“Holly?”
“I’m sorry, Bryce. I wanted to speak with you and, well, they were here and, well...oh goodness, I’m beside myself here. I told Jessie who I was. I need you, Bryce. I’ve missed you so much.”
He stepped forward and put his arm around her. “Shh, it’s all right. I’ve missed you, too. Come on, let me put my horse away and then you can show me what’s in your basket.”
Relief washed over Holly. He wasn’t so angry with her that he didn’t want to spend some time with her. “I hope you’re hungry. I brought a little of everything.”
“I’m famished. Whatever you brought will be fine.”
“We did have a full pot of rabbit stew but I’ve had my fill of that this past month. Calvin has become quite the hunter.”
Bryce chuckled. “I do miss that little man.”
They entered the barn and Bryce made quick work of removing the saddle and setting up fresh oats. He then proceeded to give his horse a good brush-down.
“It appears that Jessie loves the house,” Holly remarked, instantly regretting it. A look of sadness spread across his face. “I am sorry. I meant it as a compliment. She went on and on about the place and...”
He held up his hand. “It’s all right, Holly. I understand your lack of interest in the house.”
“No, Bryce, it isn’t that at all.” She paused, considering her words carefully. “We need to talk, but I think what we need to say to one another will hurt. Let’s agree not to walk away from each other in anger.”
Bryce laughed. “That will be harder for you than me. You do realize what you are suggesting?”
“I do, and you’re right. I will have the harder time. On the other hand, even anger will feel a lot better than what I’ve been feeling for the past month.”
His hand paused with the brush on the horse’s hindquarters. “What have you been feeling?”
“Nothing. I am going through life with no emotions at all. I’m doing everything that is required of me and yet I feel no joy, no pain, no anything. I am numb.”
“Sorry to hear that. Have you talked with the pastor or perhaps someone else who’s lost a family member?”
“No. Today is the first day I’ve actually left the house since my return from Tennessee.”
“Jessie told me about meeting you on the street this morning. You must have gotten down here before the sun rose.”
“I did. I was hoping to find you. But I didn’t know where to find your house, and when I met Jessie I thought I could simply follow her. Then she mentioned how you had purchased it for a wife, but that didn’t work out and, well...the guilt got the best of me.”
He placed the horse brush back on the shelf and stepped out of the stall. “Holly, please don’t feel badly about the house. I know now I should have waited to tell you. I wanted to help, and instead I made your burden worse. For that I am profoundly sorry. Can you forgive me?”
“Forgive you? Goodness, it is I that needs to ask for your forgiveness. I ran off on you to Tennessee. Since coming home I haven’t had the energy— No, that’s not completely true. I haven’t even had the desire to see you. No, that’s not exactly true, either. I have the desire but I don’t trust myself. My emotions are up and down, excited then nothing at all. Mostly they are nothing. I hate feeling nothing. Trust me, angry is a whole lot better than nothing.”
“Come, let us go into the house,” Bryce said with a sweep of his hand toward the side door. “I will give you a brief tour, then we can sit down and enjoy whatever you brought for supper.”
“I’d like that.”
He offered his hand and she took it. She’d held Bryce’s hands on many occasions over the years. Tonight felt different. “Come, your honor is safe with me.”
She blushed. “I know.”
The tour ended in the dining room, where he pulled a chair from the table for her.
“Thank you, Bryce,” she said, taking her seat. “The house is marvelous. You’ve done a great job. You are right, I would have loved it.”
He took the chair opposite hers. “Thank you. Now...” He rubbed his hands together in eager anticipation. “What did you bring in that basket?”
Chapter 10
“H
olly, we have a problem,” Bryce said over his shoulder from the front door. He couldn’t believe his eyes. A dense fog quilted the ground beneath a moonless night. Darkness, thicker than he’d ever seen it before, swallowed the tree-lined road. “You cannot drive home in this. It isn’t safe.”
Fear filled her eyes. “I have already pushed Father’s patience by insisting I am quite capable of visiting you for an evening without ruining my reputation. What are we going to do?”
“You are going to spend the night here and I will make my way to my parents’ house. I am safer on a horse. I will put your buggy and horse in the carriage house for the night.”
“What if I rode the horse home and you escorted me?”
“That would be better than you going alone. But still, I would feel much better if you spent the night here while I go to my parents’.”
“Yes, but whoever comes looking for me in the morning will find me here alone. I do not think that would be wise.”
“Perhaps you are right. I will get the horses ready. Can you ride in that dress?”
“Yes, if you lend me scissors or a knife and give me some privacy.”
Bryce didn’t want to even imagine what Holly had in mind. He knew she could ride like a man. She’d done it many times when they were children. But in a dress? He shook his head. “I shall ready the horses. You do whatever you have to do.”
He left as if fire nipped at his heels. They had enjoyed such a good evening together. Their conversation revolved somewhat around their relationship, and the death of her mother, but mostly around Holly’s fear of not being able to feel again. “Father,” Bryce had prayed, holding her hands, “please, give her strength and guidance.”
Holly entered the carriage house and saw that he had the first horse saddled. “All set,” she proclaimed, indicating her altered dress. “It isn’t pretty, but it will work.”
Bryce took her word for it without looking. “I will ride bareback,” he said. He had forgotten about not having another saddle when agreeing to serve as her escort. “Give me a minute. I will be right back.” He re-entered the house and pulled out his hunting rifle and a Colt 45 pistol. He stuffed his sheathed hunting knife inside his boot.
Outside, he met the black shadow that was Holly astride her horse. “Shall we?”
“You are right, Bryce, it is really dark out here.”
“Never seen it this dark. Come on, let’s go.” Bryce grabbed hold of the horse’s withers and swung himself up. It felt odd not to have a saddle under him. But he’d ridden bareback enough over the years that gripping with his thighs didn’t take much effort.
They made their way down the city streets without much problem as streetlamps and house lamps helped light the way. Once outside the city limits, utter darkness enveloped them once again.
“Bryce?”
“Hmm?” he answered, keeping himself alert to the road and their surroundings.
“I don’t mind telling you I’m afraid.”
Bryce smiled. “That’s good. Fear is an emotion. Not a pleasant one, but an emotion.”
Holly laughed. “Thanks, I feel much better now.”
“Don’t even give it another consideration. I don’t need constant praise.”
“Right, and there’s a full moon out tonight,” she teased.
“There is? I cannot find it. Can you?”
“The air doesn’t feel right.”
“No, feels like a storm, or worse. A cyclone might be getting ready to blow through. You know what to do if we have a funnel cloud or cyclone come down, right?”
“Lie in a ditch.”
“Right.” They continued on in silence.
“Bryce?”
“Yeah?”
Before she could speak, someone jumped out in front of them and cocked his gun. “Hang on there, this here is a holdup.”
“You’ve got to be kidding,” Holly squealed. “Of all the stupid things to do on a night like this. How do you know we don’t have a group of men following us right now?”
“What?” The would-be robber stepped toward Holly.
Bryce came off his horse with a kick toward the man’s head. He went down. Bryce stood over the man and kicked his gun away. “Holly, get me some rope so I can tie him up.”
“Where will I find some?”
Bryce thought for a moment. “Sorry, I did not pack the saddlebags.”
“He’s not going to get up for a little while. Why don’t we just head on home?”
“No, I don’t trust him. He might have friends. I will tie him up with my shirt and pick him up in the morning.” He removed his shirt and made strips of cloth to bind the man’s hands and feet. What if he has partners nearby? Bryce wondered to himself. “Holly, do you have a petticoat on under your dress?”
“Yes. I have a slip that goes down to the hem of my dress.”
“Even better. Let me have a few inches off the bottom.” Holly got down from the horse and lifted her skirt slightly. Bryce cut off a three-inch strip. “Thank you. Now get back in the saddle. I don’t want you without an escape if he has buddies out here.”
Holly silently obeyed.
“Hey, Tom, where are ya?” someone whispered in the dark.
Bryce sprang to Holly’s side and jumped up behind her on the horse, slapping him to a full gallop. He grabbed her waist with both hands, but the saddle’s hard cantle pounded against him, forcing him backward on the horse’s rump.
“Hang on, Bryce!” Holly whipped the reins against the beast’s heaving flanks and got a bit more speed out of him.
The loud crack of gunfire pierced the thick night air. Hot lead slammed into his back. He moaned but held on. It shouldn’t take more than a few more minutes at this speed to be at his parents’ plantation. “My house,” he groaned.
“If I can find the road.” A flash of lightning illuminated their path. Bryce turned to see if they were still being pursued.
“I saw your lane, Bryce. We’re almost there. Hold on.”
“I am.” The winds began to pick up. Bryce could feel the blood oozing from the wound. “Holly, I love you.”
“I love you, too, Bryce. Were you hit?”
“Yes.”
“Hang on. I can see a light from your house.” She used it as a guide and within minutes she was at the front door. Bryce released his grip and slid to the ground with a heavy thud. “Bryce!” she screamed, scurrying to his side. “Bryce, stay with me.”
Lights brightened in the house. Holly grabbed hold of him and put his arm around her shoulders. “Help, Bryce is hurt,” she yelled. The front door flew open. Chad barreled down the stairs, with Ryan right behind him. “What happened?”
“Bandits on the road. He’s been shot.”
“I will fetch the doctor.” Ryan jumped up on the horse and raced back to the city.
Lloyd and Cynthia came out as their son galloped off.
“Bryce has been shot. Looks bad,” Chad told his parents.
“Get him inside,” Lloyd ordered. “Cynthia, boil a couple of pots of water. Michael, fetch Bryce’s animal husbandry tools. Chad, you and Holly lay him on the dining room table. Gather as many lamps as you can. We’ll need a few mirrors, as well,” Lloyd ordered.
Once they had Bryce on the table, Holly saw the ugly wound. Her pulse drummed in her ears. The food in her stomach spoiled. “Holly, get some towels. Chad—the lights.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Lloyd Jarvis,” Cynthia exclaimed. “You are a lawyer, for heaven’s sake! What do you know about doctoring?”
“Seen enough wounds during the war. First thing is to clean it out. Do you have any silk thread, Cynthia?”
“Yes.”
“Good. Fetch that, and get your sharpest needles and a pair of pliers.”
“Dear God in heaven, you’re going to operate?” Cynthia went deathly pale and crumpled to the floor.
“Holly, help Cynthia.”
“Yes, sir.” Holly placed the towels on one of the chairs beside the table.
“Chad, rearrange the hutch so that we can set up mirrors to hang off the top at an angle. Make the light reflect down at your brother. Use wire, string...whatever it takes.” Lloyd grabbed a towel and pressed it on Bryce’s back.
Bryce screamed, then passed out again. “Good, son. Hang in there, boy. You are going to be fine. It’s a clean wound.”
Holly marveled at the strength and fortitude Mr. Jarvis displayed for his family. The kettle in the kitchen whistled, signaling that the water had boiled. Michael came running in with Bryce’s tools.
“Take that knife and those pliers and put them in the boiling water, Michael.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Leave them in there until the water starts to boil again. Then we need to time it for ten minutes.”
“Yes, sir.”
Lloyd lifted the blood-soaked towel and tossed it aside. “Pour some hot water on this towel. Then grab a pitcher of cold water to cleanse this wound, Holly.”
“Yes, sir.” Holly trembled but went straight to work. It was easy to follow orders from someone who knew what they were doing. “You could have been a surgeon, Mr. Jarvis.”
“Not likely,” he replied. He glanced back at his wife who still remained passed out. “Cynthia, wake up. I need you. Bryce needs you, honey. Come on, honey. Wake up, please.”
Cynthia began to stir as Holly came up beside Mr. Jarvis with a pitcher of water. “Pour it on the wound until I say stop.”
Holly nodded and applied the cool liquid on the open wound. Blood and grit flowed down his sides onto the table and floor below. “Perfect. Stop pouring for a moment.” Lloyd applied more pressure with a clean towel.
“Cynthia, are you able to get me that thread and needle now?” His tender tone touched Holly.
“Water is boiling again, Dad,” Michael called from the kitchen.
“Great, check the clock and watch for ten minutes.”
“Yes, sir.”
“You are doing a great job on the lights, Chad.”
“I’ll have the mirrors tied up in a couple minutes.”
“Excellent work, son.” Lloyd removed the towel. It wasn’t as saturated as the previous one. “Good, the bleeding is slowing down.”
Bryce moaned.
“Holly, put the pitcher of water down. In my den, in the bottom drawer on the right side, is a bottle of whiskey. Would you fetch it, please?”
“Yes, sir.”
Father kept the whiskey in the same place in his den. Every household had a bottle for medicinal purposes. It seemed odd to rummage in another man’s desk, but then again, for Bryce, she’d do anything. Finding the clear-glass bottle, she ran back to the dining area. Cynthia was coming down the stairs, still a little pale but able to hold her own.
“Take a sip, Cynthia. I’m going to need you to help me.”
Cynthia opened the bottle, sipped, then coughed violently. “How horrifying!”
Lloyd chuckled. “That’s my girl. Come on. I am going to need you to help Bryce.
“Chad, when you’re done with those mirrors, I am going to need you to help remove your brother’s trousers. Ladies, turn your backs then.”
“How’s that?” Chad asked.
“Excellent, son. Come, let’s get him set up for surgery. Take off his boots, then his pants. Then we will cover him with a sheet. Michael, run upstairs and get a sheet for your brother.”
“Yes, sir.”
The men worked quickly and Bryce was clean and covered again in no time. “How much longer on those instruments, Michael?”
“I’ll check.” Michael ran back to the kitchen.
Lloyd lifted the towel. “The bleeding is almost stopped. We can wait for the doctor. I would hate to go in there and cause the bleeding to start up again. After all, I am not a surgeon.”
“Maybe not, but you can help work on me anytime,” Chad said to encourage his father.
“Me, too,” Michael chimed in. “How do I get the tools out of the water, Dad?”
“Pour boiling water on one of Mom’s cooking sheets then drain it in the sink. Use your mother’s wooden tongs and pick out the tools one at a time and place them on the clean baking sheets.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Holly, hold this towel firmly on the wound. Chad, help me lift the table under the chandelier.”
The front door flung open. “Doc says he’ll be here as soon as possible. He says to hold a clean towel on the wound...” Ryan’s words trailed off. “Apparently ya’ll are already doing that.”
Holly smiled.
“Ryan, clean the sweat off then hold the towel on Bryce’s wound. Holly, I want you to feed the whiskey to Bryce. Drip it on his tongue. Try to get him to swallow some before the doctor gets here.”
“Yes, sir.” Instead, Cynthia Jarvis stood at the head of the table. She opened her hand and without saying a word asked for the whiskey. Holly handed it to her and sat after Ryan took her place. In the heat of the emergency Holly felt a strange surge of energy and clarity of thought. As the pace slowed, however, she felt the room begin to swirl. She closed her eyes then opened and focused straight ahead. The room no longer swayed.
* * *
Bryce woke to throbbing pain in his back. He reached behind to find a bandage and saw the doctor standing over him.
“You have quite a father there, son,” the doctor said. “If I didn’t know him to be so good at law, I’d suggest he missed his calling. You’re going to have a fever fighting off the infection, but you’ll be fine. Your father cleansed the wound well and I had excellent light for surgery.”
What was he talking about? The last thing he remembered was tying up a bandit... He tried to jump up. “Holly! Where’s Holly? Was she hurt?” The strong arms of the doctor held him down.
“She’s fine. The only one injured was you.” The doctor closed his valise. “I will give your parents instructions for your care. You won’t remember them even if I did tell you.”
Bryce chuckled then stopped. Pain shot through his back.
“Well, you gave us quite a scare tonight,” Chad said as he came into the room and sat beside the bed. “What happened?”
“Bandits.”
“Holly told us that much. Ryan said he saw your horse on the side of the road but there was no one tied up there.”
“He had a partner. At least one, possibly two, I think. I honestly don’t know. What did Holly say?”
“Not too much, apart from you being this incredible hero straight out of a novel. As if you were one of the Knights of the Round Table or Robin Hood. And truthfully, if you did what she said you did, you did sound rather remarkable. Even if you are my brother.”
Breathless, Chad related the tale of how the family had come together to tend to Bryce’s wound. Then he turned to the matter of the bandits. “Ryan and I will go to the sheriff’s in the morning and report the crime. He’ll probably want to come talk with you after that.”