Daughter of the Sword by Jeanne Williams

Author:Jeanne Williams
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Open Road Integrated Media
Published: 2016-03-08T05:00:00+00:00

xiv

They picked up the road along the Kaw, and when they were far enough away for talking, Sara and Judith explained.

Belshazzar, still saddled and bridled, had wandered to the smithy yesterday morning. Probably he’d gone home first, smelled blood and smoke, and retreated to the nearest place of which he had good memories. Johnny and Maccabee were gone, summoned early from their beds to help a wagon that had mired at a ford some miles upriver and broken a wheel.

Alarmed, Judith had wanted to ride with Sara to the Whitlaws’, but Sara pointed out that the Whitlaws had risked much to help Judith to freedom, and if she got caught now it would undo their efforts. Promising to come back as soon as she could, Sara rode fast to the farm and encountered Reverend Cordley and his party as they carried out their grim task of exhuming the bodies.

Cordley had told the horrified Sara Rolf’s version of the raid and about Thos’s death, along with the news that Deborah, at least temporarily out of her mind with shock and grief, was under Melissa Eden’s protective care.

“I told Reverend Cordley that you weren’t engaged to Rolf and that I didn’t believe, either, that you’d gone mad.” Sara’s tone was bitter. “But he doesn’t really know me, and I suppose, having just heard about Thos, that I sounded crazy myself. Anyway, when he went on being pityingly kind, I told him he was a fool and rode back to the smithy. Johnny and Maccabee still weren’t home. After we talked it over, Judith and I decided it might be best if she and I got you out.”

In the gray light, Judith’s nod was emphatic. “Johnny, he’d storm in and fight anyone gave him trouble, maybe get himself hurt or killed or do damage to nice folks who think they’re protectin’ you. Even if he get you away, Rolf goin’ to know where to look.”

“So we told Laddie to take care of things and to tell Johnny and Maccabee only that we’d gone to see you and not to worry.”

“Johnny doesn’t know about—about my family?”

Sara’s voice trembled. “Not unless he’s happened on to someone who told him. Judith and I left the smithy in the middle of the afternoon, but we stopped a few miles out of town and waited in a ravine till all the lights were put and everything was quiet. I wasn’t expecting your window to be nailed shut, though. Johnny’s going to swear when he sees what I did to one of his knives by prying the boards loose.”

“You—you must have wanted to go to Thos, Sara.”

“Why?” asked the Indian girl harshly. “If he had been left to me, yes, if I could wash and prepare him. But another group had gone for him. I wasn’t his wife. Had I tried to touch him, mourn as I wished, it would only create scandal. No. I’ll remember him as he was.”

Judith said in a tight, aching voice, “Rather would’ve died than bring all this! Your folks were so good to me, Deborah.

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