It was so damned cold out there. I started feeling bad for him. While battling between my fears and my compassion, I twisted the axe in my hand.
Apparently, he took my moment of silence as a no.
“I understand,” he said. “I’ll be on my way.”
Hearing that wicked thump as he stepped away, I peered out the curtain to see what it was. The clouds had rolled back and in the faint glow of moonlight I watched him stumbling down the stairs with the assistance of a crutch. Half of his left leg was missing.
Thinking over all the times I’d watched him walk away from this porch with two solid legs, I began to pity the ol’ cripple who was struggling through the mud—trying to shelter his head from the drizzling rain. Putting my hand on the window, and feeling the ice cold glass chill me to the bone, I thought of how he just might die from the frost if he had to travel back to town in this weather. But standing behind the walls my grandfather built with his own hands, I knew there was no way in hell I could break down the barrier he had worked so hard to uphold.
X
I never said a thing about Robert’s visit to Lace, but my worries about his possible return kept me on watch late into the following nights. After a week passed without another encounter, I figured he’d left town and I finally settled back into my old routine.
While working in the sodden field one cool, but sunny afternoon, I saw him limping up the road. With the help of his crutch, he staggered along with a slow, yet determined pattern that made him seem helpless and threatening at the same time. Still wet from the night’s rain, his ratty brown hair, tattered brown coat, and holey, black cavalier hat, left him looking like a lump of trash that had washed up on the riverbank.
Glad that Lace was in the house making me lunch, I rushed over to the fence to meet him with my shovel in hand. Eying him in the daylight, I wished I had a more intimidating weapon to greet him with. I’d taken note of his unusual height the few time’s I’d seen my grandfather face him in the yard, but coming closer to the one man my grandfather hated, I realized just how massive he was. While surveying his broad shoulders, strapping chest, and large hands, I imagined him reaching over the fence to snap my neck, and decided it best to keep a safe distance between us as I looked up at him and barked, “What the hell do you want?”
Balancing on his one leg, he tucked his crutch between his arm and his side as he held his hands up in surrender. “I didn’t come to cause trouble.” His voice sounded like he’d just eaten a pile of sand.
“Then what did you come for?” I tried to sound tough, but the stun I was experiencing rang clear in my voice. Having never yet gotten such a good look at his face, I was shocked to see how much I resembled him. Bold nose, round eyes, and full lips, it was plain to see that at one point he must have been the handsome devil grandfather noted him to be. But now, he was so battered by the weather that he looked aged beyond his years.
Shaking my head loose of the strangeness of the moment, I listened closely as he answered, “I just want to visit you and your sister. I’ve set sight on your handsome face a few times through that window, but I’ve never seen your sister, not once.”
That was because grandfather always made me distract her when he’d come by, so she’d never seen him, either. “Perhaps if you would’ve taken care of our mother you would have seen a bit more of us both.”
His dark eyes saddened. “Ah, son. I was a fool to ever leave your mother. I was young and didn’t know no better, but her memory followed me across the sea like a ghost, and I quickly regretted what I had done. So, I came back for her. But when I found that she died having you, and that your grandfather wouldn’t let me see you two, I lost my mind with guilt and tried to drown my sorrows in the spirituous brews.”
Uninterested in his weepy tale, I stood there with my arms crossed, looking bored.
“But I’ve changed my ways, son. I’ve been sober for a year now and in the clarity I’ve realized that all I can do at this point is to try and make things right with you. You seem to have turned out a good man and I’d like to get to know you better.”
“I’ve turned out all right and I have my grandfather to thank for that. As for letting you get to know me, well, I’ll think about that. But for now, you need to go.”
I tried to walk away but he grabbed the fence and shook it. “No. Please, Mason. Listen. I would’ve raised you had your grandfather let me. I wanted to be a part of your lives, but he kept me away. I continued to make my living at sea, but I’ve always returned. Now, here I am again, and I can only hope that you’ll be more forgiving than your stubborn ol’ grandfather.”
Feeling my mind twisting up in confusion again, I stopped in my tracks. He had a point. If he truly didn’t care, why would he have bothered to travel the countryside, year after year, to come see us? Maybe he had loved my mother and maybe Lace and I did mean something to him. Ah, no matter how he truly felt about us, I knew my grandfather wouldn’t be unfair to someone without reason. “I told you, I’ll think about it. And that’s all you’re getting from me for the day.”
Lowering his head, he said, “All right. But here, I want to give you this before I go.”
Watching him reach in his pocket, I squeezed tight to the shovel, ready to attack in case he drew a weapon of his own. To my surprise, he pulled out a piece of red silk, and slowly unwrapped it to reveal a gold coin.
Beyond my reasoning for staying out of arm’s length, I mindlessly wandered towards the piece. He handed it to me. “It’s all I’ve got, son, but I want you to have it.”
Out of sheer curiosity, I plucked it out of his massive palm. Having never seen anything like it, I eyed the oddly shaped coin with wide eyes. It was almost round but the edges were rough and the cross in the center was framed by words written in another language.
“It is Spanish gold, Mason,” his voice snapped me out of the trance the shimmery coin held me under.
As he told me how much it was worth, I started thinking about all the things I could do with it. I could pay a few months in advance on our property dues and still have plenty left to fix the roof on the barn. Lace and I could both get new clothes, and I could certainly use a better pair of shoes. Hell, we could both start dressing real nice for church on Sundays…
Holding tight to the promising gold coin, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. As nice as it would be to have all those things, I decided to hand it back to him. “No thank you.”
Looking confused, and maybe even offended, he snatched it away. “Think of all you could do with it, Mason. You could fix that hole in the barn roof, or even put some new posts in this fence.” He poked one of the rotten fence posts with his crutch end.
Once again feeling tempted by the allure, I closed my eyes and shook my head as I said, “I know that. But we’ve fared well enough without you all these years, and I reckon we’ll carry on just fine without your money. I’d rather work for what little I have than be handed a fancy thing for free.”
“You’re a good man, Mason.” He smiled like he was proud. “Thanks for taking this time with me, and if nothing else, maybe you can at least let me visit your mother’s grave one time before I leave for the sea again.”
Considering the notion, I looked back towards the place where she and my two grandparents were buried. While I wondered what it would hurt to let him pay his respects, I saw Lace step out on the porch. As quick as a viper, I whipped my head back in Robert’s direction. “Be on your way, now.”
Without budging at my words, he stared at Lace. “By God, she’s shaped just like Maryanna was. It’s like I’m seeing her for the first time all over again.”
Not at all liking the way he was looking at Lace, I flipped the shovel up over my shoulder and stepped in his direction. “Get on out of here right now before I chase you off with this shovel.”
“Don’t bother with your threats, son. I’ll leave you be.” To my great relief, he turned and limped away.
I did my best to shake the sense of
dread that man left in my soul before I went to meet Lace on her way to me.
“Who’s that?” She asked peering over my shoulder towards the hobbling man.
“Just a lost ol’ drunkard.” I half lied. “What’s for lunch today?”
X
Confused and worried about the situation at hand, I asked my neighbors to keep watchful eyes on Robert Hale. Tom Brown told me he seen him stupidly drunk at the tavern the night before he had shown up here, and Abraham Dawson said he saw him sleeping in the alley the night thereafter.
Certain that Robert hadn’t changed one bit, I decided I’d never forgive him for what he had done, and the next time he showed up near my fence I met him with a musket over my shoulder. Unalarmed by my gun, he begged and pleaded for me to let him in. He even offered to work on the farm to earn his keep if I’d house him. The liquor on his breath, the tears in his eyes, and the tremble in his voice only made him look weak, and like my grandfather had said, I didn’t need him over here risking Lace’s safety or my good conscience. I didn’t want his gold, and I didn’t need his help. All I wanted was for him to disappear.
That night, while I paced the floor, fretting over the troublesome situation, I heard a carriage riding up the road. I had no idea who it was, but for some reason, I was sure it was going to be bad. Gut churning with worry, I readied the musket I’d been carrying daily and headed out to the porch.
The sound of the horse hooves thumping against the wet ground sounded like the breath of demons, and the call of the man commanding the carriage sounded like the devil himself. When they came into my line of sight, I was certain the day of reckoning had come. Robert Hale had returned, and to make matters worse, a group of men filed out of the covered carriage behind him. I was alone, and afraid. My neighbors lived so far up the road, I wasn’t sure if they would have heard the horses. Even if they did, it would take them quite some time to arrive. This confrontation, whatever it would turn out to be, was mine alone to face. And being that my sister was sleeping soundly in the house behind me, I knew I had to face it head on.
Holding tight to my loaded musket, and watching Robert Hale open my gate, I yelled at him, “Get out of my yard.”
Completely ignoring my command, Robert limped across my lawn, his men in tow. “I’ve come to gather my property, then we’ll be on our way.”
Though surprised by his casual demeanor, the fact that he continued in my direction led me to lift my gun. Holding it firm across my chest, I tried to sound stronger than I felt as I said, “Everything on this lot belongs to me. There is nothing for you here and you need to leave.”
Halting his stride, Robert signaled for his men to do the same, then leaned on his crutch as he said, “This may be your house, your farm, and your herd of livestock, but there is one thing here that belongs to me.” He pointed at my house. “It is the law of the land that a female child belongs to her father until she is married. I am Lace’s father and she will come with me.”
My heart sank to an unfamiliar low place in my gut. She couldn’t go with him. Thinking of how much she depended on me, and fretting over the dreadful things he might have planned for her, my blood began rushing so quickly it made me feel dizzy. No. No. I could never let him take her. Ever. Realizing his men had begun encroaching around him, slowly tightening their circle in a way that trapped me on the porch, my state of panic intensified. Fearing for our lives, my desperation granted me the courage to lift my gun. Aiming it at Robert, I shouted, “Call off your dogs.”
My rapid heartrate sped up when I realized he wasn’t stopping them. Step by step they drew nearer. I moved my trembling finger over the trigger. I’d never shot anything more than a grazing doe, and I was terrified to pull the trigger, but if they didn’t stand down, by God, I would do it.
“Lower your weapon, Mason,” Robert said, “The law is the law, and Lace will be leaving with me if you fire that gun or not. Spare yourself of the senseless sacrifice, and stand down.”
No. Never. There was no way I could stand down. Tears filled my eyes, and a painful fire of fear and wrath arose in my heart. Wrath quickly overpowered the fear. I might be out numbered, but I could get one of them, and then I had my axe. I didn’t care what Robert Hale or the law had to say about it, Lace needed to be with me and if any one of these black-hearted sons of bitches were going to take her from me, it’d be over my cold, dead, body.
I pulled the trigger.
Just like the day I swung at and missed Billy Winston, the musket ball flew past Robert’s arm.
On his one leg, that gigantic man charged at me with the agility of a healthy young boy. I swung my musket like a club and whacked him across the face with the butt of it. His head hardly budged from the blow. As if I had never touched him, he grabbed me by the shoulder and yanked me off the porch. I tried to fight my way out of his grip as he forced me to the ground. The terror in my blood rushed like ice cold river water as I realized how helpless I was against his might. His strength was impeccable, like nothing I ever felt before.
The moment my back hit the wet lawn, he sprung up and bolted for the house. I attempted to jump to my feet to chase after him, but his men circled around me and violently shoved me back down. The few who fell with me, pummeled my head with punches, while the ones who still stood attacked my torso with brutal kicks. Every hit they dealt me hurt more than the last. Tasting blood and seeing stars, I felt my consciousness fading. But beyond the awful ringing engulfing my ears, I heard Robert’s crutch thumping across my porch. I hollered for Lace as I continued to fight with what might I had left. I told her to run. I could only hope my neighbors had heard the ruckus by now, and maybe one of them would save her. But I couldn’t count on that. I’d have to save her. Somehow.
Hearing Robert open the door, my battered body rushed with a new will to fight. Ramming my finger into one of the men’s eyes, I twisted and jabbed until the cushy ball turned to mush under my force. Screaming in pain, the man could no longer hold me still. I was then able to manage my way out of the pile. Hearing Lace crying for me, I lunged for the porch, but my stride was halted by the feel of something heavy bashing against my head. My face crashed against the top step. One of the men grabbed me by the hair and proceeded to smash my face against the wood until I blacked out completely.
X
The feel of an absurdly large hand wrapping around my upper arm awoke me from my unconscious slumber. Startled to a gasp, I strained to catch my breath as I was roughly lifted to my feet. My state of panic increased when I realized I could not open my swollen eyes. Through my blindness, I struggled to catch my footing as the aches and pains on my body set in.
The moment I steadied on my feet, I heard the gravelly voice that would surely haunt my soul for all my years to come. “Get your wits about you, boy. We have business to tend to here.”
Forcing my eyes to open with enough of a sliver to observe my surroundings, I saw that it was indeed Robert Hale who was holding me up. Quickly looking away from him, I realized we were still in my yard, and that my neighbors had finally made it over. But more importantly, I was able to spy Lace sitting on the porch. Scratching her arm—that was covered in blood from her violent clawing—she looked deathly afraid. Though the mud on her dress made it clear that those dogs had roughed her up, too, she was alive, and as of yet, we were still together. But my blurry vision of Robert Hale’s angry face, assured me that I had not yet awoken from this terrible nightmare I was now living.
Unable to comprehend the words Robert was attempting to whisper to me, I yanked my arm out of his grip and grumbled, “What business? What now?”
He grabbed my shoulders and held me stiff as he rumbled through clenched teeth, “Listen, Mason. This problem is no longer just between you and me. But before we deal with what comes next, I want to assure you that I am the one who prevented those men from killing you, and if...”
“Get your hands off of him,” Abraham scolded Robert as he drew near.
“You have caused en
ough problems around here, you old drunk,” Tom Brown added as he pulled me away from Robert.
“All of you have caused enough problems for the eve,” an unfamiliar, high pitched male voice sternly stated from behind me. Everyone froze stiff around me as I turned toward the sound. My hazy mind was shocked into a point of clarity as I absorbed the sight of Lord Timothy Beckham strutting in my direction. I had only laid eyes on the landlord of my property a few times in my life, and though I had heard grandfather and my neighbors talk about what a self-righteous codpiece he was, I was also well aware of the power he held over folks like us.
In regards to the landlord’s high and mighty attitude, Grandfather had made it clear that he’d leave us be as long as we paid him, and since I was on top of my dues, I had no idea what he was doing in my yard at this hour. The fact that he appeared to be angry, deepened my concern.
More confused than I’d ever been, I strained to gather my composure enough to properly greet the tall, lanky old man who owned the land I loved so dearly. “Hello, Lord Beckham. What brings you here this eve?”
Digging his cane into the damp earth, he scrunched his beak-like nose and looked down at me like I was nothing but a beggar who had annoyed him in an alleyway. “I simply came to gather my bride-to-be. But instead, you, young man, have single handedly destroyed a great deal of my personal property.”
“Bride-to-be?” I lowered my battered face and rubbed around the massive lump on the side of my head. “And what did I destroy of yours? What’s happening here?”
Placing the glass nob of his cane handle under my chin, he slowly lifted my face and glowered at me. “You will look at me when you speak, peasant.”
Though I wanted nothing more than to slap his cane away from my face, I knew better than to dispute a man of his stature. Doing my best to hold fast to my pride in the condescending pose he held me in, I straightened my shoulders as I looked into his dark eyes and said, “I am sorry, sir. I’m not quite sure what I have done to destroy your property, but if you can explain to me what the matter is, I will do what I can to make it right.”
King of My Nightmare (King of My Nightmare, Book 1): Endless Horizon Pirate Stories Page 5