Bound For Eden (8 page)

Being a boy certainly wasn't all it was cracked up to be, she thought sulkily as they walked back to Taylor's. Here she was lugging sacks of grain, while Victoria breezed along with only the scrap of calico weighing her down. Then she had to head out into the blazing heat of the day to look over a bunch of smelly animals, while Victoria got to sit in the cool of the hotel sewing her pretty new dress.

‘Come on, Adam,' Alex snapped, ‘we'd best leave her to it. Try not to give yourself a callus while we're gone.'

‘I've never been to a dance,' Adam said as they headed downstairs.

‘Sure you have,' Alex disagreed half-heartedly, still stewing. She was secretly picturing herself in the yellow calico.

‘I don't think so.' He frowned, straining to remember a dance.

‘In old Dyson's barn, remember?'

‘With the cows?' The memory dawned visibly on his face.

‘They put the cows outside for the dance.'

‘But it smelled like cows.'

‘And chickens,' Alex agreed. And there'd been no-one to dance with but Pa, Adam and the old men. Except for the Gradys, of course, who always turned up half drunk and belligerent. Silas would make a beeline for her, Alex remembered distastefully, recalling the way he'd slicked his hair back and worn his best suit (the one that was tight across the shoulders and shiny on the knees) in order to impress her. Why couldn't he ever take no for an answer?

He'd hover over her all night, until she gave in and danced one dance with him. And then he always held her too close and trod on her feet. More often than not the evening would end with him proposing to her – again – and getting red-faced and angry when she refused him. It got so that Alex stopped attending the dances in Dyson's barn, just to avoid the unpleasantness of it all.

‘I don't like chickens,' Adam said now, ‘they have nasty feet.'

Alex laughed.

‘I swear you seem a different age every time I see you,' a voice drawled from behind them, and there he was again, the bane of her existence, the man who'd turned her sister into a spendthrift.

Luke was staring at her with a calculating look and Alex's heart stopped.

‘Just how old are you anyway?'

‘Old enough,' she said shortly.

He snorted. ‘Yeah? Well, you laugh like a girl.'

‘Alex says I laugh like a donkey,' Adam told him proudly.

‘I can't say I've ever heard a donkey laugh,' Luke replied.

‘They sound like this.' Adam demonstrated.

Alex caught Luke's eye and couldn't help but laugh. She caught herself and tried to turn her giggle into something more masculine, but all she managed to do was choke, and the next thing she knew he was pounding her on the back. And none too gently, either.

‘Where are you two going?' he asked as he pounded. Alex was sure she was going to have bruises by the time he was done.

‘We're buying horses,' Adam said excitedly.

‘Not horses, mules,' Alex corrected. ‘To pull the wagon.'

‘I wouldn't get mules if I were you,' Luke cautioned. ‘They're more likely to be stolen. Ox is what you need. Cheaper, and useful for farming when you get to Oregon.'

‘And I suppose you know a man who can sell us an ox?' Alex said dryly.

‘You'll need at least two.' He grinned. ‘I can take you there after the auction.'

‘Auction?'

‘I'm off to buy a horse.'

‘A horse?' Adam's ears pricked up and before Alex knew what was happening they were front and centre at a horse auction.

‘Slater!' A fat man with a sparkling white moustache bellowed, crossing the crowd to greet Luke. ‘I sure am glad you made it!'

‘I just happened to be up this way and thought I'd stop by,' Luke said coolly.

The fat man guffawed. ‘I just bet you did. I just bet you're only here for a look-see.' He took out a cheroot, neatly snipped the end off and lit up. Billows of blue smoke puffed from beneath the pristine moustache. He looked a bit like a steam train, Alex thought.

Luke smiled implacably at Jackson. The old goat must have invited every horse trader and breeder in the surrounding states to see the stallion. It wasn't often that such prime horseflesh was available in these parts.

‘I'd hate to see you miss out, after you've come all this way,' Jackson said cheerily. ‘But you know, he's worth it. Don't let a few extra dollars put you off; that horse'll make you your money back, no doubt about it.'

Luke kept his smile steady. He wasn't about to let Jackson know how much he wanted the stallion. That horse was going to be the making of him. With Jackson's stallion he could settle down for good, and win Amelia to boot.

‘What's so special about this horse?' Alex asked as they watched Jackson steam away, heading off to whisper into the ear of another hopeful buyer.

‘Wait till you see him. He's an Arab.' Luke was stone-faced.

She realised with a shock that he must be nervous. She looked at him curiously, noting the tightness around his full lips and the way he was cracking his knuckles. As she watched she saw his eyes narrow.

He swore. ‘They're the last thing I need right now.'

Alex followed his gaze and her heart stopped. Across the yard the Gradys were elbowing their way through the crowd. Silas, Travis and Bert were a walking wall of muscle, but it was their weedy little brother who made her break out in a cold sweat. She heard the phantom echo of his maniacal laughter as her home crackled and burned.

She suppressed an urge to run. If she ran, they'd notice her for sure. Instead she tugged her hat lower and slouched, trying to look as boyish and un-Alexandra-ish as possible. She shoved Adam behind Luke. When he protested she pinched him into submission. ‘The Gradys,' she hissed at him. ‘Remember what we said about hiding?' There was such a crush of bodies around them that Adam was well hidden, even though he was in plain sight.

Luckily, they were all the way across the fenced yard, and Jackson chose that moment to call for the stallion. All eyes, including those of the Gradys, went to the magnificent gray being led into the yard.

The minute Alex saw him she knew what all the fuss was about. He was young and sleek, with an elegantly arched neck and a high tail. Alex had never seen an animal like him. He was a prince: high-stepping and regal. She could feel Luke tense beside her and she heard Adam take a breath.

‘Ain't he a beauty?' Jackson declared proudly. ‘Purebred, with the papers to prove it.'

‘Glory,' Alex breathed, ‘a horse like that must cost a fortune.'

Luke gave her a swift dark look, but refused to comment.

Alex had never been to an auction before and was surprised by the terseness of it. No-one smiled. Every bid was made in a low, clipped voice or silently, with a wave of a finger. She couldn't make head or tail of who was bidding. ‘Was that you?' she whispered to Luke. ‘Was that last bid yours?' He ignored her and she swivelled her head, trying to catch sight of wagging fingers. ‘Did he say one hundred dollars?' she gasped. ‘One hundred dollars!'

Luke's face was even stonier than before. He looked kind of frightening, Alex had to admit. There wasn't a trace of humour on the lean planes of his handsome face.

‘One twenty to Slater,' Jackson called, immediately following with ‘One twenty-five to Mr Jessop.'

Alex saw a muscle jump in Luke's jaw. By the time the price had doubled his finger had stopped wagging and the muscle had stopped jumping. His jaw was set in a hard, angry line.

‘Another five to the stranger,' Jackson called with a nod. Alex followed his gaze and gasped when she saw Gideon Grady, grinning like a cat with the cream. Every time someone bid, Gideon upped them by five dollars. Where did he get the money? she thought with dismay. For that matter, where had he gotten the money she'd stolen from him? She hadn't even taken all of it – she'd only managed to grab one bag before Ma Grady came at her. It made no sense, swamp trash like the Gradys having a stash of gold like that. Not to mention the jewellery. And then there were the papers she'd found secreted in the lining of the bag . . .

She shivered, remembering the look on Ma Grady's mean old face. They were no good, the lot of them, and she couldn't wait until she could forget about them and their gold.

‘And another five!'

The sound of Jackson's voice startled Alex back to the present. Across the yard she could see Travis slapping his younger brother on the back and grinning.

‘Aren't you going to bid again?' she hissed at Luke. She couldn't bear the thought of Gideon getting that magnificent animal. Gideon's animals had a habit of winding up lame, or blind, or just plain dead.

‘Too rich for my blood,' Luke said gruffly, and she could hear the disappointment heavy in his husky voice.

‘Going once to the stranger,' Jackson called, letting the silence hang, before he called out again.

Alex shifted restlessly, scanning the crowd to see if anyone would bid.

‘Going twice to the stranger . . .?'

Gideon spat a stream of tobacco juice through a self-satisfied smirk, and Alex's stomach twisted. She'd be damned if she'd let that little weasel win the horse.

‘Another ten,' she called out, her voice clear and strong and, to her ears at least, entirely feminine.

Every head in the yard turned her way. She pulled her hat lower over her eyes.

‘And five!' Gideon sounded a little sour.

Was he close to his limit? Alex wondered hopefully.

‘Fifteen more!' she bid, deepening her voice, and tucking her chin under to ensure that her face was completely hidden by the brim of her hat.

‘And five.' Gideon sounded real surly now.

‘Twenty!'

‘What are you doing?' Luke's voice demanded, close to her ear. ‘You can't have that kind of money.'

‘And five.'

She heard the cold rage in Gideon's voice and she knew she had him.

‘Fifty!' she hollered, her voice breaking.

A hubbub broke out. The horse must have set some kind of record with a price like that!

‘Going once to the boy by Slater . . .'

‘This ain't a game,' Luke warned her, taking her arm in his hard grip. She shook him off.

‘Going twice . . .?' Jackson looked inquiringly at Gideon.

Gideon narrowed his eyes as he stared across the yard. He spat a stream of tobacco juice and then sneered, turning to leave. His brothers trailed him. Alex took a deep shaky breath as they left the yard.

‘Sold, to the boy!' Jackson mopped at his brow, feeling quite overwhelmed by the profit he'd just made.

‘What are you, crazy?' Luke demanded.

‘You said he was a good horse,' Alex said weakly, suddenly feeling the enormity of what she'd done. Had she really just spent nearly all of their money on a
horse
?

‘Is that our horse now, Alex?' Adam asked excitedly.

Alex couldn't bring herself to answer. ‘I think I need to sit down.' She looked around for the nearest seat. There weren't any. Her knees were trembling and she was a little worried she might faint.

‘My boy!' Jackson declared, approaching them with his arms wide, and his smile wider. ‘May I say you got quite a bargain today.'

Luke snorted.

‘That horse there is a one in a million animal.'

Alex looked over at the stallion, which was being led towards her. She swallowed hard. What on earth was she going to tell Victoria?

‘I have the papers here, if you have the money . . .?'

Alex fumbled for the bag of gold. Did she have enough with her? Victoria still had some of it. She opened the leather bag and peered in, but her vision was a little blurred and all she could see was the dull sheen of gold. Gold that was no longer hers.

‘Would you mind—' her voice was shaking, so she paused for a moment to clear her throat and collect herself. She held the bag out to Luke. ‘Would you mind counting out Mr Jackson's money for me?' She pressed the bag into his palm and he looked at her curiously.

‘I just need a moment . . .' Alex stumbled off, heading for a measure of privacy behind the stables. Once she was there she threw up.

‘If I were your sister I'd tar the hide right off you.'

She groaned. Why had he followed her? The last thing she needed right now was for the most beautiful man in the world to see her bent over the dirt and horse dung, emptying the contents of her stomach. ‘Go away. I thought I told you to pay Jackson.'

‘I did. He's busy chomping down on all your gold, checking if it's real or not.'

‘It's real.' Although Alex felt a sudden shiver of terror. She
thought
it was real . . . but what if it wasn't? What if the Gradys had been counterfeiting? Oh, she felt sick again.

‘Serves you right,' Luke said, watching her clutch her stomach. ‘Wasting your money like that.'

‘Wasting! You wanted that horse too!'

‘Not for that price, I didn't.'

‘I couldn't let Gideon get him,' Alex said miserably. ‘You don't know Gideon. He would have mistreated him.'

Luke shook his head, exasperated, but Alex noticed the admiration in his eyes when they returned to collect the stallion.

‘What's his name?' Alex asked Jackson as she accepted the papers.

‘Whatever you want it to be,' Jackson laughed, lighting up another cheroot.

‘I think we should call him Blackie,' Adam suggested.

‘But he ain't black,' Luke said.

‘Blackie was Adam's puppy,' Alex told him. Poor Blackie had been an early victim of their altercations with the Gradys.

‘This can be Blackie Junior,' Adam said solemnly.

‘He don't look like a Blackie Junior,' Luke protested, as Adam took the rope from Jackson's stableboy. ‘It ain't manly.'

Jackson laughed and bid them good day, his hand curled protectively around his bag of gold.