Twelve ~ Wanton Women
"You seem to be somewhere else," Cammie said, placing a hand on Adam's arm. He turned at her touch, almost surprised she was there.
They had left he dance later than Adam wanted and he kept the horse at a quick pace which made the buggy ride rougher than he had intended and he apologized to Cammie. He was also keeping an eye out for any riders, listening for sounds such as a horse snuffling or calling to his. Before he left the dance, Adam had checked that his rifle was still under the seat where he could quickly get it, even breaking it open to see it was still loaded. But even knowing it was there, so close, he still felt anxiety and dread. The ride in the darkness and a possible, looming, unseen threat brought back the piney woods of Georgia and how he had led his company through the flat woodlands, expecting enemy fire at any time. His pulse thudded in his ears.
As Adam and Cammie had walked through the church yard to the buggy, Adam looked about. Although there were people outside taking fresh air and a break from the dancing, he couldn't spot Kelley among them. Nor were they followed out by anyone, not even the two Ponderosa hands who were at the dance, Martell and Clayton. If there had been any hired men from the M Bar, Cammie never said as much or behaved as if she recognized anyone there.
Cammie had been reluctant to leave but Adam told her they would be late otherwise. And while he drove her home, he had been mapping out the fastest way to get from Mansfield's to Frenchman's creek without cutting across the M Bar. He glanced over at her. "I'm sorry; I just…my mind was wandering."
"Oh," she said, laughing. "Wandering to that little redhead you danced with twice, hm? She seemed to like you—didn't want to let you go."
"No, not at all. But she did want to keep dancing." He thought of her now that Cammie had mentioned her—a sprightly, little, redhead, Amy, who chattered away the whole time he had his arm about her, telling him she had always thought he was the most handsome of the brothers but he never paid her any mind, she reminded him, "seeing I wore pigtails and had freckles across my nose." But she had grown into a very lovely woman, Adam had assured her.
"I can't say I blame her, Adam; you are a wonderful dancer. But I've never had much experience. I mean I've had lessons in boarding school but dancing with another girl isn't the same as dancing with a man—it's difficult to switch who leads." Cammie waited and was pleased when Adam smiled; his mind may have come back to the present—and her. "I've never been much of a belle though. I appreciate you asking me to the dance tonight. I enjoyed myself, had a better time than any I've had in a long time. And your brother, Hoss, is delightful and he taught me how to square dance. It's surprisingly fun."
Adam chuckled. "Hoss is quite the dancer and a wonderful person. I'm honored to have him as my brother."
There was a pause and then Cammie said, her voice full of sadness, "I miss my brothers. They always teased me and infuriated me, but they loved me. I was the youngest, and they were as protective as my father while growing up—he was gone so much. I hadn't many beaus and I know I'm not beautiful…" Adam started to say something but Cammie continued, stopping him. "No, I have a mirror and I know I'm no beauty and there's no sense in your protesting that I am. I know how a man looks at a woman he wants, a woman he desires because I was once engaged to a wonderful man who loved me. But then the war came and…ruined my plans for happiness."
"I'm sorry," Adam said.
"Oh, Adam, don't be sorry. Let's change the subject from my lack of suitors. So, tell me, why didn't you come home after the war? Where have you been for the past few years?"
"You seem to know a lot about me, far more than I do about you or your family."
"I read Costello's report on you, found it on my father's desk. But where you were for the three years after the war wasn't included, just that you were a captain. That was all Costello could find out. Apparently, he doesn't have access to military records."
"I was in Mexico," Adam said. He put the reins in one hand and pulled out his pocket watch. He moved it to see the time, waiting for the light from the moon to illuminate the face. He slipped it back into the watchpocket. "It's almost 10:00." Adam snapped the reins. By his calculations, they could make the front porch in time if he kept up the pace, but the horse would always settle back down to a comfortable trot. He had to snap the reins and "gee-up" to get the mare to step lively again.
Cammie held onto the side of the buggy as it rocked. "Mexico? What did you do there? Were you a mercenary?"
"I was a goatherd."
"A goatherd? That's all you did?"
"No. I also drank cheap mezcal all day and lived with a spiteful woman and her two children. I herded the goats, butchered them and sold the meat and milk. Now, anything else you want to know?" Adam noticed Cammie was wide-eyed with surprise; apparently that was not the answer she expected.
"No," Cammie barely whispered in answer. Cammie knew what Adam meant when he said he "lived" with a woman. All she knew about Mexico was that it was an exotic place, at least to her. She felt herself flush and the heat rise up her neck. What it must have been like for the woman to have Adam crawl into her bed every night and have his rough, sweaty way with her, Cammie could only imagine. She wondered about Adam's pleasure with the woman, if that was why he stayed so long, because she delighted him in ways that Cammie couldn't even imagine. And was the woman beautiful with sloe-eyes, a headful of wavy black hair and full breasts?
They drove up to the house and Adam helped Cammie down. Mansfield opened the front door and stepped out. "Worried you wouldn't have my daughter home in time, Cartwright. Afraid I might have to send someone after you."
"It's fine, father, I'm home now and on time." She turned to Adam. "Thank you, Adam. I had a wonderful time. Perhaps we can do it again." She offered a tremulous smile.
"Yes, perhaps we can, and the pleasure was mine, Cammie. Goodnight." Adam raised her gloved hand to his lips and kissed it. Then he climbed back into the buggy and Cammie went inside but Mansfield remained.
"Stay on the road, Cartwright, and you'll be safe. But set one wheel on my property…"
Adam said nothing, just turned the buggy about and snapped the reins. He had to hurry to get to Frenchman's Creek the long way about and meet up with Violet – or whomever was there.
Mansfield went inside and Cammie was almost at the top of the stairs. "Cammie, did Cartwright behave himself with you?"
Cammie turned around, untying the ribbon holding her cape closed. "Yes, Father. He behaved himself. I rather wish he hadn't."
"Now, Cammie, that's no way for a lady to talk. Did you have a nice time, though?" Mansfield saw the weariness in his daughter's eyes.
"I had a lovely time, thank you, Father, but I'm tired. Where's Violet. I want her to unhook me."
"She went to bed early; said she had a bad headache. Shall I wake Cook?" Mansfield doubted Violet's excuse but he didn't want to try her locked door and look the fool he had become over the girl. But she had looked in pain, he remembered, and said she'd take a dose of laudanum. If she had, she would sleep heavily, he knew.
"No, no. I can manage by myself. Good night." Cammie went into her room and closed the door. She looked down at the hand Adam had kissed and tried to remember the heat of his mouth through the fabric. Then she pulled off her glove and put it to her lips. Oh, Cammie wished she could be like that woman in Mexico or the red-head at the dance or Violet or all those other women who could flirt and be coquettish and have a man hungrily kiss her neck and bosom, wanting nothing more than to slide his hands up under her dress. But there had been Jake Phillips, that handsome cowhand who once pulled her down in the straw for a few rough caresses, but he was quickly sent away and threatened with a hole through his right eye if he ever took one step on the M Bar again.
Cammie slung both gloves across the room and they hit the wall and dropped to the floor. She wished Violet were there to take the brunt of her frustration. It would be satisfying to grab Violet's hair and pull it for some perceived clumsiness. But Violet wasn't there so instead, Cammie threw herself on the bed and cried, giving no thought to the expensive Chantilly lace overlay she was crushing.
~ 0 ~
Adam parked the buggy a distance from the creek. Taking his rifle in hand, he slowly walked toward the spot indicated in the note, being careful of where he placed his feet. Finally, he saw "Lover's Tree", two fir trees that had sprung up so close to one another that their trunks began merging into one about five feet up. He heard light footsteps stirring debris as if someone was pacing, so crouching down to look through the branches, he saw the figure of a woman, Violet. She was there, waiting but before he stepped into the clear, Adam looked about and listened for others. No other sounds came to him so he stepped out of the trees.
Violet gasped, putting one small hand to her bosom. "Oh, you frightened me."
"Sorry," he said, looking about as he walked toward her. "Just checking to see if you were alone."
"I'm alone. I hope you're not dangerous—at least, not too dangerous. But I wasn't going to wait much longer, can't—I have to get back to the house."
"And report on our meeting."
Violet laughed and it was like tiny silver bells ringing out in the night. "No, you fool—I escaped the Colonel's bed tonight but still need to crawl through the window back into my room. I have a headache, in case you couldn't tell. Do you think I'm kept about just to tend to Miss Cammie?"
"Well, you are a pretty one and look as if you have…hidden talents," Adam said, admiring her. "But why take the chance to meet me out here if you aren't up to some subterfuge on his behalf?"
"Because I like you. I like your hands." Violet reached out for his empty left hand, studied it, and then placed it firmly over her left breast, holding it in place. "Can you feel my heart beat?" she asked.
"Just pounding away," Adam replied.
"Did you feel Miss Cammie's breasts, that is, what little she has? Did you kiss her?" Violet, raised her other arm and pulled Adam's head down to meet hers; he complied. She kissed his mouth. Adam released her breast as she put her other arm about his neck and he held her close, his free arm about her small body, but he still held onto his rifle. Violet kissed well and Adam found himself enjoying the movement of her lips and the quick darting about of her tongue. But he didn't travel all that way just for a kiss, no matter how good.
He pulled his head back and Violet, with a small pout, took down her arms. "What is it you want, girl?"
"I don't want anything. I have something for you." She looked up at him from under her sooty lashes.
"Oh?'
"I think you're looking for the Colonel's gold. And I believe I know where it is."
Adam sized her up. "What do you know about gold?" He waited for her answer and she danced away a bit, turning to look at him. Her skirts swished and she practically shimmied with delight.
"Oh, the Colonel talks, loves to talk, and I listen to everything he says—and I remember. One night he said something about Confederate gold, how he had managed to disguise it in something or the other, and when the war ended, he shipped it home. He's terrified of it though, afraid he'll be caught and hanged and he wants nothing more than to turn it to paper money and stick it in some bank somewhere, but he has to do it slowly so no one becomes suspicious. Once he was talking about having it melted down and made into gold bars but for now, it's still in coins."
"And why would I believe you about any of this?"
Violet dropped her long cape on the ground, unbuttoned her blouse partway and reached into her camisole and pulled out a gold coin. She handed it to Adam. He noticed it was warm where it had lain against her skin. "That was a little bonus for an especially memorable night for the Colonel. It is Confederate gold, isn't it?"
Adam held it up, turning it in the available light, and looked at the face of Lady Liberty with the circle of stars on the obverse of the coin and the date, 1861. After placing his rifle on the ground, Adam pulled out a match and looked at the eagle on the back. He knew what to look for-and there it was, the "D" indicating it was from the Dahlonega, Georgia mint. "It is," Adam said, shaking out the match and tossing the coin back to Violet who quickly closed her fist around it. "But you haven't told me yet why you're telling me about the gold." He picked up his rifle again.
"Because I'm tired of him and God knows I'm tired of Cammie. She wants to be rid of me but she doesn't know about her father and me; he wouldn't kick me out of his bed just to please his horse-faced daughter. She wants me put to scrubbing cook pots and getting red, rough hands from working in the kitchen and with my hair smelling like onions. I want to leave but have no way—except that coin-or you."
"Okay. Tell me where the gold is and then tell me what you want from me."
"The gold is somewhere in his office. Behind the staircase is the door and the gold is hidden in there somewhere."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, I'm sure. Don't doubt me. And I'm guessing you were sent by someone, most likely the government, to woo Miss Cammie and slowly get out of her where the gold is. But she doesn't know. Has no idea except that the Colonel came home from the war a very wealthy man."
"I see," Adam said. "And you're willing to help me find the gold."
"I could be persuaded." Violet smiled and moved closer. "Put your rifle down and persuade me."
"I don't know about that, my sweet Violet."
"Look," she said, unbuttoning her blouse the rest of the way and pulling the lace of her camisole. "I'm unarmed. Persuade me, Adam, and I'll tell you everything."
"Oh, Violet. I hope you are easily persuaded." Adam grinned and placing his rifle on the ground, looked at her lovely face and bare, pale throat. She dropped to the ground on top of her cape, looking up at him, smiling. Adam dropped to his knees as well and Violet laughed, delighted, as she put out her arms to welcome him into her embrace. He kissed her and pushed Violet onto her back. "You'd better be worth all that gold, girl. You're the most expensive piece I've ever had."
