There it was! Their house, their sanctuary, Emeline's domain, where she knew there would be safety. And all the eager faces watching as they rode into the yard made her smile. The relief was evident, and she was certain that, if allowed, each and every one of Wheeler's 'uncles' would rush up and hug her, then assure themselves that the baby was fine.
That realization was so welcome after the losses she'd had, and surviving on her own until Barnabas Pike had walked into her life, and she knew she'd never be alone again.
"I'll have you and Wheeler to home and resting. I know this has been a long, hard day for you, and believe me, I will get to the bottom of this. I want to know what all of this means, and who went to such lengths to carry out this plan."
"Yes, of course." Emeline nodded and forced a smile. It hadn't occurred to her that there was a 'plan' behind all this, but then, she hadn't heard about the camp that had been found. But a plan meant that there might be more...
The caterwalling from the injured woman drew her attention, and Emeline felt mixed emotions, but for her own sake, and her family's, she pushed down the negative ones.
"Hush now, you ain't stoved up that bad, girl!" Bodeen told her. "Where you want her boss?"
Pike looked at Em, then back to the scene being played out as the men took her down from the horse. "The house."
"Put her in the guest bedroom," Emeline added, partly because a room with a bed was most appropriate, and partly because she wanted to maintain her hospitality.
"Excuse me, I'm Doctor Laurant, and I would like to see your wife and child first, make sure they're alright, then I'll have a look at this other woman."
"Dr. Laurant! We've heard of you, of course." Emeline gave a genuine smile. "It's so good to finally meet you, we just wish the circumstances had been better. Wheeler and I are fine, please, see to the injured woman, I'll come in to help as soon as we get cleaned up a bit."
As she spoke, Emeline noticed that the activity around the ranch yard had shifted, the stock was being seen to, some of the men were riding out, back to the range, and even though they were trying to be subtle, guards were being set.
"Let's get inside!" she declared as cheerily as she could manage, taking some control, "Cookie, we'll be around for supper as soon as we get settled. Doctor, please, let me know if you need anything. I'll get some water on to heat, and maybe some chamomile tea for our guest."
Was this all false bravado? Maybe.
"Dr. Laurant! We've heard of you, of course." Emeline gave a genuine smile. "It's so good to finally meet you, we just wish the circumstances had been better. Wheeler and I are fine, please, see to the injured woman, I'll come in to help as soon as we get cleaned up a bit."
" And I you, I have heard all about you in glowing terms from Addy on the way here," Angoi\ire admitted, not to mention Miss Steelgrave, doctors Boone and Danforth, but Addy on the rip out here, mostly. This is a beautiful place you have." Angie looked at the wounded woman that the men were taking off the horse.
"Well, not the first bullet wound I've tended to." Angie admitted, Chicago was civilized, that was for suire, but there was still crime, as well as the occasional duel and gunshot wounds were as common as stabbings.
"Let's get inside!" she declared as cheerily as she could manage, taking some control, "Cookie, we'll be around for supper as soon as we get settled. Doctor, please, let me know if you need anything. I'll get some water on to heat, and maybe some chamomile tea for our guest."
"They are taking her into your house?" Angie asked, a bit confused, but things were happening quickly. "And brew a cup for me, that sounds just fine."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Barnabas was talking with Foreman Mike Wentworth, "I want men out, I doubt the place is in danger, but I'm talking no chances with these snakes! I mean, what sort of man targets women and children?" It was a precaution, but it was clear that the arrack had put everyone on edge. "I intend to get some answers from the woman about who set this up, Damn sure wasn't her or the man Em puty down. Best we get some men out there to bury him before he goes ripe."
@JulieS @Bongo
"They are taking her into your house?" Angie asked, a bit confused, but things were happening quickly. "And brew a cup for me, that sounds just fine."
"We can't put her in the bunkhouse," Emeline explained, following the straining men with their burden into the house, "and the barn is hardly the place for someone with a wound." Although there was a spiteful part of her that thought that even the barn was too good for that woman, Emeline pushed that aside.
"Give me a few minutes," she told the doctor, but it would take nearly half an hour for her to get Wheeler changed and settled, then for her to quickly clean up and change clothes. Physically, at least, she was feeling much better when she carried a tray of tea into the room where the doctor, her patient, Barnabas and a few of the men were. The odd scene really made her wish that everything would just go back to normal...
Best give me the baby, Mrs Pike
She must have passed out while being carried because the next thing she knew she was waking up in a strange room, crowded with men... what were they going to do to her? Kill her? Torture her? Do the bad thing? NO! She'd fight them! She was big and strong for a girl. She moved, but the nauseatingly strong pain that shot through her shoulder made her flop back down on the pillows with a sharp cry. She panted. They could do what they like to her, Pike and his evil wife, she wouldn't cry, she'd never cry; she'd curse them, she'd use bad words. She would.
Then there was a tall woman there, nearly as tall as Sis. They must have brought her to hurt her, her muddled mind decided. Cause the Pikes were cowards, they only hurt babies and called people names, they got other people to do the hurting... except they shot people, yes, Tom Loves was right, and she hadn't quite believed him, but he had been right all along. The Pikes were awful, murderous people.
Then he was there, Pike, and his woman, carrying a tray of, what, torture implements?
"Where's the baby?" she cried "Save the baby"
@[Flip]
"The baby is just fine and safe in his crib. This is his home where you are their guest. I am Doctor Laurant, and I am here to treat your wound. Now all you need do is relax and let me tend to you." Angie said almost quietly, in a soothing tone,
"If you gentlemen could leave us alone? I can see to this wound." She said to the men who had carried the woman up the stairs into the house, and then up another flight of stairs to the guest bedroom. They turned and walked out talking among themselves. Pike had remained, looking at the woman he had shot to stop her from getting to Em and Wheeler.
"You'll be safe here, and the doctor will take care of you." He did not say anything about her trip to jail and the questions he'd, have and those Speed would think of. For now, getting her mended was the priority. He stepped back, turned to Em and kissed her on the cheek, "I'
"I'll be out with Mike and the boys, things to be done." He said, then turned and left the room. His question, who was she and what was all of this about?
@JulieS @Bongo
"Of course." Emeline smiled and hugged her husband, perhaps a bit too tightly, and perhaps a bit too long, but then, was there such a thing? "And tell Cookie the doctor and I will be over for supper as soon as we finish here."
As Barnabas walked away, she was tempted to close the door for some privacy, but she knew the men standing guard in the hall wouldn't be happy, so she left it ajar, then turned to Angie.
"Can I help with anything?" She didn't look directly at the patient for fear of losing her control. "I'll have to find something for her to wear, but that's for later...it's too late now to take her back to town."
That would happen, of course, she'd be in jail, but there was no sense risking going to town in the dark, and besides, everyone was exhausted.
Finally, she brought herself to look at the woman, surprised that she didn't see a monster, but a frightened, confused young woman who had just watched her companion die. Still, she'd wanted to steal Wheeler.
"What's your name? I'm Emeline."
Best give me the baby, Mrs Pike
The big fat girl gulped and answered as bravely as she could manage.
"You know my name, it's Sis... S... Cicely Jane Lister. 'Cept it should be Cicely Pike... cause he's... Tom says he's my real Daddy, that's the reason why you wanted t'kill us, cause you was ashamed of us being freaks, so we had to get you fust an' I said it weren't fair to kill a... a little baby cause of its Mama and Papa bein' so evil and makin' fun of us all the time, but Clem wan'ed to and Tom said I could look after the baby but after you killt Clem I thought Tom'd take a pot shot at you because he's awful good at shootin' at things a way off, I seen him do it lots, so I tried to get the baby off of you but Pike come up and he got his way and killed me, cause even though he missed my heart, I'm sure as anything to hang... I gotta hang cause I was in the gang, Tom Love's gang..."
She sank back into her pillows, exhausted by this confused and rambling blurt; but it had done her soul good to get it off her chest, even if it was to the terrifying Mrs Pike, who along with her demonic husband, had haunted her nightmares for weeks.
"I know you... wanna see me swing, Missus Pike... but I wish you would put a gun to my head and finish me now cause I hurt so bad and I'm so scared to death to hang, oh God help me, I'm so scared!" the big girl sighed and sank into a dead faint.
@[Flip]
'Cicely Pike'? What was the girl going on about? Barnabas hadn't said anything about children, although Emeline supposed it could be possible. She hoped not, of course, she didn't think Barnabas had been so free with his life, but...
"You know my name, it's Sis... S... Cicely Jane Lister. 'Cept it should be Cicely Pike... cause he's... Tom says he's my real Daddy, that's the reason why you wanted t'kill us, cause you was ashamed of us being freaks, so we had to get you fust an' I said it weren't fair to kill a... a little baby cause of its Mama and Papa bein' so evil and makin' fun of us all the time, but Clem wan'ed to and Tom said I could look after the baby but after you killt Clem I thought Tom'd take a pot shot at you because he's awful good at shootin' at things a way off, I seen him do it lots, so I tried to get the baby off of you but Pike come up and he got his way and killed me, cause even though he missed my heart, I'm sure as anything to hang... I gotta hang cause I was in the gang, Tom Love's gang..."
"What are you talking about?" Emeline muttered, confused, trying to make sense of it all, "we don't know you..." Tom? And the only thing the girl said that was redeeming was having some sort of compassion for Wheeler, for what that was worth.
"I know you... wanna see me swing, Missus Pike... but I wish you would put a gun to my head and finish me now cause I hurt so bad and I'm so scared to death to hang, oh God help me, I'm so scared!"
"Nonsense! We'll do no such thing..." It sounded like someone had put her up to this? Had given her and her brother a reason to hate them. But who was Tom...
"Tom Love, did she say?" Emeline looked at Angie, then gasped. "No...no, no no!" She'd seen the posters, Barnabas had to know!
Darting down the stairs and into the yard, she shouted, "Barnabas! Wait!"
Barnabas was only a few feet from the porch stairs when he heard Em Call. He spun on a heel and started back toward her. Something was wrong to cause her to chase after him, something that had nothing to do with her or Wheeler, but everything to do with him, not that he knew that at the moment.
"Em, what is it? Wheeler?" A bit of panic set in. Was something wrong with their son? He reached her and took her by the shoulders, "What's wrong?" He asked. Then, over his shoulder, "Be right with you, Mike, hold on."
"That woman, she said you're her father...their father." Emeline shook her head to show she thought the allegations were ridiculous. "She said she wanted Wheeler because they were going to kill us...He was going to kill us."
Her thoughts were jumbled, there had been so much to take in, but that name finally surfaced, and that was the important part.
"Love...Tom Love...it sounds like he put them up to this?" She was pretty sure she'd seen a poster in the Marshal's office, but Barnabas would know for sure. "He was there...somewhere..."