Chapter 52
A door was rattling, and Kid grumbled as he fought to go on sleeping. After a few minutes he just couldn't ignore the disturbing noises anymore. He opened an eye and blurrily saw the bedroom door opening and closing with the draft coming from the open window. "You fool you left the door open yesterday," he admonished himself and sleepily slid out of the bed.
With half-open eyes he stumbled towards the door and closed it as softly as he could. The young man turned on his heels and leaned his back against the wooden door while rubbing his eyes with his left hand. His eyes casually fell on the bed and his face creased in confusion and shock as he saw the place that Louise had continually occupied for the last five weeks empty.
"Lou!" he called in the semi-darkness and momentarily closed his eyes, believing that they were playing a cruel trick on him, but when he reopened them again, he saw that the bed was totally empty but for the rumpled covers. "Lou!" he called louder, gradually getting more and more alarmed. "Lou! Lou!" he kept calling her name as he stepped into the corridor but received no answer at all. "Lou!" He was beginning to get frantic as he noisily opened and closed the doors of the rooms along the passage and Louise was nowhere to be found.
"What is all this racket about?" Doritha came out of her bedroom, wrapping her robe around her slim body. "Kid, what's happening?"
The Southerner came to stand before her and said nervously, "It's Lou. She… she's gone."
"Gone?" she repeated and adopting an exaggeratedly rueful posture she exclaimed while rubbing his arm comfortingly, "Oh Kid! I'm so sorry. But we all knew that this moment would arrive…"
"She's not dead!" Kid cut her off loudly. "I told you she's gone! When I woke up, she wasn't in bed."
Doritha's face creased in confusion and disbelief. "That's impossible!" she exclaimed, letting out a nervous giggle as she felt fear set in the pit of her stomach.
"Believe it or not, suit yourself. I have no time to explain. I have to find Lou," Kid retorted curtly and continued running along the corridor like a madman, calling Louise's name repeatedly. He stopped short when he saw Jeremiah and Theresa appear out of each of their bedrooms, rubbing their eyes from the remainders of sleep.
Doritha watched Kid as he stooped over the children and talked to them in a soft voice. From her position she couldn't hear what he was saying but she could well imagine what he was telling them. Anyway, she didn't care what was going on with Kid and those two brats. All she needed to find out was whether Kid was really telling the truth about Louise. She stepped into the master bedroom and her eyes got as big as saucers as they kept staring at the empty space that Lou had occupied for weeks.
"Oh God!" she exclaimed in a panic. She stood in the middle of the room with her big eyes fixed on the bed for a few minutes while repeating 'it can't be' over and over again. Breathing in deeply, she told herself in a firm voice, "Get a grip of yourself, Doritha". She knew that she had nothing to fear. Louise and she had simply squabbled and the situation had gotten a bit out of control. She hadn't done anything wrong. It had been an accident and things like this happened all the time. Besides, Louise probably didn't remember anything about their disagreement. That concussion in her head must have damaged her brain somehow. Nobody could be unconscious for over a month without getting some logical after-effects. The way she had disappeared from the bedroom without even waking Kid only confirmed Doritha's suspicions. Louise had surely turned into a twat as she had already said and right now she'd be wandering around like a madwoman. Yeah, there was nothing to fear.
In the meantime, Kid had continued his search for Lou followed by the two children. They looked into every single room and corner of the house downstairs, but Lou was nowhere. Before stepping outside, Kid sent the children back to their bedrooms to get dressed while he carelessly donned his own clothes and put on his boots in a hurry. Frantically he dashed out of the house and searched the stables, the hayloft, the barn and the outhouse … every imaginable place but there wasn't a single trace of Louise.
Kid then ran towards Buck's hut and knocked loudly at the door. The Kiowa appeared a few minutes later, his looks revealing that he had been sleeping until now. Kid nervously explained to him the surprise he had that morning when he woke up. Both men then headed for the small copse of trees at the far end of the property, searching everywhere, but they had the same luck that Kid had so far. After that, they started walking back to the house along the drive leading in and out of the property and Buck found some tracks which he squatted down to examine.
"There are some fresh footprints here," he said from his crouched position. "I think they're Lou's. They clearly belong to someone with small feet, wearing some kind of footwear like slippers or something similar. It seems that they lead away from the ranch."
"Oh God," Kid let out with a bitter expression. "She must be confused and disoriented or … I don't know." He was scared to think what Lou's state of mind could be. Since this morning he was cursing himself for not noticing when she had left the bed. "It's so cold and she only has her nightgown on. She might freeze in this weather, fall into a ditch or …"
"Please Kid, don't be so pessimistic," Buck replied cutting him off. "Let's get the horses now, and we'll find her in no time. She can't have gone very far on foot."
"She might have followed any direction and I don't even know how long she's been gone," the Southerner replied with a deep sigh.
"Don't worry. We'll find her," Buck insisted, patting his friend on the back. The two men were about to start back to the house when they saw a wagon coming towards them. Kid shot his eyes towards it, hoping that somebody had picked up Lou somewhere on the road and was bringing her home. His heart fell when he spotted a single figure on the carriage in which he recognized Rachel. The woman usually came this early to help Kid with Lou and getting the children ready for school.
Rachel stopped the buckboard next to the two men, and when they told her about the situation with Lou, she reacted in much the same stunning way as everybody else. The woman offered to help in the search and the three of them headed back to the main yard. While the two men directly went to the stables, to saddle their horses, Rachel walked to the house. She informed the children and Doritha that she, Kid and Buck would be leaving to look for Louise. The woman also prepared the canteens with water and some victuals; nobody knew how long it would take them to find Lou and it would be better if they were ready for any contingency. When Rachel stepped out again, the two men were already on the horses and the woman hurriedly proceeded to get on her buckboard. Yet, she stopped short as the sound of approaching horses reached their ears. The three of them turned their heads and saw Teaspoon and Jimmy approach the property.
When the two riders reached the trio, Kid said in an urgent voice, "Teaspoon, Jimmy, you're just in time to help. Lou's gone and we are heading out to look for her."
Kid was already turning his mare around when the marshal grabbed the reins, stopping him. "Hold your horses, son. Let me tell you…"
"Teaspoon, I have no time to explain. Lou could be anywhere now!" Kid cut him off and tried to yank the reins out of the marshal's hands.
"Kid, there's no need to look for her because we know where she is," Jimmy added.
"What?" the Southerner let out with a stunned expression, relief flooding through him. "Wh… Where?"
"In Rock Creek," Teaspoon replied. "Mr. Ferguson found her walking towards town, so he gave her a lift and dropped her in my office."
"Where's she now then, Teaspoon?" asked Rachel, who leaned against a post on the porch. "Why haven't you brought her back with you?"
"We left her at the doctor's," the marshal explained. "We thought it sensible to let Doctor Sanders examine her."
"Is she … is she fine?" Kid asked tentatively, fearing what he was about to learn.
"She looked mighty fine to me, didn't she, Jimmy?"
"That's right."
The Southerner let out his held breath, but worry still gripped his whole self. He wouldn't stop fretting until he saw Lou with his own eyes. "Please, Teaspoon, let go of the reins. I want to go and bring her back with me."
"No need for that," the marshal replied. "Doctor Sanders promised he'd drive her back later."
"I can't wait for that. I want to see her, check that she's alright!" Kid exclaimed loudly.
"Son, she's fine. I told ya," Teaspoon retorted. "Let's get into your house and have some strong coffee. We all need it… believe me," he added with a weird expression.
Sensing that the Southerner was about to protest, Jimmy quickly said, "Please Kid, do as Teaspoon says. Trust me."
From atop of his horse Kid kept staring at the four people, who had already got off their mounts and were about to step into the house. Knowing Jimmy long enough, Kid knew better than to argue with him and something in his voice told him that there was something more than Lou walking away in the middle of the night. Reluctantly he jumped off Katy and tied her reins around the hitching post. "Jimmy!" he called before following the others. Hickok stopped on the porch and looked at his friend questioningly. "Is Lou really all right? Please tell me the truth. I need to know," Kid asked again.
"She's fine, honestly, Kid."
"Does she … remember me?" the Southerner continued. The doctor had told him that due to the concussion in her head some functions of her brain might be affected like her memory or her speech.
"Sure she does," Jimmy replied with a smile. "By the way, what was it she said?" He kept deep in thought for a moment, his index finger pressing his right temple, and then he added, "Oh yeah. I remember now. 'Tell Kid I love him, and try to make him understand that I have to do this for us and our family'."
The Southerner grinned happily but his face instantly creased into a frown. "She has to do what?"
"You'll see in good time, my friend," Jimmy replied, patting him on the back. "Come on, let's get inside."
The two friends followed the rest into the kitchen and heard Teaspoon greet Doritha. "Good mornin', Mrs. Maxwell. I haven't seen you in quite a while and I must say you look as lovely as always."
"Thank you, Marshal Hunter," Doritha replied, tipping her head politely.
"Children, why don't you go play outside while you wait for your sister?" Jimmy remarked, exchanging a knowing look with the marshal.
Theresa immediately turned to the Southerner and asked, "Can we, Kid?"
"Yes, of course," the young man replied, stroking the girl's hair softy.
The children cheered as they readied themselves to get outside. Since Kid told them that their sister had woken up, they had been especially chirpy despite the fact they hadn't known where Louise was for a few hours. "I'm so glad Louise is fine!" Jeremiah exclaimed before dashing out after his sister while Kid smiled at their childish ways.
The men started sitting around the table while Rachel began brewing some coffee for them all. Kid was the only one who remained on his feet before the window, impatiently looking in the far distance, hoping for Doctor Sanders' buggy to appear.
"Kid, honey, move from that window and have some coffee. Louise won't come any sooner however much you keep ogling the road," Rachel said while she poured cups of coffee for the men and the other woman in the kitchen.
The Southerner made a bitter gesture and grudgingly sat down at the table. He started sipping his coffee absent-mindedly when Teaspoon spoke. "Before this thing with Louise happened, I already intended to come to your place, Kid. There's a petty, little matter I need to iron out."
Kid nodded and asked, "How can I help you then?" He was glad for the distraction to take up time before Lou got there.
"Well, it ain't you but Mrs. Maxwell who I need to talk to."
"Me?" Doritha exclaimed fearfully, her face turning deathly pale.
"Don't worry, dear. It ain't nothin' much. A mere trifle," the marshal replied, smiling in her direction. "You see, we locked up a fella for drunkenness yesterday and he's been blabberin' on a lot of nonsense the whole time about him havin' had dealings with you. You know how these good-for-nothin's can be, slanderin' honest people for no good reason. So we better clear things up with you before this fella can actually cause any harm."
Doritha nodded, still wary but somehow relieved by Teaspoon's words. He hadn't come to talk about Louise as she had believed. "I understand."
"Would you mind if I ask you a few questions?"
"Of course not, Marshal." Doritha replied with a stiff smile. "But I don't even know who that man might be."
"Well, … he calls himself Scarab, a fake name, of course, and has a deep wiggly scar from about this point on his forehead to his right eye," Teaspoon explained, pointing at the area on his own face with his small finger.
Doritha stiffened when by the marshal's description she recognized the man as one of the men she had hired months ago against Louise. The lady lowered her eyes to her tightly clasped hands on the table and murmured, "I don't have the faintest idea who he might be."
"He knows your name, so I guess you might have had some kind of contact with him … maybe somewhere in town."
"I don't mix with that kind of undesirable people," Doritha exclaimed scornfully, getting all worked up. "I select my acquaintances carefully, and everybody knows who my friends were back then."
"Back then?" Teaspoon asked in innocent ignorance.
"Uh … you know … when I was living here months ago."
The marshal scratched his head absently and asked with a very calmed countenance, "How do you know this fella particularly means that time and not just recently?"
Doritha started getting more and more nervous, realizing that she had blundered it. "Uh … I … I … well … it's the most logical conclusion. I don't go out or see many people now."
The marshal was about to continue when Kid interrupted him roughly. "What are you getting at with all this questioning, Teaspoon?"
"Stay away from this, Kid," Jimmy added.
The Southerner ignored his friend and continued with irritation. "I don't know why you're asking Doritha all these stupid questions. She already told you she doesn't know the fella."
"Son, we're just tryin' to clear her name and prove that Mrs. Maxwell has nothin' to do with that incident Louise was involved in months ago," Teaspoon explained.
"What?" Kid exclaimed in disbelief. "Doritha? That's crazy."
The marshal ignored the young man's comment and turned his attention back to the blonde lady and said, "This man says that you paid a vast sum of money to him and his partner to get rid of Miss McCloud."
"That's absurd!" Doritha almost shouted. "I had nothing to do with any of that!"
"Then you didn't have any reasons to wish Miss McCloud ill?"
"Of course not!" the woman exclaimed getting more and more agitated by the minute.
"It seems to be public knowledge the fact that you were quite displeased with the friendship Miss McCloud and Kid here had at the time."
The point Teaspoon mentioned was enough to make her seethe with fury. "How couldn't I be? He was my fiancé and he preferred to spend his time with that … that servant than with me!"
"And you'd have done anything to pull them apart, wouldn't you?"
"I don't know what you mean," Doritha replied in a calmer voice.
"Did you hire those men to kill Miss McCloud, Mrs. Maxwell?" Teaspoon asked gravelly.
"No! Of course not!" Doritha's tone was almost hysterical and her eyes looked as if they were going to pop out of their sockets at any moment. That matter had been out of her mind for months and now because of a big mouth she might get into big trouble.
The marshal smiled and replied non-chalantly, "Oh … then it's fine. You got nothin' to fear." He paused briefly and immediately added, "Forgive me if I caused you any inconveniences. We had to ask you. You understand, don't you? It's a very serious matter … you see, I don't appreciate people hurlin' accusations like that and it's my duty to protect honest people's reputations. Now I just need to talk to some other people this fella has also mentioned, and then we can forget about this whole matter."
At his words Doritha panicked. The other people the marshal might be referring to were surely her former maid, Mary, or her now husband. After the manner they had parted ways, Doritha didn't doubt that her ex-employee would make use of this opportunity to have her revenge. When she and Garth had been ready to leave Rock Creek, Doritha had dismissed the girl and had refused to pay her the last weeks' wages. Mary had been furious and had threatened her, but Doritha had laughed at her mockingly. Now her ominous words were nothing to laugh at if the marshal paid her a visit. Doritha knew that she was still in Rock Creek after getting married and she would definitely talk against her.
Teaspoon was rising to his feet when Doritha exclaimed, "Wait!" The marshal looked at the woman, who was biting her nails, and with a very rueful expression she muttered, "It was Mary. She … she made me do it. It wasn't me." Doritha knew that if she didn't talk, Mary was more than able to make up an exaggerated version of what had actually happened. During the months the girl had been under her orders, Doritha had realized that Mary was a bitter and resentful woman, who would do anything to get her way. Now Doritha needed to do anything to lessen the situation for her own good.
"Mary?" Teaspoon asked with a frown.
"My former maid," the woman replied with her eyes downcast. She just couldn't meet the faces of the people around the kitchen. This was too humiliating, and her face was red with shame and anger.
"You mean Mrs. Quinn?" the marshal questioned as he sat down on the same chair again, and Doritha simply nodded. Teaspoon paused briefly to gather his thoughts and then he said, "You mean that your maid … a lady under your orders … forced you to hire the service of two thugs against Miss McCloud?"
"I didn't want to! But she convinced me to do something about the shameful treatment I was receiving from my fiancé and that woman!"
"Doritha!" Kid exclaimed aghast, staring at her with big eyes as if he were seeing her for the very first time.
"Don't give me that look!" the woman retorted angrily. "I was the talk of Rock Creek and everybody knew how you humiliated me with that hussy! I had to do something, I had to!"
Kid was so shocked that he couldn't even speak against her false accusations and insults, and simply stared at her agape. It was Jimmy who spoke up instead, "And you paid them that money to have her killed."
"No!" Doritha exclaimed, realizing that her anger had made her talk more than she should have. "I just wanted to give her a good fright. Only that. You have to believe me!"
Teaspoon stared at her, doubt showing in his eyes, and after a beat he said, "It's my opinion that you're a very intelligent woman, Mrs. Maxwell. So I don't really get how a little fright would serve to your purpose of drivin' Kid and Louise apart. You wouldn't take that much trouble just for a little fright, would you?"
Doritha felt defeated and before she found herself accused of something as serious as attempted murder, she muttered, "I didn't want her killed. I swear it's the truth. I only wanted to break them apart." She paused briefly and choosing the words carefully she continued. "I … wanted Kid to feel repulsed, disgusted, revolted by her, so I simply arranged for her to have an accident … to her face."
The people around the kitchen table stared at the woman in disbelief and shock and when Kid finally found his own voice, he barked furiously, "You arranged to have Lou's face disfigured!"
"That's the lowest, cruelest thing I've ever heard!" Rachel exclaimed completely aghast, unable to keep quiet any longer.
"Rachel, please," Teaspoon tried to keep everybody's tempers in check. He was also horrified by the woman before him but they should try to keep calm.
"I only did what any woman would have done when somebody means a threat to your whole life. Louise was stealing my man … and she finally did. I only wanted to teach her a good lesson! I was just defending myself!"
"Please don't try to sound so pitiful!" Jimmy whizzed scornfully. "You committed a crime, and that's punishable."
Doritha paled even more and got frantic when she heard him mention punishment. "No! I didn't do anything! It was Mary and those men! They tricked me. Nothing happened. Nothing happened."
Teaspoon continued looking at her with the same calmed expression that he had born all the time and said, "You're right. Nothin' happened. Nothin' happened to Louise back then. So you had to try again, uh? And this time you almost managed to do it, didn't ya?"
"I … I don't understand," Doritha let out in a trembling voice.
"Of course you do," the marshal replied, his face having a hard quality now. "You know that you almost killed Louise when you pushed her down the stairs in this house."
"No!" the woman shouted desperately. "That's not true!"
Kid couldn't believe his ears and closing his eyes, he buried his face in his hands. "Louise told us what happened," continued Teaspoon. "Every single detail"
"She must be delirious then! That bump on her head must have turned her into an idiot! She just hates me and wants to ruin my life!"
Kid couldn't bear her voice and her lies anymore and lifting his head from his hands, he said with a weary countenance, "Please Doritha. Stop it. Just tell the truth. Lying won't take you anywhere."
The woman stared at him with bright eyes and after a few seconds she started, "I didn't mean to do it. Honestly. She … she insulted me, used the most horrible words … and I … I was so furious that before I knew what I was doing, she was rolling down the stairs. I didn't mean to. It was an accident. Please you have to believe me. I didn't mean to!"
There was a knock at the door and Jimmy rose to answer the door while Kid exclaimed, his face white with horror and his whole body trembling of sheer anger and frustration, "Damn it, Doritha. What kind of woman … person are you? How could you do something so vile? You killed my baby and you almost killed Lou!"
"I didn't mean to! I'm really sorry! You have to believe me!" Doritha shrieked, tears trickling down her face.
Teaspoon glimpsed at the kitchen door and saw Jimmy and another of his deputies standing at its threshold. The marshal turned to Doritha once again and said in an official pose, "Mrs. Maxwell, I'm afraid that you're under arrest. My deputy Carl will escort you to my headquarters where you'll remain under the custody of the town's law until the judge arrives."
"No!" Doritha cried, grabbing the Southerner by the arm strongly. "Please Kid, you can't let them. I can't go to jail. I didn't do anything. Please Kid. Tell them to go and leave me alone. I didn't do anything!"
The Southerner loosened her hold on his arm with a firm movement and looking away from her, he rose to his feet. He turned his back to the lady and kept his attention towards the kitchen window in much the same fashion he had done when he had first stepped into the room. "Please Kid! You have to help me! Please!" Doritha bawled but the Southerner remained impassive to her pleads.
"Carl!" Teaspoon motioned his deputy to do as he had been instructed to. The lady kept crying "No" as she was steered out of the kitchen and the house where a wagon was ready to take her into town. The cries and shouts couldn't be heard inside anymore when the door clicked closed.
The house remained eerily silent for a few minutes since everybody was in too much shock to react. "Merciful God!" Rachel was the first to exclaim, still in a state of disbelief.
"It's hard to believe, ain't it?" Jimmy remarked, shaking his head ruefully.
"What's gonna happen to her now, Teaspoon?" asked Buck.
"That'll depend on the judge," the marshal answered. "In any case Mrs. Maxwell is bound to spend considerable time behind bars."
"Can't say I'm sorry for her," Rachel admitted.
"Teaspoon, what was all that about the fella with the scar? Who the hell were you talking about? We haven't had any "guests" for days."
"Was that a bluff?" Buck asked, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.
The marshal hooked his thumbs under his suspenders and comfortingly propped his back against the chair. "We needed a confession," he started. "Louise told us that by something Doritha had told her, she suspected that she was behind that weird attack she suffered all those months ago. Evidently, she was right. I simply used the rough description of one of those men that Louise had provided me with back then, and I just had to pull the right strings to make the lady talk. The rest was a piece of cake."
"You're a clever old dog, Teaspoon!" Jimmy exclaimed and all of them twittered with laughter. All of them but Kid, who stood before the window impassively. The men and Rachel exchanged wary looks. Buck rose to his feet and coming closer to his friend he asked, "Are you all right, Kid?"
The Southerner turned around towards the people in his kitchen. "I will be when I see Lou."
"She's fine, son," Teaspoon replied. "Logically just a little weak, but I've never heard somebody sound so lucid and clear after being sick for so many weeks. She's a fine little lady."
"I know she is," Kid replied with a small smile. He let out an audible sigh and exclaimed, "How have I been so damn blind with Doritha? I thought I knew her and she has the venom of a snake under her innocent countenance. She almost destroyed my life and my family, and I would never have suspected the truth. I let her stay here, under the same roof Lou was fighting for her life. And … she might have tried something against her again."
"Son, don't torture yourself," Teaspoon replied. "You … or anybody couldn't have known that. It ain't your fault. Forget about all that and focus on that lovely lady of yours."
"And if those cheers are any indication," Buck added, "I guess she has arrived." They could hear the shouts of the children outside in the yard.
Kid didn't waste a single second and shot out of the kitchen, flashed across the lounge and dashed onto the porch. He slowed down his steps as he saw her in the middle of the yard with her siblings. Theresa had her left arm wrapped round her sister's waist while Jeremiah was talking to her excitedly. Lou was laughing at something the boy must have told her, and Kid swore that she had never looked so beautiful. He kept staring at her transfixed as if she were an unreal vision. He still couldn't fully believe that she was really there, awake, laughing and talking, and he strangely feared he'd wake up at any moment in his bed and Lou would still be unconscious by his side.
The Southerner started advancing towards them slowly and without averting his eyes from Lou. Somehow she noticed his presence and looked up to meet his intense glance. "Kid…" Louise breathed and smiled bashfully in his direction, and before she knew what was happening, she found herself between his arms. Kid hugged her tightly, almost crying as he felt the contact of her skin.
"Oh Lou!" He whispered in her ear almost in agony. "Oh Lou!" Louise hugged him back as intensely as her still weak body let her. After a few minutes they pulled slightly back and Kid cupped her face in his hands and gave her a deeply-felt kiss. "Are you all right, Lou?" he asked, looking into her eyes intensely.
"I'm fine," Louise answered, her throat still a bit sore and rough. "Really."
"She still needs to have plenty of rest," Doctor Sanders's voice sounded behind them.
The couple turned their heads to the physician, Kid's arm holding her by the shoulders.
"Thank you, Doctor," Kid said, shaking hands with the man.
"I'll go now that you're in good hands, Louise," Doctor Sanders addressed the young woman. "And remember to follow my instructions and don't strain yourself."
"I will," Lou replied, shaking hands with the physician as well. The doctor got on his wagon and drove away. The two children waved at the disappearing buggy and Kid turned to Lou again and encircled her in his arms. "Hmm. I love you so much!" Louise smiled happily from ear to ear as she wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Kid, give the poor girl a break," Teaspoon spoke behind them. "Leave somethin' for later or you'll wear her out."
The couple smiled amused as they turned their eyes to their friends. Rachel and Buck, who were the only ones that hadn't seen Lou, came to hug her. "Let's get you inside, honey. We don't want you to tire yourself out."
"Come on, Lou. Rachel's right," Kid added and coming to her side, he slid an arm around her waist and tried to steer her along.
Louise swatted his hand away playfully. "I can walk on my own, silly," she exclaimed, as she went past him. "I ain't an invalid."
Rachel and the men led the way to the house while Lou followed behind at her own pace. She was still feeling quite weak and despite her protests she had finally accepted to take Kid's arm as a support while they walked. They reached the house when Teaspoon and the other two men were already sitting comfortingly in the lounge. Rachel had promised to fix a strong breakfast for all of them and after the strenuous morning they'd all had, they surely deserved that.
Kid stopped to take off his jacket and hat and placed them on the pegs next to the door. He started towards where his friends were sitting, but noticing that Lou wasn't following him, he turned around and saw her before the big mirror at the hall, watching her reflection intently.
"What are you doing, honey?"
"Nothing," Lou answered without averting her eyes from the mirror. The image was quite different from the one she had last seen reflected. She tilted her head, slightly turning it to one side. Her face creased into a grimace as she caught a glimpse of the ugly scar at the nape of her neck. Part of her hair in that area was gone too, marking the itinerary left by the wound in her head. The scar wasn't very big, just a few centimeters long, but that little scratch had made her lose a month of her life and could have even killed her. Over a month. Five whole weeks. That woman had made her lose all that time and she'd never be able to get it back. Doctor Sanders had told her that she should consider herself lucky. She was alive and fine. Of course she was happy, but there was a part of her that couldn't completely feel that joy. Doritha Maxwell had smudged her life and whenever she thought of her, her chest tightened with anger. How had she dared to play with her life? It was most frustrating and Louise had to make a conscious effort to focus on what she already had and forget about Doritha Maxwell.
Her eyes then focused on her face. She looked very pale and it was evident that she had lost weight. Her cheekbones were more prominent than ever before, and when her eyes, which seemed to dominate her tiny face, travelled to the rest of her body, she found more evidence of her extreme thinness. Her hands smoothed the dress that she had borrowed from Doctor Sanders's daughter, which hung too loose around her small body. "I'm too thin," she whispered to nobody in particular.
"It's natural, honey, you've been very sick for weeks," Rachel said softly from her position on the armchair.
Lou's hand brushed over her flat stomach and her eyes focused on her likewise almost unnoticeable chest. "I'm too thin," she repeated in a thick voice, and turned her head to her man. "I'm too thin, Kid."
The Southerner noticed where her hand rested and he understood why she suddenly sounded so upset. He'd have thought that the doctor had told her, but apparently he hadn't. "I should be showing … some," she cracked, her eyes filling with tears.
Rachel and the other men exchanged grim looks while Kid came close to her. "Lou, honey, I'm sorry. I …"
"No!" Louise started sobbing loudly. "Not my baby! Not my baby!" The girl kept repeating the same three words over and over again. Kid drew her against his chest, encircling his arms around her petite frame. Rachel shushed the men out of the house as she herself followed them to give the couple the privacy they needed in their pain.
Louise bitterly cried against Kid's chest as he kept whispering soothing words and kissing the top of her head. The pain she was feeling was breaking her inside. Somehow she had known all along that there was no baby any longer, and maybe that was the reason why she hadn't had the nerve to ask the doctor. Her baby, her very special baby had been snatched from her before it had the chance to live. In all this mess she had lost more than she had first imagined.
Doritha Maxwell should rot in jail as far as she was concerned, and now Lou didn't feel any regrets for going to the marshal and reporting her. Till the last minute she had been unsure whether she was doing the right thing, but the fear that the woman would cause more harm to her or her family had made her go along with her intentions. And right now she didn't regret her decision. Doritha Maxwell deserved that and more, and she wished that the woman ended up suffering the same agony she was suffering right now.
"Everything's gonna be fine, Lou," Kid whispered, stroking her back comfortingly. "I'm here for you and we have the rest of our lives. Everything's gonna be fine."