by Bobbi Smith
"Charles, has something happened to Glynna?" Edmund demanded, startled by his mentor's reaction to whatever news was in the telegram.
Charles motioned for him to read the wire as he disappeared out into the hall.
Edmund couldn't imagine what news could have caused such a terrible reaction, and he snatched up the telegram and began to read.
Dear Mr. Williams,
Your daughter and sister were introduced to me by our mutual friend Rev. Paul Chandler. They came out to stay at my ranch so Glynna could do some painting.
Earlier today, your daughter and sister were attacked by renegade Comanche while they were on an outing. Mrs. Randall was shot and grievously wounded. Your daughter was taken captive by the raiding party. We are searching for her now and doing all we can to get her back.
You can reach me at the Rocking M ranch in Dry Creek, Texas.
Tom McAllister
Edmund stared down at the wire in disbelief, then dropped it back on the desk and followed Charles from the study. He found the older man rushing up the staircase.
"What are we going to do?" he asked.
"I'm going to Texas to take care of my sister and find my daughter!" Charles declared.
"I'm going with you," Edmund said quickly.
"There's little time to pack. I've already sent a man to the train station to check the schedules. Go home, get what you need and be back here in an hour."
"Yes, sir!"
Edmund hurried from the Williams mansion. He wondered how long it would take to get to Dry Creek, Texas. He wished he were there right now. He wished he'd married Glynna before she'd even thought of going out west again. He'd been a fool not to forbid her to go. She was, after all, going to many him. Surely she wouldn't have dared to defy him the way she'd defied her father.
Worry ate at him. The Comanche had taken her! Anything could have happened to her by now! She could even be dead!
His emotions were strained. He hoped to God that they found her soon. He hoped when they reached Texas that they would find out she'd already been returned and was unharmed. The thought of his future bride being held by hostiles was disgusting to him.
It was late in the afternoon when the raiding party finally stopped. They'd found a secluded campsite near a small creek and were settling in for a rest.
Glynna had no idea what they were saying to each other, for they were speaking their native language, but she sensed all was not easy in the group. It was plain to her that the warrior who'd taken her captive was the leader, but there was another man who seemed almost threatening in the way he talked to him and gestured wildly in her direction. Glynna decided to be as quiet as she could, in hopes that they would ignore her and leave her alone.
Crouching Wolf was angry as he glared at Painted Horse. "I want the woman."
"She is my captive. You will not touch her," Painted Horse told him.
"She is only a white woman. What is she to you? I had her first!" He looked over to where the woman sat on the ground. He had never had a white woman, and he wanted this one.
"She escaped you, Crouching Wolf," Painted Horse taunted. "She is my woman now. She is the woman in my vision. I am to guard her and keep her from harm. She will bring me the greatest prize ever."
"The horse in your vision? I will give you a horse for her."
"The stallion in my vision was more magnificent than any you've ever seen. Somehow, through her, he will be mine. Only then will I give up the woman."
"I will give you five horses for her!" Crouching Wolf countered, thinking Painted Horse wanted more.
"No. She is mine."
Crouching Wolf was furious, but said no more. He would wait, and when the time was right he would take the white woman for his own. He walked away from his leader in disgust.
Painted Horse watched Crouching Wolf go and knew the matter was not ended. The other warrior was headstrong and violent, and he did not like being denied.
They still had another two days' ride to their main camp, a very small village hidden deep in the recesses of a canyon to the west. Painted Horse knew the site would not be safe forever, but it was as close to a haven as he could find for now. Certain that they were being followed, he realized they could only afford to rest for a little while before pushing on. They would feed and water their mounts, sleep for a short time, then ride on again.
He looked up in Crouching Wolf's direction and saw the warrior deep in conversation with some of the others. He did not trust Crouching Wolf, the sooner they reached their safe haven, the better he would like it.
Returning to his captive's side, he handed the woman a small piece of dried meat, then sat down near her.
"What are you going to do with me?" Glynna asked, trying not to sound too terrified, but knowing she failed miserably. She doubted he knew English, but she thought it was worth a try to find out.
Painted Horse ignored her question and did not look at her. She did not need to know anything of what was to come. It was better to keep her ignorant of his plans. If she was afraid of him, she would be easier to control.
Glynna tried to keep from trembling as she ate the small portion of food he'd given her. She only hoped that someone had discovered what had happened to her and that they were searching for her even now.
Mimi regained consciousness slowly, as if swimming upward from a deep, black vortex. She groaned softly as she became aware of herself and her surroundings. She knew she was lying on her stomach on a bed, and that every inch of her body was screaming in pain. For a moment she had no idea who she was, where she was or how she'd even gotten there and then her memories returned.
Her eyes flew open as she recalled the horror of Diego being killed in the Comanche attack. She remembered seeing Glynna running toward her. She also remembered grabbing up the gun and shooting one renegade, and then the memories ended in a blur of agony.
"Glynna," she called, frantic to know what had happened to her niece, if she was safe, but her throat was parched and the word was barely a whisper.
Tears filled her eyes and traced paths down her cheeks as she tried to garner enough strength to call out. Surely someone was near. Surely someone would help her. She had to find Glynna! She had to keep her safe!
"Glynna!" Again she tried to cry out her name, stirring a bit at the effort it took.
This time she managed a hoarse whisper, and Paul heard her.
Paul had been standing at the window looking out, waiting and hoping for a change for the better in Mimi's condition. He'd been staying by Mimi's bed side keeping watch over her since the doctor had left the day before.
As each hour had passed, he'd grown more and more fearful that she would not recover, that she would slip away from him before he had the chance to explain all that had happened and to tell her that he loved her.
"Mary Catherine!" Her name escaped him in a moment of complete joy. He was on his knees next to the bed in an instant, taking her hand, gazing into her eyes.
Mimi saw Paul and wondered vaguely why he was there with her. He'd left her without a word. Why had he come back? She managed a frown as she tried to think, but the pain was too great and she could remember only the terror of the attack and her fear for Glynna.
"Glynna?" she whispered.
Paul was leaning close so he could hear what she was saying.
"Don't worry about Glynna right now. Just concentrate on getting well," he said tenderly. He did not want to tell her the bad news that her niece was missing. She needed all her strength to win the battle to stay alive; he didn't want to say anything that would demoralize or hurt her.
Mimi would have none of it, though. She didn't care if she lived or died. Her only concern was for Glynna.
"No, tell me how is she?" Her eyes closed as she finished speaking. The energy it had taken to just say those words had sapped her.
For a moment, Paul thought she had lost con sciousness again. "Mary Catherine..." There was an edge of panic to his voice. The fear didn't leave h
im until he saw her eyelids flutter.
"Tell me," she insisted.
Mimi's gaze met Paul's, and he could not avoid telling her the truth.
"Glynna was taken captive by the renegades. Hunt's gone after them to bring her back."
"No!" A small, pitiful cry escaped her at the thought of the danger Glynna was facing. "Oh, God, no.
"I promise you, Mary Catherine, Hunt will find her."
A sob choked her. Glynna had been taken from her! She moaned, a heartbreaking, keening sound, and closed her eyes to the sight of Paul's worried expression.
Paul stared down at her, feeling completely helpless. It was his fault all this had happened. He should have been with them that day. He should never have let them go out with just Diego to protect them. He'd been a damned coward, leaving as he had on the pretense that he was paying calls to families in the area who didn't get to church. He had made the calls, but the truth was that he had been running from Mary Catherine again. He hadn't been able to deal with his feelings for her, and so he had tried to hide from them. Paul was filled with self-loathing.
"I'm sorry," he said tenderly as he reached out to brush a tear from her pale cheek. "I'm so sorry I wasn't there to help you."
Mimi didn't respond. Almost gratefully, she had slipped away into unconsciousness again, for in the blackness there was no pain of the body or of the soul.
"She regained consciousness for a moment," Paul told Tom when he went to him where he was waiting in the parlor.
Tom smiled for the first time in days. "That's good news, Paul. Real good news."
"I know." He was relieved.
"Did she say anything?"
"She just asked about Glynna, then lost consciousness again."
Tom studied his friend for a moment and decided he had to ask. "How did you and Mimi come to know each other?"
Paul thought back over the years. "I loved her, and I let her get away from me. It was the biggest mistake of my life."
Tom knew the confession cost Paul a lot. "I figured she meant a lot to you."
"I never realized how important she was to me until now until I'd almost lost her forever."
"Maybe God's giving you a second chance."
"I hope so. I intend to make good use of it." Paul looked up at his friend, his pain showing plainly in his features.
"You stay with her, Paul," Tom reassured him, going to pat him on the shoulder. "What's past is over. You can't change it. You've got the future to think about now. With Glynna missing, Mimi's going to need your strength."
Tom's kind words helped Paul, and he returned to Mimi's side and took up his vigil again.
Glynna had lost all track of time. Her life had become a blur of riding until she was ready to collapse, resting for a short time, and then riding again. Her captor was always near, so she never had a chance to escape. She could only endure.
It was on the fourth day after the raid when they began a descent into a deep canyon. The terrain was rough and the trek was made slowly and carefully. She was surprised when they reached the bottom of the canyon and discovered that a village was there, almost completely sheltered from view.
Some of the Comanche came out of their tepees to welcome the raiding party back. They stared at Glynna with open interest and called out to Painted Horse, asking him what he was going to do with her.
Glynna knew they were talking about her from their gestures, but she had no idea what they were saying. She tried to ignore them as she stared about the village. She realized how smart the renegades had been to select this site. It was practically impossible to see from above and would be easily defensible. Her despair deepened as she realized that she probably would never be rescued, for no one would be able to find her. She wanted to cry, but refused to give in to her despair. Not now. Not with all these people staring at her. Instead, she lifted her head high and stared right back.
Painted Horse was feeling quite proud of himself as he reined in before his own tepee. He slipped down from his horse's back and then pulled his captive down and motioned for her to go inside. He was glad when she quickly did as she was told. It made him look powerful to the others. The white woman was his to do with as he pleased-and he pleased to keep her safe until the stallion in his vision came to him.
Crouching Wolf was still angry and still determined to find a way to claim the white woman. He did not understand Painted Horse's need to keep her for himself when he was more than willing to pay a good price for her. His gaze narrowed as he watched the captive walk into the other warrior's tepee. The time would come when he would take her from him.
Painted Horse followed Glynna inside. He stared at her where she stood across the tepee from him. "What is your name?"
"You speak English?" Glynna was shocked.
"Yes. What is your name?"
"My name is Glynna."
"That is a strange name. I will call you Vision Woman."
She frowned, not understanding why he'd named her that, but she did not ask. "What is your name?"
"I am Painted Horse."
She stared back at him, angry and frightened. "What are you going to do with me?"
"You are mine. You will work." He held out a container for water. "Go to the stream and fill this."
"Untie my hands," she said, holding her wrists out toward him.
"Go," he ordered coldly, ignoring her request. He was not yet ready to trust her. Maybe in another day or two when she'd proven that she wouldn't try to flee, he would untie her.
Glynna took the water container from him and left the tepee. She was aware of the others watching her, but she kept her head held high and did what Painted Horse had told her to do. He hadn't harmed her yet. She would cooperate, try to earn his trust, and maybe find a way to escape.
When Mimi awoke, it was daylight and Paul was asleep in the chair beside the bed. She lay perfectly still, fearful of the pain she knew would come if she tried to move. The memory of their earlier conversation haunted her. She wondered how long she'd been unconscious.
"Paul?" Her throat was dry, but she managed to say his name out loud.
Paul awoke immediately. Mimi had been unresponsive for another entire day, and he'd been growing more and more desperate with each passing hour. He'd begun to fear that she would never regain consciousness again.
"Thank God," he said, going to her.
"Water," she managed.
Tears filled his eyes. He offered up a silent prayer of thanks as he hurried to pour her a small glass of water from the pitcher on the nightstand. He returned to her side, and with great care he helped her take a drink. Just the simple act of drinking was exhausting for Mimi, but she managed.
"Glynna? Is there any news?"
Paul pulled his chair close by the bed so he could sit where she could see him more easily. "No. Not a word. Hunt left the day of the raid, and we've heard nothing since."
She nodded slightly. The pain of just that simple movement overwhelmed her. Paul had always left her when she needed him the most, and she couldn't understand why he was staying with her now. "Why are you here?"
Paul was surprised by her question, but he understood it. "I couldn't leave you."
Mimi closed her eyes at his words. If only he had said that to her all those years ago...
Pain was throbbing through her, giving her no peace. She wondered vaguely if this was what it felt like to die. She opened her eyes to look straight at him. She might never get another chance to tell him-to say what needed to be said. She could feel her strength ebbing even as she tried to speak again. "You have to find Glynna. You have to save her. You can't let them hurt her--"
Paul saw the anguish in her expression. "Hunt's gone after them. If anyone can find her, Hunt will be the one."
"No, no, you don't understand," she protested, tensing as she struggled to tell him what he needed to know.
"What don't I understand, Mary Catherine?" he asked, leaning closer, sensing her desperation and worrying about it. They wer
e all frantic over the fact that Glynna had been taken captive, but Hunt was the best person to do the tracking and searching for her.
"You don't understand...." She paused to draw a ragged breath, and then she spoke again, the words torn from the depths of her soul. "Glynna's your daughter."
Paul could only stare at Mimi aghast for a long moment. He saw the pain in her eyes. He saw the heartbreak, too.
"My daughter?" His voice was choked with emotion. He couldn't fathom what she'd just revealed to him.
Glynna was his daughter?
"I don't understand," he went on in confusion. "Charles is her father-she's your niece."
Mimi saw his distress. With what little strength she had left, she told him the truth she'd kept hidden from nearly everyone for the last twenty-four years. "After you left me, I discovered I was going to have your baby."
Paul looked even more stricken.
"I was alone. I had no one to turn to. I couldn't find you. I didn't know where you'd gone."
He was shamed to the depths of his soul. She had needed him, and he had deserted her. "Mary Catherine, I-"
She weakly raised a hand to stop him. "Let me say this while I can," she managed. "I went home to Charles. He was the only person I could trust, the only person who loved me." A lone tear traced down her cheek as she remembered how her brother had protected and cared for her. "He had been about to travel overseas, so he arranged for me to accompany him and Victoria on the trip. We stayed away almost ten months. When we returned, it was announced that Victoria had given birth to a beautiful young girl and they'd named her Glynna. No one ever suspected..." Her voice was fading with her strength.
Paul could only gaze down at her, his respect and love for her growing with every secret she revealed. She had suffered most grievously because of him.
"I can never repay Charles for his kindness to me. I could have been such an embarrassment to him."
"You had my baby."
"Our baby."