He waited until they had complied with his order, then removed his own belt and gun and tossed both to Travis. Cole kept his six-shooter trained on the group. He had five bullets left, and that was all he needed to kill every one of them if they tried anything underhanded. He wouldn't put anything past the vile creatures. One could very well have another gun tucked away. He hoped to God someone did. He really wanted to shoot at least one of them.
He was denied the opportunity. Harrison beckoned to the men to come to him.
"Is he going to take all of them on at once?" Travis asked his brother.
Harrison answered. "Damned right."
Cole smiled again. Both he and Travis stepped back to give Harrison more room.
"This ought to be good," Cole drawled out.
Mary Rose suddenly wished she had her gun with her. If it had been handy, she was certain she would have shot everyone in the street, including her brothers and Harrison. Cole actually looked as if he was enjoying himself. She'd shoot him first.
She refused to watch any longer. Harrison disappeared into the middle of the group of men. Then bodies started flying.
She had seen enough to give her nightmares for a week. She turned around and walked inside the saloon. She sat down in one of the chairs near the window but refused to even glance outside. Ghost was standing in front of the bar, having a drink. When he spotted her, he put the bottle down, scratched his head, and tried to look bewildered instead of guilty.
"What was I supposed to fetch, Miss Mary?"
"Never mind, Ghost. Enjoy your beverage."
"It's a might better than my brew."
"Don't you want to watch the brawl like everyone else in town?"
"I'm getting ready to watch," Ghost said.
Mary Rose closed her eyes. She ached everywhere. She felt like crying. Lord, she'd actually looked forward to today's outing. Oh, well, at least things couldn't get any worse. She found some comfort in that belief.
She was wrong though. She wasn't through being tormented.
"You can come on outside now, Miss Mary. You really ought not to be in the saloon. What would Adam think?"
Dooley asked the question from the doorway. "Ghost, ain't you fetched…"
"What was I supposed to get?"
"Water, bowl, towels," Mary Rose wearily supplied.
Ghost smiled. "Now I remember." He poured himself another drink while he nodded. "Yes, sir, I do remember."
"Here comes Harrison and your brothers," Dooley said.
If there had been a back door, she would have used it. She didn't want any of them to see her like this. At least that was the excuse she gave herself. She didn't want to think about the real reason. Harrison had completely changed his behavior. She didn't know how she felt about that. He'd looked so ruthless. Honest to God, she hadn't thought he had it in him.
"I don't want Harrison to see me, Dooley. Make him wait outside."
Dooley hurried over to her. "He already seen you good, Miss Mary. Who do you think it was who moved you? He made sure you was breathing and all, and then he went after Bickley."
Cole and Travis both came inside just as Dooley finished his explanation. Harrison followed.
"I don't remember," she admitted. She kept her gaze on her lap, still not certain how she was going to react when she looked at Harrison again.
"You were knocked out, Mary Rose. Of course you don't remember. You should have killed him, Harrison, or at least let me at him," Cole muttered.
" Harrison broke Bickley's hand," Mary Rose said.
"No, he didn't. He just twisted it peculiar," Henry told her. " Douglas is dragging them all into the warehouse while Morrison gets some rope."
"How come?" Dooley asked. "Are we going to have us some hangings?"
"No," Henry returned. "Some of the folks are going to drag them back to Hammond. The sheriff there will probably lock them up."
"Isn't there a doctor around here we can take Mary Rose to?" Harrison asked.
Cole shook his head. "Closest one lives in Hammond."
"That's too far," Travis interjected. "Let's take her to Morrison's house. Mrs. Morrison will take care of her."
"I would like to go home."
"In a little while," Cole promised. He squatted down next to his sister. In a whisper he asked, "Why won't you look at us?"
"I don't want to," she answered. "I want to go home. Now."
"Are you mad at us?"
She nodded, then promptly winced over the pain the movement caused. She never should have sat down, she realized. She'd gone all stiff. She wasn't even sure her legs would work.
"Then why don't you yell or something?"
"It would hurt too much," she admitted. She tried to stand up and promptly let out a loud groan.
Cole was suddenly shoved out of the way. Harrison scooped Mary Rose up into his arms. He was incredibly gentle with her. When that fact registered in her mind, she could almost look at him.
"What's the matter with her?" Travis asked. "Is she scared?"
"No, she's mad," Cole told him. "I don't want to be around when her temper explodes."
"I'll wager you've never seen anything like it, Harrison," Travis He and Cole both burst into laughter. Mary Rose was offended by their callous attitudes. "I cannot imagine what you two find so amusing," she snapped. "We're laughing because we're happy you weren't killed," Travis said. She didn't look as if she believed him. Cole tried to calm her down. "Look at it this way. The day has to get better, doesn't it?" She grasped the hope. Yes, things did have to get better. Unless Harrison started showing off again.
September 1, 1863
Dear Mama Rose,
Your daughter has quite a mouth on her. Yesterday morning she told Cole to hush up, and just a few minutes ago, she told Travis to mind his own business. We're always so astonished to hear her talk like that, we have to work real hard at not letting her know how funny we think it is. She loves to try to boss us around, and lately she's been repeating cuss words she's heard Cole say. We all learned an important lesson, of course, and we're trying hard not to say anything improper. She's spending quite a lot of time sitting by herself, and, Lord, can she cry. She can be a little stinker all right.
We have started taking turns teaching her the alphabet. She's still too young to get the hang of it, but she enjoys having the attention. Travis got her a chalkboard and two boxes of chalk. She ate one of the pieces of chalk, and that made her sick. I don't think she'll eat any more of them.
Everyone's worried about you, Mama Rose. What with the war going on, and none of your letters getting through to us, we get anxious. We pray you and Miss Livonia are safe. It sure would help us get through the days if we'd get a letter from you. We know you write, but the post service is in such a confusion now, we aren't even sure you're getting any of our letters. I believe God will look out for you, and that when this is over, you'll be a free woman, and you can come join your family. The baby needs you so…
God protect you,
Douglas
Chapter 7
She never should have tempted fate. Things progressed from worse to horrible. Ten minutes after she'd suffered her humiliating attack, she found herself in the most ludicrous position. She was seated in a chair with her feet propped up on a stool in the Morrisons' parlor. She was all by herself. Everyone else had disappeared into the kitchen. Catherine's mother had gone to fetch cloths and water so she could clean up Mary Rose's face, while her daughter entertained their other guests at the kitchen table.
Mary Rose told herself she deserved the misery she was suffering. She had made unkind remarks about Catherine, and even though most of the uncharitable opinions were true, she couldn't complain when Catherine lived up to her every expectation. At first-when Mary Rose walked inside the house, anyway-Catherine had pretended sympathy. She'd had an audience then. She gave quite a grand performance. Why, she even became tearful over what she kept calling her dear friend's hideous condition. Mary Rose wasn't fooled. She'd figured Catherine out years ago. Even as a little girl, Catherine pretended to be the perfect child in front of her parents and Mary Rose's brothers, but the second their backs were turned, she'd grab hold of Mary Rose and take a bite out of her. Time, unfortunately, hadn't improved her disposition or her behavior. Her sympathy for Mary Rose ended the minute Mrs. Morrison ushered the men into the kitchen. Catherine haphazardly slapped a towel her mother had given her against Mary Rose's face and went chasing after Harrison.