Adam had finally been allowed to begin using his arm again. The muscles had gone stiff with the limited use, and the boy suffered some pain at regaining their motion. Claudia sympathized with his anguish, even as she did the exercises the doctor prescribed. Despite the moaning and tears Adam displayed, she insisted he continue until the arm gained its full function again.
One morning, Henderson took the boys to the market, leaving Claudia at home packing boxes of her father’s books to donate to Mr. Goldberg’s library. He’d love the diverse subjects of her father’s collections, including those on politics, finance and treaty alignments. Claudia considered them all dry reading and was glad she wouldn’t be taking them with her to Colorado.
Smiling, she thought of the many fine prose and fictional works she’d already sent to Laura to hold for her. Laura’s enthusiastic telegram stating their arrival drew a smile from Claudia. Laura would use the books to pass the time until they were once again together. Then Claudia knew they’d fight over who would keep which ones.
The doorbell brought Claudia from her reflections. Brushing her dusty hand across her apron, she went to answer the door.
“Hello,” she said, greeting a tall man with dark-brown hair. He was dressed in a fine black linen suit and stood behind a very small, blonde woman with sparkling blue eyes. She was also dressed in a formal traveling suit. Claudia didn’t recognize either one. “May I help you?”
“We wish to speak with Mrs. Claudia Turner.” The man’s deep voice and somber attitude made Claudia wary.
“I am she. Please come in.” She stepped back to allow them entrance to her home. “I don’t believe we’ve met.”
“I’m Neil Cantrell and this is my wife, Elizabeth.”
“Oh, you’re Laura’s in laws.” Claudia relaxed slightly, smiling in welcome. “Please do come into the parlor. Have you heard from Laura?” Then a worry entered her mind as she took in the man’s continued stern countenance and their somber apparel. “Laura is all right, isn’t she?”
“Oh, yes, my dear,” the smaller woman rushed to reassure her from her perch on the settee. “Everyone is just fine out in Colorado.”
“That’s wonderful.” Claudia couldn’t help smiling at the woman, who reminded her of a little round canary with her dainty, yet plump, size, her bobbed yellow hair and almost twittering mannerisms. “I thought for a moment you were here to tell me some awful news.”
“We are here on some rather important business, Mrs. Turner.” Neil Cantrell sat in the chair opposite Claudia, with a mixture of business composure and something Claudia felt was almost sadness. “You see, Micah stopped by to see me on his way out west.”
His words and odd expression brought the wave of dread slamming back into her chest, harder than before. “He did?” A small buzz began in Claudia’s ears.
“He asked me to handle a very delicate matter for him. You see…er…he has come to the conclusion that he has placed you and your family in danger, and wishes to right the situation before any further peril might befall you.”
“The situation?” The buzzing grew louder.
“He asked me to draw up papers that he believes would ensure your safety.” Neil began pacing the room. “Once you’ve signed them, he is convinced his family and any of their conspirators will be prevented from harming any of you again.”
“Papers, Mr. Cantrell?” Claudia was having trouble watching him pace back and forth. She wished the man would stand still. It was difficult to concentrate on his words and fight the loud buzzing in her ears.
Neil stopped right in front of her. “Micah wishes to grant you a divorce, Mrs. Turner.”
The room became very bright. A deep heat rushed through her. The buzzing drowned out all further sound and finally darkness swallowed her.
* * * * *
The buzzing grew faint in Claudia’s ears. A cool cloth was placed on her forehead. Strange, unrecognizable voices argued quietly above her. She listened to them as she tried to regain her senses.
“I told you to be tactful, dear.” A feminine voice spoke.
“I was being tactful, Beth.”
“I meant tactful with a young wife, not a room full of board members for a law firm. You just don’t blurt out the words, Your husband wishes to grant you a divorce. I could tell she was going to faint by the way she lost all her color during your speech. You should’ve watched her more closely.”
“Dammit, Beth. You know I’m not very good at handling these types of things. That’s why I brought you along.”
“Shh. I think she’s coming around.”
Claudia blinked her eyes to adjust to the light in the room, taking in the couple before her. As her mind cleared she remembered greeting them at her door.
The woman smiled hesitantly. “You’re back with us. Would you like to sit up now?”
“I…I believe so.” Claudia put her hand behind her to push herself up against the pillows. The sudden movement caused her to close her eyes until her equilibrium returned.
“Take it easy.” The man behind her helped to steady her. “Would you like a glass of water?”
“Yes…yes, I would.” Claudia opened her eyes, appreciating the fact that her world had stopped spinning. “The kitchen is that way.” She directed the man who was already headed out of the room.
“Neil found it earlier when I sent him for a cool cloth. You gave the poor man such a fright.” The small, round woman giggled as she watched her husband disappear. “He never was much good with swooning females.”
“I’m sorry, I don’t know what came over me. I’ve never fainted in my life, Mrs. Cantrell.” Claudia slowly eased herself further up on the settee.
“Please call me Beth, Claudia.” Beth Cantrell leaned forward to take her hand, all amusement gone from her face. “You were given quite a shock. I would’ve been surprised if you hadn’t fainted. You do remember what happened, don’t you?”
Claudia closed her eyes, thinking back over the earlier incident. Neil had said that Micah wanted to protect her, and was therefore giving her a divorce. “Yes, I do.”
“Here you are, Mrs. Turner.”
She looked up to see Neil handing her a glass of cool water. She sipped it and allowed herself time to adjust to the news.
He began pacing again. “I’m sorry the purpose of our business has caused you such distress, but I did feel you should hear the news in person. I also wanted to take the time to explain Micah’s request to your full understanding.”
“Neil, dear,” his wife interrupted his speech. “Let’s leave the terms until we find out how Claudia feels about all of this.” She turned to see what Claudia was going to say.
Claudia thought for a moment, letting her thoughts roam as they may. She felt the hurt through to her core. Knowing she was no great beauty had kept her from becoming involved with any man all her life. Then a whirlwind named Micah Turner swept into her life, changing her status as a spinster and a virgin. He introduced her to passion, teaching her more than her body had ever thought possible. He taught her to trust a man, something she thought never to do. Now, in the space of an afternoon, he was attempting to destroy that trust.
Even though our time together was short, I feel as if it were a lifetime.
Those were his words, and he’d been saying farewell—not just goodbye.
The more she thought, the faster her hurt turned to anger.
How dare he? He was doing it again, making decisions regarding her and her family, without ever taking her feelings into consideration. Not only that, he was running away. He wasn’t going to give her family a chance to hurt him as his family had. No, he’d leave them first.
Well, not this time.
“I’ll tell you how I feel, Beth.” She pushed herself up to a full sitting position, her indignation taking over. “I’m incensed. How dare Micah decide for me what would be best for me and my sons, without ever once asking me what I thought about his plan? And he’s not going to get away with it.”
“What?” Neil stared at both women.
“I said good,” Beth repeated for her befuddled husband. “She shouldn’t let him get by with running away.”
“He’s not running away, Beth. He’s trying to protect her and her sons from any further danger.”
“Hogwash.” Beth turned to smile at Claudia, adding conspiratorially, “We both know what he’s doing, don’t we, dear?”
“You do?” Her husband eyed her suspiciously.
“Yes, we do. Would you be kind enough to hand me those papers now?” Beth held out her hand to her husband. Neil retrieved the requested documents from his case and placed them in her waiting palm. Beth handed them to Claudia. “I believe you know what to do with these, don’t you?”
Claudia smiled at the amiable woman, her hands closing over the formal papers of her husband’s requested divorce. “Yes, I think I do, Beth.”
Then she ripped them in two. She continued ripping until they were shreds in her lap.
“I give up.” Neil sank into the chair he’d occupied earlier. “Apparently you two have some unknown logic I couldn’t possibly begin to understand.”
“Oh, you poor dear.” Beth Cantrell perched herself on the arm of her husband’s chair, patting his hand soothingly. “It’s quite simple, really. Claudia is in love with Micah. And until he tells her he doesn’t feel the same, face to face, she will insist he keep his marriage vows.”
“What about his brother and Gibson? There’s every possibility they may decide to exact their revenge on her or one of her sons.”
“Micah wouldn’t allow that to happen.” Claudia explained confidently from her seat.
“I don’t believe he feels he’ll be able to prevent it,” Neil tried to explain one more time. “He was most adamant that this was the only way to protect you.”
“Don’t worry, Mr. Cantrell—”
“Neil.”
“Neil. I intend to see that he protects me and our sons, but not here in Washington. If he wants to protect us, then he’ll have to do so on my terms. There were many promises that my husband made to me, besides the one to protect me. I intend to see that he keeps each and every one of them.”
“How?” He asked with a grimace.
“That, Neil, is where you will have an opportunity to help.”
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Micah followed Noah silently through the forest at the foothills of the Sierra Nevada range. He hoped they neared the end of their travels.
Due to the early spring snow and subsequent mudslides in the mountains, the train trip across country took more than five weeks to reach Stockton, California. Once there, Micah was surprised that Howard didn’t plan to travel on to San Francisco. Instead, he directed Micah to purchase a good horse, and headed them due west, back into the mountains they’d just crossed.
Noah’s silence regarding their destination ate at Micah’s nerves. He disliked being kept in the dark. He’d grown his beard back and switched into his buckskins at Howard’s request, yet the officer still refused to give him any clue as to his plans.
The extended trip did nothing to improve Micah’s disposition. It gave him too much idle time. He divided it between harassing Noah about Patrice’s whereabouts and trying not to think about Claudia and the boys.
Noah took his abuse in quiet patience, which only added to Micah’s anger and frustration. By the time they left the train, both men were brewing for a fight of some kind. So desperate were they for some decisive action, they nearly rode their horses into the ground the first day out of Stockton.
They picked their way through the undergrowth and trees, heading farther into the dense forest. Suddenly, just in front of them, a whippoorwill called out. Noah pulled up short, returning the call.
Micah squinted and scanned the trees before him, but couldn’t see any movement. Whoever watched them knew how to blend into their surroundings.
They continued until a clearing appeared in front of them. A large cabin, surrounded by several smaller buildings, sat centered in the clearing. Two men exited the cabin, walking toward Noah.
Micah sat still on his black stallion, watching the men approach. The tallest was at least his height. Despite the black robe and white collar of his clothes, he carried his bulk with the ease of an outdoorsman.
The smaller man was just as unusual and yet he’d seen him once before. An elderly Chinaman, dressed in a long tunic of many colors and with a flowing white beard, as small as the other man was tall, held his head with pride equal to his companion.
Noah greeted each man. He shook hands with the priest and bowed to the Chinaman. Turning to Micah, he signaled him to come forward. Micah walked the large horse up to the two men, then slid off the beast to stand before them.
“Micah Turner, this is Father Jake Murphy.” Noah indicated the large priest. “You may know him as Montana Murphy.”
“The mountain man?” Micah couldn’t hide his surprise or his respect. “They say you’re dead.”
“Only dead to the old ways, my son.” The Irishman smiled broadly, shaking Micah’s hand vigorously. “I spend my time helping those in need, now.”
“And this is Chin Lee.” Noah bowed to the Chinaman again.
“Mr. Lee.” Micah followed Noah’s example, trying not to stare. He always felt uncomfortable when his visions became real.
“I have been expecting you, Mr. Turner.” The elderly man returned the bow in greeting. His wizened eyes met Micah’s boldly.
“You knew I was coming.”
“I have seen a yellow giant riding a black beast. This giant comes to mete out revenge on the evil ones. You are that giant.” He turned toward the cabin, leaving the three men to stare after him. “Come, what you both seek is here.”
They entered the cabin to find three women seated at the table. Two wore the black robes of their order and were introduced as Martha and Mary, sisters of the Holy Cross. The third was an oriental girl about sixteen years old. Noah introduced her as his half-sister, Lin Howard. Micah tried not to show his surprise at the relationship between Noah and the girl, bowing in greeting as he had to the Chinaman outside.
Then his attention was drawn to a fourth woman seated in the corner, her blonde head bowed in shame.
“Patrice.” Micah called her name softly as he slowly approached her.
“Micah, go home.” She continued to stare at her hands folded in her lap.
“Patrice, I can’t. I came to help you.” He moved closer.
“Go home, Micah. I don’t need your help.” Her head remained bowed.
“Little sister, you do need my help.” He stood in front of her now.
“No, don’t you see?” She lifted hollow grey eyes to meet his. “No one can help me now.”
Micah dropped to his knees and took her hands in his. “I have to be here, Patrice. I need your forgiveness.”
“Micah, it’s you who needs to forgive me. The things that happened…”
“Don’t torture yourself.” He cut her off. “You have nothing to be forgiven for. It’s I who need your forgiveness. I should never have left you in their evil hands. I should’ve come for you years ago.” His tears spilled down onto her hands.
“Oh, big brother, you left me where you thought me safe. If it’s forgiveness for not coming home sooner you seek—then I forgive you. Now leave and allow me to live my life alone, in my own shame.”
“He can’t leave, Patrice.” Noah said in a flat voice, walking over to stand next to Micah. “He needs to be here.”
“Why?” Her quiet voice shook in dread of what she was about to hear.
“Stephen is coming.”
Noah barely got the words out.
Micah bellowed his rage. Grabbing him by the shirtfront, he threw the younger man across the room. He grabbed him again and dragged him out the door of the cabin, systematically connecting his fist with the smaller man’s face. Father Jake pulled Micah off of his target,
momentarily allowing Noah to regain his balance.
Micah broke free, intending to finish the job he’d started, only to meet Noah’s right hook with his own jaw. He reeled backward a step or two. The metal taste of blood covered his tongue from his split lip. He swiped at the blood and smiled a thin humorless smile in anticipation.
Charging, he caught Noah around the midsection, lifting him up and slamming him into the nearest tree. Noah rammed his doubled fists down onto Micah’s back, obtaining his own release. Then he brought his knee up into Micah’s stomach.
He reeled backward, trying to regain his breath. Noah’s fist again connected with his jaw, but this time, Micah countered with his own left uppercut.
Ignoring the screams of the frightened women, Patrice in particular, they continued to exchange punches, until they could physically stand no longer. Exhausted, they fell into a bloody, bruised heap at the feet of the good Father and Mr. Lee. Father Jake grabbed a bucket from the well, dousing them with cold water, in hopes of bringing them to their senses.
“If you two have gotten that little tussle out of your systems now, it’s plans we need to be making.” Turning, he and Mr. Lee led the ladies back into the cabin, chuckling at the antics of the two young bucks.
Micah sat rubbing his jaw and staring at Noah. He realized the younger man gave as good as he received. Despite the circumstances, he felt better than he had in weeks. Physical pain was easier than enduring the emotional pain he’d been under since he left Claudia and the boys back east.
“She needed to know, Turner.”
“You could’ve been less blunt, Howard.” He stood on wobbly legs, waiting for his balance to return.
“There will only be honesty between her and me. She has enough things to face in the months ahead. To get through them, she needs all the honesty she can handle.” Noah leaned over the water trough, dunked his head underneath, swinging it back out again.
Taking out a kerchief, he mopped at the dirt and blood on his face.
Micah sat down on the rail next to Noah. He wetted down his own kerchief and began cleaning up his wounds. “Tell me about this place and your people.”
Turner's Vision Page 21
