The Bachelor Tax

by Carolyn Davidson

  Two, she could finagle some way of removing them from the immediate danger. To that end, she trotted several plans through her mind. The most likely, after a silent debate with herself, was to go to Mama Pearl’s cabin.

  Tanner was no dummy. He’d find them there, but perhaps not until he’d recognized that Oscar Rhine-hold’s plotting led only to danger. The thought of Nate’s hands on Anna sent a chill to Rosemary’s depths. It could not happen.

  It had been a restless night, with Rosemary awake more than she was asleep. It was before dawn when the sound of the big barn door closing carried on the still air. In moments she’d heard Tanner’s name called from beneath the bedroom window.

  “Tanner!” In an urgent half whisper, Cotton repeated the summons, and beside her, Tanner rolled to the edge of the mattress and sat up.

  She’d heard him mumble, felt the mattress shift as he rose and walked to the window, then listened intently as Cotton told him of a mare down with colic.

  She couldn’t have planned it better. That the mare was in danger was a worry, but for now, it would be Tanner’s worry. She’d heard his muffled oath as he stumbled across the floor, and watched through her lashes as he tugged his boots on.

  The fact that he’d closed the door with care, easing it shut so as not to disturb her sleep sent a pang of remorse through her. But not enough to deter her from her task.

  She’d slid from the bed as his boots touched the stairs and within seconds was rousing Scat from slumber.

  “Scat! We have to move quickly. Get dressed and take along clean clothes. I’ll get Anna.”

  Bless his heart, the boy had not opened his mouth, only tossed back the sheet and darted about the room, doing as she had directed.

  Anna was grumpy, rubbing at her eyes and clutching her doll with one arm. “Where we goin’, Miss Rosemary? Why do I hafta get up in the dark?”

  “Hush, now, sweetie. Just come along.” With trembling fingers, Rosemary dressed the girl, slid her shoes in place and then snatched up a clean dress and underwear.

  She stuffed them in her valise, along with a change of clothing for herself. The morning star was shining brightly as they slipped from the back door and set out across the field. Behind them, footprints in the dew left a trail, and Rosemary could only hope for sunshine to dry the tracks before Tanner set out to follow. A horse and wagon would have made it easier, but with Tanner in the barn, she had no chance.

  From the edge of the woods, she looked back, relieved to see lantern light flickering through the barn window. What had caused the ruckus was certainly a sign from heaven that her prayers had been heard and answered, as far as she was concerned. Yet, the thought of Tanner laboring to save his mare nudged at her conscience as she made her way through the trees. Leaving this way was probably underhanded, but it sure beat the dickens out of Scat running off with his little sister.

  “I surely don’t know where they are,” Mama Pearl said with staunch enthusiasm. “I called ’em, all three of ’em, and then I checked the bedrooms, and they was gone. I never heard a thing,” she said, emphasizing her lie with a shake of her head.

  And it was a lie. Tanner was dead certain of it. There was no way those three had fled the house without Mama Pearl’s awareness of the deed. He slapped his hat on the kitchen table.

  “Well, they’re gone. Sun’s up and I suspect the sheriff’s on his way out here by now, and I got enough egg on my face to feed ten men.”

  “That’s all you’re carin’ about, Tanner? Egg on your face?” The rebuke was less than subtle, and he favored Mama Pearl with a glare.

  “I’ll lay odds you told her where to go, didn’t you?” he growled. “Where’d they head for? Your old place?”

  “Don’t know what you’re talkin’ about, boss man.” Her stance was stubborn, arms tucked beneath her ample bosom. If there was a speck of guilt in her demeanor, he couldn’t see it.

  Tanner looked out the kitchen window. The morning sun was high in the sky. The horse he’d treated for colic was finally settled in her stall. “Damn woman could be halfway to the next county by now,” he muttered. Probably not though, he decided, with two young’uns in tow, one of them no doubt dragging her feet.

  “Sheriff’s comin’,” shouted a voice from the yard, and with one last, exasperated glance at the woman across the room, Tanner shoved past the screen door.

  “You seen any trace of Nate?” Hat pulled low over his eyes, Oscar leaned from the saddle.

  Tanner’s eyes clashed with the other man’s. “Don’t you know where he is? Thought you were keepin’ him in sight.”

  Oscar shook his head. “Had a man watching him. Next thing I knew, Dex Sawyer was bangin’ on my door, tellin’ me that old Nate swiped a bottle of whiskey from behind the bar early this morning. Last anybody saw of him, he was headin’ toward the woods north of here. And another thing,” Oscar said, holding up a hand. “He took a horse tied in front of the general store. Old Homer Pagan’s havin’ a fit.”

  “He stole a damn horse?” Tanner shook his head in disbelief. Taking a man’s horse was a sure jail sentence, if not cause for hanging.

  “Yeah. Don’t know what the man’s thinking. Must be the whiskey makin’ him act so stupid.”

  Tanner stomped past the lawman, heading for the barn. “I’ll get my horse, Oscar. We got problems enough here to go around. Rosemary took the kids and left, early this morning. I suspect she’s on her way to Mama Pearl’s cabin.”

  Sheriff Rhinehold set his gelding in motion, keeping pace with Tanner. “Well, she better hope she don’t run into Nate up there in the woods. That’s the same direction he was headin’. Didn’t anybody notice she was gone?”

  Tanner shook his head. “I sure didn’t, not till I went in for breakfast a few minutes ago. I was in the barn with a colicky horse since before dawn. And Mama Pearl says she didn’t hear a thing.”

  Oscar grunted his disbelief. “I can’t imagine that. That old lady’s got an ear to the ground twenty-four hours a day.”

  Tanner stepped into the tack room, lifted his saddle down and reached for a bridle, then opened the stall door where his stallion waited. “I don’t suppose you’d like to come along.”

  “I’m comin’,” Oscar said. “You just better hope Nate don’t find ’em first.”

  And that was a bit of wisdom he could have done without, Tanner decided.

  “You sure you know where we’re goin’? You ever been to Pearl’s cabin?” Scat carried his own gear along with Rosemary’s valise, his feet taking two steps to her one.

  “Slow down,” she panted, shifting Anna in her arms. “Of course I know where we’re going. Mama Pearl told me yesterday that her place is where the track forks, and we go to the left.”

  “Well, if there’s a fork ahead of us, I sure hope it’s loaded with something to eat,” Scat grumbled.

  If she hadn’t been so weary, she’d have laughed out loud at his words. Knowing there was a supply at the cabin, she’d barely thought of food, only to snatch up a loaf of bread and three beef turnovers from supper last night as they left the kitchen. And at that thought, she halted.

  “Open my valise and get those beef pies, Scat,” she told him. Conversation was stealing her breath at an amazing rate.

  “Can I have one?” Anna asked, leaning back to look directly into Rosemary’s face. Her arms were wrapped tightly around her protector’s neck, as if she must anchor herself, and Rosemary hitched her higher again.

  “Give your sister one first,” Rosemary gasped, closing her eyes as she sought to catch her breath.

  Scat opened the valise and retrieved the food. “Here’s one for each of you.”

  Rosemary slid Anna to the ground, then settled herself in a grassy spot, eyeing the plump turnover. Food had never looked so good. She bit into the flaky crust and chewed slowly, savoring the flavor of meat and vegetables. “We can’t be far from the fork,” she said, wishing for a swallow of coffee.

  “Can’t even tell where the sun i
s,” Scat grumbled through a mouthful of food. “Bet we’ve been walkin’ for ten hours.”

  “Not even four, I’ll warrant,” Rosemary corrected him. And at a pace that would never set a record, she thought privately. Anna had been more of a deterrent to speed than she’d expected.

  Scat glanced at her as if evaluating her strength. “Why don’t I go on ahead and see if I can find the fork?”

  “That sounds like a good idea. We’ll be along in just a minute.” With Scat out of sight, Rosemary would be able to find a convenient bush. She’d be willing to wager that Anna’s need was as urgent as her own.

  She watched as the boy picked up his load and moved down the track, and then looked around for a likely spot. Anna watched her quietly, offering no protest when Rosemary led her to a stand of low shrubs and helped her with her drawers.

  “I feel better now,” Anna said, tugging her dress into place after a few minutes. “I can walk for a while.”

  Rosemary sent her silent thanks to the heavens as she nodded agreeably. “Can you wait for me over by that big tree?” she asked Anna.

  Her own need was dealt with quickly, and she approached Anna, offering her hand. The child grasped it with confidence. “I can walk a long way now. It won’t be much farther though, will it?” she asked, her voice more cheerful than Rosemary felt.

  In fact, if the truth be known, she was beginning to doubt the wisdom of her plan, such as it was. Only the imminent arrival of Sheriff Rhinehold had pressed her into this venture. Surely she could gain some time, and keep the children with her and away from Nate.

  “Miss Rosemary!” Scat’s loud whisper wheezed out her name as he ran helter-skelter toward them. He stumbled, almost falling as he reached her side, and Rosemary was stunned by the terror written on the boy’s pale features. “He’s up there! Pa’s up ahead, sleepin’ under a tree. I almost walked right up to him, Miss Rosemary.”

  He drew a breath, and hung his head, his narrow shoulders slumping. “He’ll get us now, won’t he?”

  Rosemary drew him to her side, her own fears well in place. “No, or course, not, Scat. We’ll be very quiet, and get past him.”

  Scat looked up at her, fear leaching the color from his cheeks. “Miss Rosemary, if he comes after us, I want you to take Anna and run. Pa can’t hurt me, not any more than he already has, anyhow. But I don’t want him to touch Anna.”

  Her heart lurched within her breast as Rosemary bent to press her mouth on Scat’s forehead, and it was a measure of his fear that he allowed the caress. “I won’t leave you to face Nate alone, Scat. I wouldn’t do that to you. I didn’t bring you home with me just to let him have you again. Don’t you understand that?”

  “Yes, ma’am, I do. But you don’t know what he’s like. He’s mean, Miss Rosemary.” His words trembled and she felt the spasm of fear vibrating from his narrow shoulders.

  “Well, we’re going to walk very quietly, and carefully down the track, and when we get close to where you saw Nate, I want you to let me know. We’ll be very quiet. Do you understand, Anna? No talking or whispering at all.” Rosemary’s low tone was firm, as she dealt out her instructions. The shivers of apprehension that roiled within her must not be apparent to these children, and she stiffened her spine as she readied them for the trek ahead.

  They paced quietly, only the birds overhead breaking the silence. Within a few minutes Scat held up one hand, looking back at Rosemary over his shoulder and pointing ahead toward a towering elm tree. Beneath it, almost blending into the dried leaves and weeds around its base, was Nate Pender, head tilted to one side, mouth open. A bottle beside him gave mute testimony to his condition, and Rosemary breathed a faint sigh of relief. Perhaps he was too drunk to be aware of their passing.

  They walked quickly toward the man, then, seeking the most silent path, they trod carefully, stepping only where no dried leaves or twigs would give away their passage. Anna turned her gaze upon her father, and her eyes widened fearfully. Rosemary put a finger to the child’s lips and shook her head, the admonishment clear.

  They’d managed to get a good distance beyond the tree, and Rosemary was about to heave a sigh of relief, when a horse meandered through the trees beside the pathway they walked. Saddled and bridled, its reins trailed on the ground, and it halted every few feet, dropping its head to the ground to graze.

  Anna drew in her breath sharply and clung to Rosemary’s skirts. Her index finger pointed at the animal and she whimpered. “He’s a big horse.”

  And from the viewpoint of a small girl, Rosemary had to agree. That the creature had no interest in the three passers-by was obvious, but to Anna, the horse was a threat, and there was no denying her fear. Rosemary bent to pick her up, and sheltered her against her shoulder, where Anna buried her face.

  The horse bent his attention in their direction and a low whinny greeted them. Rosemary hurried on, only to hear another louder and longer greeting from the horse.

  “Is he comin’ to get us?” Anna whispered. “Do I hafta be afraid?”

  “No, of course not,” Rosemary answered. “The horse won’t hurt you, honey.” But your father might. Should Nate waken, and see them, they would be in for it. And that thought increased her pace as she hurried around the next bend in the track.

  Behind them, a growl of anger marked Nate’s awakening, and Rosemary heard the thrashing about in dry leaves as the man attempted to rise. She looked back, her heart beating almost out of her chest, Anna heavy in her arms, but saw no trace of Nate. Ahead of her, Scat motioned to a trail, partially overgrown by underbush, but a trail nonetheless, easy to follow.

  They left the track and hastened through the trees. Ahead, the sun was shining, the sky appearing beyond the shelter of the woods and within minutes a small log house appeared. Tucked neatly between two trees, it looked abandoned, yet flowers grew around the doorstep.

  “This is it, I’ll betcha, Miss Rosemary,” Scat murmured, waiting for her at the edge of the clearing. He ran ahead then, lifting the latch on the door, and opening it easily. His head poked inside and then he backed away, waving at Rosemary impatiently. “Come on. It’s empty.”

  With her last burst of strength, she hoisted Anna higher in her arms, and followed Scat into the cabin. Her eyes scanned the interior, but closed shutters lent no light. “Close the door, Scat,” she said quietly, fearful of Nate’s impending appearance.

  “Miss Rosemary,” Scat said quietly. “I need to go get help. If Tanner don’t come help us, I don’t know what we’ll do.”

  “I need you here,” Rosemary told him, the thought of the boy fleeing his father almost too frightening for words. She’d taken the responsibility for these children, and awesome as it was, she was in charge.

  Scat thought otherwise, if his stance was anything to go by. He stood before her, shoulders thrown back, his jaw jutting forward. “Miss Rosemary, I don’t mean to disobey you, but this is something I think Tanner would expect me to do. I’m leavin’ and I want you to bar the door and look after Anna.”

  The twelve-year-old child suddenly assumed the proportions of a young man, and before her very eyes, Rosemary saw the transformation take place. She could only bow to his decision, and she nodded, reluctantly, but with admiration. “Go on then,” she whispered. “I’ll look after your sister.”

  The boy nodded and slipped through the doorway, his feet flying as he ran toward the trees. Rosemary watched no longer, but closed the heavy door and lifted the heavy bar from beside it, fitting it into the wooden braces on either side of the portal.

  It was almost dark within the single room cabin, and she went to the window, cracking the shutter enough to allow a narrow finger of light across the floor. “Anna, I want you to find a chair to sit on, and I’ll get the bread out for you now.” Even as she spoke, she saw Nate come through the trees, staggering and gesturing with one hand, the bottle gripped in his fist.

  Scat had disappeared and Rosemary heaved a sigh of relief. Now to keep Anna occupied and unafraid u
ntil help should arrive. If Tanner ever forgave her for this mess, it would be a miracle.

  “You think they’re at Mama Pearl’s place? I thought her daughter was livin’ there.” Oscar rode behind Tanner, their animals keeping a fair pace as they followed the track. It had borne prints of three persons when Tanner checked it out, fresh tracks to his eye, and he’d followed his hunch.

  “No, the place is empty, and I’ve a hunch that old lady sent them there.” He scanned the ground in front of him, even as he cast watchful glances to the wooded areas on either side. “I think Rosemary’s planning to hide out from Nate till he gets tired of lookin’. I just wish she wasn’t so blamed ignorant about some things.”

  “You don’t want to let her hear you say that.” Oscar answered. “I’ll bet she’s a hellion when she’s riled.”

  “Well, she’ll be more than riled when I get my hands on her. Nate’s been makin’ noises about sellin’ those kids, Oscar. The man’s pure evil, through and through. I hate to think about him gettin’ his hands on Rosemary again.”

  “Anybody with a mind to buy a child ain’t too high up on the totem pole either, to my way of thinking,” Oscar said stoutly. “I hope he’s changed his mind and used that horse he stole to head for kingdom come. I’d just as soon not have to stick him in my jail again, let alone tie a noose around his neck.”

  Tanner slowed the pace of his stallion, holding up a hand to halt Oscar’s progress. Ahead, he’d caught sight of a shadow near the side of the shaded trail, and he watched, allowing his eyes to blur out of focus. There, he saw it again, a splash of color amid the green underbrush. And then a figure rose from hiding and stepped onto the narrow trail.

  “Scat!” The name was barely breathed when Tanner urged his horse into motion, the sheriff close behind.

  “Tanner?” The boy was forlorn, his face dirty, hair disheveled, his eyes wide with fright. “Tanner, you gotta hurry. My pa’s there, at Mama Pearl’s cabin, and I’ll bet he’s givin’ Miss Rosemary a hard time of it.”

  “Is she inside?” Tanner asked quickly. “Did she lock the door?”