Chapter 22

Fiona was hanging Ezra's gowns and diapers out on the line when she heard her name; it was her brother. She turned and Darby was at the tree line with another man as ill-fit to be a cowhand as Darby was. Fiona looked around. The clothesline was at the back of the house along with the washtub in which she had first scrubbed Ezra's clothes and then the diapers and no one else was around—they were all either out front or in the kitchen. Mrs. Cartwright was spending time with Ezra inside, something she did more and more, playing with him and his toys on the rug in front of the fireplace, the table moved aside to make room.

"Whos' he?" Fiona asked. She didn't like the look of him; he looked mean unlike Darby who had a joy and lightness about himself.

Darby stepped into the open but the other man stayed behind. "That's Judd—you don't need to know more 'bout him. We've been travlin' together for quite a while and got hired on together by the Cratwrights. We both get pissed on by the Cartwrights together and Judd came up with this idea on how to get back some of our own from them."

"Really?" Fiona looked back at the big man standing in the shadows. "And I suppose you and he will be getting' in trouble together too." She studied the stranger's face again; his mouth was cruel. "What do you want, Darby. Tell me and then let me be!"

"Money. We want money my dear, little sister. And the Cartwrights have quite a bit of it. Let them pious God-fearin' Christians share with them what is less well-off. I've worked at eatin' dust and takin' orders from them too long—I want my share of what they have and so does Judd. Let me tell you his idea—and a grand one it is."

"I won't steal from them," Fiona hissed. "For one, it's a safe where they keep their money and they don't share the numbers to open it with me. And for another, they've been good to me and I find I like them. I won't steal from them. Now be off with you, Darby and….him." She motioned toward Judd. "If you want to quit the Cartwrights, then do so but don't involve me."

"Oh, you like them, do you? You're an ignorant girl, Fiona Flanagan. Look at what you're doin'. You're washin' clothes and hangin' them out like any common servant and where is that fine lady of the manor? What is she doin' while your hands are becoming red and worn? Hmmm? Sittin' inside drinkin' sweet tea and takin' it easy."

Fiona glared at Darby who grinned at her. She didn't answer him. After all, what could she say except that Mrs. Cartwright was inside tasting the joys of motherhood but none of the trials? The Missus hadn't even given birth, had been spared that as well. And at night, Mrs. Cartwright tasted the joys of being plowed by her strong husband while Fiona slept alone in her bed, having to diaper and feed Ezra should he awake. It was a double-edged sword. She wanted to be part of the Cartwright family as Hop Sing was but yet, she knew she was only hired help and therefore, couldn't really be part of the family. Darby would scoff if she told him about how Hop Sing actually ran the household and that he was given respect even though he cleaned and cooked and served the food and that she hoped to soon reach the same status. After all, she was a Christian, God-fearing girl and more like the Cartwrights than the Chinese man. But Fiona said nothing.

"All right, sister, if you have qualms about stealin' from them, what about handin' the child over to us?"

"No." Fiona's heart thumped with fear. "What would you want with the child? He's an innocent."

"What do I want with him? You gone daft, girl? He's that Adam Cartwright's son, right?" Fiona nodded. "So I would imagine he'd pay quite a bit of money to get the boy back should someone spirit 'im off."

"No—you leave the child be. If anything happens to him, if anyone takes him, I swear, Darby, that I'll hunt you down and do you up myself!" Fiona was furious, her eyes flashing with anger.

"Don't you threaten me, not your older brother! I rule you, darlin' sis." Darby took a deep breathe to control himself.

"The Devil take you, Darby. You're an evil man."

"The world is evil and a person has to make his way. Well, I am makin' my way in the only way I know." Darby paused. They could both hear horse hooves and then the voices of Hoss and Joe Cartwright welcoming their older brother home. Judd pulled out a gun and cocked the hammer. He stepped forward but said nothing. Fiona noticed that Judd said very little but he saw everything and Fiona had a sudden gut-feeling that he was behind this scheme.

"So, his lord and master is now home leavin' us to tend them stinkin', shittin' cattle. I hate that man—he has everything and shares none with the likes of us." He looked back at Fiona and was pleased that she looked wart. "Okay, forget about handin' over the child. I wouldn't like tendin' to 'im anyway and as you said, he's an innocent. What else do they value? Would they pay to keep their barn from bein' burned?"

"Why can't you just go away, Darby? Just go and leave me be."

Darby looked to Judd who had by this time, seen no immediate threat and holstered his gun but he still was alert. Judd stepped back into the cover of the trees. With new intensity, Darby turned back to Fiona.

"Have you forgotten how the world's treated us, you ignorant girl? The world owes us!" He stood thinking. "What about that wife of his? Think the grand gentleman Adam would pay to get his wife back—unmolested, of course?" Darby smiled knowingly. "If not, maybe he'd soon have another brat he'd have to call his own, one with a touch o' red hair, eh, sister? And wouldn't you then be the grand lady of the house after he tossed her out for bein' roughly used? Maybe you could slip in the bed of that Adam and comfort him by openin' your legs? What do you say, sister?"

"I say no. If it's money you be wantin', I have a few dollars in wages you can have. I pay for nothin' as they give me what I need."

"Do they? Do they give you the same respect they give to everyone else or is it, 'Fiona, do this, do that'? Do they give the same deference to you as they do to the Missus? Or do they just give you more chores until your back is bowed with the heavy loads? You've forgotten how I stole as a child, often receiving nothin' more as way of thanks but a cuff o' the side of the head. I filled your belly with the fruits of my thievery from those what had more than they needed. I fed you—not Mother or Da—me, I kept your belly full and those of the others as a child and what did I get? Sent off to be a bondservant to an old farmer and his wife who gave me a smack with a stick if I didn't jump high enough at their orders. Well, sister, they struck me one too many times and I wrenched the stick from the old man's hands and gave it to him as he had been giving it to me and then I left. You will help me, sister, or we, Judd and me, we'll take the child some night while you're sleepin', while the whole house is sleepin', and should he cry, well, I'll pinch his nose shut and then we'll see what happens. And mind you," Darby said, his voice dropping, "that Judd's a mean one and strong as an ox."

Fiona was frightened but refused to let it show. "He looks about as smart as an ox too." She knew her brother, knew he would more than likely, were he working alone, back down. But he seemed wary of Judd and that put Fiona on edge—Judd was the unknown. All Fiona could think of was Ezra and preventing any harm coming to him. The thought of his being snatched away some afternoon, of being handled roughly by strangers was more than she could bear to consider. "Tell me what you want me to do—just don't harm the babe."

Darby grinned. "I thought you'd come round to our way of thinkin'." Darby nodded to Judd who stepped back out in the open to join them, his hand resting on the handle of his gun, and while Darby told Fiona what she was to do, she kept glancing at the cold eyes of the other man.