by Sharon Sala
“Or I’ll do more than bloody that dark-haired bitch’s nose.”
Letty hid a shiver. So Delilah was the one that he’d hurt.
“I want to see my friends,” she said. “Show me they’re all okay and then we’ll talk.”
A long string of curses spilled into the air between them as he pulled back his jacket and took another pistol out of the waist of his pants. Without taking a breath, he fired into the ground right in front of where Letty was standing. Dirt showered up onto the hem of her dress, but she didn’t move.
“Is that supposed to reassure me that you the kind of man who keeps his word?”
“Damn it all to hell, woman. Shut up! Shut up! Just don’t talk. I’m the one who’s talking. I’m the one with a gun. You don’t talk. You don’t do anything but what I tell you.”
Letty swallowed past a knot in her throat. It was all she could do to maintain eye contact with him, but she knew his kind. Showing fear would feed into his power. It was the last thing she intended to do. So she stood without moving or talking, waiting to see what happened next.
“They say you’re rich. Are you rich, lady?”
“Yes.”
He giggled.
The sound turned Letty’s stomach.
“Well then… here’s the deal. You share some of the wealth and we’ll see about lettin’ them bitches down in the cellar go free. How much money you reckon you got in the house?”
“Maybe ten or twelve dollars.”
His eyes bugged. “What the hell are you doing… trying to play me for a fool? You got money. Lots of money and don’t say you don’t cause I know better. You’re the woman who went and struck gold, so where is it?”
She pointed toward town.
“Down yonder in that bank, and in a bank in Philadelphia, and in another bank in New York City, and in a bank in Boston.”
A drop of spittle slid from the corner of the man’s mouth as his nostrils flared.
“You’re lyin’!”
“No, I’m not.”
“Why would you put your money in all them banks so far away?”
“So people like you couldn’t get their filthy hands on it.”
He reeled as if he’d been slapped. Before Letty could react, he had crossed the distance between them and put a knife to her throat.
The coppery scent of fresh blood went up her nostrils, as did the rotten smell coming from his body. She couldn’t bring herself to look directly at his face for fear he’d see the terror she was trying to hide.
“I’ll teach you to smart-mouth me,” he said, and gave her a back-handed blow to the face.
Letty dropped to her knees as blood spurted inside her mouth. She bent over and spat blood into the dirt. The skin on her face burned, as if he’d pushed her too close to a fire.
“Now get up!” he yelled, and grabbed her by the hair and dragged her to her feet. “You and me are goin’ inside that fancy house of yours and get me some money… a lot of money. If I find out you been lyin’ to me, I’ll shoot you where you stand.”
Letty didn’t argue for fear that if he hit her again, the baby might suffer. With one last glance toward the cellar, she let him drag her toward the house.
***
Robert Lee was hitching a team of mules to an ore wagon when one of the miners yelled out.
“Hey! Look there! Ain’t that Miz Letty’s dog?”
Robert Lee looked up to see the huge brown and white dog coming toward the mine at a lope. Although the dog had been here many times before, he’d never before come alone. Robert Lee dropped the harness and stepped out from behind the wagon for a better look.
Moments later, the dog ran up to him and dropped at Robert Lee’s feet. Robert Lee’s stomach rolled when he realized there was a long bloody cut on the dog’s back leg. Even though he knew Letty had been forbidden to ride until after the baby was born, that didn’t mean she was beyond defying orders. He stood up, searching the valley for sight of her, but saw nothing.
“Something’s not right,” he said, and pointed to one of the men. “Harness up the team and go ahead and take that load into town. I’m going to Miz Letty’s house to check on them.”
“Sure thing, boss,” the man said, and picked up the harness as Robert Lee mounted his horse.
Before he knew it, T-Bone was back, running at his side. He spurred his horse and then leaned into the ride as his horse broke into a gallop. Everything went through his mind and none of it good, but he wouldn’t give in to the fear.
He rode hard. By the time he got to town, his horse was heaving for breath. Flecks of lather from the horse blew onto the legs of his pants as he rode, and he could hear the heavy groan from his near-spent mount. He knew the animal was almost past going, and yet he didn’t dare slow down for fear that whatever was going on, he would arrive too late to help.
When he rode through town at a hard gallop, several people stopped, curious as to what was happening. More than one yelled out as he passed by, but he didn’t take time to answer. His gaze was fixed on the roof of Letty’s fine house that sat on the hill above the town.
When he was less than a hundred yards from the house, he heard a gunshot and immediately reined in his mount. The trembling horse was wild-eyed and snorting as he sat, listening for a second shot. He knew that the women had a rifle which Letty kept loaded. But the shot he’d heard was from a handgun, not a rifle, and as far as he knew, there wasn’t one on the place.
He spurred his horse forward and rode into the yard at a gallop. He didn’t know what was happening, but he sensed Letty was in danger. He dismounted quickly, then pulled his gun and started running around the side of the house, taking care to stay concealed until he knew for sure what was wrong. When he saw the man holding a gun on Letty, something inside him snapped. Without thought for anything but Letty, he walked out into the yard with his gun drawn.
“Let her go!” Robert Lee yelled.
***
When Letty heard Robert Lee’s voice, she went weak with relief. Even when the stranger pulled hard on her hair and yanked her backward, she didn’t panic—not even when he used her body for a shield and put a gun to her head.
“I’ll shoot her!” the man screamed. “I will! I’ll shoot her dead!”
Robert Lee fixed his gaze on Letty and spoke to her, as if the man wasn’t even there.
“Are you all right?”
“Yes,” Letty said, unable to hide the quaver of fear in her voice.
“Get back! Get back!” the stranger screamed.
Robert Lee’s voice didn’t falter, nor did his gaze as he kept coming closer.
“Do you trust me?” he asked softly.
Letty swallowed nervously.
“Yes.”
“Close your eyes. No matter what you hear, keep them closed.”
She shut her eyes as the stranger began yelling at Robert Lee.
“Listen here… you can’t—”
The gunshot was loud—the scent of gunpowder strong in Letty’s nose. Something wet hit the side of her face at the same time she fell free. In shock, she staggered. Even though she couldn’t see him, she knew it was Robert Lee who caught her before she fell.
“It’s me, it’s me,” he said softly. “Keep your eyes closed and just listen to the sound of my voice.”
He scooped Letty up in his arms and carried her into the house, then set her down in a chair. She heard him pouring water into a basin. When she felt a wet rag on her face, she flinched.
“It’s just water, honey,” Robert Lee said. “It’s just water.”
He didn’t tell her that he was washing the dead man’s blood off of her face, and she didn’t ask. He just kept wiping and rinsing until it was all gone.
“Where are the others?” Robert Lee asked. “Where’s Alice and Mary and Delilah… where’s little Katie?”
Letty shivered as his thumb traced the curve of her cheek, unaware that he was rubbing off a rather large splatter of blood.
�
��I think they’re in the cellar. He was coming out of the cellar when I saw him. I woke up and couldn’t find anyone. T-Bone was gone and the women were gone and—”
“T-Bone came after me,” Robert Lee said.
Surprised by the news, Letty opened her eyes, and found Robert Lee’s face only inches away from hers. Mesmerized by the sight, she froze.
When he realized she was watching him, his first instinct was to pull back. It wasn’t until he saw his own reflection in her eyes that he knew he was close to losing control.
“I, uh…”
Letty grabbed his hand, took the wet rag from him and tossed it into the basin.
“You saved my life,” she said softly.
“I only—”
Letty put her fingers across his mouth, silencing whatever he’d been going to say. At that point, the baby kicked. Letty winced, then, still holding his hand, laid it palm down on the swell of her belly.
“Feel that?” she asked.
Robert Lee was so stunned he had forgotten to breathe, but then he felt a solid little thump against his palm and grunted as if he’d been kicked.
“Lord,” he said softly, then leaned forward, resting his forehead against Letty’s forehead, feeling the warmth of her breath on his face. “Does that hurt?”
“No.”
“My baby and I are alive because of you.”
Tears blurred his vision. He tried to pull away, but Letty wouldn’t let go.
“Please… Letty… don’t do this.”
“Don’t do what, Robert Lee?”
“You’re just upset and—”
“Hell yes, I’m upset,” she said. “But I’m not dead.” Her voice broke. “My Mama and Papa are dead. Eulis is dead. That piece of shit who was trying to pass himself off as a man is dead. But I’m not and my baby’s not… and you’re not dead either, Robert Lee. I don’t know what I’ve done to hurt your feelings, but whatever it is, I’m right sorry.”
Robert Lee groaned and pushed away from where Letty was standing then turned his back on her.
“You didn’t hurt my feelings.”
“Then why have you been so… so… cold?”
He turned abruptly.
“Cold is hardly the word I would use to describe my feelings for you.”
Letty’s mouth opened, but the words didn’t come. Slowly, understanding dawned.
“Oh… Robert Lee, I—”
“Don’t say it,” he muttered. “Don’t say anything. You sit down. I’m going to go see if the women are in the root cellar. If you’re a mind to keep talking, then say a prayer to that God of yours that they’re all still alive.”
With that, he strode out of the kitchen with his jaw set, his shoulders hunched against a blow that never came.
Letty stood up. Startled by his revelation, she didn’t know what to do, but then the baby kicked again, and her answer came. She watched Robert Lee from the kitchen window, praying as she’d never prayed before.
“Please God, You know my heart, and you know I’ve done wrong. But please don’t let the girls be harmed. Please, Lord. You took Eulis from me. Don’t take them, too.”
Robert Lee disappeared down in the cellar.
Her eyes were burning with unshed tears.
***
Alice saw Robert Lee first. Even though she was bound and gagged, she started to cry as he untied her.
“Oh, law… you’re a sight for sore eyes,” she said. “We heard gunshots! What happened? Is Letty all right?”
“Letty’s fine,” Robert Lee said, and took out his knife and cut the bindings at Mary’s ankles.
Little Katie was bound and gagged and lying face down. He picked her up and deposited her in Alice’s lap before untying her. She was so traumatized she wasn’t crying.
Delilah seemed to be the worse for wear. There was blood all over the front of her clothes. When he untied the gag that had been on her mouth, he saw that she’d also been beaten. His hands were gentle as he pulled the bindings from her face and hands.
“He hit you,” Robert Lee said, lightly touching the side of Delilah’s swollen nose. “Can you breathe through it?”
There were tears in her eyes as she nodded.
“Good,” he said. “Maybe it’s not broken.”
As soon as Delilah’s hands were free, she put both hands to her face, tracing the shape of her features and thankful that they felt almost normal. From the way her head and face was throbbing, she had imagined the worst.
“I’ll carry Katie,” Robert Lee said. “Can you ladies make it up the steps?” he asked.
The trio stood, wincing as the feeling began to come back into their arms and legs.
“Let’s get out of here,” Robert Lee said, and led the way up and out of the cellar.
***
The longer Robert Lee stayed down in the cellar, the more frightened Letty became. She was at the point of going to see for herself when T-Bone suddenly appeared from the forest and hobbled toward the cellar. Letty remembered then what Robert Lee had said—that the pup had come after him.
She swallowed past a knot in her throat. Twice now that dog had helped save her, too. Once from a rattlesnake—and now from a snake with two legs. And from what she could see, the dog was injured.
Then she saw Robert Lee emerging from the cellar carrying little Katie in his arms. She held her breath, waiting, praying—then they came up one by one with Alice in the lead—then Mary—then finally Delilah.
Letty’s eyes were burning as she headed for the door. When the women saw her, they ran past Robert Lee with their arms outstretched, smothering Letty with their cries of relief.
She never looked down at the body of the man who’d held them hostage, nor did the women as they embraced each other, continuing to laugh, then cry, then embrace each other again.
Robert Lee handed Katie to Alice.
“I’m going down to get the sheriff,” he said, and rode out of the yard without looking back.
“What’s wrong with Robert Lee?” Alice asked.
Letty couldn’t look at him without feeling a sharp pain near her heart. He’d asked if she trusted him. She’d answered yes without hesitation. But was it just trust—or was it something more that she felt for this man?
“I reckon he’s a bit upset at having to shoot that man,” Mary offered, eyeing the dead man near the steps.
“Alice, you and Katie go on in the house,” Delilah said. “She doesn’t need to be seeing this.”
Alice gathered the little girl up and hurried inside.
Delilah, on the other hand, had no problem with the body at her feet.
“Damn shame you can’t kill a man twice,” she muttered, then kicked at the bottom of his shoe before stepping up on the porch.
Mary put her arm around Letty’s shoulders and urged her up the steps.
“Come on, darlin’. You need to get off your feet. This has been a bad morning all around.”
“Did he harm any of you?” Letty asked. “Did he touch you in a—”
“Sush now,” Mary said. “None of that happened, so don’t fuss. He might have thought about it, but it didn’t happen. He just kept talking about your gold mine and your money.”
Letty frowned. She’d never dreamed how much trouble it could be to be rich.
***
They buried the stranger in the town cemetery without knowing his name. Someone carved the words greedy bastard on his tombstone. It seemed to fit the situation.
The incident was, for a while, all the gossip down in town, and then like everything, it was superseded by an even greater event.
The territories had been hearing rumblings of discord for some time between the northern and southern states regarding many things, most of which hinged on the aspect of slavery. What with having to worry about droughts, prairie fires, Indian raids, and generally surviving in an unforgiving land, they’d paid little mind to suppositions. However, the last freight wagons to come through had brought news no one could i
gnore.
The southern states had seceded from the Union of the United States of America.
They were at war.
***
Letty shut down the mine. She had more money than she could ever spend in two lifetimes, and now that the country was at war, moving gold bars, or large amounts of money from one place to another without being robbed was impossible. Breaking men’s backs for the accumulation of more wealth seemed redundant, especially since she’d learned firsthand, the reality of what happened to people who were filthy rich.
Without asking what anyone thought, Robert Lee packed up his belongings and moved into a tent at the edge of the woods near Letty’s home.
Letty didn’t know what to think. Robert Lee kept watch on the women, but he kept his distance. She had to satisfy herself with glimpses of him from time to time, and tell herself that whatever was not happening between them was for the best.
The townspeople whispered among themselves about Robert Lee’s new home, but no one had the guts to tease him to his face. Even if they had, it wouldn’t have changed a thing. He wasn’t going to let another man lay a harsh hand on Letty, or for that matter, any of the women living in her house.
Within a month of Robert Lee’s arrival at the hen house, the war was all the gossip. Men began to take sides. It wasn’t unusual for a brawl to break out at a saloon over who was in the right—the north or the south.
Letty was beyond caring one way or the other. All of her days and nights were focused on the impending birth of her baby. Even though she chose to ignore a war that seemed too far away to consider, the war came to her, just the same.
SOLDIERS AND PATRIOTS
In his other life, Carson Mylam had been a banker. But that was before the country separated itself into a north and a south. Now there was something called the Mason-Dixon Line, and everything and everyone south of the line was engaged in battle, one way or another.
He and thousands of other men entered the ranks of the Union army, whether they wanted to or not. Thanks to his father’s money and influence, Carson skipped conscription, and upon taking the oath of office, became an officer. The only problem was that Carson Mylam’s expertise lay in money—acquiring it and saving it. He barely knew the butt from the barrel of a gun.