CHARITY'S GOLD RUSH (A Strike It Rich in Montana novel) (7 page)

She shook her head when he finished. “I thought you were a wise man, Gabriel Williams.”

“Not
very
, obviously
.” He bit into the corn pone, which stuck in his throat like a fat man squeezing through a skinny door.

“Does your bride know of this bet?
What’s her name?
”

He nodded. “
Charity O’Connell.
We have a marriage in name only. Don’t even sleep in the same bed.”

“You don’t deserve my corn pone.” She yanked the plate away from him. “I’ve met little Miss Charity
a while back at the mercantile
. She doesn’t deserve to be treated that way. Few women do.” She narrowed her eyes. “Her pa gambled away every cent they had
, or so folks say
, forcing that little girl to make her way washing the clothes of dirty miners. For shame, Mr. Williams.
Your Maggie would never have stood for such behavior.”

“Maggie was submissive enough to do as she was told.” He reached for the plate.

Mrs. Stoltz held it out of his reach. “No
dis
respect for the dead, but Maggie had the personality of a bug
, and you took advantage of her sweet nature
plenty of times
.” She leaned back and placed the plate beside the wash sink, then straightened and crossed her arms. “
Besides
, she was born in Montana. Miss Charity wasn’t. I hope you haven’t been too heavy-handed with the girl.”

Gabe chuckled. “She doesn’t stand for it.
Has the temper of a badger.
”

Mrs. Stoltz laughed. “I’m sure she does. How are you going to make this right?
You need to apologize and let her make a decision on whether to stay. You need to do the Christian thing, Gabriel.
Marriage is until death do you part. Not until it’s consummated, or at least the vows
ought
to mean something.
”

“I don’t know.
” What if Charity chose to leave immediately if given the chance? Gabe would lose everything.
Without her taking over the regular chores and keeping track of the younguns, he’d never finish building on time.

His heart sank. He needed to do the right thing, ranch or not. Charity was a person, with feelings and a spirit. Gabe didn’t want to be the one to break her with his bad choices.
He’d spend some time dwelling on what to do.
“
We’ll see what happens in a year. Can I have the plate back, please?”

###

By the time Charity finished hanging clothes,
t
he sun hovered right above the mountains, casting the land in deep purple shadow.
She glanced at the children’s disappointed faces. “How about if we go on a treasure hunt?”

“You still looking for gold?” Sam’s head jerked up.
“I’d like some of that.”

“No, I’m looking for things to make this house a home.” Charity started for the barn. “You coming
with me
?”

“What are you going to find in the barn?” Sam trotted to her side, leaving Meg to trail behind.

“Surely your ma had some things, didn’t she?”

“Yep, but Pa said he didn’t want to have to care for them until he got the other house built. They’re in the loft
, and
in
her trunk in the house
.” Sam dashed ahead.
“Ma’s ma brought them over from Ireland.”

Excitement bubbled up in Charity
at the thought of things from
her birth place
.
She didn’t mind spreading around a few
objects
that once belonged to someone else. Meg should have her mother’s things. She’d deal with Gabriel’s wrath when the time came.

Sam scrabbled up the ladder to the loft.
Straw rained down, catching in Charity and Meg’s hair.
“There’s a mirror, a bureau, and some fancy dishes. Do you want them all?”

“Anything to
place
on the dirt floor?”
They wouldn’t be able to move furniture without Gabriel’s help, and Charity wasn’t sure they’d
get
that. Not if he stored the
items
in the loft to keep them out of sight.

             
“There’s a rug . . .
and
kittens!”

             
“
Send down the rug.
Sam?”
When the boy didn’t respond,
Charity hitched her skirt and climbed the ladder.

             
Sam knelt beside a bed of straw. Three kittens looked up with wide eyes
, and
tried to scurry away
when Charity appeared
.

Charity leaped for a calico
, and stirred up a cloud of dust
.
She sneezed.
“Oh, aren’t you a pretty wee thing. We could use a house cat.” And Meg would love something cuddly to dress up in doll clothes and
to
love on.

Sam shook his head. “Pa won’t allow an animal in the house,
M
a. He’s said it at least a hunnerd times.
The house is too small.
Besides, there’s more than one here.
”

“
Not for a bitty thing like a kitten. W
e’ll have to talk him into it won’t we?
We can keep one and the other two can be barn cats.
” Charity nuzzled the ball of fur
and sneezed again
. “We’ll call you Patches.”

“Ma?” Meg’s voice shrieked
, raising the hair on Charity’s arms
. “Ma!”

Charity thrust the kitten into Sam’s arms and scurried from the loft as fast as she could in a dress.
Her feet tangled
,
and she lost her footing, sure she’d drop like a sack of potatoes to the hard ground.
She kicked her legs
, stirring up more dust,
until she found the next rung of the ladder and wiped her streaming eyes on her sleeve.

Meg stood like a post, staring at the barn door. Charity rushed to her side. “What is it?”

Meg pointed.
A snake c
oiled in the door’s shadow. Charity’s skin prickled. She had no experience with snakes
,
since
Ireland had none.
Were all snakes poisonous? She’d have to assume they were. Off with the serpent’s head. That would be best.
She whipped back and forth in search of something.
There.
She thrust Meg behind her
, then grabbed a nearby hoe
.

“Don’t move, sweetie. I’ll take care of it.” Her heart threatened to burst free of its cage. Lord, have mercy! Charity raised the hoe and brought it down with all the force she had in her.
The impact vibrated up her arms.
The snake’s head fell free, leaving its sinewy body to writhe in torment.

“Charity?” Gabe called from outside.

“In the barn. Be careful, there’s—”

“Oh.” Gabe stepped into the doorway
. He glanced down. The color faded from his face. Before Charity could take a step toward him, he keeled over like a felled tree
.

             
He’d died and left her a widow
the second day of matrimony
. Charity sagged to the ground in a heap of faded calico
and covered her face with her hands
.
How could God be so cruel?

             
“Pa’s afraid of snakes.” Sam kicked the four-foot
reptile
away and knelt by his father’s body. “
He’s not afraid of much, but a
lways faints
straight
away when he sees
a snake
.”

             
“He’s not dead?” Charity crawled to Gabe’s side. “Just fainted?”

             
“Yep. Dead away.”

             
She bit her lip to prevent a giggle from escaping. Gabriel Williams
,
over six feet tall
,
and af
raid of snakes to the point of losing
u
nconsciousness. Despite her efforts, laughter escaped her.

             
“Don’t. Laugh.” Gabriel pushed to a sitting position. “Maggie died of snakebite.
I can’t stand the things.
”

             
“’Tis sorry I am, but it’s naught but a wee serpent
, and it’s no longer alive
.” She would not admit her own fear. “I’ll protect you whenever there’s one around.”

             
“I didn’t know you had killed it.”
Gabriel
glared at her. “I said not to laugh.” His eyes narrowed at the cat. “What’s that?”

             
“It’s called a cat.” Charity stood and brushed her skirt free of dirt and straw.
She must look a fright with red eyes and nose.
“We’re taking it to the house.”

             
“No, you’re not.” The color returning to his face, Gabriel got to his feet.

             
“It’s the least you can do
,
on account of me saving your life.” Charity grinned.

             
“The snake was already dead when I walked up.”

             
“You wouldn’t know it from your actions, now would you?” She took Patches from Sam’s hands. “Come on, fearless husband. Let’s see what I can scrounge up for supper.”

             
“You’re an evil woman, Charity
O’Connell
Williams.” Gabe made a wide berth around the snake.

             
Charity Williams. She liked the sound of her new name on his lips. The fact the man had a fear of snakes, endeared him, rather than showed a sign of weakness.
She rather liked it.
Now, how would he react when she requested his departed Maggie’s belongings be carted back to the house?

6

             
“Is this a recent fear of snakes?” Charity jogged to keep up with Gabriel. She wanted to joke him out of his embarrassment, but didn’t figure
from
the stony look on his face,
that
the idea would be well received.
He was definitely one of the most prickly people she’d ever met.

             
“Nope. Been afraid all my life. I was bitten when I
was a little guy and almost died
.” H
is jaw tightened
.
“Gave my ma a real fright.
Then, after Maggie, well…
”

             
“Do you have a scar? Can I see it?”

             
“It’s on my
upper
thigh.” He increased his pace, high spots of color on his cheeks.
“You have an odd sense of curiosity.”

             
“Oh.” Charity put a hand over her mouth.
Husband or not, that was an area of his body off limits for sure.
When would she learn to think before speaking?
She needed to get her mind onto something else.
She should probably take care of the
snake
carcass before Gabriel needed to go back into the barn. What if he fainted and hit his head and no
one was around to help?

             
He glanced sideways at her. “What are
you
afraid of?”

             
Things
too numerous to mention. How could she tell him she was frightened of being alone or failing at the life she’d chosen to undertake? Or that the possibility of no one loving her just for who she was scared the daylights out of her? She straightened her shoulders. “Thunderstorms.”

That was a lie. She loved the crackle of lightning and boom of thunder. She swallowed back the guilt and turned toward the barn. “I’ll be in the house in a moment.
Go r
elax and get to know Patches.”

             
“I don’t want a cat in the house.”

             
Without looking over her shoulder, she said, “You’re outnumbered, Mr. Williams.”

             
Gabriel grabbed her upper arm and swung her around. “It’s my home.”

             
“And for the next twelve months,
at least,
it’s mine, also.” She yanked free and hitched her skirt in order to move quicker. “What do your children
d
o in the long winter months?”