Bound For Eden (16 page)

‘Alex?' Adam's voice was weak and he sounded tearful.

‘Don't fret,' she soothed, bending to kiss him again. ‘I'll get you a drink of water before I go for the doctor.'

‘It was Gideon, Alex.'

‘I figured as much,' she said.

‘He hurt me.' His hand went up to his swollen eye and she winced. He could have been killed because of her. Never again, she swore. Adam and Victoria came first.

She had no idea where Victoria was, she suddenly thought in shock. Dear God, Gideon could have her.

‘He took Blackie, Alex!' Adam called after her as she bolted for the door. Damn the horse, she thought. She had to find her sister.

She locked the door as she left, to keep him safe.
It's a bit late for that, ain't it?
She could hear Gideon's voice in her head, mocking her. She tried to ignore it.

She tore through the empty streets to the town square. The coloured lanterns still swung in the breeze, the tables were still laden with food, but there were hardly any people left. ‘Have you seen my sister?' Alex asked the fiddler, who was packing away his fiddle. ‘She's got brown hair, and she's in a yellow dress.'

‘Everyone's gone to the fire, lad,' he said. Alex was gone before he finished snapping his case closed.

‘I ain't leaving my house to burn!' Dolly railed at Luke. She had her sleeves rolled up and was trying to send the girls into the house with pails of water.

‘It won't do any good,' he snapped, snatching a pail from Seline's grasp and pushing her towards the street. She didn't need much encouragement. By the time she'd reached the gate the others were following, darting terrified glances back over their shoulders at the inferno.

Luke caught Dolly's glare and held it. ‘Be sensible,' he coaxed.

She swallowed hard and looked up at her house. It was all she owned in the world. Luke followed her gaze in time to see an upper-storey window blow out, sending glass spraying into the yard below. With a stab of horror, he remembered Beatrice. He hadn't seen her since he'd left the bedroom. His gut twisted. Oh hell, she was still inside.

He was up the stairs and into the house before Dolly knew what was happening. Luckily the fire hadn't spread to the back of the house yet. But he could hear the roof burning and knew that he didn't have much time. The house was already filling with poisonous smoke.

‘Beatrice!' He burst into the room, only to find it empty. Her clothes were still strewn on the floor. Damn. She definitely hadn't been out in the yard. She must be here somewhere. He looked in the cupboard and under the bed. Maybe she was scared and hiding. But there were only clothes in the cupboard, and all that was under the bed was a thin film of dust. As he got to his feet he noticed the telltale bloodstains on the bed and blanched. A wilted cloth rose lay in the tangle of sheets . . . she'd been wearing it in her hair, he remembered numbly.

The ceiling above him groaned alarmingly and he snatched up the cloth rose and left the room. He tore along the corridor, calling her name as he threw open every door. No sign of her. Downstairs there was no sign either. Although he did find Mary, cowering in the kitchen. ‘Come on,' he ordered hoarsely, grabbing her arm. ‘Out, before the whole place goes up! Have you seen Dolly's cousin? Have you seen Beatrice?'

Mary shook her head, her eyes huge with fear.

Luke swore. He hoped to God she was outside with the rest of them, but when he emerged, coughing, she was still nowhere to be seen. He deposited Mary with the cluster of frightened whores and headed for Dolly, who was railing at the sheriff.

‘I'm losing my livelihood and you're just
standing there!
' she bellowed at him, her singed feather trembling in sympathy.

‘I can't find Beatrice,' Luke said tightly, interrupting her.

Angrily, she shook him off. ‘Forget Beatrice! Look at my
place.
'

‘She's your kin!'

‘Beatrice is fine,' she snapped. ‘I saw her leaving the yard before. If you want to go chasing after her, be my guest. Personally, I'd have thought you'd be a little more concerned about your damn horse.' She turned back to the sheriff. ‘Why the hell aren't you saddling up and going after the bastards? You heard my boy, they lit it on purpose!'

‘My horse?' Luke echoed. ‘Isis will turn up,' he said. She wouldn't have run too far. Then an awful thought occurred to him. ‘Your boy did let the animals out, didn't he? When he first saw the fire?'

‘They took your horse.'

‘Who took my horse?'

‘Those Gradys,' Dolly snarled. ‘They beat up that poor simple boy and took your horse and the stallion. And then they set fire to my place.' She yanked her stableboy forward. ‘Ain't that right?'

‘Yes, ma'am.' The boy nodded frantically. ‘They was all laying into the feeb and asking him about his sister. I
told
'em the sister was at the dance and they lit out, but not before they knocked him out cold.'

Luke's stomach sank all the way to his knees. ‘Where is he now?'

‘The feeb?'

‘Don't call him that,' Luke snapped.

‘He was face down in the yard by the water trough.'

‘He went with Alex,' Dolly said shortly. ‘You can worry about them all you want. I ain't got time – look at my place!' And then she began lambasting the sheriff all over again.

Luke swore as he regarded the burning house and collapsed stable. Beatrice would have to wait. He had to find out if the Alexanders were safe first.

‘Let me go!' Victoria squealed, trying to free herself from the cruel grip that threatened to snap her wrist.

‘You keep squirming like that and I'll tar the hide right off of you, just see if'n I don't.'

Victoria gasped, outraged.

Alex ignored her, dragging her along the dusty street. She'd found her sister out front of Mrs Tilly's Tearooms, watching the fire and flirting prettily with a small knot of admirers. Her rage was born of relief, but Victoria wasn't to know that. ‘Standing there unchaperoned with those men,' she muttered under her breath.

Victoria snorted. ‘Look who's talking. You took Adam to a whorehouse.'

‘To the stables!' Alex disagreed, glad it was too dark for Victoria to see her blush.

‘And what about the night I found you in the bathhouse with Luke!'

Alex blanched. Her sister was right. She was a filthy hypocrite. And Victoria didn't even know the worst of it. She dropped her grip of her sister. ‘Come on,' she said glumly, ‘we need to find a doctor.'

‘I was just
talking
to a doctor,' Victoria said haughtily. ‘Dr Flint. He was the tall one with the moustache. The one who said I looked like a daisy.' She giggled. Then she frowned. ‘Why do we need a doctor?'

Alex told her. And next thing she knew she was the one being marched down the street, her wrist threatening to snap in her sister's iron grip.

Fifteen

‘Be sensible!' Dolly implored him, as they watched Luke slide the last bullet into the barrel of his six-shooter.

Luke ignored her. Victoria, still in her pretty yellow calico, burst into fresh tears. The sound was getting on Alex's nerves.

They were in Taylor's small dining room. The doctor had been and gone and Adam was sleeping upstairs. The whores had taken over the downstairs bunkhouse, and could still be heard chattering behind the closed door. Victoria had only just recovered from the shock of Adam's injury when they all tramped in, half-naked and sooty. Alex wasn't sure her sister would ever recover from the sight of so many whores. Every time Victoria looked at Dolly she hiccupped and started crying again. When Luke announced he was leaving she fell apart completely.

‘Why don't you let the sheriff handle it?' Alex said quietly, unable to look away from the cold iron of his weapon. He gave the barrel a flick and it spun, and then he snapped it closed with an ominous click. He didn't say a word. Alex found his silence terrifying.

‘You'll get yourself killed,' Dolly said waspishly. ‘And for what? A damn animal.'

‘You ask these people if it's just a damn animal,' Luke replied coldly, gesturing at Alex and Victoria. They were a sorry-looking pair: Victoria was red-eyed and wilted and Alex was black with soot. ‘The kid spent their fortune on that animal.'

Dolly threw up her hands. ‘It's only money! It ain't worth dying over.'

‘You were willing to risk yourself for the house.'

Dolly clenched her jaw, but didn't answer. Alex thought she suddenly looked older; the lines bracketing her mouth seemed deeper, more pronounced. But when Luke picked up his saddlebags all thoughts of Dolly's age fled. ‘You promised to take us to Oregon,' Alex said, a little wildly. ‘We paid you!'

‘Sebastian will captain you until I catch up.' Luke pulled his dusty hat over his black hair. He looked deep into Alex's eyes. ‘I
will
catch up, runt.'

Alex swallowed hard. She wanted to throw herself at him, to hold him back with every last ounce of strength she had. Luke might be a big man, but no one man was a match for all four Gradys. ‘Take care of your family,' he told her as he took his leave.

‘But you don't even have a horse! You can't go.'

‘I'll buy one off Jackson.' Alex jerked when he laid a hand on her shoulder. ‘You're all set to go, runt. Ralph said that he'll sell you his mules. Just load up the wagon and meet Sebastian in the square.' He lowered his head and dropped his voice, so that only she could hear him. ‘Go to Cavil's in the morning and buy yourself a gun. Sebastian will teach you how to use it.'

Alex swallowed hard. She wished she could turn her head and press her lips to the dark hand resting on her shoulder.

He saw the tears filling Alex's eyes and squeezed the small shoulder. Poor kid. He had to shoulder a grown man's burden at an awfully young age.

Luke didn't say anything to Victoria. He simply offered her his clean bandana, so she could mop her tears. If anything, Luke's gesture only seemed to make her cry harder. Impulsively, she threw herself at him and sobbed into his shirt.

Alex scowled as she watched Luke's big hand rub Victoria's yellow back. She couldn't help noticing his ease with weeping women. He smoothly disentangled himself and suddenly Alex was the one being drowned in Victoria's tears. Victoria's arms closed around her neck, almost strangling her.

She watched over her sister's head as Luke said goodbye to Dolly. Even though he lowered his voice, Alex heard every word he said. ‘Tell Beatrice I'll be back,' he told Dolly, ‘and . . . tell her I didn't know . . . I didn't realise . . . she'll know what I mean.'

Dolly caught Alex's eye and Alex blushed. The whore didn't waste a minute cornering her after he'd left. ‘I need water for my girls to bathe,' Dolly announced in her most imperious voice. ‘You, boy, I'll pay you to lug buckets for us.'

Alex followed Dolly outside, wishing she could join Adam in the big bed instead. She was exhausted by the events of the day.

‘I'd give you Luke's message, but I know you were eavesdropping.'

Alex gave her a sour look.

‘No need to glare at me. I'm not one to judge.' The whore sank down onto a bench in the washroom with a sigh. She sat considering something for a moment and then, as though she had made a decision, she reached into her cleavage and pulled out a small square of folded brown paper. ‘I planned to give you this anyway.' She held it out.

Alex took it warily. ‘What is it?'

‘Drink it like tea. Steep it in boiling water for a few minutes and then drain the lot.'

Alex frowned.

‘You have enough responsibility without adding another mouth to feed.'

The penny dropped and Alex gasped. It had never occurred to her . . . she flushed, feeling incredibly stupid. She'd grown up around animals, she wasn't ignorant of the way these things worked. How could she not have even thought of it?