Swift Runs The Heart by Jones Mary Brock

Author:Jones, Mary Brock
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Escape Publishing

It was Molly who told her the tale of his exploits in the remains of that night.

“Proud of yourself, are you?” were her words as her sharp toe dug into Geraldine’s shin next morning. Her foot thrust forward a second time, vicious and angry. Geraldine was struggling through heavy layers of sleepless fog and the face scowling at her seemed at first to come from a lingering nightmare. The third thrust of heavy, pointed boots finally convinced her it was real.

“Wha … what do you mean?” She pushed up ineffectually, somehow stumbling to a full stand and reaching for her blanket.

“I’ve known himself three years now, and I’ve not seen a night like the last one since his first days in Australia. A wildness was on him, and I’m thinking I’m knowing why.”

Geraldine shook her head, struggling for sanity. “I haven’t seen Bas Deverill since I left him last night, if that’s to whom you are referring. And while I may think he had taken leave of his senses then, that was a private matter between him and me and I’m surprised he made you privy to it.”

“Don’t come the hoity with me, young lady. I don’t know what happened between you two, but I do know what happened later last night.”

“Oh?”

“Or rather, what didn’t he do, might be more to the matter.” The woman spoke as if Geraldine had said nothing. “Stupid wagers and madcap races down the street in the middle of the night. Riding backwards on frightened horses at full gallop among that crowd of drunken idiots. Target shooting at anything he could think of, including himself when they ran out of targets dangerous enough to satisfy that mob. To end up with, who does he taunt and antagonise but Black Jack himself? Thank the Lord they were both too drunk to do more than brawl and bargy at each other in the street, and thanks be, what’s more, that Sergeant Braddock was there to put a stop to their foolery.”

“Bas was hurt?”

“Not that he knew at the time, no thanks to whatever you did to fire him up, my girl. The good sergeant finally threw him into the lock up – “till you’ve cooled down and got your good sense back,” he said to him, and there he is now. No doubt still as mad as Hell, and a sitting duck for Black Jack when he sobers up unless the sergeant stands protection on that place day and night. Which it’s not likely he’ll be able to, what with all the other drunken hotheads who don’t seem to know the holiday is over!”

While the words tumbled out of Molly, Geraldine had been hastily scrabbling into her clothes and had started to leave the tent just as Molly came to a glaring halt.

“Now where do you think you’re off to?” she said.

“To get Bas out of jail, of course,” Geraldine flung back at her as she hurried out of the tent. A hand almost as strong as Bas’s shot out to pull her back and Molly scowled fiercely.

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