Ellie returned to Bright Water alone, fending off avid questions from her friends and neighbors with a big smile and a vague story of going back east to visit her aunt. Everyone was very sorry about Johnny but no one seemed inclined to do anything about him. William Ford had even come to town with the boy, his downtrodden wife trailing behind them. Johnny seemed unhappy, but he was healthy, with new clothes and a fine horse. Perhaps it would all turn out for the best. Ellie listened to the well-meaning comments of the townspeople and went back to running her store.
It was almost a week later, while she was writing up an order for the makings of a dress, when Luke barged in. "Ellie!"
She didn't have to simulate her alarmed reaction. Luke hadn't cleaned up after Ellie left him and now he was so dirty that the other customers edged away from him, trading glances. "Earl Bantry, I told you I didn't want you coming around!"
He guffawed and came around the counter to pick her up in a bear hug. "Now is that any way to talk to your big brother?"
"Put me down!" She struggled against him and he dropped her unceremoniously on the floor. "What do you want?"
"What do you think? I heard I got me a nephew!" Luke smirked at the ladies who were gathered near the door, too fascinated with the frightening visitor to leave. "I bet gals like you didn't think somebody like me had a family." He started towards them and they stood not upon the order of their going, tumbling into the street like hens after a fox gets in their house. He threw a teapot after them, howling with laughter, then slammed the door and locked it. "I think that ought to get William Ford's attention."
Ellie shook her head. "Lucas, did you have to make such a scene?"
"Yes, I did." He pulled down the shades and came over to her. "We talked about this, Ellie. I could have come in my own name and tried to get your boy away from Ford but I don't have any right to interfere. It has to be kinfolk and Earl Bantry's reputation is the kind to make anybody think twice."
"It's just so wrong!" She wrung her hands. "The law should do something about this! A woman should be able to protect her rights to her own child all by herself!"
"It's not fair," conceded Luke. "And it's certainly a shame your neighbors will think Earl Bantry is your brother. You know the territorial governor will send a new marshal as soon as he can, and Micah would have helped you with the law. I'm sure eventually you would have gotten your son back but you didn't want to wait."
"Can you blame me?" she snapped.
He looked at her for a long moment. "I'm the last person in the world to blame you. A couple of years ago a rich man came to North Fork looking for his long-lost son. His boy had been drowned but the body was never recovered. He looked for years, and every disappointment just made him more sure the next boy would be the right one. I guess when he saw Mark he couldn't take any more disappointment and he claimed my boy was his son. I had only been living in North Fork for a couple of years and there was no proof that Mark was my boy other than our family Bible." Luke's voice faltered. "He was so sure even Mark started to have doubts. My own son asked me if I was really his father."
Ellie said softly, "I'm sorry, Lucas."
"The worst of it was that he might have succeeded in taking Mark. He had so much money, and cash has always been a short crop on our ranch. I couldn't have fought him in court. And I didn't want to try! I forced a gunfight with his hired hands because he kept saying he didn't want violence." The big man laughed mirthlessly. "As if taking a man's flesh and blood from him isn't violent!"
"What happened?" asked Ellie.
"He backed down. I think he finally accepted that even if I was dead, Mark would always belong to me. He wasn't a bad man, just sick at heart. He finally adopted an orphan boy in North Fork and went back home."
"I don't think William Ford cares if Johnny really belongs to him. He seemed so kind at first but I should have known what sort of man he was by the way he treated his wife. He actually struck her one day, right out in the street." Ellie's voice rose. "Oh, Lucas, he's a terrible man! Are you sure you want to go through with this?"
"I'm sure." Luke's voice was grim. "I know what it's like to have someone try to take my child away from me. No one should have to go through that. Let's just play this out the way we planned it."