no qualms about letting his nephew take all the blame for the embezzlement, but maybe this time he’d outsmarted the old fox. Let the smug bastard get hung with that indictment!
I’m going to make sure that no harm comes to Kate.
Suddenly he remembered that she was in the cabin alone with Hayden, and started back. When he reached the door, he was relieved to see Hayden still at the cookstove. The door to Kate’s room was closed.
“Who’s going to take her to the woods when she’s got to pee?” Squirrelly called after him.
“It won’t be you.” Eddy went inside the cabin. “Hayden, is there anything around here that would serve as a chamber pot for the lady?”
Hayden laughed for the first time. It was more of a dry cackle than a laugh. “There’s a bucket in the shed.” He turned back to the stove and stirred the beans. Eddy went back out the door, and Squirrelly fell in step with him.
“So Miss High-and-Mighty is gonna do her business in a bucket?” There was a pleased grin on Squirrelly’s face.
“You’re the most repulsive man I’ve ever met.”
“That’s what my mama done told me … but I have a hell of a lot of fun!”
Eddy rummaged around in the shed until he found a gray granite bucket. It was dirty, and the inside looked as if a pack rat had made a nest there. He dumped the contents on the ground and headed for the nearby stream. Hurrying because he didn’t want to leave Kate in the house with Hay-den, he washed out the bucket and headed back to the cabin.
Night fell fast in the hills. By the time Hayden slammed three granite plates on the table, it was nearly dark. Eddy dished a couple of spoonfuls of beans onto another plate, carried the food to Kate’s door, and knocked.
“Kate. It’s Eddy. I have something here for you to eat.”
Cautiously Kate opened the door and looked for any sign of Squirrelly. Eddy held out the plate of beans and said, “I’m sorry this is all we have. Hayden says he’ll hunt tomorrow.”
“Thank you,” she said, snatching the plate from his hands and shutting the door in his face. The sounds of Squirrelly’s cackle of laughter carried from the other side of the cabin.
Kate awoke with a start as the door to her room suddenly opened.
“It’s me, Kate,” Eddy said. “Don’t be afraid.”
“Where are the other varmints?”
“I’ve no idea where Hayden is, but Squirrelly went out into the woods. I tried to find you a chamber pot, but all I could find is this bucket.” He set it inside the door.
“I need a light.”
“I’ll give you a candle and some matches. Use it only when you need to and make sure to keep the light away from the window; otherwise Hayden will come in and take it.”
After Eddy had left, Kate looked around for something to hang over the window to provide a little privacy. There was nothing but the skirt she was wearing. Without any hesitation, she unhooked it, let it fall to the floor, picked it up, and hung it on the two nails above the window. She had been wondering how she was going to relieve herself, and, as mad as she was at Eddy, she was grateful for his thought-fulness.
She lit the candle, letting some of the wax drip onto the table, and pressed it down, securing it. She relieved herself in the bucket and wondered what her stepmother would think of this miserable indignity.
Susie or their mother would have gone into hysterics, and Hayden might have cut their throats.
I intend to survive and see that these men, including Eddy, pay for their crime.
She couldn’t understand what would cause Eddy to team up with these two unsavory characters! She knew that he had wanted to court her but had respected her lack of interest. She’d assumed that he would eventually marry Susie. Did her father’s partner, William Jacobs, know what his nephew was up to? She was certain that he couldn’t possibly know. Mr. Jacobs was such a refined man. Her father trusted him, or he would not have let him buy into his firm.
I’m going to make sure that no harm comes to Kate.
Suddenly he remembered that she was in the cabin alone with Hayden, and started back. When he reached the door, he was relieved to see Hayden still at the cookstove. The door to Kate’s room was closed.
“Who’s going to take her to the woods when she’s got to pee?” Squirrelly called after him.
“It won’t be you.” Eddy went inside the cabin. “Hayden, is there anything around here that would serve as a chamber pot for the lady?”
Hayden laughed for the first time. It was more of a dry cackle than a laugh. “There’s a bucket in the shed.” He turned back to the stove and stirred the beans. Eddy went back out the door, and Squirrelly fell in step with him.
“So Miss High-and-Mighty is gonna do her business in a bucket?” There was a pleased grin on Squirrelly’s face.
“You’re the most repulsive man I’ve ever met.”
“That’s what my mama done told me … but I have a hell of a lot of fun!”
Eddy rummaged around in the shed until he found a gray granite bucket. It was dirty, and the inside looked as if a pack rat had made a nest there. He dumped the contents on the ground and headed for the nearby stream. Hurrying because he didn’t want to leave Kate in the house with Hay-den, he washed out the bucket and headed back to the cabin.
Night fell fast in the hills. By the time Hayden slammed three granite plates on the table, it was nearly dark. Eddy dished a couple of spoonfuls of beans onto another plate, carried the food to Kate’s door, and knocked.
“Kate. It’s Eddy. I have something here for you to eat.”
Cautiously Kate opened the door and looked for any sign of Squirrelly. Eddy held out the plate of beans and said, “I’m sorry this is all we have. Hayden says he’ll hunt tomorrow.”
“Thank you,” she said, snatching the plate from his hands and shutting the door in his face. The sounds of Squirrelly’s cackle of laughter carried from the other side of the cabin.
Kate awoke with a start as the door to her room suddenly opened.
“It’s me, Kate,” Eddy said. “Don’t be afraid.”
“Where are the other varmints?”
“I’ve no idea where Hayden is, but Squirrelly went out into the woods. I tried to find you a chamber pot, but all I could find is this bucket.” He set it inside the door.
“I need a light.”
“I’ll give you a candle and some matches. Use it only when you need to and make sure to keep the light away from the window; otherwise Hayden will come in and take it.”
After Eddy had left, Kate looked around for something to hang over the window to provide a little privacy. There was nothing but the skirt she was wearing. Without any hesitation, she unhooked it, let it fall to the floor, picked it up, and hung it on the two nails above the window. She had been wondering how she was going to relieve herself, and, as mad as she was at Eddy, she was grateful for his thought-fulness.
She lit the candle, letting some of the wax drip onto the table, and pressed it down, securing it. She relieved herself in the bucket and wondered what her stepmother would think of this miserable indignity.
Susie or their mother would have gone into hysterics, and Hayden might have cut their throats.
I intend to survive and see that these men, including Eddy, pay for their crime.
She couldn’t understand what would cause Eddy to team up with these two unsavory characters! She knew that he had wanted to court her but had respected her lack of interest. She’d assumed that he would eventually marry Susie. Did her father’s partner, William Jacobs, know what his nephew was up to? She was certain that he couldn’t possibly know. Mr. Jacobs was such a refined man. Her father trusted him, or he would not have let him buy into his firm.
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