Dorothy Garlock (31 page)

“How much?”

“It will depend on how much trouble you cause while you’re here.”

“You love to have the whip hand, don’t you, dear brother? I’ll think about it. Do you plan to marry . . . her?” There was no mistaking the intended slur by not using Annie Lash’s name.

Annie Lash felt the muscles jerk in Jeff’s arm. She was tense as she waited to see what he would do. He didn’t say anything and a long, quiet moment passed.

When he did speak, his voice was flat and wicked, taut with restrained anger. “I’m proud to say that Annie Lash and I will be married as soon as I can arrange it.”

Jason’s unmistakably contemptuous laugh came out of the darkness. “Congratulations,” he said dryly, and went back into the house.

Annie Lash stroked Jeff’s arm with a touch intended to comfort. “Shh . . . He was trying to make you angry. Don’t let him succeed.”

Sometimes she couldn’t believe all that had happened to her. It was so wonderful to be in love, to share his happy moments as well as his trying ones. He filled every corner of her heart without her being able to do anything about it. Her love for him had given the world a whole new brightness.

“Shall we go to bed, darling?” she whispered against his cheek. Happiness flowed in her blood and a little smile of pure delight danced on her mouth.

“My Annielove! I’ll never get used to having you with me and knowing you want me.” His voice was husky, tender. His lips found her ear. “You smell like roses.”

“Of course. Callie and I picked some rose petals, dried them, and tied them in a little bag. I rub them on my cheeks so I’ll smell good for you.”

The feel of her against him and the scent of her filled his head. He swallowed hard, because he wanted her so much. His hand moved up and down her back, and over her rounded hips in gentle possession.

“This has been a very long day,” he whispered passionately against her lips. “Let’s go to bed.”

“Hummm . . . I was ready an hour ago.”

They went to her room and Jeff struck a flint to the candle on the table beside the bed. “I’ll look around while you’re getting ready, sweetheart. I always take a turn about the place at night.”

Annie Lash removed her dress and hung it on a peg next to Jeff’s shirt. It brought a soft smile to her face to see her clothes hanging beside his. Humming a happy little tune, she sat down on the edge of the bed, unlaced her shoes, and walked barefoot across the rag carpet to set them beside Jeff’s high moccasins leaning against the wall. Her foot bumped them as she passed and one fell over. She reached down to set it right and drew back, her mind rapidly filling with terror.

A snake slithered out of the boot, its small head just a little way off the floor, its beady eyes on her and its forked tongue sliding in and out of its mouth rapidly. The small body formed an “S” shape, then swiftly coiled. At first Annie Lash was too terrified to move, then she dived for the bed, her horrified eyes riveted to the writhing creature on the floor.

“Oh! Oh! Jeff . . . erson! Jeff . . . er . . . son!” she screamed.

It seemed to her she waited a lifetime before the door burst open and Jeff was there.

“What’s the matter? What—”

“Snake! On the floor!” She was trembling so violently she could hardly point her shaking finger.

“Stay where you are. It can’t get to you.”

Annie Lash saw Jason and Hartley crowd into the doorway. She watched Jeff move around the snake, go to the fireplace and grab the long, iron fire prodder that hung there. She closed her eyes as he smashed the flat head and then looped the snake’s body, still in its death throes, over the poker and carried it from the room.

“What is it?” Hartley asked and backed out of the way.

“Water moccasin.”

“Ugh! I hate snakes.”

Annie Lash sat in the middle of the bed and let the tears run down her cheeks. She hated her weakness. When Jeff returned he closed the door, came to the bed, and took her trembling body in his arms.

“I’m sorry I’m such a coward,” she sobbed.

“Where did the thing come from, sweetheart? We’ve never found a water snake in the house before.”

“I knocked your boot over with my foot and the . . . thing crawled out.” She sniffed back the tears and wiped her nose on the end of her shift.

“Are you sure it came from my boot? I can’t believe—” he asked, and just barely bit back the rest of the words he was going to say.

“Yes, I’m sure. I saw it come out.”

“It’s gone and you’ve nothing to be afraid of, now. It’s rare that a water snake comes in the house and it’ll probably never happen again. Come on, get to bed, sweetheart. I’ve waited all day for this.”

Later, with Annie Lash snuggled in his arms, Jeff pondered every detail of the incident. His busy mind worked far into the night, and before morning he slipped from the room to find Will.

Annie Lash was disappointed to find herself alone in the bed. She yawned, stretched, and let her mind move back to the night before. She should feel disgracefully wanton; instead, she felt a glorious fulfillment and an extraordinary sense of well-being. She bounded out of bed, dressed in the early morning light, and went across to the kitchen.

Callie heard her stirring around, opened the bedroom door, and peeked out. When she saw that Annie Lash was alone, she came through the door and closed it behind her.

“Mornin’, Callie. Is your room awfully hot with the door closed?”

“It hasn’t been so far. I swear I don’t know what I’m going to do, Annie Lash. Amos wet the bed twice last night. He wet his bunk and I put him in bed with me and he did it again. He hates it so! Poor little fellow cried half the night. He begged me not to hang the sheets outside to dry. He’s afraid everyone will know.”

“No one is going to know!” Annie Lash said fiercely. “I’ll take the sheets off my bed and off Abe’s and we’ll wash them all. It’ll be a washday in the middle of the week.”

“You always seem to come up with something,” Callie said with a relieved sigh. “Annie Lash, that child is a nervous wreck. I don’t know what he’d do if Jason makes another attempt to take hold of him.”

“Jason told Jefferson last night that they’ll be leaving tomorrow. We only have to get through this day. We’ll make sure Amos is with us and Jason doesn’t get a chance to take hold of him.”

“Oh, thank goodness. It can’t be too soon to suit me.”

“I haven’t seen hide nor hair of Will.” Annie Lash filled the teakettle and swung it over the flame. “I thought he might take Amos over to his place.”

“He thinks it’s best that he stay away while Jason’s here.” Callie moved quickly to slice the slab of bacon Jeff had left on the work counter. “Is Jeff milking?”

“The milk pail is gone, he must be. Callie . . . I love him.” Annie Lash’s clear eyes shone. “I’d not have shared his bed if I didn’t love him and know that we’ll be married.”

“I know that!” Callie reached over and squeezed her arm. “I’m happy for you and Jefferson. He’s a good man and he deserves someone like you.”

“He might not think so this morning. I made a fool out of myself last night screaming the house down. I just can’t abide crawling things. Even worms give me the chills, and . . . snakes! There’s no other way to put it, I have a horror of them. They scare me to death!”

“That’s the first snake we’ve found in the house. I’ve seen a few little garter snakes in the garden, but they’re harmless. Who’d a thought one of them awful things would’ve come up from the river?”

“I know one thing: I’m going to be mighty careful when I put my foot in a shoe from now on.” She shuddered. “When I think about what could’ve happened to Jefferson I get the cold chills.”

Jeff came in with the milk and the three of them had a quiet breakfast. Annie Lash fervently wished the day would be over so that they would have the homestead to themselves once again.

“We’re going to wash today, Jefferson,” Callie said with a nervous glance toward the door.

“It looks like a fine day for it. I’ll set up the boiling pot and bring out the tubs.”

It seemed to Annie Lash that Jeff was extra quiet and withdrawn this morning. She was sure it would be a relief to him, as it would be to all of them, when Jason and his friend departed.

Callie fed the children and Annie Lash gathered up the wash. The reason for their haste wasn’t voiced, but both women wanted to leave the kitchen before Hartley and Jason came in for breakfast.

When Annie Lash went out through the dogtrot she saw Antone sitting on his heels beside the house. Had he spent the night there? She called to him.

“Antone. Come on in and eat something.” He followed her into the kitchen and she filled a porringer with mush and laced it with syrup. The black man hung back until she shoved the bowl in his hands. “Hurry and eat before they come in,” she urged. “Mercy sakes! Doesn’t that man think you’ve got to eat and have a place to sleep just like everyone else?”

“Yas’m. . . .” Antone bobbed his head, but his eyes flicked nervously to the doorway.

He moved over to a corner beside the stove, squatted on his heels, and began to eat the mush as though he were starved. Annie Lash filled a mug with hot tea and put in a generous amount of milk. The look on his face when she gave it to him caused her to look at him sharply. There was more intelligence behind those dark eyes than he allowed to show.

“You can fix their breakfast, Antone. Fry grits, or give them mush and milk. The tea is here.” She set the tin on the counter. “We’re going to the creek to wash.”

“Yas’m.” He kept bobbing his head up and down and she wished he wouldn’t do it. “Missy?”

“Yes?” She looked at him over her armload of clothes.

“I git big rivva fish. Mastah want chowdah.”

“Well, all right,” she said reluctantly. “Go ahead and fix it. If there’s anything you need that you can’t find, we’ll be down at the creek.”

“Yas’m.”

Annie Lash looked down at him and shook her head. “If you belonged to me, Antone, the first thing I’d tell you to do would be to stop using that word!” It was impossible for Annie Lash to hold back the giggle that insisted on coming out.

The black man looked at her blankly, then he began to smile. “Yas’m.”

“Oh, you’re impossible!” she said laughingly. “I put beans on to simmer. If we won’t be needing them for nooning, set them aside.”

His dark head bobbed again and he watched her go out the door.

It took no more than an hour to do the washing. When the sheets were on the line and the wash water emptied, Callie sat on the quilt with Abe. Annie Lash took Amos by the hand and they went to the barnlot where they puttered with unnecessary chores to fill the time. They scattered grain for the hens, carried water to the already filled troughs, searched for eggs, and found none.

It almost broke Annie Lash’s heart to see the subdued little boy trudging along beside her, holding tightly to her hand. The only time he smiled was when he saw the old wolf-dog slinking along behind Jute, who had come to the barn with a broken harness. He ran to the dog and threw his arms about the shaggy neck. She had seen this many times, and each time her heart came up in her throat. It was strange, she mused, that that old dog loved and trusted the child about as much as he hated and distrusted everyone else except Jute and Maggie.

She waited and watched. The rough, red tongue came out and licked the boy’s face. Soft mewing sounds came from his throat. Jute came out of the shed with the harness thrown over his shoulder. He stood with his head down, grinning shyly. He was too bashful to speak to Annie Lash.

“Yaw’ll stay wid Masta Amos, dawg,” he ordered.

“What’s his name, Jute?”

Jute tilted his head and looked at the dog as if he had never thought about giving the dog a name “Dawg, missy. He jist named Dawg.”

When she could think of nothing else to do in the barn, Annie Lash sent Amos back to where Callie sat with Abe in her arms and went into the house. She walked into the kitchen feeling like an intruder. Jason and Hartley sat at the table and Antone moved quietly between the work counter and hearth. Hartley got to his feet when she entered. Jason looked up, but remained seated. It was a deliberate snub, and Annie Lash wanted to smile at his sulky, childish behavior.

“Mornin’, ma’am. We’re enjoying an extra cup of tea. Will you join us?” Hartley was all smiles. His face was clean shaven, his hair ratted into a pompadour high over his forehead with the top hair smoothed over it. He wore a blue silk shirt that matched the blue of his eyes, tight cord pants, and boots that were so shiny black she could almost see reflections in them.

“No, thank you. I came to get my work basket.”

Annie Lash deliberately let her eyes linger on Jason’s face. There was no doubt in her mind that he’d been handled roughly. But by whom? His mouth was cut and swollen. The side of his face was skinned and bruised. He frowned and flushed when he caught her looking at him, but she refused to turn her eyes away.

“Have you had an accident, Mr. Pickett?” she asked innocently with raised brows. She had to press her lips together to hold back a smile.

“It’s none of—”

“Now, Jason,” Hartley laughingly interrupted. “We’re leaving tomorrow and you shouldn’t be rude to your future sister-in-law.”

“It was rude of me for asking the obvious, Mr. Van Buren. Excuse me,” she said pleasantly, feeling apprehensive and not at all pleasant. “Have you found everything you need, Antone?”

“Yas’m.”

“Antone tells me you’re allowing him to prepare the noon meal, ma’am. That’s generous of you. I haven’t had fish chowder since I left New Orleans and probably won’t get any more until I return. You’re in for a real treat, I assure you.”

“I’m sure we are. Antone, there’s another crock of milk in the cellar if you need it.”

“Yas’m.”

Annie Lash made her escape. Her mind was flooded with questions. Who in the world gave Jason the beating? she thought as she left the house. Was it Jefferson? Or Will? Had Will come in the night and called Jason out? Jefferson would have known if he had, but he hadn’t said anything about it. She decided not to say anything to Callie. There was a chance Jason wouldn’t show up for the noon meal, and there was no need for Callie to worry about it until she had to. Not that she’d care a whit about the beating. She didn’t want any trouble between Jason and Will. Personally, Annie Lash was rather pleased. It gave her spirits a small boost just knowing that Jason had gotten his comeuppance.