Rogue Highlander: The King's Command

by Sondra Grey

  Nic and his men soon found out that Franco was a precious asset. He knew practically every facet of ranching extremely well and had a lot of sound ideas to bring to the table. He was quiet and hardworking and did everything that was told to him with a single-minded fervor. He worked as much as anyone else from sun-up to sundown and stayed vigilant at all times.

  Lydia and Franco lived in a small shack right behind the barn. It was a much smaller structure than the one where Elizabeth had seen them together for the first time, but it was well built, comfortable and in good condition. The men had used it to store tools and such. But after Lydia’s marriage, they cleaned it out, made the necessary repairs, white washed it and made it ready for the newlyweds to live in. It even had a small covered porch in front of the main door. In his free time, Franco built a glider for him and Lydia to sit together.

  Lydia and Franco were the first to wake in the morning and start the fire in the kitchen. Apart from his work with the men, France helped the women to stack wood, do repairs around the house and bring in berries and rare herbs from the forest. The boys teased him by saying that he did it because he couldn’t stay away from his wife for long. On such occasions, Franco only hung his head, sometimes smiled, sometimes blushed but never said a word.

  As March turned into April, the snow melted and the mornings became warmer. One such afternoon, Martha and Franco were talking about the upcoming harvest festival of the Rhymer Ranch. Elizabeth and Lydia were listening to their stories, enraptured. They were chatting and laughing and drinking Martha’s deliciously refreshing lemonade. They had just dispatched two jars of it and a hearty lunch with Jim, to bring to the men who were out on a roundup and were not going to be home until dinner.

  The day for cow punching was drawing closer, and Nic and his men were working harder than ever to make a good sale at the market. The association had been badgering Nic to sell them his land, and he was determined to make enough money to be able to keep his ranch.

  Suddenly they heard a horse riding up the trail that had come up from the village. The horse stopped in the front yard, and the foursome walked to greet the rider. It was Madison, Joe’s store manager.

  “Dr. Rhymer, the baby is coming. You need to come, hurry!” He said

  Elizabeth looked at Lydia, and the girl ran inside to ready her bag. Lydia had always been keenly adept at reading Elizabeth’s needs.

  “I will get the carriage,” Franco said hurrying in the direction of the barn.

  “You go now. Tell Joe I will be there as soon as I can.” She said to Madison, and the man jumped on his horse and disappeared into the woods.

  Franco got the carriage around inside of five minutes, and Elizabeth hopped in next to him.

  “Woah…Woah.” Franco called out to settle the horses, and Lydia came running from inside the house and gave to her mistress her bag and a bundle of soft cotton clothes they had been saving for weeks for Caroline.

  “Feed the men, take care of the house. Ask my husband to come down when he has had his dinner. Joe would appreciate the company.” Elizabeth called out to Martha and Lydia as Franco turned the carriage around and they rode away.

  The childbirth was easy, considering it was her first time. Less than an hour after Elizabeth had reached her house, Caroline delivered a beautiful baby girl. Joe was beside himself with joy, and he did not leave the side of his wife and daughter. His two sisters had come down from Fort Collins to stay for a week, and they were fawning over Caroline and the new baby.

  Elizabeth gave Caroline some medications and took time to explain some things about caring for her new child. Then promising her friend that she would visit again the next day, she and Franco took their leave.

  The sun was just about to set when they neared the ranch. As they approached the crossing where one road lead to the Alvarez property, Franco looked that way wistfully, then cried out to the horses

  “Whoa…Whoa…” The cart stopped, and Franco turned towards Elizabeth.

  “While we were in town I got word from Joe that Juan and the old man are in town today. They have some work with the magistrate and won’t be home all day. After my wedding, I never went back there. There is something that belonged to my Ma that I need to pick up. Would you mind if we took a detour and I picked up the package quickly?

  Elizabeth’s first instinct was to say no, but the sad longing in his eyes gave her pause to consider his plea. She nodded and Franco turned the carriage up the road to the Alvarez residence.

  It was a huge house. With long manicured lawns and landscaping that went on for acres. The Alvarez’s housekeeper, a stout old woman, came out hurriedly to greet them and as soon as she saw Franco, she ran to him, tears flowing from her eyes. Franco had always been strong despite his handicap but how he bore that large woman, Elizabeth did not know.

  The marble tiles inside the house shone with care and attention to housework, as did the huge sunny rooms. The big windows and spacious porches offered breathtaking views of the Alvarez property.

  “Franco…you old fool…where the heck have you been? And we heard you got hitched!”

  “Aunt Paloma”, Franco pried the hysterical woman off him then introduced her to Elizabeth as Nic Rhymer’s Doctor Missus. The woman’s eyes grew wide, and she launched into a tirade about how she had heard all about the catalog woman young Nic Rhymer had married, and that God bless his mama’s soul.

  “I don’t have much time Aunt Paloma. I need to take Dr. Rhymer out of here as soon as possible. I just came for mother’s little wooden box.”

  Franco left Elizabeth on the side porch saying he would be back in a few minutes. Elizabeth was mesmerized by the beauty of the place and wandered out into the garden beyond the porch.

  She recognized several rare medicinal herbs planted in a flat garden on her left and could not resist taking a look. She stepped into the patch and started looking at each little plant carefully.

  Suddenly she heard a sound behind her and Elizabeth turned. She had not known that anyone would be standing right behind her and she collided into a frail girl. She steadied herself, holding on to the girl’s shoulders and clumsily apologizing looked up into the face of the madwoman she had met out on the moors that day when she had gotten lost in the storm.

  Elizabeth drew back quickly but once again the girl was quick. She held on to Elizabeth and locked eyes with her.

  “Did you tell him?” she hissed and Elizabeth was once again terrorized by the vacant gaze and the madness in her eyes. She once again remembered the experience she had had at the asylum, and she pushed the girl hard backward.

  The girl collapsed among the herbs and Elizabeth turned and ran from her in fear.

  “Tell him…I came…I did not betray him... Tell him I came.” The girl let out a wail and keened. The Alvarez Mansion was built on a hillside, and the wind was strong. The mad woman’s voice trailing on the moaning wind sounded ghastly and bone chilling.

  In her haste, instead of turning towards the house, Elizabeth ran down the hillside through the manicured lawns towards the wooded area beyond. The girl had quickly recovered from her fall and was now running behind Elizabeth.

  “Tell…himmmmm…tell him please…pleeeease.” She was crying as she ran after Elizabeth

  Elizabeth was scared for her life. She regretted having agreed to come here with Franco. She once again experienced the fear of never again seeing her beloved Nicholas. The thought of him made her run faster. She ran for so long her limbs ached, and her chest burned like two white-hot iron balls sat inside her lungs. She was not even sure where she was anymore.

  The trees were thicker here, and she could now hear horse hooves. She was terrified. What if it was Juan coming back from town? What if it was one of his men? That would be equally bad. She had gathered from the men’s meal time talks that they were all skirt chasers.

  She ran for her life, huffing and panting, not knowing where the rumble of horse hooves was coming from. Suddenly, the noise became thundering
and then from above the trail she saw a group of men riding down. She was in the middle of the trail and stood frozen to her spot, unable to move a muscle.

  The horses all thundered past her and stopped a few yards down the trail. Nic jumped down from his and ran towards her and all the men followed as Elizabeth went weak with relief.

  Nic carried her into his arms and took her back to his horse. Now that the danger had passed, Elizabeth couldn’t get a word out of her mouth and she was shivering uncontrollably.

  “How did you come here?” Nic asked.

  “Franco…Alvarez house.” She pointed, but then she was taken up by yet another fit of shivering.

  “I am going to kill that fool!” Nicholas snarled, as the men all quickly mounted their horses and set off for home.

  When they reached home, Nic carried Elizabeth directly up to their room and covered her in heaps of covers. Slowly the shivering subsided and as Nicholas caressed her and soother her, Elizabeth fell asleep.

  Chapter Twenty

  E lizabeth woke to the sound of terrible noises from below. Revived after her nap, she quickly threw off the blankets and went down the stairs.

  The scene before her froze her in her tracks. Vincent was standing near the table with his hands on his hips. Nic’s other men and Lydia were gone for the day. Only Franco remained and Nic…Nic was lashing Franco with his belt while the cripple was getting thrown every which way and dashing against every possible surface in the kitchen.

  “Nic... stop…what are you doing?” Elizabeth came running down the stairs.

  Nic stopped and turned back. His eyes were bloodshot, and he was shaking with rage.

  “Nic he did not do anything,” Elizabeth said rushing forward.

  “He kidnaped you. Took you to the Alvarez house.”

  “Kidnaped? Nic, what are you saying? I went with him myself.” She said incredulously.

  “Then what was he doing chasing you into the woods?”

  “Chasing me? Nic, you have got it all wrong. Franco was not chasing me. Oh my god, what have you done!” She said going to Franco who stood holding one corner of the table for support. She eased him into the chair and looked at his whips. Mercifully Nic had just started on him when she came down, and there were no marks yet. Elizabeth went quickly to one of the kitchen cabinets and pulled out a jar of ointment.

  “Take off your shirt.” She said to Franco, but the poor young man just shook his head.

  “Franco just do as I say,” She said, and Franco obeyed. Elizabeth called on to Vincent and asked him to rub the ointment on his back. Then she whirled on her husband.

  “Madison came by this morning to call me to help Caroline in labor.” Everyone looked up in shock. Elizabeth recounted the whole story of the day and Vincent seemed relieved when he heard that both Caroline and her baby were well.

  Elizabeth made it clear how Franco had taken her permission to go to the Alvarez Mansion when she came to that part of the story. Her husband who was still standing now came and sat at the table.

  “Then why was he chasing you through the woods?”

  “He was not chasing me. He was at the house.”

  “Then who was? You were so scared, and you kept pointing up at the Alvarez house.”

  What had seemed so real and terrifying then suddenly seem so trivial now, and Elizabeth hung her head.

  “The madwoman up at the Alvarez house. She was chasing me.” There were audible gasps around the table.

  “What madwoman? There is no madwoman at the Alvarez house.” Nic said looking around for support. but Franco and Vincent avoided his gaze.

  “Tell him!” Vincent ordered in a firm voice, looking directly at Franco.

  “It was Miss Jessica. Mrs. Rhymer met Miss Jessica.”

  What Elizabeth saw on her husband’s face then, she would never forget. All color had drained out of his face, and he looked terror struck.

  “Jessica...Jessica is dead…She died five years back.”

  “No, she did not,” Franco murmured.

  “Yes, she did!” Nic shouted then went back to whispering. “She died in my arms.” He said looking down at his arms as if to see Jessica there.

  Elizabeth suddenly remembered the soft sighs and uneasy groans of Jess, her husband let out during his nightmares. And everything seemed clearer than before. But she had to confirm.

  “Nic who is Jessica? What happened to her? Is she the Jess, you keep calling in your dreams?” Elizabeth asked. Nic looked at Elizabeth as if he did not recognize her.

  “Yes. It’s her. I loved Jessica.” Nic said stoically, and Elizabeth felt something shatter inside of her. “We were going to get married. But her brother and her father did not want it. So, we decided to run away. We were supposed to meet in the shack by the brook. We were going to go away for some time, get married then come back. But she betrayed me and never came. She sent her brother instead, and him and his men took me by surprise and beat me up.” Nicholas pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket and dabbed at his brow and upper lip.

  “Juan found Jessica lurking outside the shack and pulled her into his carriage and took her away. But the wagon lost control and fell over the cliff side. Juan jumped at the last moment, and saved himself. But Jessica went down with it. When I reached the debris, she was still alive. She said sorry, and then she died. She died in my arms.” He said again, his arms outstretched in front of him as if holding a ghost. Elizabeth could not bear his pain.

  “No, she did not,” Franco said. “She became unconscious, and everybody thought she was dead. They brought her body home and she woke up. But Juan and the old man did not want you to know. So, they buried an empty casket, had a proper service and all. Only me and the Alverez’s housekeeper, my aunt Paloma, knew about it.”

  “Where was she if she was alive? Why did she not come to me?”

  “They sent her away. For the last five years, she has been living with relatives in Denver. She was quite disturbed after the accident. Just sat in her room looking at the wall all day. Sometimes Juan would take the whip to her. He and old Mr. Alvarez thought that she had gone mad. And they gave up on her. They sent her away to avoid the disgrace.” Franco replied, answering Nic’s first question. The answer to the second, no one dared to guess.

  “Why didn’t you tell me when you came to work for me?” Nic asked Franco pitifully.

  “You were so crazy about her back then. I was afraid you would abandon Dr. Rhymer,” he said not looking up at Nic. Elizabeth was stunned by his loyalty.

  “You knew,” Nic said, turning to Vincent. Vincent nodded.

  “When did you know this?”

  “Recently,” Vincent said looking away.

  “How recently?” Nic persisted.

  “That evening I came back from the roundup and found you sleeping in the barn? Well, I saw her on the moors with Franco that day and guessed what must have happened.”

  “Then why did you not tell me?” Nic asked aghast. Vincent stole a look at Elizabeth and said, “Elizabeth was scheduled to arrive the next day. I was afraid you would send her away and go back to Jessica. She used you, deceived you. She was bad for you right from the beginning. I did not want you to end your life with Elizabeth, before it even had had a chance to begin.”

  “Elizabeth…Elizabeth…Elizabeth.” Nic shouted bringing down his fist hard on the table. “It’s my life you people have been trying to run. I have a choice here damn it. I have a say.” Elizabeth looked up sharply at his outburst. What did he mean by that? What choice was he talking about? Would he really have sent her back then?

  “Nic…” Vincent started to say, but Nic stopped him.

  “Don’t say another word…just leave!” He said looking at Franco and Vincent. Then pushed himself up from the table looking defeated and lumbered out of the room, his head hung low.

  Elizabeth stood nodding at the men with understanding as they regarded her with sympathy before turning to walk out of the room. Just as they were about to leave,
Elizabeth called out to them.

  “Vince…Franco…. bring the girl. Bring her to me right now.” The two men looked at with wide eyes, nodded and went out to do as she bid.

  Elizabeth finally allowed the torrent of tears to pour forth from her. It was too much for her to take that Nic was once so deeply involved with another woman. Another woman whom he claimed to have loved, and thought had died in his arms. But the fact that he might have still chosen that woman on the eve of her arrival was something she just could not bear.

  She loved this man! No matter what, she loved him, Elizabeth suddenly realized. Of course, she had loved him from that moment she saw him at the railway station leaning against that pillar looking at her. But today was the first time she understood the depth of her feelings. How foolish she had been.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  E lizabeth stood up straight and wiped at her tears with determination. She knew what she had to do. She walked up the stairs to their room and saw Nic sitting on the bed, facing the window, his back towards the door. A soft fire burned in the hearth to one side of the room and a big red moon hung outside.

  The sight of that moon brought fresh tears to Elizabeth’s eyes. It was red and huge just like the day Nic had brought her home and taken care of her after her arduous journey to Jacksonville. And this was the bed, she thought looking down, that she shared with him. This was where the deepest of their passions had come alive and where they had reveled in their veneration for each other.

  “Leave me alone Elizabeth,” Nic said, and her heart sunk within her chest. He had never used that tone with her before, harsh and cold. At that moment, Elizabeth would have readily chosen death than the detached indifference of her husband.