Hannah's Dream (32 page)

He was upon Grady before he realized how close they were.  Grady must have sensed something and turned just as Jean swung the hammer.  He missed Grady's head, but the boy fell off his horse.  Jean slid off Jasper in an instant and was on Grady before the boy knew what was happening.  He hit Grady on the head and broke open his skull.

Jean picked up Grady's body and put it on Jasper.  He walked the horse until he reached the woods.  Halfway through the woods, he stopped, pulled Grady off Jasper and carried him into the woods where he left him under a pile of leaves.  He then climbed on Jasper, retrieved Grady's horse, and took him back to the ranch.

Jean approached the ranch cautiously.  He couldn't be seen.  He saw lights on in the two houses and in the rooms over the stable.  He didn't want to leave the horse out front or someone might wonder why it had been left there.  He couldn't risk taking it inside the stable or the men upstairs might hear him.  In the end, he decided to take it back to town and leave it hitched to the post outside the saloon.

Once he got back to the sheep farm, Jean got his things together.  He didn't know if the boy had told anyone else about someone living on the sheep farm.  He still hadn't approached Hannah, and he couldn't risk getting caught.  That wanted poster might have already made its way to High Bend.  He had to lay low until he was ready to take her away.

He overslept and by the time he woke up it was past noon.  He'd been sleeping on the floor and woke up too stiff to easily get up.  Once on his feet, he began to gather his things so he could still have enough daylight to locate another place to stay.

It was by accident that he saw the men approaching the house.  He panicked, grabbed Margaret's pistol, and without thinking, fired at them.  He couldn't believe his eyes when he hit one.  He forced himself to calm down and think.  There was an old pair of shoes the former owner had left behind and he grabbed them and put them in his bag.  He then fired more shots out the window before leaving through the back door.  He'd kept Jasper behind the house so no one would see him.  He climbed onto him and rode into the woods.

He headed to the cliff on the other side of the woods and when he got there, he left Jasper a safe distance away and walked to the edge of the cliff.  He put the old shoes near the edge along with his suit jacket.  He hoped it was enough to make them think he had jumped.

He hated leaving Jasper, but in order for the ruse to work, the horse would have to be there when the men found the clothes.  Jean had been in the west long enough to know a man never left his horse.  Jasper's presence would convince them that Jean had indeed jumped off the cliff.

"I'm sorry, my friend," he said.  "Perhaps I will see you again someday."

He stroked the horse's nose, grabbed his bag off the saddle, and ran to the woods.  He went north, avoiding the men who would be coming from the east.  He got past the ranch without being seen and continued on foot for several miles.

He came to a small town about five miles from High Bend.  While it was still daylight, he'd found the road leading into the town and followed it.  By the time he got there, it was getting dark and he saw lights up ahead.  He was exhausted and was grateful to see a "Mrs. Kimble's Boarding House" sign on a home near the edge of town.  He knocked and an elderly woman answered the door.

He went to take his slate out of his bag and it wasn't there.  He'd left it at the house.  He silently cursed.

"Do you have a room for the night?" he asked.

She looked him over.

"I usually don't rent to strangers unless a friend sends them to me."

"Please, madam, I am cold and hungry."

Jean was a very convincing liar and the old woman was taken in by his pathetic plea.  She smiled and let him in.  There were other boarders in the house anyway.  If he tried to hurt her, she would scream and they would come running.

"That will be a dollar for the night," she said.

"That much!" he cried.

"You'll get breakfast in the morning.  I think it's a fair price."

He reached into his pocket and gave her a silver dollar.  She smiled and he followed her up the stairs.

The house was large for such a small town.  It had a parlor and a full dining room.  The upstairs had four bedrooms.  As she showed Jean the small room she had left, she told him how her husband had found a small mine and made enough money to build this house before the silver ran out.

"There's an outhouse out back and a public bath in town."

She left him and went to fetch a pitcher of water for his washstand.  He went through his bag and was happy to find his clean union suit had not been left behind with his slate.  After she returned with the water, he rinsed out his shirt, opened the window, and hung the shirt near it to dry.  He also rinsed out his socks.  

He mourned the loss of his suit jacket and decided to see if the town had a dry goods store where he might replace it.  Then he thought it might be wiser to buy dungarees and a flannel shirt.  He'd look like everyone else in these backwoods.  In that disguise, he could go back to High Bend for Hannah.

Chapter 55

A month had gone by since the day of the shooting.  The ranch was abuzz with activity as everyone prepared for the social that evening.  Owen was pleased with James' recovery, but told him it would be a month or more before he could attend a social function like the party at Mrs. Gray's.  James argued with the doctor until Owen relented, but he insisted James stay off the dance floor.  Becky, who had been at his side throughout his ordeal, assured Owen she would keep an eye on James.  James sort of liked the way she guarded him.

While James was recovering, Evan had come to see him.  He hadn't had time to tell James about Pierre Rousseau and since he was unsure the man had truly died, he wanted to tell James about Rousseau's interest in Hannah.  He sat on the chair next to James' bed, but before he could mention it, James asked him a question.

"That fellow, the one you were chasing, do you truly think he jumped off the cliff?"

Evan thought for a minute.  "Well, nothing has happened since that day, and we both know a man doesn't leave his horse behind."

"But do you think he jumped?"

"When I was in New Jersey, I spoke to a woman who ran a bordello in Long Branch.  She knew Pierre.  She said he was a regular customer and he saw a woman named Agnes Welsh on a regular basis.  Around Christmas, she disappeared.  Pierre had come looking for her the night before.  He showed up the next day asking for her, and a week later, but after that he didn't come back."

"You think he killed her."

"I'd stake my life on it, but we have no proof.  I'm thinking maybe all this killing finally got to him and he couldn't live with his conscience anymore."

"Maybe, but I'm not convinced.  Do you know why he came out here in the first place?"

"Louise believes he has feelings for Hannah."

"Hannah!  Why didn't you mention this before?"

"I didn't think I'd have to.  I didn't want to upset the girl or have her worry over nothing.  It was all just speculation on Louise's part."

"Why did she think he wanted Hannah?"

"He stole her picture from Louise's room while she was visiting Hannah.  It was the day he left Mrs. Mason's house."

"Well, I'd say that's more than speculation."

"I'm sorry, James, I just didn't want to alarm her.  You've been keeping her close to home, and Adam goes to town with her.  I thought she was well protected."

"We'll have to tell her.  She has to know.  She can't protect herself if she doesn't know there's someone out there that could hurt her."

"James, I do think there's a good possibility that he did jump.  We may be worrying for nothing.  But I agree.  We should keep an eye on her."

"Have you told me everything?" James asked.

Evan pondered the question.  He thought about the fight he had with Jean-Pierre and how he'd ended up with a concussion.  "I was chasing him across New Jersey.  I caught up with him in Toms River.  There was a hurricane and when I tried to turn him in at the jail, everyone was gone.  They'd been evacuated.  He got away and I chased him down.  He got the best of me and slammed my head into a brick wall before leaving me to die."

"So this is personal."

Evan nodded.  "But Louise did hire me to find him."

"And seeing as Rousseau showed you no mercy, it's likely he won't care if he hurts Hannah."

"I don't think he wants to hurt her.  He would have done that already."

"Then what, he wants to...." The blood drained from James' face.  "He wants to take her."

"That's my guess."

"Then we have to tell everyone.  No one is safe."

During that time, James had also asked Marian to see him alone.  He wanted to ask her about Evan.  It was obvious that she was uncomfortable around the lawman, and James wanted to know why.  She was hesitant at first to talk about it, but once she started, the words tumbled out of her mouth and she told him the whole story.

"He never wrote me, James.  I'd never felt so lost."

"Did you talk to him?  Maybe there's a good reason."

"I can't bring myself to look at him.  I'm afraid I'll make a fool of myself."

"It's not right to judge him unless you know what happened.  You have to talk to him.  He's a decent man, Marian.  I can't see him leading you on unless he cared."

James wanted to tell her about his conversation with Evan, but he hesitated.  Then, as she turned to leave the room, he stopped her.

"Do you know a man named Pierre Rousseau?"

"He was one of Hannah's teachers," she replied.

"Evan thinks he's the one who shot me."

"Pierre Rousseau!  What would make him think that?"

"Louise hired him to find Rousseau.  She said he had stolen a picture of Hannah before he left town."

Marian thought about the day Pierre had come to see her before they moved to Colorado.

"I can't believe he'd do something like this.  He came to see me before we left New Jersey and he asked if he could court Hannah.  When I told him he'd have to wait until he heard from her, he looked angry, but he was polite and left without causing a fuss."

"Evan said he thinks he killed a woman in Long Branch, someone named Agnes Welsh."

"Oh, no."

"What?"

"She was Jimmy's mother."

James cursed softly.  "Evan's not sure he killed her, but it seems like he did.  I wouldn't say anything to the boy about this.  No use getting him upset unless we know for sure."

"I agree."

"But we have to keep an eye on Hannah."

"Why?" she asked.

"Because Evan thinks he's still alive."

Marian bit her lower lip.  "And he thinks he'll come back for Hannah?"

"That's what he said.  Just in case, we have to watch out for her.  She can't go out alone right now."

When she left his room, Marian thought about telling Hannah about Pierre Rousseau.  No one was sure he was the man who killed Grady, or if he was still alive.  She hated upsetting Hannah over nothing.  With the social just a few days away, she decided to wait until after the event to tell Hannah what James had told her.  She would, however, tell Becky and Adam so they would help keep an eye on Hannah.

Then she thought about her conversation with James regarding Evan.  She knew James was right, but she still held her tongue when Evan was around.  Even when he tried to approach her, she would make some excuse and walk away.  Now, with the social at hand, she cried as recalled the last time they'd danced together before he left Philadelphia and.

"This is ridiculous," she said as she looked at herself in the mirror in the bedroom.  "I'm going to talk to him."

She went downstairs and saw Becky.  The day James had talked to Marian, he had asked her to do him a favor.  He asked her to buy a new dress for Becky so she would have it for the social.  Marian had smiled a sly little smile, and his cheeks reddened.

"I knew you were sweet on her," Marian said.

"You don't mind?" he asked.

"No, not at all.  I admit it was uncomfortable at first, but she is my dearest friend and we are not in Philadelphia.  I'm glad you found someone you care about."

The next day, Marian had gone to town with Adam and Hannah and bought a lovely light blue dress with white roses embroidered on the collar.

She had the dress in her hand when she came downstairs and went over to Becky.

"What's this?" Becky said.

"It's a gift," Marian said.  James had asked her not to say it was from him.

Becky unfolded the dress and held it up.

"Lord, I've never seen anything so beautiful.  But I can't wear this.  It's too fine."

"Don't be foolish," Marian said.  "Now go and put it on."

"I just don't know..."

"Becky, you're a good woman.  When you walk into Mrs. Gray's ballroom, I want you to sparkle like a diamond."

Tears formed in her eyes as Becky walked past Marian and went to the kitchen.  She wiped away the tears as she put the flatiron on the stove and set up the ironing board to press the dress before putting it on.  As she ironed, Marian came to the kitchen door.

"I have to tell you something," she said.

"Yes?"

"Do you remember Pierre Rousseau?"

Marian told Becky what James had told her and Becky agreed it was best not to say anything to Hannah until after the social.  She, too, would stay alert around Hannah.

"He told me something else," Marian said.  "He said he thinks Pierre killed Agnes Welsh."

"Oh, dear God," Becky said.

"We're not going to tell Jimmy.  We have no proof, and it would hurt him too much."

Marian left Becky to finish ironing the dress.  When she finished, she put it on, and when Becky looked in the mirror, she felt like a queen.  James was still living with Marian and as she passed the parlor, he was sitting on the settee with a package in his hand.

"Becky," he said.  "I wanted to give you something.  Happy birthday."

She walked into the room and narrowed her eyes.  "You remembered?" she said.

He nodded.