Chapter 7

Laurey

Laurey used to like spring and summer best. She'd loved the long, lazy days of swimming in the lake and lying out in the fields, letting the sun warm her body. This year, though, she found herself longing for winter again. Jud had been less busy with the farm and was able to spend so much of his time in the house with her, cuddling against her in bed for hours every day. Jud had kept to his word and drank less, learned how to be careful with her body.

He'd start kissing her, then touching and squeezing her, and she'd complain it was too cold for any kind of lovemaking. Then he'd duck under the covers to prove her wrong, make her sleepier and more contented than she had been before. They could keep that game up for hours when he didn't have farm work to do, and it was a fresh thrill every time. She'd even gotten relaxed enough to let him put his finger all the way inside her a few more times, but couldn't ever get used to it, would wiggle away almost the moment he'd penetrated her. He was always encouraging, though, always told her she'd done such a good job, that she was able to withstand it for longer that time, whether it was true or not. And maybe one day she'd be able to let him make love to her the way he wanted. Was hardly fair to make them both sacrifice proper lovemaking just because she'd been hurt by someone else.

She'd even gotten used to the kitten, now a sleek cat that slept at her feet near her hot water bottle, and made her laugh by chasing its own tail and staring at invisible monsters on the walls.

Laurey walked into the barn, distracted by thoughts of everything she had to do now that it was spring again. After seeing how badly some other farms had done that winter, she was determined to help Jud in whatever ways she could so that he could focus on the important things, the things that would make them more money. Enough money to buy more land, to buy her more pretty things.

Her breath caught in her throat when she saw a man standing in the barn.

"Miss Laurey" he doffed his cap. "I wanted to-"

"No" she tried to step back, but found herself glued to the spot, staring at him. It was him, the man who had haunted her every nightmare, the man who had taken everything from her. She would have recognized him anywhere, dressed like an Indian or not.

"El Gallo, at your service. I didn't mean to startle you, I merely like to check in with my customers periodically, and—"

"What are you talkin' about? What are you talkin' about? I don't know you, why'd you come here?"

"You mean he didn't tell you? My dear, I apologize, I—all my other customers eventually tell the truth. After a year, I would have thought…"

"I don't know what you're sayin'" she repeated. She stayed by the door so she could dash out if necessary, but her need to know why overtook her fear. He didn't seem like a threat at that moment, with his floppy hat and ridiculous cape, and she needed to know. She'd wondered for so long why he did what he did, why he'd come to her house, ruined her life, made her too broken inside to even love her husband properly. "Tell me what you mean; what d'you mean customers?"

"If you don't already know, perhaps I shouldn't-it's really not my place to…"

"You tell me. You tell me this instant, I got a right to know about that night."

He sighed. "I suppose you do. Again, I do apologize, but a year ago, a Mr. Fry hired me to…ravish you, so that he could rescue you and thereby earn your affection. I—" he interrupted her as she opened her mouth to deny the allegation "have a receipt here." She snatched it from him, instantly recognizing the childish signature from months of practicing his letters.

"He paid you to rape me. Gave you ten dollars so you'd rape me." She stared at the paper in her hand. Every choice she had made, every instant of the last year had been dictated for her by a lie, a betrayal.

"He did, but believe me, if I'd had my way, things would have gone very differently that night, however, he insisted…" Once again, his voice trailed off in that maddening way, so she was forced to interrogate him further.

"What do you mean? What did he want from you?"

"He specifically requested that I scare you, that I not make it elegant or charming in any way. Normally, with a lovely, beautiful woman like yourself, it would have been so much more romantic, with moonlight and music, hardly a rape at all, not in that sense, rather an… abduction for you to be gallantly rescued from."

"No; I don't believe you" she whispered, even as the pieces fell into place, as everything started to make sense.

"I would understand" he broke her revere "if you no longer want to stay here. The memories of what happened, and the sense of betrayal must be quite overwhelming for you. It would be wrenching to continue to stay, to act the part of a dutiful wife day after day. You know," he added, as though the thought spontaneously occurred to him, but she could tell it was planned out, that he was waiting to say it. "I do quite a lot of traveling; you could join me. Start afresh, forget what happened, see the country with me. There are so many things out there you've hardly ever dreamed of."

She remained silent, which he took as a sign to continue. "I could take you anywhere you wanted to go. Go east to the glimmering cities of New York and Chicago. Go farther west to the unsettled lands of California."

"No, no, you get outta here right now!" She screamed, unwilling to listen to any promise he made her.

"I'll return in case you change your mind. You really are the loveliest—"

"If I ever see your face again, I'll-I'll shoot you!" She stood aside and without another word, he left the barn, left her alone with the knowledge of what had been done to her.