Marblestone Mansion, Book 2 by Marti Talbott

Author:Marti Talbott [Talbott, Marti]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2012-05-06T04:00:00+00:00

Beside her, Judge Mitchel held one bloody hand in the other and struggled to sit up. McKenna gasped, shoved her muddy hair off her face and took hold of his arm. “Can you stand?”

“I think so.” He waited for her to rise, got a foot under and with her help, stood up. His left hand was bleeding and he wasn’t sure if it was broken, but the first two fingers of his right hand clearly were. For a long moment, they both stood there trying to grasp what had happened.

McKenna watched him walk to the horse and when he returned, she asked, “Where is Carl?”

“I do not know.” Still holding his hurting hands, he looked deep into her eyes. “McKenna, the horse’s leg is broken.”

“Oh, no,” she moaned.

“You must shoot her.”

“What?”

“The horse is suffering. Do you know how to shoot?”

“Aye,” she said at length.

“Good. There is a pistol in my belt. One shot to the head…and do it quickly.” He waited, but she only stared at him and he was afraid she didn’t have the courage. “She is suffering, McKenna, you must do it now!”

At last, McKenna moved his shirt out of the way, carefully gripped the butt of the gun and pulled it out of his belt. With her entire being, she wanted to run instead, but even with tears streaming down her cheeks, she boldly walked to the horse. “I am so very sorry,” she sobbed as she raised the pistol and held it with both hands to steady it. She pulled back the hammer, aimed and fired.

There followed an odd sort of silence that seemed to last for an eternity.

The sky brightened, the wind became just a breeze and the rain turned to sprinkles. Slowly, McKenna put her hands down and let the gun fall to the ground. “Carl,” she whispered again, tearing her eyes off the dead animal to once more search for him.

When she glanced back, Judge Mitchel looked to be in excruciating pain so she went to him. Her attention was then drawn to three riders and two buggies, racing toward them down the debris-cluttered dirt road. The riders paused briefly and then continued toward the farm, where the farmer stood in front of his missing shed staring at his demolished barn. The house appeared untouched, but his new machine lay in ruin and his field looked as though a path had been swept down it with a giant broom.

The first buggy came to a quick halt, Mr. Goodwin and his butler, Keith, jumped out and rushed to her. “I am not hurt,” McKenna assured them, “but the judge is.”

While Keith helped the judge, the banker took hold of her arm. “You are very fortunate to be alive. Not many live through such a thing.” She looked bewildered, and for a moment he feared she might pass out, so he hurried her to the buggy.

“We can’t find Carl,” she said.

“Never mind that now. We need to get you to Mrs. Goodwin and the Judge to Doc Parker.

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