Chastity by Elaine Barbieri Page B

increasingly uncomfortable with the conversation, Chastity smiled. "I'm sure Reed is as anxious to reach the mission as they are to have him." She inquired politely in an effort to change the subject, "Could you tell me what time it is?"
        "It was a little after three o'clock when I came in here." Sally smiled. "I suppose I'd better let you get on with your bath. You just call if you need anythin'. I'll hear you."
        "Thank you, Sally."
        Chastity silently groaned as the door closed behind her. Lies of omission… deliberate subterfuge. She could not take much more of it. She glanced toward the new clothing she had so carefully spread out nearby, knowing that in the pocket of the simple dress she had purchased was tucked the rail ticket that would take her on to Caldwell. She had already inquired when the train would leave. Two more hours and she would be away from here and back on track, in more ways than one.
        Disturbed when that thought did not comfort her, Chastity submerged herself briefly beneath the water and then began soaping her hair. She  would wash the last residue of Sedalia off her person, and she would strike these two difficult days from her mind if it was the last thing she ever did.
        As for the Reverend Reed Farrell, she was done with him!
        Drawing back to admire his handiwork, Dr. Carr grunted. "Well, seems to me that if I hadn't gone to medical school, I would've made a damned good barber!"
        Reed ran his palm against his beardless cheek, irritation again rising. He had deliberately cultivated that beard, knowing that his face was becoming too familiar to too many outlaws in the area. He'd have to be damned careful now.
        Dr. Carr frowned. "It also seems to me that no parson should be as unfamiliar with the words 'thank you' as you appear to be."
        "Thanks."
        "I can see that came from the heart." Dr. Carr squinted assessingly. "You did a good job on that meal Sally brought up. You should be feeling a lot better."
        "As a matter of fact, I am."
        "That's what I thought. And I can see what you're thinking, so let me set you straight right now. You're not better just because you're feeling a little better. You've got a long way to go until that leg is healed, and only a short way to go before falling back into the same shape you   were in when you got here. You're going to have to take it easy for a while."
        Those cold eyes stared back at him, and Dr. Carr felt a familiar frustration inside him. Pulling out his pocket watch, he looked at it, his frown deepening.
        "Chastity's been gone for two hours. She hasn't spent that much time away from you in two days. You pushed her too far this time, I'm telling you. And I'm going to tell you something else, too. You'll only be getting what you deserve if she's already sitting on the train heading east."
        "She'll be back." Reed's icy gaze did not falter.
        "You'd better hope that she does come back, or you'll find yourself turned over to Sally for the duration." Dr. Carr sniffed. "Don't get me wrong. Sally's got a good heart, but she isn't half as easy on the eyes as that young wife of yours, and she won't let you get away with half of what Chastity let you get away with, either."
        Reed did not respond. The truth was that the full scope of his temporary physical limitations had become only too clear to him during the past two hours. He had eaten and was feeling stronger, but he had had the chance to get a good look at his leg, and the truth in what the doctor said was evident. He was also able to think a little more clearly, and an idea that had budded earlier in his foggy mind had come into full bloom. Yes, he had a plan. It might be difficult for him to follow through with it, but he   had suffered through difficult circumstances before.
        Looking up at the sound of a knock on the door, Reed prepared himself. The door opened to the