Harlot at the Homestead (11 page)

Kenan realized that tonight had brought him an opportunity for retribution. It was not only William Montgomery who’d changed. Kenan had changed, too, and he was no longer the man he’d once been. In fact, he doubted that he even got the flashes of his old self in the same way as Catherine’s uncle did. Kenan’s innocence was gone and he didn’t know if anything would ever bring it back.

Chapter Nine

Catherine finished twirling then let down her skirts. Laughing and breathing heavily, she leaned on Rosie’s shoulder.

“That was fun!”

“Just like old times.” Rosie giggled. “You sure can dance.”

“Why thank you, kind lady.” Catherine dropped into a mock curtsey, bowing her head low as she did so. When she raised her eyes, still smiling, to meet Rosie’s gaze, her laughter died in her throat. “What is it, Rosie?”

Kenan’s twin sister stared off into the distance, beyond the circle of celebration and into the darkness.

“Catherine,” Rosie whispered. “Is that your aunt with Kenan?”

“I…” Catherine’s mouth went dry. “I think it is.”

“Why would she be here…at this time of night?”

Catherine shrugged. She felt like a goose had walked over her grave and an icy hand seemed to grip her spine. She hadn’t seen her aunt since her return and if she was totally honest, she hadn’t wanted to. Not being reunited with Edie and William had been a way of trying to move on, to put what had happened behind her. Though the events immediately prior to her time in New York, as well as the two years she’d spent there, were never far from her mind, not being near the people who had instigated her departure made it seem less real. Her brief time with Kenan had made her feel better, almost like the Catherine she had been, but she knew that as soon as she looked into her aunt’s eyes, or heard her uncle’s voice, she would likely crumble.

“Rosie, please help me,” she choked out. “I can’t see her.”

Rosie turned to her. “Whadda you mean?”

“I just…I’m not ready…” She raised a trembling hand to her brow and smoothed the beads of perspiration away.

“Of course.” Rosie looked around them. “Don’t worry, Catherine. You don’t have to see her right now. Lord in Heaven, whatever did they do to you?” She took hold of Catherine’s arm then led her away from the celebrations and toward the house, only stopping to whisper into Matthew’s ear. Catherine watched as a frown passed over his face then he walked toward Kenan.

“Matthew!” Kenan reached out to grip his brother’s shoulder. He couldn’t explain it but he was so glad to see him.

“Kenan.” Matthew leaned close to him. “Can I have a word?”

“Sure. Excuse me.”

Edie Montgomery scowled but walked a little way off, feigning interest in the fauna.

“Rosie just told me that she saw you and Mrs Montgomery approaching. Catherine got jittery so she’s taken her into the house. Seems your lady friend wasn’t too keen to speak to her aunt. Any particular reason why?”

“It’s a long story, Matthew. I’ll explain another time. Is Catherine okay though?” His stomach churned as he thought of her having to see the woman who’d allowed her to enter a living hell.

“She didn’t look too good but Rosie’ll take care of her.”

“Sure.” Catherine was in good hands. He’d deal with old William Montgomery then he’d seek out Catherine and hold her tight, make her feel safe as he longed to do.

“So why’s she here?” Matthew gestured at Edie.

“She was on her way here with William earlier this evening when he took sick. She claims he’s not been himself recently and that his mind wanders. Apparently”–Kenan felt a grin twitching at the corners of his mouth at the ridiculousness of the situation—“he tried to romance her on the journey.”

Matthew shook his head and tutted.

“So she declined his attentions and he jumped out of the wagon then ran off. She says she was screaming his name for ages but he just ignored her. I don’t know what to make of it.”

“So you wanna go look for him?” Matthew lifted one dark eyebrow.

“Better had.” Kenan knew that he had to ask for assistance to find old Montgomery, that it was nigh impossible to think he’d find him alone but really he just wanted to set out unhindered so that he could find the old man and—

“What is it?” Matthew’s face was etched with concern.

“I’m just…worried is all, Matthew. Can you see if you can round up a few others? Less drunk ones of course.” He attempted a smile but it felt like a bitter grin.

“Of course,” Matthew replied.

“Be discreet!” Kenan muttered. “We don’t wanna ruin the wedding party.”

He stood and watched as Matthew made his way around the guests, selecting a few of the more sober men. Edie Montgomery appeared at his side.

“Will they help?” She sounded tired, almost defeated.

“I guess so,” Kenan responded as his brother headed back toward him followed by four other men. Each one bore the signs of a night spent drinking and dancing—flushed cheeks, sweaty brow, disheveled clothing and wide relaxed smiles.

When they stood in front of him he gave them a hasty debrief then sent two of them to fetch kerosene lamps from the house.

“Mrs Montgomery.” Kenan took her arm. “You’d better go over there and wait with the others. No sense in you trailing around in the darkness and getting injured now is there?”

Her eyes flashed with irritation but she inclined her head. “If that is what you think to be best, Mr Duggan. But please…please find my husband and bring him back safely to me.”

“I’ll do my best, ma’am.” Kenan tweaked the brim of his hat.

He would do his best, but not to bring the old man safely back. Anything could happen out there in the darkness. A pistol could go off accidentally. A wild animal could spring from nowhere, disturbed by drunken men staggering around, and that beast could attack the nearest—and most vulnerable—man.

Hell, who knew? Anything could happen.

The men returned with lamps and their weapons and Kenan took one of the former then unholstered his own gun.

“Come on then, fellas! We’re looking for William Montgomery. According to his ol’ lady he’s none too sharp at the moment. Take care not to shoot him for a coyote!”

Matthew walked at his side and the men followed. He led them away from the celebrations, away from humanity and toward his own private mission for revenge.

When they reached the dark, bulky shapes of the outbuildings, Kenan handed Matthew the lamp before he divided the men into three separate search parties. He waved the first off to the left, the second straight ahead, then he led Matthew off to the right in the direction of the fields where Edie Montgomery had pointed.

He stood still for a moment, watching the small circles of light cast by the lamps as they drifted away. The moon sat almost directly above him, shining like a new silver penny, pure, untainted and innocent. He’d looked up at that same moon thousands of times during his lifetime and many times with joy in his heart but now he realized that there had probably been many more times with a heart full of sorrow.

“What is it Kenan?” Matthew asked. “Are we really going after William Montgomery just to rescue him?”

Kenan looked down at the grass at his feet. It was bathed in the cold moonlight and he shivered, wondering for a moment how spilled blood would seem in that ethereal glow. It would probably appear black, and that seemed appropriate because right now his heart felt black as a thundercloud.

“Please don’t ask me anymore, Matthew. I don’t wanna lie to you.” Kenan held his brother’s curious gaze. “I have something I have to do. I don’t even know yet…” He looked down at his hands. “I don’t even know if I can do it. All I do know is that I have to do something. I have to put this sorry mess right or I’ll never be able to move on.”

“Are you sure that this is the right thing, Kenan?”

Matthew’s eyes were wide and sincere and held no judgment. Kenan knew that his brother trusted him totally and that whatever it was that he decided to do, Matthew would be by his side, true and firm.

“I’m not sure that I know what the right thing is anymore, Matthew.” He holstered his gun, removed his hat then ran a hand through his damp hair. “I wish I did but…”

“Come on then.” Matthew squeezed his shoulder. “Let’s start looking then we can take it as it comes. Whatever it is, you’ll work it out.”

Kenan smiled gratefully at Matthew’s practical approach then put his Stetson back on.

“Oh Mr Montgomery!” he called out into the darkness, cupping his hands around his mouth to send his voice further. “Mr Montgomery! Are you out there? It’s Kenan Duggan! We’re here to help you get…safely home.”

Kenan held up a hand to stop Matthew in his tracks. They were making their way toward a large outdoor pen where the cattle had been secured for the night. The heat from the animal bodies drifted toward him through the wooden fencing and the aroma from their cooling flesh was at once sharp yet comforting. It was the smell he worked with daily, the warm mixture of grass and mud, honey and tin.

As the clouds danced across the moon, the cows seemed to be participating in an elaborate show, each one revealed then hidden in turn. Though there were several hundred head of cattle in the pen, they still had enough space to walk around and graze when they chose, but right now they were still and calm. Some of them stood but some lay on the grassy ground, awkwardly posed as if their legs had been chopped from beneath them. It made Kenan think of a graveyard where folks were placed for their eternal rest. He shivered at the maudlin direction of his ponderings.

Looking at their lassitude made Kenan feel suddenly weary and he wished that he could hurry home to bed where he would hold Catherine against his chest, his face buried in the crimson waves of her hair. He would sleep like that all night, entwined with his lover until the sun rose. It took all of his strength to stay rooted to the spot, to fight the urge to run back to the house and seek out the woman he loved. But if he did that, he knew that matters would still remain unresolved and he would still be unable to settle.

“What was that?” Matthew whispered urgently, pointing in the direction of the gate to the pen.

Kenan shook his head. He couldn’t see past the huge bodies of the cattle. A large cloud had covered the moon and the kerosene lamp only lit their immediate surroundings, casting a feeble amber circle around his feet.

He put a finger over his mouth. It wouldn’t do to disturb the animals. They’d get flighty and likely crush some of the calves in their panic. He signaled to Matthew that he’d sneak around the one edge of the fencing and that Matthew should go around the long way. Matthew paused for a moment, clearly concerned about letting Kenan go off alone, but then his jaw tightened as he made a decision and he disappeared around the corner.

Kenan waited until he was sure that he was alone, then he crept toward the noise that was becoming louder by the second.

As he approached, he realized that it sounded like the whimpering of a child and his stomach flipped. What would an infant be doing out here at night? But then the clouds cleared, exposing the moon in all of her brilliant glory, and he could make out a shape huddled behind the fencing.

It was too big to be a child.

It was William Montgomery.

Kenan crept closer until he was right next to the figure and only the fencing lay between them.

“Mr Montgomery?”

The figure started but continued to snivel.

“William?” Kenan tried again. “Is that you?”

Kenan lifted the lamp so that the glow fell over the man’s bulk. He was crouching against the fence, his arms wrapped tightly around his legs and his head pressed into his knees. His whole body quivered with terror.

Kenan reached through the fence and poked the man’s leg.

“Arghh!” William Montgomery yelped then raised his tear soaked face to seek out his torturer. “Who are you? Whadda ya want?”

“Hush!” Kenan snapped. “You’ll set the whole damned herd upon ya! It’s me…Kenan Duggan.”

William frowned at Kenan but his expression showed no recognition.

“Leave me alone! Please!” His voice cracked and he buried his head again.

Kenan glared at him then looked around. He was alone with old Montgomery. The man’s life lay in his hands. His heart beat quickened and raw fury swept through his body like ten thousand red ants. It plundered beneath his skin, crawled through his veins and poisoned his rational mind. Here, before him, was the man who had robbed him of his life, stolen the woman he loved and denied him his chance of happiness.

The land beyond the fencing seemed to call out to him. This was a wilderness. Though man could try to tame it, fence it in, build upon its surface, it would always be wild. That was what the Indians knew but the white men had failed to grasp. A man could work with the land, nurture the land, and even live upon the land, but he would never, ever destroy her feral origins. Out here, a fella could still obey his most primitive instincts and surrender to his baser urges for retribution.

Far off in the untamed darkness, a coyote called and another one answered, as if privy to Kenan’s dark musings.

He gently released his gun from its holster then held it against his stomach.

“Mr Montgomery?”

The man stopped whimpering then looked up at Kenan.

“Get up to your feet.”

The old man peered around as if suddenly confused.

“Where am I? How did I get here?”

“It’s okay,” Kenan muttered through gritted teeth.

As the man rose, Kenan took a step back, assaulted by the stink of human shit.

“What in the hell?”

“Oh.” William looked down at himself. “Seems I had an accident.” He pulled at his trouser legs then stared at his damp fingers.

Kenan shook his head. What was going on here? William Montgomery had soiled himself. The man was a wreck. Dammit! He wanted to get answers from Catherine’s uncle, to find out why he had sold his niece to save his own skin.

“Stop fiddling with that!” Kenan was repulsed by the old man’s attempts to shake out his pants. “Raise your hands.”

“What?” William gazed at Kenan. “But why?”

“Because you are a dirty varmint and I’m gonna destroy ya…”