Please see Chapter 1 for warnings and disclaimers.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I did have some questions and comments about the Scottish in the last chapter. For those of you who were curious about how the phrases translated, I went back and added a translation at the end of the chapter. Many thanks for all of your lovely reviews! They really make posting worthwhile!
Chapter 10
True and Rhianna met at the top of the stairs as they were heading down to supper. True's plans for a fun and carefree afternoon had been dashed upon the rocks with Vin and Chris's little interrogation. Though they claimed it was her own attitude that got her sent to her room straight after school, she knew better. It was just unfair plain and simple! Did they honestly expect her to rat out her cousin without resistance? Of course her frustration was not just for Chris and Vin.
"Ow!" Rhianna exclaimed as True landed a painful punch to her arm.
"Next time fuckin' tell me what's goin' on so I'm not blindsided."
"Sorry," Rhianna conceded, having caught True's thoughts on what happened earlier. Hard not to, her cousin was practically 'screaming' them at her. "I had thought to keep you out of trouble by not including you," she explained, starting down the stairs.
"Yeah, well, that didn't work so well," True grumbled, still kind of hurt that her cousin had left her out.
"If it makes you feel any better, Chris really lit into me."
True gave her cousin a sideways glance as they reached the bottom of the stairs. "What'd he use?"
"I made the mistake of choosing defiance over compliance, so after getting spanked for that, without so much as a scrap of cotton to act as a buffer, he took his belt to me."
Incredulous blue eyes turned to Rhianna. "How's it ya kin be so calm and reasonable most a the time an' then go an' do stupid shit like thet?"
"I only wish I knew," Rhianna said with a sigh as she approached the washbasin. "On top of that, I have to show Nathan the letter signed with his name as soon as he returns." Rhianna's brow furrowed as she realized that she never had found out where Nathan had gone.
Reaching to rinse her own hands True winced. "He ain't gonna be happy."
"You think?" Rhianna replied sarcastically as she made her way to the dining room.
The girls took their seats, Rhianna quite gingerly. No questions were asked, as all of the men present had been recruited to search for the girl during her truancy and were well aware of why she was currently uncomfortable. True shifted a bit now and again, casting an affronted glare at Chris or Vin. Her own discomfort had long since faded but her irritation with what she considered their unjust treatment had not.
"So, how did the two of you perform on your History exam today?" Ezra wanted to know.
"Fine," Rhianna answered without expounding. Given her eidetic memory, anything requiring regurgitation of printed facts was relatively simple. As for True, well she had hounded her cousin enough to keep the younger girl from failing and earning herself any unwanted attention. Though the girls did not get in trouble if their grades weren't stellar, a failing grade was interpreted one of two ways. Either you had neglected your studies and not even tried or you were truly struggling and needed more study time…possibly even additional tutoring. Neither led to favorable consequences.
"Don't know why we gotta learn dumb stuff like thet enyways. It obviously ain't worth a shit," she grumbled, "Not when those that're supposed ta uphold the law in this town resort ta unconstitutional interrogation techniques an' totally ignore yer rights."
"Ya don't watch yer mouth an' yer gonna earn the right ta have it washed out with soap an' then sit the rest of the meal on a sore backside," Vin warned.
True glowered at him but didn't respond.
"Where is Nathan?" Rhianna asked to break the tension.
"He headed out to the Hansen's earlier today. That's why we were lookin' for you in the first place," Chris replied. "Mr. Hansen came into town all upset about something and wanting Nathan and we didn't know what was wrong."
Rhianna bit her lip. Her abilities allowed her to understand someone's intent or need, despite what language they spoke, which proved helpful when dealing with some of the diverse population of the area. She felt bad that she had been unavailable. "Is Mrs. Hansen alright?"
Buck snorted. "Oh yeah, she's just fine, but they ain't sure if the milk-cow's gonna make it or not. That's what had Mr. Hansen all het up. He's gotta cow down."
The girl relaxed. Though livestock was at times extremely important to some of the small homesteads around, it wasn't the same as a human life. As the closest thing that Four Corners had to a doctor, Nathan got called for all types of ailments, and his patients were not always human. He tried to explain to people that he really didn't know all that much about animals, but to them a healer was a healer.
"You can talk to him tomorrow," Chris informed the girl.
She nodded and muttered under her breath, "Lucky me."
As it turned out, Nathan spent what was left of the night in the clinic and did not show up for breakfast so Rhianna had just a bit more time to consider how best to plead her case with him. She had already decided which tact to take with Miss Willis and was off to school early to put her plan into action.
Rhianna was the first to arrive at the schoolhouse and awaited Miss Willis on the front stairs.
"Miss Willis, may I have a word with you?"
The young teacher looked sternly at her pupil, aware that the girl had most likely been sent to apologize for skipping school.
"Yes of course."
They entered the classroom and Miss Willis set about getting the fire started in the stove so that the room would be comfortable when the students arrived.
"I came to apologize for cutting school and for lying to you. I truly am sorry and I believe I owe you an explanation." Rhianna paused doing her best to look both repentant and embarrassed. She figured if she played this right, she could gain some sympathy and get out of any work Miss Willis might assign as punishment for her little indiscretion. "You see, I…" Rhianna looked down, biting her lip, and sighed heavily as if she just didn't know how to continue.
"Miss Willis, have you ever met someone that just, just makes you feel all a jumble inside and weak in the knees?" Rhianna knew good and well that Miss Willis indeed had met someone like that…she even knew who it was. Those didn't exactly describe her own feelings for Conall, but she was going for the sympathy vote here so she needed to play on what she knew Miss Willis had felt. "Normally, I consider myself to be very reasonable and rational, but somehow…I just can't explain it…I feel differently around Conall."
Rhianna looked up at Miss Willis, "I, I did not know what to do. I had never felt that way before. I was so confused and I just had no one to talk to or ask. I do not think I have ever missed my mother more," Rhianna sniffed and blinked away fake tears turning away from the young teacher.
Lauren cleared the distance between herself and the girl, laying a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Couldn't you have spoken to Mary?"
"I should have," Rhianna nodded, "But it is awkward. I know she will be marrying Uncle Chris, but still, she would think I was so silly."
"Oh, of course she wouldn't," Lauren replied shifting to put her arm around the girl's shoulders. "Every girl feels these things at one time or another." Rhianna caught the teacher's unspoken thought that even women such as herself sometimes felt this way.
"I suppose I should have done that. I just thought, maybe if I could get to know Conall better, maybe that would help. I know I was wrong and I am so sorry. I will never do anything like this again."
"Did it work?" Miss Willis asked, rather curious and also anxious to let the girl know she really did care about what she was sharing.
Rhianna smiled shyly. "I know I really should not say this, but to some extent it did. We are friends now."
"And yesterday?" Miss Willis asked.
Rhianna sighed heavily again. "I know it is really no excuse and once again I am so sorry. I assure you my Uncle Chris made it ever so clear how poor my choices have been of late," Rhianna sniffed once again, reaching one hand back to rub her backside meaningfully. That at least was very real. It still hurt.
"I am sure this will make no sense whatsoever, but I just wanted some time alone with a new friend. You have no idea what it is like. Billy and True's teasing, and following me around. Then having seven men, some who are like brothers others like uncles, always watching over me. It is as if I am a middle child in a very large family and have not a moment to myself! I love them all very much but…" the girl allowed her voice to trail off. "That does not excuse my actions. I was wrong, and I am sorry."
"You know, Rhianna, I probably understand better than most what you are going through."
"Really?" the girl asked as if she had not known that the entire time.
"I come from a large family. Older brothers, younger siblings too. I can truly relate to what you are feeling, but you are right, that does not excuse your actions."
"I know, Ma'am," Rhianna replied, eyes downcast.
Miss Willis removed her arm and stepped around to stand in front of Rhianna, taking both of the girl's hands in her own. "How about we make a deal?"
Rhianna looked up at her teacher, careful to hide the look of triumph in her eye.
"We will put this incident behind us. Consider it forgiven and forgotten, however, the next time you are feeling this way, or dealing with emotions that you don't quite know what to do with, you come talk to me. I am certain that we can come up with a better solution than skipping school and lying to people."
"Yes, Ma'am and thank you."
XXX000XXX000XXX000XXX
"An' she fell fer that line of crap?" True demanded incredulously, walking with her cousin after school.
"Hook, line, and sinker," Rhianna said with a smile, though in reality she felt just a bit bad. Miss Willis had been so kind and understanding, it pricked her conscience to have played the rather naïve woman like that. Still, it wasn't like everything that she said was untrue, just exaggerated. Not to mention, ultimately it made the young teacher feel good about herself, so Rhianna reasoned she could count that as a good thing and move on. Besides, she had bigger concerns. She was headed over to Nathan's clinic, with the forged letter burning a hole in her pocket.
"Well, best of luck with, Nathan," True said, pretty certain her cousin's silver tongue was not going to work it's miracles with the dark-skinned healer.
"Thanks," Rhianna stated, thinking much the same thing. She slowly climbed the steps to Nathan's clinic, entering quietly.
Nathan turned from the book he was reading and offered the girl a stern glare. "You lied to me," he said, getting right to the point.
"I am afraid that you do not know the half of it," Rhianna responded taking the forged letter from her pocket and traversing the distance between them to hand it to the healer.
Nathan accepted the note and read over it quickly, his dark brown eyes looking up to meet hers accusingly. "And when was this?"
"Right after you got back from visiting Raine, when you went out to the Graham's," she replied quietly. "I am really sorry Nathan. I just wanted –"
"Oh, I know what you wanted," he interrupted. "I just can't believe you'd betray my trust like this to get your own way. How do you expect me to trust you after this, Rhianna?"
Her face flamed and her carefully prepared speech stuck in her throat at the disappointment in his voice. "I thought we had a certain understanding between us, but I guess I was wrong," Nathan continued shaking his head. "I think it might be better if you just stayed in class the next couple a weeks."
Tears welled up in Rhianna's eyes. She had not meant to irreparably damage her relationship with Nathan. Now he didn't want her to help him in the clinic anymore and felt he couldn't trust her. Though she would normally read a person in order to determine the best way to get back in their good graces, she could not bring herself to do that right now. She was not certain she could bear to hear what he thought of her at this moment. Turning to flee the room in anguish, she was brought up short by Nathan's stern voice.
"Just where do you think you're goin'?"
Biting the inside of her cheek in an attempt to steady her voice, she did not bother to turn back around as she answered. "It is obvious you no longer want me here."
She knew when Nathan got up out of his seat and she stood her ground as he approached. He gently turned the girl to face him, though he had to tip her chin up so that she would look at him. Tears streamed down her face.
"Now you listen here, Missy, that ain't what I said and it's not what I meant either."
"But you said-"
"I said you should stay in class for the next couple of weeks. That don't mean you don't owe me time as well, but that's gonna be time of your own. Reckon it's not a bad idea gettin' things ready for winter. You can start with emptying all my cupboards, washing them, and then putting everything back in. For the next two weeks, I expect you to come here right after school. With your sleeping habits, we both know you've got plenty of time in the evenings to finish your homework."
Rhianna wiped her tears away. "So you still want me to come?"
"I do," he nodded, with a grin. "Fact is I like having you come and I probably learn just about as much from you as you do from me. Might be I sometimes forget that you are just a little girl in need of a bit more supervision, but that won't be happenin' again anytime soon."
"I really am sorry, Nathan."
"Mmm. Hmm. Well, I'm afraid you are about to be a fair amount sorrier," he said earnestly as he took her hand and led her over to the chair he'd been sitting in when she had first entered. "Just because of the time we spend here in the clinic, don't mean I'm not one of the adults in your family, and one you had better respect in the future."
Rhianna swallowed hard, but didn't fight or argue as Nathan pulled her over his lap. He had only ever given her a single swat before so this was completely unique, though if she were honest, not really all that unexpected. Nathan brought his large hand down with a powerful SMACK! Rhianna yelped surprised how much just his hand hurt over her skirt. As the swats continued to fall on her increasingly burning backside she did indeed reconsider her relationship with Nathan. She had never really thought him the type to use corporal punishment, but as it turned out he seemed well able to do a rather thorough job of it. By the time he laid down the last swat she was sobbing.
He lifted her gently to sit in his lap, and rocked her back and forth until her tears had dried. Rhianna was embarrassed. She had never sat in Nathan's lap before. She cared as much for him as she did the other peacekeepers, but somehow their relationship had always seemed a bit more "professional" because of their shared interest in healing.
"Now, I took no pleasure in doin' that and I would just a soon not have to do it again, but you had best know that you are not to lie to me and you are NEVER to sign my name to something again."
"Yes, sir," Rhianna responded dutifully, quite certain that she would adamantly avoid doing those things in the future...or at least getting caught!
TBC…