by Leigh, Nerys
She backed away. “Why are you doing this? I don’t know you and I certainly don’t want to leave my husband. Please, just leave me alone.”
“You don’t understand,” he said, lifting his hands towards her, pleading. “Just give me a chance. Let me show you that you belong with me.”
He darted forward, grabbing her arms as she backed up against the stall.
“Let me go!” She fought to pull away, but his grip was like iron.
He pushed forward, pinning her against the stall door as she struggled, his breath hot on her face. “Please, Sara, you must know you’re mine.”
“Daniel!” she screamed. “Help!”
Anger flashed across Pulaski’s face. “You’re betraying me?”
She heard footsteps running outside. Daniel yelled her name.
Pulaski finally let her go and stepped away, limping from Pea’s kick and breathing heavily.
Daniel ran into the barn. “Sara?” He’d pulled the bandage from his eyes, but he still held his hands out in front of him, feeling his way.
“You see?” Pulaski scoffed. “He’s useless.”
At his voice, Daniel growled in fury and started forward. “Pulaski, if you harm my wife...”
Pulaski stepped towards him.
“Daniel, watch out!” she shouted.
His foot rammed into Daniel’s shin, sending him crashing to the floor.
“This is what you want?” he spat, jabbing a finger at him. “A man who can’t even stay on his feet?”
A pitchfork rested against the wall to her right. Sara grabbed it and raised it in front of her, advancing on him. “Get out!” she yelled. “Leave us alone!”
He backed towards the door, shaking his head in disgust. “He can’t make you happy. Deep down, you know you belong with me.”
With a final derisive glare at Daniel, he turned and strode out.
Sara ran to the door to see him leap into his buggy and drive off. When she was certain he had left for good, she ran back to Daniel and dropped to her knees at his side, taking hold of his shoulders as he sat up.
“He’s gone.”
He reached for her, grasping her arms. “Are you all right? Did he hurt you?”
“No, I’m OK. Are you all right?”
He turned his head away, clenching his fists and muttering, “I’m fine.”
Tears sprang to her eyes. “I didn’t know, I’m sorry. I thought he was harmless. I never thought he’d...” She stopped, her voice failing.
Daniel turned back to her and raised his hand to her face, hissing in a breath when his thumb brushed across her damp cheek. Wordlessly, he held out his arms and Sara collapsed into his embrace.
He rocked her gently, holding her close as she trembled.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you,” he said quietly.
She shook her head against his chest. “I just need you here, that’s all.”
Chapter 19
“We need to go tell Marshal Cade,” Daniel said when Sara had stopped crying.
“I know.” He felt her take a deep breath in and out and her face lifted from his chest. “Can I finish milking Pea first?”
He felt a small, unexpected smile creep onto his face. “You’re becoming a real farmer’s wife.”
“I hope so.”
As soon as he heard the smile in her voice, he regretted his words. It wasn’t that he didn’t mean it; it was that he didn’t want her to think it. He didn’t want her to miss the farm when she left it.
When she left him.
“All right, but hurry. We don’t want Pulaski to get away.”
They rode into town half an hour later. With River and Ginger out with Will, they had to ride together on Rosie. Daniel tried to ignore the feeling of Sara sitting in front of him, her back brushing against his chest, the rose scent of her hair filling his nostrils, but it took every ounce of self control he possessed not to wrap his arms around her and pull her close. The twenty minute journey was such exquisite torture he wasn’t sure if he was relieved or disappointed when they finally arrived at the Marshal’s office.
He listened warily to the sounds of the people around them. “Can you see Pulaski anywhere?”
“No,” she replied. “I’ve been looking out for him since we got into town. Do you think he’d come back here?”
“I have no idea how that man’s mind works.”
If he was honest with himself, Daniel wanted Pulaski to be here, where he could confront him and put a fist through his face. He’d always been taught that violence was never the answer, but when someone threatened his wife and made a fool out of him, how could he be expected to simply let it go?
Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.
Jesus’ words, said as He hung on the cross, came to Daniel. He shook his head. He was just a man and right now forgiveness wasn’t on his mind. And what was more he didn’t want it to be.
“Is something wrong?” Sara said in front of him.
“No. Let’s just get inside.”
The first thing Daniel smelled on entering the building was gun oil. Someone had recently been cleaning their weapon.
“Morning, Daniel, Mrs Raine,” Marshal Lee Cade said from somewhere ahead and to Daniel’s left, probably at his desk. “What can I do for you? Please tell me it’s something that involves leaving this office because I am just waiting for an excuse to take a break from writing these reports.”
“I thought you were cleaning your gun,” Daniel said as, his hand on Sara’s elbow, he followed her in the direction of the marshal’s voice.
“Twenty minutes ago I was,” Cade said. “How’d you know?”
Daniel found a chair and sat. “I can smell the oil.”
The marshal sniffed. “Oh yeah, I didn’t notice. Anyway, why the visit?”
Sara detailed to Marshal Cade the events in the barn and about how she’d met Pulaski on the train from New York and his previous visits to the farm. The marshal interrupted to ask the odd question, his pencil scratching as he wrote.
Finally, when she’d finished, his chair scraped along the floor as he stood. “I’m going to check if he’s still at the hotel. You can come if you want to, or stay here and wait for me.”
“I’d like to go with you,” she said.
Daniel merely nodded, not knowing whether anyone saw it. All he wanted to do was confront Pulaski and give him what he deserved.
It only took a few minutes for them to walk up the main street to the hotel at the head of the road.
“Hey Marshal, Daniel, Mrs Raine.” Daniel recognised the voice of Zach Parsons. Zach was a childhood friend, but he and Will were closer, being the same age and having grown up together. He worked on the hotel’s reception desk during the week and at his father’s livery at weekends. “What’s up?”
“Zach,” Marshal Cade said, “doesn’t Art Porter usually work here Saturdays?”
Zach heaved a sigh. “Yeah, but his twisted ankle is still getting better. This is the second Saturday I’ve had to work. At least my pa won’t be missing me so much at the livery, with Amy working there now. She’s doing wonders in that place.”
“Do you have a Mr...” The marshal hesitated.
“Pulaski,” Sara said. “Albert Pulaski.”
“Is he staying here? Would have arrived Friday before last.”
“You say that as if you need to jog my memory,” Zach said. “We’ve only had four check-ins in the past two weeks and yes, Mr Pulaski was one of them. He’s in seventeen. Came back about an hour ago looking real annoyed. Kind of creepy, if you ask me. Why, what’s he done?”
“Thanks, Zach,” Cade said, without answering his question.
Daniel followed Sara up the stairs and to the right for roughly thirty paces. Someone, he assumed the marshal, knocked on a door.
Sara slipped her arm around Daniel’s, holding onto him a little tighter than normal. With a flash of guilt, he realised she was afraid. He’d been so fixated on his own anger
he hadn’t considered how seeing Pulaski would affect her.
“You don’t have to be here,” he whispered to her. “We can go back to the marshal’s office and wait.”
“No, I want to be here.”
Despite her fear her voice was steady and Daniel was proud of her. She had a strength that would put many men to shame. He placed his free hand over hers where it held his arm, trying to reassure her. Not that he expected her to gain any reassurance from his being there after all he’d been able to do in the barn was fall on his face. Her bravery was far likelier to come from the marshal’s presence than her own husband’s.
Heated anger again blossomed in his chest as he heard the door open.
“Are you Albert Pulaski?” Marshal Cade said.
Sara’s grip on Daniel’s arm tightened.
“I am. Mr and Mrs Raine, what’s going on?”
At the sound of Pulaski’s voice, Daniel’s anger grew to full blown fury. If Sara hadn’t been holding onto his arm with a vice-like grip he would have thrown himself at the man, no matter that he couldn’t see him.
“Mr Pulaski,” the marshal said, “I’d like to talk to you about an incident at the Raines’ farm this morning.”
“Is that what this is about? My goodness, I didn’t realise you’d feel the need to involve the authorities in such a minor matter. I assure you, Marshal, it was all just a misunderstanding.”
“Misunderstanding,” Daniel growled. “Is that what you call attacking my wife?”
“Attacking?” Pulaski said in a shocked tone that made Daniel want to punch his teeth out. “I would never do such a thing. Mrs Raine, if you truly felt threatened by anything I did, I apologise unreservedly. It was never my intention to scare you in any way, I swear.”
“Mr and Mrs Raine have told me their side of events,” Cade said. “I’d like to hear yours.”
“Of course. I went to visit Mrs Raine, just to check on her. A dangerous man almost attacked her on Thursday, did they tell you about that?”
“Yes, they did.”
“Oh, good. Well, since I drove the scoundrel off I’ve been worried for her safety, so I thought I’d visit just to check that everything was all right and that he hadn’t come back. It wouldn’t have done for him to return while Mrs Raine was without protection, what with Mr Raine being incapacitated and everything. I admit, in my eagerness to ensure her safety I may have been a little... overenthusiastic when I spoke to her. I didn’t mean to scare her and I’m beyond sorry if I did. She called out for Mr Raine, he ran in and in my haste to distance myself from the situation I may have inadvertently tripped him up. I am truly sorry for any harm I caused.”
“He’s lying!” Sara said.
“I assure you, Mrs Raine...”
Daniel couldn’t take any more. Blinding fury shattered his self-control. Shaking Sara’s grip from his arm, he stepped towards the man harassing his wife, raising his fist.
A hand pressed against his chest, stopping him.
“Don’t do anything you’ll regret,” Marshal Cade said quietly. “I don’t want to have to lock you up. Your wife needs you.”
Sara took hold of his arm again. “Daniel, please.”
Only her pleading voice had the power to clear the fog of rage from his mind. Lowering his fist, he took a deep breath in and out and allowed her to pull him back.
“Mr Raine,” Pulaski said, sounding shocked, “I didn’t realise you had such a temper. I can’t help but be concerned that Mrs Raine isn’t safe...”
“Is there a reason you are in Green Hill Creek?” Marshal Cade said, raising his voice to drown out Pulaski’s.
Daniel’s teeth ground together.
“Well, I was planning on finding work and possibly settling here. It’s a lovely place. Very picturesque.”
“And have you found work?”
“No, not as yet.”
“Then I suggest you give serious thought to moving on to somewhere where you may have better luck.”
There was a pause. “Are you telling me to leave town?”
“I’m suggesting that you look for work elsewhere,” the marshal said, an edge to his voice.
“Well, I will certainly give your suggestion some thought,” Pulaski said. “Now if there are no more questions, I have things to do. A pleasure to meet you, Marshal. Mr Raine, Mrs Raine.”
The door closed.
Daniel relaxed his jaw and it began to ache. He felt as helpless as he had been lying on that barn floor.
“Come on, let’s go,” Cade muttered.
“So that’s it?” Daniel said as they walked back along the corridor. “There’s nothing else you can do?”
“I can arrest him, but I’ve got to say, I don’t think any judge will convict him. It’s your word against his and he hasn’t actually broken any laws. Maybe, at a stretch, assault, but even then it’s doubtful.”
“Then what are we supposed to do?” Daniel said, unable to believe Pulaski could simply get away with what he’d done. “That man attacked and as much as threatened Sara and I can’t...” He stopped as his voice broke. He had to swallow before continuing. “I can’t protect her when I can’t see.”
“I understand, but I can’t do anything if he hasn’t broken the law. I’m sorry, I really am, but there’s nothing else I can do. Believe me, I would do something if I could. I can’t put my finger on why, but even without knowing what you’ve told me, Pulaski rubs me the wrong way.”
Daniel opened his mouth to give the marshal a reply he probably didn’t deserve, but Sara spoke first.
“I know you’re doing everything you can, Marshal. And I’m grateful you believe us. We’ll be OK.”
Afraid as Daniel knew she was, she was being far more gracious than he was. He wanted to march back to Pulaski’s door, kick it down and do something he doubted he would regret.
Instead, he swallowed his anger and hoped Sara was right.
~ ~ ~
If the ride into town had been exquisite torture, the ride home was simply torture.
Daniel had never felt so inadequate, so impotent, in his entire life. Not even Sara’s proximity could distract him from the depths to which he’d sunk.
Nothing he did mattered. He couldn’t work, couldn’t protect Sara, couldn’t do one single thing about Pulaski. He wanted nothing more than to wrap his arms around his wife, bury his face in her sweet-smelling hair, and forget about all of it. But he couldn’t even do that. What right did he have to touch her when he couldn’t keep her safe? She deserved so much better than him.
When they arrived home, he stayed with her as she finished the rest of her morning chores then followed her inside and sat at the kitchen table while she baked cinnamon cookies for dessert later. He may not have been able to protect her, but at least he could be there. If he’d gone with her to milk Pea when she’d asked him, maybe the whole thing with Pulaski wouldn’t have happened. But he’d got that wrong too.
She didn’t try to engage him in conversation, seeming to understand that he preferred not to talk. He was grateful for that. Right now, he had no idea what he would say.
“Would you like coffee?” she said as she slid the tray of cookies into the oven.
“No, thanks.”
He heard her pull out a chair and sit at the table. After a few seconds, her hand pushed into his. He tensed at the intrusion into his self-imposed isolation before realising how selfish he was being. He turned his hand over to wrap his fingers around hers.
“I don’t know why he’s doing this,” she said. “I promise I didn’t ever do anything to make him think I would welcome his attentions. The very first time we spoke on the train I told him I was travelling to California to get married. I didn’t ever lead him on, I give you my word.”
“It hadn’t even occurred to me that you did,” he said truthfully.
“Maybe I could have been clearer from the beginning and told him plainly I had no interest in him. But I had no idea of his intentions. If I’d known...”
She sighed and lapsed into silence.
Without thinking about it, he began to rub tiny circles on the back of her hand with his thumb. “None of this is your fault, Sara. You haven’t done anything wrong.”
There was another period of silence when they simply sat, holding hands.
After a while, she said, “The way he looked at me in the barn, as if he thought I somehow belonged to him, it scared me.”
He lowered his head, his shame and anger returning. She shouldn’t have to feel afraid in her own home. It was his responsibility to make her feel safe.
Releasing a deep sigh, he sat back and let go of her hand. “Pulaski was right.”
She gasped in a shocked breath. “About what? Me leaving you to go with him?”
“No, of course not.” He clasped his hands together on the table in front of him and frowned down at them. “He was right about me being useless. All I do is sit all day and stare into darkness. And when a man came here and threatened you,” he swallowed, barely able to speak past his shame, “all I could do was fall on my face.”
“That’s not true. You couldn’t... he wasn’t...”
“What kind of man can’t even protect his own wife? I am useless.”
“Being able to see doesn’t make you a man. And neither does being able to protect your wife.”
“Then what does?” He threw his hands into the air in frustration. “Tell me, what makes a man a man? Because I can guarantee that, whatever it is, I can’t do it anymore.” Why couldn’t she understand? Why did she keep trying to deny there was a problem?
“Not giving up,” she said. “That’s one of the signs of a good man.”
He pressed his lips together and sat back. “That’s not fair.”
“Nor is what you’re doing!”
“What I’m doing?”
“Yes! I’ve tried everything I can think of to help you, but you push me away. You barely talk to me or Will anymore. You’re giving up on yourself and it breaks my heart to see it and I don’t know what to do.”
“Well maybe you should give up on me too. I’m blind, Sara! How am I supposed to feel? Everything I’ve ever wanted is gone.”