In Love's Territory

by Lucy Evanson

  Chapter 15

  The ride to Mineral Point, usually so enjoyable, had turned into a trip through Hell itself. Jake had done well, finding every soft, thick blanket he could find and making a decent bed in the wagon, but the journey was still tortuous for Kate. Every time the wheel hit a bump in the road, bouncing the passengers like dice in a cup, she cried out. While Mary and Becky tended to her in the back, constantly replacing the cold compress on her forehead and shielding her from the early morning sun, Sam drove the horses as hard as he dared. On the rare moments when he did throw a quick glance back at the women, Kate was obscured by the red parasol that Mary held over her. It was probably for the best. He already had a hard enough time trying to concentrate on the road, what with the memory of his girl convulsing on the dirt floor of his cabin.

  “What do you think the doctor can do for her?” Jake asked, rousing Sam from his thoughts.

  “Well, the year before last, the Johnson boys ate some rat poison. They thought it was oats,” Sam said. “Doc gave them something to try to counteract it, but most of all it was just waiting and trying to keep them comfortable.”

  “You think Kate was poisoned?”

  “Looks like it. I think somebody dumped strychnine in my well last night.”

  “Who would do that?”

  Sam had to fight to bite his tongue. No use making things worse right now. There’s enough to worry about with Kate at the moment. “I couldn’t say,” he said.

  Mark turned to them. “I thought the Johnsons only had one son.”

  “They do only have one son,” Sam said. “Now.” He snapped the reins sharply, hurrying the horses up the incline. But that’s not going to happen to Kate. She’s an adult. She’s much stronger than a little boy. She’ll get through this just fine, he told himself, trying to peel away the fear that was growing around his heart like a choking weed. God couldn’t be so cruel to take her away from me so soon.

  The men fell silent for the rest of the journey; only the rumble and squeak of the carriage wheels and Kate’s occasional groans broke the silence. They topped the last hill overlooking Mineral Point just as Thomas was riding up from the other side.

  “The doctor’s waiting for you!” he shouted, rounding them and riding up alongside. “How’s she doing?”

  Becky wrung out a fresh cloth and placed it on Kate’s forehead. “She’s about the same, Mr. Taylor. She’s awful hot.”

  “Hurry, Sam, for God’s sake, hurry!”

  Sam snapped the reins hard and drove as quickly as he could; they gathered speed as they raced down the slope and it was only his fear of tipping the wagon that made him restrain the horses. He shouted and yelled as they drove, trying to clear the way, and nearly knocking several people off the road as they made the mistake of crossing in front of him.

  Doctor Sullivan was standing in front of his office as they pulled up and Sam brought the wagon to a sudden halt, leaping down almost before they had stopped moving. He ran to the back of the wagon and dropped the gate, gathering Kate into his arms and racing up the steps, the others following shortly behind. Sullivan led them inside and Sam laid her onto one of the small clinic’s beds. Even gently depositing her on the mattress wrenched a cry out of her throat, and Sam felt his heart split at the sound. Hold on, sweetheart. You did great, but we need you to hang on just a little bit more.

  “Tom said you think she got some bad water?”

  “Yeah,” Sam said, standing and turning to face the doctor. “I tasted it myself and it was bitter as hell.”

  Sullivan brushed the hair away from Kate’s eyes and laid his hand on her forehead. “You ever have problems with your well before?”

  “Never,” Sam said. “I think somebody dumped rat poison in there last night.”

  The doctor glanced up at him briefly before lowering his ear to her chest. “So I guess somebody doesn’t want you around anymore,” he murmured, before falling silent to listen to Kate’s heart.

  “It’s mutual, believe me,” Sam muttered.

  The doctor pulled out his pocket watch and took Kate’s pulse, not seemingly affected at all by the groans that floated out of her mouth when he grasped her arm. “Well, it sure looks like acute poisoning,” he said, standing up and crossing to a large cabinet in the corner of the room.

  “Will she be all right?” Kate’s father asked. “Can you do anything for her?”

  The doctor retrieved a mortar and pestle from the cabinet, then quickly opened a jar and poured several small black chunks into the mortar. “Somebody get me a glass of water. A pitcher and glasses are out in the front office,” he said. Sam turned to go but saw Jake already running out of the room. Good lad, he thought.

  “I’m going to see if she can keep down some active carbon,” Sullivan said, grinding the chunks into a fine powder. “That could help counteract whatever she took. Other than that, I can only try to keep her cool and still.”

  “Is there anything I can do here to help?” Sam asked as Jake returned with the water. The doctor poured the black dust into the glass, stirring as he did so.

  “No,” he said. “Now we can only wait. In fact, I want you all to wait outside now, please,” Sullivan said as he returned to Kate’s side. “I’ve got work to do and she needs absolute silence.”

  The group hardly moved. Sullivan’s businesslike expression softened along with his tone as he placed a hand on Sam’s arm.

  “I know you’re all worried, but there’s nothing more you can do here,” he said. “It’s up to her. If she’s strong enough, she could pull through this and be just fine. Now go.”

  The group filtered out of the room, passing through the outer office and onto the raised sidewalk that ran along the front of the clinic. As the front door closed, Sam cast a final glance back to Kate, and as the doctor raised her up to have her drink, another pitiful groan escaped her lips and her face contorted into a grimace that ripped through Sam’s chest. He closed his eyes, trying to flush out the image of Kate in such pain, and turned to the street.

  She’ll be fine if she’s strong enough. And if she’s not, Bill Taylor will have kin next to him, a dark thought whispered in the back of Sam’s mind. He abruptly started down the steps onto the street.

  “Where are you going?” Kate’s father called as Sam walked away.

  “I’m going to have a little talk with Ed Carter,” he said. “He’s going to answer for this.”

  “What do you mean? You think he did this to her?”

  Sam let the question hang in the air as he hurried down the street. The mining company’s offices were hard to miss; the building occupied a central position on the main street and the rest of the town had largely sprouted up around it. Sam could see the large CARTER MINING sign looming over the building as he approached, ran up the few stairs and stepped inside.

  The building foyer looked strangely out of place in Mineral Point. Tall potted plants decorated the room, framed oil paintings lined the walls, and thick rugs were placed over the hardwood floor. It looked like a place that oozed money and power. Sam quickly crossed the foyer, following the path that the rugs created from the front door to the secretary’s desk.

  “Morning, Sam,” she said. “What’s with the stick?”

  “Where’s Carter’s office?”

  She stared at Sam’s fist clenched around his club, the muscles in his forearm like steel cords.

  “It’s…uh, up the stairs,” she said. “But you can’t go in there without an appointment,” she called after Sam, who had already started up.

  “Believe me, Susan, this is one appointment that’s been a long time coming.” He reached the top and found himself before a set of double doors. Edward Carter, Company President, had been lovingly etched into the frosted glass.

  Sam pushed the doors open and found Carter seated at his desk, leaning forward over a pile of papers and not even bothering to look up.

  “Susan, I think I told you not to bother me,” he murmured.

  Sam st
rode quickly across the room. The desk was huge, larger than a kitchen table and made of beautifully worked mahogany. In one fluid move, Sam brought his club up over his head and crashing down onto the surface, missing Carter’s head by inches and sending a loud crack through the building. Carter’s head whipped up and Sam saw true fear slowly fill his eyes.

  “I bet you’re a little surprised to see me this morning,” Sam said.

  Carter was mute for a moment, not even daring to breathe until Sam drew his club back to his side, dragging papers and pencils onto the floor.

  “What the hell are you doing here?”

  “Walking around, you mean?” Sam asked. Carter scrambled to his feet, trying to keep the desk between them. “You aimed at me, but you got Kate!”

  The color drained out of Carter. “What are you talking about?”

  “She drank the water!” Sam shouted, leaping first onto the desk, then onto Carter like a wolf descending on a rabbit. The two fell to the floor, Carter futilely trying to bat Sam away. In only a moment Sam had flipped Carter onto his stomach and then brought him to his feet, one hand on his collar and the other twisting an arm behind. Although Carter continued to struggle, Sam drove forward and pushed the taller man up to the wall, plastering his face against the window frame.

  “You see her family out there in front of Doc Sullivan’s? They don’t know if she’s going to live or die!”

  “How is that possible?” Carter gasped as he stared out toward the clinic. “My poor girl, what did he do to you?” Carter brought a hand up to the wall and pushed hard, sending both men backwards as he broke free from Sam’s grip. Carter spun to face him, his eyes wild. “What did you do to her, you son of a bitch?” he shouted.

  “The only one who did anything to her was you,” Sam growled. “If she dies, that’s on you and you alone. And I’m here to make sure you pay for it.”

  Carter’s face grew bright red, as if it were about to burst into flame. “Who the hell do you think you are? Boy, you’re talking to Edward Carter, not one of your bumpkins picking weeds on the farm,” he said. “You think I’m about to feel threatened by some farm boy with a stick?”

  Sam turned and tossed his club onto the leather sofa that sat against the wall. “I don’t need this to take care of you.”

  Carter smirked. “Listen to me, Hall. You seem to be a little dense, so I’m going to say this as clearly as I can. Stay away from Kate. You got that? She’s mine,” he snapped. “She belongs to me.”

  “That’s not what she told me last night.”

  The redness that had flooded Carter’s face seemed to drain away in an instant. “What did you say, you son of a bitch?”

  “She’s with me now. You don’t deserve a fine woman like Kate anyway,” Sam said.

  “Boy, you just don’t understand it when somebody’s trying to teach you something, do you? I thought you would have learned to stay away from her by now,” Carter spat. “Did my guys knock the sense out of your head when they busted you up?”

  “You sent four guys to beat me instead of facing me yourself, and I’m still standing,” Sam said. “You tried to poison me and got Kate sick instead.”

  “Just goes to show you, you want something done right, you’ve got to do it yourself,” Carter said. “I won’t make that mistake again.”

  “You’re not even a man. You’re just a coward.”

  Carter’s fists bunched at his sides. “Say that again.”

  “I’ll say it as often as you want. You’re a coward.”

  Carter’s chin dropped to his chest and he began to shake his head back and forth. “I’m sorry to hear you say that,” he said quietly, and his fist shot outward toward Sam’s face.

  Sam was ready for it. He ducked down, quick as a whip, and popped up with a single jab to Carter’s jaw, sending him stumbling backwards. Carter’s face betrayed both shock and pain, and he rushed forward again with a scream, his fists swinging crazily in Sam’s direction.

  Sam was quiet as he watched Carter, dodging the wild punches and waiting for his moment. It came quickly, as Carter took another swing and left his face exposed; Sam stepped in and connected with another jab, followed by a cross to the nose that sent Carter onto his backside on the carpet. His eyes were wide as he realized both how easily Sam had bested him and that blood was flowing from his nose. He ran a hand across his face and stared at his red-drenched palm.

  Sam moved closer, now towering over Carter. “You’re going to leave town. Tonight,” he said. “And if I ever see you around here again, it’s going to go rough for you.” He reached down and clenched one fist around Carter’s collar. “You never come back here. Never. You understand me?”

  “You’re a dead man, Hall. I didn’t do it right before, but now you’re a dead man,” Carter snarled, spitting flecks of blood onto his shirt.

  “I think I heard enough.”

  The men both turned to see the sheriff standing in the doorway.

  “Tom told me you had some trouble on the farm this morning, so I thought I’d come find you,” he said. “Got a bit more information than I expected.”

  “Sheriff, escort this man out of my office and over to yours,” Carter said, knocking Sam’s hand away and getting to his feet. “And then get on back here; I’ll want to speak to you about the damage he caused and the assault he just committed.”

  “Actually, you’re going to come along with me, Edward. You and I are going to have a little talk.”

  Carter reached into his jacket pocket and removed a handkerchief, pressing it against his nose to stanch the blood. “I haven’t got time to chat this morning.” He stooped to pick up some papers that had fallen onto the floor, then stared at the sheriff as if he were surprised to find him still standing there. “In case you haven’t noticed, I have things to attend to here. Now I suggest you remember who built this town, and get this Indian out of here.”

  The sheriff stepped closer and let his jacket swing loosely, revealing his holstered pistol. “I didn’t ask you if you had time,” he said. “And if I recall, it was your father who helped build this town. Seems like he might have retired a bit too early.”

  Carter stared at the pistol hanging at the sheriff’s side for a long moment. “Look,” he finally said, “we were just sorting out a gentleman’s disagreement. In fact, I’m even willing to forget the whole thing. Sam here was just blowing off steam. No reason for you to get involved.”

  “Sounds like you haven’t left me much choice but to get involved,” the sheriff said. “Now since you’re so busy this morning, we’ll have our little talk right here. You’re in a heap of trouble, you know that?”

  Carter stepped behind his desk and began to arrange the papers that had been swept into disarray. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. Surely you can see that he viciously attacked me here in my own office. I guess we shouldn’t be surprised, given his history of violence. If anybody’s in trouble here, it should be him,” he said, pointing to Sam.

  Sam laughed. “How long do you think he’ll have to look before he finds the diggers you paid to beat me up? Or the ones who dumped poison in my well? You think they’re going to cover up for you once he leans on them?” Sam asked. “You know how this is going to look for your family once word gets out? Ed Carter, the man who poisoned his own fiancée.” Although the words were aimed at Carter, they stuck in his throat, bitter and sharp.

  Carter’s face flushed, but he remained silent as he stared down at the desk.

  “It’s not gonna look good for Carter Mining, that’s for sure,” the sheriff said. “Your father worked hard for years to build up a reputation, and you threw it away overnight.” He went on after a moment, when he saw that Carter was refusing to meet his eye. “Now, you put me in a hell of a jam, boy,” he said. “I’m a friend of your dad’s, but I’m also the law around here.”

  Carter wiped more blood away from his upper lip, finally raising his head to meet the sheriff’s gaze. “I’m sure my father would app
reciate it if you could make this problem go away,” he said quietly. “I believe we can find a way to compensate you for the trouble.”

  “I don’t want any of your damned money,” he spat. “But I’m gonna do a favor for your father and keep this quiet. Sounds to me like Sam had a pretty good idea there about you leaving town,” he said.

  “Absolutely not,” Carter said, his eyes blazing. “Who the hell do you think you are? You can’t run me out of town like this. I’m Edward Carter, damn you!”

  “You stick around here and your other option could be the hanging tree,” the sheriff said. “We’re talking about assault and attempted murder—and possible manslaughter of a young girl.” He leaned over the desk, staring Carter in the eyes. “I’ll come by your place at five to escort you out of the city. And like Sam said, if you ever step foot in Mineral Point again, then you’re going to have a problem I won’t be able to fix. You understand me?”

  There was a long pause as Carter stared back at the sheriff. He threw a quick glance at Sam, then looked down at his desk and nodded. “Fine,” he said, avoiding their eyes.

  The sheriff turned to Sam. “You think you can talk to Tom?”

  Sam nodded. “If she’s going to be okay, then I’m sure I’ll be able to explain things. He’s not a naïve man; he knows how the world works.”

  “Good,” the sheriff said. “No reason to drag things out and make things worse than they already are. Get rid of the spoiled fruit,” he said, sending a sharp glance toward Carter, “to save the tree. Now I suspect you should get over to Doc Sullivan’s to check on Kate.”

  “Actually, I’d like to go over too,” Carter said. “You know, to say farewell.”

  “Not a great idea,” Sam said as he walked toward the door. “I’ll be sure to pass on your regrets.” He hurried down the stairs and past the secretary, who studiously avoided his eyes as he left. Once on the street, he hurried back towards the clinic, fearing the worst but hoping, praying for the best, willing her to still live. Now there would be absolutely nothing standing in their way, nothing but smooth sailing ahead. If she makes it, the dark thought whispered. She might already be dead for all you know, and you missed your chance to say goodbye.

  Sam picked up his pace, now running full-out down the middle of the street. She’ll live. She has to live. His heart dropped into his stomach, however, as he approached Doc Sullivan’s. There on the steps was Kate’s father, hugging both boys to him like a man who had nobody else left in the world, and Becky stood crying off to the side. No, no, no. Please, God, let her survive. Or if you’ve already taken her, then take me too. Sam stumbled to a walk as he approached the building and started up the steps.

  At the sound of his footfall, Kate’s father raised his head.

  “Is she….” Sam trailed off.

  “The doctor says she could go either way,” Thomas said, blinking his red-rimmed eyes. “It’s too early to tell.”

  Sam started toward the door when Thomas grabbed his sleeve. “We’re not supposed to go in yet.”

  Sam laid his hand on his wrist. “I have to see her, Tom,” he said. “I…I love her.”

  Thomas looked stunned. “What are you saying?”

  “I’m in love with her,” Sam said, feeling heat grow on his cheeks. “And she loves me too. She told me so last night.” He felt Tom’s grip loosen.

  “Go,” he said, and Sam quickly opened the door and stepped inside. He passed through the office and was at Kate’s side in only a moment. Sullivan glanced over from across the room, where he was making notes in a journal, but only raised his finger to his lips.

  Sam nodded and knelt by the side of the bed, taking her hand in his own. Her skin glimmered with sweat and moisture from the cold compress that Sullivan had placed on her forehead. He wanted to wipe it away, to brush a few stray hairs out of her face and pull her body close to his, but of course he could not. There are quite a few things I’d like to do for her, but that doesn’t mean I can do them. Maybe not ever. He grasped her hand tighter, but it was as if he were holding some inanimate object, some rock or twig. There was no grasp in return, no squeeze to let him know that Kate was even aware of his presence, and aside from the heat of her flesh he wouldn’t have even known that she was still among the living.

  Sam’s chin dropped to his chest and his eyes closed. Lord, you know I’m not a regular praying man, but she needs your help. And if you have to take her, thank you for the time you gave me with her. The rattle of her breath caught his attention and he leaned in closer. He kissed her softly on the cheek and then on the lips before putting his mouth close to her ear. “Try to stay with us, honey,” Sam whispered. “Your family needs you,” he said. “We all do.”

  Kate’s chest rose sharply as she took a deep breath, and like the air that flooded her lungs, hope raced into Sam. “Come on, sweetheart,” he whispered, and watched as the thin sheet covering her body fell. And fell. And fell. The last of the breath left her with a whisper, and Kate lay silent and still.

  She’s gone. My girl, my poor girl. Sam felt his eyes sting as they closed and his head dropped down to Kate’s chest in defeat. Not even the dark whisper rose up in his mind to taunt him at that moment. The thought that she was gone was too much to consider, too much to understand. He put his mouth to her ear.

  “You’re the only girl for me,” he whispered as a tear raced down his cheek and leaped off to bury itself in her hair. He pulled her close to him, holding her head against his. “I’ll love you forever,” he said, and let out a sigh that seemed to empty everything he had inside as well.

  Something feels warm on my neck. Feels like someone’s breath. His eyes whipped open and he gently laid her back down, placing an ear near her mouth. It was slight and shallow, but she was definitely breathing. “Oh, thank God,” he murmured as the doctor approached with a fresh cool cloth.

  Sullivan replaced the compress and took Kate’s pulse again. “She already seems stronger,” he said. “I think she’s going to pull through just fine.”

  Hope flooded through Sam as Sullivan passed through the outer office and informed Kate’s family. Tom, the boys and Becky swarmed in and gathered around the bed. Thomas couldn’t hold back his relief, alternating between hugging Kate’s hand to his chest and grabbing each of the boys close; Becky surprised Jake by tearfully collapsing into his arms. Sam sat quietly, just watching her, now calm and hopeful that the future he’d dreamed of was about to begin.

  After a few hours of watching Kate sleep, the rest of the group returned home to eat before returning in the afternoon to check on her. Nobody even questioned it when Sam stayed at her side, nor did anybody say a word in the evening when Tom and the boys ended their vigil and set out into the darkness for the ride home, again leaving Sam to watch over her.