Before the Dawn

by Beverly Jenkins

  “What happened?”

  “The father didn’t want the child. Me either as it turned out. He used me for one night, then offered me money to go away.” She paused again and stared unseeing off into the distance. Her eyes were sad. “He didn’t want either of us,” she whispered. “I took the money, but I’d given him my innocence because I thought I meant as much to him as he did to me…”

  Eloise’s eyes reflected a terrible pain.

  Leah knew where this was leading, and it felt like a rock on her heart, but she had to ask. “Monty fathered your child, didn’t he?”

  Eloise nodded stonily. “Yes, he did, and he paid me off himself. Probably didn’t want that little worm, Cecil Lee, to know he’d made sure me and Alice went to California so we wouldn’t be around when that fancy, Creole bitch came to town to be his wife.”

  So that was why Cecil hadn’t had reason to worry that Eloise was one of Monty’s castoffs. He hadn’t known. No one had. Eloise’s quick slide from pain to hatred scared Leah back to the reality of whom and what she faced. Eloise was a murderess, one so clever her victims went back over thirty years. Leah couldn’t afford to lose sight of that if she wanted to survive. “How did you kill him?”

  “Monkshood.”

  “What’s monkshood?”

  “A flower. Comes in purple and blue, sometimes white and yellow. Back in the old days it was called wolfsbane. Healers used it to lower fevers. Grows fairly common in these parts.”

  Leah’d never heard of it. “And it’s poisonous?”

  “Deadly.”

  “When did you poison him?”

  “The day Ryder first took you up to Sunrise. Cecil Lee came to my house late that next night to talk to me about how Ryder might treat you. He was very worried, it seemed.” Eloise paused for a moment, and then explained, “You see, the day I heard you two had come to town, I made a cake especially for Cecil, hoping I’d have a chance to offer him a piece. Got the idea for it from reading about a doctor over in England who poisoned his brother-in-law with some cake that had monkshood in it. Satan’s Butler thought it was pretty tasty. I never had a chance to kill Louis, so I killed his lackey instead. It was almost as satisfying.”

  Leah shook her head sadly. Poor Cecil. The past had come back to extract a terrible toll. “So what happened to your daughter Alice? Did she take ill and die?”

  Eloise’s eyes went cold. “No, when I realized she wouldn’t have a father, I went to an old midwife who lived here at the time. She gave me a mixture of herbs to sweep my child from me.”

  Leah stared, horrified.

  Eloise shrugged. “I was a churchgoing woman—had been my whole life, even during slave times. I couldn’t have an out-of-wedlock child, not and see Heaven.”

  Leah thought about her mother, Reba. When Leah’s father died at sea, she’d faced a similar dilemma, but she’d cherished the tiny life forming in her womb. Eloise seemed to have cherished hers also but felt forced to make a different choice. Had that experience hurt her so terribly that it twisted her into the murderess she’d become?

  Eloise went on, “So I created that statue. Dedicated it to my unborn child, and the rest of my life to destroying everything Louis Montague loved. Bernice was easy to poison. She was a hypochondriac, complained about one mythical malaise after another, and she always came to me to give her something. Well, I did. Poisoned her over a few months and made sure she took a long time to die. Creole bitch.”

  Leah shivered. “What about Ryder’s mother?”

  Eloise cackled. “She and Louis had just had a fight. I found her crying, right near the mine where Louis had sent her husband to his death. I offered to drive her home, and when she turned her back, I clubbed her, tossed her body down the shaft, and went home.”

  The silence that fell over the room was as chilling as the triumph in Eloise’s eyes.

  “You placed that note on my door, didn’t you?”

  “Yes. Remember when I went back into the house for the Sunday school books and to hitch Ol’ Tom?”

  Leah did.

  “It only took me a moment to tack up the letter and then meet you out front. I hoped it would scare you enough to make you go back East. Alice and I knew you had to die, but we didn’t want to do it. Unlike Bernice and Songbird, we liked you.”

  Leah remembered how concerned Eloise had been when they found the threatening missive upon returning from church. She’d even driven her into town to see the sheriff. Sadly, it had all been an act, a well-performed sham. “But Monty’s dead. You can’t hurt him anymore.”

  “No, I can’t, but you’re the last woman he loved—you said so yourself in court. After I kill you, I can finally rest.”

  Leah took a discreet look around the room for some type of weapon. She was fairly sure she was carrying Ryder’s child, and she had no intentions of letting that joy be snuffed out by a deranged woman from Monty’s past. “I thought you cared for Ryder. We’re going to be married, and I think I’m carrying his child. You’d hurt him that way?”

  “I do love him, always considered him mine in a way, but he’s known pain before—he’ll survive.”

  Leah didn’t think he would, but then neither would she if she didn’t leave this room. “Eloise, I’m not going to my death willingly.”

  “I don’t expect you to, dear.” She smiled. “But die you will.” And she pounced.

  Leah scrambled off the bench just in time to miss being sliced by the wicked knife. Eloise kicked over the bench and some easels in an effort to get at Leah. Leah stayed one step ahead of her, throwing easels and paints in her path while Eloise stabbed and slashed the air. Placing herself behind a table, a heavily breathing Leah evaluated her opponent, all the while searching for a way out. Eloise lunged again, but Leah darted away. Anger in her eyes, Eloise tipped over the table, sending paints, brushes, and jars of water crashing to the floor.

  Desperate now, Leah picked up a clay pot and sent it sailing through the windowpane. The shattered glass surprised Eloise just long enough for Leah to launch herself through the jagged opening. Eloise’s scream of rage blended with Leah’s scream of pain as the points of glass dragged across her arms and shoulders. She was free.

  Leah ran for her life. Her pounding heart echoed with each step. Blood was pouring down her arms, but she didn’t stop; nor did she look back. Thinking it might be best if she ran under cover of the trees and shrubs bordering the road, she tried that for a few yards, but kept being snagged by the foliage. Roots twice sent her sprawling to ground. When she righted herself she ran back to the center of the road, where the footing was more sure.

  She could taste the coppery flavor of her own blood in the corner of her mouth. Wiping at her cheek, she drew back red-stained fingers. She hadn’t known until then that she’d been cut on her face, but she paid it little mind. She had to get away.

  From behind her on the road, she heard the ominous churn of a wagon’s wheels. Turning, she saw Eloise whipping Ol’ Tom up to a full gallop. Leah darted back into the trees. She could hear herself crashing through the silent surroundings. Fat roots and snagging branches slowed her pace, but she kept moving. A large, aboveground root caught her foot, and she went down with a scream of pain. She tried to scramble to her feet, but her right ankle refused to hold her weight. It was either broken or very badly sprained. Tears of hurt and frustration filled Leah’s eyes. Hobbling back to the edge of the road, she braced herself against a tree in hopes that Eloise might have missed her and driven on by. She hadn’t; she must have spotted Leah fleeing into the trees, because she was driving slowly, peering closely for signs of her prey.

  Leah drew herself up and remained perfectly still, praying Eloise would move on, but she didn’t. Breathing hard, Leah watched her climb down from the wagon and begin to search the bushes bordering the road. Eloise then wiped a finger across the tree trunk where Leah’d fled into the woods. She surveyed the red staining her fingers, and smiled.

  Looking around Eloise called out, “Y
our blood’s leaving a trail, Leah. Come on out and stop this foolishness. I’m going to find you. It’ll just be a matter of time.”

  Leah held her breath. She didn’t move.

  “Okay then, dear. Let’s see if we can flush you out.”

  Going back to the wagon, Eloise lifted out a rifle. She fed in some shells, primed it, and began firing random shots into the trees. One bullet whizzed so close by Leah’s head she could smell its scent. Fear pumping her heart, and grimacing from the body-shaking pain in her ankle, Leah tried to decide what to do. She couldn’t run anymore, not with her injury, but if she stayed there, Eloise would surely find her.

  Eloise continued to shoot, the bullets sounding loud against the silence. It was as if she knew exactly where Leah was hiding because more and more shots kept coming her way. Leah ducked in terror.

  Suddenly the shooting stopped. Leah stiffened, wondering why, until the sound of approaching wheels gave her the answer. Someone was coming down the road! Leah didn’t care who it might be, but this was possibly her salvation, so she hobbled out of the trees. It was Helene!

  However before Leah could flag her down, Eloise began shooting, more rapidly this time. Bullets bounced off the dirt road, trying to take Leah’s life, but she desperately moved on down the road as fast as the injury would allow. “Helene!” she screamed.

  Helene had stopped her wagon upon hearing all the shooting, but upon seeing the bloody Leah waving in the middle of the road, slapped the reins and came toward her at full gallop. Eloise tried to warn her off with a shot or two, but she kept coming and didn’t stop until she was abreast of Leah.

  “Get in!” Helene yelled. Leah scrambled into the bed. Helene let the reins fall and quickly snatched up her own rifle.

  The woods were silent. Eloise’s wagon and Ol’ Tom were still beside the road, but Eloise had apparently hidden herself among the trees. She was nowhere in sight. Leah was flat on her back in the bed of the wagon trying to catch her breath and giving thanks for being rescued.

  Helene kept a wary eye on the surroundings, asking, “What is this all about? Who’s shooting?”

  “Eloise. She killed your sister, and now she’s after me.”

  Helene’s wide eyes met Leah’s. “Eloise?” she whispered.

  Leah nodded. “I think my ankle may be broken.”

  “My Lord, look how you’re bleeding.”

  “Don’t worry about that now, just get me to town. The sheriff should be told.”

  “Eloise killed my sister?”

  “Yes. She poisoned her just like she did Cecil.”

  “Well, well, well,” Helene murmured. “And now she’s after you?”

  “Yes. Let’s get out of here before she kills us both.”

  But to Leah’s dismay, Helene shouted, “Eloise, come and get her. She’s all yours.”

  Leah’s eyes widened, and she struggled to sit up only to have Helene turn the rifle on her. “Don’t move,” she commanded.

  Unable to believe what was happening, Leah looked into Helene’s cold but smiling blue eyes. Helene said reassuringly, “This shouldn’t take long.”

  She called out again, “Eloise! I’ve got her all wrapped up. You just need to add the bow.”

  There was movement in the trees to their right. Eloise stepped out. She had a smile on her face. Helene smiled; too, then shot her right between the eyes.

  Helene drove them silently back to town and braked her wagon in front of Ryder’s building. “I’ll get him, you stay here.”

  As Helene went inside, Leah was so shattered by the day’s events she could do nothing else. Moments later, Ryder came running out. He grabbed Leah up and held her so tight she thought her ribs might break, but she didn’t care. She was alive!

  Later that evening, as Leah lay resting in Ryder’s big brass bed, thoughts of Eloise sent a chill across her soul. So much evil had been hidden behind that mask of kindness and concern, an evil that went back more than thirty years. Thanks to Helene there would be no more sacrifices. Yet the memory of what her eyes recorded when Helene pulled the trigger and fired would be with Leah a long time.

  Sam had bandaged her arms. Some of the cuts were fairly deep, and before he could stitch them up he’d had to use a magnifying glass in order to remove some of the slivers embedded in the skin The pain in them and in her now wrapped-up ankle was still sharp, but she bore it. She could be dead.

  A soft knock sounded on the door. “Come in,” she called.

  Ryder. And with him entered a very concerned-looking Daniel Morton. “Are you all right, Mrs. Montague?” he asked walking in farther.

  The interior of the room with its drums, feathers, and mounted growling bears made him stare around a bit. Dressed in his crisp, blue, back East suit, Leah thought he looked very much of out place inside Ryder’s brave domain, but she liked him. “I’ve been better, and please, call me Leah.”

  He nodded. “Thanks to your story, Miss Sejours won’t be charged. The sheriff says it was a matter of self-defense.”

  “Good.” Leah doubted she’d ever come to like Helene, but the woman had saved her life.

  Ryder sat on the edge of the bed. Her love for him shone in her eyes. He bent down and kissed her brow softly. “You sure you don’t need anything?”

  She could use his arms around her while she slept but she didn’t want to tell him that with Daniel looking on. So she lied. “No, I’m fine.”

  She then turned her attention back to Daniel who’d taken the free moment to go over and peer at the beautiful black Dog Soldier bonnet encased in the glass. “What is this, Mr. Damien?”

  “It’s a Dog Soldier bonnet.”

  Daniel stared back puzzled. “A dog soldier?”

  “Yep.”

  When Ryder didn’t offer up more of an explanation, Daniel said, “Oh, well, I’m heading back East tomorrow. My wife’s having our first baby, and her time’s soon.”

  “Congratulations,” Ryder and Leah said in unison.

  “Thanks, we’re both pretty excited.”

  The news warmed Leah. It brought to mind her own growing child. She still hadn’t had a chance to tell Ryder yet, but would later tonight. “So, where does our case stand?”

  “In the judge’s chambers right now. If he rules in their favor, do you want to appeal?”

  She didn’t even have to think about it. “No.”

  She looked up at Ryder and saw loving approval in his eyes. As she’d mused before, the estate had brought her nothing but pain and sorrow. She wanted it to end. Besides, with Ryder by her side, she didn’t need anything else.

  Daniel asked, “Are you sure? They’ll definitely appeal if they lose.”

  “I don’t care. I want this to be the end of it.”

  Daniel didn’t seem to agree, but shrugged. “Whatever you say then.”

  “Thanks.”

  They spent a few more moments talking about his baby and his plans for the future.

  Finally, Ryder said, “You should rest. I’m going to take Daniel back to town.”

  “Okay.” She then told Daniel sincerely, “Thank you so much for everything.”

  “You’re more than welcome. Like I said, it was my most interesting case to date.”

  “Please send Judge Raddock my thanks also, and tell him I believe you deserve a promotion.”

  He smiled. “I’ll be sure he gets your message. Take care of yourself now.”

  “I will.”

  Ryder gave Leah’s shoulder a soft squeeze. “I’ll be back soon as I can.”

  She nodded, then using a finger, beckoned him down. When he complied she gave him a soft kiss. “Hurry home,” she whispered.

  He nodded. The departure of the two men left her alone. A minute later, she was asleep.

  She was awakened a short time later however by Sam.

  “Seth’s here. Do you want to see him?”

  A sleepy Leah didn’t really, but she rubbed her eyes, and asked, “What’s he want?”

  “To se
e how you’re faring, he says.”

  Leah sat up and pulled up the covers. “I’ll see him, but just for a few minutes.”

  “Want me to stay with you while he’s in here?”

  “Please.”

  Sam left with a smile.

  Moments later, a very concerned Seth entered the quiet room. “My God, Leah. Aunt Helene told me what happened. Are you okay?”

  “As well as can be expected I guess.” She waited.

  He read the mistrust in her eyes and turned away as if he were uncomfortable. “I just came to say, I owe you more apologies than I can give and that I’m leaving Denver as soon as I can make the arrangements.”

  “Where are you going?’

  He shrugged. “Somewhere no one knows me. I want to start over. I’m thirty-eight years old and all I have to show for it is a mountain of debt and a mistress who’ll never leave her husband.”

  He held her eyes.

  Leah said, “I wish you luck then, Seth.”

  “Thanks.”

  Silence fell over the room again, then he said, “Tell Ryder good-bye for me, will you?”

  She nodded.

  “I guess, he won you, huh?”

  She nodded yet again. “We’ll be married once I’m up and around.”

  “Maybe, one day before we die, he and I’ll be able to put the past behind us.”

  “If it’s what you both truly want.”

  He seemed to be far away and didn’t respond.

  Leah asked, “How’s Helene?”

  “Doing well, considering. Will you and Ryder keep an eye on her after I’m gone? I know she’s hard to be around, but she doesn’t have anyone else.”

  “We will, whether she wants us to or not. She saved my life. I owe her that much.”

  “Thanks,” he replied genuinely.

  Seth looked over at Sam standing just inside the bedroom door. “I promised Sam I wouldn’t stay long, so, I guess I should be going.”

  He held her eyes. “Take care of yourself, Leah.”

  “I will. You do the same.”

  He nodded, then left.

  Leah burrowed back beneath the quilt and slept.