Ellie's Legacy (19 page)

Jeb clucked at his horse and moved cautiously out onto the
main street. A dim light filtered out of the mercantile onto the walkway, but
all the other store fronts were dark. Seeing no one, he spurred the animal into
a gallop.

Ellie had no choice but to suffer in the crook of his arms
to keep her balance. Frigid air sliced through her like a knife, and she yanked
her wrap up over her nose to ward off the cold. She lifted her chin and peered
over Jeb’s shoulder in hopes of seeing someone in pursuit. Only a thin haze of
dust and the dimming lights of Sparta were visible as the distance between her and
the town widened.

* * * * *

“Let go of me!” Ty shook free from Clare’s clinging grasp,
and brushed at his long sleeves. He should have said it a whole lot earlier and
wished he had. His jaw tensed and he leveled his eyes with hers. “How can I say
this nicely? I only danced with you to be polite. I have absolutely no interest
in you, Clare. Ellie is the lady I’m courting and aim to marry one day. Now if
you’ll excuse me, I’ll go see if I can apologize and set things right with
her.”

He left Clare with her mouth agape. She reminded him of a
tic, something that dug in and kept a firm hold. His tongue clicked against the
back of his teeth while he edged his way through the bodies in the hall. It
amazed him how many people remained. He’d expected the crowd to lessen before
this late in the night, but social events were so far and few between most
people probably wanted to soak up all the fun they could, especially with
winter closing in and limiting the opportunities. He stood on tiptoes,
searching for Ellie, mentally planning his apology.

She was nowhere to be seen, but in his scan of the room he
did notice a couple in the corner stealing a goodnight kiss. Oh if only…looking
beyond a pair of older women who appeared to be sharing a bit of gossip, he
finally spied Betty Jo. He made his way over to her and interrupted her
conversation. “Excuse me. Do you know where Ellie is?”

Betty Jo shook her head. “I thought she was with you by now.
Earlier, she came and got her wrap and said she was stepping out for a breath of
air. I haven’t seen her since.”

His jaw tightened. He didn’t like hearing Ellie had left the
safety of the hall, but it was so cold outside, she wouldn’t tarry long. He
smiled at Betty Jo. “I probably missed her in the crowd. I’ll go see if I can
find her.”

“Do you want me to help?”

“No, I can take care of it. You go ahead and enjoy
yourself,” he said, nodding toward Betty Jo’s prospective beau.

Ty flashed a knowing wink before turning to leave, but his
mind was on Ellie. Stepping out in this weather? Was she daft?

He pushed through the herd of people, searching faces for
Ellie’s, but had no luck. His pulse quickened, trying to imagine how her mind
worked. He had, after all, danced with the enemy. But dang, what choice did he
have? Clare wasn’t the kind to take “no” for an answer. Maybe Ellie left
without him. When she got mad, there was no telling what she’d do. Great, now
he’d be stranded.

He quickly maneuvered his way to the door and walked
outside. The buggy was still secured where he parked it. He heaved a sigh. At
least she hadn’t left him without a way home. The feeling of relief passed
quickly with the realization he still had no idea where she was.

He looked up and down the sidewalk. His quick breaths hung
in the icy air. The street was empty and eerily silent, given that the music
inside had momentarily stopped. Coldness nipped at his cheeks and sent a shiver
through him. No sane person would be wandering around in the unseasonably
near-freezing temperature.

Ty scratched his head. Where was she? He went back inside
and made one last sweeping search for her, stopping again to ask Betty Jo, “Has
she been back yet?”

“No!” Betty Jo’s lip quivered. “Oh, Ty, now you have me
worried. It’s not like Ellie to disappear into thin air. She was so excited
about being here with you.”

Ty flashed back to how she had cuddled close to him in the
buggy and jabbered like a jaybird about how she hated the Bryants. A horrible
thought crossed Ty’s mind, and he craned his neck, looking for the twins. In
the far corner he spied Joshua talking to a girl. Ty exhaled loudly. Where you
saw one brother the other was always close by. He wiped his brow. “Whew, for a
moment there, I thought–”

“You thought what?” Betty Jo’s brow rose.

“Nothing important.”
Ty took a
seat, his hands clenched. He stared at the floor. “I know Ellie has a bad
temper, but this is ridiculous. All I did was dance one time with Clare Smith.”

“That was your mistake,” Betty Jo chided. “You know how she
feels about Clare. You could have danced with anyone but her.”

Ty’s head snapped up. “It was only a dance, for heaven’s
sake. You’d think I shot Ellie’s horse or somethin’. Where in the world could
she be?”

“I wish I knew. Are you positive she isn’t in here
somewhere?” Betty Jo craned her neck and scanned the room.

“I’ve looked everywhere. I’ll bet she’s hidin’ from me.
She’s probably watchin’ me sweat right now.” He sat back, folded his arms over
his chest and crossed his legs with one booted foot atop his knee. “Well, I’m
not gonna play her silly game. I’ll sit right here and wait until it’s time to
go home.”

The dance floor filled and emptied several times. Ty gazed
at the waltzing couples and wished he and Ellie were among them, but the more
he thought about Ellie’s antics, the madder he got. She couldn’t expect him to
think like a female. He planned to tell her that as soon as he found her.

Little by little, the crowd waned. Ty continued sitting, but
his gaze darted from one side of the room to the other, anxiously looking for
Ellie.

Dang, she had him so frustrated. His jaw tensed and panic
raced through his mind. Surely she wouldn’t have tried getting home on her own,
but then this was Ellie he was dealing with.

Maybe she went to the livery and borrowed a horse. Lars, the
owner, would certainly trust her with one. But the blasted woman would freeze
to death, dressed in that thin frock with only a flimsy woolen wrap. Suddenly
his worry tinged with renewed anger. How could she disregard his feelings? No
one deserved to be treated this way.

He stood, and in one last attempt, surveyed the room, still
hoping to find her among the few remaining guests. He had a few words to share
with her.

Betty Jo tapped him on the shoulder. “Ty, I have to go now,
but what about Ellie? I’m so worried about her.”

He eyed the young man obviously waiting for Betty Jo.
“There’s no need for concern,” Ty lied. “I’ll find her. It’s that darned
red-headed temper of hers. She’s just being overly jealous and trying to teach
me a lesson. You run along home and don’t fret.”

“Fine, but have her ride over tomorrow and let me know she’s
all right. Will you do that?”

“Sure thing, Betty Jo.”
He patted
her shoulder.

Ty hurried across the room to where his belongings hung. He
donned his heavy coat, plopped his hat atop his head, and went outside.

The Fountain buggy was the only one remaining at the
hitching rail. The dappled mare nickered a greeting that echoed in the
stillness. Ty momentarily stroked her nose while pondering what to do. He shook
his head. Where did he start? There was no way he could go home and confess to
Ben that he lost his daughter at the dance.

“Damn!” Ty muttered and clambered aboard the rig.

He headed toward the livery. It was the only place he could
think to look. He reined the mare to a halt and jumped down to secure the
leather straps to a nearby post. It was awfully late to wake someone, but he
had no choice. He banged on the splintered door of the room adjoining the barn.

A sleep-tousled Lars appeared in the portal, squinting
through half-slit eyelids. “Ty, what are you doing here at this hour?”

“Lars, have you seen Ellie?” Ty rubbed his hands together to
warm them.

The man shook his head. “Why on earth would you think she
would be here?” he asked through a yawn.

“I don’t know. I guess I’m running out of places to look. I
thought she might have borrowed a horse from you.”

Lars scratched his head. “Ty, you’re not making any sense.
Why—”

“Never mind, Lars.
I’m sorry to
have bothered you. Go back to bed.”

Ty turned and walked back to the buggy, stopping to stroke
the mare’s muzzle and voice his fear. “What do I do now? I’ll be damned if I
know where else to look.”

Glancing down the dark street, he saw a lone light
flickering in the Sheriff’s window. “I guess I have no other choice.” Ty raised
his eyes to the sky and whimpered, “Oh Ellie, why did you do this to me, and
where the heck are you?”

Chapter Sixteen

Ellie shifted in the uncomfortable corset but endured the
pain without complaint. There was no way she wanted Jeb to know anything
bothered her. Now was the time to be strong and in control, even if her insides
trembled like jelly. Surely, he wouldn’t be stupid enough to actually harm her.
A voice in her head screamed differently, but she tried to ignore it.

Between the icy air finding every loose stitch in her woolen
wrap and the fear of what lay ahead for her when Jeb reached finally his
destination, the discomfort of her undergarment was the least of her worries.

As much as she hated him, she had no choice but to endure
his closeness, but she didn’t have to nestle next to him, or soak up the warmth
coming from his body. How she wished for the warm quilt Cook had sent along in
the buggy. While trying to maintain a rhythm with the horse and rider, Ellie
clenched her teeth to keep them from chattering and prayed someone would find
her, hopefully Ty.

If only she had hadn’t been so foolhardy and gone outside.

Heavy hoof beats sliced through the silence of the night as
Jeb spurred his horse along the thickly wooded trail. Veiled moonlight cast
eerie shadows through the trees, and the smell of moisture hung heavy in the
air.

A delicate flake fell and perched on Ellie’s eyelashes; she
batted them, realizing it was snow. The cold temperature predicted it, but it
was far too early for even a dusting of powder. Usually it was well into
November before winter coated the ground with white.

She hunched against the chill, her mind racing.

Where was this line shack of which Jeb had spoken? It seemed
they had ridden forever, but she knew better. It was the eternal cold.

At least she knew the direction in which they traveled,
since as a child she had learned to tell from the stars. Clouds blanketed most
of the sky, but like a beacon, the Northern Star shone brightly through a
break.

Ellie feared it would be of little help since she wasn’t at
all familiar with the Bryant’s land. Most likely, no one outside their family
was either. Jeb and his kin didn’t appear to be the type people visited. It
might fall to her to save herself.
But how?

If only she had her gun. A lot of good it did her hidden
away at home. The proud look on Pa’s face upon seeing her dressed in her finery
flashed through her thoughts, he’d been so impressed. She could only imagine
the uproar if she had appeared with a revolver strapped to her hip. Despite her
tenuous situation, she chuckled, but her levity lasted only a second before
reality slapped her in the face.

Her life was in danger.

Jeb hadn’t uttered a word since they left Sparta. A sly
glance up at him revealed a tense angular jaw and eyes scrunched against the
wind. It was much too dark to see anything more. He was a handsome man made
ugly by his mean motives. What a shame.

Her biggest concern was that there was nothing she could do
until they reached their destination.
But what then?

Lost in the methodic rhythm of the ride, Ellie’s lids grew
heavy. She fought to keep them open. It had been a long day, and the myriad of
emotions began to take their toll. Her head bobbed up and down as she struggled
to stay awake. As if aiding in her battle against repose, her brain painted
vivid pictures in her mind of what might lay ahead. She shuddered at the
possibilities—rape, torture, murder. She’d rather be dead than have Jeb be the
one to take her virginity.

A fearful pain stabbed at her temple.

Perhaps if she flung herself from the
horse.
No, that wouldn’t work as an avenue of escape. At the very least,
she’d break a leg, or her neck.

Death wasn’t a choice just yet. She had a future planned
with Ty, and hoped to see how things turned out, if he’d speak to her after
this stunt.

But would there even be an “after”? No matter how hard she
tried, she couldn’t think of a solution. But she wasn’t a quitter. She’d learnt
that from Pa.

Lost in thought about escape, Ellie found herself yanked
back to the present when Jeb reined his mount in front of a ramshackle cabin.
Nestled between the trees and shrouded by overgrowth, it provided the perfect
hiding place. Ellie heaved a sigh. Ty would never find her here.

Even if he was the expert tracker he claimed, the light snow
that continued to fall would hamper his efforts. It would erase all traces of
the path they took. No one in his right mind would venture out in the dead of
night anyhow. Distress brought a choking lump to her throat.

Jeb slid to the ground and jerked Ellie with him like she was
a rag doll.

“Well, little missy, it looks like you and me are gonna have
some time to get to know one another better.” He pulled her closer against him,
peered down at her and winked. Whiskey soured his breath.