Malachite (The Jewels of Texas Historical Romance Series Book 5) (2 page)

“Doc Prentice said he was born with a weakness in his heart. Doc thinks all that talk about the mustang being a devil scared poor little Jimmy to death.”

“Maybe,” Byron said. “And maybe that stallion really is a devil, with a devil’s powers.”

Millie Potter shivered. “Really. All this talk is just so... terrifying.” She colored slightly as she saw Byron turn to study her.

Carmelita entered, wiping her hands on her apron. “Supper is ready. And I have made so much, I hope you are all hungry.”

“We’re starving for some of your hot spices,” Cal said, grateful for the interruption. It was well-known that Pearl, though she’d adjusted to her husband’s love of spicy food, still preferred bland meals that reminded her of the way her proper Boston mother used to cook.

Diamond and Adam, holding little Ony, led the way to the big formal dining room, which was rarely used. Usually when this big, raucous family came together, they preferred the scarred table and rough-hewn chairs of the kitchen.

Behind them walked Pearl and Cal McCabe, trailed by Daniel and Gil, holding baby Amber.

Jade and Dan Simpson held hands and were followed by Ruby and Quent Regan, who still behaved like newlyweds, whispering and touching.

Byron Conner gallantly offered his arm, and Millie had no choice but to accept.

At the table Byron held her chair. The women sat on one side, the men on the other, with Gil and Daniel at one end and little Ony at the other.

As Carmelita bustled in and out carrying trays of steaming food, Millie said, “I’ve never seen your housekeeper so happy.”

“Oui.”
Ruby giggled. “I think for a while she was feeling very left out because we had all moved on to homes of our own. But now, with children, and more on the way, she realizes that we have not really left. Heaven knows she will be needed for a very long time. This big ranch house of Papa’s is still the heart of our family. We could never completely abandon it. Or Carmelita.”

When they had filled their plates, they all caught hands around the table. And as Dan led them in prayer, Diamond happened to glance up at the tintype of her father and mother hanging above the breakfront.

For a moment she felt a sharp tug at her heart. “Oh, Pa,” she whispered. “How you must love seeing all your children together at last.”

* * *

Cookie stepped out of the bunkhouse and paused to hold a match to the pipe clenched between his teeth. He sucked until the tobacco caught, then blew out a rich cloud of smoke.

From the big ranch house came the sounds of muted voices and laughter. He walked to the corral and leaned against the rail, smiling in the fading light of early evening. It was good to see so much life in the Jewel ranch again. He shook his head in wonder. Who’d have believed that he’d live to see another generation of Jewels? How Onyx would have loved all this.

He idly rubbed his sore leg, knowing by the pain that a storm was brewing over the mountains. He hated to admit that his leg pained him more each year, and that sooner or later he’d have to give up what he loved most in life—cooking for the cowboys, especially taking the chuck wagon out on the trails. He’d always told Onyx he wanted to die with his boots on and the sweet smell of grub roasting on the fire.

What fine adventures he’d had with Onyx through the years. He missed that man every day.

At a sound he swiveled his head, peering into the gathering darkness. Looming out of the shadows was a horseman.

Cookie felt a shiver along his spine and realized he’d been careless. His rifle was back in the bunkhouse.

He heaved away from the railing and managed to take one step before he was stopped cold by a voice that whispered across his nerves. It wasn’t just the deep timbre. Or the ring of authority. It was the voice itself. As familiar as yesterday.

“I was told this was the Jewel ranch.”

Cookie swallowed and gave a barely perceptible nod of his head. The horseman nudged his mount closer. Just then the clouds parted, and in the moonlight he was clearly visible.

“I’m here to see Onyx Jewel.”

Cookie found himself looking at a ghost from the past. Staring in openmouthed surprise at the face of a man he’d met and befriended almost thirty years earlier. But that was impossible.

“What in tarnation... ? Who... ?” His mouth opened. The pipe dropped and fell, unnoticed, to the ground. For the space of several seconds he couldn’t find his voice. Then, turning on his heel, he sprinted in an uneven gait, covering the distance from the corral to the ranch house in a matter of minutes. And all the while he was shouting at the top of his lungs, though the words were coming so hard and fast they were completely unintelligible.

* * *

It was Pearl who heard him first. Perhaps it was because she was a new mother and her ears were attuned to the slightest sound from baby Amber. But just as she lifted her head, Adam and Cal pushed back from the table, their hands automatically going to the guns at their hips.

Marshal Quent Regan was the first one at the door, gun in hand, when Cookie pushed his way inside.

“You aren’t going to believe this,” the old man shouted. By now everyone had left the table and gathered around the doorway.

Struggling to catch his breath, Cookie pointed outside. Everyone turned to study the horseman. He slid from the saddle and strode up the steps. Even in the darkness it was plain that he was tall and lean, and walked with a measured, purposeful gait. As he approached, he studied those gathered in the light of the lanterns, searching the face of every man.

His tone was rough with impatience. “I’m here to see Onyx Jewel.”

As he drew close enough to be caught in the light spilling from the room, he heard the women suck in their breath. One of them, holding a little boy to her heart, actually let out a cry.

“Sweet heaven, it’s...” Diamond turned and buried her face against the shoulder of the man beside her.

That caused the others to react in like manner. Pearl lowered her head and began to weep. Cal stood beside her, awkwardly patting her shoulder while he stared at the ghostly specter. Jade, with both hands pressed to her swollen middle, had to be supported by her husband. Ruby clutched Quent’s hand and began babbling in a mixture of French and Cajun. A pitcher of cream slipped from Carmelita’s fingers and crashed on the floor, but she took no notice as she lifted her apron to her eyes and began to chant and pray aloud in Spanish.

Seeing the confusion, Millie Potter gathered her courage and stepped forward. After all, these were her friends. And this was an extraordinary situation. One she wouldn’t believe, if she hadn’t witnessed it with her own eyes.

“I... hope you’ll forgive our reaction. We don’t usually treat strangers like this. But you’ve given us quite a shock. You see, you’re the image of Onyx Jewel.”

Malachite rounded on her. At some other time he might have remembered his manners and removed his hat. Or offered polite conversation. But the painful death of his mother, the long miles in the saddle and the years of anger had taken their toll and brought him near the boiling point. He wanted nothing now but to see this ugly, hated thing through to its conclusion.

“I need no reminder of how I look. I’ve paid the price of Onyx Jewel’s legacy for a lifetime. Now all I want is to see him. Man to man. Call him out here and tell him that his bastard son—” he spat the hated name “—Malachite Jewel, is here.”

That set up another round of wailing. Millie watched helplessly as Diamond, sobbing against Adam’s shoulder, was helped to a chair. Cal handed the baby to Gil, then scooped Pearl up in his arms and carried her toward the fire. Dan insisted that Jade recline on the sofa. And Ruby, white and shaken, was led inside by Quent. Carmelita stood rooted to the spot, tears streaming down her cheeks as she recited a litany of Spanish prayers.

None of them seemed capable of getting beyond their emotions to offer a word of welcome or to acknowledge that they were, indeed, family. They were all too stunned by his uncanny resemblance to Onyx Jewel.

Squaring her shoulders, Millie said, “Malachite... won’t you come inside? We were just having supper. Perhaps you’ll join us.”

Malachite’s anger grew. These people were making no sense. Were they all touched in the head? “I have no time for food, woman.”

“Coffee, then,” she said, feeling completely helpless.

Cookie hadn’t moved. The banker, Byron Conner, was staring around at the chaos with a look of utter disbelief. Because he was a newcomer to this part of the country, he had no idea what was going on. He knew only that this stranger’s arrival had brought the fine celebration to an abrupt end.

“Why are you wasting my time?” Malachite said through clenched teeth. “Are you afraid to summon Onyx Jewel?” He took a menacing step inside, glancing around the sumptuous room.

Millie backed up, then lifted her chin. She wasn’t about to let this stranger intimidate her, no matter what he called himself or how much he looked like the man he’d come seeking. “Afraid?” she demanded. “Why would we be afraid?”

Malachite couldn’t keep the fire, the heat from his tone.

“Because you know Onyx Jewel will be embarrassed at having to acknowledge a bastard.”

“That does it.” Millie’s eyes shot sparks, and her chin jutted as she put her hands on her hips. “Look around you. Are you blind? Can’t you see what you’ve done?”

“I’ve disturbed your evening. But don’t expect an apology. After all, Onyx Jewel disturbed more than my evening. He disturbed my whole life and that of my mother. Now call him, woman, or I’ll shout down this house and everyone in it.”

Millie’s anger spilled over, and she didn’t bother to hide it. This rude, crude man had spoiled little Amber’s celebration and had sent the entire Jewel family into a state of shock. It was all this talk about Diablo, the devil horse. It had everybody in Hanging Tree spooked.

“Go ahead, then,” she taunted. “Shout down the entire house. But that won’t bring back Onyx Jewel. Unless you know how to raise a man from the grave.”

She saw Malachite flinch. Saw the way his eyes narrowed, as though he’d taken a blow to the midsection. She could almost feel sorry for him. Almost, but not quite. After all, he lacked even the most basic manners.

For long moments Malachite stood ramrod straight, absorbing the pain the only way he knew how. Stoically. Unwilling to let the enemy see a weakness.

He had come so far. Endured so much. And all because he’d needed to look into his father’s eyes, just once, and confront him with the fact of his existence. And his abandonment.

And now his quest was over. But he’d been denied the prize. He would never have the satisfaction of seeing his father’s face. Of hearing his voice. Of unleashing this lifetime of frustration.

When at last he spoke, his voice was controlled, revealing none of the emotion that churned in his gut. “Tell me where you have buried him. I intend to visit his grave. And then I’ll leave his land and bother him, and you, no more.”

I
t was Diamond who managed to pull herself together first. Getting to her feet, she muttered, “I don’t know what’s wrong with me lately. Ever since little Ony was born, I get all weak and weepy. Like a damned silly female.”

“Maybe that’s because you are a female.” Adam smiled gently as he kissed her cheek. “But you’re not a silly one. You’re just sensitive.”

“We all know I’m about as sensitive as a mule.” She drew away and crossed the room to stand beside Millie, facing the stranger. But the closer she got to him, the harder her heart started pounding. She couldn’t help it. Just looking at this man was like looking at her father.

She forced herself to stick out her hand and offer a proper welcome. “Sorry for the way I acted. My name’s Diamond. I’m Onyx Jewel’s daughter. And these other three—” she indicated Pearl, Jade and Ruby as she introduced them “—are my sisters.”

Sisters. The word shook him to the core. He hadn’t expected this. Wasn’t ready to accept it. He’d come for confrontation. To expel the demons that had festered for a lifetime. He’d come hoping for a knock-down-drag-out fight that would leave him bruised and bloody and somehow cleansed. He’d wanted to look a beast in the eye and then conquer it.

Instead, he was meeting sisters. Half sisters, he corrected, determined to hate them as much as he hated their father.

He accepted her handshake, then nodded a stiff acknowledgement to the others.

“I don’t know why I should be surprised by this,” Diamond said with a shaky little laugh. “I always figured Pa’d have a few more surprises up his sleeve.”

She felt suddenly awkward. This man was watching her with her father’s eyes. But he hadn’t said a word. And there was no way to tell by looking at him what he was thinking. He gave nothing away.

To ease the situation she said, “This is my husband, Adam Winter. He and I live on the adjoining ranch.”

The two men shook hands.

Pearl regained her senses in time to say, “And this is my husband, Cal McCabe.”

As the two men shook hands, Pearl added, “Cal is the foreman of Daddy’s ranch. We live in Daddy’s old cabin, across Poison Creek, where I’ve set up a schoolroom to teach the town’s children.”

Daddy.
The word grated. He’d never had anyone to answer to that name.

“And this is my husband,” Jade said, forcing herself to show the proper respect. “The Reverend Dan Simpson.”

Again there was a formal handshake and a cool appraisal.

Malachite studied the man, who looked too tough, too trailwise to be a man of God. He had little use for such men. The ones he’d met preached one thing while they did another.

“And this is my husband, Marshal Quent Regan.” Ruby linked her arm through Quent’s as they crossed the room. “We live in the town of Hanging Tree, above my dress shop.”

Malachite shook the marshal’s hand in stiff, sullen silence. He’d dealt with enough lawmen in his time to want nothing more to do with them.

Diamond turned. “This is our housekeeper, Carmelita Alvarez. She’s been keeping house for me since I was a baby.”

Carmelita lowered the towel, damp with her tears, and offered a trembling hand.

“You are the image of your father. I thought, when I first saw you, that it was Señor Jewel, back from the grave.”

Malachite merely stared at her in cool silence.

“This is our banker, Byron Conner.” Diamond spoke quickly to cover the fact that Carmelita was crying again. “And this is Millie Potter, who owns the boardinghouse in Hanging Tree.”

Malachite shook Byron’s hand, then turned to the flame-haired woman in the fashionable gown. The heat in his eyes had begun to cool. But when his hand engulfed hers, he felt heat of another kind.

He studied this woman who had remained calm while the others had panicked. Now he understood. She wasn’t directly affected by this. She was not a Jewel. Not one of Onyx Jewel’s daughters. Though he didn’t know why, he found himself oddly relieved to know that.

At the touch of him Millie felt a strange tingling that shook her to the core. When she finally managed to withdraw her hand, she stood very still. There was such strength in this stranger. Such anger seething in those eyes. And such control. He was nearly rigid with control.

“About your desire to see Pa’s grave.” Diamond was making a valiant effort to ease some of his tension. “It’s a far piece from the ranch. And since it’s so late, I think we should wait until morning. If you’d like, you can stay here. I know Carmelita’d be happy to have someone to fuss over. She’ll be here anyway, cleaning. And she’s a fine cook. You could have Pa’s old room. It’s right upstairs, and you’d...”

“No.” Malachite didn’t bother to hide his disapproval. His response was abrupt and firm.

“But you’re welcome to...”

“I want nothing of Onyx Jewel’s. Not his home. Not his bed. Now that I know he has joined the spirits, I want nothing more than to see his burial place before I leave Texas. Since you feel it’s too late, I’ll honor your request and wait until morning.”

Diamond swallowed. His words were blunt enough. He’d made himself abundantly clear. “All right. Tomorrow morning will be fine. We can meet here, if you’d like. Or in town.”

Malachite considered carefully before saying, “It will be better to meet here. I expect my reception in your town would be even less enthusiastic than my reception here.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” Millie drew herself up stiffly. The nerve of the man, demeaning these people. Demeaning her town.

He heard the note of disapproval in her tone and flung his words like a gauntlet. If he couldn’t have the satisfaction of a physical fight, he would settle for a verbal war. “Let me make myself clear. I may be Onyx Jewel’s son, but I didn’t come here to be embraced by him. Only a fool would expect such a thing. I came here to be acknowledged. Nothing more. But I could hardly expect to be welcomed into his town. You see, my father—” he spit the name with obvious distaste “—may have been a Texan. But my mother was a Comanche.”

He saw the slight lift of an eyebrow, the wary look that came into her eyes. He wasn’t surprised. It was the typical reaction when people were confronted by that fact. He knew what people called him behind his back. Half-breed was one of the kinder terms.

As he turned away Millie called, “Wait. Where will you spend the night?

“It’s cold and it’s late,” she added, hoping to explain her outburst. “If you’d like, you can take a room at my boardinghouse.”

He paused, then turned. She caught a glimpse of a fleeting smile, before it was wiped from his lips. “I’ve slept in the cold many times. For a Comanche, it’s as elemental as breathing.”

He walked out the door, crossed the porch and pulled himself onto the back of his horse. And then he was gone. Swallowed up in the darkness.

And the others were left to speculate about this strange, angry man who had come, unbidden, into their lives.

* * *

“I intend to sit down with Diamond and her sisters in the next few days.” Byron Conner’s voice was muted in the darkness as he sat beside Millie, guiding the team. “They’re going to need some advice.”

“About what?” Still shaken by the encounter with Malachite Jewel, Millie looked up at the sky and watched the path of a falling star. She had the strangest sensation that he was still here with her. She could almost see those haunted green eyes. And feel that explosion of anger. Could see again those lips curved into the slightest hint of a dangerous smile.

“About their finances.”

Millie turned to study Byron’s darkened profile. “Now, why in the world would they need help with their finances? They’re already the richest family in Texas.”

“I didn’t say help. I said advice. Like you said, their father left a substantial estate. It’s only natural that strangers would come along and try to claim a portion. Who’s to say this—” his tone rang with derision “—half-breed didn’t hear about Onyx Jewel’s death and decide to cut himself in for a piece?”

Millie’s tone sharpened. “I’ll excuse that statement, since you never knew Onyx Jewel. But I did. And so did everyone in town. And I can tell you, this stranger is the image of his dead father.”

“That isn’t important.” Byron snapped the reins and the team trotted smartly. It was a fine matched set of sleek, glossy roans, brought all the way from St. Louis, along with the brand-new carriage, to bolster his image as a successful banker. “I’m going to instruct Diamond and her sisters that unless this stranger has proof, he has no legal claim to Onyx Jewel’s estate.”

Her tone was incredulous. “His face isn’t proof enough?”

“Not in a court of law. The law demands legal documents.”

“And what about the heart?” Millie asked softly.

He turned to her and placed a hand on her arm. “I can see that you’re much too tenderhearted for your own good. It’s a lucky thing the citizens of Hanging Tree don’t have to rely on you to make the tough decisions about loans and mortgages and foreclosures.”

“Yes.” She gave a sigh. “It’s a good thing. Doesn’t it ever bother you, Byron?”

“The first rule of banking is you can’t let your heart rule your head.” He glanced up as the darkened buildings of the town came into view. “I don’t believe the ride from the Jewel ranch to town has ever passed so quickly before. It must have been the charming company I was with.”

Beside him, Millie said nothing. But the look on her face was still tinged with anger. She was too annoyed at his earlier words to be swayed by his obvious attempt at flattery.

The carriage rolled along the empty dirt path the townspeople called the main street. At the end of town, in front of a sagging, two-story house, Byron reined in the team and the carriage came to a halt.

He helped Millie down and walked beside her up the stairs of her front porch. Before she could open the door, he put a hand on her arm to stop her.

“Thank you for accompanying me to the christening, and then to supper, Millie.”

“You’re welcome.”

His hand tightened perceptibly on her arm. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to kiss you.” He bent toward her in anticipation.

Somewhere in the back of her mind, it occurred to Millie that Ruby would be thrilled at her matchmaking prowess. This was all going according to Ruby’s plans. She had recently told Millie, in no uncertain terms, that she’d been alone too long. That Millie’s three shy little girls, ages five, six and seven, needed a father. Only the oldest, April, could remember her father. And with every year, those fragile memories faded. As for Millie, the memories of her years with her beloved Mick would never die. But she had acquiesced to Ruby’s prodding. After all, Ruby had argued, Byron Conner was a fine catch. Handsome. Proper. Churchgoing. A successful banker who was respected, if not always liked, by the townspeople.

Still, Millie couldn’t put aside her annoyance at Byron’s callous remarks about Onyx Jewel’s son. It should have been plain to anyone with half a brain that Malachite Jewel was a tortured soul who had no interest in money. It was a father he’d come seeking, not a fortune.

She backed away to evade Byron’s touch, turning her face at the last moment so that his lips merely brushed her cheek. “No, Byron. I’m sorry. It’s... very late. And I’m tired.”

“I see.” He straightened, momentarily disappointed but far from discouraged. “Well, perhaps another time.” He reached up and opened the door. “Maybe I’ll stop by for supper tomorrow.”

“If you’d like.”

Once inside, Millie removed her shawl and hung it on a peg by the door.

She smiled, thinking about her daughters. They’d been delighted when she’d told them that Birdie Bidwell, their fifteen-year-old neighbor, would be spending the night while their mother took supper at the Jewel ranch. Her girls adored Birdie, who had been helping with the chores around the boardinghouse since she was ten. Despite a tendency toward clumsiness, she was a sweet, polite girl who had proved invaluable over the years.

As she entered the parlor, Millie’s smile disappeared when she discovered that the fire had burned to embers.

With a sigh she returned to the hallway and draped her shawl around her, then walked to the back door and let herself out.

A gust of wind sent her skirts whipping around her ankles as she walked.

A dwindling supply of logs was stacked neatly against the south wall of the shed. She bent to retrieve a log, then suddenly caught sight of something out of the corner of her eye. A menacing shadow was moving toward her.

“Oh.” She straightened and grabbed up a log, swinging it like a club.

“Easy.” At the sound of a man’s deep voice she swung harder.

A hand closed over her wrist and the log fell harmlessly to the ground. She was caught in a vise, unable to move, while the man loomed over her.

For the space of a heartbeat she couldn’t breathe. Her heart pounded so painfully she thought it might explode. Her breath came in short, shallow gasps.

Just then a beam of moonlight revealed her attacker.

“You!” Catching sight of Malachite Jewel, she tried to back away, but he was holding her fast. “I thought... You scared me half to death. What are you doing here?”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to frighten you.”
Terrify
would have been a better word. She’d struck out blindly, as though expecting the worst. He found himself wondering who or what had brought on such fears. “I decided to take you up on your offer of a room. That is, if the offer is still good.”

Unable to find her voice, she merely nodded.

“Good. I hope you don’t mind that I put my horse in your shed.”

“I... That’s fine.” Did he know what his touch was doing to her? How wildly her heart was pounding? She felt the way a deer must when it stared into the muzzle of a rifle.

Then she seemed to come to her senses. It wasn’t this man who caused such feelings. It was the fact that she’d been caught by surprise. She needed to pull herself together.

With a toss of her head she glanced down at the offending hand, and he released her.

Immediately she took a step back, feeling light-headed. “There’s a livery at the other end of town. Neville Oakley will keep your horse for a dollar a week.”