I do NOT own the Big Valley nor any of the original Barkley characters.
Raging River
Chapter Two
The sun had set by the time Nick, Heath and Mary stopped to make camp. Before the two men could say a word, she was gathering wood for a fire. "What are you going to do?" Nick lowered his voice, "You can't take her home."
"Oh no," Heath jumped to his feet and headed for the door, "I'll keep myself so busy and in hiding; they won't be able to catch up with me. No one's going to catch me!" The not so far distant memory came back into Heath's mind and he shook his head, "Eat my words?"
When he started taking off his bedroll, Nick took a hold of his arm and again whispered, "You can't be serious."
Heath turned on him, his eyes blazed with irritation and he whispered back, "What else can I do? Just abandon her? We have miles yet to go before we reach home, which means going through towns. You really want me to drag her through the mud?"
Nick thought for a few seconds, and then said, "We could say she was our sister." He was sure they could pass that one off.
Heath shook his head slowly, "As tempting as that is, and it is tempting, I dare say that she's had to deal with too many people lying to her. I want her to know she can trust me; that won't happen if I start out lying about who she is."
Nick knew his brother had a point; still, he was in shock himself. "You know," Nick looked at Heath and shook his head, "I was only joking when I said Jarrod and I needed to pass our luck down to you."
Heath gave him a lopsided grin and answered, "I know, but maybe you'd best tell Eugene to hurry home and to stay on the ranch. It seems the only safe place for a male Barkley right now." Nick couldn't help but chuckle as Heath started rolling out his bedroll. It wasn't long until Miss Mary had supper cooked and was handing Heath and Nick their food.
Heath was pleasantly surprised to find out her cooking wasn't half bad at all. When she started to sit down away from them, Heath pointed to the other side of the log he was on, "We don't bite. You can sit there."
Mary hesitated, but then did as he directed. Both men felt horrible for her. She seemed so nervous and she'd not said a word once since stepping into the saloon. Only when Nick had eaten, excused himself, and laid down did Heath turn to Mary. He figured he should know more about this woman he'd unintentionally won.
"Where are you from?" Heath laid his plate down and looked at her.
"I was born and raised in Tennessee." Mary answered keeping her eye downward.
Heath reached over, took a hold of her chin and raised her head, "Like I said, I don't bite; you can look at me while you're talking."
"Yes, sir." She kept her eyes on him.
Heath shook his head, "I told you the name is Heath. Why were you with that man anyway?"
"My father started it." She went on to explain how her father got drunk during a card game and what happened as a result, "then Mr. Burner won me."
Heath couldn't believe it. She'd been born and raised in the United States and this had happened to her? It was craziness. He was surprised to learn the men had even had the decency to look elsewhere for their 'pleasures'. "How old are you, and what's your full name?" he had originally thought she was in her early twenties, but since she'd taken her hair down, she looked younger.
"Eighteen, and my full name is Mary Martha Hamilton. Mama like the story of Lazarus and his sisters, but she didn't know which name to give me; so, she gave me both, and then she died," Mary answered, "Father sold me when I was fifteen." Heath felt sick to his stomach. What kind of man did that to his fifteen-year old daughter?
"Do you ever hear from him?" Heath asked, half ashamed to realize he wanted to hear the man was dead.
"No" Mary answered as she shook her head, "probably don't care either. Probably too drunk to care, if he's alive that is. Do you need anything else?" she wasn't sure what to think of a man who just talked to her, instead of ordering her around.
"Mary, life may have pulled a fast one on us, but it doesn't mean I have the right to tell you everything to do, or not to do. Do you understand that?" Heath looked at her to see what reaction he got from her. He was not surprised when it was one of confusion.
"You won me. Only a wife has the freedoms you speak of, and I am not your wife," Mary answered with no emtion showing, as she was still considering running off. While she could tell he was different from others, she seriously did not once think the man before her would ever consider that option. No one cared about her reputation anymore, even if she was still a virgin. After all, everyone just assumed the men who she'd worked for had used her too.
Only a wife…'I should have just kept my mouth shut' Heath told himself. He stood up, "We need to get to bed. Have you set up your bedroll yet?" he looked around as he asked.
"No," she again lowered her eyes, "I did not know what you wanted of me."
Heath found himself angry, not at her, but over the fact that she had just cause to think that, maybe, this time she wouldn't be so lucky.' He shocked her when he removed the bedroll off her horse and laid it out for her.
"Why are you doing this?" she asked as she watched him do what she'd always had to do herself.
"You're a human being, one to be treated with respect," Heath answered as he lay down, "We'll talk more in the morning."
Mary sat up and watched Heath sleep. For the first time since the night her father had sent for her she found herself feeling excited, maybe she should hold off on the running away bit. For the first time in three years, she fell asleep looking up at the stars and dreaming.
