“Didn’t you hear her? Apparently, she is the white daughter. It is a fine thing you did, Annabelle, you little fool! This Judge Wilde is an important man in these parts. If it gets back to him that you were insulting him and his daughters, it will start us off on as wrong a foot as you can possibly imagine," Augustus said worriedly as he knelt to pick up the pieces of the shattered cup.
“She assaulted me, and that is what you care about?” she huffed.
“I saw the whole thing. Trust me, actions like that are on par with what you would expect from this family. I had something of a run in with the Mexican a while back outside a courthouse,” Kincaid told them, watching their reaction. It wouldn’t’ be a bad thing to add an ally against Catalina Wilde, and it would be delightful collecting one, at her own family’s party no less, he thought to himself.
“For all your apparent gallantry, for all I know you may be the white brother pretending to be a stranger, too,” Annabelle sniffed.
“No, that is him over there. The cavalry officer dancing with the squaw. His beloved from what I have heard,” he said to them.
"Well, the two of you look like you could be brothers. Except for that long hair of yours. Father, can we please take leave of this place and this wretched family?" she finished, deeply disturbed by the Wildes' lack of decorum.
Ignoring her, Detweiller stuck out his hand. "Mr. Kincaid, I am Augustus Detweiller, and I would thank you if you could keep my daughter company a minute until she calms down from this insult. I am going to go over to the judge and ingratiate myself before word gets back to him of my daughter's comments," Augustus said.
“I would be most pleased to keep the company of such a lovely young lady,” he said, shaking the father’s hand before and then reaching for the daughter’s hand, deftly lifting it up for a kiss. “Would you like a replacement cup of punch, dear lady?”
Her face blushed slightly at his attentions before she replied, “In a minute, I suppose. I still need to collect myself from that display that blond trollop just laid on me.”
Augustus turned to meet the judge and paused for a moment to prepare himself. He knew of William Henry Wilde from many years before, but their paths had never crossed for them to have met face to face. Now at long last, they would. Slowly, he started walking across the room to the host.
***
“What’s wrong, honey? I saw Jake from the telegraph office hand you something. If he came all this way at night, it must be important, and that look on your face betrays it,” Cassandra told her sister when they were outside the barn and away from the guests.
“Indeed so, Cassie. A rather cryptic message. Here I shall read it to you. Emergency. Come to Godspell at once. Quillan needs you.” Like I said, kind of cryptic,” Honor finished. Cassandra’s eyes narrowed in thought.
“That’s it? What kind of telegram is that? It is pretty scant on information,” she told her younger sister.
“Agreed. It does not say who sent it either. Perhaps it was Quillan’s sister, Katie,” Honor said thoughtfully.
"Maybe and maybe not. Those were mighty short sentences. To me, it is like someone who is not used to sending telegrams. We know Katie handles that sort of thing all the time for the stagecoach business," Cassandra pointed out logically. Honor nodded agreement.
“That she does. Well, I daresay it truly must be an emergency if she is sending for me. I am the last person she would want to have around Quillan,” Honor pointed out.
“It’s hard to believe that you and Katie were once such good friends,” Cassandra said.
“I surely grieve the loss of that friendship, but she is still unable to accept how things turned out between Quillan and me. She blames me wholly for the outcome,” Honor replied staring off into the darkened cattle pastures.
"I reckon you got one foot in the stirrup to be on your way up there. I'll ride with you if you'd like. It's a long dark ride, and I feel a storm in the air," Cassandra said with a slight smile. Honor Elizabeth knew her sister would love to get away from the party and the formal dress.
“That’s a kind offer, but I shall be fine. It would not be the first time I traveled the road between here and Godspell at night to see Quillan.” She shot her sister a brief mischievous grin before becoming serious again. “Convey my apologies to Daddy. I feel terrible running out on his party like this,” she said truthfully.
“Given the nature of some of our guests, you aren’t missing anything,” Cassandra said. Honor looked at her quizzically.
“I thought I saw you throwing punch in someone’s face. I also thought I might have imagined it,” she said to her big sister.
“Oh, it was real alright. Probably some hell to pay for it down the line, but I didn’t like a damn thing that was coming out of her mouth,” Cassandra told her. Especially when she was saying things about someone I love as much as I love you, Honor, Cassandra thought to herself.
"I shall be off then. I simply must know what is happening with Quillan. We may not be together anymore, at least not in the way he hoped. If he is in trouble though, I am going to be there for him," Honor said simply. Cassandra hugged her tightly for a moment.
“You are a Wilde after all, Honor. We always head toward trouble instead of away from it.”
“Indeed, we do!” she replied, melting away into the night. Cassandra turned to go back towards the barn when old Mr. Chow, the ranch’s handyman of many years, came rushing up to her.
“Miss Cassandra, we have visitors at Cedar Ledge,” he told her.
"More partiers? Send them on down, so they don't miss more of Pop's shindig," she told Mr. Chow.
“No, Miss Cassandra. Not partiers, group of men. Come from Mexico, wish to see Miss Catalina,” he informed her in his clipped English.
“Is that right? Well, I should round up Catalina and get her back up to the house then. Thank you, Mr. Chow. Tell them we will be there shortly,” she instructed him. He bowed and turned as she re-entered the barn to find her sister.
Inside Catalina and Lijuan were speaking at the far wall of the barn while watching the people move around the room mingling and dancing. Lijuan was explaining her upcoming trip as a way to try and take her mind off the near grievous slip-up that she had made in front of Dutch and the others.
“So, yes, Blue River is going to come along with me. First, we are going to do a couple of collections and payments this side of the border. Then it's off to Mexico so we can pick up the big payment from Mister Garcia. Blue River said there is no way I should go alone with me coming back with so much cash," she said. “I wasn’t going to remind him that I’ve sent more bad men to boot hill than I can count but the truth is I’ll welcome his company. I’m very use to riding with you girls these days and it would get a might lonely on the trail.”
“I sure don’t get why Garcia can’t pay with a bank draft like everyone else,” Catalina remarked.
“That old rancher is eccentric, that’s all I know, other than he’ll be disappointed you didn’t come along, I will bet. He’s got a shine for you.” Lijuan said with a shrug, finishing her punch as Catalina cringed at the thought. “That was good. We’ve never had this before, have we?” she asked.
“Isabella up and brought the recipe from Mexico, and Mrs. Chow made it, stubbornly, of course,” Catalina told her.
“Of course,” Lijuan commented with a forced smile, her thoughts still on the ugliness between her and half-brother.
“Would you like another? I was headed that way for a refill myself,” Catalina offered.
“No thank you sister,” Lijuan said as Catalina gave her a “suit yourself” shrug before crossing the room to the table with the punch bowl. She reached for the ladle at the same time a man on the opposite side of the table did as well.
“Shucks, sorry about that …”
"I beg your pardon …" they said at the same moment, and she looked up, and her eyes met with the sparkling blue orbs of Killian Kincaid. Catalina's eyes sparkled as well, but with somet
hing other than happiness to see him... sudden fury.
“What in the blazes are you doing here?” she said in a low, angry tone.
“I have an invitation. Would you like to see it? If not, it starts out, the Honorable Justice William Henry Wilde respectfully requests your presence …” he began sarcastically.
"I know what it says," Catalina snapped at him. Her memories of him were not pleasant, and she had no trust in the man. It wasn't that long ago that he had been representing a scoundrel whom he clearly knew had set up the man of one Catalina's friend. The creep had wanted to get the boyfriend put behind bars, so he could go after her friend cleanly to satisfy his growing obsession wither her. With the help of Blue River, she had managed to clear the man's name and get him set free. It sent his accuser to prison, but Kincaid had managed to avoid any implication in the false accusation.
Before that, the slick lawyer had gotten a guilty man out of a lengthy jail sentence who only subsequently murdered his wife, and gave a severe beating to Noelle Dorrett, sister of Naomi Dorrett, one of Catalina’s past lovers. All this had left the young woman with a burning hatred for this man that would never abate. It was as if he stood for the opposite of Catalina and her sisters.
“Then please let me enjoy this party in peace. I’m getting some punch for a new friend. Would you like some, Catalina?” he asked as he ladled some of the delicious drink into a glass.
“What I would like to know is why my father would include you,” she said disgustedly.
“Because your papacito is a smart man and politically savvy. I have only been in Alamieda a brief time, but through my representation in both civil and criminal matters, I have gained a great deal of respect in the community. It seems as if I now qualify as one of its leading citizens. How could the judge leave me off the list?” he asked rhetorically. It infuriated Catalina that the man was right.
“Maybe so, but I know you were a part of Drummond’s attempt to railroad my friends just so that pig could try and get into Ruth Anne’s bed. As if he ever could!” she growled.
“Me being complicit in that whole sordid matter is only something you believe since there were no repercussions for me. My career was not affected by the arrest of Drummond in his attempt at fraud. Something you handily exposed. Well done,” he told her, maliciously smiling.
“And he tried to shoot me for it!” she exclaimed, still irritated by the whole affair.
“As I recall the only lead that flew that day was from your gun," he pointed out. Catalina was about to remind him he was also indirectly responsible for a murder and an attempted murder thanks to getting his guilty client off when she felt a touch on her shoulder and turned to see Cassandra had come over to her.
“Forgive me, Cattie, but Mr. Chow just came down from the house and said there is a group of men here to see you,” she told her.
“To see me? I’ll be right there,” she responded. Cassandra nodded and stepped away to allow Catalina some privacy to finish her conversation.
“A group of men? Not your usual entertainment, from what I understand,” Kincaid taunted Catalina. She snarled and got up in his face with pure white anger.
“Please, Kincaid, give me a reason to knock you on your ass. Imagine how embarrassin’ it would be, in front of your newly conned friends,” she spat. He glanced around at the fine people laughing and dancing in the festive barn, saying nothing in response.
"When we first met, I called you a coward. Nothin’ has changed I see, Now I gotta go but make no mistake. I'm gonna be chewin' my papacitos's ear about you something fierce. Politics or no politics, I don't expect to be seein' you at a Wilde party again," she told him and stalked off to see who was waiting to see her.
Catalina and Cassandra entered the great room of Cedar Ledge Ranch. As with the rest of the rooms, the spacious living room was the perfect blend of elegance and rustic living. They found five distinguished Mexican men on the couch that rose to greet the ladies as they approached them. Cassandra noticed they ranged from about thirty years old to sixty, a wide range of men, for sure. Cassandra leaned into Catalina, lowering her voice.
“So, these aren’t party guests you invited and forgot about?” Cassandra asked her sister teasingly.
“Cass! I did no such thing! Got no idea what’s goin on here,” she whispered back before they came to a stop in front of the men.
“Howdy, gentlemen. I’m Catalina Wilde. This here is my sister Cassandra. I’ve been told you’re all here to see me?” she asked.
“It is true, dear lady. We have journeyed from the Rio Sangre Valley in search of you,” the leader said. “Señorita Wilde, I am Señor Suarez. We are the heads of all the oldest families in the Rio Sangre. Our ancestors settled the Valley with Cortez,” he said proudly, and his friends nodded with the same look on their faces. Suarez was a well-dressed thin man with black hair beginning to recede. He had a well-trimmed mustache that made him look even more distinguished. “May I present Señor Fuentes, Señor Escadaro, Señor Canizarra, and Señor Hernandez-Kelly.” As he finished the introductions, Cassandra’s eyebrows rose curiously.
“Did you say Kelly?” she asked prompting one of the men to step forward. He was a ruggedly handsome man around fifty years old with curly salt and pepper hair. He too sported a mustache, although thinner, it was impeccably trimmed as well. All in all, later both sisters would agree for an older man he had extraordinarily dashing good looks.
“Si, Señorita Wilde, many of your Yankee pioneers settled in Mexico generations ago, as you can see by my name, half of my family is of American stock,” Hernandez-Kelly told them. He turned to Catalina and smiled broadly at her, but quickly his face turned somber as he held his eyes on the young woman.
"We have come here to ask your help, Señorita Wilde. A murderous bandit, El Segador, terrorizes us. Already he has slain the descendants of the valley's oldest family the Elcazars. The same night he and his men wiped out our sheriff and all his deputies so that he may roam the valley unopposed," he told them. Cassandra glanced at Catalina, recognizing she may have connections to these men
“He left a note pinned to one of the bodies saying he is coming for the rest of us next. Now we live in fear, unable to catch this killer. He and his men strike from a hidden hacienda somewhere in the vast valley. All our attempts to locate him have failed. The menace that El Segador poses must end. That is why we came to Arizona, to seek you out, Señorita Wilde, to ask for your help,” he finished, still looking directly at Catalina.
“I see, but why me?” she asked, and Suarez began speaking again.
“Many years ago, Señor Hernandez-Kelly and I made a long-lasting friendship with a man and his sister when they journeyed to the valley on behalf of their father, a respected vintner,” Suarez told Catalina.
“The siblin’s…you mean my Uncle Hector Corderro and …” she began.
“And his sister Mercedes,” Hernandez-Kelly finished for her.
“Your mother!” Cassandra exclaimed, pleased for her sister as she knew, despite Catalina doing her best never to let on, she craved any connection to the mother she never knew.
“It is always with great sorrow when we think of what happened to our dear Mercedes. She left Mexico with the promise of a new and better life,” Hernandez-Kelly said.
“Though Mercedes has long passed, we remain good friends with Hector. We only saw him but a week ago, when he was passing through the valley. He stopped, and as usual, he regaled us with tales of his beloved niece and her sisters. A quartet of avenging angels he calls you all,” Suarez stated with a smile, leaving the two sisters to laugh, as that was the first time they had heard themselves called that.
“I think I prefer that to the devils some folks try and make us out as,” Catalina said loudly, but underneath she wondered how sober Hector had been on his visit. Word had it that since his estrangement from his adult children, he had withdrawn deeper into bottles of the winery’s own creation. Her cousins were beside themselves that his drinki
ng was ruining their famous vineyards and the legacy of the Corderro family. This troubled Catalina as well, but she didn’t feel it was truly her place to interfere even though the Mexican branch of her family always swore that she was every bit the Corderro even if she had only spent her summers at the vineyards growing up. Catalina was suddenly brought back to the present then at the sound of Hernandez-Kelly’s forceful voice.
“Anyone who slights you, after all the good we have heard you have done is a man without honor,” he said righteously.
“Yes, you have done many good works. We heard word of your recent involvement with the end of the criminal empire run by Esteban San Cristobel. Now with our families in jeopardy, it occurred to me that you avenging angels may be our saviors. We can think of no others better to turn to in our time of trouble. This masked man is threatening our fine families,” Suarez said.
“Well, there is no denying that we have had our run-ins with black-hearted individuals like this El Segador. Cattie, what’s that mean in English anyway?” she asked only knowing a smattering of the Spanish language.
“The Reaper,” she answered, and Cassandra raised an eyebrow. She thought that was a bit melodramatic, then again it had been her experience that men who practiced villainy as their stock and trade were rarely subtle.
"A masked man running around calling himself the Reaper? I'll say this for our bad guy. He's got himself a flair for the dramatic. Surely sounds like someone needing to be taken down a peg or four. So, you have come to ask for our help?" she finished wanting to hear it directly.
"Exactly, Señorita Wilde. Even Hernandez-Kelly has come to ask for help, and his house is the smallest in the valley," Suarez said. Hernandez-Kelly nodded.
“Si, I too am in danger from El Segador. He is after every one of the old families of our valley,” Hernandez-Kelly said.
“If you’re friends of Uncle Hector and my mama, then absolutely I will come. I can’t promise much, mind you. Only that I am willin’ to try. I can’t speak for my sister but …”
The Reaper 0f The Rio Sangre: Special Edition HBH Version (Half Breed Haven Book 10) Page 5
