Deep in the Heart

by Gilbert, Morris

  “He told me he had to claim her as his wife to buy the land, so I asked Mr. Bowie to bring me here to see if it would be possible for me to buy any more land.”

  Austin moved uncertainly, not knowing what to say at first. He picked up a pen, held it for a moment balanced between his thumb and forefinger as he tried to think of an answer. “It’s not a good time for settlement, ma’am. Last year the government shut all immigration down.”

  Clay saw that Jerusalem was plainly disappointed.

  She shrugged slightly and said, “Well, I suppose I’ll have to go back to the States, then.”

  “Come on, Steve, you can do something to help this lady, can’t you?”

  Bowie said quickly. He grinned broadly and winked. “You and I have seen some title changes that weren’t exactly what the government would have approved.”

  Austin suddenly grinned. He was a tired man, worn down with all his duties of trying to carry out his father’s dream, but the smile made him look much younger. “Now, Jim, we don’t need to be talking about those things. Bending the rules might have worked before, but that’s not the way things are now.”

  “But ain’t there somethin’ you can do?” Clay said. “There’s plenty of land around here. I’ve never seen so much land in all my life.”

  Austin seemed to be making up his mind, struggling with the problem, and finally he said slowly, “I’m truly sorry, Mrs. Hardin, but the stipulations of the grant are very specific. And with the political situation right now, the Mexican government would not approve the sale. The . . . ah . . . situation with your husband already owning land only complicates matters. If you had a brother, or if your father could put his name on it, we could arrange that. Do you have anybody like that, Mrs. Hardin?” Austin asked, trying to work out something.

  “I . . . I have a brother called Zane, but he’s not here. I have a grandfather, but he is not well.” Jerusalem watched Austin as he nervously looked at Clay. Somehow she knew that it wasn’t going to work.

  Before Austin could say anything, Clay asked, “How big a piece is it?”

  “It’s bigger than usual. The man was going to use it to run cattle on, so I put two pieces together. All in all, it’ll be nearly four thousand acres.”

  “Four thousand acres!” Clay said. “That’s one big chunk of land.”

  “How much is it, Steve?” Bowie said.

  “I could sell it to the right couple for five cents an acre. But they’d have to be married and Catholics to fulfill the requirements of the grant,” he said, looking at Jerusalem.

  Austin saw the disappointment on Jerusalem’s face, and he tried to explain the political situation so she would understand why his hands were tied. “Right now, Mrs. Hardin, things are in such a mess that nobody really knows what’s going on. Since Mexico won its freedom from Spain, the government has changed leadership half a dozen times.

  “Sometimes it’s the Centralists in power. They want a strong central government. Sometimes the other group believes in more authority in the States. Someday, I suppose, they’ll settle it all, but right now we just have to hope that they leave us alone as much as possible. If there was any other way, Mrs. Hardin . . . but I don’t see how it could work.”

  Jerusalem was struggling with the disappointment she felt. When Clay and Bowie had asked her to go with them, she had really thought that maybe things could work out. But she had faced hard times before and managed to carry on. She swallowed hard and looked at Austin and said, “I thank you for trying, Mr. Austin.”

  Feeling bad himself, Austin turned to Clay and quickly changed the subject. “What was that you asked me before, Clay, about some land for someone else?”

  Clay was about to argue, but he felt Jerusalem’s hand touch his arm, and he turned and saw a look he knew only too well. Instead of pressuring Austin to change his mind, he said, “Ah . . . there’s a couple I know. The man’s American, but he’s lived in Mexico and become a citizen. He’s a Catholic. Of course his wife is too.”

  Jerusalem suddenly turned to stare at Clay. She knew he was talking about his dead friend, Gordon Lebonne, but he said nothing about the man’s death. She kept silent and listened as Clay continued to explain the situation. “I don’t know if it’s possible for anybody to live in your colony that didn’t come in from the States. I know that’s what you designed it for. But this couple has had hard times.”

  Bowie was staring at Clay also. “Are you talking about Gordon and his wife?”

  “Yes. Would it be possible to get any land for them?” Clay said.

  “Well, the colony was designed to bring in Americans. But he is an American, and since he’s already here, and they’re both Catholics and citizens, there’s one piece right next to the one that I just mentioned. What are their names? Have them come in, and I’ll work something out,” Austin said.

  “Couldn’t we just settle the payment and do the book work and get it done right now?” Clay asked.

  Austin shrugged. “I guess that’s fine with me. The simpler the better.” Austin stopped and said, “What about you, Clay?”

  Clay stared at him. “What about me?”

  “Are you married?”

  “No, I’m not.”

  “Well, that’s too bad. If you were, you could take up this four-thousand-acre plot, then sell it to Mrs. Hardin in the future.”

  “I don’t reckon I’d qualify,” Clay said.

  Steve Austin prepared the necessary paperwork for the land for the Lebonnes. As soon as the business was done, the men all shook hands, and Bowie left to head for his own ranch.

  Steve Austin turned to Jerusalem and said, “I’m sorry I couldn’t help you, ma’am.”

  “I understand, Mr. Austin,” Jerusalem said and nodded, disappointment clearly showing on her face.

  Jerusalem and Clay said good-bye and left. She was silent as they climbed into the wagon and started back to where they had camped.

  Halfway back, she turned to Clay and said, “Clay, thank you for trying. I guess what Fergus has been saying all along is right. Que sera sera. What shall be shall be.”

  Clay could hear the sadness in her voice, even though she was trying to accept it. He didn’t have an answer and kept riding in silence.

  After about five minutes, Jerusalem broke the awkward silence and asked, “Why didn’t you tell Mr. Austin that Gordon was dead?”

  “Oh, just an idea I had,” Clay said, shrugging his shoulders.

  “You could get into trouble, Clay, for things like that.”

  He grinned at her rashly. “Well, it ain’t Wednesday, so I reckon I won’t get in much trouble.”

  When they were almost back, Clay pulled up on the reins and stopped. When Jerusalem turned to ask him why he’d stopped, Clay said awkwardly, “Sorry about, Jake . . . the way he’s treated you. I didn’t think it was my place to tell you about him and Awinita.”

  “No, you wouldn’t do that. You’re not one to carry tales.”

  Clay said loudly and with a trace of anger, “I told him plenty of times that he was a blamed fool, but he wouldn’t listen to me!”

  “What did he say?” Jerusalem asked.

  “He didn’t like my buttin’ into his business.”

  As soon as they arrived at the camp, Julie could tell that something was bothering her sister. She pulled Jerusalem off to one side. “What’d you find out?”

  Julie listened as Jerusalem explained how the land grants did not provide land for single women. “I guess we’ll have to go back.”

  “Don’t you want to go back?” Julie asked.

  “No, to tell the truth, Julie, I’m played out. I’ve got no man. I’ve got no home, and my kids don’t have a father.”

  Julie was shocked, for her sister had always been the strong one in the family. Now she saw the lines of weariness traced in Jerusalem’s face, and her shoulders were slumping. She put her arm around Jerusalem and said, “I wish I could help. I’ve never done a thing for you or anyone else.”

>   “It’s all right, Julie. We’ll make out somehow.”

  Jerusalem pulled away and headed toward her wagon. And at that instant, Julie felt a great regret for all that her life had been. As she watched her sister walk wearily away, she spoke aloud in a fierce whisper, “There’s got to be a way to get a place for Jerusalem and the kids. There’s just got to be!”

  CHAPTER

  FIFTEEN

  Mateo Lebonne had a brooding look in his eyes as he watched his mother, who was engaged in a serious conversation with Clay Taliferro. “What are they talking about, Serena?”

  “I don’t know.” Serena had been watching the pair also, and now she turned to face her brother. “Maybe we made a mistake coming with these Americanos. They are no relation to us.”

  “I have been thinking that myself, but what choice did we have? With Papá gone, there was nothing for us back there.”

  “But why would Señor Taliferro want to help us? We’re nothing to him.”

  “He was a friend of our father.”

  “So he says. We do not know that,” Serena said.

  “I think he’s telling the truth about that. I heard Papá mention him more than once when he talked about his days in the mountains.”

  “Maybe we can go to San Felipe and find work.”

  “There are no jobs there. No work,” Mateo repeated. He slouched back against the wagon and studied his mother’s face. “I cannot tell what she is thinking, but she trusts this man.”

  “Mateo, I do not trust gringos, but what else can we do? There is nobody else.”

  Lucita was not unaware that her children were watching them, although she did not turn to face them. She kept her eyes fixed on Clay. He had called her aside after breakfast and now seemed to be having trouble expressing himself. He was not an easy man for her to understand. He was nothing at all like her husband, who had been strong but gentle. Clay was a rugged man and masculine in a strong way that she had seen in few men. Usually he was smiling, but now he seemed almost embarrassed by her presence.

  “What is it you wish to say to me, Señor Taliferro?”

  “Just call me Clay. I’d feel a little bit more comfortable.”

  “Very well. Clay, what is it? You seem to be troubled about something.”

  Clay was, indeed, troubled. With Jerusalem not able to get some land, Clay didn’t know what to do. And now he had taken on the responsibility of his dead friend’s wife and children, and he hardly knew the woman at all. The Mexicans were a proud race, he knew that much, and he was not sure how she would take what he was going to tell her.

  He avoided her eyes, watching as four crows rose and beat their heavy wings, casting four shadows on the earth. With an effort he faced her and thought again that she had the blackest hair he had ever seen in his life. It had almost a blue sheen to it. “Well, I don’t know how to tell you this exactly, Lucita, but I’ve been meddling in your business. My mama always said I was a meddler even when I was six years old.”

  “And how have you meddled, Señor Clay?”

  “Well, I been thinkin’ about a place for you and the kids. When I talked to Señor Austin yesterday about the situation with Jerusalem and Jake, I talked to him about a place for you. It didn’t go too well for Jerusalem, though.”

  “But I thought he only took Americanos.”

  “That’s true, but your husband is an American. So I asked him if there was any chance of getting some kind of land grant. And he said there was.”

  For a moment Lucita did not speak. She searched Clay’s face, then said, “But my husband is dead.”

  “Well, I didn’t exactly tell him that. I just let it slip, sort of, and he didn’t ask. So when he made out the papers, they’re made out to Gordie and to you.”

  “Isn’t that against the law?” Lucita asked.

  “Why, I reckon it might be against the rules, but nothin’ we can be put in jail for.” Clay ran his fingers through his hair and said, “We’re in kind of a tough spot here. If Gordie had been alive when we got here and signed the papers, it would have been all right. I don’t see that his dyin’ a week early makes any difference to anybody.”

  “I would not want you to get into trouble over this.”

  “Why, shucks, Lucita! I been in trouble most of my life.” Clay grinned. “What we’ll do is get you settled down out there, and after a while, we’ll let the news get back to Señor Austin that your husband died.

  I’m pretty sure it won’t make any difference.”

  “But the land. It has to be paid for. I have no money.”

  “Well, it wasn’t much. I paid for it myself.”

  “I can’t let you do that.”

  “It’s just a loan,” Clay said quickly. “You can pay it back sometime when you can.” Changing the subject, he said, “We’ll have to build a house on it, adobe, I reckon. Me and Mateo can do it, and we’ll hire some help.” He glanced over at the children and said, “If it’s all right, then, we’d better tell Mateo and Serena.”

  “Yes, that would be well.” As the two walked toward her children, Lucita was aware that this man was not the usual sort of American. She knew that her husband had been kind and generous, and she saw the same qualities in Clay Taliferro. She spoke, saying, “Mateo—Serena, ven aquí.

  Tenemos algo que decirles.”

  Jerusalem looked up at Julie and saw that she was unusually serious. “What is it, Julie, a problem?”

  “No, I wanted to talk to you about what’s going to happen.”

  Jerusalem shrugged. “What’s going to happen is that we’re going to have to leave and go back to the States. I’ve thought about maybe buying the old home place back, although I hate the idea of it. Now that I cut the ties, I really don’t want to go.”

  “Listen, Jerusalem. I’ve got an idea, and you’ve got to let me do it.”

  “What sort of idea?”

  “It’s simple. Clay said that there was a large tract of land that a man never paid for, but the papers were all made out. All he’d have to do is change the names, and it would be legally his.”

  “What does that have to do with us?” Jerusalem asked.

  Julie took a deep breath. “Here’s what I want to do. We need a lot of land, and if a man has a wife, he can get twice as big a grant. So, if Clay and I got married, we could get it. But it would be your land, don’t you see?”

  Jerusalem suddenly laughed. “That’s crazy even coming from you, Julie.”

  “There’s nothin’ crazy about it. Look, suppose we get married here in Mexico. That doesn’t mean anything in the States. Just a piece of paper. I’ll be going back to the States, and I guess Clay will, too, as soon as he gets all of you settled. So there’d be a piece of paper somewhere in Mexico saying we’re married. It doesn’t mean a thing.”

  “No, I won’t let you do it. It wouldn’t be fair to Clay, and it wouldn’t be right.”

  “I’ve never done one single thing to help you, Jerusalem, nor the kids. All I’ve ever done is give you lots of grief. Please let me do this,” Julie insisted.

  Jerusalem stared at her sister. Indeed, it was true enough that Julie had never caused her family anything but grief. But something about her proposal went against the grain. She shook her head firmly and said, “No, it wouldn’t do, Julie. It just wouldn’t do.”

  “Julie told me about this crazy idea about you and her getting married, Clay.”

  “Well, I admit it set me back on my heels when she mentioned it, but the way she put it, it seems like a pretty good idea, if you ask me.”

  “A good idea! Why, it’s terrible. You don’t marry someone just to get land.”

  Clay laughed. “You don’t know much about the world if you think that. People marry for all kinds of reasons, not all of them having to do with romance.”

  Jerusalem turned to face Clay, her eyes direct and seeming to penetrate him. “I can’t let you do this, Clay.”

  Clay hesitated, then said, “Maybe you’d better think of the kids
. It’d be some security for them. Of course, someday you may go back to Jake.”

  “No, I don’t think that’ll ever happen,” she said resolutely.

  “Well, think about it, Jerusalem. I can’t see no other way out.”

  Jerusalem nodded, but as Clay turned and walked away, she thought about all that it would mean. But the whole idea sounded wrong to her.

  She was confused and depressed after traveling so far to discover her husband had been unfaithful all these years. When Lucita came and asked her to come eat some dinner, Jerusalem said she wasn’t hungry and went to the wagon to be alone.

  Later on when Brodie came in, he said, “Julie told me about what she wants to do. That’ll be good, won’t it, Ma? We’ll get the land, and we’ll have our own place.”

  “I don’t like it, Brodie.”

  Brodie blinked with surprise. “What do you mean?”

  “It’s not right. Marriage ought to be more than a business deal.”

  “But Julie said it was just kind of a game.”

  “Son, I hope you don’t listen to your aunt in matters like this. It may be just a game to Julie, but marriage is a serious commitment.”

  Brodie obviously was disappointed. “What’ll we do then, Ma?”

  “I don’t know. All I can think of is going back to Arkansas.” She watched as Brodie’s face became downcast and knew that since learning the truth about his father, these last days had been extremely difficult on him. He left without another word, and Jerusalem clasped her hands together and looked out across the flatness of the land and felt a helplessness such as she had never felt in her entire life.

  CHAPTER

  SIXTEEN

  Jake arrived at the campsite early in the afternoon. Jerusalem had seen him coming, and when he got off of his horse, she waited until he came and stood before her. “Hello, Jake,” she said. “Will you have some coffee?”

  “No, I don’t reckon. Where is everybody?” he asked, looking around.

  “Clay took them all down to the river fishing.”

  “Who’s that Mexican woman and the two kids that are traveling with you?”