Liam (10 page)

He was coming tonight and it would be the first time they would actually go out. She wanted to go to the hotel for dinner and then to the new Deadwood Theater, operated by showman John Langrishe, to see a stage play. She’d never been before, and excitement had her bouncing with joy around her room.

Tonight she wore her light blue shirtwaist with black skirt and jacket. She thought the blouse made the blue of her eyes more vibrant. She didn’t have a bustle. Although they were the fashion of the day, it was not very practical to her way of thinking.

She checked her reflection in her hand mirror. Thinking she looked a little pale she pinched her cheeks and bit her lips to give them a little color. She saw no need for the cosmetics some women used, her way gave her enough color so she didn’t look dead.

She piled her hair in a loose bun at the nape of her neck, leaving tendrils to curl around her face. Liam like her hair that way and she had to admit it was more comfortable than the tight bun she usually wore.

“Eleanor. I’m here. Are you ready?” called Liam from the outer chamber of the tent.

“Yes. I’m coming.” She put on her coat, hat and gloves. Checked her reflection in the mirror one last time and, satisfied, went to meet Liam.

He waited for her at the back of the congregation section of the tent, looking as handsome and dapper as he always did when he came to call.

She stopped at the top of the aisle.

“Look,” she performed a pirouette and then walked to him with nary a limp.

He grinned. “You got rid of your crutches. Congratulations.”

She nodded. “Today. Doc Cochran pronounced me healed.”

“That’s wonderful news.”

She thought he was going to give her a hug, but he lifted her by the waist and swung her in a circle with joy.

She held on tight. “Liam, put me down.”

Laughing, he set her on the dirt floor but didn’t let her go. Instead he lowered his head and claimed her lips with his own, his mouth slanting over hers

He surprised her and she started to pull back but he followed her and she surrendered to her heart and his sensual onslaught. She wrapped her arms around his neck and brought her body flush with his. He was all hard muscle and strength against her soft curves.

Taking what she willingly gave, they feasted on each other. Each giving. Each receiving. Finally, she pulled away.

“Liam, what are we doing? We can’t.”

He placed his fingers gently against her lips. “Shh. We’re only kissing. It may be a little soon but I couldn’t resist those luscious lips of yours any longer.”

“You think I have luscious lips?”

“Yes. You do.” His voice became softer and to her ear, deadlier, “And if you
dare
to tell me you are plain or unattractive again, I may just throttle you.”

“I take exception to you throttling my daughter, though I do agree with you.” Reverend Smith walked up the aisle toward them.

Liam released Eleanor and quickly stepped away from her.

“Sir, I, ah…”

“Oh, calm down Liam. I don’t object to you kissing Ellie. You’re going to be married in a couple of months, I suppose it’s about time she got her first kiss. And I agree with you. She’s beautiful inside and out.”

“Yes, sir,” grinned Liam.

He watched Eleanor turn scarlet.

“What have I told you about calling me, sir? My name is Nathaniel.”

“Yes, sir, er, Nathaniel.” Liam cleared his throat which was suddenly very dry. “We are going out to dinner this evening and then to the theater. We’re celebrating the fact that Eleanor is off the crutches.”

Reverend Smith waved them away. “Go on and have fun. She’s been practically dancing since she got up this morning.”

“Thank you. Eleanor, after you.” Liam turned to Reverend Smith. “Good night, Nathaniel.”

“Goodnight, Liam.”

Eleanor ran to her father, gave him a fierce hug and a kiss on the cheek. “Goodnight, Father.”

“Daughter,” he said hugging her back.

She returned to Liam’s side, he held back the tent opening for her and then followed her out into the night.

~*~

Jordan watched Anderson escort the preacher’s daughter to the Grand Hotel by following at a discrete distance. It didn’t take anything but a question here and there to find out they were courting. He had the advantage over Anderson, since the man didn’t know what Jordan looked like. Once he was done no one in that camp would know who he was. Since Anderson didn’t know him, he could sit down at the table next to him and listen with impunity.

“Your table, sir.” The waiter showed him to a table across the room from his quarry.

“Can I sit at that one?” He pointed to the table next to Anderson. “I…uh…don’t like being near the door.” It was the only excuse he could think of for changing the table.

“Of course. This way please. Oh, sir, you’ll get to sit next to the most talked about couple in camp. He’s Liam Anderson. He and his brothers found the largest gold strike in Deadwood yet. And she’d the reverend’s daughter.” He paused for effect. Then whispered, conspiratorially, “No one can figure out what he sees in her. She so…so plain.”

Richard saw exactly what attracted Liam Anderson to the woman. She may be older than most brides but there was innocence about her. Richard would have to make room for her in his schedule. After all it sounded like she was going to be family soon, too, and she would be lovely to watch die.

~*~

“I find myself in a hurry for July to get here. Now that I’ve had a taste of you.”

Liam was holding her hand across the table. They’d given their order to the waiter and were now waiting for the bottle of wine he’d ordered. He took advantage of the situation by making small circles on the inside of her wrist, he knew she couldn’t help the small shiver of excitement.

“Oh, Liam, I’m anxious, too. But we have so many things to discuss and decide before we marry.”

“Like what?”

He sounded confused. She couldn’t believe he thought they had nothing to discuss.

“Like how our children will be raised.”

“In regards to what? God?”

“Yes. To God,” she said.

He stopped the circles, but kept hold of her hand. Even so she felt bereft like she’d lost something very important.

“There is nothing to discuss. God will not enter into the house. You may believe as you wish, I’ll not stop you, but the children will not be raised believing in something that is not real.”

She pulled her hand back across the table and put it in her lap. “How can you say that when my father is a reverend? When it’s all I’ve ever known? When it’s a part of me, part of who I am?”

His voice was cold. “God abandoned me in my time of need. He took Mary from me. As far as I’m concerned, He doesn’t exist and I’ll not have my children believing otherwise.”

“I can’t believe I was falling in love with you.” Her voice was barely a whisper but he would have felt better had she shouted. “We are so very different. I don’t think this is going to work. I’m sorry, Liam.” She rose from the table, grabbed her coat and fled the restaurant.

Liam was angry. At himself, at her and especially at God. He raised his eyes to the ceiling and muttered under his breath, “What did I do to You that You hate me so?”

The waiter came with their meals.

Liam took a bite of his steak, it was moist, juicy and done just the way he liked it. Bloody. And it tasted like dust in his mouth. He wondered if he’d ever taste again.

He threw some money down on the table and left. He needed to at least make sure Eleanor got home safely. Maybe they could talk some about this. Maybe he could make her understand how he felt and why he believed as he did. He wasn’t asking her to change her beliefs, just not to press them on to him.

From outside the tent, he called to her. “Are you there? Eleanor we need to talk.”

There was no response.

He opened the flap and went in.

The reverend was working in the front of the room at a table that served as both the pulpit and a desk for both Nathaniel, and Eleanor, when she was teaching.

“She doesn’t want to talk to you, Liam,” said Nathaniel without looking up from his task.

Liam took off his hat and ran his hand through his hair nervously. “We had a fight.”

Nathaniel looked up. “So I gathered. Would you like to talk about it?” he asked gently.

“We differ on our belief in God. You probably wouldn’t understand.”

“Oh, I understand only too well. Let me guess, you lost your wife and in the process lost your faith in God. I did the same thing.”

“How could that be? You’re a reverend. It’s your job to believe.”

Nathaniel laughed and shrugged. “Yes, you would have thought that I, of all people, would have been the most prepared, and yet when my wife and son were taken from me, all I could do was curse God.”

“What changed? How did you come back? How could you believe again?” asked Liam incredulously.

“As you said, it was my job. And I did it. I preached the gospel to my flock and didn’t believe a word I said. Then the war came and I tended to the sick and dying, Ellie by my side. I saw the comfort that my words gave and still I didn’t believe. Words are words. But Ellie, who was the font of belief, the difference she made was…it was amazing.” He paused. Liam could tell he was reliving those moments. He continued quietly. “She could hold a soldier’s hand and pray with him, and more than once I saw that soldier pass with a smile, a look of pure peace and contentment on his face. The fear replaced with…it was almost joy.”

“I can’t…won’t change my mind. At least about me. Tell her, if she wishes, she can raise the children in your church but I don’t want to hear it at home.”

Ellie came forward from the living quarters. It was hard to have a private conversation when the walls were curtains. “You would do that for me? Even feeling as you do, you would allow me to do this, to raise our children as I see fit?”

Liam turned at the sound of her voice. “I would…er…will.”

Eleanor flew into his arms. “Thank you. Oh thank you.”

Liam wrapped his arms around Eleanor. She felt so good. She was home. Exactly where she should be.

~*~

Jordan watched the woman run out of the restaurant.
Maybe this is my time
. He started to rise to follow her. But at the same time he saw the big Anderson man throw money on the table and follow her. Jordan sat back down. He figured Anderson was following the woman and knew where he would be. There was time for him to finish his meal. No need to rush.

What he really needed to do soon was hire men to help him. There were several saloons in camp where those down on their luck hung out, waiting for their luck to change. Waiting for someone to hire them, or at least buy them a drink. Desperate men were just what he needed. They would be loyal to him as long as he provided for them, and that he would do as long as they did his bidding.

He finished his meal, a stew with fresh bread. It was not bad. Would keep the hunger at bay so he could go about his business. That business is what was taking him to the No. 69 saloon. He’d passed it and already knew the gauge of the men inside. They would do nicely for what he had in mind. Very nicely indeed.

CHAPTER 8

He made it a point to see Eleanor whenever he could. Sometimes it was just a few minutes before school when he decided to take the kids instead of letting them ride one of the horses. He made sure to take her out to dinner or to visit with her and her father on Wednesdays and Saturdays, but he also tried to see her as often at other times as he could. He wanted her to like him. For some reason it was important that she like him.

It was time for Eleanor to officially meet the rest of the family. Liam would pick her up and bring her to his home for the afternoon on Saturday. He was combining two trips. Getting supplies and getting Eleanor.

He took the wagon and headed to Deadwood to first get Eleanor. He thought it would be good for her to see what kind of supplies it took to feed and clothe a family of seven.

Pulling up outside the reverend’s tent, he set the brake and jumped down off the buckboard. They’d traded the Conestoga for the buckboard when they first came to Deadwood. The blacksmith knew of a family that was leaving Deadwood for, hopefully, greener pastures and was in need of the big covered wagon. Liam didn’t plan on needing the big wagon again and gladly traded straight across for the smaller, but more useful buckboard.

Liam opened the flap and went into the tent, long past the period of having to announce himself before entering the outer chamber.

“Hello, Liam,” said Nathaniel. “Ellie is almost ready. For some reason she’s very nervous about joining your family this afternoon. Even though she’s met them all except your brother Zach. I think she’s afraid he won’t approve. That perhaps that’s why he hasn’t been around to meet her. She’s just anxious. Don’t worry about it.”

“She’ll be fine. Zach is going to love her. Everyone does.”

Nathaniel cocked his head slightly, “Does that include you?”

Liam stood with his hat in his hands. “I…uh…well, I care for her very much.”