by Stephy Smith
Chapter Seven
Jumping into her chores with cautious silence, Mattie focused on keeping to herself. She even distanced herself from the other tenants while retaining a courteous and respectful disposition. She would make sure no one else would tread on her heart or be put in danger.
There would be no more of this emotional anguish for her. She shuddered from the heated stares on her back. Mattie heard James and Rose at the window as they watched her scrubbing the laundry. How can he stand there and discuss me as if I were voiceless? If he wants to know something about me, why doesn’t he just ask?
The last few days, every little thump caused her upheaval. The stress overpowered her mind. The tension between James and Mattie thickened. If he wanted the situation to be better, he could apologize to her. Mattie had no reason to apologize to him. She didn’t know what she had done, but she sure wasn’t sorry for whatever it was.
“What can I do for her?” Rose stood beside James. She tossed another item into the washtub and eavesdropped on the conversation behind her.
“I don’t know, Mother. I wish I knew how to help her. The shock should have worn off by now.” Mattie’s blood boiled. If he hadn’t stormed from her room like it was on fire none of this would be happening. How could he think for one minute he didn’t know what was wrong? He seemed to be blaming this on Bagwell. I have news for you James; Bagwell didn’t tear my world apart...you did.
To the right, a shadow in the woods seemed to float from tree to tree. All afternoon she could feel eyes burning into her. Quite often a quiver ran down her backbone. James proceeded to the stool she sat on. She swished her hands in the water. Between her fingers, she picked up another article to scrub.
His eyes followed hers to the woods. “What is it, Mattie? Did you hear something out there?”
She rubbed a shirt on the scrub board. Still watching the woods, she tossed the shirt in the scalding rinse water sitting by her side. With a gradual inhale and slow exhale, she debated on whether to say anything at all.
She focused on her red and raw hands. Her anger hadn’t died down with time. She hated James being so close. His nearness opened wounds she tried to close. Drowning in her own anger, she tightened her lips.
James grabbed the shirt from the rinse and twisted excess water from it. He carried it to the line and hung it to dry.
“Mattie, are you all right?” James asked.
“Yes. I’m fine. How are you?” she said, looking once more to the woods. Motionless, she glared at the intermittent twinkle of something shiny. Upon its retreat, she returned to the laundry.
“I’m doing well. You haven’t been yourself lately. Something seems to be bothering you.” He stilled her arms. She yanked free from his grasp.
“I feel I’m being watched. I’m sure it’s my imagination. Have you found the owner of the finger?” she asked, keeping the conversation away from her squalling frustration.
“Not yet. The sheriff is asking around town. I hear Bagwell didn’t have any family. He’s resting in a pauper’s grave on Boot Hill. The mortician and two men were the only ones there.”
“I really think I should leave here. I don’t want to keep your mother upset. She’s been so good to me.” She dried her hands on the apron.
“Don’t go dancing on coals just yet, Mattie. We’re getting closer to solving your problems.” James reached out to her.
A gun blast echoed out the back door. James and Mattie hastily scrambled into the open door. Frantically she called out, “Rose! Rose!”
The silence was alarming. Something was wrong. The pungent odor of gunpowder hung in the air. It wasn’t like Rose not to answer. A horrible twitch wrenched her stomach.
She ran to the dining room, where the limp, bloody body of Rose lay on the floor. Her heart stopped. When it started back up, it pounded hard against her chest. Her throat closed off the air fighting to escape. She went to her knees and pulled Rose to her chest.
No one was in the house when James searched furtively for a shooter. He ran from room to room not finding the source, which left his mother bleeding on the floor. He returned to her side and pushed Mattie out of his way. His eyes held pools of moisture.
“I’ll get Doc.” Mattie turned and ran down the street. The sheriff was at the door.
“It’s Rose!” Mattie called to Ed over her shoulder.
She was breathless when she reached the boarding house. Her voice panicked. “The doc wasn’t there. Is there another doctor in town?”
“No.” Ed bent beside James. They leaned over Rose’s body.
“Then move over. I need boiling water, clean linens, and prayers.” Mattie ripped the bodice of Rose’s dress open to expose the wound. She bent close to make her assessment. The rumbling in her chest nosedived into the eternal pit of doom. “Ed, you and Mr. Parker move her to her bed. I’ll get what I need for right now.”
She raced to the kitchen and leaned against the cabinet. The men’s pleading eyes burned in her brain as if she were their savior. All she could do was to do her best, nothing more, nothing less. With shaky hands, she gathered her supplies and scurried back to Rose’s side.
Mattie entered the room with a knife and clean white linens. With little concern, she dumped cold water into the washbasin. She dipped one of the linens in and carefully wiped the wound to remove most of the blood.
Ed brought in boiling water and placed it near her. She tossed the knife to soak in the water. Mattie closed her eyes, pulled in a deep breath and focused on the wound. With her finger, she probed the bullet hole. “I can feel the bullet.” Mattie glanced at James and Ed.
“Bring me the lantern and light it. Leave the globe off.” Mattie spurred the men into action. “Hold it right there. Mr. Parker, take the blade and run it through the flames until it glows red.”
Mattie prodded and dug in the gushing wound until she pulled the lodged bullet from Rose’s chest. With the knife red hot, she stuck it in the wound to singe the vessels. Then she stitched up the hole.
“I need some long strips of linen to tie over the hole. She’s still breathing. Now we wait. I’ll change her into her night clothes.” Mattie glanced over her shoulder. Ed and James stood frozen to the floor. She stood with hands on hips. “Get going so I can change her.”
She nudged the men through the door. Mattie grabbed a gown from the drawer and carefully dressed Rose. Taking the brush, she gently brushed Rose’s hair and washed her face with clean linen. She cornered the tears before they could escape. If only she could be certain her efforts weren’t lost, she would sense accomplishment.
James returned to the room. She was covering Rose with a blanket. Mattie ran her fingers through her hair and meandered to the door. She paused.
“Rose will need rest. If you are quiet, you may stay for a while. I’m going to start supper.” She carried the knife to the kitchen. James followed and threw wood in the fire.
Mr. and Mrs. Church came in. “Supper may be a few minutes late tonight. I’ll come get you when it’s ready.” She waved an arm in their direction, then set her mind on what to fix for supper. Pots and pans rattled with the shaking of her hands. Tossing a chunk of meat and some vegetables in a pot, she let it stew.
Mattie set the table, then brought out the bowl of food and placed it in the middle. Everyone picked at their food except Mr. and Mrs. Church.
“What is going on?” Mr. Church asked.
“Rose was shot this afternoon. She is still alive. She’s resting in her room. We’re waiting for her to regain consciousness. We’ll be able to tell more when she wakes up.” Mattie kept her voice low and sluggish.
“Who did this to Miss Rose? Why would someone want to hurt such a wonderful woman?” Helga’s eyes pooled with tears. She vaulted to her feet, ready for battle.
“I wish I knew. I would put a hole in them.” Mattie’s voice turned cold, and she meant every word she said.
James eyes widened. He glanced at Ed. Mattie tossed her fork down and crossed he
r arms across her chest.
The sheriff ate with little interest. Anger burned in his eyes. He lowly vowed, “I’m going to catch whoever is responsible for this and make them pay.” Leaving the table, he returned to Rose’s side.
“Mr. Parker? Where is the doctor?” Mattie raised her brow and pursed her lips. “Is there another one in town?”
“Ed said he left for a family emergency up north. He doesn’t know when the doc will be back. There isn’t another one in town. Where did you learn to do what you did?” He pushed his chair from the table.
“I worked for a doctor in Georgia. He taught me many things about medicine. Your mother is going to be in great pain. We’ll need laudanum for her.” Mattie pushed her chair away from the table and stood up. Her legs wobbled. Without a glance back, she scrambled to the kitchen.
“Thanks, Mattie.” James followed close behind. When she stopped he placed his hand on hers. He reached around her back and pulled her close. She allowed him to hold her for a while.
His lips were so close, so inviting, and desire burned in his eyes. She wanted nothing more than to stay in his arms for the night. Delight in the spicy scent floating from his body sent a calm through her veins. She longed to slip her tongue in his mouth and savor the fresh spices she used in the stew. She needed to keep him close before she had to leave his security. He needed her and she needed him. Nothing could become of their relationship. She would be leaving, and he would need to watch over his mother until she was well enough to take care of the house.
She made up her mind. She couldn’t risk putting him or anyone else in further danger. Rose took a bullet intended for her. It was time to make things right with the family she had grown accustomed to.
She wedged her flattened palms on his solid chest. “We can’t do this again, James.”
The pleasure of his touch weakened her knees. The warmth of his breath on her neck raced to her core. Her blood boiled with desire. The sensations were nothing she ever felt before and would never feel for anyone else. She had to plan her departure without James knowing. The unease whispered a silent caution in her mind.
“Mattie, come quick,” the sheriff hollered, breaking James’s hold.
“What is it, Ed?” A panicked edge shivered her to the bone. She hurried to Rose’s room with James on her heels.
“What in the world happened here today?” The raspy voice came from Rose. Her eyes closed, and her mouth turned downward.
“Nothing much, Rose. You stepped in front of a bullet and caught it.” The lightness in Mattie’s words tipped Rose’s lips upward.
“You don’t say? No wonder my chest hurts like the dickens. Who shot me?” Rose barely opened her eyes.
“We hoped you could tell us. Who did you call ‘mangy dogs’?” James tilted his head and gazed at his mother.
“It was the two drunks, of course. They said they were looking for Bagwell. What did you say their names were, Ed?” Rose reached blindly for his hand.
“Howard and Frazier?”
“Yea. It wasn’t one of them. It was the dark haired woman that came in with them who shot me. I’ve never seen her before.” Rose’s face paled, and wrinkles deepened around her lips.
“You need to rest now, Rose. I’ll get something for your pain,” Mattie drifted through the door.
Ed followed her. Mattie whispered to him, “We need some laudanum, Ed. Do you know if Doc keeps any in his office? If he does, we need to break in and get it. Oh, I’ll pay for it, but we need it now.”
“Yes, I know where it’s at. I have a key to his place. I’ll go get it for you.” Pivoting to leave, Ed turned back. “Thanks, Mattie.”
James helped gather the dishes left on the table. Mattie picked up a broom from the kitchen and returned to the dining room. Anger built up in her. Dust flew furiously with every swipe across the floor.
Several minutes later, the sheriff scuttled in with the bottle he had gone after. Mattie grabbed a spoon and tiptoed into Rose’s room. “I brought some medicine to ease your pain.” She lifted Rose’s head and carefully poured the laudanum in her mouth. Rose pressed her eyes shut, and a shiver shook the bed.
Rose became groggy and quickly fell asleep. Bringing in extra blankets and a cot, Mattie made a bed in the room. After making up the cot, she slipped through the open bedroom door and asked the two men to step in. James and Ed stood staring at her. “You two need to get some rest. She’s out for the night, I suppose. I’m going to stay with her.”
“If you need anything, we’ll be in the study. I moved a couple of cots in there.” James’s eyes rested on her. He wiped his wet hands on a linen as he followed Ed to Rose’s side.
What Mattie needed was not what James was willing to give. She yearned for his touch, his kiss, his arms holding her in the night. She needed him to put her fear to rest.
“Would you mind if I stay in your room, James? I want to stay close to Rose. But, I’d feel more comfortable in a room by myself.” Ed said as he ran his fingers across Rose’s hair.
“Fine by me, Ed.” James patted Ed on the back.
Ed disappeared up the stairs. James shook his head and turned back. “I don’t know why he doesn’t ask Mother to marry him. He’s been courting her forever. Mother would say ‘yes’ if he asked.”
“Dad courted a woman for years. My sister and I asked him why he never married her. He never gave us a straight answer. My mother died when I was eight. She fell from a horse and hit her head on a sharp rock. What happened to your dad?”
“I was twelve. We lived in a Cherokee village with Dad’s people. He was an influential man with his tribe. Mother loved attending the ceremonies in different villages. Dad left with a hunting party one day. The army caught them and shot the men. Since Mother is white, we moved here from the reservation after dad died. Mother doesn’t tell anyone the army killed him. They think he was in the army,” James winked at her. “Mother isn’t ashamed of him; people grabbed the story and came up with their own version.”
Mattie watched the sparks in James’s eyes come alive when he spoke of his parents. She couldn’t possibly hope they would sparkle like that for her someday.
“Rose is showing good signs of recovery, Mr. Parker. She’s a strong woman. She’ll be ordering us around and back to her old self before we know it.” She guided James to the door.
“I believe you, Mattie. Good night.” He kissed her on the cheek, kissed his mother, and shuffled to the study.
She turned to the cot. For a few minutes she sat on the edge and monitored the rise and fall of Rose’s breath, then she lay down. She lay awake planning her get away. When Rose was strong enough to get around by herself, she would leave.
The morning found Rose sitting up in the bed eating her bacon and eggs with buttered biscuits. Mattie cleared the table, washed the dishes, and changed Rose’s bandage. Rose’s complexion was returning to its normal pink color. Rose tried to ignore the pain, but her eyes betrayed her actions.
James glanced at his mother sitting on the bed. Mattie didn’t have to say a word to Rose to convince her it was too soon for Rose to return to any kind of work.
Mattie made her way to the kitchen while James stayed behind with his mother. The kettle on the stove whistled, and Mattie poured the hot water into the dishpan to wash the dirty breakfast dishes. She paused to listen to the footsteps nearing the swing door.
A shiver ran down her spine. Mattie pulled in a deep breath. Spice and leather filled the room. She knew it was James before she turned to face him. “Ed came in this morning. He tried to convince Rose she had no business doing chores or anything else for a while. Rose threw a spoon at him and told him to get out of her way. Ed sidestepped the toss and left for work, vowing to return later in the day.”
Chapter Eight
Mattie buried herself with the care of the house. She worked the gardens, dusted, mopped, cooked, and washed dishes and laundry. James taught her how to rent rooms and take care of the business end. Methodically, she
fell into a subtle routine.
Lying in the cot at night, she planned her get away. She dreaded the day she would have to put it to use. She didn’t want to leave, but she knew she had to, to save this family from any more stress and danger.
Rose tired of staying in bed. She barked orders and eased her way back into helping Mattie with smaller chores that weren’t too stressful for her. Her weak body tired out rather quickly. Mattie didn’t have the heart to tell Rose she wasn’t needed to help in her own house. She worked around the slow movements and found smaller menial chores for her landlord.
“James, could you watch Rose while I go to the store?”
“I can, if that’s what you need.” James’s seemed to be preoccupied since the shooting. Mattie supposed they all had; it wasn’t something that most of them were accustomed to.
Mattie turned to the china hutch and pulled out a list Rose had started. She added a few items and set off for the mercantile down the street. The bright sun warmed her face. A refreshing breeze filtered under the awnings of the doorways of the stores. Drawing in a deep breath, she paused before she pushed the door open.
Stepping inside, she let her eyes adjust to the dimness of the store. As she glanced around, she spotted the clerk behind the counter. “I have a few items I need to pick up for Rose today. Would you be so kind as to fill the order?”
“How is Rose? I heard the news, and it is just awful knowing there are people like that in Linden. Why there are so many new people coming in everyday, we just don’t know who we can trust these days.”
Mattie had walked around the display tables. Piles of different items spread across the flat surfaces. The mercantile carried light blue material to replace the spread and curtains in Bagwell’s room. Mattie opened her drawstring bag and paid for it with the money she earned. Helga Church agreed to make the curtains and a new spread as a gift of appreciation to Rose. She offered to pay, but Helga refused it.
Ed moved into Bagwell’s old room. He said it was the only room empty in town. She suspected he wanted to be closer to Rose more than needing a place to live. Rose thought it was a wonderful idea.