The Western Justice Trilogy

by Gilbert, Morris

  “I think so. When you get in the cabin, I’ll get some food and bring it to you. We won’t be seen together.”

  “All right, Ty,” she said timidly. “You’ve done well.”

  “We’ll be all right,” he said finally. He shrugged his shoulders. “I’ll carry your stuff down to the wagon.”

  Thirty minutes later they were eating a breakfast of ham and eggs and homemade bread in the single restaurant the town possessed. After they finished their meal, they went outside. She climbed into the wagon, and he mounted to sit beside her.

  He picked up the lines, slapped the horses’ backs, and the team at once lurched forward. “If I got it right, we ought to be at the river sometime before noon.”

  Raina said quietly, “It’s been hard on you. You’re not fully recovered yet with that sickness you had.”

  “I’m all right.”

  They stopped once to rest the horses and then proceeded at an even pace. When they reached the river town, Raina saw it was even worse than the one where they had spent the night.

  He nodded toward a small steamboat tied up at the wharf. “That’s the ship, I expect. I’ll go find out about the rooms. You stay here in the wagon.”

  “All right, Ty.”

  Raina sat in the wagon watching him move away. He was moving slowly, and she knew that he had lost some of the vitality that she had first noticed in him. Sickness would do that. The fever had drained him, but he doggedly moved forward.

  He was back in thirty minutes. He said, “I’ll show you the rooms up on the second deck. When you get in there, I’ll bring you food.”

  “Thank you, Ty.”

  He hesitated, then for the first time that morning lifted his eyes and stared at her. “You won’t have to worry about me bothering you again, Raina.”

  Raina was on the verge of apologizing, but his manner was so stiff she could only say, “Thank you, Ty.”

  “Almost time for the boat to leave, Raina,” Ty said. He had sold the wagon and the mules and bought a trunk that could carry more of their things in it. He stood beside it now down on the wharf and said, “I don’t think there’s any danger. We’ll go on together.”

  “All right.”

  She was relieved when he picked up the trunk. She carried the valise. She had to struggle to get up to the second deck, but when they got to the room and he shoved the door open, he stepped back and let her go in first.

  It wasn’t much of a room, but the ship was rough and years past its youth. It might have been finely finished at one time, but now everything looked worn and pitiful.

  Putting the trunk down, he said, “We’ll be leaving right away. Maybe you ought to stay in here until I come for you.”

  “I will.”

  “There’s a lock on the door. Don’t let anybody come in until I knock like I did before. We’ll go eat after we’re under way.”

  “Where will you sleep?”

  “There was an extra room. Somebody canceled their trip.”

  The trip up the Mississippi had been tense at first. Raina had been terrified that they would be caught, that Farmer had put arrest papers out on them. But the boat was small, the passengers were few, and nobody paid attention to them. They had their breakfast, the noon meal, and then there was nothing to do.

  Ty stayed on deck mostly, up in the bow looking ahead, his eyes searching the banks. She could not tell what he was thinking, but she was low-spirited.

  The boat stopped several times as it went up the Mississippi, taking on passengers and letting off some. The tension left her as she became less and less worried about getting caught.

  Most of the time she read one of her romance novels. She stayed for long hours in the room and from time to time would take a break.

  Once Ty had come to get her in the middle of the afternoon and said, “The cook’s just made some fresh donuts. Let’s go treat ourselves.”

  “That sounds good. I always love donuts.” The two left the cabin and walked down to the kitchen.

  The cook, a fat, greasy-looking man with a broad smile, winked at them. “You smell them donuts, do ya?”

  “I can resist anything except temptation and fresh donuts.” Ty smiled.

  “Well, here. Sink your teeth into one of these, and you, too, ma’am. I’ll have to tell ya I’m renowned for my donuts.”

  Raina bit into the donut. “These are so good!”

  “My ma taught me how to make donuts. Never thought I’d wind up bein’ a cook, but there are worse things to be.”

  They ate two of the donuts apiece with fresh coffee, then she said, “I think I’ll go up to the front.”

  “Pretty cold still. That breeze is stiff.”

  “I don’t mind.”

  Ty followed Raina as she moved toward the bow. He watched as she put her hands on the railing and stared out at the broad Mississippi.

  She stood for a long time. The breeze was cold, and she shivered a little.

  He said, “You ought to wear a heavier coat.”

  “It’s all right. I don’t mind. It’s good to be out here.”

  They stood together, and from time to time one of them would notice something on the bank. Mostly it was nothing but forest and cotton fields right up to the river itself. “Mighty flat country,” Ty said. “I always liked to see hills and mountains.”

  “I’ve never really seen any big ones.”

  “You’ll see some up around Fort Smith. That’s Ozark country up there. Some of it’s right pretty. Oklahoma’s got pretty things and ugly things.”

  Raina was quick to ask what he was expecting next.

  “The next thing is we’ll get off this boat and find a smaller one going up the Arkansas.”

  “Does it go all the way to Fort Smith?”

  “Well, there will probably be some stops, but yes, pretty well. What will you do when we reach Fort Smith, Raina?”

  “I’m going to look for my father.”

  He turned to study her face in the growing dusk and was once again impressed with the qualities he saw in her. Her hair was raven black, but her eyes were blue and made a pleasing contrast. She was, as far as he knew, as thoroughly alone in the world as if there were no other thing alive on the planet. He knew she was hungry for color and warmth, and he had seen the solace she seemed to take from her romances. Here in the falling darkness a spirit glowed in her like live coals, but as always, she was on guard.

  She looked at him silently, and a woman’s silence could mean many things, Ty knew. He was not sure what it meant in Raina, but it lay on his own solitary thinking. When she drew away, there was a curtain of reserve, and he suddenly felt that she was the kind of woman who could, if necessary, draw a revolver and shoot a man down and not go to pieces afterward. He had seen her courage and willingness to face danger, and he knew that she had a temper that could swing to extremes of laughter and then turn instantly to softness or anger.

  He could not help but appreciate the supple lines of her body. She was just past the stage that follows girlhood, and he realized, for all her youth, she was a beautiful and robust woman with a woman’s soft depth and a woman’s spirit and a woman’s fire. “What if you find your dad and he’s not a good man?”

  “I don’t know. I don’t have any other plan.”

  “Well, I guess we better turn in.” Raina nodded in agreement, and Ty escorted her to her room before going to his own.

  A restlessness settled over Ty. He finally left his room and moved toward Raina’s. Seeing a light through the crack at the bottom of her door, he knocked.

  Raina opened the door slightly. “What is it, Ty?”

  “I couldn’t go to sleep and wanted some company. But if you want to go to bed, I’ll leave you alone.”

  “No, that’s all right. Come on in.”

  Ty entered the room. He saw that Raina had been reading one of her books and asked her about it.

  She began to tell him the plot. He got lost in her words and in the way her eyes lit up when s
he talked about one of her stories.

  Ty saw that she was only wearing a thin robe over her nightgown. The beauty that he had ignored struck him hard, like a raw force. She was looking up at him, her lips slightly opened. Ty had been under pressure for a long time, and now as Raina smiled, he felt a sudden gust of freedom. He was aware of his vow to this young woman, and it had not been difficult to keep himself from even thinking of her as a woman—but now as the desires of a lonely man drew him to beauty, he suddenly felt a sense of joy.

  He made no conscious decision, but without thinking he reached for her with a suddenness that caught them both by surprise. Her firm body came against him, and old hungers awoke with a force that shocked him. He lowered his head and kissed her, again without thought, and at that moment she was for him like cool water to a thirsty man.

  Raina surrendered herself to Ty’s sudden embrace too easily. She was a woman of strong emotions, but a hard life had forced her to keep them under iron control. Now, however, as his lips pressed against hers, she was aware of a passion that shook her. She had longed for love from a man, and the long hours she had spent caring for Ty had gone deeper into her spirit than she had suspected.

  Perhaps if Ty had released her at once, the kiss would not have struck Raina so hard. It might even have been a moment for her to treasure, for even in that instant she sensed in his caress something different from the crude advances that she had spent a lifetime avoiding.

  Then she felt a flash of anger—mixed with disappointment—and her self-defense flared. He was a strong man, and she was alone and in his power, just the kind of situation she’d learned to avoid. She struck Ty in the chest and cried out, “Leave me alone!”

  Ty was shocked and started to respond. “Raina…”

  Raina was shaking, and her emotions were a mixture of fear and loathing. He tried to explain, but she was beyond listening and moved away from him until her back was against the bulkhead as she cried, “You’re no different from all other men, Tyler Kincaid!”

  Ty said, “Raina, it was just a kiss. Nothing more.”

  She crossed her arms in a defensive gesture, and her tone was hard as steel. “I’ve heard that before.”

  Ty stared at her for some time with a sad look on his face. Then he lowered his head and said flatly, “I’ll see you tomorrow, Raina.”

  Raina saw the determined look on Ty’s face as he turned and left the room. She began to tremble and paced the floor for a time before finally getting into bed.

  She lay awake, unable to forget the encounter with Ty. She had a fleeting thought that maybe she’d misjudged him, but her old defenses returned in strength. He’s just like the others! She finally fell into a fitful sleep with the sense that her future lay before her like a black tunnel whose end she could not see.

  Raina woke with a start, and at once the incident with Ty flooded her mind. I’m all alone now! She knew that she and Ty had lost something, and the sense of loss was sharp.

  She shook off the depressing thoughts, then rose and dressed. She was startled by a knock at the door.

  It was Ty, but the sight of him was troubling. His features were stern. “We have to have breakfast,” he said, his voice revealing nothing.

  Raina hesitated and said, “I’m sorry I spoke to you so sharply last night, Ty.”

  “The fault was mine, not yours. It won’t happen again.” His voice was flat.

  Raina went with him to the dining room, and the meal was a misery for her. Ty didn’t speak, and it was all she could do to swallow the food. When they rose, Raina followed him, hoping they could talk, but the glance she got of his features convinced her that they were now two strangers with nothing to say to one another.

  “We’re there, Raina.”

  Raina was in the stateroom. She heard Ty’s knock and opened the door at once. “Do we get off now?”

  “Well, we’ll get our things together. It won’t be long.”

  “Here. Take the money.”

  “No, you keep it. You’ll have to find a place to live.”

  After they had packed their few belongings, Ty carried the trunk up and they moved their baggage. Finally they sidled into a wharf, and a plank board was let down. He shouldered the trunk, and she followed him off the boat.

  When they got on land, he put it down and turned to face her. “We’ll have to find you a place to live.”

  “I have to thank you.”

  “No, I’m in your debt. I’d have been in prison if it hadn’t been for you.” He hesitated and pulled off his hat and ran his hand through his coarse black hair. His face looked rough, but she had learned that the roughness was all in the outer man. “I’ll be around, Raina. If you need me, let me know.”

  “That’s good of you, Ty. But I hope I don’t have to call on anyone.”

  “Come on. I’ll carry your trunk.”

  It did not take long to find housing for there were several boardinghouses. The first three had no rooms, but at the fourth one, the landlady had two available. Raina chose one.

  When he carried her trunk upstairs, he took his hat off and said, “I’ll be going.”

  She hesitated then put out her hand.

  He was surprised but took it.

  She was aware of the bluntness and the strength of his grip. “Good-bye, Ty.”

  Ty was shocked at her gesture, but he said, “We’ll be seeing each other.”

  Raina watched as he turned and left the room. She felt a sense of loneliness. He had been her hope of protection, and now he was gone, forever, she was convinced.

  She went to the window and saw him walk away. Suddenly she was filled with a sense of loss and was terrified at what lay before her.

  PART TWO

  CHAPTER 8

  Raina awoke when the storm that had been threatening the day before finally broke. A boom of thunder brought her awake, grasping at the bed covering as if for safety. She was very afraid, and for a moment could not think where she was. Finally a drum of thunder came to her.

  She got up and walked to the window. The sky was very dark, and the wind was blowing hard. She stood looking out while the thunder clapped loudly and sharply and reverberated endlessly, rolling off into the distance. She wanted to go back to bed, for the weather had turned cold, but she knew she would not sleep through the storm.

  She looked out the window and blinked as the lightning forked in the sky. It seemed to grab at the ground and burn and leap upward, crackling. While the thunder boomed and struck her ears, the bright streak blinded her eyes. Then the rain started, a few drops and then increasing as if someone had poured a huge bucket of water over the town.

  Finally Raina went back to bed and managed to sleep until dawn. She got up, shivered, and quickly put on the warmest clothes she had. When she was fully dressed, she went to the window and stared out.

  On the damp ground a flight of sparrows were searching for food. Taking a piece of a sandwich that she had had the night before, she tossed it out. Immediately the birds began to fight over it, and she remembered a romance she had read and a character who had said, “Birds in their nest agree, so why can’t we?” And through her mind came the thought, No, no, even birds have fights.

  She lit the lamp. The room was dark with the one tiny window. The yellow blaze, small as it was, cast its glow on the darkness of the room. She went to the washstand and discovered that there was a film of ice on the water in the pitcher. She broke it with her fist and poured the basin half full. She forced herself to wash in the cold water, then she looked up and saw that her hair was not as neat as she usually kept it.

  She thought of a set of mother-of-pearl combs and a brush that had been her mother’s—-and hers. It was all she’d had of her mother’s, and she felt the loss of it. She had misplaced them or someone had taken them. In any case, it was one of the many things that she had lost, and it made her sad. She felt dirty. Her clothes were filthy. She always hated that, but there was no other choice.

  When she was fully
dressed she sat down on the bed, and fear swept over her like waves. She thought abruptly of Ty and was disturbed to find that she missed him. She couldn’t help but think of their time in the cabin and how they had been so close.

  Then another thought came to her of the time he had kissed her and how she had lashed out at him. I wish I could do it over again. He wasn’t that bad. It was my foolishness.

  She tried to brush the thoughts away but had little success. Finally she stood and gave up on her hair. She took one more look out the window and saw that the morning was white with frost. The trees outside stood stiffly as if reaching for something they could not have, and some of the roofs were lightly quilted with frost. At that same moment the wind began to utter a long, low whine from the eaves of the building, and tiny flakes of snow began to dance before her eyes. This disturbed her, so quickly she went downstairs to the kitchen.

  Mrs. Mullins, the lady who owned the house, said, “You’re just in time for breakfast. I’ve got some biscuits made.”

  “Oh, I can fix my own breakfast, Mrs. Mullins.”

  “That would be a help.”

  Raina found a basket full of eggs, and being hungrier than usual took two of them and three slices of thick bacon. She turned the bacon over until it was well done and then made her eggs over lightly. There was a jar of some sort of jelly on the table, rather dark. She tried it and found that it was delicious. “This is good fig preserves.”

  Mrs. Mullins was a large woman with lines of fatigue in her face from running a boardinghouse. “My husband planted that tree. We always had a good crop of figs.” She made a face and shook her head. “It was the only thing he could ever do well. No farmer at all.” She poured herself a cup of coffee and filled Raina’s cup again. “Have you come far?”

  “Yes, pretty much.”

  “Well, you picked bad weather to travel in. You got business in Fort Smith?”

  “One thing I have to do is find my father. I’ll show you a picture of him. I only have one. His name is Ed Vernay.”

  “Well, I don’t believe I know the man, but you can ask around and somebody’s probably heard of him around here. He’s in this part of the world, you say?”