An Agent for Gillian

by Ginny Sterling

  “I can be ready.”

  “If you need a moment…”

  “No. I’m famished. Let’s go,” she quickly announced, setting the bags on the table nearby. She quickly grabbed a shawl and threw it around her shoulders as if to hide from his penetrating eyes that watched her.

  As they stepped out of the small house they were renting, she was surprised to see Cade extend his arm politely towards her. Glancing up, she saw his eyebrow arch sardonically as he smirked at her. She wanted to slap her hand on his or pinch him but there were too many people still walking about. The sun was setting in the distance and she shivered, realizing that she would be grateful to have Cade with her on the walk back to the house. That was the one thing she hated so very much after Michael died, was the being alone.

  As they sat at Fallon’s house, she watched the scenery around her. Fallon lived with her oldest brother and his wife. She was apparently the youngest child of ten and engaged to the man who shared a meal with them. Her brother didn’t have much to say whatsoever but Rourke, her fiancé, was a lively man.

  It was so adorable how he called Fallon his ‘bonnie wee wren’ affectionately and the way she blushed so sweetly at his words. The man had a thick accent and it got even harder to understand once the whiskey was brought out after dinner.

  Gillian watched Cade sit with the other men as she helped Fallon wash the dishes. She was trying to pay attention to what Fallon was saying but missing several things as she strained to hear what Cade was saying or decipher what the Irishman was blathering on about.

  “If you want to be with your new husband, you don’t have to help me, Gillian,” Fallon urged, smiling knowingly and elbowing Gillian. She stared at the woman wide-eyed in utter shock and glanced over to Cade as the room suddenly got quiet. Looking at Cade, she felt her face turn bright red as he got to his feet.

  “What?”

  “It’s time to go, Gillian,” Cade said quietly. “Rourke and I will be heading up to the mine in the morning. Come wife.”

  “Go’n now,” Fallon teased in a whisper, winking at Gillian. “Your braw man is waiting for you. My own fella is going to be leaving soon and I’d want to sit with him for a spell under the stars and talk about our wedding.”

  Nodding wordlessly, she was reminded of the part she was playing by the simple way Cade called her wife. She knew it was a jolting reminder and meant to come out as a terse word – but the lilt of his voice made it sound almost like a caress. She shook her head, positive she was imagining it.

  As they left the home, he held out his arm as they walked across the street towards their darkened house. The moon was high in the sky and Gillian could hear crickets chirping in the night air. She understood why Fallon wanted to sit with Rourke under the stars – it was an incredibly romantic notion. Romance was not something she wanted to associate with Cade Malone - her partner.

  Gillian practically flew through the door of their house and stood near the corner of the room putting the table between herself and Cade. He looked at her and shook his head sadly, confusing her even more.

  “If this is going to work between us, you are going to have to trust me.”

  “I do trust you.”

  “No, you don’t.”

  “How do you know that? Can you read minds now, Cade?”

  “You’ve put the table between us and you’ve a knife in your hands right now, Gillian,” he said flatly, pointing at her left hand. Gillian followed his eyes and sure enough- she’d picked up the knife she’d unpacked just before they’d left the house. She flung it down onto the table as if it burned her and glanced up at him.

  “So, I might be a little concerned about some things,” she hedged evasively.

  “Do you think I would break my word to you?”

  “I don’t know - would you?”

  “I promised I wouldn’t touch you - and I won’t. We can share a house and leave each other alone. I will give you your privacy in lieu of you not slicing me in my sleep,” he spoke. Gillian looked up at him and saw the flicker of something in his eyes that surprised her.

  “You are teasing me,” she breathed in surprise. She wasn’t sure the man had a teasing bone in his body yet here he was - doing that very thing.

  “I might be,” he countered and then she watched as the corner of his lip rose in a halfhearted smile that made her stomach flip nervously. “But I keep my word and I promise you - you are safe with me.”

  “Is that because I’m not pretty to you?”

  “Do you want me to find you appealing?” he asked curiously.

  “No,” she whispered, embarrassed. “I’m glad you are going to leave me be because I don’t want to be involved in a relationship like that again.”

  “Then that makes two of us,” he immediately snapped hotly.

  “Well you don’t have to get nasty about it,” she retorted, her voice raising an octave at the tone he was using with her. Frankly, she was a little insulted that he seemed to jump at the denial of anything between them. Did he think she was ugly?

  “And you don’t have to sound like a shrew where the neighbors can hear you blathering about our personal issues.”

  “We don’t have personal issues, you dolt!”

  “We…” he roared, waving his finger between himself and her, “… certainly do – and we are married, Gillian!”

  “Don’t you yell at me!”

  “Don’t make me yell!”

  “It’s your own fault you can’t hold your temper!”

  “Don’t make me lose it!”

  “Oh! Stuff it, Cade!” she snapped, spinning about on her heel and stomping into the bedroom. “I am done talking with you about your nasty temperament and whether or not we have issues. You have the issues, Cade Malone! YOU DO!” she screamed hotly, throwing back the blanket and pillow, pretending it was his head at that very moment she pounded it with her fist.

  “DO YOU HEAR ME?”

  “I think everyone hears you,” he chuckled, coming around the fireplace and leaning on it. “That pillow doesn’t deserve all of that abuse.”

  “No - you do.”

  “You’ve got a hot little temper, Gillian,” he admitted, walking into the room and looking at her.

  Gillian stood there looking at Cade and it registered in her mind that he was looking at her like a man who wants a woman – something that scared her to death. She stomped on his boot angrily and saw him hop away, holding his foot. She glared at him as he began laughing merrily at her. She could practically see red in her field of vision. She was so mad at him.

  “I really do not like you sometimes,” she said in a huff as he sat down on the bed, on the other side of the room. He kicked off his boots, staring at her, and then began to unbutton his shirt…

  Immediately, Gillian flipped around on the bed she was sitting on and faced the wall. Her face turned bright red as she caught her breath. Was he undressing? Whatever was she going to do? Suddenly it dawned on her – she would just sleep fully clothed and facing this very direction the entire time they were here in Shenandoah.

  Lying down, she focused on the whitewashed woodgrain in front of her face. She heard Cade’s husky chuckle of amusement, causing her to gnash her teeth in frustration. Why did he have to be so irritating and so very handsome, she wondered as she closed her eyes in exhaustion.

  Chapter 7

  Cade awoke early the next morning to the sunlight streaming in the window just above his tiny bed. He’d slept fully through the night for the first time in forever without any nightmares. Looking over towards Gillian, he saw that she was huddled in her bed, fully clothed, and softly snoring. He grinned at the idea of the hot-tempered woman sleeping so deeply and noisily.

  Getting up, he quietly pulled on his shirt that he’d removed the night before. He’d slept in his pants as a favor to her because he didn’t want to embarrass her any more than he already had by laughing at how irate she got. Getting to his feet, he tiptoed over and gently lay a blanket across
her.

  He slowly backed away as he suddenly realized the temperamental woman could have slept armed and he would never know it because of how deeply he’d rested himself. He clapped his hands over his mouth to keep from laughing or making a sound. Instead, he quickly exited the house and saw several men walking up towards the hills to begin their shifts. Slipping his suspenders onto his shoulders, he saw Rourke up ahead of him along with Fallon’s brother, Jeremiah.

  “Rourke!” he called out and ran up to him. “Thank you again for bringing me with you.”

  “It’s no’a’problem.”

  “I’ve got to get a job quickly so I can take care of Gillian.”

  “We both ken what you mean. I’m saving up now ta’ marry my wee wren. There shouldn’t be a problem getting you hired on at the mine. They’re always lookin’ for strong men ta’ work.”

  Cade followed the two men and sure enough - they took one look at him and handed him a cap with a small oil lantern on top of it. Cade had to swallow the fear that suddenly gripped him as he realized that this would be the only access to light down inside the very bowels of the earth. As a boy, he’d been afraid of the dark and his father had always told him to stay strong.

  “Son, you find the light where you need it. It’s dark here,” he’d said, tapping him on the head and smiling tenderly, “but if you keep looking you’ll see that there is always something beautiful to be seen. If you are scared, look to the moon or stars. They’ll be there and will never disappear on you.”

  Those words carried him for years and made his once irrational fears disappear as he began to sleep under the stars. The farther he was from town and in the wide open, the more illumination he saw from the heavens. On a clear night, he marveled at the sheer beauty of the night sky, making him feel a peace he’d never felt before.

  There would be no moon or stars down in that mine.

  It would be like stepping into a pit where no light escaped.

  Slapping the cap on his head, he steeled himself against the bubbling panic inside of him as the men lit their lanterns. Immediately smoke began to waft around him as the oil burned. Nodding at Rourke, he picked up a vicious looking pick with a wooden handle that had been worn smooth from use and descended into the darkness.

  Hours passed and Cade followed Rourke’s lead. He was grateful for the kind man with the easy smile. It seemed like he always had something to talk about or discuss.

  “Are you taking your gel to the Settler’s reunion tomorrow evening?”

  “What is that?”

  “It’s a big hoopla event that gathers all the folk from these here parts one evening. There’ll be dancin’, plenty o’ food, and drink. I’m taking Fallon because she loves ta’ dance and that’s how we met a year ago. She was the bonniest thing I’d ever laid eyes on and I’ve been flummoxed around ’er ever since,” Rourke admitted happily.

  “I’m sure Gillian would like to go.”

  “Does she dance too?”

  Cade blinked in the darkness and thought for a moment. He honestly didn’t know. Madeline didn’t enjoy dancing. She preferred to talk with the ladies and walk about the room saying hello to everyone. He’d always enjoyed the lively music and how he could feel it in his bones, causing him to tap a foot in the rhythm. His Madeline was like a cool drink of water but Gillian was not. The woman reminded him of a pot that was ready to boil over. Full of heat, energy, and life. She probably danced, sang, and got on stage to play an instrument for all he knew about her. This would be interesting to see how they interacted at an event and if nothing else, he could tap his toes to the music once again in memory of his wife.

  “Hello? Cade me’ boy? Does your gel like ta’ dance?” Rourke repeated, waving his hand directly in front of Cade’s face, causing the shadow to pass in front of it, blackening the slight view he had momentarily. “Ye’ alright?”

  “What?” Cade questioned, drawing himself out of his memories. “Yes, Gillian would probably like to dance and meet the others in town.”

  “Good. My Fallon will probably mention it ta’ her today. She’s really excited about it and likes yer lady. Says she’s a braw lass…” Rourke laughed, “…but not as fair as my gel. Let’s finish what we can and head out.”

  Cade turned to the nearly black wall ahead of him. The variations of rock were barely noticeable in the darkness and he could hear the sounds of machinery all around him as they moved mine carts down further into the shaft via chain, making a clanking sound that echoed. Where he was at, he couldn’t even see the opening of the mine anymore, and the flicker of their hats reminded him of stars in the night. That single thought kept him going.

  Picking up his pickaxe again, he bent over and swung at the wall. The impact jarred his bone again and again, as his hands ached from the heavy labor. It was a good thing his palms were callused from years of work and riding in the saddle. A softer man would have split his palms and bled like a stuck pig.

  Swinging, he hit at the rock face over and over again, grunting with the effort as others near him also swung away. All these men around him were here for one thing- the money that the job would provide to feed their families. This was not an enjoyable task by any means, but necessary as the air they breathed, as it was the only thing available in this area.

  Being in the mine gave him a fresh outlook and a new take on what could drive a man to become one of the vigilantes, one of the Molly Maguires. Mollies in the area dappled in illegal activities throughout the state. Arson, murder, and running off the union activists in the area – hence the reason Cade was here. Straightening his back, he glanced at the man opposite of where he stood.

  “How long have you been working in this mine? My name is Cade,” he said politely, realizing it would help him to befriend others in order to achieve his goals. He stuck his hand out in the darkness and felt the other man clasp his hand.

  “The name’s Tommy,” he replied.

  Cade froze as the hand that shook his was just as calloused as his own but infinitely smaller. The voice had the crack of puberty to it and he knew that the ‘man’ standing next to him was only a young man.

  “Been working for nary a year now. You?”

  “A while now but just started here today,” Cade said blankly, floored that the teenager had been working in these mines a year. It had barely been a day for him and it felt like forever. Time in the mine was endless without a sun to look up at in the sky. “Nice ta’ meet you Tommy.”

  “You too, sir.”

  A piercing whistle sounded and the sighs of relief around him echoed in the cave. You could hear them scuttling about in the darkness, picking up their things and depositing the rock pieces into the mine car. The clanking of the chain began and they slowly walked out into the light in its wake. As they emerged, Cade saw Tommy was indeed a young man who turned and waved at him. Rourke clapped him on the back emphatically.

  “You’ll do nicely, Cade. Glad ta’ have ya’.”

  Cade nodded and smiled at the other filthy men who came and shook his hand around him. It was almost pleasant to be welcomed into their fold as a brother. He was one of them now. As they patted each other on the backs, Cade saw black dust fly up from the impact of their hands and nearly smiled. They were all covered and it felt good to be a part of the group. He’d never been afraid of hard labor but this certainly was a challenge as his shoulders, torso, and back ached fiercely from swinging the picks.

  Gillian was grateful for the chance to be away from Cade for a while and for the easy friendship Fallon presented. She’d just awoken from her sleep when she heard a knock at the door. Relieved she was still dressed in her rumpled gown, she was surprised to open it and see the young woman standing there smiling.

  “I didn’t figure you had anything to break your fast this morning. I sent my brother with extra food for your man too,” she said brightly, holding a basket containing half a loaf of bread, butter, and cheese. “Might I come in?”

  “Of course,” Gillian mutter
ed and then realized that she’d not had a chance to move the beds back into place. “Give me just a moment,” she balked and shut the door practically in Fallon’s surprised face.

  Hurriedly, she ran back to the other room and shoved at the bed frame, scooting it as fast as possible towards the other bed. Once it was close enough, she haphazardly threw the largest blanket over the two hoping it hid the large gap between them. Smiling, she opened the door again and ushered in the woman.

  “I wanted to wash my face,” Gillian said as an explanation for her abruptness.

  “I didn’t mean to interrupt your morning. If you need me to come back…”

  “No, please come in,” Gillian said quickly, grabbing Fallon’s arm. “I’m starving and that smells divine. I just don’t have much to offer you in return.”

  “Nothing is expected in return, just conversation.”

  “That I can certainly do,” Gillian replied, smiling. They talked for quite a while, sharing the meager food as they waited for the coffee Cade had brought to come to a boil. Fallon seemed to know everyone in town and everything that was going on, reminding her of her claim to ‘watch out for busybodies’ in the area. It was comical to realize that she herself was one. However, the more Gillian listened, the more she realized that befriending Fallon would put her directly in touch with several other women who gossiped.

  They apparently gathered once a week to work on quilts to give out to church parishioners in need. This seemed like such an excellent idea to recycle old clothing into something more serviceable, especially in the wintertime here in Pennsylvania. They would be meeting next week instead due to the Settler’s Reunion that was tomorrow.

  “What’s that?”

  “Tis a grand party,” Fallon breathed happily, accepting the cup of coffee that Gillian handed her. She listened as the woman went on and on, talking about how she and Rourke met there.

  “My Rourke is light on his feet and loves to dance. I remember when I first saw him, I was sitting among the other gels waiting to be asked to dance, tapping my feet to the lively jig that was playing. I’d been to the Settler’s Reunion several times but always shied away from participating, but when Rourke looked at me – I was lost,” she sighed wistfully.