The Demure Bride (11 page)

Rob sat down and looked at his food. He pushed the plate back and said, "I have to check on Amanda, Matt."

"Goldie will put you on a spit over a fire," Matt predicted.

"I'll risk it." He hurried up the steps and down the hallway. He was ready to knock on the door when he heard Amanda crying. He did not bother to knock, just opened the door and rushed inside, wanting to offer comfort and tell her how sorry he was for leaving her unprotected. Goldie gave him a look of pure outrage and hurriedly placed the sheet over Amanda, but he'd already seen for himself, and he shook his head in disgust. Tears filled his eyes as he knelt beside the bed and took her hand. "I am so sorry, Mandy."

"It's not your fault, Rob," she whispered. "And, you and Papa got there in time to save me from begging. Thank you. I knew you would find me."

"Doc's here!" Matt's voice boomed in the hallway.

Goldie opened the door. "Mandy is awake. Come and tell her you love her and then get out. She is in pain and needs attention."

Matt came over to stand where Rob was and said, "Baby, I am so sorry I let this happen."

"It isn't your fault, or Rob's fault, Papa. Thank you for coming to rescue me."

"Enough now, both of you men! Let Doc give her a shot and put her to sleep. She is in serious pain and trying to hide it from you both."

"Papa loves you, baby," Matt leaned down to kiss her.

"I love you, too, Papa," she said tearfully.

"Amanda..." Rob squeezed her hand.

Rob rose to his feet and left the room so the Doctor could treat her. He was furious and wanted to hit something or someone. Amanda was so little and precious. How could anyone in his right mind beat her so mercilessly?

Matt was at the bottom of the steps. "He hurt her, Matt. And all she could say was 'thank you for getting there in time to keep me from begging'. I want to kill that bastard with my bare hands."

Matt put his hand on Rob's shoulder. "Son, I'd like to kill Ted Fox a thousand times over for what he done to Mandy. But he's dead, and what we can do now is make it up to her. Come eat your supper now and when Doc comes down, we'll find out what we need to do to get our girl well."

"I love her, Matt."

"I knew that all along," the older man said with a smile.

Waiting for the Doctor to come downstairs seemed an eternity. When he did, his face was grim. "Goldie said your foreman did this to Miss Amanda, Matt...?"

"He did and he is dead." Matt wasn't one to mince words.

"He should be," the good Doctor said quietly. "Miss Amanda will heal, but she is going to be in a lot of pain for the next few days. We need to keep her sedated. I put some ointment on the welts. God, I've seen a lot of beaten women, but this S.O.B. was crazy mean."

"Damn him," Matt whispered. "Is Mandy going to be alright, Doc? He didn't force himself on her, did he?"

"No, she wasn't raped. What he did was bad enough."

"Thanks for riding out here, Doc. Want some supper? There's plenty in the pot."

"No, thanks, Matt. I've lost my appetite." The Doctor left, and the two men silently cleaned up the kitchen and settled in the study, waiting for word.

Amanda was terribly sore, but after three days in bed, she was sick and tired of being waited on by everyone. She got up, dressed herself after a look in the mirror at her abused backside, and then went downstairs and found her father and Goldie in the kitchen.

"Mandy, you should be in bed!" Matt exclaimed, jumping to his feet.

"I'm tired of that bed. I want to be up for a while and exercise my legs, Papa. I am starving, Goldie. What do we have for breakfast today?"

Goldie fixed her a plate and sat it on the table. Amanda knelt on one knee to eat, and then said, "I'm going out to the barn and check on Glimmer. I haven't seen her for several days now."

"Honey, are you sure you should be up? Doc said you would be in a lot of pain for a while...?"

"Papa, I promise I will go and lie down if I start feeling awful."

"Okay. I'll walk with you, just in case," he said, and Amanda gave him a big smile but didn't scold. Goldie had already told her how guilty her Papa and Rob were feeling because of what Ted did to her. She didn't blame either of them for the dead foreman's actions. The man was crazy. He was blinded with greed, and he thought women stupid and foolish.

"Miss Mandy, you're out of your sickbed!" Whitey exclaimed. "It sure is good to see you. Are you feelin' some better?"

"I'm feeling some better, Whitey. How is Glimmer?" she asked.

"I took real good care of her for you, Miss Amanda," Whitey answered. "She come right home after Ted jerked you off your saddle."

"Thank you, Whitey," she said, stroking Glimmer.

"Boss, we need you at the corral," Gus said.

"Okay. Mandy, you stay here with Whitey while I settle that business and I'll be back to walk you up to the house."

"Yes, Papa."

"You want I should find you somewheres to sit down, Miss Amanda?" Whitey eagerly offered.

"No thank you, Whitey. I'm fine, really."

It wasn't but two seconds later that Robert Thorne walked into the barn and just that quickly she was lifted off her feet and carted back to the house. "What are you doing, Rob?" she demanded as he reached the front porch. "Put me down!"

"You are supposed to be in bed, Amanda." He was obviously concerned. "I do not want you to faint again. Where is Matt?" he asked.

"Papa was called to the corral and asked me to wait in the barn with Whitey for him to return."

"He should have insisted you remain in bed!" Rob stated with conviction. "I will help you to your room now."

"I don't want to lie down, Rob. Please put me down. I've been in that bed for days and I feel better today."

"Not until the Doctor says you can be up and about," Rob said stubbornly, carrying her up the steps.

"Robert Thorne, you put me down right now!" Amanda forgot all about her promise to be patient with Rob and with her Papa. "I am not a child and I do not want to go to bed! Put me down, damn it!"

"Young lady, you are behaving like a spoiled brat.

"And you are behaving like a bully." Amanda pinched his cheek as hard as she could. "Put me down or else!" she yelled.

"Not until the Doctor says you are healthy." Rob was adamant. He carried her into her room, but when he tried to put her on her bed, she kicked at him, and quickly jumped out of the bed on the other side.

"I am
NOT
going to get into that bed, Robert Thorne! I don't need to stay in bed just to make you and Papa feel better! Not stop babying me and let me do what I want to do!"

"Amanda, the Doctor said you would be in considerable pain for at least two weeks. Now, lie down and I will get your meds. You really should not be out of bed unless the Doctor thinks it acceptable. I will send for him, if you wish...?" Rob offered, trying to keep calm.

"Rob, please listen to me... I do not want to lie down. Yes, I do hurt some, but I have already spent three whole days in bed and I am not sick. I am sore. I will live. Please stop trying to make me do what I don't want to do. Please!"

Rob looked at her eyes and felt himself giving in. "I do not think it is in your best interests, Mandy," he said gently.

"Papa said I could!" she announced when she saw her parent in the doorway to her room. "Didn't you, Papa?"

"I think you have been up long enough, honey. Do you need for me to ask Goldie to come and help you undress?"

"Papa!"

"Now, Mandy, we'll see what Doc has to say when he drops by. You get on into bed now and rest. Rob, come on downstairs now."

"Wait!" Both men turned to look at her. "Has anyone talked to Helene? She has to be hurting right now, and I am concerned about her."

"Would you like for me to ride into town, Amanda, and speak with Helene?" Rob offered, anxious to please the pretty redhead.

"Yes, Rob. I need to make sure she is not blaming me for what happened. I think she truly loved Ted, and it can't be easy for her right now. If she would like to come here for a few days, I would love to have her as a guest."

Rob followed Matt down the steps, and noticed the man was frowning. "I know what you are thinking, Matt."

Chapter Eight

A few minutes after seeing Mandy back in bed, Rob was on his way to town to seek out and speak to Helene. Matt was worried that bringing the girl to the ranch would be a huge mistake, and Rob promised he would not invite her if she showed the least bit of upset toward Amanda for what happened. Clearly Ted Fox was insane to beat a woman like he did little Mandy, and Helene should be thanking her lucky stars that she was forever safe from him.

Once he arrived in town, folks came up to him and asked about Amanda, wanting details. Rob knew exactly what Matt wanted folks to hear, and he repeated the facts without going into great detail. He saw Helene Patterson standing back, obviously waiting to speak to him, and it was easy to see she'd been crying. He could not help feeling sorry for the young brunette. Finally, people moved away, and Rob took a few steps in her directions. "Miss Patterson," he greeted her.

"I know I am the last person that Amanda would wish to hear from, but how is she, Mr. Thorne?"

"Mandy is worried about you," he said truthfully, and watched her eyes fill with tears.

"She is the one who was hurt!"

"She knows how you felt about Ted Fox, and the news of his death has to be difficult for you."

"He did not return my affection, Mr. Thorne, and he made that clear after I sent that letter to him. He was enraged and told me if I messed things up for him owning Mandy's ranch, he would kill me. He threatened to kill my Uncle if I breathed a word of this. I was so scared, and it is my fault that Amanda was hurt! If I'd told you or her Pa..." Helene burst into tears and Rob offered her his handkerchief.

"It isn't your fault; it isn't Matt's fault; it isn't my fault, either. The fault was Ted Fox's. What we need to do is move past this, Miss Patterson."

"I can't see how Amanda will ever want to be friends with me again!"

"She sent me here to bring you out to the ranch to stay for a few days... if you wish to come, of course, and can get away?"

"Seriously?"

"I think it would be good for Amanda to have some female company right now." He thought Helene needed Mandy, too.

"I will ask my Uncle if I may go," she quickly agreed.

Rob accompanied her to her uncle's place of business and spoke to the man while Helene packed a bag. He quickly surmised that Helene's uncle was quite oblivious to the fact that Helene had fancied herself in love with Matt's foreman, and Rob could see no reason to enlighten the other man. Instead, he politely asked if he needed to have Helene back in town at any certain time, and the man waved his hand and said candidly, "I don't care how long the girl stays at the Chambers Ranch. It will give me some time to see my gal. We were planning to be married until my brother died and I had to take in Helene. I don't figure Helene would get along too well with Roxy."

Roxy was one of the girls at the Star Bright Saloon. Rob nodded in understanding, and felt sorry for little Helene. It was obvious her uncle was simply doing his duty. When she came downstairs from the living quarters above, she had her bag in hand. "When should I return, Uncle?" she asked quietly.

"Well, don't make a pest of yourself, girl, but you can stay as long as you like," the man said, leaning down to kiss her cheek. "Just behave yourself; you ain't too old for a good walloping, you know."

It was his standard threat, so Helene didn't take his words to heart. He'd only punished her one time in two years, and that was because he caught her handling one of the guns he kept for sale. It was loaded, and she'd blown a hole in the ceiling, the bullet narrowly missing him as it lodged in a dresser upstairs in his bedroom. As far as she was concerned, the paddling and strapping she'd received were more than fair.

Robert Thorne helped Helene into the buggy he'd borrowed from Matt Chambers just in case Helene returned with him, put her bag into the compartment in back, and then he climbed on the seat beside her and they were off for the ranch. Rob chatted amiably with Helene, and once she got over her nervousness at being with him, she proved herself intelligent and quite funny.

Whitey came out of the barn when he heard the buggy, and walked over to give Helene a hand down. She smiled at him, and he felt his heart beat a bit faster. "Ma'am," he tipped his hat.

"Thanks, Whitey," Rob said, handing him the reins.

"You're welcome, Mr. Thorne." He watched them walk to the house and then told himself he needed to get back to work and stop the daydreaming. He didn't have any right to be looking at a girl like Miss Helene Patterson, even though she was right pretty.

Amanda was happy to see Helene, and the two women hugged for a long time. Amanda insisted on showing Helene to her guestroom and Matt stood to the side and beamed as if the whole thing were his idea.

Rob pulled him aside and told him that Helene blamed herself for what happened, and let him know about the threats Ted Fox issued to the young woman. Matt was furious, and he marched himself to the bedroom down the hall and knocked briefly before walking in. The two girls looked at him in shocked surprise and Helene's dark eyes filled with fear and dread at the anger on Matt's face.

"Now see here, young lady, you are not responsible for what happened to Mandy. If anyone is to blame, it is me for hiring him in the first damned place. Now you get over that nonsense right now. The man was out of his mind, and he can't hurt no one ever again. Not Mandy, not your uncle, and not you. None of this was your fault, Helene." Matt saw tears fill her eyes as she nodded. "Now, there's no need to waste more tears on that jackass. You're safe here, and my girl is happy to have you with us. You get all settled in, and I'll go and see if Goldie can rustle up some lemonade and cookies... or something to eat. I'm hungry and it's still a while before we sit down to supper." He stomped out of the room, positive he'd taken care of everything.