“Maybe it happens that way back east, princess, but not out here.”
Blinking her eyes furiously to hold back her tears, she ground her teeth together so tightly her jaw ached. “I won’t cry. And damn you, Curt Hammond, for the scoundrel you are, I swear you’ll never make me. I hate you, and if they do hang me, I just hope it’s after they hang you so I can watch, and—”
Her hand flew to her mouth, and she gasped to think she could have said such a horrid thing. “I…I’m sorry,” she stammered. “I really didn’t mean that. I don’t want you to die. I truly don’t, and—”
“And you’re lying. The truth is, you don’t care about anybody but yourself. That’s why you wouldn’t help me…wouldn’t give me a chance to explain. I could’ve made you see how it was, that I had no choice but to kill that son of a bitch, and—” He threw up his hands. “What difference does it make? What did you come back here for, anyway?”
He was looking down at her with disgust and loathing, and Tess felt strangely guilty. Maybe she should have given him a chance. And maybe he was right about her being too weak to survive in the West.
And maybe, she thought with a sob caught in her throat as she turned and fled, she deserved to die for being such a weakling.
Returning to the front of the shaft, she sat down on the ground to bathe in the warmth of the sunshine and once more considered her plight…realizing how it was no one’s fault but her own.
The day wore on.
And with each passing hour, Tess became more and more determined that if she should by some miracle be given a second chance at life, nothing about her would be the same.
She would make herself strong.
And never again would she cry.
Shadows fell, and just before she was once more swallowed by darkness, Skelly came with food. Though far from appetizing, the fare of boiled beef and potatoes with a slab of bread was better than the breakfast gruel.
“Where’s your man?” Skelly asked when Curt did not appear.
She was quick to respond, “He’s not my man. I don’t know where he is, and I don’t care.”
He flashed his toothless grin. “Lover’s spat. Don’t worry. You’ve got lots of time to make up.” He set the pot down just outside the gate. “I shouldn’t leave this, but it’ll just go to the hogs if I take it back. He might show up later.”
Tess hoped not. She did not want him groping around in the dark anywhere near her, and she was too frightened to do anything except stay right where she was. At least it was in a clearing, with a straight path to the stream, and she did not have to worry about getting lost or falling into a hole.
When Skelly had left, she curled up on the ground, her back pressed against the wall. It was cold. Her teeth were chattering, and she was shaking all over. It seemed she would never fall asleep.
But sleep came.
The night passed.
And in the morning, as the first warm rays of the sun touched her face, she awoke…then, startled, she sat straight up.
The pot Skelly had left outside the gate was empty.
And someone had covered her with a blanket.
Chapter Six
Tess grew braver, mustering the courage to explore, and she found a recess behind a big boulder that kept her from having to hover near the entrance.
She did not want to talk to Skelly, for she was repulsed by his crudeness.
And she also wanted to avoid Curt Hammond.
She spent a whole day worrying the splinter in her finger, finally getting it out. After that, there was nothing to do except think.
And think she did.
In her mind, she planned a new life. She would learn to ride and shoot like a man. She would teach herself everything necessary to survive in the West…or anywhere else, for that matter.
She lost track of time but grew bolder as her fantasy of a new, stronger woman locked into her mind. She ventured from her hiding spot to pull rotting wood from support beams and, after endless tries, was finally able to start her own
Blinking her eyes furiously to hold back her tears, she ground her teeth together so tightly her jaw ached. “I won’t cry. And damn you, Curt Hammond, for the scoundrel you are, I swear you’ll never make me. I hate you, and if they do hang me, I just hope it’s after they hang you so I can watch, and—”
Her hand flew to her mouth, and she gasped to think she could have said such a horrid thing. “I…I’m sorry,” she stammered. “I really didn’t mean that. I don’t want you to die. I truly don’t, and—”
“And you’re lying. The truth is, you don’t care about anybody but yourself. That’s why you wouldn’t help me…wouldn’t give me a chance to explain. I could’ve made you see how it was, that I had no choice but to kill that son of a bitch, and—” He threw up his hands. “What difference does it make? What did you come back here for, anyway?”
He was looking down at her with disgust and loathing, and Tess felt strangely guilty. Maybe she should have given him a chance. And maybe he was right about her being too weak to survive in the West.
And maybe, she thought with a sob caught in her throat as she turned and fled, she deserved to die for being such a weakling.
Returning to the front of the shaft, she sat down on the ground to bathe in the warmth of the sunshine and once more considered her plight…realizing how it was no one’s fault but her own.
The day wore on.
And with each passing hour, Tess became more and more determined that if she should by some miracle be given a second chance at life, nothing about her would be the same.
She would make herself strong.
And never again would she cry.
Shadows fell, and just before she was once more swallowed by darkness, Skelly came with food. Though far from appetizing, the fare of boiled beef and potatoes with a slab of bread was better than the breakfast gruel.
“Where’s your man?” Skelly asked when Curt did not appear.
She was quick to respond, “He’s not my man. I don’t know where he is, and I don’t care.”
He flashed his toothless grin. “Lover’s spat. Don’t worry. You’ve got lots of time to make up.” He set the pot down just outside the gate. “I shouldn’t leave this, but it’ll just go to the hogs if I take it back. He might show up later.”
Tess hoped not. She did not want him groping around in the dark anywhere near her, and she was too frightened to do anything except stay right where she was. At least it was in a clearing, with a straight path to the stream, and she did not have to worry about getting lost or falling into a hole.
When Skelly had left, she curled up on the ground, her back pressed against the wall. It was cold. Her teeth were chattering, and she was shaking all over. It seemed she would never fall asleep.
But sleep came.
The night passed.
And in the morning, as the first warm rays of the sun touched her face, she awoke…then, startled, she sat straight up.
The pot Skelly had left outside the gate was empty.
And someone had covered her with a blanket.
Chapter Six
Tess grew braver, mustering the courage to explore, and she found a recess behind a big boulder that kept her from having to hover near the entrance.
She did not want to talk to Skelly, for she was repulsed by his crudeness.
And she also wanted to avoid Curt Hammond.
She spent a whole day worrying the splinter in her finger, finally getting it out. After that, there was nothing to do except think.
And think she did.
In her mind, she planned a new life. She would learn to ride and shoot like a man. She would teach herself everything necessary to survive in the West…or anywhere else, for that matter.
She lost track of time but grew bolder as her fantasy of a new, stronger woman locked into her mind. She ventured from her hiding spot to pull rotting wood from support beams and, after endless tries, was finally able to start her own
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