“Did you speak to him?” Seth’s intense gaze bore into her.
She opened her mouth to reply and then stopped. Her mouth was as dry as a bone. Sweat popped out on her forehead and Celia delicately dabbed at it with a handkerchief. What would she do if he went after Red Bear? Celia leaned back on the settee to gather some air.
“I asked you a question.” His words were harder and unyielding. He didn’t sound as if he was glad at all she’d found Red Bear – she had found her cousin. Why couldn’t he at least be happy for her? After all, she’d found a member of her family. What was wrong with him?
Her voice quivered as she said, “No… later I rode out to explain things to him. But I couldn’t locate him.”
His eyes narrowed on her.
Her eyes darted to the left despite her efforts to hold his gaze. Celia cursed herself for lying and hurried on to explain. “I was overjoyed to see him, Seth. He was alive! I didn’t think anyone would mind. But he was already gone.” She would have to do penance for all the lies. Shoving the uncomfortable thought aside, Celia tried to remain calm.
“You didn’t think, that’s for sure - what if the Army or the Rangers had found you out there?” Seth shot back. Standing, he moved quickly to the hearth.
A warm fire burned in the box. Flames danced frantically as they chased the cool night air from the room.
Agitation was evident in the frown on his face when he turned again to face her. “You can’t go gallivanting off like that,” he charged.
Like the air expelling from a balloon, some of the excitement Celia had felt after seeing her cousin slowly dissolved into more pangs of guilt and despair. Could he tell she’d lied? Would he contact the Rangers and tell them about her cousin? Oh, God, she’d forgotten about the Rangers. What had she done? The hand clinching resumed.
“I gave my word to Lone Eagle I would take care of you,” he reminded her. “So how am I supposed to do that with you sneaking off in the middle of the night to meet with a renegade Comanche?”
“Renegade Comanche!” His tone grated on her already challenged nerves. He was speaking to her as if she were a petulant child. She felt her spine stiffen as he berated her for what he’d most probably thought of as her stupidity. He had a lot of nerve. She comforted herself with the fact he was accustomed to having things done his way. Well, they’d see about that.
Seth set his mouth again in a grime line. “We lost cattle and almost a dozen horses last night. Do you suppose your cousin had anything to do with that?” He waited just a beat before punctuating his question with another. “Well, did he?”
“Well, I…” Taken back at his accusation, she faltered, “How am I supposed to know?” Her voice rose in octave but lost some of its bravado. She really hadn’t thought, just like she hadn’t wanted to upset anyone. She remembered how her heart had soared when she spied Red Bear. And yes, she had to admit her rational behavior had suffered. But what had he said… the middle of the night? How did he know when she had gone in search of Red Bear? The answer came to her in a shock of realization. He’d had her watched! He didn’t trust her! The livestock, the horses – he thought her cousin or perhaps her cousin and she had taken them. Was she now under suspicion simply because she was kin to Red Bear? Of course she was. She was Comanche.
Anger sparked in her eyes as she jumped to conclusions and attacked. “I’m sorry if I upset your precious watch.” She hurled the words at him with as much stamina as she could muster. “I knew I wasn’t truly wanted here, but I didn’t realize I was considered a prisoner, or no - a criminal!” Her voice and her indignation at the perceived injustice rose with each word she spoke. The temper she’d been struggling to contain was ripe now as she sprang from the couch and turned away from him. “I think you’d better go.” Her voice was flat and cold as ice. A pain centered in her chest – it was her heart, Celia mused. It ached with the knowledge he too saw her as a threat, as a possible enemy.
So lost was she in her own self-pity, Celia momentarily forgot about Seth.
He caught her shoulder wrenching her around to face him again. The carefully guarded mask of control was gone. There was heat in his eyes and anger in his words. “Don’t you understand that we’re at war here? What did Red Bear tell you? I know you saw him. I know you’re lying to me. What did he say? Jake said he saw you come back in the wee hours of the morning. Tell me, Celia.” He took her by the arms and shook her.
Celia’s head rattled on her shoulders like a dolls. Unbidden tears sprang to her eyes.
Slowly, Seth released her.
Something had shifted in his eyes, but it didn’t matter. The damage was done.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that.” He ran a hand through his hair. “I’m just tired.” Seth moved to the bar and poured another whiskey. Silently, he stood, not moving.
Celia watched him. She made sure her demeanor gave away nothing. With eyes going to slits, she watched him like a cat watches her prey. He wouldn’t touch her like that ever again. She would make sure of it. Her jaw firmed into a hard edge. If Mr. Loflin thought he could interrogate her, treat her like some prisoner, like some threat to his domain, then he was sorely mistaken. She’d had just about enough. Damn him for a fool, didn’t he understand?
He stood at the bar with his hands braced on the top. Scrubbing a hand over his face in visible frustration, Seth tried again.
How sweet this time his voice was softer and his words were coaxing. Celia felt a feral smile crease her lips.
“You’ve got to be careful. Your cousin is hostile and dangerous. What do you think would have happened if someone other than Jake had caught you coming back in the middle of the night to contact a person who most of Texas considers the enemy?”
She stood, silently absorbing his words. Bidding her time, she reminded herself. But his last sentence brought her head up and her awareness to full attention. That did it! Storming towards him, Celia charged, “So you did have Jake spy on me. I should’ve known better than to assume you could understand.” The proverbial knife of betrayal sank deeper into her heart. Righteous temper had her unleashing a torrent of anger then.
Seth wheeled in time to see his own end in her eyes.
“You’re all alike… all of you. You and all the rest of the holier-than-thou white settlers can go straight to hell.” She whirled, skirts swinging, hair flying as she paced and splayed her arms wide like an actress in an eastern melodrama. “You want the half-breed but don’t trust her. Play with her but don’t tell. After all, she has Comanche blood. Why, bless her poor, little heart, she can’t help thinking like an Indian, stealing like an Indian.” Her words dripped with a caustic portrayal of a southern belle. “Why heavens, she might even kill like an Indian!”
Flushed and with her breath coming hard, Celia fisted her hands, pumping them at her sides once before burying them in the folds of her day-dress. Why had she thought she could trust him? Once more, she whirled on her heel and strode back to the warmth of the fire.
“Celia, if you’ll just let me explain…I…”
Like a tomahawk, the hairbrush sailed through the air.
Quick as lightening, he threw up a forearm. His quick movement saved him from a blow between the eyes. “Celia, Wait… I… I didn’t mean it like…” With his hands spread in a plea for her to listen, he tried again. “If you’d just calm down a damn minute, I could explain…”
A jar just missed nailing him, once again.
“Hey, wait a minute…”
“Just get out!” Celia’s eyes blazed with fury. Her breath heaved in her chest.
Her breasts swelled with the effort and Seth made the fatal mistake of stepping toward her.
Celia let out a war cry, her father would have been proud of, and charged him holding a vase of flowers. Hurling the vase at him, Celia punctuated her command with an oath in Comanche.
***
All he could do was retreat. The impact of the glass crashing against the door sounded like gunfire.
He heard glass raining down on the opposite side and winced. Standing there alone in the hallway, while he cursed under his breath, Seth felt the guilt mingled with embarrassment. He’d hurt her. It was unintentional, but she didn’t know that.
An ugly little voice inside his head reminded him of how she’d hurt him. It made him feel small to realize, on some level, he’d wanted to hurt her – to cause her pain like she’d caused him all those years ago. And yes, he’d been too caught up in his own self-pity to even think of how she might have felt.
It was the God’s truth. He’d only been trying to keep her safe with the watch. If she’d only let him explain. There had to be a logical explanation for the horses as well. For some reason, the knowledge of whom she’d gone after and why didn’t seem as important as it had earlier. With the image of a snake’s belly wallowing in the sand, Seth retreated to the safety of his room.
Chapter 6
Decisions
Seth had left her alone. She should have been grateful, but it wore on her he’d had her watched. It was simply how things were. Celia lifted her chin a fraction though and stiffened her spin once more. She knew better than let her feelings get in the way of her better judgment. Seth was a white man, a rancher and the enemy of her people. She had to remember that. Even though, he’d claimed there’d been no trouble between them, she knew it was simply a matter if time, besides, he’d shown her true colors hadn’t he? She ideally brushed the soft, velvet nose of the horse she was working on.
Accepting Ty’s invitation to get acquainted with the horses, Celia found the outlet she’d needed to occupy herself with after the confrontation with Seth. Getting to know the animals and the job Ty preformed with them kept her clear of Seth for the most part.
Celia soon found herself lost in a mare that needed her attention. The mare had an injury from an arrow. The compress Celia mixed for the infection was doing wonders for the fever and lethargic condition of the sorrel filly. Ty was especially pleased with the results and told Celia so on her next visit to the barn.
“You’re a miracle worker, Celia. I’ve never seen a horse rebound as quickly before.”
“My grandmother, Silver Fox, showed me the combination of roots and herbs for an extraction compound. I just followed her instructions.” With one hand on the filly, Celia smiled at Ty. “Fever and infection soon lead to parasites. If the infection gets in the blood stream, it can be deadly.” She watched as the filly walked away. Her gat was improving. “She seems to be doing much better. Did you notice how alert her eyes are?” When the mare neared Celia and Ty once more, she nuzzled Celia’s hand and sniffed.
“Yeah.” Ty smiled knowingly. “She’s looking for a treat.” Reaching out, he scratched the filly on the nose before pulling an apple from his pocket and slicing off a sliver with his knife. “I’m not exaggerating when I say, if it hadn’t been for your skill in tending her wound, this mare wouldn’t have made it.” He turned to her then. “Thank you, Little One.”
Celia smiled. The first genuine smile she’d offered anyone in several days. “I did what needed to be done, is all. I thank you for allowing me to try.”
“What can I do to repay you? You name it.” Ty waited with a grin on his face and a tilt of his young chin.
Celia didn’t hesitate. “I would like to ride the mare when she is well enough. I’d like to help in the barn as well. Maggie has everything under control inside the house and I must admit I feel at loose ends without a responsibility.”
Ty slapped the fence approvingly. “You’re hired!” His youthful face fairly beamed. “I’d be grateful to you for such an offer, but...” His quirked a brow and considered Celia. “I seem to be the one coming out on top in this arrangement. What do you think?”
“I think riding the mare is a perfect compensation.” His easy nature was infectious and Celia couldn’t help but laugh. Ty’s company was so much more preferable to Seth’s of late. Being part Choctaw had something to do with it, Celia supposed. They shared a common social dilemma when it came to dealing with prejudice. His long lanky body stretched in tawny relief against the fence as Ty rested a booted foot on the bottom rail. He never spoke of his mother, Running Deer, but Maggie had told Celia about the raven-haired beauty Earl had bedded after Seth’s maw had died. Celia glanced back at the mare.
“You went to school too, didn’t you, Ty?” She knew he had because Maggie had shared the information with her, but she wanted to hear it from him.
“Yeah, I went to Savannah to a college for young gentlemen.” Imitating a southern drawl, Ty bowed low with his information.
Celia laughed and felt some of the tension leave her body. It felt good to relax some. “I’ll bet you had all the young ladies fawning over you.”
He cut her a glance and, to his credit, Ty blushed a little. “There were times when I didn’t have a problem filling a dance card.” He paused and glanced out at the pasture beyond the fence. “It’s just that…” He dropped his head a fraction. “Those young ladies had socially prominent parents who found their daughter’s choice of a dance partner not to their liking. If I was invited to Sunday dinner, it didn’t happen a second time.” His self-deprecating smile came then.
Celia couldn’t help but reach out and gently touch his shirt sleeve. She could feel so much empathy for this young man and his struggle. “I know. It was the same for me. The young men would want to dance with me and linger near me at the parties, but I wasn’t welcome more than once at the family socials. When their parents got a look at me, there was a lot of whispering and frowning.” She laughed thinly. “Then there was the fact the boys thought I would be so grateful for their attentions, I would willingly fall into their arms and answer all their desires.” She glanced sideways at Ty who stood with his head resting in his crossed arms atop the fence rail as he listened. “I had to make a point, a time or two, before word got around I wasn’t easy.” Celia rested her own hands on the top rail of the fence and dropped her head.
“Still, I bet you were the envy of every girl in school,” Ty said.
His sincerity made Celia feel good though she was reminded of the school-girls cruelty with his words. She caught herself shaking her head in denial. “Not really, but it’s sweet of you to speculate on my behalf.” Looking up then, she caught the quick glimmer of admiration in his dark eyes.
“You’re beautiful, Celia. Don’t let anybody ever make you second guess yourself or your abilities, okay?” He’d reached out as he made the statement and took her by the chin, turning her to face him directly. With surprising tenderness, Ty leaned over and kissed her on the cheek.
A clearing of the throat behind them, had them both jumping.
“Seth! Brother, don’t sneak up like that. You scared the crap out of me.” Ty stepped back and purposely stepped in front of Celia.
She was grateful for the moment to regain her composure. Turning effortlessly, she bent from the waist and hiked a leg, before slipping through the board slats on the fence and out into the pasture with the horses. She needed the distance from Seth. The look of displeasure in his eyes at finding them there grated on her nerves. Thinking of how restless she’d been over the last few days only frustrated her further. Unable to learn anything further about her father’s killers had her irritated at having to be patient. It wasn’t her long-suit.
Celia walked further away from the fence and ignored Seth who took up a position on the rail. She continued to watch the mother and her colt. Her senses were on alert though. Trying her best to ignore the man behind her, she considered the possibility Red Bear had been the one to steal the horses and kill the cattle. It didn’t sound logical for her cousin to kill what he could have readily stolen to provide food for The People. Considering the possibility, she wanted facts. Then an idea came to her. She brightened as her stride took on a purpose. Circling back, Celia intentionally ignored Seth and Ty as she headed for the house and Maggie’s kitchen.
Maggie said they would be going into town shortly to restoc
k and had suggested she come along. Celia considered how she would go about contacting the Sheriff herself to find out exactly what he knew.
***
A scowl creased his features as Seth rested a booted foot on the fence rail. “The sorrel mare looks like she’s gonna make it,” he said, eyeing the horse.
“Yeah,” Ty agreed, “We’ve got Celia to thank for that. The lady has a knack for this sort of thing.” Ty glanced from his brother’s profile, as Seth watched the horses and Celia then back to the mare. “Given the opportunity, I’d say Miss Celia could work wonders with some of the horses. That’s what I intend to let her do – work wonders.” Ty propped a hip on the fence rail and glanced over his shoulder toward Celia.
From the cover of his Stetson, Seth’s gaze followed his brother’s. He watched her as she bent to pick wild flowers. Seth half-heartedly asked, “Doing what?”
“Working with the horses,” Ty clarified. “Their numbers have grown to the point I need someone with a careful eye to detail and knowledge about illness and ailments. Doc Warren is good but he’s over thirty miles away. It could be too late for a colt with a wrapped cord for instance. Celia has agreed to help me and in turn I’ve agreed to let her have the sorrel mare.”
“Is that right?” Seth drawled. His eyes never left the pasture. She walked between the buckskin and the mare she’d used to slip out and meet Red Bear on. “That’s mighty generous of you, little brother.”
As he watched her, Seth swore she stepped in time with the horses. Or did the horses step in time with her? Seth growled low. He hadn’t been sleeping well, despite the whiskey. An old memory of how she’d impressed him with her horse skills that long ago summer surfaced unbidden. So fluid and effortless, she’d always ridden bare-back when they would meet in the thickets near the creek. Seth felt the soundless chuckle bubble up from down deep. He’d have to admit, he’d always thought she rode as well as most men.
Comanche Haven (The Loflin Legacy: Book 1) Page 14
