Later that evening Anabelle stood near the barn, putting bales of hay into
stacks. She had changed into a simple white shirt and jeans. The work was
hard, but she had volunteered to do it and she enjoyed it. Still, there was
one bale of hay that seemed too large for her to pick up by herself, and
she had to put it in a stack since it was too loose to start a new one.
Then she spotted a dark figure walking by.
"Hey Nathan, can put this bale of hay on that stack?" Anabelle asked, breathing hard. Nathan walked over, a strange look on his face.
"Why me?" he asked, and Anabelle looked up in surprise.
"I don't see anyone else around, do you?" she asked. Nathan frowned but lifted the bale onto the stack.
"There," he said shortly. As he walked away Anabelle heard him say something about "southern propers" and "master". Suddenly it hit her, and she ran after him.
"Wait! Nathan wait!" she shouted, grabbing his arm. "Is that what this is about?" she asked, searching his eyes. He shook his head, but she saw right through him. "Come here," she said, leading him over to the hay. Sitting down, Anabelle faced him. "Are you upset with me because I'm a white southern lady?" she asked, and Nathan turned away.
"No. I'm sorry for being so rude before ma'am," he said, truely ashamed. Anabelle smiled gently at the man.
"It's okay," she said, but Nathan cut her off.
"No it isn't. I'm sorry to admit, but Ezra's not my favorite person in the world. I automatically thought that you were just like him. To make things worse, I've had some bad experiences..." Nathan trailed off.
"Ah. You could've been qualified for Operation Stella?" Anabelle asked. Nathan gave her a confused look. Smiling, Anabelle touched Nathan's shoulder. "Believe it of not, Nanna and I had a steady home back in Georgia. We lived on a plantation, although we didn't own it. Pretty soon we noticed that most of the blacks on the plantation were being abused, except for our friends and fellow landowners, the Karlens.
"My best friend in the world is Jeremey Karlen, a boy about my age. Together we convinced Nanna to buy the slaves who were in the worst condition. Then Jeremey and I would tend to them, and get them fixed up and healthy. Once they could get along on their own, we would free them.
"We were able to save a lot of slaves that way, except for one tiny girl of about 4 years of age. Her name was Stella. After only a few days in our care she died. So, we named out little project Operation Stella after her," Anabelle said. During her little speech Nathan had gotten misty-eyed.
"Do you mean to tell me that all this while you've been devoting your life to saving blacks?" he asked, a little dumbfounded. Anabelle nodded. Nathan was about to say something else when Chris called.
"Hey Nathan. We've got to ride," he called, heading for his horse. Nathan stood up and ran over to his horse, waving goodbye to Anabelle. Anabelle stood up, worried.
"What's wrong?" she called, seeing her father running towards her.
"Apparently we've encountered a kidnapping of a black family. They were on their way into town when some men took over their coach," Ezra said. "You stay here!" he said firmly as he mounted his horse. Tipping his hat, he rode after the other men. Turning around Anabelle saw Buck sitting outside the newspaper office.
"Do they always do that?" she asked, watching the five men ride off. JD walked up and nodded.
"Yup. Usually we all go, but Chris wanted someone to stay and watch the town in case one of those men comes here," JD explained. Suddenly a blond haired woman walked out of the office. She looked at Anabelle and then at the paper she was holding.
"Are you Leslie...Star?" the lady asked, and Anabelle nodded.
"My real name is Anabelle Standish," she said, shaking the woman's hand.
"Hi. I'm Mary Travis," she said, giving Anabelle the letter. "Wait. Did you say you were Anabelle....Standish?" Mary asked, confused. Buck laughed.
"We'll explain it to you later," he said. Mary nodded, looking at Anabelle.
"Is she related to Ezra?" Mary asked quietly, and Buck nodded.
Suddenly Anabelle gasped. JD and Buck looked up in alarm.
"What's wrong?" JD asked, seeing the look of horror in Anabelle's eyes.
"Who was in the coach again?" Anabelle asked quietly, staring at the letter.
"Umm...I think a family of blacks, why?" JD answered. Anabelle didn't answer. Instead, she dropped letter and ran towards the stable and a break- neck speed. "Anabelle!" JD shouted, starting to run after her. Buck stopped him.
"Wait JD. What does the letter say?" Buck asked. JD picked up the letter and his eyes scanned it. When Buck saw the boy's face turn white, Buck grabbed the paper and read--
Dear Anabelle~
How are you? We're all fine back home. Operation Stella is going well. I hope everything's alright where you are.
It sure felt strange writing that other name on the letter. I hope this got to you, not to some other person. Oh well.
Oh, by the way...me and the family are coming out to Four Corners later this week. Hope to see you there!
Love, Jeremy Karlen
Buck stared at the letter in shock and surprise.
"You don't think that it could be the same people, do you?" JD asked, and Buck shrugged.
"I'm not sure, it could be," he said, glancing at Mary. "Hey, you can't tell by this handwriting can you?" he asked, and Mary smiled slightly.
"No," she said. Hoof beats sounded, coming closer. JD looked up in time to see Anabelle gallop by on Ace. Buck jumped up and shouted at her.
"Forget it," JD said, grabbing Buck's arm. "I'm going to ride after her," he said. Buck started to protest, but JD ignored him.
"It's pointless," Mary told him. Buck looked up at her in surprise. "Didn't you see the look in his eyes?" she asked, and Buck shook his head dumbfounded. "He really likes her," Mary said.
"What about Casey?" Buck asked. Mary shook her head.
"I don't think JD's forgotten about her. It's just that, well, ever since that incident with the robbery Casey just hasn't been the same towards him. Anway, I don't think Casey's going to be an object much longer," Mary said the last line under her breath. Buck nodded slightly.
"That's right, her and Miss Annie were good friends. I wonder if JD told Anabelle about it," Buck mused, staring off after the boy. JD came riding up on his horse.
"I'm going after her. I don't want her going after those men by herself," JD said.
"Well, I hope you can find her soon," Buck said, his eyes scanning the horizon. "I think there's a storm coming in," he said. JD glanced at it quickly but shrugged.
"Don't worry Buck. I'll be back soon," he said before spurring his horse. Mary put her hands on Buck's shoulders as he watched the boy ride off.
"God I hope he doesn't do anything stupid out there," Buck said. Mary was about to ask like what, but she thought better of it. Although JD had learned a lot from his time with the six other men, he was still young and inexperienced.
"Anyway, Anabelle's related to Ezra?" Mary asked in disbelief. Buck nodded. "Our gambling Ezra?" she asked, and Buck nodded again. "The one who just went strolling through town in nothing but a tablecloth because he lost everything else he had to another gambler?" Mary asked, and Buck nodded again. "Tell me, how is she related?" Mary asked.
"She's his daughter," Buck said. Mary was silent for a moment, her mouth open.
"His daughter. That nice girl is Ezra's daughter?" she asked, and Buck laughed.
"Geez Mary, Ezra isn't that bad of a guy," he said then was silent. Looking at Mary he burst out laughing. "God, I can't believe I just said that!" Buck exclaimed. Mary smiled.
"Well, you're right. I shouldn't be making his sound like such a bad guy," she said. Thunder rolled in the distance, and Buck looked up in worry. Mary caught the look. "Don't worry, JD'll be alright," she said. Buck nodded, but his eyes stayed worried as she walked away.
*******
JD trotted his horse down the trail, looking for any signs of Anabelle. Suddenly he could see a pair of hoof prints off to his right, and he turned his horse. They looked fresh, and he hoped they belonged to Ace.
"Anabelle!" he called out. There was no answer except for the rumble of thunder in the distance. JD called out again, and this time he thought he heard hooves farther ahead of his. He kicked his horse into a gallop, praying that it was Anabelle and that she was alright. As his horse closed in on the rider his heart filled with relief as he saw the black horse slowing quickly. It was Anabelle, but she didn't seem happy to see him.
"What are you doing here?" she asked JD coldly as he pulled his horse up next to hers.
"There's a storm coming in you have to get back to town," JD said over the rumbling thunder. Anabelle stared off at the clouds with dark eyes.
"I've been through worse," she said quietly and simply. She started to urge Ace forward, but JD reached out and grabbed her arm. Anabelle could feel the fear in his grip.
"Please Anabelle. I don't want you out here all alone. Come back to town. You can spend some time with your father," JD said, and Anabelle seemed to relent a little.
"But what about my friends?" she asked, looking off in the distance again.
"Don't worry about them. The coach won't be able to go anywhere in this storm. We'll head out to look for them in the morning," JD said. Anabelle's face was creased with worry, but she turned Ace around. JD sighed in relief and turned around his horse also. They rode the way back in silence, Anabelle seeming too tense to speak.
When they arrived into town, Anabelle saw her father standing outside the bar with Vin. She quickly dismounted Ace, asking JD to put him away for her. When JD nodded, Anabelle raced over to Ezra. She hugged him tightly. Seeming a bit surprised by the action, Ezra put his arms around her.
"There there, it's alright my dear. Now whatever in the world is bothering you?" he asked, his green eyes filled with concern.
"The people on that coach are some of my best friends in the world. Please tell me their alright," Anabelle said with a quavering voice. She looked from Ezra to Vin, hoping to find some form of confidence in their faces.
"I found a trail, but we didn't reach them. We'll search for them tomorrow, if the rain doesn't keep up," Vin said. Hearing the thunder rumble again was more than Anabelle could bear, and she tore out of her fathers grip. Tears running down her face, she raced up into her room and locked the door.
*******
1.9 Part 5: One Fateful Night
1.10 [pic]
JD ran across the road, holding up his jacket to try and keep Anabelle dry. JD and Ezra had finally convinced her to come out of her room. Although neither of them had seen the slightest hint of a smile on her face, they knew she was feeling better by the way she acted.
"Hi Anabelle," Vin said as she walked in. Wringing out her hair, she nodded at him.
"Hey Vin," she said. "Anything new?" Anabelle asked, and Vin shrugged.
"Nothing really," he answered. "I think Mary might want t'talk t'you about writing something for the newspaper though," Vin said, and Anabelle looked up curiously.
"She runs a newspaper?" Anabelle asked, and Vin nodded. "I'll think about it," Anabelle shrugged. She walked over to where her father sat, and they began talking.
"Looks like they're finally trying to catch up," JD said to Vin, and he nodded. "I wonder why they don't spend more time together," JD mused.
"It seems like they both have a lot on their minds right now," Vin said, and JD snorted.
"Like what?" he asked.
"Well, Ezra has t'become accustomed to having a daughter again. Likewise with Anabelle. Also, it seems that something else has caught her eye too," Vin said, glancing quickly at JD. He didn't catch the glance, but he still caught the meaning.
"It doesn't matter, she's Ezra's daughter," JD said a quietly. Vin looked at the boy, silent. "I mean, even if anything did happen between us, she'd find out things about me from Ezra," JD said, taking off his hat and running his hands through his hair. "It's pointless."
"Why don't you tell her yourself?" Vin suggested.
"Tell her? That's crazy," JD said, dismissing the idea.
"Why? She'll find out eventually, and I think she'll take it better from you," Vin said quietly as JD walked past. The boy paused but continued walking to the table where Buck and Chris sat. Chris handed JD a glass.
"I heard you and Vin talking," he said. JD frowned deeply.
"Does everyone have to know about my personal life?" he asked, his voice sharp. He was obviously disturbed by the whole subject. Chris watched him from under the black rim of his hat.
"If it involves the daughter of one of our friends, we sure do," he said quietly. JD pushed the glass away and stood up briskly. He opened his mouth to say something, but got tongue-tied. Finally, he just turned and stalked over to the bar. Chris turned to Buck. "I'm worried about him," Chris said sternly and frankly. "This is the first time he's had a really good friend aside from us since the accident. If he tells Anabelle what happened, he may loose that friend."
"I doubt it. Anabelle seems too kind," Buck said. Still, deep in his heart something disturbed him. Anabelle had seemed strangely cold ever since that letter had arrived. Something was wrong, and JD seemed to be walking right into it.
*******
The rain pounded on the window as Anabelle sat quietly in the corner of the bar. Watching her stare quietly out the window, Ezra walked over to her.
"Hello my dear. How are you feeling?" he asked, pulling up a chair next to her. Anabelle shrugged and didn't turn her head away from the window. "Those people we were looking for were those friends you mentioned before, weren't they?" Ezra asked, and she nodded. "Oh, Anna....." Ezra started to say, but couldn't think of how to finish the sentence. He was too inexperienced with this sort of thing.
"Don't worry I'll be okay. You don't have to say anything," Anabelle said, as if she was reading his mind. She turned to face him, and saw confusion in his eyes. "What is it?" she asked, worried.
"Nothing really. I'm just wondering how...."Ezra started, but stopped. Anabelle nodded knowingly.
"You're wondering how you're going to be able to care foe me and still lead your current life," Anabelle finished for him. Her fathers eyes widened in surprise.
"How did you know....?" he asked, astonished and ashamed that his daughter had figured out what he was thinking.
"I've seen it in your eyes ever since you first saw me. Don't worry, I'm not offended. I can take care of myself....we can take care of each other," Anabelle said softly, showing the first smile that her father had seen all night. Suddenly a wave of emotions swept over him and Ezra reached out to hug Anabelle. She was a little surprised by this sudden show of emotion from her father, but she welcomed the hug gladly. It was good to feel his strong arms around her....for once she felt protected.
"I missed you so much!" Ezra whispered into her ear, and Anabelle smiled.
"I've missed you too. But now that we're back together, we don't have to miss each other anymore," she said, pulling away from him. "We can have fun," she said, smiling again. Ezra laughed.
"Maybe we can skip the tea parties?" he asked teasingly. Anabelle blushing slightly and nodded.
"Yes, those can definitely go," she laughed. They quieted down for a few seconds, then looked at each other and burst out giggling. It felt wonderful to be a family again.
JD saw Anabelle laughing with her father from the other side of the bar. He twirled his glass around, sitting desolately at an empty table, his hat sitting upside down on it. Suddenly things were confusing for him. He recognized his feelings for Anabelle, but he didn't know how she felt about him. If that wasn't enough to wonder about, he wasn't sure how Casey felt about him either.
Just then a brown haired girl sauntered into the bar, soaking wet from the rain. JD looked up sharply, surprised to see her there.
"Casey!" he called, seeing the girl turn towards him. Her stare gave him butterflies in his stomach, and for a second he considered walking away. Casey glanced at him quickly, then looked away. But after a few seconds she walked up to him.
"Hi JD," she said, sitting down across from him. She gave him a small smile, but her face didn't have the same glow as it used to.
"Hi Casey. I haven't seen you around here much lately," JD observed, and Casey nodded.
"Yeah, I've been pretty busy," she said. "I guess I kind of missed it around here though," she said, glancing quickly at JD. He didn't catch her underlying meaning, and he laughed out loud.
"You sure have! You missed the appearance of Ezra's daughter...." JD started, but stopped. He realized that there was no way he could explain Anabelle to Casey.
"What?" Casey asked. She didn't seem to be paying a lot of attention to JD. Instead, she was looking over on the other side of the bar.
"Nothing," JD said, a little relived that Casey hadn't heard what he said about Anabelle. Still, Casey didn't seem to be registering anything he said. "Casey?" he asked. When she didn't respond, JD followed her gaze across the bar. There was nothing there, except for the window. Even then there was nothing to really look at. "Casey," JD said, tapping her on the shoulder. Casey turned around, but she had tears in her eyes. "Casey, what's wrong?" JD asked, alarmed. Casey just shook her head and put it down on the table. Not sure of what he should do, JD paused a moment before putting a hand on her shoulder. "Casey, tell me what's wrong," he said gently. "I'll understand," he said, and Casey lifted her head slowly.
"I'm sorry I was so mean to you after that incident with the bank.....I just had to apologize. I also had to say goodbye," she said, starting to stand up. "My family's moving farther west....I don't even know the town yet," Casey said, flustered. "I...I gotta go. Bye," she said, turning to run towards the door.
"Casey!" JD shouted, and she stopped. Turning, she faced him. Pain and confusion filled his eyes. Slowly he reached into his pocket and gave her a piece of paper. "I was going to give this to you sooner...it's a poem," he said quietly. Casey took the paper gingerly. She nodded, then turned once more to go. Suddenly she faced JD once more. Standing up, she kissed him gently. Surprised, JD almost lost his balance. He quickly regained his posture and quickly kissed her back. JD could taste her salty tears on his lips. He slowly pulled away from her. "Please write," he said, and Casey nodded.
"I will," she said. Before JD could say anything else, she turned and fled out into the storm.
"Goodbye," he whispered as her figure disappeared into the rain. He touched his mouth, the taste of her tears still lingering on his lips. Bewildered by what had just happened, JD sat down heavily in the chair. He was still staring at the door when Buck came over.
"Hey boy. Are you alright?" he asked quietly, figuring JD didn't need much extra attention right then.
"She's gone," was all JD could muster out. His mind was spinning in a whirlpool of emotions. Buck sat down next to JD and put a hand on his shoulder.
"I know. There are times in life when you just have to let go," Buck said. JD stared up at him, a small smile forming on his lips.
"You actually sound kind of like a father," JD said.
"Well, I guess Ezra's inspired us all," Buck said, laughing quietly. JD looked at Ezra and Anabelle talking happily. Slowly the pain seemed to leave his face.
"Casey's gone...." he said, but in much less a painful manner. Buck smiled to himself. He knew that the boy would still undergo a lot of pain from Casey's departure, but now he didn't have to worry about her. He could love Anabelle with all of his heart. Buck stood up slowly, and walked away.
"Hi Josiah, hi Nathan," Buck said, sauntering over to the table where Josiah and Nathan were sitting. "Like the weather?" he joked. Josiah and Nathan smiled.
"How's JD?" Josiah asked. Buck shrugged.
"I think he's gonna be okay. He has Anabelle here for him," Buck said.
"Still, he's going to need a lot of support and advice, especially after the recent events," Josiah said, his deep voice sounding solemn and stern. Buck could only nod, feeling more like a father then he ever had before. He looked at JD, who seemed to be getting more content by the minute. Maybe Anabelle was his cure after all.
*******
It was almost 8:00 when Anabelle walked up to the bar and ordered a whisky for her father. She considered getting one herself, but figured that this wasn't the time to inform her father of her other bad habits. As she waited for the drinks, a large man walked up to her. He was about the age of forty- something, and he was very drunk.
"Hi there preetyyy ladee," he slurred. Anabelle glanced at him once then turned away. The man grabbed her by the shoulder. "Common, le's go have a good time," he mumbled, starting to drag Anabelle away from the bar. Both JD and Ezra noticed this first, and they jumped up. Anabelle struggled in the mans grip, becoming more irritated by the second. Before Ezra or JD could do anything, Anabelle had the man on the floor and the derringer in her hand. The man started to get up but Anabelle put her foot on his chest.
"You get up now and your brains will be all over the floor," she drawled in a perfect Southern accent. Despite the fact that he was horribly drunk, the man stayed put on the floor. "Chris please escort this scum outside," she said, not taking her eyes off the drunkard for one moment. Chris came over and heaved the man to his feet. Chris smiled at Anabelle, a look of approval in his eyes. Anabelle smiled back and put the derringer back up the sleeve of her dress. After the man was disposed of outside, Ezra walked over to his daughter.
"My my Anabelle, you seemed to have learned a lot since I last saw you," Ezra said, a strange combination of admiration and sorrow in his voice. Anabelle nodded roughly at him.
"I know," she said, obviously still annoyed by the whole deal. She walked back over to the corner of the bar. Ezra started to follow him, but Vin grabbed him by the sleeve.
"No. You should leave her alone for a while," Vin said, shaking his head. Ezra was about to oppose, but he decided that maybe he should leave Anabelle alone after all. For some reason that incident with the drunkard had made her remember that life wasn't all good right then. Ezra frowned and shuffled back over to the table. Josiah sat down next to him and put an arm on the confused mans shoulder.
"After a few weeks everything will be all right," he said as Ezra downed a glass of whisky. Ezra immediately poured himself another glass.
"Yea, don't worry, everything's changing for her. She'll get accustomed to things here," Nathan said. Ezra was staring at his glass irritably. Vin watched from where he had left Ezra, and a small smile formed on his face. He knew what would be coming next.
"We'll help you, Ezra. Just follow us, and the Lord will lead us all," Josiah said. Ezra pushed his glass away and turned towards the men silently. He seemed to be controlling his annoyance with great difficulty.
"Do not walk in front of me, for I will not follow. Do not walk behind me, for I will not lead. Do not walk next to me either. Just leave me alone!" he said quietly in his beautiful accent. With that he stood up and walked over to the bar.
Buck started laughing quietly after hearing Ezra's speech. "Where does he come up with that stuff?" he asked, amused. Josiah and Nathan shrugged. They were both amused also, but they were also concerned. The thunder split the sky above the bar, and they all saw Anabelle visibly flinch. JD stood up from his seat across the bar and headed over to where Anabelle sat.
"How are you doing?" he asked. Anabelle turned to him, a small smile on her face.
"Better," she said, although JD thought she looked cold and withdrawn. "Who was that girl I saw you kiss before?" Anabelle asked, the expression on her face not changing. JD's heart plummeted to his shoes and his breath turned cold.
"Ummm....that was Casey," he said quietly. His dark eyes once again glanced at the door. "I don't think you'll be able to meet her after all. She's moving," he said.
"Oh? I'm sorry," Anabelle said, although she didn't seem very sorry.
"Anabelle, I'm sorry about that. It didn't mean anything to me, I swear," JD pleaded, and Anabelle smiled slightly.
"How do you know that it meant anything to me?" Anabelle said. JD paused, and got a confused look on his face.
"But....but I thought that you liked me," he said a little sadly. Anabelle blushed.
"I never said I didn't. What I meant was that I know you have a life, and you had one before I came here. I'd understand if you had a girlfriend. I may not be very happy...." Anabelle confessed. JD let out the breath he had been holding and smiled. Suddenly he noticed Vin looking intently him. Anabelle also looked over, then back at JD. "What?" she asked, slightly confused and worried.
"Listen Anabelle, there's something I need to tell you...." JD started, but he never got to finish his sentence. As he was talking the doors to the bar swung open and a tiny boy burst in. It was obvious that he was injured by the way he walked, and by the blood that stained his shirt. The men immediately stood up after noticing his injuries. Only Vin and Anabelle noticed the more important feature of the boy--he was black.
"Robbie!" Anabelle practically screamed. She leapt out of the chair and ran over to the sobbing boy. JD jumped up but fell over Anabelle's fallen boy. "Robbie, what happened? Where are the others?" Anabelle asked frantically. Ezra and Vin were by her side instantly, but they couldn't understand what the boy said in response. All they knew was that it disturbed Anabelle very much. She jumped up and raced for the door.
"Anabelle wait!!" Ezra said nervously. Anabelle turned around quickly.
"This boy belongs to the family that was taken hostage in the coach. I've got to go save them," Anabelle said over her shoulder. There was a flash of lightening, and then she disappeared into the rain.
*******
"Anabelle!" Ezra's cry echoed inside the silent bar. The thunder rumbled in response, the air sharp with electric and sticky with the feel of dread. There was a strange fear building in Ezra's stomach, and his green eyes flashed wildly. "I've got to go after her," he breathed. As he jumped up Josiah reached forward and grabbed the gambler's shoulder.
"No Ezra. It's too dangerous. Maybe in a half an hour...." Josiah said, glancing at the raging storm outside. Ezra shook his head violently.
"I already lost one of them to the storm. I will not loose another one," Ezra said rather forcefully. The sentence had mystified the others aside from Vin, but they all sensed the urgency in his voice. Six heads turned to Chris, searching for some leadership.
"JD you'll stay here and guard the town," Chris said. JD started to protest but Chris turned on his with eyes of steel. "It's for your own good," he said sternly, then he turned to the others. "Lets ride."
*******
"Hey Nathan, can put this bale of hay on that stack?" Anabelle asked, breathing hard. Nathan walked over, a strange look on his face.
"Why me?" he asked, and Anabelle looked up in surprise.
"I don't see anyone else around, do you?" she asked. Nathan frowned but lifted the bale onto the stack.
"There," he said shortly. As he walked away Anabelle heard him say something about "southern propers" and "master". Suddenly it hit her, and she ran after him.
"Wait! Nathan wait!" she shouted, grabbing his arm. "Is that what this is about?" she asked, searching his eyes. He shook his head, but she saw right through him. "Come here," she said, leading him over to the hay. Sitting down, Anabelle faced him. "Are you upset with me because I'm a white southern lady?" she asked, and Nathan turned away.
"No. I'm sorry for being so rude before ma'am," he said, truely ashamed. Anabelle smiled gently at the man.
"It's okay," she said, but Nathan cut her off.
"No it isn't. I'm sorry to admit, but Ezra's not my favorite person in the world. I automatically thought that you were just like him. To make things worse, I've had some bad experiences..." Nathan trailed off.
"Ah. You could've been qualified for Operation Stella?" Anabelle asked. Nathan gave her a confused look. Smiling, Anabelle touched Nathan's shoulder. "Believe it of not, Nanna and I had a steady home back in Georgia. We lived on a plantation, although we didn't own it. Pretty soon we noticed that most of the blacks on the plantation were being abused, except for our friends and fellow landowners, the Karlens.
"My best friend in the world is Jeremey Karlen, a boy about my age. Together we convinced Nanna to buy the slaves who were in the worst condition. Then Jeremey and I would tend to them, and get them fixed up and healthy. Once they could get along on their own, we would free them.
"We were able to save a lot of slaves that way, except for one tiny girl of about 4 years of age. Her name was Stella. After only a few days in our care she died. So, we named out little project Operation Stella after her," Anabelle said. During her little speech Nathan had gotten misty-eyed.
"Do you mean to tell me that all this while you've been devoting your life to saving blacks?" he asked, a little dumbfounded. Anabelle nodded. Nathan was about to say something else when Chris called.
"Hey Nathan. We've got to ride," he called, heading for his horse. Nathan stood up and ran over to his horse, waving goodbye to Anabelle. Anabelle stood up, worried.
"What's wrong?" she called, seeing her father running towards her.
"Apparently we've encountered a kidnapping of a black family. They were on their way into town when some men took over their coach," Ezra said. "You stay here!" he said firmly as he mounted his horse. Tipping his hat, he rode after the other men. Turning around Anabelle saw Buck sitting outside the newspaper office.
"Do they always do that?" she asked, watching the five men ride off. JD walked up and nodded.
"Yup. Usually we all go, but Chris wanted someone to stay and watch the town in case one of those men comes here," JD explained. Suddenly a blond haired woman walked out of the office. She looked at Anabelle and then at the paper she was holding.
"Are you Leslie...Star?" the lady asked, and Anabelle nodded.
"My real name is Anabelle Standish," she said, shaking the woman's hand.
"Hi. I'm Mary Travis," she said, giving Anabelle the letter. "Wait. Did you say you were Anabelle....Standish?" Mary asked, confused. Buck laughed.
"We'll explain it to you later," he said. Mary nodded, looking at Anabelle.
"Is she related to Ezra?" Mary asked quietly, and Buck nodded.
Suddenly Anabelle gasped. JD and Buck looked up in alarm.
"What's wrong?" JD asked, seeing the look of horror in Anabelle's eyes.
"Who was in the coach again?" Anabelle asked quietly, staring at the letter.
"Umm...I think a family of blacks, why?" JD answered. Anabelle didn't answer. Instead, she dropped letter and ran towards the stable and a break- neck speed. "Anabelle!" JD shouted, starting to run after her. Buck stopped him.
"Wait JD. What does the letter say?" Buck asked. JD picked up the letter and his eyes scanned it. When Buck saw the boy's face turn white, Buck grabbed the paper and read--
Dear Anabelle~
How are you? We're all fine back home. Operation Stella is going well. I hope everything's alright where you are.
It sure felt strange writing that other name on the letter. I hope this got to you, not to some other person. Oh well.
Oh, by the way...me and the family are coming out to Four Corners later this week. Hope to see you there!
Love, Jeremy Karlen
Buck stared at the letter in shock and surprise.
"You don't think that it could be the same people, do you?" JD asked, and Buck shrugged.
"I'm not sure, it could be," he said, glancing at Mary. "Hey, you can't tell by this handwriting can you?" he asked, and Mary smiled slightly.
"No," she said. Hoof beats sounded, coming closer. JD looked up in time to see Anabelle gallop by on Ace. Buck jumped up and shouted at her.
"Forget it," JD said, grabbing Buck's arm. "I'm going to ride after her," he said. Buck started to protest, but JD ignored him.
"It's pointless," Mary told him. Buck looked up at her in surprise. "Didn't you see the look in his eyes?" she asked, and Buck shook his head dumbfounded. "He really likes her," Mary said.
"What about Casey?" Buck asked. Mary shook her head.
"I don't think JD's forgotten about her. It's just that, well, ever since that incident with the robbery Casey just hasn't been the same towards him. Anway, I don't think Casey's going to be an object much longer," Mary said the last line under her breath. Buck nodded slightly.
"That's right, her and Miss Annie were good friends. I wonder if JD told Anabelle about it," Buck mused, staring off after the boy. JD came riding up on his horse.
"I'm going after her. I don't want her going after those men by herself," JD said.
"Well, I hope you can find her soon," Buck said, his eyes scanning the horizon. "I think there's a storm coming in," he said. JD glanced at it quickly but shrugged.
"Don't worry Buck. I'll be back soon," he said before spurring his horse. Mary put her hands on Buck's shoulders as he watched the boy ride off.
"God I hope he doesn't do anything stupid out there," Buck said. Mary was about to ask like what, but she thought better of it. Although JD had learned a lot from his time with the six other men, he was still young and inexperienced.
"Anyway, Anabelle's related to Ezra?" Mary asked in disbelief. Buck nodded. "Our gambling Ezra?" she asked, and Buck nodded again. "The one who just went strolling through town in nothing but a tablecloth because he lost everything else he had to another gambler?" Mary asked, and Buck nodded again. "Tell me, how is she related?" Mary asked.
"She's his daughter," Buck said. Mary was silent for a moment, her mouth open.
"His daughter. That nice girl is Ezra's daughter?" she asked, and Buck laughed.
"Geez Mary, Ezra isn't that bad of a guy," he said then was silent. Looking at Mary he burst out laughing. "God, I can't believe I just said that!" Buck exclaimed. Mary smiled.
"Well, you're right. I shouldn't be making his sound like such a bad guy," she said. Thunder rolled in the distance, and Buck looked up in worry. Mary caught the look. "Don't worry, JD'll be alright," she said. Buck nodded, but his eyes stayed worried as she walked away.
*******
JD trotted his horse down the trail, looking for any signs of Anabelle. Suddenly he could see a pair of hoof prints off to his right, and he turned his horse. They looked fresh, and he hoped they belonged to Ace.
"Anabelle!" he called out. There was no answer except for the rumble of thunder in the distance. JD called out again, and this time he thought he heard hooves farther ahead of his. He kicked his horse into a gallop, praying that it was Anabelle and that she was alright. As his horse closed in on the rider his heart filled with relief as he saw the black horse slowing quickly. It was Anabelle, but she didn't seem happy to see him.
"What are you doing here?" she asked JD coldly as he pulled his horse up next to hers.
"There's a storm coming in you have to get back to town," JD said over the rumbling thunder. Anabelle stared off at the clouds with dark eyes.
"I've been through worse," she said quietly and simply. She started to urge Ace forward, but JD reached out and grabbed her arm. Anabelle could feel the fear in his grip.
"Please Anabelle. I don't want you out here all alone. Come back to town. You can spend some time with your father," JD said, and Anabelle seemed to relent a little.
"But what about my friends?" she asked, looking off in the distance again.
"Don't worry about them. The coach won't be able to go anywhere in this storm. We'll head out to look for them in the morning," JD said. Anabelle's face was creased with worry, but she turned Ace around. JD sighed in relief and turned around his horse also. They rode the way back in silence, Anabelle seeming too tense to speak.
When they arrived into town, Anabelle saw her father standing outside the bar with Vin. She quickly dismounted Ace, asking JD to put him away for her. When JD nodded, Anabelle raced over to Ezra. She hugged him tightly. Seeming a bit surprised by the action, Ezra put his arms around her.
"There there, it's alright my dear. Now whatever in the world is bothering you?" he asked, his green eyes filled with concern.
"The people on that coach are some of my best friends in the world. Please tell me their alright," Anabelle said with a quavering voice. She looked from Ezra to Vin, hoping to find some form of confidence in their faces.
"I found a trail, but we didn't reach them. We'll search for them tomorrow, if the rain doesn't keep up," Vin said. Hearing the thunder rumble again was more than Anabelle could bear, and she tore out of her fathers grip. Tears running down her face, she raced up into her room and locked the door.
*******
1.9 Part 5: One Fateful Night
1.10 [pic]
JD ran across the road, holding up his jacket to try and keep Anabelle dry. JD and Ezra had finally convinced her to come out of her room. Although neither of them had seen the slightest hint of a smile on her face, they knew she was feeling better by the way she acted.
"Hi Anabelle," Vin said as she walked in. Wringing out her hair, she nodded at him.
"Hey Vin," she said. "Anything new?" Anabelle asked, and Vin shrugged.
"Nothing really," he answered. "I think Mary might want t'talk t'you about writing something for the newspaper though," Vin said, and Anabelle looked up curiously.
"She runs a newspaper?" Anabelle asked, and Vin nodded. "I'll think about it," Anabelle shrugged. She walked over to where her father sat, and they began talking.
"Looks like they're finally trying to catch up," JD said to Vin, and he nodded. "I wonder why they don't spend more time together," JD mused.
"It seems like they both have a lot on their minds right now," Vin said, and JD snorted.
"Like what?" he asked.
"Well, Ezra has t'become accustomed to having a daughter again. Likewise with Anabelle. Also, it seems that something else has caught her eye too," Vin said, glancing quickly at JD. He didn't catch the glance, but he still caught the meaning.
"It doesn't matter, she's Ezra's daughter," JD said a quietly. Vin looked at the boy, silent. "I mean, even if anything did happen between us, she'd find out things about me from Ezra," JD said, taking off his hat and running his hands through his hair. "It's pointless."
"Why don't you tell her yourself?" Vin suggested.
"Tell her? That's crazy," JD said, dismissing the idea.
"Why? She'll find out eventually, and I think she'll take it better from you," Vin said quietly as JD walked past. The boy paused but continued walking to the table where Buck and Chris sat. Chris handed JD a glass.
"I heard you and Vin talking," he said. JD frowned deeply.
"Does everyone have to know about my personal life?" he asked, his voice sharp. He was obviously disturbed by the whole subject. Chris watched him from under the black rim of his hat.
"If it involves the daughter of one of our friends, we sure do," he said quietly. JD pushed the glass away and stood up briskly. He opened his mouth to say something, but got tongue-tied. Finally, he just turned and stalked over to the bar. Chris turned to Buck. "I'm worried about him," Chris said sternly and frankly. "This is the first time he's had a really good friend aside from us since the accident. If he tells Anabelle what happened, he may loose that friend."
"I doubt it. Anabelle seems too kind," Buck said. Still, deep in his heart something disturbed him. Anabelle had seemed strangely cold ever since that letter had arrived. Something was wrong, and JD seemed to be walking right into it.
*******
The rain pounded on the window as Anabelle sat quietly in the corner of the bar. Watching her stare quietly out the window, Ezra walked over to her.
"Hello my dear. How are you feeling?" he asked, pulling up a chair next to her. Anabelle shrugged and didn't turn her head away from the window. "Those people we were looking for were those friends you mentioned before, weren't they?" Ezra asked, and she nodded. "Oh, Anna....." Ezra started to say, but couldn't think of how to finish the sentence. He was too inexperienced with this sort of thing.
"Don't worry I'll be okay. You don't have to say anything," Anabelle said, as if she was reading his mind. She turned to face him, and saw confusion in his eyes. "What is it?" she asked, worried.
"Nothing really. I'm just wondering how...."Ezra started, but stopped. Anabelle nodded knowingly.
"You're wondering how you're going to be able to care foe me and still lead your current life," Anabelle finished for him. Her fathers eyes widened in surprise.
"How did you know....?" he asked, astonished and ashamed that his daughter had figured out what he was thinking.
"I've seen it in your eyes ever since you first saw me. Don't worry, I'm not offended. I can take care of myself....we can take care of each other," Anabelle said softly, showing the first smile that her father had seen all night. Suddenly a wave of emotions swept over him and Ezra reached out to hug Anabelle. She was a little surprised by this sudden show of emotion from her father, but she welcomed the hug gladly. It was good to feel his strong arms around her....for once she felt protected.
"I missed you so much!" Ezra whispered into her ear, and Anabelle smiled.
"I've missed you too. But now that we're back together, we don't have to miss each other anymore," she said, pulling away from him. "We can have fun," she said, smiling again. Ezra laughed.
"Maybe we can skip the tea parties?" he asked teasingly. Anabelle blushing slightly and nodded.
"Yes, those can definitely go," she laughed. They quieted down for a few seconds, then looked at each other and burst out giggling. It felt wonderful to be a family again.
JD saw Anabelle laughing with her father from the other side of the bar. He twirled his glass around, sitting desolately at an empty table, his hat sitting upside down on it. Suddenly things were confusing for him. He recognized his feelings for Anabelle, but he didn't know how she felt about him. If that wasn't enough to wonder about, he wasn't sure how Casey felt about him either.
Just then a brown haired girl sauntered into the bar, soaking wet from the rain. JD looked up sharply, surprised to see her there.
"Casey!" he called, seeing the girl turn towards him. Her stare gave him butterflies in his stomach, and for a second he considered walking away. Casey glanced at him quickly, then looked away. But after a few seconds she walked up to him.
"Hi JD," she said, sitting down across from him. She gave him a small smile, but her face didn't have the same glow as it used to.
"Hi Casey. I haven't seen you around here much lately," JD observed, and Casey nodded.
"Yeah, I've been pretty busy," she said. "I guess I kind of missed it around here though," she said, glancing quickly at JD. He didn't catch her underlying meaning, and he laughed out loud.
"You sure have! You missed the appearance of Ezra's daughter...." JD started, but stopped. He realized that there was no way he could explain Anabelle to Casey.
"What?" Casey asked. She didn't seem to be paying a lot of attention to JD. Instead, she was looking over on the other side of the bar.
"Nothing," JD said, a little relived that Casey hadn't heard what he said about Anabelle. Still, Casey didn't seem to be registering anything he said. "Casey?" he asked. When she didn't respond, JD followed her gaze across the bar. There was nothing there, except for the window. Even then there was nothing to really look at. "Casey," JD said, tapping her on the shoulder. Casey turned around, but she had tears in her eyes. "Casey, what's wrong?" JD asked, alarmed. Casey just shook her head and put it down on the table. Not sure of what he should do, JD paused a moment before putting a hand on her shoulder. "Casey, tell me what's wrong," he said gently. "I'll understand," he said, and Casey lifted her head slowly.
"I'm sorry I was so mean to you after that incident with the bank.....I just had to apologize. I also had to say goodbye," she said, starting to stand up. "My family's moving farther west....I don't even know the town yet," Casey said, flustered. "I...I gotta go. Bye," she said, turning to run towards the door.
"Casey!" JD shouted, and she stopped. Turning, she faced him. Pain and confusion filled his eyes. Slowly he reached into his pocket and gave her a piece of paper. "I was going to give this to you sooner...it's a poem," he said quietly. Casey took the paper gingerly. She nodded, then turned once more to go. Suddenly she faced JD once more. Standing up, she kissed him gently. Surprised, JD almost lost his balance. He quickly regained his posture and quickly kissed her back. JD could taste her salty tears on his lips. He slowly pulled away from her. "Please write," he said, and Casey nodded.
"I will," she said. Before JD could say anything else, she turned and fled out into the storm.
"Goodbye," he whispered as her figure disappeared into the rain. He touched his mouth, the taste of her tears still lingering on his lips. Bewildered by what had just happened, JD sat down heavily in the chair. He was still staring at the door when Buck came over.
"Hey boy. Are you alright?" he asked quietly, figuring JD didn't need much extra attention right then.
"She's gone," was all JD could muster out. His mind was spinning in a whirlpool of emotions. Buck sat down next to JD and put a hand on his shoulder.
"I know. There are times in life when you just have to let go," Buck said. JD stared up at him, a small smile forming on his lips.
"You actually sound kind of like a father," JD said.
"Well, I guess Ezra's inspired us all," Buck said, laughing quietly. JD looked at Ezra and Anabelle talking happily. Slowly the pain seemed to leave his face.
"Casey's gone...." he said, but in much less a painful manner. Buck smiled to himself. He knew that the boy would still undergo a lot of pain from Casey's departure, but now he didn't have to worry about her. He could love Anabelle with all of his heart. Buck stood up slowly, and walked away.
"Hi Josiah, hi Nathan," Buck said, sauntering over to the table where Josiah and Nathan were sitting. "Like the weather?" he joked. Josiah and Nathan smiled.
"How's JD?" Josiah asked. Buck shrugged.
"I think he's gonna be okay. He has Anabelle here for him," Buck said.
"Still, he's going to need a lot of support and advice, especially after the recent events," Josiah said, his deep voice sounding solemn and stern. Buck could only nod, feeling more like a father then he ever had before. He looked at JD, who seemed to be getting more content by the minute. Maybe Anabelle was his cure after all.
*******
It was almost 8:00 when Anabelle walked up to the bar and ordered a whisky for her father. She considered getting one herself, but figured that this wasn't the time to inform her father of her other bad habits. As she waited for the drinks, a large man walked up to her. He was about the age of forty- something, and he was very drunk.
"Hi there preetyyy ladee," he slurred. Anabelle glanced at him once then turned away. The man grabbed her by the shoulder. "Common, le's go have a good time," he mumbled, starting to drag Anabelle away from the bar. Both JD and Ezra noticed this first, and they jumped up. Anabelle struggled in the mans grip, becoming more irritated by the second. Before Ezra or JD could do anything, Anabelle had the man on the floor and the derringer in her hand. The man started to get up but Anabelle put her foot on his chest.
"You get up now and your brains will be all over the floor," she drawled in a perfect Southern accent. Despite the fact that he was horribly drunk, the man stayed put on the floor. "Chris please escort this scum outside," she said, not taking her eyes off the drunkard for one moment. Chris came over and heaved the man to his feet. Chris smiled at Anabelle, a look of approval in his eyes. Anabelle smiled back and put the derringer back up the sleeve of her dress. After the man was disposed of outside, Ezra walked over to his daughter.
"My my Anabelle, you seemed to have learned a lot since I last saw you," Ezra said, a strange combination of admiration and sorrow in his voice. Anabelle nodded roughly at him.
"I know," she said, obviously still annoyed by the whole deal. She walked back over to the corner of the bar. Ezra started to follow him, but Vin grabbed him by the sleeve.
"No. You should leave her alone for a while," Vin said, shaking his head. Ezra was about to oppose, but he decided that maybe he should leave Anabelle alone after all. For some reason that incident with the drunkard had made her remember that life wasn't all good right then. Ezra frowned and shuffled back over to the table. Josiah sat down next to him and put an arm on the confused mans shoulder.
"After a few weeks everything will be all right," he said as Ezra downed a glass of whisky. Ezra immediately poured himself another glass.
"Yea, don't worry, everything's changing for her. She'll get accustomed to things here," Nathan said. Ezra was staring at his glass irritably. Vin watched from where he had left Ezra, and a small smile formed on his face. He knew what would be coming next.
"We'll help you, Ezra. Just follow us, and the Lord will lead us all," Josiah said. Ezra pushed his glass away and turned towards the men silently. He seemed to be controlling his annoyance with great difficulty.
"Do not walk in front of me, for I will not follow. Do not walk behind me, for I will not lead. Do not walk next to me either. Just leave me alone!" he said quietly in his beautiful accent. With that he stood up and walked over to the bar.
Buck started laughing quietly after hearing Ezra's speech. "Where does he come up with that stuff?" he asked, amused. Josiah and Nathan shrugged. They were both amused also, but they were also concerned. The thunder split the sky above the bar, and they all saw Anabelle visibly flinch. JD stood up from his seat across the bar and headed over to where Anabelle sat.
"How are you doing?" he asked. Anabelle turned to him, a small smile on her face.
"Better," she said, although JD thought she looked cold and withdrawn. "Who was that girl I saw you kiss before?" Anabelle asked, the expression on her face not changing. JD's heart plummeted to his shoes and his breath turned cold.
"Ummm....that was Casey," he said quietly. His dark eyes once again glanced at the door. "I don't think you'll be able to meet her after all. She's moving," he said.
"Oh? I'm sorry," Anabelle said, although she didn't seem very sorry.
"Anabelle, I'm sorry about that. It didn't mean anything to me, I swear," JD pleaded, and Anabelle smiled slightly.
"How do you know that it meant anything to me?" Anabelle said. JD paused, and got a confused look on his face.
"But....but I thought that you liked me," he said a little sadly. Anabelle blushed.
"I never said I didn't. What I meant was that I know you have a life, and you had one before I came here. I'd understand if you had a girlfriend. I may not be very happy...." Anabelle confessed. JD let out the breath he had been holding and smiled. Suddenly he noticed Vin looking intently him. Anabelle also looked over, then back at JD. "What?" she asked, slightly confused and worried.
"Listen Anabelle, there's something I need to tell you...." JD started, but he never got to finish his sentence. As he was talking the doors to the bar swung open and a tiny boy burst in. It was obvious that he was injured by the way he walked, and by the blood that stained his shirt. The men immediately stood up after noticing his injuries. Only Vin and Anabelle noticed the more important feature of the boy--he was black.
"Robbie!" Anabelle practically screamed. She leapt out of the chair and ran over to the sobbing boy. JD jumped up but fell over Anabelle's fallen boy. "Robbie, what happened? Where are the others?" Anabelle asked frantically. Ezra and Vin were by her side instantly, but they couldn't understand what the boy said in response. All they knew was that it disturbed Anabelle very much. She jumped up and raced for the door.
"Anabelle wait!!" Ezra said nervously. Anabelle turned around quickly.
"This boy belongs to the family that was taken hostage in the coach. I've got to go save them," Anabelle said over her shoulder. There was a flash of lightening, and then she disappeared into the rain.
*******
"Anabelle!" Ezra's cry echoed inside the silent bar. The thunder rumbled in response, the air sharp with electric and sticky with the feel of dread. There was a strange fear building in Ezra's stomach, and his green eyes flashed wildly. "I've got to go after her," he breathed. As he jumped up Josiah reached forward and grabbed the gambler's shoulder.
"No Ezra. It's too dangerous. Maybe in a half an hour...." Josiah said, glancing at the raging storm outside. Ezra shook his head violently.
"I already lost one of them to the storm. I will not loose another one," Ezra said rather forcefully. The sentence had mystified the others aside from Vin, but they all sensed the urgency in his voice. Six heads turned to Chris, searching for some leadership.
"JD you'll stay here and guard the town," Chris said. JD started to protest but Chris turned on his with eyes of steel. "It's for your own good," he said sternly, then he turned to the others. "Lets ride."
*******