Faith of the Heart (23 page)

             
“He’ll be okay now. It’s better he’s out. The less he moves, the more quickly the wound will start to heal.”

             
He
wiped the rim of the bottle with his shirttail and took a large swallow
down
ing
it quickly, warmth spreading through his belly. He
re
-
wiped the rim
and insisted Claire take a drink.
She managed a small swallow that made her splutter and cough at the burning in her throat.
She reached for the coffeepot, still warm from dinner,
poured out a mug
and gratefully drank a few sips while Maxwell watched her, amused. She poured him a cup as well and noticed him eyeing the dinner dishes.

             
“I haven’t had a bite to eat all day, but we really need to get going.
It’ll be dark soon and I want to get you safely to Columbus.”

             
Claire snatched up some left over biscuits and handed them to Tom.

             
“You can eat these while I gather up my belongings.”

             
“Claire
¼
”

             
“
Tom
, I am not leaving my mother’s candlesticks or my
j
ewelry
.
”
She scooped up her items and stowed them in a bag. She paused as she was walking out the door.

             
“How are we planning on getting to Columbus? You only have the one horse.”

 
             
“We’ll borrow Frank’s. He won’t
need
it. I’ll make
arrangements with the sheriff in Columbus. After all you’ve been
through,
he might even decide you can keep the horse.
Call it the spoils of war.”

             
“We
¼
we aren’t taking them with us?”

             
“Nah, they’re better off here anyway. Besides, I think they deserve to stew in pain for awhile. I’ll send the law out to pick them up tomorrow morning. Now let’s go, before it’s completely dark.” 

             
Three hours later, Claire was blissfully immersed in a tub of
bubbles at Mrs. Shipp’s boarding house in Columbus. She leaned against the high copper back and thought over the last few hours.
She and Tom had ridden into Columbus and he delivered her into the
capable hands of
the proprietress
.
The pert owner of Shipp’s Fine
Rooms had taken one look at Claire’s dirty clothing and messy hair and whisked her upstairs to the nicest guest room. In no time
at all she arranged for a hot bath and hot tea for Claire. Then she’d set off for the dressmaker’s shop to buy
some
changes
of clothing for
“
th
e
poor Miss Secord.
”

             
Claire was glad she had the presence of mind to grab her
treasures
from the shanty
to pay for her expenses.
She was looking forward to fresh clothing, a nice room
,
and a hot meal.
Maxwell
was probably at the local jail right now explaining the
situation to the sheriff. Claire smiled to herself at the thought of
her kidnappers all trussed up and helpless. Serve
d
them right
,
she thought
,
after what they put her through.

             
The thought of how close she had come to suffering unspeakable horrors at the hands of those brutes made Claire shiver d
espite the hot bath water
.
She opened her eyes and looked
around to reassure herself. That ordeal was over and she’d handled herself pretty darn well
.
She said
a quick prayer of thanks and slid deeper into the
rose
scented bubbles.

             
             
             
             
             
***

             
“What? Where did you say those two are? She did
what
to
them two?” Sheriff Craig shook his head in disbelief. He slapped his
hand
on the desk in front of him.

             
“Well, I’ll be darned. A schoolteacher turned shopkeeper thwarted those two bums. Yah,
I know who they are. Just a couple of good for-nothing
homesteaders who don’t do any farming. I’ll send my deputies out
in the morning to bring them in. You bring Miss Secord in and I’ll
take her statement and yours. Then you can be on your way back to Omaha.”   

             
“Thanks, Sherif
f
Craig. I’m bushed. I just want a steak
dinner and a soft bed. I could sleep for days.”

             
Tom left the jail and stopped in at the telegraph office. It was
closed for the night and he had to bang on the door until the clerk was roused from his sleep in the back room.

             
“What’s the meaning of all that gol durned pounding? Can’t
you see I’m shut down for the night?” The telegrapher scowled at Tom and scratched his head. “R
e
asonable folks would wait ’til I
opened in the morning.”

             
Tom flashed his badge at the grumpy clerk and growled,
“Official business, this can’t wait, move it!”

             
“Uh, yes sir, right away sir.”

             
The clerk slipped on his wire spectacles and headed for the
machine. Tom scribbled the message on a scrap of paper and handed
it
to the man. Seconds later the message was transmitted and on its way to Omaha. Deputy
Simons
on
should have it in his hands in a few minutes. Tom placed a few coins on the counter and tipped his hat at the clerk.

             
“Go back to bed,
and thanks for your help
.”

             
He stepped through the door and heard it bolted behind him. He chuckled. He’d left the telegrapher a generous tip and good news
was on its way home to Omaha. He hadn’t felt this good in months.

**
*

             
Claire stepped out of the tub and dried off with a butter
-
soft linen towel. She drew on a wrapper that had been laid by the tub and sat in front of the fire
,
drying her long tresses. She bent her head and raked her fingers through the length to separate the

strands
,
wishing
for a comb.

             
The fire was crackling merrily a
s
she sipped her tea and watched the flames dance.

             
Funny how life can change in an instant. We think we are in control of our destinies but that isn’t so. One moment I’m peacefully gardening and the next I’ve been robbed and kidnapped.
Then when things look bleak
,
opportunities arise. How did I know to leave scraps and stones as markers? How did I have the courage to fight back and even shoot that awful Bud? I guess it’s true
that
everything you learn in life comes together at some point in time. More than likely it’s the saying that
God never gives us more than we can handle. Yes, that must be it. I’ve heard that all my life but now I truly believe it. 

             
Claire looked up at the sound of the doorknob turning. Mrs.
Shipp bustled in with an armload of packages.

             
“My dear, I’m sorry it took me so long
,
but I had to wake up the dressmaker and the store owner to purchase your items. I went a
little
overboard,
but bought you the best I could find.
Let’s
unwrap these things and get you dressed. That handsome sherif
f
is downstairs waiting for you to join him for dinner. My hired girl
is preparing a late supper for you both.
”
The
jolly
woman
stopped to take a breath and Claire
chuckled
at her
enthusiasm
.

             
“I‘m sure whatever you purchased for me will be perfect. Anything is better than the dirty rags I’ve been wearing
for
days.
” Claire surveyed all the boxes before her and beamed. “
Ooh
,
this is better than Christmas
!
Help me open these packages
!
”

             
Soon,
all of Claire’s new items were
spread out on the bed. The very thorough Mrs. Shipp had bought her two new dresses with coordinating undergarments, an embroidered linen nightgown, a comb and brush set, stockings, handkerchiefs, and a pair of leather boots. There was even a lovely floral shawl that matched both dresses. Claire sighed with pleasure at her new belongings.

             
She chose
a
deep burgundy dress with a scooped neckline and form
-fitting
bodice
that clung to her curves
. She stepped into her stockings and undergarments
before pulling the dress over her head.
Mrs. Shipp
fastened the row of buttons at her back with a deft hand. It fit perfectly and emphasized Claire’s shapely bosom and tiny waist. The rich wine color picked up the highlights in her waist-length hair, now dry and sweet-smelling.

             
“Miss Secord, if I may, I should like to do your hair. I think
an upsweep would be lovely with this dress.”

             
Claire nodded and
sat by the fire
,
luxuriating in the pleasure of
having
someone
else
brush her hair. In a matter of moments
,
Mrs. Shipp had twisted and pinned her tresses into an elegant upsweep.

             
“There
,
my dear, take a look. You
look
absolutely fetching.”

Claire peered into a wall mir
r
or and marveled at her own reflection. Gazing back at her was a serene and lovely young lady with shiny br
unette
hair and deep emerald eyes.

             
“Now dear
,
pinch your cheeks and bite your lips
to
add just a bit more color to your face.” Claire did so and turned to face Mrs. Shipp.

           “Thanks so much for caring for me. I feel like a new person.” Her stomach growled. “A new and famished person.” She smiled and Mrs. Shipp
chuckled
.

             
“You are
most
welcome
,
Miss Secord.
”

             
“
Well,
I shouldn’t keep Sheriff Maxwell waiting any longer.”

             
“I agree, you wouldn’t want someone else grabbing him up.
He is one handsome hunk of man.”

             
Claire looked at Mrs. Shipp with surprise.
             
             
             
             
“I may be a married lady but I still have eyes to see. That
lawman is a fine catch. Don’t let him get away. If I was twenty years younger I’d go after him myself.”

             
Claire smiled. ‘‘I’ll remember that. Thanks for everything.”

She headed downstairs to dinner with her handsome sherif
f
.

             
Claire reached the bottom step just as Tom looked up from
his chair in the parlor. He sucked in his breath.
“You look fantastic
.
I really mean it. You are
beautiful
.”