Impending Love and Madness
Page 22
“And Lucia and Seymour won’t know we’re onto their scheme.”
“I can’t wait for the sheriff to lock them up and throw away the key.”
After Ethan left, Cass washed and treated her arm. Ethan’s remark bothered her. What crime had Seymour committed? He could claim the barn burned by accident. The poison ivy infection was cruel but not worthy of jail. If they thwarted Seymour’s plans to rob Zach, what would he attempt next? She needed to write Tyler for legal advice.
She dressed in a skirt, a cotton blouse, and short jacket. She pulled on her boots and grabbed her bonnet and medical bag.
Zach was seated in front of the open window soaking in the sun. She looked out the window. “Make sure no one sees you.”
“No stables to clean. Everyone is on the other side of Ravenswood.”
She examined his skin. “It already looks better. Did you wash?”
“I scrubbed anything red with the soap.”
“I’ll fill a pitcher with fresh water. You don’t want to reuse it.” She stared at his bare chest. Only a few blisters marred the smooth, molded muscles. Lucia had limited the poison ivy to his arms and shoulders. She had spared his face but wrapped it in bandages to frighten him with the thought of disfigurement. What sort of person took pleasure in another’s pain?
Zach examined his arms. “The sun is helping, but my head feels like it’s filled with cotton.”
“It’s the opium.”
“What am I going to do when Lucia wants to drug me?”
“I have a solution.”
She turned as the door opened. Ethan entered with a tray.
“Mrs. Graves sent breakfast.” He handed her two bottles. “Is this what you wanted?”
Cass compared the two. Side by side there was an obvious difference, but alone, either one could pass for opium. She tasted the contents of the unmarked bottle. Her tongue burned. “She added pepper to color this one.” She searched for an empty bottle in her medical bag and emptied the opium into it. Then she poured Mrs. Graves’ mixture into the bottle with the label and placed it on the table by the bed. “Try to react as if it’s opium and doze off afterward.”
Ethan handed Zach the tray of food. “You are one ugly-looking blister.”
He bit into a crisp strip of bacon. “Come a little closer, and I’ll share my ugliness.”
Ethan stole a biscuit from the tray.
Harry was in the hall calling their names.
Ethan backed away and opened the door. “We’re over here.”
Harry entered. “Hey, when are we going to look at the horses?” He stared at Zach. “Those aren’t burns. What are you covered with?”
“Poison ivy,” Cass said. “Lucia coated his bandages in it.”
Harry gagged. “Can nuns do that?”
“You were right about her, Harry. She’s no nun.” Cass handed Zach the map. “Where do we look for the mares?”
Zach eliminated the woods and a swamp. “There’s a road around the lake. It goes by several pastures and barns.”
“I’ll take that,” Cass said.
“Harry can take the north pastures, and Ethan can take the southern section. If the mares are on Ravenswood property, you should be able to find them.” He returned the map to Cass, who folded it and placed it in her pocket. She retrieved clean bandages from her bag. “I need to wrap Zach before Lucia visits.”
“Why?” Harry asked.
“It’s part of the plan to thwart their evil scheme,” Ethan said.
Harry looked confused. “Are we playing a game?”
“No game.” Zach said. “This is my future we’re fighting for. Seymour wants to ruin me, and that fake nun would like to see me in an asylum.” He finished the last bite.
Cass gave the tray of dirty dishes to Harry. “Can you return these to Mrs. Graves?” She added the empty bottle. “And thank her.”
Harry paused at the door. “Do you want any breakfast, Miss Cassie?”
“Tell her I’m coming.”
He waited for Ethan.
“I’m chaperoning,” Ethan said. “Now that Zach is feeling better, I need to heed Dr. Beecher’s words.”
“What words?” Cass demanded.
“Not to leave you alone with high-spirited Zachary.”
“I thought Dr. Beecher liked me,” Zach said.
“And he’ll continue to like you as long as you respect his daughter.”
Ethan was going to prevent any romantic gestures. “Make yourself useful and toss the contents of the chamber pot out the window.”
“Ew.” Ethan made a face. “I don’t think this is the duty of a chaperone.” He opened the window and tossed the contents in the porcelain bowl to the ground below.
Cass applied lotion to Zach’s bare arms to soothe his skin. Her fingers traced the swell and ebb of each muscle. Four days in bed hadn’t eroded what years of marching and fighting had created. She grabbed a roll of bandages and wrapped his arms, starting at his hands. The bandages followed the hard muscles beneath the battered skin. The bandages absorbed the ointment she had applied and mimicked Lucia’s poison ivy solution. She loosely wrapped his shoulders and face. “It’s only temporary,” she reminded him.
He jumped into bed and stared at the ropes. “Do you have to tie me?”
Cass looked at Ethan, who was washing his hands. “Do you remember how Jake would tie a knot that appeared tight but could be loosened easily?”
“The robber’s hitch.” Ethan tied the ropes around Zach’s wrist. “Pull this end of the rope with your teeth, and you can slip your hand out. Tug on the other end to tighten.”
Zach tried each knot. It worked as Ethan instructed. “I should be out there helping you.”
“You can find out more about their plans here,” Cass said. “They talked freely in front of you when they believed you were drugged.”
“What if I forget to act like a blubbering idiot?”
Ethan paused by the door. “Zach, they won’t know the difference.”
Zach freed his hand and grabbed a pillow. He tossed it, but Ethan escaped.
Cass returned the pillow. “Pretend to be sick,” she reminded him before closing the door.
****
Bryce was waiting for them in the yard with their repaired buggy hitched to Black Knight. He helped Cass take the bench seat and joined her. Ethan and Harry climbed in the back. Cass tugged on her gloves. “Hand me the reins.”
“Are you sure?”
“How am I going to know if I want to buy him?”
Cass slapped the reins on Black Knight’s hindquarters, and he lurched forward. When they arrived at the barn and pasture, Harry and Ethan jumped to the ground. Bryce remained seated. “Don’t you have chores to do?”
“You might need a guide.” He was planning to accompany her.
“I can’t ride in a buggy with a man who isn’t a relative,” Cass said. “It wouldn’t be proper.”
He tipped his hat and climbed down. “Stay on the path.”
“Once I return, I’ll want Peaches hitched to the buggy.” She urged Black Knight forward. Cass followed the road along the lake. A split rail fence lined the opposite side and formed pastures for grazing. A barn rose into view with horses in the paddock. She pulled back on the reins. These were younger horses but not foals. They were being trained with long reins to take orders but weren’t ready to be hitched to a buggy or saddle trained. Bidders wouldn’t pay full price for them. Hopefully, Seymour wouldn’t bother selling them.
She drove on. Black Knight pulled the buggy with ease and followed her instructions with a soft touch of the reins. She was on the far side of the lake when she arrived at another barn and attached paddock. A mare was being led inside and trotting beside her was a foal. Were the others inside? There was only one way to find out. She followed twin ruts in the grass that marked a path leading to a gate between the fence rails in front of the barn. Cass pulled on the reins to halt Black Knight. She looked around and headed for the buil
ding.
Flies buzzed in a droning circle, resting on a pile of fresh droppings near the opening that ran the length of the barn. The interior was cooler, and her vision adjusted to the darkness. A horse snorted. The nearest stall was home to a mare and foal. Another pair were in the next stall. She had found the missing horses.
Two men were looking inside a stall at the other end of the barn, their bodies outlined by the sunlight behind them. Could she slip out without being noticed? Cass turned.
“Hello,” one of the men called as they walked toward her.
She turned and smiled. “Hello, gentlemen. I was riding by and my horse seemed hot. Is there a watering trough?” Horses needed plenty of water, so it was a logical excuse on a hot day.
The shorter man had a healthy middle and a broad smile. “I’m Ned Pike.” He extended a chubby hand and shook hers before she could remove her gloves.
“Cassandra Beecher.”
“Who?” The other man stared hard at her with dark eyes. His mustache and goatee drooped in a frown. Was he hard of hearing? Many of the men who had fought in battles had suffered hearing loss from the noise of the cannons and guns. Was this another of the major’s men?
She spoke louder. “Miss Cassandra Beecher. I’m a guest of Zach Ravenswood.”
“I’ll be damned.”
His profanity was unexpected. “What did you say?”
He tipped his hat. “Excuse me, Miss Beecher. I’m Vance Edwards.”
“The major?”
He peered more intensely. “How do you know me?”
“Bryce told us about you.”
“Us?”
“My cousin Ethan Donovan and our neighbor Harry Herbruck. We’re buying horses from Zach.”
His stare intensified. “Does Seymour know that?”
“Of course, but he gave us an ultimatum. We have to make our selections before Saturday, or we’ll have to bid with the other buyers. I can’t decide between Black Knight and Peaches.” She waved toward her buggy. “What horse would you recommend?” She had spoken the words in a rush and ran out of breath.
“Are you nervous, Miss Beecher?”
“Me?” Her voice squeaked. “It must be the heat. It’s a warm day. I should return Black Knight to the barn.”
“You mentioned water,” Vance said. “I’ll haul a bucket.”
“Thank you, Mr. Edwards.” She turned to Ned, who had remained. “Have you chosen the horses you’re going to bid on?”
“I’m working on a special deal,” Ned whispered, looking at Vance, who was filling a bucket from the lake. “I’m buying broodmares for my own farm.”
She pretended to be shocked. “I didn’t know the mares were for sale.”
“Elijah Ravenswood died this spring,” Ned said. “His grandson isn’t interested in the farm. Vance says I can have my pick of these mares.”
“Then you’re not bidding Saturday?”
“I’ll be there. I have my eye on a young stallion.”
Vance was returning. “It was a pleasure meeting you, Mr. Pike. I hope we see each other again on Saturday.”
Vance placed the bucket on the ground in front of Black Knight. Cass joined him. “Seymour said Zach was ill. I hope he’s feeling better by Saturday.”
“He was burned in a fire. I doubt he’ll be recovered so soon. Sister Lucia is taking care of him.”
“You don’t possess any nursing skills?”
What an odd thing for a stranger to ask. “I nursed soldiers in Washington City this spring.”
“Where did you learn your skills?”
“My father is a doctor, but my sister taught me my midwife skills.” Cass smiled. “There wasn’t much of a demand for delivering babies during the war.”
“I disagree,” Vance said. “Plenty of babies were born during the war years. Many of them died.”
Something in his voice indicated a deep loss. And anger.
“Vance, I’d like to take this mare out in the paddock and get a better look at what I’m buying,” Ned said.
Vance met her gaze. Her cheeks burned under his scrutiny. She needed to dodge his suspicions. “Ned said he was starting a horse farm. He’s lucky Seymour is authorizing the sale. I don’t think Zach would agree to part with any of the broodmares.”
He didn’t challenge her explanation. “I see you’re busy,” Cass excused. “I’ll be on my way.”
Vance turned the buggy around and offered his hand to help her board. “Be careful, Miss Beecher.”
Was it a friendly warning or something more sinister?
Chapter Twenty-Six
Cass headed around the lake. Ethan and Harry met her half way back to the pasture. They were eager to share their news.
“No mares,” Ethan said. “But I found the three and four-year-olds.”
“All I found was the manure piles and the fallow fields,” Harry added.
“I found the mares.” Cass gripped the reins so they wouldn’t see her hands shaking. “In a barn on the other side of the lake.”
“All of them?”
“I didn’t have time to count,” Cass said. “I met Major Vance Edwards.”
Harry frowned. “What sort of man is he?”
“Fierce. I don’t think he believed my story about watering my horse. He said the oddest things.”
“Odd?”
“He guessed I was a nurse.”
“Many women were nurses during the war,” Ethan said. “It was a lucky hunch.”
“Do you know what they’re going to do with the mares?” Harry asked.
“They’re selling them,” Cass said. “A man named Ned Pike was selecting the ones he wanted.”
Ethan rode beside the buggy. “How do we stop him from taking the mares?”
“Ned is staying for the auction. The horses won’t leave the property until then.”
“We should stop the sale,” Harry suggested.
“No, Zach needs money for Ravenswood. He needs to take control of the sale and decide which horses are sold and which ones aren’t. He can return Ned’s money if necessary.”
Harry looked worried. “Will he be well enough by Saturday?”
“He has no choice.”
****
It was late by the time they returned to the main house. Cass washed, changed her clothes, and checked on Zach before dining. He had slipped his hands out of the ropes and removed the bandages on his face and neck. His thick blond hair was a scattered mess. She sat on the edge of the bed and stared as he slept. Even with the scabs, he had a handsome face. He needed a shave. The stubble on his face was forming a beard. It outlined his mouth. His parted lips invited her touch. Could she kiss him without waking him? “Poor baby.” She leaned forward.
An arm wrapped around her body and pulled her against his chest. He rolled her onto the mattress and gazed at her with his sour apple green eyes. “I can’t wait to become pretty.” He kissed her. The surprise show of passion caught her off guard. She didn’t have time to respond before he pulled away. The ropes creaked as he lifted his weight, but he didn’t release her. She remained motionless, neither inviting him nor repulsing his eager attentions. His hand rested on her waist and moved along the curve accentuated by her corset. Her breathing accelerated in anticipation of another kiss. He complied, lingering on her lips, urging her to respond.
All the lessons her sisters had instilled in her rushed to mind. Set boundaries. Cry. Make him apologize. Keep both feet on the ground. How was she to set limits when she was sprawled out on his bed beneath him?
His fingertips poked beyond the wrappings covering his hands. He brushed a few strands of hair from her face, and gazed into her eyes. “You’re so beautiful. You don’t know my despair when I worried we could never be together. I believed I was going to be a monster trapped in these walls forever.”
“You are a beast.” She had meant to say the words in a serious reprimand, but her breathless voice gasped a seductive challenge. She was going to disappoint her sisters.r />
He nuzzled her neck. Her breath caught in her throat as he moved upward, tracing her jaw with his lips and nibbling on her ear.
Cass caressed his bare back, the skin smooth and hard beneath her fingertips. Her own spine arched against his body as he continued his assault on her senses. His manly scent was like an elixir stirring her passions to a boil. Her body throbbed with a rhythm that matched his.
His mouth captured hers. He plucked and plundered until her lips were bruised and swollen from the lovely assault. His hand fondled her breast and teased a nipple to a swollen peak beneath the thin fabric of her summer dress.
Cass groaned as her body responded in a wave of ecstasy. Her hips pressed upward in a mating rhythm, urging him to continue.
Zach needed no encouragement. His breathing broke with gasps of excitement. His hands had pushed her crinoline upward and with it, her skirt and petticoat. His fingers searched for the opening in her bloomers.
Sanity returned. “Zach!” She escaped, sliding out from under him and falling on the floor. She sat with her skirt bunched around her and her breast throbbing from his touch, taut against the fabric of her gown.
Zach stood and offered his hand. “Are you all right?” His short pants molded against his body, outlining every detail.
She batted his hand away and buried her face in her hands. “Didn’t Logan have a talk with you?”
“Oh, that.” The bed creaked, and she lifted her head. He was in bed, the covers pulled to his waist.
She stood. “Did you plan this?”
“No, I was asleep until you sat on the edge of the bed. You were staring at me, all warm and inviting. I couldn’t resist.”
She paced along the edge of the bed. “I promised my sisters I would set boundaries. You kissed me, and I forgot everything. A few more minutes and my virginity would have been a memory.”
“I would have married you.”
She leaned over him. “I haven’t decided if I want to marry you, Zach Ravenswood.”
He rose on his elbows. “Why not?”
“This passion we share may fade.”
“How? It hasn’t had a chance to peak.”
“You were peaked high enough.”
“Your nearness has that effect on me.” He crossed his bandaged arms. “My passion is not waning.”