by Sondra Grey
“You need not insult my girl. I don’t need your feeding and clothing, Juan Alvarez.” Franco called out
Juan gave out a big dirty laugh then said
“Franco, you knucklehead. Don’t you see they are making a cat’s paw of you? You are the best of my men. They are planting the girl among us, and a kitchen maid at that! She will have access to the entire house. She will get all the important information on us and pass it on to them. They are setting you up, you idiot!”
“Lydia goes with me,” Franco said like an eight-year-old being obstinate about a pet. Nicholas was amused thinking of what Juan must be suffering then, and he stole a look at his wife and Vincent who were both standing just a few feet away. It seemed they too had caught up to his ruse of not stopping Lydia and thereby letting Franco see the true colors of his master.
Juan was so wild with rage that he made a face as if he was going to jump from the window. Then, everyone heard loud and clear, old man Alvarez saying from inside the carriage.
“Drive away.”
“Franco, I am picking you up on my way back. Be ready for me when I get back. It’s the last chance I will give you after that you are on your own.” Juan said as the carriage turned around the corner further down the road.
Chapter Seventeen
“P ack your things, Lydia. We are leaving.” Franco said hobbling on this bad foot.
“Lydia is not going anywhere.” Nicholas declared in a tone that rang with finality.
“She is going to be my wife. We are getting married. And she goes where I tell her to go.”
“I will not leave Dr. Lizzie,” Lydia said in a meek tone.
Franco was stunned. For him, it was too much to take a second deception on the heels of the first. Nicholas decided it was time to run to his aid and deliver his coup de grace.
“Franco, I respect your love for Lydia. But she came to Jacksonville under my protection. Now you have very unwisely crossed paths with Juan Alvarez and dragged Lydia into it along with you. As dim and brainless as her is, he is going to blame Lydia for losing you. Then he is going to come after her for revenge. And we all know what happens to people who offend Juan Alvarez, especially girls. In fact, you know it better than anyone of us, so don’t be emotional. Think wisely…what is more important to you, Lydia’s safety or your own ego?”
It was evident Franco saw the wisdom of Nic’s words. But he was still hesitant to say anything. That was when Elizabeth walked into the scene. She stood next to her husband, her hand resting lightly on his upper arm and addressed Franco and Lydia who stood facing her.
“Franco, The Rhymer ranch is huge. We always have a need for new hands. Besides though you have been working for a lousy master, you are a very efficient worker, we all know that. I brought Lydia from Cleveland with me and have known her since she was a little girl. I am not willing to risk her life sending her off with you. And if you are the smart guy we all know you to be, you will be of the same opinion.” She said in a kind and gentle tone. Nic was at that moment fiercely proud of the woman he had married.
Franco seemed to be coming around a little. He nodded slightly but still did not say anything.
“Come work for me Franco,” Nic said. His wife had prepared the grounds for him, and he delivered his final blow. Franco looked up with skepticism. That was when Vincent called out from his place.
“You’ve known Nic for a long time Franco, even though it has only been as an adversary. You know he is a fair man.”
“Come come, son, join us,” Xavier said coming forward and holding his hand out. “My wife and I think of Lydia as our daughter. We will not let her walk into harm’s way.”
Everyone stood quietly. Now it was Franco’s turn to decide. Seconds went by, Franco stole a tentative look at Lydia who nodded ever so slightly at him. Franco put his good hand into Xavier’s and shook it solidly. There was a hoot of joy from Jim and Larry as they ran to Lydia, hugged her and congratulated her. Then all the men were shaking hands with Franco and giving him slaps on the back.
“Ok then, get inside all of you. We have a marriage to prepare.” Martha clapped her hands and called out to them all. Everybody filed into the huge kitchen after her, Lydia and Franco bringing up the rear.
Nic had not moved from his place though. He was contemplating the backs of all his men, quietly chewing on the inside of his cheek. Elizabeth hung her head and turned to him twiddling the fingers of both hands, in turn, holding them near her midriff, a nervous gesture she was used to making when she felt scared or guilty.
“Juan is going to come after all of us now.” She said apologetically.
“Then we have to be ready for him.”
“Do you regret having Lydia and me here, Nic? We have put you all in jeopardy.”
“You and Lydia are my family. And my men and I will protect you. The same we would do for any one of them. We are all family.”
Elizabeth was overcome with gratitude, and her bosom was swelling with the generosity of this man.
“Your role was detrimental in bringing Franco around. You are an astute woman, Dr. Rhymer.”
Elizabeth looked up with stunned surprise at the way he had addressed her.
“Well.” Nic shrugged, arching his eyebrows and clicking his tongue. He pulled Elizabeth to him and held her in a loose grip, his arms encircling her waist as she turned up to look into his face.
“I learned something from Juan today. If you ignore what’s right in front of you for too long, you can to lose it. No more good will come to you without you first acknowledging the goodness you already have. Luck lasts for just a short while, the rest you have to deserve.”
“You are not going to lose me so easily Nic Rhymer. I intend to be on your case for the rest of our lives and ever after.”
“I am counting on it.” He said picking up her doctor’s bag that Lydia had left on the ground in her haste. Hand in hand they walked into the house, each engulfed in the warmth of the other’s love and trust.
Chapter Eighteen
E lizabeth tended to Franco’s wounds in the kitchen while Caroline took Lydia to her room to dress her for her wedding. The gash on his forehead was ugly and needed three stitches, but other than that he was quite alright. He sat through the procedure stoically without flinching even once. Nic was watching him from the other side of the room and was happy he had gotten a man with pluck. Martha was busy reheating the food they had left when Franco first arrived injured, preparing to feed the lot of them. She had also quickly mixed a huge cake and already had it in the oven. Xavier and Greg gave her a hand to help speed up the process. Her granddaughters had arrived earlier, and Larry and Jim were playing with them in high spirits, getting in everybody’s way.
Greg performed the service right there in the kitchen, marrying Franco and Lydia before them all. When he pronounced them man and wife and said, you may now kiss the bride, Lydia, without waiting for her groom to kiss her, jumped at him, throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him deeply. A pink hue had crept up Franco’s shirt collar and was fast moving upward.
“Get off me woman, have you lost your marbles?” he jokingly admonished Lydia, gently pushing her away but still holding on to her arm.
“Hey, no one speaks to Lydia like that,” Larry said cracking his knuckles. Jim joined the group with a mock menacing stance
“I knew I was making a mistake staying here,” Franco said, groaning as Lydia kissed him on the cheek with a smack and once again he turned red with embarrassment.
They ate their celebratory meal at the massive kitchen table, and then Caroline declared that her brother was going to play the fiddle and everybody should gather out into the yard for a dance. Vincent agreed readily, and the festivities began. Martha brought the wedding cake she had baked out into the yard and Nic reluctantly parted with a few bottles of his fine whiskey. People ate and drank and made merry all afternoon while Vincent played all the popular numbers on his fiddle. Elizabeth and Joe had to threaten Caroline
that they would lock her up in a room before she agreed not to dance anymore with her huge belly.
Lydia was dancing with Xavier, Molly with Greg, Martha with Larry and Jim together. Nic sat on a wooden bench next to Caroline and watched. Franco stood to one side, reclining against the bark of an old oak tree, carving a boomerang. It was clear he was crazy about Lydia the way he looked at her. He stood there watching her with adoration while he chipped away shavings from a crooked piece of wood with a small knife. He held the piece of wood in his flawed hand. Though he was unable to keep his flawed hand straight and from shaking and could not always bend its fingers, his grip in that hand was strong.
“I am going to have a word with the groom, don’t go dancing away Caroline, Joe will have my hide for it.” Caroline gave him a mischievous smile as she nodded with apparent innocence, batting her lashes at him as he shook his head in defeat and walked away.
Franco saw his new master approaching and gave him a nod of acknowledgment.
“Hey, boss.” He mumbled not taking his eyes away from the work at hand
“You are my man now Franco. I want you and Lydia to be happy. So, you have any trouble, you come straight to me.”
“You have good men. They are kind, not cruel.” He said, and Nic realized for the first time that he could have been a target of mockery among Juan’s men or even from Juan despite his standing among them, or maybe more so, because of it.
“Aye, that they are.” Nic drawled.
“You are not worried I might spy on you? That all this is actually a hoax of Juan’s to plant me amongst you?” he said without rancor and Nic appreciated his gumption.
“Is this a hoax then?” Nic asked and for the first time since their conversation started Franco looked up. Nic approved the fact that the man knew the value of an eye contact.
“No,” he said firmly without giving any further explanation, and Nic knew he was telling the truth.
“But I did ditch my old master for a girl. Aren’t you worried I might ditch you one day for something better, once a turncoat always a turncoat.”
“Now look here Franco, we all saw what happened this morning. Juan refused to let you have Lydia. That is why you left him. Don’t get all sensitive on me and don’t expect me to coddle your guilt. You are a smart guy, and you know you have no need for it. Besides Juan is a fool. He lost you for a stupid ego contest. In his place, I would have just taken the girl rather than losing my man.”
“Aye boss,” Franco said duly chastised
“Let me put it like this Franco, for you seem to understand the value of these words better than any other. If I find out that you have been meddling with me and mine, I am not going to be very happy.” Nic said kicking the ground with the tip of his boot and Franco nodded with laughter bubbling in his chest.
“So, what work will you give me? I am a cripple.”
“Don’t push your luck too much man. Anyone who works for me earns his keep with pure hard labor, crippled or not. Besides, we both know you are as much of a helpless cripple as I am.” Franco seemed to like the confidence his new master had in him and his face beamed with quiet pride.
“Despite one bad hand and one bad leg you can ride a horse better than any other man on the Alvarez ranch or for that matter, the Rhymer Ranch. So, I was thinking, to begin with, you do a little of everything. Make yourself available for where ever help is needed. Fix fences, guard the boundaries, and clean the barn and the sheds.
I hear you are quite the accountant, so keep the books, the stock and orders and such. And remember you come across any of the Alvarez men just ignore them. We don’t start any fights, that is our policy. Call for help. Never hesitate to ask for help. When you are more in numbers, they will not get into a skirmish, and your men can keep you from getting into one when you are goaded.”
Franco nodded in acceptance. Nic realed he was a man of few words and he liked that. He was also realizing that one thing Franco coveted more than anything else was respect, and Nic intended to give him enough of it to keep him.
“Now go ask your bride for a dance. Or do you intend to stand here carving wood while she dances with all the other men in town?” Nic scolded and Franco pocketed his knife, handed the boomerang to Nic and went off to do his bidding.
The tool he had carved was smooth, and the finish was good. It fitted well in Nic’s grip as he turned it over and over in his hand. As he looked up from his new toy, he knew he had done a foolhardy thing that day and Juan Alvarez was going to make him pay for it.
But right here and now he was content. He was surrounded by the little empire he had built. The sun had set, and Xavier had started a small bonfire. The occasion was turning into a right little country wedding. They were all hopping and dancing and making merry. He smiled and observed them all in turn. That was when he saw them.
Vincent was playing merrily, and suddenly he turned to Elizabeth and said something in her ears. She looked up at him in shock and gave him a look as if asking for confirmation. Vincent nodded confidently, giving her a sly smile and laughing out loud as she ran into the house. Nic had a feeling as if he was not going to like whatever came next. He strode off to Vincent and stood next to him, his hands in the pockets of his army style sleeveless jacket, looking out at the crowd.
“Had a chat with our new man?” Vincent said as he played on. Nic nodded looking straight ahead.
“What do you think? Is Juan setting us up?”
“Well, I don’t think he is smart enough for it.”
“But Old man Alvarez is,” Nic said, and Vincent looked at him with sudden compassion.
“Nic, it happened a long time ago. You need to let go.”
“Somethings stay with you forever.”
“You must tell Elizabeth what happened.”
“Yes, some day I will.”
“Nic keeping things inside will hurt more.”
“Yeah, who would know better that me?” Nic’s voice was hoarse
“Elizabeth said you hardly talk in your sleep nowadays. And you haven’t had a single nightmare in weeks.” Nic nodded
“She is giving me some gruel twice a week at night before going to bed. It's helping.”
“Is she giving you gruel or is she giving you tea?” Vincent asked smiling wolfishly
“Keep it up, friend and my fist would like to meet your perfect teeth.” Vincent laughed out loud not breaking the rhythm of his song.
“That reminds me. what were you talking to her about just now?”
“Jealous, are we?”
“Of you?” Nic asked scornfully
“I told you way back all your women are safe with me.”
“Where did you send her Vince?” Nic asked in a guarded tone, and Vincent motioned towards Elizabeth who was just then coming out of the house.
“You will see for yourself.”
Elizabeth came to a halt if front of them, breathless from her dashing in and dashing out.
“Take a breath woman. Where have you been wandering off to?” Nic asked, frowning at her disapprovingly. She pulled forth her hand that she had been holding behind her back and held it out to him. Nic sucked in a sudden breath looking from her to the object in her hand and then furiously at Vincent who played his fiddle without a care in the world. Elizabeth took his hand and placed in it the harmonica she had brought out from its hiding place which only Vincent knew about.
“Vince said you haven’t played since your accident Nic. I would really like to listen to you. Play for me please.” The way she said it Nic had no defense against her and he looked at the instrument as if it would bite.
“I won’t force you if it pains you too much. But sometimes the only way to make the pain disappear is to bear down on it.” She said, and Nic’s heart came undone. She was so sweet, so innocent, in the way she was trying to help. What would happen if she knew about what had happened five years back? Would she hate him? Would she stop loving him if she knew there had been another woman in his life? He couldn
’t bear the thought and decided to grant her wish.
Vincent had stopped playing and announced. “If I play anymore my hands are going to come off their sockets. So Nic is going to play and sing for us, and I am going to sit right there with my sweet sister on that bench.” He said pointing at his sister with the fiddlestick, and the girl, ridiculously pleased, threw him a kiss in the air.
Nic looked at his wife and smiled. All the love his heart could hold and a promise of safekeeping surged from his smile. She looked at him with fond adoration, and when he held out his hand, she put hers in it and walked forth with him to the center of the circle where the fire burned.
Nic put the organ to his mouth and played a note tentatively. The crowd went up in a roar of cat calls and claps as they all approached him in a tight circle calling out encouragement to him.
Once again, Nic brought the harmonica to his lips, this time playing an entire quartet. He pulled the organ from his mouth and started singing Don’t Leave the Farm Boys, in his deep timbered voice, punctuating it with sweet melodies of his organ. In between his singing and playing, he pulled Elizabeth tightly against his side and kiss her soundly.
Elizabeth was delighted at having discovered this side of her husband, and she was looking at him with utter devotion. Right in the middle of the song she happened to glance at Molly and saw that the old woman had tears of gratitude in her eyes. Elizabeth nodded her understanding at Molly, and the old woman nodded back.
Chapter Nineteen
J uan Alvarez did not come back that day as he had promised nor the day after or the one after that. Everyone assumed that Old man Alvarez must have knocked some sense in his head for the time being, but it was quite clear he would come back eventually.
The weeks passed quietly as Franco settled into the rhythm of his new life. He took his meals with the others in the kitchen and was easy going with the other men and respectful towards Elizabeth. He hardly ever spared a glance towards his wife when they were in the company of the others, however she hovered around him and fussed over him at meal times. It embarrassed him terribly, and he growled and grumbled at her for it.
