Rescuing the Heiress by Valerie Hansen

Author:Valerie Hansen
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Steeple Hill
Published: 2011-09-16T04:00:00+00:00

Tess’s long, loose tresses were not only getting caught on the refuse as she labored, the hair that lay draped over her neck and shoulders was making her beastly hot. She drew the back of her wrist across her forehead to sweep away perspiration, hoping her face wasn’t half as gritty as it felt.

Straightening to stretch her aching back, she sniffed something odd on the air. There was the usual scent of the ocean, as well as odors from countless other unpleasant sources, but this was different. This was far worse.

She glanced at Annie and saw that the girl was also wide-eyed with concern. What about Michael?

“Hey!” Tess shouted over at him. “Do you smell smoke?”

He whirled. “Yes. Get out of here.”

Instead, Tess hurried to his side by stepping on what was left of the porch roof. “No. Let us help you.”

“You can’t do anything. Look.” He pointed to puffs of smoke starting to rise from what was left of a nearby building. “It’s liable to be too late in a few minutes. That fire’s close and the wind’s blowing this way.”

Annie covered her face with her apron and began to sob hysterically while Tess tore at the remaining broken boards that still covered the area where Rose Dugan had lain.

“Go get my horse and back him in here,” Michael shouted, grabbing Tess’s shoulders and giving her a turn and a push to start her in the right direction. “We can’t delay any longer.”

“What if Annie’s mother is alive under there?”

“Then we’ll get her out, God willing. We can’t leave her to burn to death.”

“Where’s the fire department? Why don’t they come?”

“The stations that weren’t destroyed have to be fighting as many fires as they can handle already,” Michael said, gritting his teeth and grabbing another armload of splintered wood. “Hurry up with that horse.”

Tess couldn’t fault the overwhelmed and undersupplied professional firemen who were risking their lives to try to save what was left of the city. She simply hoped and prayed that her meager efforts would be sufficient to help rescue the tiny sliver of suffering humanity that was currently relying upon the three of them.

“Dear God,” she murmured, directing her plea heavenward as she tugged on the bridle of the stalwart fire horse and urged it to enter the field of splintered boards, “Show us where to look? Where to pull? Please?”

No booming, divine voice echoed from the sky but Tess nevertheless felt a sudden sense of peace and surety.

She turned the animal, gathered the harness traces and passed them to Michael, then watched as he fastened the ends around the nearest heavy beam.

The makeshift rig was ready in seconds. It was now or never.

Michael signaled and shouted, “Pull!”

Tess gritted her teeth, hiked a handful of skirt, grasped the horse’s reins just below the bit and pulled as she shouted, “Git up! Go!”

The big gray leaned into the task, his muscles bunching, the leading edges of his wide front hooves digging in.

At first, nothing budged. Then she felt the load he was hauling give way and shift.

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