“Please, come down, David!” she pleaded. “It’s not safe up there in this kind of wind!”
“She’s right!” Bright Feather pleaded beside her, too, staring at a large whirling dust devil a yard away from them. “A gust could sweep you right off. We do not need you in a bed next to your father!” she yelled.
“I am capable of appealing to my brother myself, Bright Feather. Thank you,” Lijuan snapped, returning to her more forthright tone she had been struggling to keep in check.
The woman’s attitude did not come as a surprise to Bright Feather but she ignored it, only frowning briefly at Lijuan before turning to stare at Dutch once more. “Dutch, please, come down from there!” she pleaded again.
“It must have been a false alarm!” Lijuan said, taking her turn to ignore the other woman.
“Someone was ringing that bell like their life depended on it before!” Dutch argued. “How can it be a false alarm?”
Everyone stared right back at him as if he had asked the rhetorical question. Finally having no choice than to listen to Lijuan and Bright Feather, Dutch hung the telescope around his neck and stared at the endless lands one last time. He was about to find his way down from the roof when he noticed Catalina and Cassandra galloping towards the ranch from the north pasture. The ranch hands immediately took the reins from them as soon as they dismounted.
“What’s the situation, Lijuan? Where is the fire? The south slope? That’s always a tinderbox this time of year,” Cassandra asked immediately, pausing to scowl at Dutch who was still on the roof.
“We haven’t been able to spot it, even with David risking himself up on that roof in a windstorm!” Lijuan answered in frustration.
Dutch immediately rolled his eyes at all the concern. He was an officer in the union army and a Civil War veteran after all. Still he loved them for it, he thought as he began to climb down.
“Daredevil Dutch strikes again,” Catalina called out in a loud voice, nodding at the adept way Dutch found hand and foot holds on the ranch’s fireplace until he was halfway down. “I wonder if he gets away with takin’ those kind of chances in the Army.”
“No, he is very professional there,” Bright Feather said proudly, beaming brightly as his feet finally touched the grass at the same moment the whistling of the wind increased in the family’s ears.
“Keeping a close watch on him while you are trying to finagle that job with the cavalry?” Lijuan snarked making an effort to be loud enough for the Indian woman to have heard.
“For somethin’ like this, a watch tower actually might come in handy!” Catalina clamored, unknowingly derailing Bright Feather chance retort back at Lijuan, leaving her only able to glower at the Asian woman.
Cassandra’s eyes lit up banishing all thoughts of the fire. She crossed over to the governor and her aunt immediately, hoping that they might have answers to some of the questions she couldn’t answer yet.”
“That reminds me. Uncle! I have a question for you, please.”
“Certainly, dear. Ask away,” Nate obliged. He had been busy still staring at the landscape just to be sure that no one had missed any sign of smoke.
“As governor, you would have heard of any plans underway to install a series of watchtowers for fires, correct?” Cassandra asked.
“Certainly. Something for the betterment of the territory would have come to my attention Cassandra.”
“I think she wants to know, dear, if you’ve heard of any such plans,” Connie suggested.
“Oh, forgive me. No, Cassandra,” The governor added abruptly. “Nothing has come across my desk of that nature.”
“Those damn lyin’ liars!” Catalina howled immediately.
Connie, being the ever-decent lady, frowned at Catalina first, before turning to Cassandra. “What is going on?” she asked.
Cassandra parted her lips to explain what she suspected about their father’s accident and the whole scheme that might have led to it, but a loud cry suddenly burst forth from a window behind them. Everyone uniformly turned towards the voice, noticing an overly excited Blue River, sticking his head out from Whip’s window on the second floor, shouting above the loud wind to be heard.
“Everybody!!” he screamed delightedly, his long hair whipping about his face as the gusts whistled over him. “It’s the judge! Our father is awake!”
Did he say the Whip was awake? Cassandra was unable to ask him to blurt out the news again, the rest had heard the exact words and didn’t bother asking. The entire group broke into a dead run towards the back door, including Nathaniel and Connie, with Catalina in the lead. Holding her breath, Cassandra prepared herself for the realization of a happier afternoon, despite the wind.
Pop is awake! She couldn’t stop grinning as her feet drifted towards the large bedroom upstairs.
*****
“Papaaaa!”
Catalina was the first to burst into the room, her waving black hair bumping against her back as she joined Whip on the bed, who was now lying flat again. She gently circled her arms around his neck, making sure that she didn’t hurt him. A smiling Whip held her close, glancing behind her at the rest that gradually filled up the room. Dutch and Bright Feather came in after Catalina, holding each other’s hands like love puppies before stepping aside to let Lijuan, Nathaniel, and Connie in. Lijuan raced towards the bed too, quickly joined by a panting Cassandra, who kept staring into her father’s eyes with all the love there was in the entire world.
“You scared us, Papa!” Catalina sobbed.
Lijuan held her father’s hand, only showing through her eyes how hard his accident had been on her. She glanced briefly at Cassandra and Catalina before reaching out with her hand to touch Whip’s unkempt beard.
“I guess no one thought of a shave for me, since me getting better no doubt seemed far more important,” Whip joked, glancing warmly at his family.
“Witty and humorous as ever,” Nate laughed beside his wife. He knew better than to join the girls at the bed. He and his wife would have their time to share their joy with Whip later. “Welcome back, Mr. Wilde,” he nodded with a grin instead.
“You gave us rather a scare, William Henry,” Connie spoke in her ever so soft voice.
Whip dipped his head back at them just as Cassandra lovingly drew near.
“We came home, Pop,” her face was ablaze in joy as she spoke. She had brushed Blue River away from the side of the bed just to create space for herself at his feet. Whip nodded at her too, holding Lijuan and Catalina’s arms in order to return himself to a seated position.
“Careful, Father,” Dutch pleaded, stepping forward concerned that he had only just become conscious. “You need to rest more on your back. We don’t know yet if your body needs anything else until we can get the doctor back here.”
“The doctor wasn’t even sure that I would ever wake up,” Whip chuckled. Sitting up was difficult, but he managed to raise his head higher while Lijuan adjusted the pillows behind him.
With everyone looking at him questioningly, he flipped his head towards a delighted Blue River and said, “My son filled me in already. I must have fallen quite heavily into the ravine. It might take time to wrap my head around it all.”
“We are all here, Papa,” Catalina assured him with a smile, happy to be once more at his side.
“All here?” Whip questioned, his deep blue eyes scanning the faces of everyone in the room. “Not quite! Okay, now where is my Buttercup?” he asked. “Where is my Honor Elizabeth? Blue River said she had gone somewhere.”
Cassandra inched away from Whip’s feet immediately. She glanced at Blue River, looking suddenly weary and alarmed.
“What? No! She would never go off and leave your bedside!” she argued.
“That’s what I said, but she told me she was leaving to help the judge,” Blue River explained. He became confused as everyone turned to him, expecting him to give a news quite different from the truth. “There was a Mr. Johnson here and he’s going to take her to s
omeone who could help the judge.”
The last words seemed to confuse the rest of the room but it made Cassandra and Catalina more anxious than they already were. Catalina leaped towards him immediately, her eyes flaring with extreme caution.
“You best be a-shuckin’ and a-jivin’ Blue River!”
“No never! Cattie, she left just like I said.”
To Cassandra every word that left his lips made the room smaller than it already felt. Blue River blinked in bewilderment at the restless Catalina and Cassandra as well who bit her lower lip thoughtfully as she spoke.
“Was this man Xavier Johnson?” she asked.
“I don’t know. She didn’t say his first name,” Blue River recollected.
“What’s wrong, Cassandra!?”
Cassandra finally turned from Blue River, staring distantly into Lijuan’s brown eyes.
“There is no time to fully explain. Blue River, where did they go?”
“I am not certain … wait yes! Splendor Point. She said she was off to Splendor Point!”
“I sure don’t like the sound of that!” Catalina exchanged an odd look with Cassandra.
“Nor do I!” Cassandra affirmed, turning towards the door. “Come on, Cat, we’ve got to go now. Our horses are saddled up and there is no time to wait for the rest of you!”
She hadn’t taken three steps towards the door before Lijuan grabbed her arm and spun her around.
“Hey!” Cassandra fussed, jerking her arm free.
“Hey nothing! What in the name of Christmas is going on?” Lijuan queried. “Is Honor in some kind of trouble?”
“Papa’s accident was no accident!” Catalina cut in, stealing Lijuan’s attention. “Some men sabotaged the bridge to hurt or kill him, to get Honor Elizabeth to come home so they could buy a piece of land.”
“What in the holy hell are you talking about?!” Lijuan seemed awestruck as the rest of them and even Connie didn’t attempt to scold her.
“As I said, no time to explain! We’ve got to get her now!” Cassandra spat, pushing past her and grabbing Catalina by the hand. “You all just take care of Pop … you can see he’s still weak,” she said, briefly turning to instruct everyone in the room.
“I don’t know what’s going on exactly, but if my baby is in trouble, you bring her home!” Whip said as soon as her eyes focused on his.
“I will,” Cassandra promised before hurrying out of the room with Catalina.
Lijuan rushed after them in outrage, but Dutch stepped in front of her in time and grabbed her arms.
“Calm down! If Honor is in trouble, Cassandra will get her out of it!” he promised, staring soothingly into her almond eyes.
“Yes, but I should be there too. We all should!” Lijuan struggled to free herself from his grip.
“I know, Lijuan, but you heard what she said,” Dutch maintained his soothing stare into her eyes, “We would only slow them down waiting while we got saddled up. Now, maybe they couldn’t wait for us, but that doesn’t mean we aren’t going to follow them!”
Lijuan finally calmed down. She nodded approvingly while Dutch turned sideways to address the older couple.
“Uncle Nate, Aunt Connie, please, look after Dad,” he pleaded. “Let’s get down to the stable!” he called out.
“Thank you for not listening to her! I can always count on my big brother to do the right thing,” Lijuan exhaled, pulling him unexpectedly into a tight hug.
The hug was brief, but it was to tell him how much she loved and could always count on him. He let go of her, grabbed Bright Feather by the hand, and led the two women out of the room.
Connie and Nate stepped towards Whip afterwards with a shake of their heads. If they were strangers, the conduct of the Wilde children would have been an entirely bizarre and bewildering event.
*****
Everett’s buggy indeed sat aloof and broken at Splendor Point. One of its side wheels had been removed and lay on its side in the dust to further the charade. They needn’t have bothered as Honor paid it no mind as she rushed to climb into small sitting area of the buggy as soon as they dismounted from the horse, joining Everett who greeted her with a courteous smile.
“Well, being inside here offers a little protection, but not much,” she said, holding out her hand to Everett. “Honor Elizabeth Wilde, and you must be Mr. Everett.”
“A privilege to meet the daughter of one of my former commanders,” Everett nodded, shaking her hand. “I was still a young buck prone to sea sickness when I first got assigned to the same ship as your father, a good man. I have been traveling and did not hear about his unfortunate accident until a few hours ago. I’m terribly sorry.”
“As am I,” Honor sighed, reminded of her father’s uncertain fate. “However, Mr. Johnson here tells me you have a friend in Houston whose skills at head injuries are second to none.”
“That is correct. He’s a highly-in-demand doctor just for those talents, but he’s taking a few months off to travel down to South America and lecture there about his procedures,” Everett replied. He took a piece of newspaper out of his pocket, unfolded it and handed it to Honor.
“I saved this when I saw it in the Phoenix Chronicle a few weeks ago. Since the doctor is an old friend of mine, I clipped it out. It tells about his credentials and his upcoming tour.” He pointed to a not-too-clear painting of a man in the article and the words that described his uncommon curative skills.
“I am gifted with the ability to read, Mr. Everett,” Honor said dismissively before quickly scanning the paper, her eyes lighting up with every word she read. “What a most impressive doctor, and you believe you can intercept him before he leaves south?” she inquired afterwards, as she laid the article on the seat between them.
“Yes, but we must get to the telegraph station in Alamieda in a hurry. Time is of the essen …”
“I understand your aid is contingent on me signing over a piece of property to you?” Honor interrupted. “Please, help me understand how I can reconcile conditions being placed on aiding a man you claim to respect and be a friend of?”
Everett bit his lip, briefly exchanging a glance with Johnson who stood attentively beside the buggy, out of Honor’s sight.
“Of course, I wish to aid an old friend and officer, but it’s very important to me that I secure this piece of property,” Everett explained, clearing his throat. “It is instrumental in a chain of fire watchtowers that are to be built across this region and my involvement all hinges on you. Perhaps, I am an old cynical sea dog, but I am a firm believer in if I scratch your back, you’ll scratch mine.”
“Very mercenary of you, if you ask me, but as I told Mr. Johnson here,” Honor coolly replied. “I would sell heaven, pearly gates, and all if it meant helping my daddy. Whatever the piece of land you want, it is yours—if it will get us moving to get your doctor friend up here from Texas.”
Everett, sensing that it was high time he wasted no more precious moments with her, quickly brought out a contract and handed it over to her. “I have the paper work drawn up right here. All you have to do is sign it,” he pressed. He handed her a pen, too, and watched delightedly as Honor placed the article on her knee and drew her signature on the contract without flinching, not even making an attempt to negotiate the lowball price he had written into it.
She willingly gave him back the contract and was about to hand the pen over too when she noticed ink stains on her hands.
“These smudges … how …” she remarked thoughtfully, staring at the newspaper article. She instinctively picked it up and rubbed her fingers on it only to find them covered in more printer’s ink. Her gaze flew to Everett immediately who shifted on his seat uncomfortably.
“This article is dated weeks ago, but this is fresh ink … as if it had just come off the press and not fully dried yet,” Honor frowned. She dropped the article and reached for the contract, but Everett was faster. He snatched it out of reach, grinning mischievously at her.
“I demand to
know what is going on here!”
“What’s going on here is that you’ve just made me a very rich man!” Everett laughed delightedly while slipping the contract back into the breast pocket of his suit coat. “I thank you for that, Miss Honor Elizabeth Wilde.”
“I do not understand.” Honor said with narrowing eyes.
Everett took on a look of glee as his hand gently reaching inside his coat. “And you never will.” He suddenly pulled out a revolver and pointed it at her chest.
For several moments, Honor simply stared at him, trying to understand the situation. She closed her eyes in agony, afterwards, looking crestfallen, before opening them with a long sigh.
“There is no doctor, is there?” she whispered, “All false promises … playing on my love for my daddy.”
“Your daddy?” Everett scoffed. “Whip Wilde should be embarrassed of himself for openly acknowledging you pack of mongrels!”
The last word had not left his lips before Honor punched him hard in the face, momentarily stunning him. By the time he recovered, she was looking at him murderously as if her self-control and the gun in his hand was the only reason he was still alive. He snarled at her and placed the revolver directly against her forehead.
“WHOA NOW, HALE!! What the blazes do you think your doin’? This was never part of the plan!” Johnson yelled, stepping into the entrance of the buggy.
“Agreed, and it didn’t have to be,” Everett spat at him. “I was counting on more time to get fences up and guards posted around my new property before she figured out there wasn’t any doctor coming. Guess she’s a lot cleverer than I would have given her credit for. Got to be the white blood in her, I guess. I was thinking ahead, though, just in case something like this happened … that’s why I chose this spot for a reason.”
“Out of the buggy, Miss Wilde!” Everett yelled.
Honor glared at him and the gun briefly before stepping out. She hated to be in such a position, but she really didn’t have a choice.
“What are you doin’, Hale? This ain’t right; harmin’ a woman!” Johnson panicked voice shouted.
“You have an interesting moral compass, Xavier. You openly cheat on my sister, while admitting fantasies about this wench’s little Mexican sister,” Everett mocked.
The Wildes of the West 1_The Daughters of Half Breed Haven_Old west fiction of action adventure, romance & western family drama Page 20
