*Author's Note*
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Brawls & Confrontations With Kin
Cap POV:
After breakfast I kissed my wife goddbye and went over to the main house to talk to pa 'bout Selkirk and how Johnse most likely had a hand in it, indirectly, cause of his McCoy wife. When I got to the house ma was cleanin' up from breakfast while the chil'ren were off playin'. Robert E. saddlin' his horse outside while pa, Uncle Jim, and Uncle Lias were grabbin' there coats and hat, makin' ready to leave.
"Sit down, I got some news." I ordered, my voice a bit deep and hard.
Pa nodded while pointin' to the table an' sayin', "Come on, let's here what Cap's gotta say."
Silently all of us men took a seat at the table. Leanin' an elbow on the table, I just told everyone, "Selkirk got taken in by Bad Frank and Moses to Pikeville's jail late last night."
"How? Selkirk was incognito." Pa asked, hard lookin' face showin' trances of shock on it, as he lean forward a bit in his chair.
"Moses says Nancy McCoy was up in Bad Frank's room with him, told him 'bout Selkirk." I revealed, knowin' it was gonna rile up everyone in the kitchen.
"Goddamn, that nasty bitch's spyin' wit' Johnse's help." Uncle Jim spat out, hatred oozin' out of his mouth.
"Johnse's no Judas, he wouldn't betray our family." Mama defended my brother as she scrubbed a breakfast skillet in the kitchen sink.
"Levicy, if there's a chance-" Pa began only to get cut off by my ma's shriekin' snap of, "Johnse's not responsible for what happened to Selkirk. The boy must be mistook, there's no way Johnse'd tell Nancy confidential things, things for her to hurt us with."
"That boy ain't mistook. He's smart for his age." Uncle Jim spoke up, defending my brother in law.
"I trust Moses' word." So far everythin' he told us was true. I trusted his judgement over Johnse's right now. "He says he saw it with his own eyes. Nancy walked downstairs followed by Bad Frank who then told him he found out where to pick Selkirk up at."
A scowl appeared on ma's face as she shook her head while furiously scrubbin' out the dirty cookpot in the sink. "I don't believe it. Ain't Johnse's fault; he didn't tell his McCoy hussy nothin'." Ma was so far in denial it. "Moses is mistook a woman for Nancy's all."
One of Lias' brows rose up past his hairline. The look on his face revealed that he believed Moses saw Nancy and that ma was just blinded by love for her baby. Of course, I knew that he wasn't gonna say a word tho. Mama could be a real hardened bitch when it came to her chil'ren; her family.
"Johnse's apart of this family. Unless we got hard evidence, he's gonna be involved in our affairs." Of course, pa'd say that, he's too scared of ma to go up 'gainst her baby. "Time t'get to work." Pa sighed, risin' from the table.
Lias, Uncle Jim, and me just nodded and rose to our feet. Silently we followed pa out the door, knowin' we had work that needed done.
Novella POV:
Since it was early down town Mate Creek wasn't too full yet. I had some things to pick up from the general store and found it easier to go in the mornin', that way I'd have the rest of my day for chores an' cookin'. Anna didn't mind comin' to town this mornin', but she knew that I'd get her somethin' from the bakery so that's the main reason why she enjoyed mornin' trips to town.
"Mama, are we gonna go to the bakery now?" Anna asked as we walked out of the general store. I was holdin' her hand since she was so young, my basket looped onto my other arm, as we walked towards our wagon.
"Of course, we are, sweetie." I smiled as we stopped at the wagon.
Placin' my basket into the back of the wagon I heard Anna ask, "Can I get a fritter? An apple one?"
She loved apple fritters, they were on of her favorite things at the bakery. I knew she'd ask for it. Either that or a jelly filled donut.
I took Anna's hand in mine and started to lead us to the nearby bakery down the road. With a smile, I offered, "How 'bout we buy a box of them so pa can have one when he gets home later t'night."
"Okay, mama." She nodded as we got closer to the bakery. "Is pa gonna be workin' late?"
"No, he'll be goin' to the tavern after work with Uncle Jim and Uncle Lias to play cards for a bit. He won't be out too late tho." I explained as we walked up the bakery's walkway and then to the entrance.
"Okay." Anna simply said as I opened the bakery door, causing the chime on it to go off.
A dark-haired woman at the bread counter looked over her shoulder to see who came in, revealin' her identity to be Nancy McCoy. I cut my eyes at her while placin' my hand on my daughter's shoulder, guidin' her over to the pastry display. I honestly wasn't in the mood to deal with that black hearted woman today.
"Novella, dear, it warms my heart so to see you and Rihanna doin' so well." Nancy told me in her overly sweet and deadly tone, walkin' over to me with a newly purchased loaf of bread in her small handbasket. Who's she kiddin', nothin', but the death of Hatfields, could warm her heart.
"My daughter's name's Anna, not Rihanna." I corrected my estranged cousin turned sister-in-law while my daughter eyed up the row of fritters in the pastry display case. Thank god her bad ear was towards Nancy, I didn't need her recognizin' her former name.
"Oh, I wasn't aware of that. Johnse never told me."
"Why would he? I imagine if it's not a location on a Hatfield fugitive you haven't the mind to ask him 'bout it."
"I heard bout cousin Selkirk just this mornin' when I come to town for groceries." Nancy lied in a desperate attempt to get me to believe her.
"You might be good at hoodwinkin' Johnse, but I ain't no fool. I might've been born at night, but not last last." Nany straightened her posture a bit while tightenin' her grip on her breadbasket. Clearly, my words were strikin' a nerve with her and she was tryin' hard not to let it show. Narrowin' my eyes at her I hissed, "I know it was you that turned in Selkirk so don't act concerned t'me. Save it for somebody dumb 'nough t'buy it."
Nancy took a deep breath, to regain her compusre, 'fore tellin' me in her sickly sweet tone, "Novella, I see you've gotten a bit hostile since Tolbert's death and your remarryin' Cap. You shouldn't be directin' your hatred at me, we're sister's now and should get 'long."
"You might've married Johnse, but you ain't no sister of mine." I meant it to, she'd never be my sister. I'd rather get mauled by a mountain lion then claim Nancy as a sister. "I can't stand you and your fake sweetness hidin' your double-edged sword of a tongue. You steer clear of me and mine, you hear me."
"Did your husband tell ya that him and his ol' coot uncle killed my brother; bashed my face in." Nancy gritted thru her teeth, her sweet facade crumblin' as her black eyes burned with a red hot ragin' hate in them.
"Too bad Cap didn't let Uncle Jim beat ya t'death. Would've prevented a lot o'problems for a lotta people." I smiled, barrin' my pearly whites at the shrew.
"At least my brother was loyal t'me til the end. Your's is Bad Frank Phillips personal deputy, helpin' get the ones on the bounty list." Dumbass, if she knew anythin' she'd know that Perry Cline made Moses become Bad Frank's deputy. MY brother wasn't doin' backflips t'get that job.
"Don't throw my brother up in my face, Nancy." I ordered in a low snarl, gettin' nose to nose with the nasty woman I once considered a friend a lifetime ago.
"Moses is loyal to the McCoys, but it seems you've got a misguided sense that his half-blooded tie to you means somethin'." Nancy told me with a sinister lined smile on her face.
I knew that she was tryin' to bait me; that I had to play it off and act like I haven't heard from my brother since I moved in with Cap. I might be mad at the bitch, but I do think 'fore I speak unlike her. "Well, not all of us can have a brother that'll follow us blindly down the rabbit hole."
"You've been thru so much, I think you should accept my friendship and sisterhood."
"No, I don't think I should. But I think you should leave me an' mine 'lone."
"I see you're expectin', congratulations." Dear lord, she didn't know when to quit did she? She was very persistant, like a dog with a damn bone.
"Don't act like you're happy I'm pregnant considerin' that you almost cost me and my husband our daughter." Nancy's face fell, her eyes flitterin' 'tween me and Anna, who was nibblin' on a free cookie the baker's son gave her while she waited patiently for me to finish tellin' off Nancy. It was clear to me that my remark made Nancy think that Anna was truly me and Cap's. That was fine with me considerin' Cap's always been more of a father to Anna then Tolbert ever was. Cuttin' her down with my cornflower blues I suggested, "I think it's time you took your purchase and go on t'do other errands, Miss McCoy."
Nancy's egg-shaped face was 'bout to crack as she curtly nodded, her eyes slightly narrowin' at me. It was clear that she was insulted by my remarks, but I really didn't give two shits. Good, I'm glad that I got under her skin. She ought'a be lucky we're in the bakery cause if we were alone in Johnse's cabin, oh boy I would've slapped the fake sweetness outta her.
"I'm sorry for keepin' ya waitin', Mr. Briar." I apologized to the baker for the hold up, not feelin' ashamed even tho on some level I s'pose I should.
"No need for apologies. I understand y'where havin' words with Johnse's new wife." The baker told me, bitterly spattin' out the last word of his sentence. Hmm, seems he can't stand that bitch either.
Placin' a hand on my daughter's shoulder I looked at the baker and smiled, "We'll take a half dozen box of apple fritters, please."
Cap POV:
The tavern was lit up by wall scones and table candles. Men drank and laughed, played cards and checkers at their tables too. Whores slauntered up to their regular customers, flirtin' and tryin' to strike up business. Mira, the poor whore that was madly in love with Johnse, was sulkin' at the bar as she watched the door with half hopeful eyes. I was sittin' at a table near the stairs in the back with Uncle Jim and Lias. Me and Jim were playin' poker while Lias played a tune on his ukulele.
"So, these twins gonna get born close t'Anna's birthday I reckon?" Uncle Jim asked, downin' a shot of whiskey, 'fore tossin' a coin into the winnin's pot.
"Yep." I nodded, tossin' a coin in as well 'fore grabbin' my cigar from the ashtray near my glass.
"So, thought of any names yet?" Jim asked, tossin' a card into the pile and grabbin' one to replace it.
"Nova brought it up the other night. We're gonna name one after me, but other than that…"
"Better figure it out, don't wanna give one of my nephews a half-assed name the last minute." Uncle Jim told me, pourin' himself some whiskey. Lia just chuckled, shook his head, and continued to play his catchy tune.
I just shook my head, tossed a quarter into the pile in the middle of the table, and took a drag off my cigar. Jim let out a chuckle, swayin' to the tune Lias was playin', and matched my bet. A knock sounded at the door of the tavern, which was locked for safety reasons, causin' Alex Messer, who was on guard duty, to peek out the window. "It's Johnse." Alex announced, goin' over to the door to open it.
The doors banged open with a loud crash, causin' Alex to fall over, as Johnse stepped inside lookin' 'round the room with a crazed look on his face. I think he was drunk cause he looked disheveled, his shirt was half tucked in and only one suspender was slung over his shoulder. Johnse's clear blue eyes found our table, his jaw twitchin'. Quickly, my brother marched over to the table. Without warning he stopped right where Mr. Howles was layin' at and kicked the dog, sendin' it flyin' into the wall with a loud yip. Poor dog.
Rage shone in Uncle Jim's eyes as he jumped up from the table. "Ya crazy, boy?!" He asked Johnse, grabbin' him by the collar and slammin' him into the wall with a brute force.
Don't ever mess with Uncle Jim's dog, that's a death wish.
Johnse hit Jim which then caused my uncle to hit him back. Johnse pushed Jim 'way from him, causin' our uncle to grab him and knock him into the bar. Cog jumped back from the bar as the glasses and bottles fell off the bar top with loud crashes.
I downed a shot of whiskey, watchin' my brother fight with our uncle. I must say that watchin' their brawl's very entertainin'. Funny part is I had no idea why Johnse singled Uncle Jim out for.
"Whoa…" I let out, takin' a drag off my cigar, as they knocked over the card table while exchangin' swings with each other.
Lias just shook his head, let out a huff, and rolled his eyes. Seems that the fight was gettin' on his nerves. Everyone in the tavern was watchin' the fight. Hell, a whore in her shift even came downstairs to watch the fight after hearin' the commotion. Mira was watchin' the fight with wide and concerned eyes, clearly her soft spot for Johnse was makin' her worried for him.
Suddenly Johnse stuck his thumbs in Uncle Jim's eyes, tryin' to gorge 'em out, causin' him to let out a howl 'fore grabbin' my brother and tryin' to choke him out. Strugglin' with each other they landed right onto a checkerboard table, knockin' it over and causin' the men playin' to jump back startled.
"Cap, let's get 'em." Lias patted my shoulder as I stood by him, watchin' Johnse and Uncle Jim try and kill each other. I looked at Lias, nodded, and then stormed off to pull my brother off of our uncle.
"A'ight, this is over." I declared, grabbin' Johnse and yankin' him off of Jim. Johnse's drunk ass knocked us both over.
Lias managed to get Jim over to a chair in a nearby corner while Johnse struggled 'gainst my hold. Alex Messer came over and grabbed onto Johnse's shoulder, helpin' me restrain him as I held my brother in a loose chokehold.
"Nancy says ya damn near raped her!" Johnse screamed, tryin' to wiggle free and go attack Jim. Dear lord, this is all over that McCoy hussy he married. Of course it is…
"That's a goddamn lie!" Uncle Jim lunged towards Johnse, only to get shoved back into his chair by Lias. Lias pointed at Jim, warnin' him to stay put. "That bitch came at me first." Jim told Johnse as Lia took off to the bar, to grab some whiskey shots no doubt.
"Careful, that's my wife you're takin' 'bout." Johnse warned in a snap, still tryin' to free himself from me an' Alex's hold.
"Johnse, calm down. You're drunk." I spat, lookin' down at him a bit sternly. Johnse was pissin' me off now.
"Only way I can come here's likkered up. I hate goin' up gainst my family." My brother let out in a whine, slumpin' a bit in defeat.
Lookin' down at my brother I told him the hard truth of, "Johnse, Uncle Jim's right. Nancy came after him, started whippin' him wit' a cowstail."
"She nearly took my eye out." Jim turned his head, pointin' to the deep red line that cut into his face from the corner of his eye down to his jawline. Mimicickin' a yankin' move with his hand, Jim said, "I had'a jerk that thing outta her hand t'save myself." Lias returned to Jim'as side, givin' him a shot glass 'fore takin' a seat next to him with his own glass. "I'm sorry, Johns, but ya know…"
Lias tilted his head at Johnse, brows furrowed, while askin', "Ya hear 'bout Selkirk? Bad Frank hauled him off t'Pikeville's jail other day."
Since his big mouth got my brother-in-law into a tough spot, I felt it was my place to further grill Johnse. Lookin' down at him, my mismatched eyes hard and full of blame, I remarked, "How'd he know where he was? Selkirk was incognito; only us Hatfields knew where he was."
Johnse sat up a bit, frantically lookin' at us. His eyes went wide as he realized we thought he was a trader. Mira came over with a wet rag in her hand. She knelt down and started to dab at Johnse's split lip. "I'm a Hatfield front t'back, dawn t'dust." My brother defended himself.
Uncle Jim knocked back his whiskey 'fore starin' down my brother and tellin' him. "Well, see, tensions are high cause there's a spy among us."
Nova POV:
It was dark out, but not too late, whenever my husband came home. Cap didn't come home alone tho, he brought a very drunk and rough lookin' Johnse with him. I arched a brow curiously at the men as I sat on the sofa, mendin' one of my husband's shirts.
Anna, who was on the floor sharin' her fritter with Spot, looked up at her pa and uncle. Her eyes widened a bit as she blurted out, "What happened t'Unca Johnse's face?"
"Oh, nothin' too bad, sweetie. He just got into a brawl with Uncle Jim." Cap told our daughter as he hung up his hat and made his way over to his chair.
"Why?" Anna innocently asked as Johnse went over to the open chair by my husband.
"Cause he had misunderstood somethin' he did." Cap told our daughter as he leaned back in his chair, getting' comfortable. Oh, so they were fightin' over Nancy.
Anna nodded, givin' her puppy a small piece of fritter. Lookin' at my brother-in-law I asked, "Johnse, can I have a word wit'cha?"
"Sure." Johnse nodded.
"Alone?" I pried since I had a few words for him that I felt were best done in private.
"Yea." Johnse told me, his eyes lookin' at me with slight confusion in them.
"I'll watch Anna, go out on the porch." Cap told us, gesturin' towards the front door with his head. Clearly, my husband knew I wanted to talk with Johnse 'bout Nancy.
"Pa, we got half dozen fritters t'day. They on the kitchen table." I heard Anna happily tell my husband as I set my sewin' aside while Johnse stood up from his chair.
"Really. Well, how 'bout ya go get me one." Cap told Anna while I went over to the coat hooks by the door, grabbin' my shawl and wrappin' it over my shoulders, while Johnse went over to the door and walked right out of it.
'Fore I walked outside on the porch I saw Anna rushin' off to the kitchen to grab her pa his fritter. With a ghost of smile tuggin' at the corners of my mouth I went out onto the porch in the starlit night. Johnse was standin' with his hands shoved in his pockets, his back slightly slumped due to bein' half-drunk, as I made my way over to him.
"Why Nancy?" I bluntly asked him, slight malice in my voice, as I looked straight ahead at the moon and stars shinin' in the dark sky.
Johnse's head snapped, a confused look painted all over his face. "What?"
"You were s'posedly madly in love wit' Roseanna; pinin over her too, so why'd ya take up wit' Nancy for?"
"Roseanna don't want me no more. Also, the baby's frail; people think it's dyin' ." Johnse told me with sadness slightly seepin' out of his voice. Soundin' a bit like he was tryin' to convince himself more then me he remarked, "Nancy tho, she cares 'bout my troubles an' hard times."
"She's got'cha bewitched. Nancy don't care 'bout nobody, but Nancy." I spat, shakin' my head incredulously. Poor Johnse, he was too blind to see what was goin' on, how he was bein' played like a goddamn fiddle.
Lookin' at me with wonder in his clear blue eyes, he asked, "She's your kin, why're you so hateful towards her?"
"She ain't no kin of mine anymore. More like a 3rd cousin once removed." I firmly told my brother-in-law with a straight and hardened jaw. "She put my family in danger, I've got no use for her."
"Our entire family's in danger, ain't my wife's fault."
"Johnse, I had a family 'fore I married Cap. Me and Anna, we were a family while Tolbert drank and did whatever. Half the time the bastard lied 'bout workin' and his whereabouts." I told Johnse while keepin' my sight trained on the bright stars. I spotted the star that Cap dubbed as Skunk Hair and felt that I had a friend lookin' after me. Turnin' my head in order to look at the nice, but guilable, man next to me I explained, "I tried to divorce Tolbert, but Perry Cline threatened to file a countersuit due to my affair with Cap. I would lose custody of Anna if he did that, so me and Cap ended things. Even tho I ended the affair and settled to stay with a man I couldn't stand, Nancy came over almost everyday for lunch or tea to check up on me." Lookin' at my friend's star I had the strength to add, "Even dropped a few veiled threats my way too."
"Just cause she paid ya visits don't mean she was checkin' t'see if you and my brother were still goin' at it." Of course, he was defending her. She had a tight hold on him, I'd give her credit for that. Oh god, how she twisted him up I can only imagine.
"Johnse…" I sighed out in frustration, shakin' my head. "Don't trust the two-faced bitch, no matter how sweet she seems." I advised him 'fore swattin' him upside the head. "And I believe ya broke Roseanna's heart when you married Nancy, you big dumby."
Johnse shook his head, a sad look in his eyes. He sighed 'fore tellin' me in a deflated tone, "Me and Roseanna ain't you and Cap, we'd never work out cause folks don't 'gree with it. Cap never gave a damn 'bout folks; I think you don't either."
"You can sleep it off on the sofa. Also, there's fritters on the kitchen table so help yourself to one." I told Johnse, lightly pattin' him on the shoulder, 'fore goin' inside the house and leavin' him out on the porch.
Hopefully some of what I told Johnse'll get thru to him, but I doubt it. Johnse, sad to say's, enchanted by Nancy. Looks like the fox's in the henhouse now.
AN:
So, that was the brawl chapter. Hope you guys liked it. I'll be doing a small time jump next along with a Moses POV in the next chapter.
