Stavewood (Stavewood Saga Book 1) (9 page)

Chapter Thirteen

    
 
E
lgerson
concluded his story of the last few days to his son. “If that shack is a hideout then we should take a look at it. I can’t rest easy knowing there’s someone in the area that might try coming here. I need you to stay here and keep an eye on the place just long enough for me to get an idea where the shack is. Once I get a bearing on it we’ll ride down and I’ll get some men up here to try and flush the thieves out. Where exactly did you say it was?”

      Mark struggled with a clear direction and then suggested that Rebecca might help find the location where the building stood and she could show his father.

      Elgerson groaned at the thought of encountering the girl at all, but finally agreed that he’d take her along as long as she behaved, just to scout the place out. He was growing concerned over who the girl was and where her family might be and thought he’d best take her down the mountain into town as well, and try to find her folks. Mark had described her as a woman in his explanations of her, but to Elgerson she couldn’t be more than a child and he expected that Mark was just too young to be able to distinguish between a woman and a girl.

      In his forthright way he headed into the bedroom and informed the girl she would be riding with him.

      Rebecca scrambled to the opposite end of the bed and flatly refused.

      “You’re taking me off somewhere and I will no longer tolerate your abuse.”

      Elgerson thought her accent and attitude probably made her appear older than she certainly was, fairly swimming in oversized clothing, further evidence that the boy was mistaken about her age.

      Rebecca held the torn shirt against her chest and glared at the outlandish beard and massive tangle of hair. His eyes were red and frightening and the memory of his rough handling of her was more than she could bear.

      Mark pleaded with her that she would be perfectly safe and that his father was no lunatic, as she insisted. Eventually Rebecca surrendered, once the boy convinced her that after she took a ride with his Pa they could go down the mountain to town. Rebecca believed that if she could only rid herself of the current situation there might be some hope for her and she ventured up to the giant.

      “I’ll go,” she announced boldly, her hands clasping her tattered attire. “But you will not lay a hand on me!”

      Elgerson agreed, glaring at the girl, and again Rebecca protested when Mark offered to lift her in front of his father to mount the very beast he had used to drag her here.

      After intense prodding, Rebecca plopped down in the saddle in front of the big man and the pair finally set out on their mission.

      “I’ll take you to town and get you back to your family as soon as we finish this up.” Elgerson remarked gruffly as they rode towards the shack.

      “I have no family here,” Rebecca remarked flatly.

      “Where do you plan on going?” The sooner he was rid of her the better, he thought.

      Rebecca choked back a sob and the big man decided to let it drop.

      Elgerson felt her tiny form slip to one side in the saddle and he caught her deftly with one hand as they rode through the deep forest.

      Rebecca gasped at the placement of his hand and Elgerson sat upright in shock. Clad in baggy boy’s clothing as she was, he was shaken and stunned that the handful he had captured righting the girl in the saddle was not the thin ribcage of a young girl, but instead the full breast of a grown woman.

      Rebecca huffed in embarrassment and blushed deeply with the insult of such handling by this horrid beast.

     Elgerson blushed as well and shifted in the saddle, increasingly uncomfortable with the woman’s close proximity.

      When they spotted the shack, Rebecca began to shake uncontrollably and her fear brought the realization of her situation clearly to Elgerson. The frail girl turned and buried her face in his chest and he cleared his throat, turning the horse back towards the cabin.

      “It’s alright, Rebecca. Right?” He was at a loss as to how to calm her shaking. He talked to her in a soft voice assuring her that she’d be fine and thanking her for showing him the place. He had hoped to get a look inside but the girl was plainly terrified and Mark’s description of her experience in the shack and her condition when he found her, made Elgerson begin to understand her fears.

      Rebecca lay against the man’s solid chest, more terrified at the sight of the shack than she was of him. His heartbeat calmed her fears and she snuggled against his warmth.

      Elgerson shifted his position. The girl pressing into him left him nervous and self-conscious. He was uncomfortable but greatly relieved when they finally returned to the cabin and he lowered Rebecca from the horse. Her tiny face, encased in the massive wool cap, looked up at him briefly and Elgerson dismounted the animal from the opposite side. The chestnut stood near the side of the cabin, kicking the dust and snorting a greeting to the Arabian and Elgerson gathered both animals by the reins.

      The three packed their bags carefully in preparation for their descent and Elgerson avoided the girl guardedly. From the doorway he watched her and Mark pack the last of the belongings, witnessing their easy camaraderie and saw Rebecca tussle the boy’s hair the way Corissa had done once. Uneasily he announced that it was time to leave.

      “Rebecca can ride with me, Pa,” Mark suggested.

      “Let her ride alone, Mark. We’ll ride together,” Timothy stated impatiently.

      Rebecca blushed as Elgerson pulled the boy up behind him.

      They descended slowly down the mountain, Elgerson becoming increasingly aware that Rebecca did not ride well and when the boy dozed off behind him Elgerson pulled his horse up beside the chestnut, fearful that Rebecca would slip from her saddle.

      “You need to settle into the saddle more,” he instructed. “If you tense up like that the horse gets skittish and she might unseat you. Feel her movement and ease into her.”

      Rebecca tried relaxing into the saddle.

      Elgerson studied the girl curiously and Rebecca felt embarrassed by his searching gaze.

      “Of course, she may upset you no matter how well you ride, just from the look of that hat you’ve got on there.” Elgerson looked straight ahead and chuckled.

      Rebecca, at first mortified, began to laugh herself.

      “Does that hat have a purpose?” he asked still chuckling. “I mean other than to scare horses?”

      “There’s an awfully bad cut there.” Rebecca indicated her forehead with embarrassment.

      “Well, I can’t imagine that even a split skull could be more frightening than that hat.” Elgerson’s hearty laughter was contagious and Rebecca began giggling, in spite of her self-consciousness.

      Rebecca pulled the cap from her head briskly and gave her head a shake dropping the length of her hair onto her shoulders and tumbling down her back. She sat upright, turned towards him, grinned pleasantly, and remarked, “Is that better?”

    The big man gasped and felt his breath catch in his throat as her hair fell free about her and he saw her smile for the first time. He saw her petite nose, touched with freckles, wrinkling slightly as she turned away. Elgerson steadied himself and stared at her in disbelief. The young woman’s beauty was striking and startling and very disconcerting. Thoughts of having wrestled her suddenly came back to him and he pulled his eyes away from her and stared down at his hands.

      Rebecca thought that the wound on her forehead must look as awful as she feared and she tried to steady herself on the mare while attempting awkwardly to replace the hat, stuffing her hair up inside with one hand.

      “What is your name?” she asked nervously, hoping to cover the scar without further embarrassment. “I only know you as ‘Pa’ and I don’t suppose that will do.” Rebecca wished her remark might return the man to his friendly mood.

      “Timothy,” he replied uneasily.

      “Timothy,” Rebecca repeated as the man pulled his horse ahead of her.

      Rebecca was mortified. The man had tried to help her, was even being friendly and she had upset him. She considered apologizing but decided not to embarrass either of them further. The shock on his face had been quite clear and a warm tear rolled down her cheek and she studied the figure before her.

      The man was solidly built, broad in the shoulders upon which tumbled his golden hair. Not quite the giant she first feared, she could see he was trim and distinguished for a man of his height and he rode with an easy grace and perfect posture. The young boy riding easy against his father’s back, dozing in complete trust, which Rebecca had enjoyed herself. She recalled how warm and safe she had felt against him as they rode from the hideout and she blushed, and attempted to focus on the road ahead of her instead of the figure of the man before her.

      They rode in silence until the boy awoke and began a steady stream of cheerful chatter in anticipation of returning home. He talked about cousins and friends and attempted to engage both adults in his excitement. Puzzled by Rebecca’s mood, he finally took to whistling a silly polka, unable to contain his enthusiasm.

      Rebecca’s thoughts teetered between concern over what would happen when they actually arrived in town and how ridiculous Timothy thought she looked. She pulled at the torn sleeve and held the cuff closed against the reins.

      Elgerson noticed the girl’s subtle arrangement of the cuff, along with her boyish attire and decided it was something he’d have to address soon. He was not entirely comfortable with the prospect of seeing her dressed like a woman instead of the disguise she now wore, her current outfit being far easier to handle than her feminine display earlier, but she could not travel in such an ensemble. Timothy recalled her disarming smile and swallowed hard. He was certain that the girl was uncomfortable and he felt somehow responsible for her tattered state. Elgerson decided to resolve the problem as soon as they got into town. Once things were sorted out he’d send her on, but wherever that might be, she could plainly not travel in her current state.

      He’d need to find out about Nils, Elgerson thought. There’d be news of him and maybe of the hunt for the robbers as well. Then there was Octavia. Timothy groaned to himself. In all of the excitement he had completely forgotten that his home would soon be overrun by Octavia, most likely her mother and certainly almost everyone in town. His hopes for a peaceful return home were suddenly dashed and Timothy’s mood darkened.

      In the evening gloom they rode into town quietly. Elgerson arranged a night’s lodging, leaving Rebecca and Mark to tie up the horses. Rebecca held her head down hoping no one would take notice of her standing beside the boy and kicking the dirt in the same way he did. Timothy had decided to spend the night in town before continuing on to the house and Rebecca hoped maybe she could find a posting somewhere from someone seeking help. She thought of asking Mark where she might find such postings as Elgerson returned and led them across the street.

      “Mark, I want you to wait here while I take Rebecca into the shop.”

      Rebecca was already admiring the gowns in the shop window and read the sign overhead
, La Longue Robe Shop - Ladies Clothier and Millenary
. She considered the ramifications of entering the shop, her current clothing, her lack of coin and she did not want to owe Timothy in any way. He shuffled her into the doorway as she opened her mouth in protest and Octavia Weintraub nearly toppled into them.

      “Why, Timothy, wherever have you been?” Octavia gasped.

      “Evening, Miss Weintraub,” Elgerson nodded hesitatingly.

      “I have so much to tell you, but it will all have to wait until the party!” Octavia waved a meaty hand. “I can hardly wait! I’m just picking up my gown and mother is in a hurry.”

      “Oh,” she remarked as she brushed past them. “I see you have your boy with you. Hello Mick!” Octavia patted Rebecca firmly on the head as she exited the shop.

      Something about the woman made Rebecca uneasy and, although she could not recall ever having laid eyes on her before, the girl felt certain that she might have met her somewhere. She decided that she probably was just irritated by the awful woman thumping her head along with her rude mannerisms.

      An elderly female pulled aside the heavy curtain towards the rear of the shop and rushed to them.

      “Why ,Tim, what a pleasure!” she exclaimed. “It’s been so very long and I have missed seeing you so!” The tiny dumpling of a woman peered over her low glasses at Rebecca. The shop owner was bouncy and full figured with a cushion stuffed with pins on her left wrist and a warm smile on her face. Thin strands of her silvery hair were caught in a tight bun balanced on top of her perfectly spherical head, while the remaining wisps framed her face in a soft halo of curls.

      “And who might this be?” The woman approached Rebecca boldly and began to spin her around slowly.

      “My dear!” the seamstress exclaimed. “Where did you come up with such an outfit?” She plucked curiously at Rebecca’s garb and whisked the hat from her head.