prove she could make it on her own, because, as the hours slowly passed, she became more and more determined to survive, to make up for being such a ninny.
Finally, because she was bored as well as lonely, she dared to venture deeper into the shaft, into the darkness.
She moved cautiously, sliding each foot forward slowly to feel for a hole or a drop that might send her plummeting into the bowels of the earth.
She could hear no sound save for the trickling of yet more water running down the rocky ledges above.
And it was cold. The farther she went, the deeper the dampness and chill.
Rounding a curve, she could see light flickering against a distant wall. Venturing closer, she realized it was a fire and flared with sudden jealousy that Curt Hammond was able to stay warm while she was freezing. She had no matches and knew nothing about rubbing sticks together to make sparks. And where had he found the wood, anyway?
Her hand touched a supporting beam, and she cried out as a splinter dug into her flesh.
Curt stepped in front of her, holding a torch aloft.
“I might’ve known it was you.”
“Well, who else would it be?” Her hand was hurting something fierce.
“A bear. Or a tiger. Maybe an alligator. You can’t ever tell.”
He was being unbelievably sarcastic, which frustrated all the more, and she fired back, “All of which I would prefer to you. Snakes and scorpions, too,” she tartly added.
“Actually, I thought maybe we had company.”
He sounded less cocky, so she asked, “You mean our jailers come inside the shaft? I didn’t know—”
“No, I didn’t mean them. I thought maybe they’d brought another prisoner. I’ve seen enough traces of former occupants to tell this place has a lot of business. And since there’s nobody else here but us, I figure the judge came by recently to clear it out.”
“Which means we’ll be here awhile.”
“Exactly.”
Silence fell and Tess turned to go, anxious to get away from him. He might think she was looking for him, God forbid.
“Why did you cry out?”
“I…it’s nothing.”
“It might be. Did something bite you? I wasn’t making it up about the scorpions. They like the damp and cold. Believe it or not, it gets real hot during the day on the outside so they come in here to get out of the heat.”
“It’s a splinter. Now I know where you get your wood for your fires from the posts.”
She could see his smile in the flickering glow of the torch. “Yeah, and I’m trying not to think about the poor devils who’ll be here when the whole place collapses because I’ve torn so many down. But I don’t suppose it matters. From all I’ve heard, the judge gives everybody the rope, so they’ll die one way or the other.”
Tess shuddered, but not from the chill that seemed to penetrate all the way to the very marrow of her bones. She was thinking how if she hanged, no one would ever know what became of her. Her aunt would not care if she never heard from her again, but Perry would think she had deserted him.
“Want me to try to get the splinter out?”
“No. It’s nothing.”
He held the torch closer. “Then why are you gritting your teeth? You know, it’s probably a good thing your fiancé got himself killed. It spared him having to put up with a piece of fluff like you for a wife. Whatever made you think you could cope with the rough life out here?”
“I didn’t have any choice,” she said without thinking, and could have kicked herself. Then, venting her anger at herself, she lashed out, “And why do you keep nosing in my business? Seems to me you’d be more concerned with yourself, seeing as how you’re going to hang for murder.”
“And what are you going to hang for?”
“I’m not. I’m—”
“You’re going to cry in front of the judge, aren’t you? You think he’ll feel sorry for you with your golden curls and big blue eyes, dressed up in ribbons and lace like a baby doll.” He laughed and shook his head.
Finally, because she was bored as well as lonely, she dared to venture deeper into the shaft, into the darkness.
She moved cautiously, sliding each foot forward slowly to feel for a hole or a drop that might send her plummeting into the bowels of the earth.
She could hear no sound save for the trickling of yet more water running down the rocky ledges above.
And it was cold. The farther she went, the deeper the dampness and chill.
Rounding a curve, she could see light flickering against a distant wall. Venturing closer, she realized it was a fire and flared with sudden jealousy that Curt Hammond was able to stay warm while she was freezing. She had no matches and knew nothing about rubbing sticks together to make sparks. And where had he found the wood, anyway?
Her hand touched a supporting beam, and she cried out as a splinter dug into her flesh.
Curt stepped in front of her, holding a torch aloft.
“I might’ve known it was you.”
“Well, who else would it be?” Her hand was hurting something fierce.
“A bear. Or a tiger. Maybe an alligator. You can’t ever tell.”
He was being unbelievably sarcastic, which frustrated all the more, and she fired back, “All of which I would prefer to you. Snakes and scorpions, too,” she tartly added.
“Actually, I thought maybe we had company.”
He sounded less cocky, so she asked, “You mean our jailers come inside the shaft? I didn’t know—”
“No, I didn’t mean them. I thought maybe they’d brought another prisoner. I’ve seen enough traces of former occupants to tell this place has a lot of business. And since there’s nobody else here but us, I figure the judge came by recently to clear it out.”
“Which means we’ll be here awhile.”
“Exactly.”
Silence fell and Tess turned to go, anxious to get away from him. He might think she was looking for him, God forbid.
“Why did you cry out?”
“I…it’s nothing.”
“It might be. Did something bite you? I wasn’t making it up about the scorpions. They like the damp and cold. Believe it or not, it gets real hot during the day on the outside so they come in here to get out of the heat.”
“It’s a splinter. Now I know where you get your wood for your fires from the posts.”
She could see his smile in the flickering glow of the torch. “Yeah, and I’m trying not to think about the poor devils who’ll be here when the whole place collapses because I’ve torn so many down. But I don’t suppose it matters. From all I’ve heard, the judge gives everybody the rope, so they’ll die one way or the other.”
Tess shuddered, but not from the chill that seemed to penetrate all the way to the very marrow of her bones. She was thinking how if she hanged, no one would ever know what became of her. Her aunt would not care if she never heard from her again, but Perry would think she had deserted him.
“Want me to try to get the splinter out?”
“No. It’s nothing.”
He held the torch closer. “Then why are you gritting your teeth? You know, it’s probably a good thing your fiancé got himself killed. It spared him having to put up with a piece of fluff like you for a wife. Whatever made you think you could cope with the rough life out here?”
“I didn’t have any choice,” she said without thinking, and could have kicked herself. Then, venting her anger at herself, she lashed out, “And why do you keep nosing in my business? Seems to me you’d be more concerned with yourself, seeing as how you’re going to hang for murder.”
“And what are you going to hang for?”
“I’m not. I’m—”
“You’re going to cry in front of the judge, aren’t you? You think he’ll feel sorry for you with your golden curls and big blue eyes, dressed up in ribbons and lace like a baby doll.” He laughed and shook his head.
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