“Okay, before I can entertain an offer, there is something I would need to check on about it first,” Whip finally agreed. “A few minutes, please, while I summon my daughter to bring me the map of these holdings of mine.”
Everett nodded, keeping mute as Whip called out to Catalina, his youngest daughter. The young beauty appeared at the door ten seconds later, smiling good naturedly at the faces that smiled back at her.
“Catalina, meet Mr. Everett and his associate, young Johnson.” Whip ushered her in with a wave and a smart grin. “They seek a parcel from the Cedar Ledge lands and I need you to fetch me a map—the one that covers the course of the Rock River.”
Cattie bowed her head courteously to both men, allowing her watchful eyes to linger for a while on Johnson before turning and briskly heading out of the room. She surely noticed the way Johnson became totally attentive on her, the moment she had appeared at the door. His supple eyes rested on her bosom first before they impulsively trailed the curves of her waist and thighs. Grunting disapprovingly to herself, Cattie went about retrieving the map, quite sure that she would have her moment with the young assistant later.
The room became silent afterwards as they waited for her to return. Whip used the short time to ring for the elderly cook, Mrs. Chow to clear the small dining table that had been temporarily set up in the study.
Mrs. Chow was just stepping out with all the dishes and napkins when Cattie hurried back into the room, a large map rolled up under her arm.
“Here, Papa,” she said happily, handing it over to Whip.
Whip unrolled the map immediately, spreading it over the dining table. Everett and Johnson unconsciously stood and took a step back just to get a better view of the drawings of the large estate. Whip stepped closer instead, studying the lines that described the particular area that they wanted.
He glanced up after a while, though, heaving a short sigh.
“Catalina, darling,” he said with affection. “I should have asked you to fetch my spectacles from the office too. Would you be so keen to help me identify whose initials are next to the parcel number on the map?”
“Sure, Papa.” Cattie stepped in beside him and stared intently at the map as well.
“H.E.W.” She relayed rather easily. “It’s Honor’s, Papa.”
“Just as I have feared. I’m sorry, men,” Whip said, looking up at both men. “I’m afraid I myself would not be able to legally sell this to you. There are certain parcels of my ranch I’ve already deeded out to my children. This parcel is owned by my Honor Elizabeth. She’s the only one that could sell it to you.”
“Can we talk to her?” came an eager voice.
Johnson who had been quiet the entire time seemed quite disturbed with the news now. He stepped forward, quite keen to listen to the answer to his question.
Cattie frowned at him and crossed her arms. She didn’t like him one bit. She thought it rude that a man would take it upon himself to freely stare at a lady’s bosom no matter how shapely her form. She wasn’t unaware of the allure she and her sisters had, but she was also used to being around gentlemen like her father and Dutch. The man should consider himself lucky her father hadn’t noticed. “My sister isn’t here and isn’t goin’ to be anytime soon,” Cattie responded. “She’s attendin’ school at Bristol- Slade in New York City. ‘Sides, I doubt she’d be wantin’ to sell it, anyhows!”
Everett watched the scene unraveling before him, and with a rather arrogant smirk, he mimicked Catalina by folding his arms and regarded the young Latina with the question, “And why would that be, young lady?”
“My sister ain’t got any head for or use for business. She’s at that fancy school learnin’ about what they call the arts and sciences. Doin’ property deals ain’t gonna hold any interest to her!”
If Cattie had noticed the smirk on the gambling house owner’s face, she was very good at turning a blind eye to it. She kept her arms crossed and raised an eyebrow at both men.
“Be that as it may,” Everett finally said, turning to Whip. “I would welcome the chance to discuss the matter with your daughter. When do you expect her home from the East?”
“Won’t be for a least a couple of months,” he said. “I would be happy to write to her about it.”
“That won’t be necessary,” Everett suddenly interrupted with a smile, waving his hand. “I bet we can always go back home and scout a new site. Perhaps, we can find an alternative, Johnson.”
“Uh … Yeah. Yes, sure we can.”
It took a moment for Johnson to respond. The entire time, he couldn’t keep his eyes away from Cattie. She let him look all he could, though, taking her eyes off him and pretending as if she was still studying the map. She stepped away from the table, though as soon as Whip began to roll it back up.
“Well, I guess that ends our business for today, then?” he asked.
Everett nodded, already turning around the table to shake Whip’s free hand. Whip pumped Johnson’s hand, too, and turned to Cattie after they were done with their farewells.
“Kindly show the men out, Catalina,” he requested, leading them only to the door into the study.
“Oh, here,” Cattie said, stepping forward to guide the men from the study to the large passageway that led straight to the grand Cedar Ledge sitting room, and then the front door to the lawn outside.
Johnson’s eyes had not left her body. Cattie could feel his piercing stare on her skin as she walked in front of them. Sometimes, strategically glancing behind her shoulders, she caught him staring at her ass while his eyes brightened with appreciation. Finally, they crossed the sitting room to the exit door and Cattie whipped around, opening the door for them.
Her eyes caught Johnson’s immediately, before he could recover and stop staring at her backside.
“Good day, amigos,” she said, waving them out into the lawn.
Both men nodded courteously and stepped out. They hadn’t stepped off the porch before Cattie changed her mind and called out to Johnson.
“Y-yes, Miss Wilde?” Johnson stuttered as he turned towards her.
Catalina was smiling mischievously. She leaned seductively in the doorway with one hand on her hip while the other played with the top button of her blouse.
“You see somethin’ you like?” she asked him.
Johnson was at a loss for words. His throat suddenly felt dry as his hands went to his neck to still the movement of his Adam’s apple. He tried to clear his throat to enable him to speak at least one word, but Catalina suddenly straightened up with an annoyed expression on her face.
“Well, I don’t!” she said before slamming the door in his face.
*****
“Perhaps, we can try telegramming Honor Elizabeth directly with an offer, Everett?”
Johnson kept his attention divided between the carriage he was driving and his awfully quiet master. Apart from all plans to procure the parcel of land going down the drain, he wondered if there was something else that disturbed him.
“No.” Everett firmly stated. “There is too much at stake to do that.”
“So, what do we do?” Johnson asked.
“What we need to do, Johnson is to get her back here so we can deal with her directly.”
“And you see, no problem with her presence or involvement in this here business?”
“No.” Everett said contemptuously. “She will be easy to manipulate. Every woman is. Plus, she’s not just a woman, but a colored one at that.”
“But Hale, you heard what the sister said. She’s at a college, so she’s got to be smarter than you think.”
Johnson had a feeling he was thinking this through more than Everett was. He didn’t press further than he should, though. He kept asking the right questions just to make sure they were planning correctly.
“You idiot!” Everett moaned. “Weren’t you paying attention? She’s at Bristol-Slade. I know that place from when I spent time in New York. It’s an all colored school!” he remarked.
“What kind of education do you think they are teaching there?!” Everett blustered. “A graduate from a place like that is probably on the level of a prairie kid attending their first year at a school house … if they is lucky. Trust me, I can get the land away from such a wench!”
Johnson nodded, certain that Mr. Everett had everything figured out. He was just being worried on his behalf for nothing.
“Yeah, boss, but you have to get her back here first. How you gonna do that?” Johnson asked.
“What’s the number one thing that can bring a family together besides a hitching?”
The mischievous leer on Everett’s lips convinced Johnson that the man was cooking up a sinister plan in his head. He looked at him blankly until Everett cried out “Jehoshaphat! Man, you got some kind of muddled mind over the fact you want to engage in wanton fornication with that little Mexican whore? That was a hell of a little production back there at the door, don’t you think?”
“Sorry, boss, but I’ve heard tell of how them Spanish women got that hot, fiery blood in them when it comes to matters of the bedroom.” Johnson couldn’t believe they were actually talking about this.
“Hell, I don’t blame you, though …” Everett chuckled, “… I know what my own sister looks like these days. How someone can eat that much, I’ll never know. Now never mind that saucy little half-breed. By the way, like I was saying—the number one thing after weddings to bring a family together is a funeral.”
“Who is dying?”
“Who do you think is dying? Seems ol’ Judge Wilde is going to have a terrible accident that’s gonna require him taking a trip six feet under. That’ll get this Honor Elizabeth back here, and she’s gonna be so addled, she won’t know up from down and I’ll get her to sign over that land in a Texas minute and after that, you and I are gonna be swimming in cash when we get our hands on that property.”
“This is good. This is real good thinkin’, boss. How are we going to do it?” Johnson wondered.
“We got to watch him for a few days, see what his routine is. Something will present itself.”
Sounds like a plan, Johnson thought amusingly to himself, as he concentrated on the road once more. And a pretty darn good one.
****
A week later, Johnson found himself perched on a rock ledge in a ravine, looking up at his handiwork. He was sweating mightily, but it didn’t matter since the goal would be achieved soon. His boss was with him and every time he spoke, his voice shook with concern. There wasn’t room for mistakes and everything had to be perfect.
Everett was standing next to a bridge over the ravine that led from one cattle pasture to the next, patiently waiting for the time when their target would be approaching and hurrying Johnson up at the same time.
“We have to get going post haste,” he fretted. “If the judge sticks to the schedule we’ve seen him on, he’s going to be doing his nightly inspection ride any moment now. Are you sure that you done it right?” Everett asked after a while.
“Yes, I’m sure, boss,” Johnson nodded, staring at the bridge he had tampered with a while ago. “This is a dandy idea you’ve come up with. Getting it done was a bitch, but it’s all set.”
He took out his handkerchief and was wiping the sweat from his face when suddenly, a telltale rattle of a snake sounded in the air followed by the reptile popping its head out of nowhere, hissing at him. Johnson jumped back, the handkerchief slipping out of his hand and drifting down to the bottom of the ravine. Blaming the rattler for its loss he reached for his weapon and drew it on the snake.
” God damn!” He howled when the rattler seemed to suddenly start to slither away, almost as if it was aware of the danger.
“What are you doing down there?!”
“There’s a rattler down here! I’m going to blow it to snake heaven!” Johnson shouted.
“Don’t fire that, you damn fool! Someone is going to hear that!” Everett stepped towards the edge of the bridge immediately, pointing down at his lackey with a scowl. “You pass me that saw and get back up here now!”
Having no choice than to ignore the snake, Johnson did as he was asked, slowly making his way out of the ravine.
*****
The sitting room of the Cedar Ledge echoed with the sounds of laughter as the clouds slowly edged away and the moon became brighter in the sky. More light flickered into the spacious hall from the windows, giving the grey walls a gleam. The flickering moonlight, combined with the blue flame from the silver-framed fireplace made the entire sitting room delightful, but neither Whip nor his children seemed enthralled by it.
Instead, they sat in the middle of the room, engrossed in a light conversation about Blue River who had finally decided to spend some time in Cedar Ledge. The young half-Indian was only fourteen years old, yet his long black hair, strong jaw and muscular frame placed him a year or two above his age. As he sat beside Whip, it was obvious how different he was from the old man as an Indian, though his blue eyes seemed to tell a lot about his other half.
“It was wonderful having you out here, son,” Whip beamed at Blue River, putting his arm around his shoulders. “I really wish you could spend more time here and I have to say the extension of your visit was an unexpected delight.” Whip said, as that morning Blue River had left with another visitor, his older sister born from his mother who had been widowed before Whip had taken up with her, to return to their tribe. To Whip and Catalina’s surprise, he had returned hours later to continue his visit. “I know your sister loves having you here.”
Catalina, stepping beside both men, flashed them a smile and winked. “You’re darn right I do, Papa,” she said. “Who else around here even has a chance a beatin’ me at chess?”
The air reverberated with Blue River’s laughter as he said, “Chance? I just whipped you good. Still it is my wish I had others to play against, though.”
“Yes, how about that, Blue River? You were going to try and teach some of your tribe how to play with that extra board Lijuan gave you at Christmas,” Whip asked, interrupting the siblings before they teased each other to death.
Blue River slightly shrugged his shoulders. “I am afraid, Judge, my tribe is not ready for a game such as chess,” he admitted. “They may be more open to the ways of the white man than Black Hawk and his renegades, but they are not ready for this wonderful game. Only my sister took any interest in it.”
“Speakin’ of Bright Feather, it sure was a nice visit we all just had with her!” Catalina said with a grin. After several years of journeying the southwest, Bright Feather had recently returned to the area and reacquainted herself with her younger brother’s other family. A happiness to arise from her return was that the Indian woman and Whip’s oldest son, Lieutenant Dutch Wilde had developed a deep and close friendship that all knew had turned into love between the pair.
“Is it true what you said that the Army just asked Bright Feather to join them permanently at the fort to help out with dealin’ with the Indians? I know Dutch would sure love that!” Catalina chirped playfully.
“As would my sister, as she speaks more words about him to me than the number of stars in the night sky,” Blue River answered with a chuckle. “And yes, it is true about the offer. A lot could depend on how the peace council goes,” he answered, referring to a conference of four warring tribes that was meeting at that moment at Dutch’s fort. Desperately needing a translator on short notice, the commander had tapped Bright Feather when she stopped at the fort earlier with Dutch, while he had been escorting her and her brother back to their tribes’ encampment. So, impressed with Bright Feather, the offer for her to stay on permanently at the fort had been floated much to Dutch and Bright Feather’s delight.
Checking his pocket watch, Whip rose and began heading towards the door. Following his lead, his two children crossed the rest of the sitting room to the large front door with another round of laughter, each already imagining how happy such an arrangement at the fort would make Bright Feath
er and Dutch. Getting to the door, Whip reached for his corduroy jacket on the wooden hanger beside it and quickly donned it before inspecting his old and cherished firearm and strapping it around his waist too.
“May I ride with you on your rounds?” Blue River asked.
“Now hold on,” Catalina interrupted before Whip could respond. “Don’t you go anywhere. I double dog dare you to a rematch and this time, I’ll smoke you good.”
“You really don’t give up, do you?” Blue River grimaced.
“I would think chess is over for the night,” Whip said, making the decision for them. “I believe I recall hearing you telling Catalina with Mrs. Chow retired for the evening, you would help her clean up after our dinner. I reckon that still needs attending to, so why don’t you two be on with it.”
“Please, Judge. Catalina gets to ride with you every day and I am not that fortunate.”
Whip turned to Blue River, opening his mouth to argue, but the piteous expression on the young man’s face wouldn’t let him. He shook his head slowly and cursed under his breath.
“Someday, I’m going to have to learn to say no to you young-uns.”
“You’re a lot better at it than you think at it, Papa,” Catalina laughed. “Less, of course, with Honor Elizabeth, who sure has never heard them words pass from your lips to her ears!”
“That’s enough out of you, Peppercorn, you little rascal! Come on, son. Let’s take our ride,” Whip said, giving Catalina a dismissive grin.
Blue River, feeling triumphant, pulled a long face at Catalina before stepping out of the house with Whip.
*****
Johnson glanced around the dark meadowland, completing his latest sweep to make sure no one was around before dropping the pair of field glasses in his hands. As he did so, Everett also lowered his binoculars and from their position at the edge of the cattle pasture, where he had been keeping the Cedar Ledge ranch house under observation.
“I saw them when they came out the house, but lost them in the darkness. However, they should be around any minute,” Everett said. “Do it now, Johnson! Be careful … we don’t want them coming back on us.”
The Wildes of the West #1: The Daughters of Half Breed Haven: Old west fiction of action adventure, romance & western family drama (The Wildes of the West/Half Breed Haven) Page 6