by Sable Hunter
“Yea, he’s not happy, but he’s doing fine. He’s requested a lawyer, some relative of his that’s coming from Boston.”
King sat down at Jeb’s desk, ignoring the angry taunts coming from the cell. “I’m not pushing for anything harsh, Jeb. I know they’ve hung cattle thieves in the past, but I don’t think this man is a thief, generally. I think he needs time for his temper to cool. My men caught him red-handed with my bull.” He turned to look at Harvey Bohannon. “If I could get an apology and you keep him long enough for an attitude adjustment, I’d be willing to let it go at that.”
Jeb laid a paper on his desk with a fountain pen and pushed it closer to King. “Write all of that down and I’ll show the lawyer and the judge. Sounds more than fair to me, don’t you think so, Bohannon?”
Harvey wasn’t in total agreement, but King figured he’d come around. A few days in jail would beat dangling at the end of a rope.
When he was through, he leaned in on the wobbly wooden desk. “I just saw someone who reminds me of a man I met in the war. You wouldn’t happen to know Jubal Pierce, would you? He’s working as a newspaperman now.”
Jeb shook his head. “No, I haven’t seen any strangers in town for the past few days.”
“Would you keep an eye out for me? He’s got close set eyes, a heavy jowl, dark hair, and a scar just over his right eye.”
“Sure will. I’ll let you know if I see him. Friend of yours?”
“Hardly.” King chuckled. “The last time we parted was not on friendly terms.” He rose, then thought better of it. He decided to tell Jeb about the dead cow. “I’m not asking you to do anything about it, I just want you to know, in case something else happens.”
“I’m glad you did, that’s strange.” Jeb made a note of it in his journal. “If you have any more trouble, let me know.”
After tipping his hat toward Bohannon, King took his leave. He was mighty afraid that he’d have trouble with that man for many years to come.
The walk from the sheriff’s office to the mercantile store was eye opening for King. There was signs of growth and development everywhere. New stores. New people. Since he’d founded the town, donating the money for the first few buildings to be built, he was amazed at the people who’d left their homes back east to begin a new life in this untamed territory. Of course, every day that passed, the term ‘untamed’ applied less and less. Civilization had followed them west and King was pleased.
When he walked into the mercantile, he saw Ace sitting on a barrel, chewing licorice, and talking the store owner’s ear off. “Have you eaten all of Mr. Hansen’s candy in one sitting?”
“No, King. I left him some,” Ace replied happily, one jaw distended and full of candy.
“Hello, Mr. Ramsay. How are you, sir?” Clarence Hansen nodded his head and wiped both hands on the front of his apron before extending one in greeting.
“I’m good. I’d like to settle up with you for whatever Ace has consumed and I’d like to see your ready-made dresses.”
“Oh? Dresses, you say?” He came from around the counter and headed toward the back of the store. “Follow me. I got a new shipment in last week. Maybe you’ll see something you like.”
King hoped so, he did want to replace the dress ruined by the cougar’s sharp claws. Once he was faced with the selection, he felt awkward. His hands felt too big. Too rough. To think he’d caressed her silky skin with his callused hands was crazy. As he looked without touching, his eyes fell on a light pink garment with a square neck, lace on the sleeves, and dainty ties that cinched up the back. He thought, other than Fancy herself, that this garment was the prettiest thing he’d ever seen. “Let me see that one.” He hoped it would fit her. King didn’t know diddly about sizes, but he held the dress up and imagined how it would look over her breasts and hips. After ascertaining that the bust and hip width looked about right, he nodded. “I’ll take this one.” He remembered what she’d said about not being able to wear pink and he looked forward to proving her wrong.
“Oh, marvelous! You have very good taste, Mr. Ramsay. Could I interest you in a matching umbrella or some lace handkerchiefs, perhaps?”
King didn’t see any need in an umbrella, but the lace hankies sounded nice. “I’ll take a lace handkerchief, if you please.”
“Coming right up! Is this for someone special?”
As soon as the proprietor asked the question, King felt uneasy. “A female relative.” A lie. To alleviate his guilt, he told himself he was protecting Fancy’s reputation.
“Very good, let me wrap these up for you.”
After settling the account, King grabbed his package and directed Ace to head for the buckboard. “If we hurry, we can make it home by supper. Does that sound good?”
“It sure does, Miss Fancy cooks a lot better than you!”
King couldn’t argue with the boy’s logic.
…At home, Fancy had spent an uneasy night. How was it possible she missed King in her bed after only one night? She worried about him and Ace and wondered how they were doing. As she cleared the breakfast dishes, her mind turned to supper the night before.
The men were subdued for some reason. They seemed to watch her with questions in their eyes, but none were ever voiced. To break the ice, she’d talked and joked with them about everything she could think to talk about. “I’m certainly glad Jericho moved the albino cougar to a safer location. Every time I went outside, I expected to hear him snarl.”
Jericho grinned. “I forgot to tell you the best part. As soon as I trapped her in that wooden cage, I heard some little meows coming from a nearby cave.” At Fancy’s wide-eyed glance, he explained. “She had four kits, I packed them up and took them with us. When I released them, they hightailed it away from me in a blue streak.”
“Were they white too?” Fancy asked.
“Nope, regular. Like their papa, I guess.”
Fancy nodded at Jericho. “I’m so glad you found them. It would’ve been awful for the babies to starve to death.”
Boone grabbed another biscuit. “You’ve got a soft heart, Miss Fancy, but I bet you’ll be relieved to learn that I found a mama cow to accept Little John. You won’t have to wrestle that fast-growing little bull two or three times a day.”
“Oh, thank you, I’m grateful.” She was also a little sad. “I will miss him, though.”
Reno drained his glass of water and Fancy jumped up to refill it. “Thank you, ma’am,” he acknowledged her kindness. “I have some news. I heard from that lawyer Gentry recommended and he’s agreed to take Cole’s case. I plan on traveling to North Carolina for the trial as soon as a date is set.”
“If you need one of us to go with you, let us know,” Domino told him.
“I will.”
For a bit there was silence, then Jericho spoke up again. “Since Ace is with King, I guess it’s okay to say this out loud.” He drew in a breath. “I’m worried about Gentry and Clay. We haven’t heard anything from them and their search for Amelia. We have no way of knowing if they’re alive or dead.”
“Clay has his own guardian angel and the Englishman is hard to kill,” Boone said, almost reverently. “Don’t you remember the day when he ran through that rain of cannon fire to rescue me? No one in their right mind would’ve done that.”
He stared at the table and Fancy felt a shiver run through her as she pictured what he was saying.
“I was down on the ground with that damn bayonet in my side.” He ran a hand over his ribcage under his heart. “I was a goner for sure.” He smiled sadly. “But that hard-headed Yank risked everything to come to me. He picked me up and carried me to safety, bullets flying all around us. Damndest thing, I don’t even think he broke a sweat.”
While the men talked, she served dessert, still amazed at the love that flowed between them. As they ate, she walked to the back to sit on the steps, looking out over her garden. Unbidden, a prayer came to her lips. “Let me stay here, Lord. Let me belong. Please let King love me as mu
ch as I love him.”
She didn’t know if her prayer made it to heaven or not, she hoped so. Fancy had never known if people such as herself were noticed by the Almighty. For most of her life, any entreaties she made to the Supreme Being seemed to go unanswered. Was she not good enough? Was she a sinner? She’d always tried to do good, to be good. Her thoughts turned to King and she wondered if what they’d done together was a sin.
Surely not.
How could something so beautiful be wrong?
And they would marry. Someday. He hadn’t mentioned it, but he would, she was certain.
…The next day, Fancy was going about her chores – feeding the chickens, milking the cow, and making bread. At the moment, her attention was so focused on basting the top of the dough with butter, she’d almost missed the sound of an approaching wagon. “King!” she squealed, turning to run to the front.
But when she opened the door, King wasn’t standing on the other side of it.
Fancy was more than surprised to find Glady Hewitt standing there. “Oh, hello, Mrs. Hewitt.”
“Fancy.”
Fancy opened the door, noticing for the first time a stunning blonde woman standing a few steps back. “Hello. I’m so glad you’re here. Won’t you two come in?”
“We only have a few minutes to spare,” Gladys began. “I promised Mr. Ramsay that I’d bring my sister over to meet him once she arrived.”
“I seem to remember something about that.” Fancy stepped back so they could enter.
“Yes, Mavis, this is Fancy, King’s domestic. Fancy, this is Mavis Talmadge, my sister. She is very accomplished, having attended school in New York. Mavis possesses all the social graces.”
“I’m sure she does.” She gestured toward the settee. “If you’ll take a seat, I’ll make you a cup of tea to refresh yourself after your journey.”
Mavis sat primly, but Gladys stood. “Actually, we’d prefer to take tea with Mr. Ramsay. Is he at home?”
“No.” Fancy was glad to be able to say. “He’s gone to town.” Crossing her fingers behind her back, she embellished a little. “I’m not certain when he’ll be back.”
“Oh, how disappointing,” Gladys muttered. “I suppose we’ll take that tea anyway.”
Fancy, anxious to be out of their presence, ran to the kitchen to prepare tea. Once she had the kettle on, she leaned against the counter to catch her breath. Her stomach hurt badly. She knew very well why the women were here – Gladys was trying to make a match between her sister and King. “Well, too bad, Sister. King is taken.”
She hated to leave the women in King’s house alone, she wasn’t sure why, except she just didn’t trust them. Fancy still remembered how cruel Gladys and Mrs. Bohannon had been to her the day King’s wagon had crashed. To keep an eye on them, she stood in the kitchen door, close enough to hear the kettle, yet able to see the ladies in the front room. As she expected, they did some snooping, looking around, under, and on top of everything. They didn’t take anything, but she saw them touch things that were none of their business, even checking for dust. She was glad she kept King’s home clean enough to pass the inspection of the busybodies.
Once the tea was brewed, she carried a tray with two cups, knowing they’d lay an egg if she opted to join them. “Here we go, I brought some tea cakes I baked also.” As she served them, she couldn’t help but admire Gladys’ sister. She was one of the prettiest women Fancy had ever seen. This was probably what Anita Mae looked like, the kind of woman King deserved. Sadness pierced her heart, she felt inadequate. If King were here, would he be attracted to this woman? Of course, he would. He wasn’t blind. Self-preservation teamed up with jealousy, and the duo reared its ugly head. “I’m very sorry King wasn’t here to greet you. We plan on throwing a party soon to celebrate.”
“To celebrate?” This time perfect Mavis spoke up. “Celebrate what?”
Fancy had to bite her tongue. She wanted to say they were celebrating their engagement so bad she could taste it. But that kind of lie had a way of coming back to bite you in the behind. Even though an engagement and marriage were her dearest dreams, she wouldn’t presume anything. Proposing to her was King’s prerogative. “The holidays, of course. Since I’m here to help, we’ll probably be throwing a Christmas party.”
Mavis and Gladys seem relieved. Gladys nodded. “Make sure King adds us to the guest list and tell him that if he needs a hostess, Mavis will be available. She has much experience directing the duties of a maid such as yourself.”
Fancy bristled. Over her dead body. “I will let him know.”
She stood politely by as they sipped their tea. Fancy hoped they’d drink it fast and leave quickly.
No such luck.
“I understand Mr. Bohannon is facing serious charges over his taking King’s prize bull?” Gladys asked.
Fancy wondered how word spread so fast out here in the wilderness. If she didn’t know better, she’d think they were sending up smoke signals to one another. “Yes, I believe you’re right.”
Gladys cleared her throat. “Actually, another gentleman called at our house the other day.”
“Oh, really?” She gave the ladies a small smile. “I’m sure Miss Mavis will receive many male callers.”
“Something you’re not familiar with, I presume,” Gladys muttered hatefully. When Fancy blushed, she snickered. “As beautiful as Mavis is, the man who visited was seeking information on Kingston Ramsay.”
“Really? Like what?” This concerned Fancy, she felt very protective of King.
“I’m sure discussing something so important with a mere servant isn’t appropriate.” Finally, Mavis deemed it time to speak.
Fancy wanted to argue, to claim her place and position in King’s home, but she just didn’t have the courage to take that leap of faith. “I don’t know when Mr. Ramsay will be coming home, and I have work to do. Since you’ve come unannounced, I don’t think it’s appropriate to leave you alone here.” They just sat there looking at her like a tree full of owls. So…Fancy just spelled it out. “I think you should leave.”
“Well, I never.” Gladys huffed as she set her tea cup on the table so hard, the remaining few drops splashed out onto the wooden surface.
Mavis stood and turned her pert nose up at Fancy. “I plan on attracting Kingston’s Ramsay’s attention, and I don’t think I’ll have a problem doing it. You can be sure once I’m lady of this house, you won’t be here.”
Fancy felt her patience reach its limit. “I’ll be sure and tell Mr. Ramsay everything you said, exactly what you said, and how you said it.” She turned her own nose up at the two women. “I very much doubt he’ll be calling on you.” Narrowing her eyes, she glared at Mavis. “King has better taste in women.”
As Gladys and Mavis huffed out, a chuckle behind Fancy caused her to whirl around.
Jericho stood there snickering, then he clapped his hands together. “Bravo, Miss Fancy. Bravo. I couldn’t have told them better myself.”
Fancy blushed. “I had no right.”
“From what I saw yesterday, you have every right.”
Covering her face, Fancy groaned. “I’m afraid I’m putting my cart before the horse, Jericho. King is good to me. He’s wonderful and I love…” She blushed furiously, knowing every freckle stood out on her face like a beacon. “I’ve said too much.”
“Don’t be embarrassed, Fancy. I’m a man, I understand the ways of men and women together.”
Fancy just hoped that King would understand, for she had no doubt that the events of this visit would be reported to him in great detail.
* * *
King was anxious to get home. He and Ace were both trail weary. The buckboard seat seemed to get harder with every mile. He wondered if Fancy might make some type of cushion for them to sit on if he asked. King smiled. He couldn’t imagine Fancy telling him no, which bode well for some night time activities he had planned. Domino’s warning had given him something to think about, and he intended to visit t
he doctor this evening and collect whatever apparatus he had to prevent getting her with child. King was more than willing to do whatever it took to protect Fancy, the one thing he wasn’t willing to do was give her up.
He was addicted to her kiss, to her touch, to how it felt to be deep inside of her.
“What are you groaning about, King?” Ace asked out of the blue.
“Uh…thinking about what Miss Fancy might have ready for us. I’m starving.” Not quite a lie. Not quite the truth.
“Yea, I remember how things were before she came,” he acknowledged something they both knew. “Everything’s better now.”
Yea, everything was better now.
When they neared the ranch, King felt a thrill much like he used to feel when Christmas time came. He hadn’t felt such joyful anticipation in a long time. Seeing no one about, he pulled up to the barn. “Do you think you can handle taking care of the team?”
“I sure can!” Ace was excited to be given responsibility.
“Great, you do a good job and we’ll see if Santa won’t bring you a rifle for Christmas.”
Ace beamed. “Would you take me hunting?”
“I would.” King smiled as he gathered the packages from the mercantile store. Placing them under his arm, he hurried to Domino’s cabin to see if he was about. On the way over, he gazed around at the cabins surrounding his own – his friends – his family. They’d survived a horrific war, then decided the trust they’d fostered on the battlefield was one that could carry them through a lifetime. Building a town. Building a ranch. Building a legacy. Despite what King had lost, he was very aware of what he’d gained.
And one of those things was Fancy. She filled a tremendous void in his life. Where once there’d been loneliness, now there was laughter. His once empty arms were now filled with a woman so caring and giving, she constantly awed him with her kindness.
Upon arriving at Domino’s door, he tapped on it.
“Come in!”
King opened the door and went in, surprised to find the good doctor cleaning his gun. “Getting ready for target practice?”
“Maybe, I’ve heard tell there are some banditos about, a dangerous gang. I told the rest of the men to keep their eyes open and their guns ready.” He laid the rifle down. “Did you take care of Bohannon?”