Chapter 14

1884 West Virginia

Victoria leaned over me, fanning me with a book and dabbing at my forehead with the towel she had been using to dry the dishes. My aunt Lavicy shot her a look over her shoulder.

"Leave off with the dabbin', Victoria." she ordered, winking at me as she said it, though her tone was strict. "Honey don't want dirty dishwater on her face."

I blinked gratefully at my aunt and turned back to my task of teaching Elizabeth how to hold a sewing needle in one hand and the cloth in the other. It seemed like any other ordinary day. I would finish up with the chores for the day at my own house, then head over to my aunt Lavicy's sometimes Jenny's, to spend the rest of the day in mature, female company. Then I would return home with the kids just in time to fix supper.

And I must have been the only one to find it funny that it seemed like a normal day, because it was neither funny, nor normal.

Tom and I had driven the cart over together, the children in the back, but I desperately wished I was back in bed and asleep.

I did not look forward to the end of this day.

My husband and I chattered and bantered back and forth at each other as usual, but my efforts were a bit half-hearted. I was trying to convince myself that no matter what was going to happen today, it would be just like any other day spent with my family.

The important word to notice there is trying.

My heart leapt at each crack of a twig or cackle of some unseen, foreboding bird, and Tom noticed. He nudged my knee with his, raising an eyebrow. I shook my head; I didn't want to talk about anything that had anything even remotely to do with my nerves.

Today, the penalty would be paid.

"Aunt Lavicy!" Violet hollered right next to my ear. I jumped at the unpleasant volume.

"Dangit Violet I have told you not to holler right next to people! It makes 'em jumpy-like!"

"Sorry Mama," she apologized, fiddling with the sleeve of my blouse, staring at me with big, puppy-dog eyes. I groaned and pinched her nose, pecking her cheek before beginning the slow descent to the ground.

My aunt descended her porch steps to clasp me in a tight embrace. She trembled slightly.

"Honey-," she whispered. I cut her off quietly.

"In a minute aunt Lavicy. After they've left."

I half-expected her to reprimand me for interrupting her like that, but she nodded, twisting her long, thin fingers anxiously. She put on a cheery face, however, as my excited brood of hungry children swarmed her, clamoring for hugs and kisses.

"All right! All right!" she shouted above the din. "Y'all want some breakfast?"

I chuckled as my kids shouted their agreement. My aunt pried little hands off of her skirt, shooing and swatting them toward the house.

"Go on then! It's on the table."

Four pairs of feet thundered up the porch steps and into my aunt's house, I heard Cap yelp in surprise, bombarded by young'uns no doubt.

"And ya better clean up after yerselves ya hear?" Lavicy hollered after them. She then turned to me, looping her arm through mine.

My husband inquired after my uncle Anderson and my aunt waved him in the general direction, it was clear that my aunt would not be one for words today.

After Tom had meandered off down the hills, my aunt's grip turned vice-like on my arm, her thin hands surprisingly cold in the warm morning sun.

As my aunt steered me toward her cabin I inquired as to what was wrong. She looked around a bit, as if seeking someone out. When she has satisfied herself that we would not be overheard she drew me onto the steps of her porch.

"I'm uneasy 'bout this whole thing, Honey," she told me, worrying at her apron and sleeve cuffs. I linked my fingers under my belly and tilted my head.

"So?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. "The McCoys' have gottit comin', Lavicy."

My aunt blinked owlishly at me, as if stunned by my blunt words. I cringed on the inside.

"I mean, he was your brother-in-law aunt Lavicy," I added, hoping to smooth her feathers. "Those boys done committed murder."

"Yes but what if- what if Ellison was supposed to be our sacrificial lamb?" My aunt demanded. "What if we have to be the first to bend and say enough to all o' this?"

I glanced backward down the hills, noticing my uncle exchanging words with my husband I turned back to Lavicy. She had folded her arms, assuming once again the stiff, imposing manner she used nearly every day. I blinked under her intense, sharpened stare.

"I don't know, aunt Lavicy." I held up my hands in defense. "I don't know. But try convincin' yer husband o' that. I don't think that this is gonna be able to end peaceful-like."

Aunt Lavicy stared at me a moment longer, her shoulders squared and her gaze sharp. The next minute her shoulders relaxed and she breathed a heavy sigh. Turning, she jerked her head toward the door, indicating that she wanted me to follow her.

I risked one last glance down the hill toward the barn that held three murderers. It was not the last time I would refer to them as such.

Inside my aunt's home it was a veritable mad-house. My aunt's and my brood mingled together at the table, squashed up against each other on the benches, shoveling their breakfasts into their gobs. My cousins had clearly not expected to see their second-cousins so early, but were pleasantly surprised by it. More little Hatfields were coming down the stairs, eyes lighting up at the sight of cousins. My cousins Cap and Johnse presided over it all, shouting over the din as they spooned grits into wooden bowls and passed out bread.

My aunt stiffened beside me, and I risked a peek at her face. Her shoulders were hunched up, eyes wide at the chaos in front of her. She recovered quickly and put two fingers in her mouth, letting loose an ear-splitting whistle. All fell silent as they turned to my aunt, even Cap and Johnse's eyes had grown wide, looking at their mother apprehensively. She perched her hands on her hips.

"Ev'rybody just simmer down!" She hollered, several tendrils of hair escaping from her bun. She pointed to Cap and Johnse. "You two!"

"Yea, Mama?" Johnse looked close to being frightened. My aunt moved her finger from her two eldest, to the door.

"Out of my kitchen!"

Cap and Johnse were quick to obey, to say the least. One minute they were standing there gawping like a couple of naughty children, the next they were gone, hightailing it down the hill.

The children at the table still stared at my aunt, she looked back at them.

"Well finish up now! There's chores to be done!"

I glanced sidelong at my aunt. It was clear that today was going to be miserable, but I had no idea just how miserable.

The first contraction hit just after the break of dawn, when I was hanging out my aunt's wet washing. I clenched my teeth and hissed, doubling over.

"No." I told my belly sternly. "NOT now."

The pain ebbed away and I hobbled up to my aunt's house, taking the basket of wet laundry with me. By now nearly all of the men of my family had arrived, except for my papa. It would not do for a judge to take vengeance on his brother's murderers, no matter how badly he may or may not have wanted to.

A shout from behind me made me jump. I spun around, spilling clean, wet laundry onto the grass. A wagon pulled up beside me and the driver hopped down, helping me to gather it up.

"You sure is jumpy today, Honey." Jenny teased me as she scrambled about to save the laundry from any further damage. I growled under my breath as I felt another contraction coming on.

"Well for some reason I have a feeling that I wouldn't be if someone hadn't been hollerin' for the whole county to hear. What on Earth did ya go scarin' me like that for, Jenny?"

My aunt chuckled, hauling me to my feet.

"It ain't my fault yer so jumpy today!" She said teasingly. I clenched my fists at my sides in an attempt to restrain myself from taking a clean cloth and swatting the woman across the face. Finally I sighed and looked away. I could feel Jenny's gaze turn sober as she stared at me, finally reaching over and tugging me into a hug as best she could around my belly.

"It's gonna be alright, Honey-bee," she whispered. "You'll see."

I sniffled a bit and ducked out of her embrace, leading her back to the house by the hand.

"Try tellin' that to Lavicy," I said. Jenny nodded.

"Or Abi."

I threw a dishcloth across the kitchen to catch my husband's attention, jerking my head toward the door. He met me on the porch.

"What's wrong, Honey?" He asked, eyes searching my face. I wrung my hands nervously, my aunt Lavicy was getting to me.

"My aunt Lavicy don't feel easy about this," I began. "And neither do I."

Tom raised an eyebrow and I continued.

"I don't know how you'd manage doing it but I want you to promise me somethin'."

When I didn't continue Tom cleared his throat.

"What?"

I sighed, folding my arms.

"I know that Cap'd be madder'n hell if you didn't help him do justice on those McCoy's but I don't want you dammin yer eternal soul. You shoot over their heads you hear me?" my anger and nerves had won over and my tone was harsher than I had meant it to be but at least it had been said.

Tom stared at me for a good long while, not saying anything. I glowerd.

"Well say somethin' Skunk-hair Tom Wallace!" I hissed quietly lest my aunt or anyone else hear. Tom shrugged.

"I s'pose I can comply with the woman's wishes," he said, smirking at me. I was about to make a hasty retort when another wave of pain rumbled through me. I gritted my teeth

I would have thanked him but someone knocked into me from behind, gentle like. I turned to find Johnse, his hat in one hand, his gun in the other, looking at me for all the world like he had just killed a man. Well, he would look like that for real in less than half a day.

"Can I talk to you Honey?" he asked. I nodded, waving goodbye to Tom and seating myself on the porch stairs.

"What's th'matter Johnse?" I inquired, it was not like my happy-go-lucky cousin to be bummin' around, especially when we were about to score a victory over the McCoys.

"It's just-," he began, fiddling with the brim of his had awkwardly before continuing in a low voice. "I know them McCoy boys have got it comin' after what they did to uncle Ellison but… I don't wanna kill nobody. They're Roseanna's brothers and they're gonna be the uncles o' my baby…"

He let the sentence trail off into nothingness as we stared down the hill at my uncle's barn and our kin that gathered around.

"I know Johnse, I know," I told him, running a hand over his shoulder, hoping to calm him. He ducked his head, staring down at the ground between his feet.

"When I think about how I'm gonna feel this evenin' I get sick to ma stomach, Honey-bee!" he continued. "I don't want my baby scorned for bein' a bastard whose father murdered his uncles in revenge…" Johnse looked up at me. "I don't want that."

I frowned gently.

"You more concerned about yer own feelin's later on or yer baby's ears hearin' truth?" I asked, nudging Johnse's elbow with mine.

Johnse ducked his head again.

"Well when you put it that way… geez Honey-bee. I don't know!"

I looked down the hill again at my husband, gritting my teeth as the muscles in my belly shifted. I had a long, hard piece of work ahead of me today, but there was no sense worrying Tom about it just now. I turned back to Johnse.

"Well Johnse," I began. "Here's what yer gonna do."

Johnse looked up at me, his eyes slightly pink and glimmering from unshed tears. Lord, but when did my cousin get to be such a baby?

"When it comes time for the shootin', yer gonna raise yer rifle and aim above their heads. Don't shoot the tree cuz that'll be too obvious that you wasn't aimin'. Just fire between the trees above their heads and then you'll have a clear conscience. Alright?"

Johnse stared at me a moment before jerking me into a hug. I hissed sharply in pain and he released me instantly with a mumbled apology. He grinned at me.

"Thanks Honey-bee, yer the best." He stood up, placing his hat on his head. "You take it easy now, you hear?"

I nodded, mumbling something I can't remember as he trotted down the hill to join his father and brother at the door.

Within five minutes they were all gone. A searing pain ripped through me and I gasped, clutching my stomach.

"JENNY!" I shrieked.