"Here is the instrument of cleansing my brethren. And nothing quite cleanses like fire." - from The Omega Man
Voices. It was the sound of voices. That was what had startled her from her sleep. Faint, hushed voices they were and they came from the back of the house near the stables. Evangeline lifted her head from its resting spot against the cool marble column of the balcony's railing and she rose from her spot on the marble floor. It was still dark.
She had tried to fall asleep after coming back to her room, but she could not. She had thought of waking Martha and telling her all that she had learned from Clay, but she had decided against it. What could Martha do about it after all? Sit and worry with her? Misery did love company, but she didn't want to worry Martha unnecessarily. So she had went onto the balcony where she felt somehow safer being under the stars, knowing that her beloved Hannibal was also out under the stars only a few minutes ride from her. The night air was warm and muggy, but the marble floor and its columned railing had felt so cool to her touch, she had sat on the floor and leaned against the rails where she had eventually fallen asleep.
She listened now to the sounds outside the house. It was definitely the sound of a team of horses being unharnessed and stabled, along with the voices of the stable boys as they worked. Her heart began to race in her chest. That could only mean one thing - Clayton Ramsey had arrived back at the mansion. There would be no other person arriving in the wee hours of the morning. This was the one thing that was uncertain in their plan - knowing when he would arrive. Hannibal had hoped it would not be under the cover of darkness when he could not see. He wanted to know the exact moment the governor was back. And now the horses and carriage would all be put away when day broke and he would never know the governor was here. But she had complete and total faith in the man she loved. Even if he didn't know the governor was here, he would get the message when he saw her and Martha leaving tomorrow. One thing he had taught her - sometimes you have to improvise.
They were to leave under the pretense of meeting Livvy in town for lunch. Once in town they would leave through the back of Fannie's cafe where James would be waiting with Livvy's private coach. They would be halfway to Colorado before the thugs that would undoubtedly follow them would even know they were missing. They never followed her into the shops and restaurants. But they were always waiting when she came out. Only this time she wasn't coming out.
She went inside and checked the time. Almost five am. Soon the sun would rise. And it would rise on the last day she would ever have to be inside the walls of this dark and gloomy house. Being outside on the balcony with the scents from the gardens below was the only place she could find peace or solace. How ironic that a man as cruel and evil as the governor could be responsible for creating such a beautiful Eden-like place as the gardens that grew below her. The gardens was the only thing about this place that did not seem to be covered by a perpetual cloud of misery. She could almost feel her lungs being deprived of oxygen the moment she stepped back inside from the balcony. He was definitely here. His presence seemed to bring with it a stifling, dark cloud of doom that robbed everyone around of their very breath, like a thick smog of depravity and evil.
She lit a candle and sat on the edge of the bed. She picked up the old family Bible that she kept on her bedside table. It was the same Bible she had read from the first day she had ever met a dimple faced cowboy named Joshua Smith. The man who had saved her life and had tried to save her mother, father and little brother. The man she would fall in love with. The man she would now die for. The man she couldn't live without. The man who turned out to be the notorious outlaw, Hannibal Heyes. She smiled as she thought of him. He was camped out in the forest behind the mansion, keeping watch over her. She took a deep breath and exhaled it on a heavy sigh. They would make it through this. They had made it through worse. That is, if the current situation didn't get any worse. Oh, why did she have to think that? At least she hasn't said it out loud. Mama had always said, "Never let the devil know what you're thinking." And if there was ever an instrument of the devil it was Clayton Ramsey, Jr. Goose bumps covered her flesh as her mind spoke his name and she shivered, thinking about poor Clarissa Ramsey, falling to her death after being pushed by the one person who should have protected her above all others. The dead woman's eyes in the portrait downstairs seemed to haunt her.
She opened the worn, black leather cover of the aged Bible on her lap and flipped through the pages until she found what she was looking for. She read aloud from Isaiah chapter 54:
15 Behold, they shall surely gather together, but not by me: whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall for thy sake.
16 Behold, I have created the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire, and that bringeth forth an instrument for his work; and I have created the waster to destroy.
17 No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord.
"No weapon that is formed against me shall prosper. Nor against those I love. Please, see us out of this mess, Lord. And I promise I'll never take matters into my own hands again. I'll let you sort things out from now on. I've preached and preached to Hannibal about having faith and now I go and get us into this terrible trouble because I didn't have any. I should have turned to you in the first place. Forgive me. I know your plan is always the best plan. So I trust you, Lord to keep this evil from me and my loved ones, and to deliver us all into a good and bright future."
She rose from the bed and walked slowly back to the balcony. As if answering her prayer, the first rays of God's sun light split the horizon to the east. For the first time in months she had hope.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Did you find your room satisfactory, Milton?"
"Yes, yes, Clayton. More that adequate. I'm sure I shall sleep like a baby tonight after the long journey here from Riverton."
"I do apologize for that, Milton. But as you know I must not be far away for long. I can't trust my son to be left to his own devices for more than a day or two. Would you like a brandy, Milton?"
"Has he been making use of the apartment over my offices then?" the doctor asked as he accepted the snifter of brandy from his host.
"Yes. But that one indiscretion here at the mansion I told you about did lead to the current situation I now find myself in. I do hope you will be able to help me with this situation as you did with my daughter's situation."
"Of course, Clayton. I'll scratch your back and you scratch mine."
"Just how much will this back scratching cost me, Milt?"
"Let me take stock of the situation, meet the girl, and I will let you know what my fee will be. When will I have the pleasure of her making her acquaintance, by the way?"
"It's still quite early. The sun is just now coming up. She should rise in a few hours. If she is unaware that I am here, she will most likely come out of her chambers. That is why I wanted to come back under cover of night. If she knows I'm here she will remain locked behind those doors and our task will be even harder."
"I've kept your daughter sedated for a decade, Clayton. Sedating a young woman long enough to produce an heir should be no trouble at all. I should think the real problem will be getting Clay to perform the necessary duties that will produce a child."
Governor Ramsey took a slow sip from his snifter of brandy. A vile grin split his face. "You misunderstand me Milton. My son will not be producing the heir. I will."
Dr. Graves was momentarily stunned. But he quickly regained his composure. "If a man wants something done right, I suppose he must do it himself." He lifted his glass in salute before drinking.
"My thoughts exactly, Milton. My thoughts exactly." The thought of having Evangeline made his blood run hot. He had wanted her for a long time now. But it was evident that she was not going to be won over easily. And now that he was sure he would be president, it was imperative that he have a grandchild to make his son's bogus marriage appear all the more real. But he knew his son would never be able to rise to the occasion when it came to bedding a woman. So he had decided he would just have to do the honors himself. And he knew she would never be a willing participant. That meant calling upon his well compensated personal family physician to see to it that Evangeline was incapacitated long enough for him to take care of business, so to speak. And he would have her incapacitated as many times as was necessary to produce a baby and get his burning lust for her out of his system.
"If it's quite alright with you, Clayton, I'll retire to my room until the young lady has made her appearance. You will notify me the moment she is out and about?"
"Certainly. And I'll have breakfast brought to your room."
"Splendid. Excuse me, gentlemen." The doctor bowed to his host and the man who was constantly, silently by his side.
"Bartholomew, I wish to see my gardens. My roses should be fully in bloom by now. Please check the house and the grounds while I do so. Ask the guards if anything out of the ordinary has happened while I've been gone."
Clayton snipped a full, lush crimson bloom from his prized crimson glory tea rose bush. He inhaled it's fragrant perfume and touched the velveteen petals to his cheek. Why couldn't everyone and everything in this life just cooperate with him like his multi colored beauties. He moved on to the yellow floribunda roses and the pink English roses. He would have a nice bouquet soon. He would present it to Evangeline in a last effort to soften her towards him. But no matter. Even if her heart remained hardened towards him and she still pined for that outlaw, he would still have her.
He held the bouquet of colorful roses in his hand and inspected it. It needed something more. A few sprigs of the lovely miniature climbing roses that grew on the trellis next to her balcony would be perfect. He strolled through the gardens along the winding pathway, admiring the many different flowers and vegetation as the sun began to make bright the day. He had started this entire garden from nothing four years ago and now look at it. Just like his life. He has started with nothing and now he had practically everything he desired. All that was left was becoming president of the United States....he stopped when he came to the trellis below her balcony......and creating an heir that he could be proud of. What a disappointment both of his offspring had been. He smiled a cocky smile, thinking of the time he would spend creating that heir. His smile faded when he saw the many petals scattered below the trellis. He became angry when he inspected the vines to find many of the blooms crushed and broken.
"Bartholomew!" he called. The silent sidekick was there immediately. "Look," he said between gritted teeth, "someone has climbed this trellis."
Bartholomew drew a silver Derringer from underneath his suit coat. He made a quick sweep of the surrounding area. His keen eyes landed on two objects that lay close together not far from the trellis.
He squatted on the ground and picked up the heavy candlestick with the candle still stuck to it and the butt of a cigar. He held the cigar butt up in front of the governor's face. His face turned red and he visibly shook with anger. "The outlaw. He dares to come onto my property after he's been told to stay away, and he dares to come near her. But worst of all he dares to climb my trellis and damage my roses and leave a smoldering cigar and a candle near enough to have started a fire. This could have burned them all to the ground."
He was furious. He had warned her what would happen if she had contact with the outlaw. But he would deal with that two bit criminal later. Right now he had to make sure his plan was set in motion as soon as possible. And that meant immediately. "Go and wake the doctor. Tell him there's been a change in plans and we must start the process today." With a curt nod Bartholomew was off, running into the house to wake the doctor.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Don't forget, Martha, if you are particularly attached to any of your dresses, you might want to wear it today. Everything else will be left behind. I'm taking my largest reticule so I can fit in my Bible and a few other personal items." She checked inside the silk bag one more time to make sure the photograph of her family, the telegraph she had received from Hannibal, her family's photograph and her Bible were all still there. Satisfied they were all safely tucked inside, she then felt inside the high lace collar of her blouse and fondled the ring that hung around her neck from a silver chain. She had everything that mattered to her. Everything else was replaceable and she would gladly give them up to have what really mattered.
"I too have my largest bag with a few personal affects. But even if I had to leave that behind I'd be fine with it. Just as long as we can leave this place and never look back."
"You're prepared to go then?"
"I've been prepared since the day I walked in this mortuary."
"Remember, stick to the plan. If we see the governor, and I'm sure we will, we are going into town because Livvy has just arrived and we are having lunch with her. The carriage should be ready to go. I told one of the servants hours ago to make sure of it. Let's walk casually out the front door and get into the carriage and everything will work out fine. As long as we make it to town, we're home free."
"I'm ready. Let's be rid of this place."
The two ladies, donned in their finest silk day gowns and hats, exited the doorway of Evie's bedroom for the final time. They descended the grand staircase. They headed for the front door. Evie couldn't believe it. They were going to escape without running into anyone. There wasn't even any staff in the house. Evie found that strange, since the governor was obviously back from his trip. But she didn't hesitate to study about it. It didn't matter any more. She was leaving, never to return. Martha was so anxious to leave she rushed ahead of Evie and practically threw the front door open. She stopped and turned to Evie. "There's no carriage."
As soon as the words left Martha's mouth, Evie could see the change in her expression as she looked past Evie's shoulder. Evie turned to see what had changed Martha's expression. Clayton Ramsey stood in the parlor door.
"Evangeline, so nice to see you this morning. Are you off somewhere?" Clayton asked nonchalantly.
"Yes, actually I am. Martha and I are on our way into Cheyenne. We are allowed to go into town now that you've returned, isn't that right?"
"Oh, yes. By all means. I can imagine you must be anxious to get out and about after being cooped up here for so many days."
Evie looked at Martha and saw the same relief she was feeling cross the older woman's face. Martha exited onto the front porch and waited for Evie, but before she could set her foot outside the door....
"Oh, Evangeline?"
Evie stopped and turned back toward the governor. "Yes?"
"Before you go, I must ask one huge favor of you. There's someone here I would very much like for you to meet. He's an old family friend."
Evie looked again at Martha. This was not part of the plan. What could she do? If she didn't meet this friend suspicions would be raised and the whole plan might collapse. It's not the hand your dealt, it's how you play the cards. She would just have to improvise as Hannibal had said she might have to. She would have to play her hand closely.
"Couldn't it wait until this evening when I return. I'm meeting Livvy in town for lunch. I haven't seen her in weeks and I've missed her terribly."
"But Dr. Graves has traveled a long way just to meet my son's new wife. He will be woefully disappointed if he has to wait until this evening. In fact, Audrey is just bringing tea and scones in from the kitchen. Please, join us in a cup before you leave. It's now only mid morning. You have a couple of hours before lunch will be served anywhere in town."
Again she was put on the spot. If she refused such a harmless request he would wonder and be suspicious and might have one of the guards accompany her in the carriage. When she looked again at Martha she could see the pleading in her eyes. Martha wanted her to refuse the invitation and just leave this very minute. What did she care if he were upset with her if she refused? She never had to see him again after today.
"I'm sorry, but I really must refuse. I'm very anxious to see Livvy and Gabbie and so is Martha."
Clayton Ramsey smirked at her as he sauntered closer. He leaned in and spoke quietly, "I must remind you that part of your duty is to maintain appearances that you are happily married to my son. The good doctor has known him since he was a child and it would be very rude to keep him waiting. I insist that you have at least one cup of tea. There is no carriage prepared to take you into town I see. Why don't you have Ms. Erskine attend to that matter and you can have a cup of tea with us while you wait."
Damn. He was being perfectly reasonable and down right polite. She thought for only a moment. They had come too far now to let something as small as a cup of tea keep them from escaping this living nightmare. She handed Martha her reticule. "Here, Martha. Take my bag and go see to the carriage. I'll be out as soon as I have one cup of tea."
Martha took Evie's bag. Evie could see in her eyes that she did not like this latest turn of events. Evie did not like it either, but it must be played just right to keep their plan from going up in flames. She faced the governor once more. "I will drink one cup of tea and I will be pleasant to your guest. But as soon as one cup of tea is gone, I am going to meet my aunt."
"Very well. As you wish," he said with a gracious smile as he took her elbow and led her to the parlor where Dr. Graves waited.
The doctor rose when she entered the room. "My goodness, Clayton. You did not do her justice. She is not merely beautiful, she is exquisite," the very average looking man greeted as he extended his hand to capture hers and bring it to his lips.
"Dr. Milton Graves, this is my daughter-in-law, Evangeline."
"Pleased to meet you, Dr. Graves," Evie said politely, taking her seat on the sofa. "I do apologize, Dr. Graves, but I must be leaving very shortly. I only have time for one cup of tea before I must leave to meet my aunt in Cheyenne. She's been back east for some time and I'm very anxious to see her."
"No apologies necessary. I completely understand. I will be here for quite some time. We will have plenty of time to get acquainted."
"How do you take your tea?" Clayton asked Evie.
"A little cream and a little sugar."
She accepted the cup of tea in the delicate china cup and saucer. She would keep her word. She had met the man and she had been pleasant. She would drink this one cup of tea and then she would be out of here. And with that thought she turned the cup up in a most unladylike fashion and drained the entire contents in three seconds. She didn't even have time to taste it. She set the dainty cup gingerly back on the saucer and placed the pair on the table in front of her. "Thank you, gentlemen, for the tea. Now, if you will excuse me...." she rose from her seat on the sofa and headed for the door. She was almost home free. Almost....almost....home.....the room tilted to the left and then to the right. She felt herself walking at an odd angle and nearly lost her balance. She had to grab the door facing of the parlor entrance to keep from stumbling. She must have stood too quickly and gave herself a head rush. Or perhaps Martha had tightened her corset a bit too much. She timidly let go of the sturdy support of the door facing and started across the foyer towards the front door. She tried not to fall again as the walls began to teeter. She stumbled and grasped for the banister of the grand staircase to steady herself. What was wrong with her? Now the room was rocking back and forth and she had to close her eyes to keep from falling. Dear, Lord, what was the matter with her? And what was the peculiar taste in her mouth? Oh, dear God. Her tea. They had poisoned her. Her mind tried to think of what to do. Martha! She wanted to call out for someone to help her, but she could not make her mouth say the words that her brain was screaming.
"Eeeeevaaaaaangeliiiiine? Aaaaaarrrrrre youuuuuuuuuu aaaalriiiiiiiight?"
She heard the voice asking her is she was alright. But the words were slow and drawn. She opened her eyes hoping that the room was no longer rocking so she could make a run for the door. But when she did the room was now spinning in circles. She felt herself falling but she could not make herself do anything to stop it. Her body no longer responded to her brain's commands. She couldn't move and she couldn't speak. She prepared for her body to hit the hard floor, but she was caught by a man's hands before her body could reach the floor. She could hear their voices. The words came slow and jumbled but she could hear Clayton Ramsey say, "Take her upstairs, Bartholomew," as she felt her limp body being passed from one man to the other.
"Hannibal, Hannibal, help me!" she screamed in vain, because though she could hear her own screams inside her head, no words passed her lips. And her beloved wouldn't have heard her even if she could scream aloud. He was a mile away waiting for her to depart. Things had just gotten worse. Much worse. The devil didn't have to hear what she was thinking. He had done his worst anyway. Her hope began to fade along with her ability to think clearly and her ability to keep her eyes open. Dear, God, help me was her last thought before she blacked out.
Martha came through the front door of the mansion expecting to see Evangeline waiting and ready. In fact she had hoped to meet her outside so that she wouldn't have to come back inside, but all she saw when she came inside was the governor and a strange man. "Where is Evangeline?"
"Mrs. Ramsey has fallen ill I'm afraid, Mrs. Erskine. Thank goodness Dr. Graves is here. She's quite ill is she not Milton?"
"Oh, yes, quite ill. I must go up and attend to her now," the doctor said as he rushed up the stairs.
"What have you done to her?"
"I told you she has taken ill. She became dizzy and fainted. She is completely incapacitated from what I've seen. And if she had taken the time to read all of the fine print in the contract she signed she would have seen the clause that gives me complete power of attorney over her and her estate should she become incapable of caring for herself. With that said, Mrs. Ramsey no longer requires your services. You are dismissed, ma'dam."
Martha's mouth fell open in disbelief. For a moment she was speechless, but it didn't last long. "Dismissed? You sir, do not pay my salary. I am in the employ of Mrs. Olivia Vanderbilt and I am paid to care for her niece. You sir have no say in my dismissal. If that child has taken ill, then I will be the one to care for her. But I find it highly unlikely that she has taken ill in the scant few minutes that I've been gone. She was the picture of health only five minutes ago." Martha headed for the stairs but was halted by Clayton's hand around her arm. "Unhand me you, brute."
"Henry, Jesse!" Two armed guards came in from the front porch. "Please, escort Mrs. Erskine off of the property. She had been dismissed and she is never to be permitted back inside the gates."
Martha gasped as the two men grabbed her roughly be the arms and dragged her towards the front door. "I knew you had the devil in you, but I didn't think I'd live to see the devil himself. And that's what you are. You're the devil. I'll be back with the authorities you can be sure of that."
"So that they can see what, Mrs. Erskine? Evangeline's worried husband and father-in-law pacing the floor as the doctor tends to her? She is my son's wife. She is in our care now. If you bring the authorities you will only succeed in making yourself out to be the disgruntled former employee with a grudge. It would be a shame if they were to discover that you were the cause of her sudden illness. Good day, ma'dam."
"You'll not get away with this you rapscallion. As God is my witness I'll see you dead before I'll let you do any harm to that girl." Martha continued to rant her threats and protests as the two men practically threw her out of the large iron gates and locked them. "Evangeline!" she called as loudly as she could as she stood peering through the gates. But she knew that the young woman would not be coming out. Lord in heaven what had they done to that sweet girl? She had to get help. It would take her two hours to get to town. She had to find Mr. Heyes. He was in those woods out back. She had to find him. He was Evangeline's only hope.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
It was already ten o'clock and no sign of the governor. Maybe he would show up later today. Heyes certainly hoped so. He was tired of waiting out here in these woods by himself. He wanted Evie out of that house and safe with him. He watched now through the binoculars but nothing had changed. The same guards had been rotating the day and night watches. The same servants were in and out of the back door that lead to the kitchen and the side door beneath Evie's room. He only hoped the governor had not sneaked in when it was dark and he couldn't see. He had slept off and on most of the night. There had been no reason to sit up and watch a house he couldn't see in the dark. He knew that even if the governor did arrive at night without his knowledge Evie and Martha would still stick to the plan and head for Cheyenne before noon. So if he didn't see any sign of them by noon, he knew he was in for another night of camping out. Maybe Kid would come by again today. He was running out of food and water. He checked his basket. One biscuit and one piece of salt pork left. He shook his canteen. A quarter full. He had one canteen left. If Kid didn't show up he would have to leave and find water.
He rubbed his jaw. It was rough with two days of beard growth. He could really use a good hot bath too. Relax, Heyes. Soon enough, you can take all the hot baths you want and your sweet Evie will be right there with you. A smile that made his dimples grow deep crossed his face. He could hardly wait to hold her again. He would hold her again as a free man and she would be a free woman as soon as they had her sham of a marriage dissolved.
He picked up the binoculars and scanned the grounds of the governor's mansion once more. Still no differences.
But wait. He strained to see the figure that emerged from the front of the house and headed to the back. He caught sight of the vivid red hair and knew it was Martha. She headed to the stables. Heyes' heart started to thud in his chest. This was it. She was getting a carriage ready to go to town. The governor must have come home in the night. Oh, well. No matter. Their plan was still foolproof. Dang it. Old Silky had told him never to say that a plan was foolproof. Anyone who said a plan was foolproof usually proved to be the fool. Silky O'Sullivan was one of the best con men who had ever shuffled a game of three card Monty. And he had taught Heyes more about the art of being a thief than any other man. And one thing he had taught him was, no matter how good a plan was, there were still things that could go wrong. Nothing was foolproof and it was a jinx to say so. But he was confident that everything would work out as planned. He still had faith. And even if something did present itself as a stumbling block he was sure it wouldn't be anything he couldn't handle. He gathered his things into his saddle bags, saddled Odin and waited. Soon he would see the girls when they left the mansion. And that would be his cue to head to town where he would be waiting to follow them to Colorado.
So many things crossed his mind as he watched and waited on the forested hillside. The first thing he wanted to do when he had Evie alone was kiss her and touch her beautiful hair. Before he had gone to prison he had taken for granted all the little things that made being in love so special. Like touching her hair, or holding her hand. He would never take anything for granted again. He and Evie had fought too hard to be together. He would spend the rest of his life making sure she never had to fight for another thing. Even if the governor did his worst, they would still be together and they would have the financial means to live wherever they wanted. Finally life was going to be good. And not because of an amnesty or a pardon. He would probably be wanted again after today. Life would be good because of Evie. It was her. Everything in his life that was good was about her. It had always been about her.
He swept the area again and again with his binoculars and again he caught the sight of vivid red hair. It was Martha again. Only this time she was being led forcibly by two men towards the big iron gates. And Evie was not with her. He waited to see if Evie would follow. The two guards shoved Martha out the gates and then chained and locked them. Martha stood at the gate for a moment. She too must be waiting to see if Evie would emerge from the house. But she did not. A heavy knot formed in the pit of Heyes' belly. Something had gone wrong. Horribly wrong. He didn't wait to see more. He was on Odin's back in less than a second and headed down the forest slope. As soon as he reached the end of the slope the forest ended and flat open ground spread out in front of him. He didn't even have to cue Odin into a gallop. The beast beneath him knew instinctively that the man on his back wanted to go and go fast. And go he went.
Heyes held tight to the reins as Odin carried him swiftly towards the mansion and towards his sweet Evie. And as he rode he could feel something deep inside of him awaken from its slumber.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Why hadn't she worn her boots. She had selfishly worn her best patent leather slippers because she had not wanted to leave them behind. But they were not very practical for running through fields and woods in search of a hiding outlaw. She had to find Mr. Heyes. He was the only hope of saving Evangeline. She had been running for what seemed like miles, but Mr. Heyes had told them he would only be a mile away. Her legs were burning and her feet ached. Fear alone kept her moving. She was just about to stop and catch her breath before starting again when she spotted the horse and rider coming her way. "Praise be to the Lord," she gasped out.
Heyes pulled rein beside the panting Martha. "What's happened?"
"I don't know. I went to the stables to make sure a carriage was in the ready and when I came back in the house she wasn't in the parlor where I had left her. And that scheming horses ass said she had taken ill and I was dismissed. They had to carry me off." Martha began to sob. "She was fine. We were following the plan. He insisted that she have one cup of tea before we left. Oh, why didn't I drag her out of that horrible place."
Heyes jumped to the ground and embraced the older lady. "Tell me exactly what went on,"
"We were practically out of the door when he stopped her. He said he had an old family friend, a doctor, who he wanted her to meet. He said he would only keep her long enough to drink one cup of tea and then she could leave. I know she was afraid she would cause suspicion if she refused. So she went into the parlor with the two men while I went to the stable."
"And nothing was wrong with her before that?"
"No. She was fit as a fiddle. He said she had become dizzy and fainted and was incapacitated. Then he told me that he was in charge of her now. Oh I'm afraid he's done something horrible to her."
"He must have slipped something in the tea. He's making it look like she's sick, but she's not." His brown eyes grew dark. "And the doctor is helping him." The thing inside of him was awake now. And it was mad as hell.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Her body jerked reflexively when she regained semi-consciousness. She was lying in the middle of the bed. She let her head fall to the side. The balcony doors were open and a cool breeze set the drapes into a gentle sway. Her gowns and petticoats still hung from the half open door of the varnished wardrobe. Her nightgown was still draped across the queen Anne chair near the fireplace. A candle still burned by her bedside from early this morning when she had read from the Bible. She was never supposed to see these things or this room ever again. She certainly wasn't supposed to see them while a drug induced paralysis rendered her incapable of moving or speaking. With tremendous effort she managed to make her head move so that she could take in the entire room. She was alone. Thank God. Being alone was better than being helpless alone with a murderer. Her fuzzy mind tried to make sense of it all. Why would he drug her unless he somehow knew that she was planning to leave and never return. But he couldn't have known. So what then? Did he have some loathsome plan of his own he was trying to carry out? Did he plan to keep her locked away like his daughter? Had Clay told his father that she knew his hideous secrets and now he wanted to keep her silent like he did his daughter? Well, he wouldn't get away with it. Martha would find Hannibal and he would save her. And Livvy would see to it that he was prosecuted and hanged for his crimes. God, please just let someone come quickly.
The door to her bedroom swung open and she could see out of the corner of her eyes, Dr. Graves entering the room. He leaned over her and looked into each of her eyes with a looking glass. He then checked her pulse and listened to her heart beat and her lungs with a stethoscope.
"Relax, young lady. Nothing is going to happen to you. You're in good hands. I've cared for Clayton's family for years."
The words were still slow and jumbled but she made out well enough what he said. Her vision became blurry as if she were looking through a fog. If he had been taking care of this family for years then he must be the doctor that Clay had told her about. The same doctor who kept Megan drugged. Dear, God that was his plan. She felt panic well up inside of her breast. Her breathing became shallow and she tried to speak but all she could produce was an incoherent babbling. When Clayton Ramsey came into the room to loom over her with his smug face she began to twitch with the effort to raise herself up.
"Now, now, Evangeline. There's no need to try to get up. Things will be much easier if you just relax and let things happen. Is she ready, doctor?"
The doctor was busy pressing her abdomen and grasping her pelvis as if measuring it. "Yes, Clayton, she seems healthy and sturdy. She should be ripe for bearing you a fine son or daughter."
"If you will excuse me, Milt. Evangeline and I would like some much needed alone time."
Evie could not believe her ears. He had drugged her so he could get her pregnant? No, by God he would not. Adrenaline began to pump through her veins. It gave her momentary strength. Through sheer determination and the help of the Almighty, she began to slowly rise from the bed. If she could hit him over the head with something....but he was back and looming over her before she could even come to a full sitting position.
"No, no. We can't have you getting up." he said as he pushed her gently and she fell back against the pillows with a thud. The room began to spin anew. She had to close her eyes again to make the spinning stop. She could only lay in silent horror as he began to disrobe her. He loosened the buttons on her royal blue silk jacket. "You're liable to fall and hurt yourself. I can't have my baby's mother hurting herself." Evie wanted to slap his face and his hands from her but her arms were like wet rags hanging on the line. He tossed her jacket to the floor and her matching royal blue silk skirt soon followed. "I'm sorry you have driven me to this Evangeline, but I have made every effort to woo you, but to no avail." Her shoes were removed. "I know that he's been here, Evangeline. Your outlaw lover. But he will not be back. As soon as he sees your belly swollen with the fruit of another man's loins, he'll not want you anymore." He began to unbutton her white lace blouse. When the last button was loosed, he parted the material and stared at her as she lay there helpless. Anger and fear were forming another spurt of energy inside of her that she was just about to use. If it did nothing more than allow her to raise a hand to slap his face, then at least she would have that satisfaction. "Oh, you are exquisite indeed. No wonder that outlaw couldn't stay away from you." The blouse was discarded followed by her corset. She had to do something. If she could just reach the heavy candlestick on her bedside she would try to hit him over the head with it. Or set his goatee on fire. Anything that would get him away from her and buy her time. Her beloved was coming for her, she knew it. But how could she grab it when she could barely sit up? She needed a miracle.
He moved away from her and stood. He began to disrobe himself. He walked to the open French doors as he unbuttoned his shirt. "Do you want to know how I know he was here?" This was her chance. She summoned every ounce of energy she had and she willed herself to sit up. She rose slowly, trying to ignore the spinning room. "I saw the roses he trampled when he climbed the trellis. And I saw the cigar he carelessly left in the yard near the gardens." She closed her hand around the heavy brass candlestick with it's candle still aflame. "He could easily have caught them on fire. That would have made me very unhappy." She stood slowly on trembling legs and raised the candlestick above her head. Now if she could make her limbs cooperate and lunge toward him with enough force to knock him out. "You wouldn't want me to be mad would you, sweetheart?"
Sweetheart? Sweetheart?! Had he dared to call her the endearment that only her beloved had ever called her? The anger she needed was sparked inside of her and she lunged toward him with all the strength she could muster. But her slow and cumbersome movements were easily thwarted as he turned and caught her hand before she could bring the candlestick down on his head. But the candle was jarred from its holding and fell from the brass candlestick. It's flame kissed the curtains that blew in the breeze as it fell to the carpeted floor. The curtains were immediately ignited and fueled by the breeze.
"Dammit, girl. Now see what you've done." Clayton pulled the curtain down by the rod on which it hung and kicked it onto the marble floor of the balcony where he stomped it into submission. Evie watched on wobbly legs as he stood over the smoldering pile of ash, while behind him the carpet was just beginning to blaze. And the flames were headed for the curtain on the other door. Clayton turned just in time to see the other curtain begin to burn. He pulled it down like the other one and tossed it onto the balcony and proceeded to try and stomp out the fire on the carpet. But he tossed the flaming curtain too hard and the weight of the metal rod sent it hurling over the railing and it drifted down like a balloon into his precious garden below. He ran to the edge and looked over, horrified. He ran back into the room jumping over the blazing carpet, the fire and Evie forgotten. "Fire!" he screamed as she bolted down the stairs to save the plants that meant more to him than any living human.
She stood there staring, the room about her rocking back and forth as the flames grew taller. She felt the heat from them. She knew she had to move. She had to get out of here. Black smoke began to billow from the open French doors as the flames ate the carpet and started to work on the hard wood floor beneath. Her head was screaming, "Move, feet, move!" But her feet were not cooperating. "Move or your going to die!" she screamed inside of herself. Evie didn't know how she did it but she somehow managed to make her feet move and she walked slowly backward until her back hit the wall next to the door that Clayton had burst through moments ago. She had to keep her back against the wall to keep from falling. Her dizzy head was incapable of thinking of anything except escaping the inferno that was about to engulf this house. She slid along the wall, keeping her eyes closed, feeling her way to the staircase. She dared not open her eyes. If she did the whole world would tilt and twirl and she would fall down the stairs. She could hear the shouts and yells of many people. She felt the breeze of someone rushing past her up the stairs. She heard the sound of a woman's voice telling her to hurry and get out the front door. But she still did not open her eyes. She kept her knees from buckling as they so wanted to do until she made it to the bottom of the stairs. She had to open her eyes now. She had to find her way to the door. When she did the entire room tilted and she went with it. She hit the floor with a thud. Smoke had begun to fill the house. But she could see the sunlight filtering through the open front door. She got on her hands and knees. She didn't have to walk out. She would crawl out.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"I'm going in after her," Heyes said as he checked the ammo in his Smith and Wesson.
"They will shoot you down. Why don't we go and fetch your friend, Mr. Curry first. It will be much safer if the both of you go in there."
"What if she doesn't have that much time? You take the horse and find Kid. Tell him what's happened and tell him that I had to go in. He'll know what to do."
"Very well. Please be careful. That man is capable of...." she stopped and turned to look at whatever the young man in front of her was so obviously horrified to see.
"Smoke!"
Martha followed Heyes' gaze to see the black smoke curling skyward. The mansion was on fire. Heyes lifted his binoculars. The smoke was coming from Evie's room. He was on Odin's back again in a second. "I'll have to take the horse. I've got to get her out of there. Get to town as soon as you can. Tell Kid what happened and tell him to track us. I'll leave him plenty of signs." He snapped the reins and Odin was off with Heyes on his back. Martha watched him speed away.
"Lord of mercy, go with that young man and be with my sweet girl."
He rode like a madman on a deranged horse. He had to get to her. She was all that mattered. He slowed his mount up slightly as he rounded the corner of the high brick walls that surrounded the mansion. He pulled his revolver, expecting to have to shoot the lock off the gate to get through, but the gates had already been opened wide. He snapped the reins once again, sending Odin into a gallop. The guards he had anticipated having to face where busy now fighting the fire. He raced through the gates and across the massive green lawn towards the house. Thick, black smoke was coming out of every window and door way. How would he find her? He didn't know how but he would die trying. He slowed the stallion down and was about to dismount and run inside the burning building when something white, in the midst of the black smoke caught his eye. And there she was, she was on her hands and knees crawling across the front porch of the mansion trying to get to the steps. He snapped the reins sending Odin into a gallop once again.
Evie didn't know how long it took her to crawl from the staircase to the front door. Her sense of time and space where warped and confused. But she did know that in the time it took her to get across the foyer and onto the porch the entire western side of the mansion was in flames. She could see the faint color of green in front of her. The lawn was not far away. If she made it to the lawn, she would live. But if she didn't keep moving she was going to die. She could see the edge of the porch and the red brick steps that led down to the lawn. She was almost there. When her head broke free from the cloud of smoke that was threatening to choke her she lifted her head to draw a breath of the fresh air. She couldn't believe the sight that met her eyes. Instead of taking a breath, her breath was taken away. He was here. He had come. Her drugged mind saw him coming in slow motion. He was riding hard and fast on his black stallion to save her. And he wasn't slowing down. She knew what he intended and she knew she must get to her feet. But she was so tired and weak. Her eyelids did not want to say open and her legs did not want to support her weight. She needed one last miracle. She crawled to the bottom of the steps and with a strength that could have come only from God, she managed to stand on shaky legs.
Heyes could see her crawling her way across the porch and down the steps. He could also see the roof of the porch was on the verge of collapsing on top of her. Her only hope was for him to scoop her up and onto the horse as he galloped by. If he had to get off the horse and help her it would be too late. Stand up, baby. Please, stand up. He could hear the groaning of the roof's weakened wood as it began to buckle. As if she had heard his unspoken pleas, she stood. As he approached her she lifted her arms. He leaned as far over in the saddle as he could. He held tight to the saddle horn with his right hand and caught Evie around the middle with his left arm. Odin slowed only a little as he scooped her up and over the saddle. Then the three were turning and speeding again across the lawn towards the open gate. A wave of heat and specks of burning debris and ash showered over them as the roof collapsed behind them.
Heyes could hear shouts at his back mingled with the groaning sound of fire as it consumed everything in its wake. Then he heard the gun shots ring out. He ducked down over Evie, covering her from the bullets that were being aimed at his back. Several bullets whizzed past him. Odin's unique agility and speed were all that was standing between him and certain death. He simply stayed as he was, bent low over Evie as he let the regal stallion do what he was born to do...run. The horse knew that his people were in trouble and his job was to run. The horses instinct fueled by the sounds of raging fire, panicked shouts and gunfire had him running faster than he'd ever run before. Had the house not been engulfed in flames, Heyes was sure the guards would have chased after them. But they were too busy trying to save the house, horses and livestock to worry about giving chase. Cows and chickens and horses rushed through the iron gate as they approached it. A few more shots whizzed by but they were way off target. They passed through the gate. Heyes turned the steed northward and let him run as he held tight to Evie.
They reached the crest of a hill a quarter of a mile to the north of the mansion. Heyes halted the horse and turned him back so he could sit and watch the inferno below. The mansion would be a total loss. And good riddance. People and animals were running loose everywhere. One of the carriage horses, a black mare, had followed Odin and was now prancing nervously a few feet away. Things had certainly not gone according to plan. But the results had come out almost the same. He looked down at Evie, unconscious in his arms. He had his Evie with him. Martha would get word to Kid and soon he, Livvy and Gabbie would join them. Everyone he loved would soon be together again and that was all that mattered. They would all decide together what to do next. And from the looks of things below, the governor was going to have too much on his plate to even worry about sending riders after them. But he had no doubt that eventually their names would once again be on wanted posters. But he didn't care as long as his sweet Evie was alive and safe.
He pulled his leather glove from his hand using his teeth. He brushed the stray locks of her hair from her face and swiped at the smudges of black suit that had blackened her nostrils and cheeks. He must take her somewhere safe. He didn't know how long it would take for the drugs in her system to wear off. But until they did he had to keep her hidden. A man riding around with an unconscious woman in her under clothes might draw some suspicious glances. He positioned her more closely against his chest and pulled her up so that her head rested against his shoulder. "Don't worry, sweetheart. I'm going to take care of you. You just need a quiet place to rest for a while. And I know just the place." He dropped a tender kiss to her soot smudged forehead then turned Odin northward. The black trotted off with his people on his back and a new, nervous lady friend of his own on his heels.
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