’s bare feet slipped and slid on the dew as he descended the grassy slope, but he managed to finally reach the porch and climb the steps without dropping his treasure or falling himself. And so, for the second time in a week, Sam carried Kate’s limp body into the family home. His shouts drew the family out of the dining room, away from their breakfast, and into the parlor, where they were greeted by the horror of Kate’s appearance as another round of tremors wracked her slender form.

  The others swarmed around as Sam laid Kate gently on the sofa, unable to do any more than hold her hand as her body convulsed. Shouts and cries swirled around as Sam was tugged in all directions, everybody speaking at once and nobody doing anything.

  There’s no time for this. She’s fading away. “Quiet!” Sam shouted. He stood and grabbed Mark by the shoulder. “You go get a wagon ready. We need to take her to the doctor. And you,” he said, turning to Jake, “go get blankets. She needs to lie down, so get everything you can to make her comfortable. Go now!”

  The boys shot out of the room. Thomas grabbed Sam’s sleeve and shook him by the arm.

  “What happened?” he cried. “What’s wrong with her?”

  Sam laid his hand on Tom’s shoulder but turned to Becky. “Go get some cloth, something to make cold compresses. And get a bucket of water,” he told her. “But taste it to make sure it’s fresh!” he added, shouting after her as she ran to the kitchen.

  He turned back to Thomas. “I’m not sure exactly what happened. She might have had some bad water, that’s all I know,” he said. “Right now we just have to get her some help as fast as we can. Go get your horse saddled up. I need you to ride ahead and let the doctor know we’re coming.”

  Tom looked down at Kate and ran his hand over her pale forehead. “What are you saying? I can’t leave my daughter like this,” he said, his voice quavering. “You’re a faster rider anyway. You should ride ahead.”

  Sam grabbed him by both shoulders. “Tom, that doesn’t matter,” he said. “Either one of us would be there before the wagon. But she needs to get there as soon as we can, and I know the roads better. I can drive faster than you can.”

  He hesitated only a moment before nodding and running out of the room. Sam again knelt at Kate’s side and felt her forehead. She’s burning up. Please, God, let her hold on until we get to town.

  “Becky, I need those compresses!” he shouted, and a moment later she rushed in, water sloshing over the rim of the bucket as she went. The girl knelt by Sam’s side and they laid the cool, wet cloth on Kate’s brow. Sam almost expected to see steam rise from her feverish skin. “You stay with her until I get back.”

  Becky nodded, too scared to say anything and her eyes brimming with tears. Sam reached over and squeezed her hand. “She’ll be fine, if we all do what needs to be done,” he said. “She needs us all to be strong now.”

  The girl nodded again and Sam jumped to his feet. He raced back up the hill, pebbles and twigs biting into his bare feet as he went, and burst into the cabin. He dressed in a flash and was about to head back down to the house when he accidentally kicked the glass that Kate had dropped, sending it spinning on the rug.

  He picked it up and thought for a moment. The pitcher still
sat on the table, sweaty with condensation. She must have gone to the well this morning, he thought. Sam poured a splash of water into the glass and smelled it. Nothing. He lifted the glass to his lips, and as soon as the water poured over his tongue, he knew. The bitterness sat in his mouth even after he’d spit the water out. It could mean only one thing. They poisoned my well.

  Sam felt a rage come alive within his soul. The cowards aimed at me and got Kate instead. Or maybe it was only one coward, and I’ve got a pretty good idea who it was. He leaped out of the cabin, ready to run back down the hill, when he realized that he’d forgotten something, and came to a sliding stop as he skidded across the wet grass. Sam hurried back to his cabin, and when he next appeared, his club was at his side.

  Chapter 15

  The ride to Mineral Point, usually so enjoyable, had turned into a trip through Hell itself. Jake had done well, finding every soft, thick blanket he could find and making a decent bed in the wagon, but the journey was still tortuous for Kate. Every time the wheel hit a bump in the road, bouncing the passengers like dice in a cup, she cried out. While Mary and Becky tended to her in the back, constantly replacing the cold compress on her forehead and shielding her from the early morning sun, Sam drove the horses as hard as he dared. On the rare moments when he did throw a quick glance back at the women, Kate was obscured by the red parasol that Mary held over her. It was probably for the best. He already had a hard enough time trying to concentrate on the road, what with the memory of his girl convulsing on the dirt floor of his cabin.

  “What do you think the doctor can do for her?” Jake asked, rousing Sam from his thoughts.

  “Well, the year before last, the Johnson boys ate some rat poison. They thought it was oats,” Sam said. “Doc gave them something to try to counteract it, but most of all it was just waiting and trying to keep them comfortable.”

  “You think Kate was poisoned?”

  “Looks like it. I think somebody dumped strychnine in my well last night.”

  “Who would do that?”

  Sam had to fight to bite his tongue. No use making things worse right now. There’s enough to worry about with Kate at the moment. “I couldn’t say,” he said.

  Mark turned to them. “I thought the Johnsons only had one son.”

  “They do only have one son,” Sam said. “Now.” He snapped the reins sharply, hurrying the horses up the incline. But that’s not going to happen to Kate. She’s an adult. She’s much stronger than a little boy. She’ll get through this just fine, he told himself, trying to peel away the fear that was growing around his heart like a choking weed. God couldn’t be so cruel to take her away from me so soon.

  The men fell silent for the rest of the journey; only the rumble and squeak of the carriage wheels and Kate’s occasional groans broke the silence. They topped the last hill overlooking Mineral Point just as Thomas was riding up from the other side.

  “The doctor’s waiting for you!” he shouted, rounding them and riding up alongside. “How’s she doing?”

  Becky wrung out a fresh cloth and placed it on Kate’s forehead. “She’s about the same, Mr. Taylor. She’s awful hot.”

  “Hurry, Sam, for God’s sake, hurry!”

  Sam snapped the reins hard and drove as quickly as he could; they gathered speed as they raced down the slope and it was only his fear of tipping the wagon that made him restrain the horses. He shouted and yelled as they drove, trying to clear the way, and nearly knocking several people off the road as they made the mistake of crossing in front of him.

  Doctor Sullivan was standing in front of his office as they pulled up and Sam brought the wagon to a sudden halt, leaping down almost before they had stopped moving. He ran to the back of the wagon and dropped the gate, gathering Kate into his arms and racing up the steps, the others following shortly behind. Sullivan led them inside and Sam laid her onto one of the small clinic’s beds. Even gently depositing her on the mattress wrenched a cry out of her throat, and Sam felt his heart split at the sound. Hold on, sweetheart. You did great, but we need you to hang on just a little bit more.

  “Tom said you think she got some bad water?”

  “Yeah,” Sam said, standing and turning to face the doctor. “I tasted it myself and it was bitter as hell.”

  Sullivan brushed the hair away from Kate’s eyes and laid his hand on her forehead. “You ever have problems with your well before?”

  “Never,” Sam said. “I think somebody dumped rat poison in there last night.”

  The doctor glanced up at him briefly before lowering his ear to her chest. “So I guess somebody doesn’t want you around anymore,” he murmured, before falling silent to listen to Kate’s heart.

  “It’s mutual, believe me,” Sam muttered.

  The doctor pulled out his pocket watch and took Kate’s pulse, not seemingly affected at all by the groans that floated out of her mouth when he grasped her arm. “Well, it sure looks like acute poisoning,” he said, standing up and crossing to a large cabinet in the corner of the room.

  “Will she be all right?” Kate’s father asked. “Can you do anything for her?”

  The doctor retrieved a mortar and pestle from the cabinet, then quickly opened a jar and poured several small black chunks into the mortar. “Somebody get me a glass of water. A pitcher and glasses are out in the front office,” he said. Sam turned to go but saw Jake already running out of the room. Good lad, he thought.

  “I’m going to see if she can keep down some active carbon,” Sullivan said, grinding the chunks into a fine powder. “That could help counteract whatever she took. Other than that, I can only try to keep her cool and still.”

  “Is there anything I can do here to help?” Sam asked as Jake returned with the water. The doctor poured the black dust into the glass, stirring as he did so.

  “No,” he said. “Now we can only wait. In fact, I want you all to wait outside now, please,” Sullivan said as he returned to Kate’s side. “I’ve got work to do and she needs absolute silence.”

  The group hardly moved. Sullivan’s businesslike expression softened along with his tone as he placed a hand on Sam’s arm.

  “I know you’re all worried, but there’s nothing more you can do here,” he said. “It’s up to her. If she’s strong enough, she could pull through this and be just fine. Now go.”

  The group filtered out of the room, passing through the outer office and onto the raised sidewalk that ran along the front of the clinic. As the front door closed, Sam cast a final glance back to Kate, and as the doctor raised her up to have her drink, another pitiful groan escaped her lips and her face contorted into a grimace that ripped through Sam’s chest. He closed his eyes, trying to flush out the image of Kate in such pain, and turned to the street.

  She’ll be fine if she’s strong enough. And if she’s not, Bill Taylor will have kin next to him, a dark thought whispered in the back of Sam’s mind. He abruptly started down the steps onto the street.

  “Where are you going?” Kate’s father called as Sam walked away.

  “I’m going to have a little talk with Ed Carter,” he said. “He’s going to answer for this.”

  “What do you mean? You think he did this to her?”

  Sam let the question hang in the air as he hurried down the street. The mining company’s offices were hard to miss; the building occupied a central position on the main street and the rest of the town had largely sprouted up around it. Sam could see the large CARTER MINING sign looming over the building as he approached, ran up the few stairs and stepped inside.

  The building foyer looked strangely out of place in Mineral Point. Tall potted plants decorated the room, framed oil paintings lined the walls, and thick rugs were placed over the hardwood floor. It looked like a place that oozed money and power. Sam quickly crossed the foyer, following the path that the rugs created from the front door to the secretary’s desk.

  “Morning, Sam,” she said. “What’s with the stick?”

  “Where�
�s Carter’s office?”

  She stared at Sam’s fist clenched around his club, the muscles in his forearm like steel cords.

  “It’s…uh, up the stairs,” she said. “But you can’t go in there without an appointment,” she called after Sam, who had already started up.

  “Believe me, Susan, this is one appointment that’s been a long time coming.” He reached the top and found himself before a set of double doors. Edward Carter, Company President, had been lovingly etched into the frosted glass.

  Sam pushed the doors open and found Carter seated at his desk, leaning forward over a pile of papers and not even bothering to look up.

  “Susan, I think I told you not to bother me,” he murmured.

  Sam strode quickly across the room. The desk was huge, larger than a kitchen table and made of beautifully worked mahogany. In one fluid move, Sam brought his club up over his head and crashing down onto the surface, missing Carter’s head by inches and sending a loud crack through the building. Carter’s head whipped up and Sam saw true fear slowly fill his eyes.

  “I bet you’re a little surprised to see me this morning,” Sam said.

  Carter was mute for a moment, not even daring to breathe until Sam drew his club back to his side, dragging papers and pencils onto the floor.

  “What the hell are you doing here?”

  “Walking around, you mean?” Sam asked. Carter scrambled to his feet, trying to keep the desk between them. “You aimed at me, but you got Kate!”