Marna (22 page)

The coffee was brewed, and Marna pulled it to the
hearth. She moved to the window and looked out. Jake
should be appearing any minute.

Today, Marna was more anxious than usual for
Jake's visit. Last week when he was leaving he had
hesitantly mentioned that he might have something to
tell her the next time he dropped by. Drumming impatient fingers on the windowsill, she wondered what it
could be.

She stopped her nervous tapping and leaned closer to
the window. She smiled. Jake's wide figure was just
emerging from the forest. He almost always walked the
five miles from the post. "It keeps me fit," he explained
one day. "I've spent most my life sittin'. It's high time I
get this old body in workin' condition again."

Henry and Dove had been visiting at the time, and
Henry had chuckled drily. "Sounds to me like you're
fixin' yourself up to find a young woman."

Jake had winked slyly, retorting, "Ain't nothin'
wrong with that." Glancing down at Dove, he added,
"If an old codger like you can do it, I don't see why I
can't."

Henry had smiled proudly and reached over to pat
Dove's slightly protruding stomach. "Yeah, and this old
codger can still plant a strong seed."

Marna smiled, remembering the good-natured give
and take between the two older men.

Her smile faded as she started suddenly. Matt had
come around the big pine and now stood talking to
Jake. Their conversation was brief, and she was puzzled at the angry look on both their faces when they
parted. But when Jake entered the cabin, his cheeks red
from the cold, only pleasure at seeing her shone in his
dark blue eyes.

I must have imagined the anger, Marna thought to
herself.

They had finished their cake and coffee before Jake
spoke on the matter he had mentioned to Marna. He
took a great deal of time filling and liting his pipe, as
though reluctant, or uneasy, about what he had to say.
Then, avoiding her eyes, and groping awkwardly for
words, he stammered out, "Marna, I...I... uh...
there's a young woman who is gonna move into my
cabin with me." His relief at getting his words out
rushed through his teeth.

When Marna stared at him in dismay, his temper
flared. "Dammit, Marna, I'm not that old. And Betsy is
a well-educated woman, and"-he stopped to give a
rakish laugh-"she's the best I've ever had in bed."

"Betsy?" Mama had gasped in a low whisper. She
reached out now to stop his pacing. "Please, Jake, not
her. Anybody, but not her."

Jake frowned down at her, disappointed that a child
of his would be so snobbish. After a moment he said
curtly, "Look, Marna, Betsy is a fine woman. I know
what she's been, and I don't hold it against her. A
person sometimes has do the best he can in this world.
Betsy has had her share of misfortune."

"Jake, you misunderstand me. I don't even know the
woman. I wouldn't even try to judge her."

Understanding flashed through Jake's mind then. His
features softened and he patted the bent head. "You're
just a little jealous of her, eh?"

"Well, she did keep Matt away from me for a while
there."

"You're mistaken, Mama. Matt kept himself away.
He did it out of pure stubbornness and orneriness. You
see, Matt ain't never known a female like you before,
and he don't know how to handle himself when he's
around you."

He glanced over at Marna and chuckled. "He's
jealous as hell of me comin' over here all the time. He
stopped me outside before and wanted to know if I
wasn't comin' over here too often."

Excitement flushed Marna's face. "What did you answer him?"

"I told him that since he wasn't livin' with you, it
was none of his business how often I come."

"And?"

"He said it wasn't any of my business whether he
lived with you or not, you were still his wife."

"And?"

"I just laughed in his face and told him I'd keep
comin' here until you told me to stop."

Marna smiled wistfully. "I guess with Betsy and all,
you won't be visiting me anymore, anyhow."

"Marna, child," Jake exclaimed. "Betsy has nothing
to do with our relationship. I'll be over here like I
always have if you'll let me." He paused a moment
before adding, "I would like for you and Betsy to become friends. She is wise in many things, and like your
grandmother, she could be of great help to you."

Marna glanced at Jake doubtfully. She could still
see the attractive woman sitting on her horse next to
Matt, that knowing smile on her face.

She smiled and murmured, "I'll see."

"You'll like her, Marna." Jake urged. "This is the
first time I've cared for a woman since your.. .since
my wife died."

Mama patted his hand and said sincerely, "I'm glad
you've found someone, Jake."

Jake left shortly after that, waving until he was out
of sight. Marna returned to the rocker, trying to pull
herself out of the gloom that had settled around her.

Jake was halfway to the post when a thin and angular
figure stepped from behind a tree and stood in front of
him. Piercing, sharp eyes peered from under a woolen
scarf tied about a graying head.

Startled, Jake swore under his breath. The old hag
had scared the wits out of him, popping out like that.
But as he continued to stare at the gaunt, weatherbeaten features, a vague remembrance stirred within
him. Could it possibly be?

"It's been a long time, Egan," the old woman said.

"My God, is it you, Hertha?"

"Yes, it's me."

Jake put his arms around the bony body and held it
tenderly. "The years have been hard on you, Grandma."

Hertha swiped at her wet eyes. "Yes, they have." She
drew back, looking up at him proudly. "But they've
fared well with ...I guess you know who I mean."

"Marna?"

"Yes. Did you ever see anyone prettier, or nicer?"

"Only once. A long time ago."

A softness came into Hertha's eyes. "Yes, my little
Hester. After so many years I get the two of them
mixed up. They're so much alike."

"Yes, they are much alike, but Marna isn't always
gentle like her mother was. She can get downright mean
sometimes."

Hertha's eyes twinkled. "I know. I can't decide if she
gets that streak from her grandfather or her father."

Jake's gaze twinkled back. "I guess it could come from either side. I'm only thankful that she's got spunk.

I wish my Hester would have had more."

Hertha looked away from the pain in Jake's eyes and
said, "I thought you were dead, Egan. It was like the
ground opened up and swallowed you. Where have you
been all this time?"

"Mostly in Philadelphia, off and on. That first year
and a half I spent in Canada. I can't clearly recall the
months spent there. I was drunk more than I was sober.
Then one morning I woke up in some dive and realized
that I had to get back to the business of living. I suddenly wanted that baby girl of mine. I felt that through
her I would have a piece of my Hester. But when I
returned to Philadelphia and went to your house on
River Street, strangers were living there. They couldn't
tell me anything, nor could anyone else."

Jake paused as though he couldn't talk about the
disappointment that had flowed over him. After swallowing hard a couple of times, he continued.

"Hertha, I have searched for you and Marna for
fifteen years. I had about given up hope of ever finding
you, when one night in a tavern I overheard two men
talkin'. They were discussin' a medicine woman, and
when one of them referred to her as old Hertha, my
ears pricked up. And when one of them called her husband that old bastard, I thought my heart would jump
out of my chest. Almost afraid to ask, I bought the two
men a drink and inquired if there was a girl livin' with
the couple. At first they looked dubious, then finally
one of the men said he believed there was a girl. A
woods queer girl. I had such a premonition that it was
you and Marna, I struck right out. I can't tell you what
it did to me that first time I saw Marna."

Hertha shot him a fast look. "I been wonderin' why
you ain't looked me up yet."

Jake grinned at her. "I been wonderin' the same
thing about you. I thought maybe you didn't want to
see me."

"Is that the reason you haven't told Marna who you
are?"

"Partly. But mostly I dreaded what I might see in her
eyes once I told her." He looked anxiously at Hertha.
"Has Emery treated her badly, Hertha?"

"No, not physically. He knows that I would kill him
in his sleep if he ever abused her. But I was gettin'
awful worried as Marna grew older. I was able to keep
her beauty hidden beneath dirt, but her body blossomed
out so, I couldn't keep it hidden. The old devil was
plannin' on makin' money with that body."

In silent accord they had commenced walking, Jake
holding the sharp elbow encased in a shabby coat.
Hertha picked up her story. "I was so worried about
Marna's welfare, I think I made a big mistake. Emery
had declared that he was gonna sell Marna to his
friends, and I was frantic. For some time I had been
tryin' to make up my mind whether to kill him or to run
away with Marna, when Marna saved Matt Barton's
life. He seemed like a decent man, and at the time I
thought he was the perfect answer."

They walked along in silence again for a while. Then
Jake spoke. "By the way, I'm called Jake South in these
parts."

"I know." She crooked her arm in his, to steady her
progress along the ice-encrusted trail. "You don't know
how glad I was when you showed up, Jake South.
There's somethin' brewin' between Emery and a hunter
called Corey. I just know it has somethin' to do with
Marna. Corey attacked her once, but Matt came along
in time to save her from the varmint" A long sigh
escaped her. "I talked Matt into marryin' Marna so that
she'd be protected from Emery, but he don't even live
with her."

"Matt Barton is a damned fool," Jake burst out. "He
thinks all he has to do is warn a man off. He don't seem
to realize that there are some men who would risk their
lives to get their hands on his wife."

After another few moments of silence, Hertha stated
quietly, "You've got to tell Marna she's your daughter,
Egan. You've got to move in with her and give her your
protection. Otherwise, I fear for what might happen to
her."

Jake's sigh was long and ragged. "I know you're
right, and I want to tell her I'm her father. I want it
more than anything in the world. But Lord, I don't
know where I'll find the courage to do it."

Hertha squeezed his arm. "It won't be as hard as you
think. The girl already loves you like a father. You're
all she talks about. She's gonna be happy beyond
words."

Jake pulled Hertha to a stop in mid-stride. Excitement in his voice, he demanded, "You're not just saying that, are you, Hertha? You're not makin' it up to
encourage me?"

"I wouldn't lie to you about somethin' this important, Egan."

They started to walk again. "If you're right,
Grandma, I have my own plans for Marna. I couldn't
stay here in the hills. My business has expanded in
Philadelphia, and I need to live there and take care of
it. I want to take Marna to Philadelphia. I can give her
a good life there. The kind of life she deserves. She'll
have a beautiful home, fancy clothes. And a suitable
husband, too. She's wasted on that wild hunter."

Hertha's leathery face sagged and she aged ten years
before Jake's eyes. "I would never see her again," she
cried. "Oh, Egan, I don't think I could stand that."

Jake squeezed her arm against his side. "We wouldn't
leave you behind, Grandma, you know that. It would
please me beyond anything to take care of you from
now on. It would be small payment for all those years."

"Raisin' Marna has been my pay, Egan," Hertha
said stiffly.

Jake patted her hand. "I didn't mean it to sound that
way, Hertha."

Hertha nodded. "I guess I knew you didn't, Egan."
Then, half to herself, she mused, "I wonder what it
would be like, back in Philadelphia again. To live a life
that Emery had no part of." Her brown eyes gleamed.
"He couldn't follow me if he wanted to. He's wanted
for murder back there. I didn't know it for a long time.
He let it slip out a few years back when he was drunk
one night."

Suddenly Hertha brought them to a stop. "What
about Betsy, Egan? You were supposed to move her
into your cabin today."

Jake gaped at her. "How did you know that?"

"Oh, I know everything that goes on in these hills,"
she said, grinning.

They came to a fork in the trail, and Hertha disengaged her arm. "I turn off here." She peered up at him
anxiously. "When do you think we can leave?"

Jake scratched his head in thought. "The only thing I
have to do is find someone to take care of my livestock.
A horse, a cow, and six chickens. I'm sure I can give
them to some homesteader. I don't think it would take
Betsy long to gather her things. I'd say by the end of
the week I could be ready." He shoved his hands into
his pockets and hunched his shoulders. "That is, if I
can get up the nerve to tell Marna who I am...and
then convince her to leave the hills."