After one loud grunt he moved back, and then grinned down at her triumphantly. “Do you like that, my dear? Do you like being slapped around and then taken by force? Of course you do. And don’t worry about any bruises on that beautiful face. I’ll have Hugo bring in something right away. Now get yourself together. Mrs. Rivenbark will be here soon.”
“You bastard!” The words hissed across the silence of the room. “You filthy bastard! I hate you! And I will find a way to leave you.”
Never had she seen him so angry. He twisted back around to fall on top of her again. His fingers squeezed down on her throat until she felt herself slipping away into a deep void. “You try to leave me, ever, and I’ll kill that brat of yours. Do you hear me? I’ll kill him, and then I’ll ravish you until you’re worn out and useless and no man will ever want you. Don’t keep trying my patience, Kitty. I warn you.”
His voice came from far, far away, and just when she felt the hands of death reaching out for her, he released his hold. She coughed, choking in the sweet air. Corey stalked to his own room, slamming the door loudly after him.
Kitty was still lying there when Dulcie returned. “Oh, missy.” She dropped the chamber pot with a loud clatter as she rushed to the bedside. “That man done hurt you, ain’t he? I should of knowed when you made Hugo mad he’d run straight to tell him you was riled up, and then he’d be a’standing on the other side of that door a’listening. Oh, Lordy, Lordy,” she moaned over and over.
Kitty struggled to sit up, yanking down her skirts self-consciously. It was obvious that she had been raped by her own husband. “Just please get me some brandy, Dulcie,” she whispered miserably. “That will help me more than anything else right now.”
He would kill John, Kitty thought in terror once she was alone. He’s insane. He would do it.
Dulcie returned with the brandy, and Kitty downed the first glass quickly, then asked for another. “Miss Kitty, don’t make him mad no more, please. He…he’s got ways of making a woman suffer,” Dulcie whispered.
Kitty looked at her sharply. “What do you mean?”
“That other woman, that Stoner woman…when she stayed here, there was nights she screamed. And there were other women, and they screamed.” Dulcie lowered her voice, and Kitty had to strain to hear. “Mistah McRae’s got another room, on the top floor, and he don’t let none of us go in there. Nobody goes in there but him. He keeps it locked all the time. That’s where he took those other women. That’s where the screaming came from.”
Kitty chewed her lower lip worriedly. “Were those women all right later? I mean, the next morning?”
“We left trays outside their door. Sometimes we didn’t see ’em come or go, Miss Nancy, though, she looked all right, maybe a bit tired. Even Hugo has said he’d love to know what goes on in that room. Miss Nancy must not have minded too much, though, ’cause she sho did try to get the mastah to marry up with her.”
“A pity she didn’t succeed,” Kitty murmured, then asked, “How is the door locked? Is it opened with a key like the others in this house?”
Dulcie nodded. “But only Mistah McRae got the key.”
“Well, we may just have to find another way in there.”
The brown-skinned girl shook with fright. “Don’t ask me to help you, Miss Kitty, please. I don’t want to know what’s in that room. You just pray to God you don’t never find out, that he don’t ever make you go up there.”
Kitty tried to rest after Dulcie finally left her, but her mind was whirling. Hugo came in to inspect her face, and she flinched as he touched her. Satisfied there were no bruises, he gave a smug smile and insolent bow and left her. Dulcie returned with a tray at lunch, but Kitty could not eat. Then, all too soon, Mrs. Rivenbark was announced.
She fluttered into the room, a fat, red-cheeked woman with wisps of gray hair flying from the tight bun rolled at the nape of her neck. She was very friendly, and Kitty suppressed a smile as she remembered the woman as one of those who had crossed the street to keep from passing her.
Mrs. Rivenbark was talking incessantly, and Kitty was lost in her own thoughts until she felt a hand on her shoulder. “Mrs. McRae, are you looking at any of these sketches?”
“Yes, yes, that one is fine.” She pointed at the one before her, not really seeing it, not caring.
“Ahh, that is one of my most beautiful creations.” She was obviously pleased over Kitty’s choice. “You will carry the full hoops quite gracefully, I feel sure. This particular design will be lovely in pink silk. We’ll start by draping pale pink gauze over a deeper shade of pink. You notice that the neckline is quite low, so I have designed a shawl to hang in graceful, deep swaths. No ruffles. The dress is stunning with the skirt and shoulder drapes caught up with tiny bouquets of silk roses. White or pink?”
Kitty’s mind had drifted once again.
“White or pink silk roses?” Mrs. Rivenbark asked sharply.
“Oh, it doesn’t matter. Whatever you think.”
“Very well.” She sounded dubious. “Mr. McRae told me you were to look stunning, and I feel this will be my greatest creation. May I have permission to do your hair as well? I will come early and dress you myself.”
“Yes, yes.”
Mrs. Rivenbark clucked about, taking Kitty’s measurements, commenting on her enviable bosom and tiny waist.
“You won’t even need a corset.”
And then she was saying something that brought Kitty back to the present. “What did you say about Mattie Glass?” Kitty demanded.
“I was saying that the poor woman is miserable. Those animals ripped her apart. It makes me so mad. I talked to Dr. Pope just this morning. I went to the hospital before I came here, and he wouldn’t let me see her, but he says that while she’ll mend physically, he’s worried about how all this is going to affect her mind. She just lies in bed and stares at the ceiling, he says. They have to force food into her mouth and make her swallow. One of her sons has a broken jaw and lost most of his teeth. The other one is pretty badly bruised. It’s a terrible situation, and the whole county is up in arms about it.”
“Please give her my love,” Kitty said. “I know how she feels.”
Mrs. Rivenbark lifted her eyebrows, and her apple cheeks turned even redder. “Yes. I—I heard about your misfortunes during the war. I’m sorry.”
“Do they have any idea how long she will be in the hospital?”
“Several weeks. Me and the other ladies in the church are going to keep trying to visit her. I just hope they catch the animals who did it. No woman is safe till they do. And I just don’t believe the Klan had anything to do with it. I heard from the parson that a message was nailed to the door of the hospital during the night, and whoever wrote it said they were a member of the Klan, and they declared before God that their group was not responsible. They even said the Klan was trying themselves to find out who’s responsible and see that they’re punished.”
Finished with her measuring, she began to tuck her swatches of material and sketches into a large cloth bag. “I, for one, will be glad to see the federal marshals get here. Folks in town plan to demand that their first order of business be to find those men. It’s the Lord’s blessing that Joe Paul and William Earl were knocked out. It’d be a horrible thing to watch something like that happening to your mother.”
“Yes, it certainly would,” Kitty agreed. “What about the sheriff? Is he trying to find them?”
Mrs. Rivenbark snorted. “He’s got his hands full trying to keep the whites and nigras from killing each other. The town is filled with uppity nigras now, and we just aren’t going to put up with it. My man, Josh, he keeps his gun right by the bed. Had to hide it when the Yankees were in town, or they would’ve taken it away from him. Lord, I was glad to see them go. Still a few around, but they don’t do anything but drink at the saloon and mess with those women. They’re supposed to be keeping order, but I sure haven’t seen any. It’s not safe for a woman to even walk the streets in the daylight by
herself.”
She sighed. “Well, I will be back in a day or so, and we’ll start sewing. We’ll have everyone in the county talking about how lovely you are. I hear some very important people have been invited. Is it true the Governor himself has been invited?” she asked excitedly.
“I really don’t know,” Kitty said, shrugging. “I haven’t seen the invitation list. I am leaving all that to Corey.”
The woman looked at her curiously.
“I have been ill, you know,” she added quickly.
Mrs. Rivenbark nodded. “Oh, yes, that’s right. I suppose you aren’t up to handling the details. I hear the menu is sumptuous! Roast quails and ducks and pigs and deer. And there will be fruits and vegetables brought in from Raleigh. And the cake! I hear the cake is going to be this tall.” She stretched her hands about a yard apart.
“You seem to know more about my wedding party than I do.”
Once again the apple cheeks glowed. “Well, it is the talk of the town. Everyone is hoping to be invited. Me included.”
“Well, I’ll see what I can do about that.”
“Oh, would you?” The dumpy little woman beamed. “My, what a treat it would be for me to be standing at the foot of those stairs when you make your grand entrance wearing my dress! It would be a night I would always remember.”
Kitty walked downstairs and all the way out to Mrs. Rivenbark’s buggy. Her husband was waiting, and he bowed, beaming. Kitty remembered him, too. He was another who had snubbed her. Now, just as Corey had predicted, he was positively obsequious.
Kitty breathed in the fresh air. Spring would soon burst across the land. Already she could taste it. Dogwood trees were threatening to burst into blossom, and she caught the first pungent fragrance of the wild honeysuckle that was beginning to creep along the edge of the veranda.
Just as Josh Rivenbark was helping his wife into the buggy, Corey came walking around the corner with Rance and Coot. Kitty detested his hired guns. They swaggered so cockily when they walked, holsters low, hats tipped forward to shade their ugly, swarthy faces. She disliked Coot most of all because he reminded her of Luke Tate. And whenever Corey wasn’t around or did not happen to be looking, both Coot and Rance leered at her, eyes moving over her body. It made her want to run.
“Oh, Mrs. Rivenbark…Mr. Rivenbark,” Corey called affably, turning on his charm. “Good afternoon. How did my wife’s fitting go? Did she choose a lovely gown, befitting her dazzling beauty?” He gave Kitty an adoring gaze, and she fought the impulse to retch.
“Yes, yes, she did.” Already in the buggy, Mrs. Rivenbark was fumbling in her bag, showing Corey the sketch and the swatch of pink silk.
Corey was studying the sketch thoughtfully, then examining the swatch of silk. Kitty looked at Rance and Coot out of the corner of her eye and saw that they were giving her that look again. She tilted her head up and flashed them a withering gaze, and they looked away self-consciously, but not before she saw the flash of anger in Coot’s eyes.
“The design is fine.”
Mrs. Rivenbark beamed.
“I especially like the décolletage. My wife’s generous endowments should be displayed like rare jewels.” Kitty felt her face flame, heard the snickers from Coot and Rance, saw Josh Rivenbark’s astonishment.
“But the material is all wrong. I want my wife in green silk, Mrs. Rivenbark. An emerald green to match the jewels I plan to give her.”
He looked at Kitty for her reaction. He was smiling expectantly. She stared at him. Frowning over her lack of enthusiasm, he turned back to Mrs. Rivenbark. “She will be wearing an emerald necklace set with diamonds and matching earrings. Go by Giddens Jewelers in town and see them. I haven’t picked them up yet. Make sure the green matches exactly.”
“I may have difficulty—” she began.
“Then make a trip to Raleigh,” he said, dismissing her protest. “You’ll be paid for all your time and effort.”
“Yes, of course, whatever you say,” she said quickly. “She’s going to let me do her hair, too, Mr. McRae. I’ll dress her completely.”
“Fine. Good day.” He reached and grabbed Kitty’s arm, pulling her up the steps and across the veranda.
“I wanted to stay outside and enjoy the fresh air, if you don’t mind,” she snapped.
“Well, I do mind. You are not to wander about unescorted. Not ever, do you understand? And Coot and Rance and I have business to discuss, and we don’t have time to walk you about.”
“I wouldn’t want to walk with any of you anyway. I’d rather sit in my room and rot.”
He opened the door for her, and there stood Hugo, waiting to lead her up to her room. “Hugo, make sure Mrs. McRae does not wander about outside unescorted,” he said crisply. “I want her to lie down now till dinner.”
He gave her a meaningful smile. “Rest for tonight, my dear. I look forward to spending the evening with you.”
He turned on his heel and hurried back to his men while Hugo kept his arm clamped on her elbow. Kitty shook it loose and ran across the entrance foyer. Hoisting her skirts, she ran up the stairs, pausing at the first curve to bend over the polished mahogany railing and scream, “Don’t you ever put your hands on me again, Hugo. Never!”
And his laughter echoed behind her as she hurried the rest of the way to her room, tears streaming down her cheeks.
Chapter Twenty-Four
The ride into Goldsboro was tense. Kitty moved as far as possible from Corey, but he only chuckled over her anger. Her protests against the trip were brushed aside.
“The trip will do you a world of good, my dear. You need some fresh air.”
“I could get fresh air if you would let me out of this house,” she retorted. “I don’t need to ride all the way into town with you.”
He raised an eyebrow and pulled at one side of his moustache, enjoying her displeasure. He smiled. “Oh? You aren’t anxious to walk with me through the town that once spat upon you? You won’t relish the bowing and scraping? The invitations to our ball have not been delivered yet, and there’s quite a bit of speculation about who will receive one. I think we’ll find the obsequious behavior of your former enemies most enjoyable.”
“That is not my idea of fun. What am I to do? Parade up and down the streets all day long?”
“No. We’ll take a stroll, and then I have business to see to. You may visit some of the shops and enjoy yourself.”
They took their leisurely stroll up and down the main street. Corey had been right, the fawning of those who had treated her with contempt was sickening. And all because I married a rich Yankee carpetbagger, she thought with disgust. It doesn’t matter how he takes their land from them. It doesn’t matter that he’s a damn Yankee! He’s rich and powerful, so they admire him.
“Run along now, dear,” Corey said as they stood in front of his office. He brushed her cheek with his lips after whispering menacingly, “Don’t you dare turn away from me here in public.”
She stiffened, accepted the kiss. He gave her an adoring smile. Rance had followed their carriage on his horse, and Corey turned to him and reminded him once again to stay close to her. “Don’t make yourself obvious, but if anyone says anything out of the way to her, you be ready. I want her protected at all times.”
“And watched,” Kitty snapped, jerking her velvet shawl tighter about her shoulders. “Why don’t you just tie me to a hitching post like a horse?”
“That wouldn’t be very nice.” His mouth turned up in a grin, but his black eyes were deadly. “Rance knows there are other reasons to keep an eye on you, my sweet wife. I don’t want you going to any of your nigra friends and begging them to help you run away. Such an attempt would be quite foolish on your part and perhaps disastrous for little John.”
“Corey, if you ever hurt John, I’ll find a way to kill you. I swear it.”
He snapped his fingers and Rance stepped forward. “Get her out of here. Married less than a week and, goddammit, she’s already a nag.”
She whirled and flounced hooped skirts as she stomped down the boarded walkway. Behind her she heard Corey order Rance once again to stay close. She had been told to go into the shops, but she marched right by them. Rance caught up with her and said worriedly, “The boss said you were supposed to go shopping, Mrs. McRae.”
“I know where I’m going,” was her snapping reply.
“Mrs. McRae, listen to me…” She kept walking, putting one foot in front of the other, chin up, eyes straight ahead. Rance hurried alongside. “I can’t let you just take off. Now, I don’t want to make a scene, but if you don’t turn around and head back to those shops, I’m going to have to pick you up and carry you back to the boss’s office.”
She turned a corner.
“Mrs. McRae, I hate to do this…”
He reached out to grab her, but she started running.
“Hey, come back!”
“Shoot me in the back,” she laughed, taunting him as she turned to run up the steps of the hospital. Looking back over her shoulder, she was not surprised to see how angry he was. But there was something else in his eyes, too. Fear? Why? Rance Kincaid was mean and bullish, and Corey was always bragging about how everyone was scared of Rance because he had such a notorious reputation. So why did he look frightened now, she wondered. His face had turned pale, and he was backing away. “I’ll wait at the corner,” he yelled, sounding defeated. “And don’t be long, either, or I’ll come in there and drag you out. So help me.”
He stalked away. She watched him for a moment. It was there. She had seen it. He looked scared!
She shrugged, hurrying inside. No longer did the hospital corridors echo with the screams and moans of the wounded and dying. The air was no longer thick with the smell of blood and decay. She knew she could look out a rear window and not see a huge pile of severed arms and legs. The wide-plank floors, however, still had many dark bloodstains, probably soaked into the wood for the life of the building.
The Raging Hearts: The Coltrane Saga, Book 2 Page 28