Chapter 20
Louise aimlessly stumbled into the living room from the kitchen for the umpteenth time after roaming around the whole house over and over again. She was totally bored. There was nothing for her to do. Every room was spotless, without a single speck of dust, all the clothes were cleaned, ironed, and put back in the wardrobes, and the floors were swept and washed. Just this morning she had changed the sheets in the beds, and now the bedrooms were filled with the soft scent of the soap she used for the laundry. There was no cooking to be done for lunch today because she would have some of the leftovers from last night's dinner since she was not a fussy eater. Like every day Kid was at the station, and he would not come back till the evening. Lou would usually find some extra work around the homestead, mucking out the few stalls in the stables, pulling up some unwanted weeds in her garden, or just looking after the animals. Yet, today everything was already done.
As Lou stood in the middle of the living room, she looked around. Her book sat on the coffee table, but she had already read it twice, and even though it was one of her favorites, a third reading would be too much. Her hand crept into her skirt pocket, and found a coin. Maybe she could go to town, and get herself a new book. Yet, she hesitated. Should she spend the coin on a whim?
Lou had been trying to save all the pennies from the change when she went food shopping at the store. Of course it did not amount to much, but at least, it was something. Her future was uncertain. She did not know when this marriage would end and her husband would kick her out. So she thought she needed to make some provisions, but trying to depend on the loose coins she managed to save was naïve and stupid. She would have to return to her father eventually. If she had enough money, she could make a life for herself, but that would not happen. If only she were twenty-one…
There were still years to pass, and she knew her marriage would not last that much. In this time she had found out she loved her independence, her freedom and in a way she was enjoying the newly-discovered pleasure now. She hardly saw her husband, and sometimes when he was on a ride, she did not have to see him at all. His presence made her very uncomfortable, and when he tried to talk to her, she felt totally lost. Thankfully, that did not happen too often. Lou wished one day he didn't return home at all. Actually, she wouldn't mind if he decided to disappear and abandon her. Without him around, she would have options, but for some reason she suspected he would not do that, so she just had to resign herself to the reality.
'A coin won't make a difference,' she muttered aloud, and prepared to go to town. As she stood before the mirror, she ran her fingers through her auburn hair. It was longer now; some wisps were timidly showing up from under her nape. Louise sighed. She really missed her long hair, and now she realized it had been daft to cut it so short. Short or long, it didn't make a difference, but maybe it would have been easier and less painful if she had accepted things from the start. Her hair would grow again, and she wondered where she would be then. It was strange; she wasn't scared. She had learned lately that what looked scary should not be dreaded, and what at first sight was welcoming could be totally the opposite. Louise just knew nothing and nobody was trustworthy, and as long as she kept a distance, she could save herself.
It was a warm day, so she put on a hat to protect herself from the sunrays. Soon the good weather would be over, and this was a good opportunity to make the most of the last warm days. She would walk to town, and enjoy the stroll. They did not live too far, and breathing fresh air, feeling the breeze and warmth on her skin, and smelling the fragrance of the last flowers would do her good. She had another look at her reflection in the mirror with indifference; she was decent enough, and without further ado, she grabbed her jacket and walked out.
"Good morning, Mr. Tompkins," Louise greeted the store keeper as she stepped into the mercantile. Tompkins looked up from the ledger he was holding, and nodded his greeting. Louise continued to the end of the store where some books were on display, and started checking the titles.
"Father, can you come here a minute?" a feminine voice resounded, coming from the door behind the counter.
"In a moment, Jenny" Tompkins replied, putting the ledger down, and as his eyes located Lou next to the book racks, he said, "Louise, my daughter needs me in the back. If you need anything, I'll be there."
Lou smiled. "Don't worry, Mr. Tompkins. I think it'll take me a while to make up my mind about what book to take home with me."
Tompkins nodded, and slid through the door leading to the back of the store. Louise kept examining the dozens of books on sale, most of which were dime novels portraying the adventures of gunslingers, cowboys, and criminals. Louise was not in the mood for reading about fist fights, shootouts, and blood and she kept looking for a good novel with some humor or romance.
At the bottom of a stack of books, Lou found one that drew her attention. Rose Clark by Fanny Fern. This might be what she was looking for. A few years ago she had read another book by the same author, and she had loved it. Opening the first page, she ran her eyes through the first paragraphs. Engrossed in reading this first page, she half heard the door opening several times, and people's steps walking into the store.
Suddenly, she jumped startled when she felt a hand touch her shoulder, and as she looked up, she came face to face with a long-haired fella. "Women shouldn't be allowed to read," he said, smirking. The lower half of his face was covered in thick stubble, and as he talked, Lou cringed when his alcohol-laden breath hit her nostrils.
Lou shook the man's hand off her shoulder, and said, "Go away, will you?"
The man snickered, shaking his head, and without a word he walked closer to Louise, his burly body pushing against her, and making her drop the book. Lou protested and tried to get away from the brute. Yet, her frail frame was not a strong enough resistance for him. He guffawed as he held her strongly by the arm. "What the hell do you want?" Louise barked in panic.
"I got out of jail yesterday," the man slurred. "I haven't been with a woman for five long years. You're the first one I've stumbled upon. I sure can be more entertainin' than a damn book."
Lou stared at the man in disbelief. Why did things like this keep happening to her? Why couldn't she be left alone for once? She had just been quietly reading, and this oaf came bothering her. Why was the world so against her? She wanted to kick this brute hard as anger bubbled inside her. Her mouth opened to order him to leave her alone, but before any sound came out of her throat, another voice, an angry voice, boomed in the store. "Take your hands off her!"
The man turned round, and Lou then saw it was Kid. There was a small audience behind him, watching the whole scene. "Take it easy, man! This ain't none of your business."
Kid drew his gun, and in the same menacing tone he said, "You heard me! Leave my wife alone. Now!"
Kid pulled the gun hammer pointedly, and the man finally let go of Louise's arm. "Don't fret, man. I meant no harm."
As Lou watched the man's goofy face, her anger soared. She hated that kind of people that just because they were men, they thought they could rule the world, and everybody. Her right hand balled up into a fist, and without giving a second thought, she directed it against the man before her. Her fist collided against his jaw with such force that she managed to knock him down. As soon as her knuckles hit his face, intense pain course all over her hand and she let out a yelp.
"Let's take care of him," Teaspoon said, kneeling before the man, and after checking he was out cold, he added, "Jimmy, Noah, help me here."
When they took the man out of the store, Kid came closer to Lou. "Are you all right?"
Louise just nodded. Her eyes were downcast as she kept massaging her sore hand. "Thanks," she whispered, and she dared to lift her gaze to him.
"Well…" Kid mumbled and stopped as he ran out of words. Like usual he was feeling awkward around her, and did not know how to act casual. His hand reached to rub his neck, a habit he had when he felt nervous. "So… so you came here for provisions?" he ended up asking the first thing that crossed his mind.
"Uh… no… I… I… I was getting cabin fever, so…"
"I understand," Kid replied in the same awkward way. He noticed Rachel's presence by her side, and when he kept quiet, the station mistress stepped in.
"So you're Kid's wife then?" Rachel asked. Louise shifted her eyes between her husband and the station mistress, and then warily nodded at the question. "We were all looking forward to meeting you. I'm Rachel Dunne, but I imagine Kid must already have told you about all of us."
Lou sent a brief look at her husband, and then said, "Uh… not really… no."
"Kid… Kid," Rachel tutted teasingly. "Anyway, I'm the cook at the station, and look after all these big boys."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Dunne."
"Please, call me Rachel," the station mistress added. Louise gave her a shy smile, and Rachel added, "I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but I heard something about feeling a bit lonely at home."
"Uh… no, just a bit bored," Louise stammered, blushing sheepishly.
"I see," Rachel replied, and then an idea hit her. "Why don't you come to the station with us today? I'm always longing for some female company, and that way you won't have to have lunch on your own. Meals at the station are anything but boring."
Lou locked eyes with Kid as she replied, "I… I don't know."
"Kid, say something," Rachel urged the rider, giving him a playful punch on his arm. "Tell Louise she's welcome."
"Lou, you heard Rachel," Kid said with a smile. "From the first day she wanted me to bring you to the station for dinner, but I guess it's my fault the occasion hasn't arisen." Lou still kept quiet, and Kid added, "Say yes, or they won't stop bugging me. And I'm sure the boys, especially Cody, will want to know how you managed to knock that fella out."
His last comment managed to make Louise giggle shyly, and turning her eyes to Rachel, she said, "Thank you. I'd love to accept your invitation."
Rachel's mouth broke into a wide smile. "And we still need to see to that hand," the station mistress said, pointing to Lou's sore hand, which the girl kept massaging. "I have an ointment at home that practically works magic. You'll see."
"Thanks," Lou said again, and as Rachel walked away to resume her shopping at the store, Louise shared a look with Kid. They stared at each other briefly before looking away uncomfortable. The same awkward silence settled between them again, and like usual one of them made an excuse, and walked away as if they could not endure being in each other's presence for too long.
Rachel was serving lunch to the riders and her special guest, who were sitting around the bunkhouse table when the door clicked open. Teaspoon trod inside, greeting every one of them, and tilted his head courteously at Louise.
"I thought you wouldn't make it for lunch today," Rachel said while she ladled the soup into the metal bowls and passed them around afterwards.
"So did I," Teaspoon agreed, taking his usual seat at the head of the table. "I had a complicated situation at the jailhouse."
"Because of the fella bothering Louise?" Rachel asked again. She had finished serving the soup, and sat down at the table, opposite Lou.
"Naw," Teaspoon said dismissively, tucking a napkin around his collar. "That was just a cowardly drunkard. A night in jail will do. I doubt he'll remember much of what happened at Tompkins' when he sleeps it off."
"So what's kept you so busy then?" Jimmy asked, taking a bite at the tender biscuit on his plate.
"The Fort Laramie sheriff and one of his deputies came to see me. Apparently, a few days ago a group of eight or ten dangerous convicts escaped when they were bein' transferred to a prison in the north. Nobody knows for sure how they did it. All the guards were killed," Teaspoon explained. "It didn't take the law long to locate them in a run-down shack outside Fort Laramie. Catchin' them was another story. It was a pitched battle. Those fellas had got hold of rifles, hand grenades, and even some special muskets that the army uses. Fortunately, they were arrested in the end."
"But how on earth did they have all that artillery?" Cody asked.
"There's this gunrunner the law's been after for a very long time. He's believed to have supplied these crooks with all the guns. Nobody knows who the gunrunner is, what his name is, or what he looks like. He's been dubbed Mr. X. He's been workin' in Nebraska Territory for many years, and the army is adamant to catch him. That's why they're requestin' every lawman's help, and that's why the sheriff just came to see me."
"You know you can count on us if you need help," Noah said, his words echoed by the riders' agreeing nods.
"Thanks, boys," Teaspoon replied, and as he looked around the table, he noticed Louise's big eyes staring at him with a curious expression. "But let's not bore our guest with this tedious business."
"Teaspoon's right," Rachel agreed with a smile. "This is precisely the kind of conversation that should be kept away from the dinner table." She paused to have a sip of her glass of water, and then added, "So, Louise, how are you settling down in our town?" Lou was still staring at Teaspoon even though he had stopped talking. Her big eyes unblinkingly kept focused on the marshal, and she did not hear a word Rachel had just uttered. "Louise?" Rachel called again. "Louise?"
Lou almost jumped out of her seat, startled as the station mistress called her name for the second time. She turned her attention to Rachel, and blushed. "I… I'm sorry. I was a bit distracted."
"Figures," Buck remarked, grinning. "I wonder why Teaspoon's tales have that effect on everybody."
Lou smiled shyly when the marshal gave Buck a glaring look as the others chuckled. When the laughter died down, Rachel said, "I was just saying I hope you like living here in Rock Creek."
"Yes, it's… it's a nice place."
"Where are you originally from?" Jimmy asked.
"Nowhere actually," Lou replied. "When I was a child, my family moved quite a lot, and it was just recently that we settled in Saint Joseph."
"You mean your parents?" Rachel asked cautiously. Kid had told them about Louise's father, but there had never been a mention of the girl's mother.
Lou coughed uncomfortable, and lowering her eyes to the plate in front of her, she muttered, "My ma died five years ago… in childbirth. It was going to be her fourth child, but the baby didn't survive either."
"I'm really sorry," Teaspoon said sympathetically.
Lou nodded morosely, and then Buck asked, "So you have two siblings then?"
Louise looked up, her sad eyes meeting the Kiowa's, and said, "Used to. A brother and a sister. I was the oldest. Jeremiah was five years younger and Theresa seven. About three years ago we all got typhoid fever… I was the only one who got over it."
Kid stared at Louise as strange feelings coursed all over him. This was the first he had heard about Lou's mother and siblings. Why on earth had he never wondered about her family? He remembered that first encounter many years ago when they were young children, and he recalled her mother and her baby brother. Then why had he never asked her? Right now he was feeling like a selfish moron. Could it be that he was so focused on himself that he could not see beyond his own nose?
"Then it's just you and your pa…" Jimmy added.
"That's right."
"You must miss him then," Rachel remarked with a sad smile.
Lou kept quiet for a while, and turning her eyes to Kid, she added, "My family's my husband now." At her words, Kid frowned in confusion, and then as quickly as her eyes had met his, she looked away, and focused on the food on her plate as she usually did when they had dinner together. The conversation soon moved to another topic, and no more words came out form Lou's mouth that afternoon.