Savage Spring

by Constance O'Banyon

  “No, don’t go!” the man called out. “I mean you no harm—I want to talk to you about Tag.”

  “I know of no one by that name, sir, you are mistaken,” she said, taking another step backwards.

  “I have seen the two of you together many times, so you don’t need to try and protect him from me. I would be the last one in the world who would wish the boy harm.”

  “Who are you?” she asked, losing some of her apprehension and becoming curious.

  “Walk with me to the pond where we will be out of sight of the house, and we can talk unobserved,” he said, stepping aside so she could pass in front of him.

  Alexandria’s fear returned at the thought of being alone with this stranger. Even though he had said he wouldn’t harm Tag, it could be that he was only trying to pacify her so he could lure her away from the house.

  “How do I know I can trust you?” she asked, taking another step backwards.

  The man glanced toward the house and then back to her. “Look at me, Alexandria. Do I remind you of anyone?” he asked. “Have you ever seen me before?”

  She searched his face, thinking he did indeed look familiar to her. “Who are you?”

  “Someone who wishes only to help Tag. Please talk with me,” he urged.

  Alexandria hesitated for only a moment before she preceded him down the path to the pond. The stranger stayed a short distance from her as she waited for him to speak. “We are totally alone now. Say what you came to say and then leave,” she told him, with more courage than she actually felt.

  “Look at my eyes, Alexandria,” the man said, smiling slightly. “Where have you seen eyes the color of mine before?”

  It was hard to determine the color of his eyes without getting closer to him, and she was still too frightened to get too near. “I cannot see your eyes,” she told him.

  The stranger took several steps in her direction and came up beside her. “Where have you seen eyes the color of mine, Alexandria?” he repeated.

  Alexandria gasped as she stared into violet-blue eyes so like Tag’s that it astounded her. The man removed his cap, and she saw his reddish-gold hair blowing in the evening breeze. Suddenly she knew who the man was! Had she not many times seen his likeness in the portrait that hung over the mantel in Mr. Landon’s bedroom?

  “How can it be? You are Mr. James! I was told you were dead!” she blurted out.

  “As you can see, I am very much alive. I have been watching the boy for some time, but I wasn’t sure he was my son until two nights ago, when the two of you were here at the pond and you called him by name.”

  “The night of the masquerade ball? Why haven’t you gone to him and told him who you are? Dear Lord, he thinks you are dead!”

  “I haven’t gone to Tag because I thought I could watch over him and keep him from harm if he didn’t know who I was. As for being alive, there were times in the past when I wished I had died.”

  Alexandria reached out and touched his arm in her excitement. “Mr. James, do you have any idea how happy Tag will be to see you?” Tears blinded her, and she was so happy she had the strongest urge to hug this man who was Tag’s father.

  “When the time is right, I’ll go to the boy, but I must not do so now. He is in grave danger, as you are already aware. I knew when I heard the two of you talking the other night that you cared about my son. That is why I have decided to reveal myself to you now. You must promise me that you will not tell Taggart about me. Do I have your word on that?”

  Alexandria nodded. “Yes, but it would make him so happy if he knew you were still alive.”

  “There will be time for happiness later. Right now, all I’m concerned about is my son’s safety. You have been living here,” he said, nodding in the direction of the house. “Tell me what has been going on.”

  Alexandria sat down on the grass, and he joined her there. She told him all she knew about Claudia and Mr. Landon. The sun went down and the dinner hour came and went, and still they talked. She found Russell James so easy to talk to that she even ended up by telling him about her troubles with Barbara and Rodney, and how Tag had come to her rescue at the tavern after she had run away. She didn’t realize it was so late until he stood up and helped her to her feet.

  “It grows late, and you should be in bed, Alexandria. I want to thank you for talking to me and telling me about my son. I can see why he loves you. You are such a lovely young lady.”

  “Tag isn’t in love with me, Mr. James. I am no more than a friend to him.”

  “As you say, Alexandria, but I think I saw more than friendship pass between the two of you the other night.”

  On impulse, she stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. “I am so glad you are alive. I have grown to know your family quite well through Tag.”

  “If that’s the case, can you tell me about my daughter Joanna?”

  “I would rather Tag tell you about her. I will put your mind at rest by telling you she is alive, and from what Tag says, very happy.”

  “I like the loyalty you have shown my son, Alexandria, so I will not press you further about Joanna. Run along now, and I’ll see you again soon.

  As Alexandria made her way back toward the house, her heart felt lighter than it had in months. It seemed everything was beginning to fall into place. Perhaps now that Tag’s father was here, the long ordeal would soon be over.

  When Alexandria reached the house, she noticed there were two carriages at the front, so she walked around to the back entrance. When she entered the kitchen, she was met by an angry Mrs. Dodson.

  “Where have you been? The entire household has been searching for you, Alexandria!”

  “Has Mr. Landon taken a turn for the worse?” Alexandria asked apprehensively.

  “Not so far as I know, but Mrs. Landon wants to see you in the parlor at once!”

  Alexandria nodded, and hurried to the parlor, fearing that something might have happened to Mr. Landon and Mrs. Dodson just wasn’t telling her. She heard the murmur of voices coming from behind the door and rapped softly. The door was opened by Claudia, and when she saw Alexandria, a spiteful look came over her face.

  “Come in, won’t you? There are some people here who are very anxious to see you,” Claudia told her in a honey-sweet voice. Taking Alexandria by the arm, she practically dragged her into the room.

  Alexandria felt her knees go weak, and she grabbed her throat in horror as she recognized Barbara and Rodney waiting inside for her!

  “You will have your just reward now,” Claudia hissed in her ear. “No one ever crosses me and gets by with it,” she whispered so no one could hear but Alexandria.

  The last thing Alexandria remembered was the room spinning around; then everything seemed to go black, and she had the sensation of falling! She wasn’t aware that Rodney picked her up in his arms and placed her on the couch, while Claudia looked on with satisfaction.

  “What will you do with the girl?” Claudia asked, her eyes gleaming brightly. “Will you have her locked away for her crimes?”

  Barbara smiled slightly. “No, Mrs. Landon, I think we will take her back to the farm where she belongs. I want to thank you for getting in touch with us so promptly. When the authorities came to us and told us Alexandria had been found, you can’t imagine how it gladdened our hearts—isn’t that so, Rodney?”

  Claudia looked down her nose at Barbara Bradford. She could well imagine what they had in mind for poor Alexandria. She imagined that the previously planned wedding would now take place. Glancing at Rodney—who would have been hideous to her even without the burn scars on his face—Claudia shivered. Better Alexandria than herself, she thought.

  As Rodney picked Alexandria up in his arms, she moaned softly but didn’t regain consciousness. He stared down at her beautiful face and smiled, thinking that this time she wouldn’t escape him. He placed her in the hired coach and rubbed his hand over his scarred cheek. Alexandria would pay for what she had done to him, he thought bitterly.

&n
bsp; After watching the carriage pull out of sight, Claudia went upstairs to Howard’s room. When she entered, she found him staring at the portrait of Joanna.

  “We have quite a lot of excitement here tonight. Too bad you missed it, Howard.”

  He didn’t even look at her, and, as always, he managed to shut her voice out.

  “Yes, you should have seen Alexandria; she just swooned away,” Claudia taunted.

  That got Howard’s attention. “You better…not have…harmed the girl,” he said, turning purple in the face and gasping for breath.

  “Me? No, not me! She was carried away by her stepmother and stepbrother. Poor Alexandria, I think she will soon be the wife of her hideous-looking stepbrother,” she continued, trying to bait her husband.

  Claudia watched as Howard tried to rise. He started coughing and gasping for breath. She had only meant to torment him; the last thing in the world she wanted to do was cause him to have another attack.

  “Howard, hold on, don’t move—I’ll send for the doctor immediately!” she said, running out of the room and calling for Mrs. Dodson. By the time she returned to the room, Howard was white as a ghost, and Claudia knew he was dead! His eyes seemed to be bulging out of the sockets, and it was as if, in death, he were still staring at the portrait of Joanna.

  “Howard, no! You can’t die on me now! Not now!” Claudia screamed at the top of her voice. “She grabbed Howard’s shoulders and began shaking him violently, while his head lolled from side to side. “Damn you, Howard, I didn’t mean this to happen. I’m lost—I’m lost!”

  When the doctor and Mrs. Dodson returned, Claudia was wringing her hands and raving like a madwoman.

  “I didn’t know that sending the girl away would kill you, Howard! Come back—come back! All that money…this house…everything gone…gone!”

  The doctor gave Claudia a strong dose of laudanum, which seemed to calm her after awhile. He then helped her to bed, thinking she had lost her mind.

  Claudia’s dreams that night turned into nightmares, and she could see Howard’s bulging eyes staring at her accusingly. At times in her dreams she would escape from Howard, only to have a faceless Tag chasing after her. She moaned and twisted in her sleep, seeking release from her nightmares.

  Chapter Twenty-six

  Alexandria regained consciousness slowly. She realized, from the swaying motion that rocked her back and forth, that she was riding in a coach. She held her hand over her mouth, thinking she was going to be sick, as her stomach seemed to churn with each movement of the coach.

  Barbara jerked Alexandria’s head up. “Well, well, we have had a bit of trouble finding you. We shall just see that you don’t get away again.”

  Rodney rubbed his scarred face with the back of his hand. “You’ve got a lot to answer for, Alexandria. As my wife, you will know what it feels like to be scarred. I think I’ll just take a hot iron to your pretty face.”

  “Don’t talk such nonsense, Rodney. Didn’t I always try to teach you to be kind to those that do you harm?” his mother scolded.

  “I don’t recall your ever saying that to me, Mother. If you’ll forgive me, I don’t feel too kindly toward Alexandria at the moment.”

  Alexandria leaned her head back against the coach and willed herself not to be sick. The nightmare was starting all over again. Was she never to know any peace and contentment in her life? She thought of Tag, and her heart sent him a silent message to find her. She prayed he would learn what had happened and come to rescue her. He was her only hope. She knew that if he didn’t come soon, she would never see him again.

  “We have a little party waiting for you back at my aunt’s house. She will have the parson waiting for you and me, and we’ll be joined as man and wife tonight. There won’t ever be any question of your leaving me again, Alexandria,” Rodney said coldly.

  “I will never marry you! You are no better than an animal,” she spat out.

  His fist swung out, catching her squarely on the jaw. Alexandria grabbed her head and slumped forward in pain.

  “Now look what you have done, Rodney! Why can’t you control that temper of yours until you have at least wed the girl? We don’t want the parson seeing her all bruised up, now do we?”

  Alexandria closed her mind to the pain. She could endure anything but Rodney’s putting his hands on her. Please, Tag, she prayed silently, come and save me!

  Tag and Farley were just finishing a late dinner, when Mrs. Green came hurrying into the room, looking distressed about something.

  “There’s a man at the front door who says he wants to see you right away, Mr. James. He says it’s urgent. I tried to tell him you were dining, but he was most insistent that he speak with you.”

  “Did he say what his name was?” Tag wanted to know.

  “No, but he’s dressed as a seaman, and I think he might be the man who’s been hanging about lately,” Mrs. Green stated flatly.

  Tag tossed his napkin on the table and walked hurriedly toward the front door, flanked by Farley. Tag threw open the door and came face to face with the man.

  “I’m Falcon Knight. I’m told you wanted to see me,” he said, looking the man over closely.

  “If you have a care about Alexandria Bradford, you had better come with me in a hurry. I saw her being carried off tonight by her stepmother and stepbrother.”

  “How do you know this?” Tag asked, eyeing the man suspiciously.

  “I know because Alexandria told me that her stepbrother was scarred, and the man I saw lifting her into the carriage had a scar on his face.”

  “Don’t trust him,” Farley said, poking his head around the door. “I seed this man afore. He’s the man I had the tiff with…the one who’s been spying on you.”

  “Lord, I don’t have time to argue with you,” the stranger said. “Do you know where they would have taken the girl, or not? I would have followed them myself, but I was on foot and lost them. Tell me where they live, and I’ll go get her myself if you aren’t going to help me.”

  “Farley, go saddle three horses and bring them around to the front,” Tag said, deciding to trust the stranger. He rushed into the study, grabbed up his gun, and poked it into his belt. By the time he reached the front door, he found that Farley had already saddled the horses and was leading them to the front of the house.

  “I don’t know who you are, stranger, but if you are telling the truth, I’ll have a lot to thank you for before the night is over,” Tag said, swinging himself onto his horse.

  After Farley and the stranger were mounted, Tag led the way toward Front Street. He didn’t know who the man was, or how he knew about Alexandria, but he felt he had no choice but to trust the man. If there was the slightest chance that he was telling the truth, Alexandria might be in grave danger.

  Farley rode alongside the stranger and looked at him suspiciously. “Ifen you aren’t telling the right of it, I’ll pump some lead into you.”

  The stranger didn’t answer. He merely kicked his mount in the flanks and rode up beside Tag.

  Russell James was disappointed. He had half hoped his son would recognize him. But how could Tag be expected to remember him? he asked himself. He had only been a boy the last time they had seen each other—and after all, Tag thought he was dead.

  Alexandria stumbled and would have fallen if it hadn’t been for the fact that she was being held up by Rodney. By now, she realized that the drink Rodney had given her earlier must have been drugged, because all she wanted to do was lie down somewhere and sleep.

  “I always did say you didn’t have good sense, Rodney. You gave her too much of the drug,” she heard her stepmother say.

  Alexandria was aware that there were several people in the room. She vaguely recognized Johnny, the boy who had helped her escape from the basement. She wondered why he was looking so sad. There was a man dressed in a black suit standing before her and Rodney, but she was sure she hadn’t ever seen him before. He was asking her a question. What did he want her to s
ay?

  All of a sudden there was a loud crash at the front door, and everyone turned their attention to the three intruders who burst into the room.

  Alexandria thought she must be dreaming, because she was sure Tag was standing before her.

  “Stand away from Alexandria,” Tag ordered, pointing his gun at Rodney.

  “What’s the meaning of this?” Barbara demanded to know, wondering who the three men were.

  “You have something that belongs to me, Mrs. Bradford,” Tag said through clenched teeth. “I’m here to collect it.”

  “If you’ve come to rob us, we have nothing of value here,” Rodney spoke up.

  “Ah, but there you are wrong, Rodney. You see, Alexandria belongs to me, and I place a great deal of value on her,” Tag said lazily.

  “Who are you, and why do you come in here busting up my son’s wedding?” Barbara said, glancing at the young man who was aiming a gun at her son.

  “Farley, get Alexandria and bring her over here,” Tag ordered. “If I find that you have harmed her in any way, you will pay dearly.” Tag spoke directly to Rodney.

  “You have no right to take Alexandria away from her family,” Rodney spoke up.

  “Oh, no? We’ll just see about that. Preacher, you have come here tonight to perform a wedding, and you damned sure won’t be disappointed,” Tag said. He removed a gold piece from his coat pocket and tossed it to the man he assumed was the preacher.

  “If any one of them moves or looks like they want to interfere,” Tag told Farley, “shoot them!”

  “Now, that would be a real pleasure,” Farley said, aiming his gun at Rodney after handing Alexandria over to Tag.

  Russell James rested his gun across his palms and gave Barbara a look that made her shiver. She didn’t know who these men were, but she knew she dared not interfere.

  Tag raised Alexandria’s head and realized immediately that she had been drugged. “Are you willing to have me for your husband, Alexandria?” he asked in a soft voice, noticing she couldn’t seem to focus her eyes clearly.