The Raging Hearts: The Coltrane Saga, Book 2 (38 page)

“I know where I’m going,” was her snapping reply.

“Mrs. McRae, listen to me…” She kept walking, putting one foot in front of the other, chin up, eyes straight ahead. Rance hurried alongside. “I can’t let you just take off. Now, I don’t want to make a scene, but if you don’t turn around and head back to those shops, I’m going to have to pick you up and carry you back to the boss’s office.”

She turned a corner.

“Mrs. McRae, I hate to do this…”

He reached out to grab her, but she started running.

“Hey, come back!”

“Shoot me in the back,” she laughed, taunting him as she turned to run up the steps of the hospital. Looking back over her shoulder, she was not surprised to see how angry he was. But there was something else in his eyes, too. Fear? Why? Rance Kincaid was mean and bullish, and Corey was always bragging about how everyone was scared of Rance because he had such a notorious reputation. So why did he look frightened now, she wondered. His face had turned pale, and he was backing away. “I’ll wait at the corner,” he yelled, sounding defeated. “And don’t be long, either, or I’ll come in there and drag you out. So help me.”

He stalked away. She watched him for a moment. It
was
there. She had seen it. He looked scared!

She shrugged, hurrying inside. No longer did the hospital corridors echo with the screams and moans of the wounded and dying. The air was no longer thick with the smell of blood and decay. She knew she could look out a rear window and not see a huge pile of severed arms and legs. The wide-plank floors, however, still had many dark bloodstains, probably soaked into the wood for the life of the building.

It was quiet. She stood inside the door for a moment, remembering all the months she had spent here. She did not hear anyone approaching.

“Kitty? What are you doing here?”

“Oh, Dr. Sims,” she gasped. “You startled me. I came to visit Mattie Glass. She’s still here, isn’t she?”

“Unfortunately, yes.” He tugged at his beard, sucked in part of his lower lip as he stared at her thoughtfully. “But why have you come?”

“She…she was a friend,” Kitty answered.

“I doubt that she will see you. She doesn’t want to see anyone. I think every woman in the county has been here, and she hasn’t seen a one of them.”

“Well, will you tell her I’m here and ask if she will see me?”

He nodded. “Just don’t be surprised when she refuses. I wonder about the woman’s mind. I don’t think she’ll ever be right in the head again.”

I could tell you exactly why
, Kitty said to herself as the doctor walked away.
I could tell you what it’s like to be raped—the degradation and humiliation.
It could very easily drive a woman insane. But I won’t attempt to tell you, because you could never understand.

Kitty suddenly felt a wave of strength she had forgotten existed. She had been through hell and endured. Corey McRae was no more formidable a foe than Luke Tate had once been, and she had found a way to escape then. All she had to do was wait, endure, and sooner or later her time would come.

“Kitty? I’m surprised, but Mattie wants to see you,” Dr. Sims said, returning. “Come with me.”

He led her to Mattie’s room. Kitty entered and shut the door behind her, then fought the impulse to gasp. Mattie Glass had always been so vibrant. Even when her husband had been killed in the war, her faith in God had kept her going. But the woman in the bed, staring at her with sunken eyes, the flesh gray and drawn, hair tangled—this was not the Mattie Glass Kitty remembered.

Kitty moved cautiously toward the bed. A smile crept across the woman’s thin, white lips. “Kitty Wright. How good of you to come.”

Spontaneously, their hands touched. Mattie squeezed Kitty’s fingers. Tears filled her eyes and overflowed to trickle down her sunken cheeks. “It was awful…” she whispered tremulously. “You just don’t know…”

“Yes, I do know.” Kitty was blinking back the moisture in her own eyes. “That’s why I came, Mattie. First of all, because you were a friend to me when I needed one. And to share your pain and sorrow. It happened to me, too, Mattie, many times.”

She sat down and told the woman of her own horrors, in graphic detail, sharing secrets she had held in her heart for so long. The words did not come easily, and several times Kitty choked back a sob as she told of the humiliation and pain. “I was used, defiled. Many times it would have been so much easier to seek death. But I didn’t, Mattie. I endured. I’ve found that is the key—endurance.”

“God bless you,” Mattie said. “Oh, Kitty, God bless you for sharing this with me. You…you went through so much more than I. You didn’t give in and just want to die as I have done since that night.”

“I didn’t have a child then, either. I had only myself. You have your sons to think about.”

“Yes, yes that’s true,” she said, her voice filled with shame. “I’ve wallowed in self-pity and haven’t thought about them at all. They’re all I’ve got now. I have to regain my strength and my will and fight my way back, for their sakes.”

“You certainly do. And if there is any way I can help, you know I will.”

They exchanged smiles. The whole atmosphere in the room had changed, as though a cloud had been dispelled by sunshine. “Now, let’s talk about the future,” Kitty said brightly. “You still have your home.”

“Corey McRae bought my tax certificate.” Her eyes stopped shining. “If I lose my home, what am I to do?”

“Corey and I are married now.”

Mattie raised her head from the pillow, eyes wide. “No. I don’t believe it. I knew you’d given birth to a son. I was hoping your cavalryman would come back and marry you. Oh, Kitty, Kitty, is your own agony ever to end? How could you marry that man? He…he’s a fiend. He…” Her head fell back. She closed her eyes momentarily, then looked up and said, “Forgive me. I’ve said too much. He’s your husband now, and you obviously had a reason for marrying him. If you love him, then that is your concern, not mine.”

“No, I don’t love him,” Kitty said hotly. “I hate him. But I had no other choice. He bought my tax lien, too. My baby and I had been starving—truly starving. I was completely vulnerable. There was no one I could go to for help. You have many friends, Mattie. All of them are eager to help you if you’ll let them.”

“Oh, how I hate to see that man take my land.” There was grit in her voice, and Kitty rejoiced. All was not lost. Mattie was not defeated.

“Then don’t let him take it.”

“How can I stop him?”

“Talk to your friends. Perhaps enough money can be collected among them to pay your lien and keep him from taking your home away. Fight back, Mattie. Stand up and fight. Get out of that bed and get yourself together and make up your mind that you aren’t going to let one nightmare ruin your whole life. Think of your sons. Think of your dead husband and what he would want you to do. Do you think he’d want you to give up?”

“No,” she nearly shouted.

“Then fight!”

The women stared at one another, deepening their bond.

Mattie nodded firmly. “I’ll do it. I never wanted to impose on my friends before, but I know they’ll help me. I’ll do it, Kitty.”

The door opened and Dr. Sims stepped in, looking sheepish. Before Kitty had time to worry over his expression, Corey followed, lips smiling but eyes blazing. She knew the look well. He was trying to appear pleasant, but inside he was seething. She knew why. He had told her he would pay a visit to Mattie and offer her a substantial sum for her property, and Kitty knew he wanted the land but did not want people saying he took advantage of a helpless widow.

“Kitty, darling,” he oozed. “Aren’t you thoughtful to visit Mrs. Glass? You should have told me you were coming. We could have come together.”

Kitty stood up, winking at Mattie, which neither Corey nor Dr. Sims could see. “Oh, I don’t think you would have wanted me along, dear. I believe your visit is not of a social nature.” Leaning over, she kissed the woman on the forehead and said, “I’ll leave you now as I have some shopping to do. Perhaps I can get back to see you soon. If not, I hope you will be able to come to our party. I’ll see that you receive an invitation.”

Corey was frowning.

“Party?” Mattie blinked. “I don’t think—”

“Of course you can.” Kitty smiled brightly, patting her shoulder. “Remember, you are going to get up out of that bed and go back to living. You’re going to try and put what happened out of your mind. You will come to the party if I have to send a carriage for you.”

“But even if I were able, I’m still in mourning.”

“Then wear black. And if you don’t have a black dress, I will see that you get one.” She turned to Corey and gave him a smile. “Won’t we, dear?”

“Of course, of course,” he said brusquely. “Now, if you have shopping to do, you had better go. I plan to start for home shortly.”

With one more nod to Mattie, Kitty brushed by Corey and Dr. Sims and hurried from the hospital. Mattie would have her dress, she was thinking furiously as she hurried toward Mrs. Rivenbark’s dress shop, ignoring Rance, who was close behind.

She was merrily humming “Dixie” as she opened the door to Nina Rivenbark’s dress shop. A bell tinkled as she stepped inside. Within a few seconds, the apple-cheeked woman was swishing her wide hips through a curtained-off partition at the back of the room.

Clapping her hands in delight, the woman said, “Oh, I’m so glad you stopped by. It will save me a trip out for a fitting, and I have the material your husband wanted. You are going to be delighted when you see the way that green silk matches those emeralds. I took a swatch down to Giddens Jewelers, and they took the jewels out of the safe so I could see if they matched. Glory be, it was a sight to behold.”

“Oh, I’m not here for a fitting, Mrs. Rivenbark. In fact, I can only stay a moment. I would like to see what you have available in black crepe.”

“Black crepe?” She looked aghast. “Unfortunately, I have a large number of dresses on hand in black crepe. Goodness knows, we have enough womenfolk in mourning. But why are you interested?”

Kitty explained.

“I can certainly take care of the poor dear, and I think it will do her a world of good to be out and around people once again. I hear she’s pining away to bones in that hospital. I will go there tomorrow and fit her myself, and then if I don’t have her size on hand, I can surely re-stitch something for her.”

“Just add the cost on to whatever my bill will be,” Kitty instructed.

“Of course. Now, before you run, let me show you the green silk. I know you and Mr. McRae are both going to be quite pleased.”

She stepped behind the curtain, then returned with a large bolt of the most beautiful green silk Kitty had ever seen. It was as brilliant as the leaves of a magnolia tree, and just as shiny and lustrous. “It is pretty,” she murmured, wishing she could muster some excitement.

The bell tinkled once again, and as Kitty turned, she heard the haughty laughter of Nancy Warren Stoner. “Well, I do declare. It’s Mrs. Corey McRae. Now, isn’t this a surprise? Am I supposed to curtsy in madam’s presence?”

Kitty thought once again that Nancy could be quite lovely if her nasty disposition did not show. Her head was thrown back, eyes glittering maliciously as her lips twisted sideways in a mocking smirk. She wore a rich blue velvet riding cape with hood, all edged in white fur. She did make a striking picture. Reaching to push back the hood, she gave her head a toss and said, “Well, Kitty. Am I to curtsy or not?”

Kitty chose to ignore her. Turning back to Mrs. Rivenbark, she said, “Yes, this is lovely, and I am sure the dress will be beautiful. May I expect you tomorrow for a fitting?”

“Yes, indeed. I will come out in the morning and we will get right to work.”

“Good day, then.”

She tried to brush by Nancy, but her path was blocked as her adversary sidestepped quickly. “Aren’t you going to speak to me, Kitty?”

“Our conversations never begin or end on a polite note. I see no reason to waste our time.”

“Oh, but I do. You see, I was planning on paying you a visit, but running into you this way has saved me the trouble. And I was not coming to congratulate you on maneuvering Corey McRae into marrying you, either.”

“I neither expected nor desire your felicitations,” Kitty said. “Now if you will excuse me…”

Kitty moved to the right, and once again Nancy stepped quickly in her path. “You will hear me out. I won’t waste any time, and then you may be on your way. I suppose congratulations are in order. That was quite an accomplishment, marrying a man of wealth to help you achieve some respectability and give your illegitimate child a name.”

Kitty was determined not to let Nancy make her angry. “Then I accept your congratulations and ask that you keep your comments to yourself. Now, we have nothing further to say to each other.”

“Oh, yes, we do. I happen to be married now—”

“You always were. You never found out for certain that David was dead, did you? The last time I saw him, he was quite well.”

“David
is
dead.” Nancy’s voice dripped hatred. “I am now married to Jerome Danton. He is rich, very rich. But thanks to your damned Yankee carpetbagger husband, people look down on him. They blame him for everything that happens around here, things that Corey McRae is actually responsible for, he and those hired hoodlums of his.”