Sweet Savage Heart (61 page)

Thursday morning Darby Davis was buried, and three hands were assigned to guard the women at night. That afternoon, a telegram arrived from Fort Wallace in Kansas saying that a rancher named Josiah Barns was not interested in buying a partnership in the Rocking
C
Ranch. Nathan, Rana, and Mace were overjoyed by the message, for it told them that Travis was safe and on his way home, though still far away.

“Even if he rode day and night, I don’t see how he could possibly make it here by next week. Thank the Lord we got our cattle money back,” Nathan remarked, then smiled at Rana. “Looks like that’s what’s going to save us. We need to defeat Harry soon, Mace, ‘cause the chores can’t get done with so many hands acting as guards all over the ranch.”

“When Travis gets home, we’ll handle Caldwell for good.”

Rana was too excited to sleep much that night. The message had told them he was on his way home, but not how his mission went. She wondered what had taken place in the land of the Lakotas. She knew the men would be on full alert tonight, so she would not have to go riding. She could lie in bed and dream of Travis.

Thursday night saw no further trouble, to everyone’s relief. Bart Davis moved in with his deceased brother’s family to protect and support them. That afternoon, Nathan received another telegram, this one from Dallas. It informed Nathan that his papers were ready, and the rancher decided to go after them promptly in order to avoid any problems later. After all, he reflected, there wasn’t anything he could do on the ranch between today and tomorrow. He told Mace to keep his eye on Rana and made her promise to stay home unless something terrible happened.

When disaster did strike late Friday night, there was nothing Rana or anyone else could do about it. The river was suddenly blocked by a dynamite blast, and all water flowing to Nathan’s ranch was cut off. The poisoned water holes had been drained, and only heavy rain could fill them. The situation would become critical in a few days, after the streams dried up and the cattle became thirsty. But worse was yet to come, and on Saturday morning it did, in the form of Clarissa Caldwell.

Rana went to answer the door and found one of the ranch hands standing there nervously with a woman who, judging from her appearance and brazen manner, could only have been Clarissa Caldwell. The wrangler apologized for disturbing her and explained that the lady had been most insistent. Rana smiled her understanding and politely dismissed him. But before Rana could discourage Clarissa from visiting, the dark-haired woman stated belligerently, “I came to talk to you about your mother, and I’m not leaving until I do, so you might as well let me come in.”

Rana realized that Clarissa was in a mood to be stubborn and hateful, and she knew this meeting could not be avoided forever. Deciding it would be best to hear the woman today and in private, Rana invited her into the sitting room. She knew her grandfather would be annoyed with her, but that could not be helped. “Speak,” Rana said, as if giving Clarissa permission to begin. The woman was silent for a time as she eyed the portraits hanging over the mantel. Then Clarissa looked at her as she had the portraits, coldly and with bitterness, like a winter blizzard.

“I thought it was time we met and talked. Considering
how well I knew your mother, I can understand why everyone’s been trying to keep us apart. I thought you might want to hear the truth about Marissa and Raymond, and I’m sure you’d like to have this,” Clarissa speculated, handing Raymond’s picture to Rana, who noticeably trembled and paled. “I see you remember the brutal bastard.”

Rana stared at the picture of the gambler with black hair and brown eyes who had haunted her dreams for years. “Why do you come here?” she asked, looking at the antagonistic woman before her.

“I wanted you to know what a bitch and a whore your mother was. Do you know what those words mean?” she asked hatefully, then explained their meanings and how they applied to Marissa. She told Rana how Marissa had been forced to whore to earn money to support her daughter and husband. “Marissa slept with countless men, including plenty of those who work for my father. She’s even slept with some of the men on this ranch, like Todd Raines. She had poor Todd believing she loved him and was going to marry him, but she got herself pregnant and had to run off and get married to hide her sin. When Raymond found out she had tricked him, he hated her and punished her by making her whore for their living.”

“Tricked him? I do not understand. Why do you speak such evil lies about my mother? You were not her friend?” she probed.

Having decided to be crueler and more informative than she had previously intended, Clarissa echoed with an ugly sneer, “Friend? I hated her. Marissa was selfish and mean and bad. She stole the only man in my life; now her wicked daughter is trying to steal Travis or my father. Travis told me how you’d been trying to sneak into his bed. He knows you’re nothing but a whore like your mother was. When he kept refusing you, did you give up and turn to Mace? You are a
bastard,
Rana Michaels. I
won’t let you get my father or Travis.”

Rana felt she could not trust this hostile, bitter creature to be truthful. “You must go. You speak with a false, cruel tongue,” she declared, regaining her composure.

“Ask Todd Raines if I’m lying,” Clarissa challenged. “He knows how bad she was. Or ask Fargo, who works for my father; he’s spent plenty of money sleeping with her, and he told me and Papa all about her. Ask any of the men who paid Raymond to have her for a few minutes. And you’ll never guess who your father is.”

“I do not care, but I am glad it is not Raymond Michaels.”

“If you don’t convince Nathan to sell this place to my father, everybody else will care when I spread the word about you and your mother. People will be laughing at you and avoiding you. They’ll think you’re just like your mother. Or worse, you little savage.”

“Even if you speak the truth, I will not ask my grandfather to leave his lands. Go away; do not return. Your heart is black and evil.” To frighten and punish Clarissa, Rana threatened, “If you anger me, I will take your father and force you to leave home. He has asked Grandfather to allow us to marry. I see great desire for me in his eyes.”

“It isn’t you he sees and desires, you little fool! If you dare try to marry my father, I’ll make you wish you had never been born. I know something very bad about Marissa that I haven’t told you. Raymond and I were close friends, and he told me secrets about her, and about you. I could use them to destroy your family. I’m warning you, Rana, stay away from my father and Travis.” With that Clarissa stormed out of the room and out of the house.

Rana went immediately to her room and flung herself across her bed. Memories mingled with the woman’s
words to torment her. Clutching her doll against her heart, she cried. She had slept little the night before and was exhausted. Slowly she drifted off to sleep.

Clarissa scolded angrily, “I don’t know what’s gotten into you, Papa! Why would you shut off the river to land you’ll own next week? Poisoning water holes, burning crops, cutting fences, stampeding cattle, ordering excessive violence—such measures aren’t necessary, Papa; you’ll be able to buy that ranch peaceably next week. Why cause so much damage and ill will when the land and workers will soon be yours?”

Harrison glared at her. “I’ve told you, girl, stay out of my business. I’m tired of your meddling. Do things my way, or get out!”

His outburst shocked her, then enraged her. “How can I remain silent when you do such foolish things? Now I learn you’re proposing to Rana Michaels!” she snapped, her temper flaring, for they had been quarreling for over an hour.

“How do you know that?” he demanded furiously. “If you’re spying on me, girl, I’ll whip you senseless, then kick you out.”

“I saw her this morning at Nathan’s ranch,” she admitted freely.

“You little bitch! How dare you talk with Rana! You might as well know, I am planning to marry her. Tell me what you two said. And from now on, stay away from her; you could ruin my plans.”

Clarissa glared at him. “Stay away? Why, Papa? Rana is my half sister. Or didn’t you know Marissa was carrying your baby when she ran away with Raymond? You can’t marry your own daughter. Either you’re crazy with lust for Marissa’s ghost or you’re ignorant of the truth. Which is it, Papa?”

“What the hell are you talking about?” Harrison shrieked.

“Haven’t you figured it out by now, Papa? You were gone for months when Marissa discovered she was pregnant. She had to get away before anyone guessed her secret. That dashing gambler came along and she duped him into marrying her and getting her away before she started showing her sinful secret. But Raymond found out she had played him for the fool, and he got even with her. Didn’t you ever wonder why he hated her and abused her so cruelly? And didn’t you wonder why Marissa was too afraid to disobey him or leave him? For goodness sake, Papa, he was blackmailing her, threatening to expose her sins to her father and everyone. And proud Marissa didn’t want that. Raymond had slowly gotten her by the throat and knew too much about her. By the time she was desperate to be free of him, it was too late.”

“How do you know such things?” Harrison demanded.

“You do recall we used to be friends and do things together? One day I heard Raymond and Marissa arguing when they didn’t realize I was around, and the whole filthy story came pouring out. That’s what he was using to blackmail her; you know, Papa, whore for his stakes or he would expose the dirty truth about her? Marissa did it a few times to appease him, but then Raymond started demanding more and more customers. By then, she was already soiled and she was in over her head, drowning in Raymond’s revenge and her dark secrets.”

“Why didn’t you tell me about this?” he raged at her, seeing how fiercely she hated Marissa and Rana.

Her face was lined with hostility. “Tell you I knew Marissa had been secretly whoring with my father? Tell you I knew Rana was your bastard? No, Papa, I wanted Marissa and Rana out of our lives. If she had loved you and wanted you, she wouldn’t have married Raymond.
She chose her prickly path and didn’t try to change it. By the time I learned the truth, there was no way you could have married that cheap whore and claimed Rana as your child, and you can’t claim her now. She would hate you and blame you for what happened to them. And such a revelation might cause a scandal, Papa, that is if Nathan didn’t manage to kill you for what you did to his little Marissa. She wasn’t much more than a child at that time, Papa. Some might suggest you raped her or misled an innocent young girl. They’ll wonder why she ran off with that Michaels beast rather than marry you. Besides, if you lay claim to Rana, Nathan will disown her and she’ll lose any claim to his ranch. If something did happen to block your purchase, Rana might be your only way of obtaining it.”

“Is that all you care about, that stupid ranch? Did you tell Rana any of this?” he asked pointedly.

“Don’t be foolish, Papa. Certainly not. I don’t ever want her to know about us. Don’t you realize that would give her a right to our holdings, if anything should happen to us. By revealing the truth, you’ll offer them the perfect path to revenge and victory. We both know Travis doesn’t love me or want me. What would happen to us if he thought he could have it all by taking the beautiful Rana as his wife? I thought maybe Marissa had confessed the truth to you and asked for your help in getting free of Raymond, but when you started talking seriously about marriage, I realized you didn’t know about Rana.”

Harrison had found the unexpected news staggering. “Leave me alone for a while, girl; I need to think about this,” he told her, then went into his office and closed the door.

Clarissa stared at it, then grinned satanically. The old fool actually believed her! That lie would keep him distracted and mastered for awhile. If anyone were to
discover who Rana’s father really was, it would be a shock, especially to Rana, Travis, Nathan, Harrison, and Todd. Poor Todd; she had already been pregnant for a time when they had started falling for each other. And poor Marissa, who was too terrified and confused to realize that Todd would have married her and claimed the child. She thought about two lines from Scott’s 1808
Marmion:

“Oh, what a tangled web we weave, When first we practice to deceive!”

Terrible dreams began to fill Rana’s mind. Her head thrashed wildly upon the pillow and she whimpered softly as she tried to halt them. Suddenly she cried out and aroused herself. She sat up panting and shaking. Clutching the doll tightly in her arms, she cried. Several of Raymond’s statements returned to convince her that Clarissa had spoken at least part of the truth: “…me and that dark-haired vixen… greedy and wicked bitch… since you ain’t…”; then Marissa’s voice tormented her, “No more lies about me… once he’s dead, the truth will be buried forever… terrible mistake, and I’ve paid for it… return soon… be free and happy…”

Raymond Michaels was dead, but Marissa’s agonizing secrets had not died with him. Clarissa Caldwell knew them and would use them maliciously to hurt all of them if she did not get her way. Her grandfather would suffer again over Marissa’s mistakes, and Travis and others would learn of her mother’s past.

“What is the truth, Mother?” Rana sobbed sadly. As if Marissa were replying, Rana heard the words,
Inside the doll, little one.

Rana shuddered and looked around the room, then glanced at the doll. She concentrated very hard to
remember something her mother had told her several times: “Don’t forget, little one, the truth is inside the doll. Never lose her and never tell anyone.”

Rana bounded off the bed, seized her knife from its sheath, and cut off the doll’s head. She stared at the rolled page that was wedged tightly within the rag stuffing, and she feared to remove it and read it. How she wished Travis were here to comfort her and help her. But she was alone, and she could not wait for his return. She closed her eyes and prayed. “Great Spirit, make me brave and strong. Help me understand. Do not allow bitterness and anger to blind me.”