by Barbara Goss
“Just in the daytime. My mother and Hugh had the night duty.”
“Ahh. Has Travis been back?”
“At least once a day. He can’t stay long, but he is concerned. He went looking for Balcomb, too. That’s how he found out they were all in jail. It seems they’ve been very naughty boys around town, stealing cattle, setting fires…they need a good rest behind bars.”
“That’s good news,” he mumbled.
Maria noticed his eyes closing and then opening quickly, repeatedly, as if he were fighting to stay awake; he was still holding her hand over his heart.
“It’s okay to sleep, Ned. I’ll still be here when you wake.” She wasn’t sure if he heard or not, for his breathing became heavy and his eyes closed, but she couldn’t move, for he still had her hand captured. It was awkward leaning across the bed, but she endured it for about a half hour before she tried to pry her hand loose—his grip tightened, even as he slept. What was she to do? Her arm was beginning to hurt from the position she was in.
Finally, she climbed up on the bed and lay on her side beside him. This way, her arm was supported and she could endure the position. She just hoped no one would come in and see her.
Being so tired from lack of sleep, it wasn’t long before Maria was fighting to stay awake herself. She lost the battle, awaking only when she felt Ned’s splinted arm twirling a curl in her hair. She awoke with a start and she quickly rolled off the bed.
“Don’t leave,” he said. “I rather liked the company.”
“You had my hand pinned to your chest and it was uncomfortable, so I had to lay beside you—”
“Kiss me, Maria.”
“What?”
“Kiss me, but gently. My lips still feel sore—are they bruised, too?”
“Your bruises are fading. You looked like the blue end of a rainbow before, all purple, blue, magenta, and violet.” She laughed. “But still handsome.
“I’m afraid to kiss you, Ned. I don’t want to hurt you. Your upper lip is still swollen.”
“I need one, just a light one. I was looking forward to seeing you that night. I was going to take you down by the river and kiss you again.”
Little did he know how often during the last few days she’d been dying to kiss him, too. She bent over and kissed him lightly, mostly on his bottom lip. He put his splinted arm around her and embraced her the best he could.
“Well,” a male voice said from the doorway, “I guess you’re on the mend.”
Maria pulled quickly away, blushed, and sat down. “He’s feeling so much better, Hugh.”
“I can see that!” Hugh said. “It’s good to see you on the mend. We’ve all been so worried about you.”
“Tell Helena I’m hungry,” Ned said.
“Is that why you were trying to eat Maria’s lips?” Hugh winked at Maria. “I’ll tell her.”
Maria felt herself blush again. “I think, it was the other way around, Hugh—I was kissing him. I’ve missed him these last few days. It’s so good to have him back.”
“Well then, you won’t want to hear the news,” Hugh said.
“What news?” Maria asked.
“They let Balcomb out of jail. His father’s a rich man with a lot of influence. Balcomb would only admit to fighting with Ned. He denied having anything to do with the other crimes.”
“Good,” Ned said. “Now I’ll have my chance at him. His friends are still in jail and now he’ll have to fight me, one on one.”
Chapter Seventeen
Ned felt so comforted by Maria’s presence. Now that he was sitting up and recovering, it wasn’t necessary to have someone watching over him at night so Vera went back home, but Ned asked Hugh if Maria could stay a few more days; he readily agreed. She slept in the spare room. She sat with him and knitted while they talked in the daytime.
Each morning, he looked forward to having breakfast with her in his room. He was now able to sit on the edge of the bed, and have his meals on a small table that Hugh had brought him.
Rather than sitting in his nightshirt in front of Maria all day, Hugh brought him a pair of summer pants, made from a lighter fabric, to put on each morning.
Ned looked up as Maria came in and sat down. “Good morning!” she greeted.
“Good morning. How did you sleep? Did you know the bed you’re sleeping in was the bed I slept in until I was sixteen?” he asked.
“I didn’t know that. It’s small but comfortable. I slept well.”
He noticed Maria checked on his progress with her eyes as she did each day when she arrived.
“Do I still look like the blue end of a rainbow?” Ned asked.
“No, you look like a big lemon, now,” she said with a chuckle. “Most of the bruises have turned yellow and have begun to fade. Your lip is almost back to normal. How does your arm feel?”
“Sore, but the ribs are what pain me the most. Doc has this tight band around my chest and it’s very uncomfortable,” he said.
Helena came in and set a tray with two breakfasts down on the table and said, “You’re looking better every day, Ned.”
“Thank you,” Ned said, as she turned to walk back to the kitchen.
“Helena’s a very nice lady, and a good cook, too,” Maria said.
“We’ve had her for years. I hardly remember the first housekeeper we had. She was older and retired when my father died.”
Ned saw Maria’s face turn serious. She bit her lower lip, which always meant she was about to say something she wasn’t sure about.
“Ned,” she finally said, “please don’t fight Balcomb.”
Usually, he was unable to resist those riveting blue eyes, but this time he had to. Confronting someone who has blindsided him was just something a man had to do that a woman would probably never understand. “I have to," he said. "Travis will be there to make sure it’s a fair fight.”
“Don’t you think violence is a poor way to solve a problem?”
“It’s a man’s way, Maria. Balcomb has to be made to suffer, just like I have.”
“That’s called getting even,” she said. “It's a bit childish, don't you think?”
Ned laughed. “You don’t think I’ll get hurt again, do you? I had him licked that night, which is why he called his gang in to help him.”
“Ned, you’re just getting over your injuries and you’d be liable to injure your ribs or arm again.” She rubbed his hand gently and asked, “Why not just forget about the whole thing?”
Ned sighed. “Usually, I’d be open to doing whatever you asked of me, but this time, I can’t.”
“I’m looking forward to being courted by a man without black and blues marks.”
“You will be. Now, eat your breakfast and stop your worrying.”
Maria picked up her fork and stabbed at her eggs. “I’ll be leaving today. You’ve recovered, Ned. There’s no reason for me to stay, but I’ll visit you each day, if you’d like.”
“Of course I’d like! I can’t thank you enough for being here for me. I don’t think I could have gotten through this ordeal without you—well, I would have, but it wouldn’t have been as pleasant.”
Maria just smiled and took a bite of her toast.
“You’re still worried about the fight, aren’t you?”
She nodded.
Ned didn’t think he could ever make her understand how it was. If a man got beaten, he had to fight back; it was an act of honor.
“I’ll make a promise to you, right now: I won’t fight with Balcomb until the doctor says I’m well enough. The last thing I want is to break another rib.” He rubbed his chest. “And it won’t be long before I’ll be courting you properly.”
“Please, just let it go,” she begged.
“Let me ask you something,” Ned said, taking her hand in his. “When I saw Balcomb attacking you that night, would you have wanted me to step in or not?”
Maria’s face fell. “That was different. You didn’t beat him to a pulp. You merely threw him off of m
e. You’d never let him—”
“Exactly!” He kissed her hand. “I had to step in. What kind of man would I be if I hadn’t?”
Maria looked downward as if in shame. “That’s what bothers me. This is all my fault.”
Ned grabbed her shoulders tightly. “Don’t you ever say that. If I hadn’t introduced him to you as my friend, you’d never have gone with him. The fault lies completely with me and Balcomb, and I aim to answer his attack as soon as I’m able.”
When they’d finished eating and Helena had taken the tray away, Maria stood. “I have to go, Ned.”
“Come here,” he said, pushing the table off to the side. Maria moved into his open arms. Ned wasn’t ever going to get himself worked up into a lather with Maria. Not only would she probably not allow it, but, he also knew the consequences. When he finally said those three words to her, it would be while he was cool and collected.
Ned held her, and she laid her head on his chest. “Will you kiss me goodbye?” he whispered into her ear.
“I hoped you’d ask,” she said with a smile.
“Don’t be angry with me,” he said in a soft tone. He touched his lips to hers lightly. Rather than one long, passionate kiss, he gave her several smaller kisses, each one sweeter than the last. Finally, he let his lips linger with on hers. “Mmm…” he said, “Is it proper to kiss like this before we court?”
“Certainly not,” she answered, giving him a quick peck on the lips. “I’d better leave before our courting ends before it starts.” She looked at him and he could see the love for him shining in her eyes. How he wanted to say the words she longed to hear. He felt like he loved her, but he had to be sure this time.
“I’ll miss you,” he said.
Maria put her arms around his neck and kissed him again, briefly. “See you tomorrow, Ned.” She turned and waved before walking out of his room.
Ned sighed. He missed her already. Was he in love? It felt different with Maria than the rush of heat and passion he’s had with Ellen. With Maria, he felt a sweet, warm sensation inside. He felt that if they’d allowed themselves they could probably light a good fire between them, too.
Maria had so many good qualities. In fact, he couldn’t think of a single thing he didn’t like about her.
He thought he’d missed Ellen when she’d left for England, but had he missed her, or the hot passion she’d stirred in him? He missed Maria, on the other hand, because he loved being with her. All the time he was recuperating, she’d been there by his side. Even when they didn’t speak, he knew she was there, and that was enough to comfort him.
Robert Radcliffe stopped in several times to visit Ned, bringing classic books for him to read. Vera popped in daily, and Evaline came twice with her father.
Later that day, Travis stopped in for his daily visit. “You’re looking better.”
“So I hear,” Ned answered.
Travis took a seat by the bed. “Balcomb came to see me.”
“What?” Ned asked, eyes wide in surprise.
“Balcomb came to our house—with his father, no less. They wanted to apologize to you personally, but thought they’d check with me first to see if you’d welcome them.” Travis cast his eyes on Ned. “It’s your call.”
“No! I want to finish that fight, and I want you to be there to be sure it’s fair this time,” Ned demanded.
“Come on, Ned. We both know you can beat him with one hand tied behind your back.”
“That’s no reason to invite five friends to dive in, beat me, and leave me to die.”
“What about forgiveness, Ned?”
“Forgiveness? Oh, I forgive him, but now I’m going to give him a taste of his own medicine.”
Travis shook his head. “Are you sure you want to do this?”
“What would you do in my place, Travis? Honestly—tell me.”
Travis scratched his head. “I really don’t know. It’s a hard decision. I guess forgiveness isn’t easy in some cases. God tells us to turn the other cheek, but no one said it would be easy.”
“Having his friends gang up and beat me was one thing, but then to leave me in a dark field to die, that’s called attempted murder. I was fortunate that Hugh found me. Why can’t anyone understand how hard this is to just forgive and forget?”
“I see what you mean,” Travis said. “Well, I’m just the messenger. Should I send them a message that they are not welcome to come here?”
“Yep. And don’t forget what he did to Maria that night.”
“I’m shocked at his behavior. He got in with a bad bunch, but I’ll relay the message, and, just so you’re aware, he’s no longer a friend of mine, either. I’ve forgiven him, but that doesn’t mean he’ll ever be a friend again—an acquaintance, maybe, but never a friend.” Travis said. “I’m sorry I got you all riled up.”
“Maria feels the same way as you do, but I think she feels like it’s all her fault,” Ned said. “She did nothing to encourage him, I can assure you—I know Maria better than anyone. She’s never ever shown me that she was open to anything like that. I’m careful about how I treat her. She’s a lady, through and through.”
Travis smiled. “Is she the one?”
“She might be. I’m not jumping into anything rashly again. I’m going to court her and we’ll see what happens,” Ned said. “But I have a feeling—just between you and me—that she is the one.”
“I think she is, too,” Travis said, standing. “The expression on your face changes when you talk about her.”
“She’s a wonderful person. The feeling I have with her is nothing like what I felt with Ellen. With Ellen, it was pure infatuation. There was nothing more to our relationship than physical attraction, and nothing else. She wasn’t kind to the servants, she was—well, that’s about all I can divulge, but when you’re physically attracted to someone and can’t say a single good thing about them, you know something isn’t right.”
“Ellen wrote to Evaline that she wants to come back here for a visit. It sounds like she hasn’t given up on you yet, Ned.”
“Tell Evaline not to encourage her to come. This just isn’t a good time to be fighting her off, considering what I have to do with Balcomb,” Ned said.
Travis walked toward the door. “I will, but I guess she isn’t getting along well with her mother. I don’t think that girl knows what she wants.”
“If Ellen is wicked enough to have sent that letter to Maria, who knows what she’d do to break us up if she came here. I don’t trust her, Travis.”
“I’ll see what I can do,” Travis said. “I’ll stop in again, tomorrow.”
After he’d gone, Ned started to worry. What if the she-devil came here and messed with Maria again? She put Maria through a lot of needless hurt, and for that, he’d never forgive her. What kind of person would do something as devious as forging a hurtful letter?
Ned had no shortage of visitors now that he was well enough to have them, even Reverend Moran visited twice and prayed with him.
Chapter Eighteen
Maria visited every afternoon and each day he kissed her goodbye, it became harder to leave. She wondered what it would be like to be married to him and wake up next to him each morning and lay beside him at night. His bruises were nearly gone. The doctor had removed the binding from his ribs, but he was still wearing the arm splint—Maria was glad because it would prolong his inevitable fight with Balcomb.
When she returned from visiting Ned, she sat on down on her favorite rocking chair on the front porch. It was a lovely, early, spring day and she liked to watch the birds picking up odds and ends to start building nests. She had laid some of her odd pieces of yarn out on one of the many trees around the house and noticed they’d all disappeared. She smiled at the thought of her yarn helping to keep some baby birds warm.
She was jarred from her thoughts by a horseman riding up to the house. At first, she thought it was Travis, and her heart thumped in her chest, remembering the news he’d brought with him the la
st time. She gasped when she saw it was Peter Balcomb! She stood and began to back up toward the front door.
“Wait!” he yelled as he slid off his horse. “I won’t come up on the porch. Can I talk to you from here?” He walked up to the porch railing.
Maria was so scared, she could barely answer. She nodded and walked a bit closer to the railing.
“I came to apologize for mistreating you that night. I should’ve have known you were a lady and I forgot myself. I’m used to taking saloon women out for rides, and I truly apologize.”
Maria didn’t believe his excuse for one moment. He had to have known she was a woman from a good family and upbringing. How could he possibly have confused her with a saloon woman?
“Thank you. I accept your apology,” she managed to say. “Is there anything else I can do for you?” She hoped the question would be enough to send him on his way, but instead, he lingered.
“I was hoping you could talk to Ned for me. I want to apologize, but I’ve been told he wouldn’t welcome my visit.” Balcomb looked remorseful. “How he is, anyway?”
“Mending, slowly. You left him to die, Peter. He had broken ribs, a broken arm, and there wasn’t an inch on him that wasn’t bruised or bloodied,” she said. “If you were in his place, would you welcome the person who did that to you, would you?”
“No, I wouldn’t,” he said. “Here’s the thing: the sheriff let me out of jail, but said I had to make restitution, and I have to stay away from the men I’ve been hanging out with. I’ve managed to quit the job at the farm and stay away from the cowboys, but I don’t know how to resolve the issue with Ned. I’m truly sorry. I let myself fall in with a rough group, just to be accepted as one of them, but now I’m ashamed. I realize now that if people don’t accept you for who you are, they aren’t worth wanting for friends.”
“Peter,” she said, “I don’t think you realize the enormity of the situation. Ned would have died if he hadn’t been found in the nick of time. Died—that would have made you a murderer.”