Chapter 8: She loves me, she loves me not!

Candy and Jeremy Bolt had decided to go to the hot springs at Longmire resort. They had heard that the springs were healing. Candy had been very anxious since the baby was born and Jeremy decided that they needed a little time away with each other. Before Richard had shown up, Candy had visited with Aurora and Fay. She found Fay very interesting and knowledgeable of the mountain that the resort was on. Candy and Aurora talked as well. One day, she and Aurora had been talking about Richard and Aurora said to Candy:

"I hope that this isn't going to make you mad at me, but I want to ask about Richard. I wanted to ask you if you think he has changed in the last few months?"

"You wont make me mad, but I really don't know if he has or hasn't. We only received a letter from the sheriff asking about using our name, we suggested another name. Well, actually Jeremy and his brothers suggested another name. They did not feel that he was truly reformed so they told the sheriff that he could use another old family name and he has. Or so I have been told." Aurora looked at Candy and said,

"Just last week I received this letter saying that he was on his way to visit and would I want to marry him! I did not answer the letter because I wasn't sure anymore. When we parted, I did truly miss him. He was so kind and helpful, when he rescued us, I wanted to be with him the rest of my life. But now, I don't really know. There is Frank, he has begun courting me as well!" Candy looked at her sister and then said:

"I cant tell you what to say or do, but I can tell you to follow your heart if Richard is the man you want, answer him, if not, tell him and say your goodbyes!" Aurora looked at her and turned away for a minute to think what she could say.

"Candy, I love both, but with Richard, he says he has a ranch and a farm and a place for us to live, Frank has all that as well. But Frank has been calm and steady. He has not necessarily made any advances just yet, but I think he wants to marry me as well?" Candy went over to her sister and hugged her. Jeremy came in just then and smiled, he was genuinely glad that Aurora was no longer a threat to him, although he did stay a little further away from her. He was happy to see that Candy and she were getting along quite well.

"I just came in to tell you that Mr. Fuller and his family have invited us to dinner tonight and that includes you as well Aurora!" They looked at Jeremy and smiled.

"Thank you for telling me, I need to get ready. I will meet you at Fay's in half an hour!" Aurora said. They left to get ready as well. She took out the letter and reread it again:

"Hello, my true love, I am proposing in this letter to you. I believed I would be there within the week. So, if you have anything you need to take with you, please have everything ready to go. You can say goodbye to your friends, and we will leave on the next train the day after. Please say yes. I want to know you are mine forever!

With Love, Richard (Rafe) Martin

Aurora looked at the letter and put it on the dresser. She then got dressed for dinner and went to her friend Fay's house. During dinner Fay thought her friend was not happy. When the dinner was over, Fay's father, Jeremy and Mr. Carter and his son who had also been invited went to the drawing room for a drink and conversation. Aurora told Fay and Candy more information about the letter and proposal.

"Aurora, you cant go with that man! He doesn't love you; he just wants you!" Fay looked at Candy who wasn't sure what to make of this.

"You know, Aurora, I think, now this is my own opinion, but I think that he really wanted me, so since you and I look alike, I think he has transferred his feelings to you!" Aurora looked at Candy and said:

"Yesterday you told me to go with my heart. I guess I should have read you the letter first?" Aurora said as Candy wrapped her arms around Aurora.

"Don't worry, we can figure this out. I have an idea, lets go see Jeremy and the rest, I am sure they will help us!" They left the kitchen and went to the drawing room. The men said they would do what they could, so that night for a few hours, they spent looking at ways of helping Aurora.

When Aurora came in she saw that Richard had tied Fay and had a gun to her head.

"Well, I hope that you have remembered to pack everything you need, it seems as if you forgot to tell your friend that you were leaving! Well, maybe I can let you write a letter later and let them know how happy you are to be with me! Now, I need you to come with me. We don't have much time!"

"Richard, there is something I have been meaning to tell you, but since your letter only just arrived early this week, I wasn't able to say anything, I wanted to tell you that I no longer am in love with you. I do not want to marry you!" Aurora said without hesitation. Richard was a little confused but thought about it and said:

"I see, then when you stood on the deck of the ship, you weren't looking at me and telling me you loved me?" She stared at him and said:

"I did not know where you were, I was scared, and frightened, my emotions were running high. Yes, I did say in my prayers that I loved you but that has all changed now!" He looked at her again, he also looked out of the window he saw someone moving and at that moment a bullet came through the window. He was not struck but he yelled:

"Get down on the floor Aurora, I don't want you to get hurt!" Aurora got down on the floor and sat there watching. He was looking out the window, his gun drawn ready to shoot at anything that moved. While he was doing that she slowly reached up to untie Fay. He turned and pointed the gun towards her and said:

"Don't!" his face was like stone; his eyes were no longer soft and loving. He looked at her again and said:

"If you want to live, and you want your friend to live then you and her need to stay right where you are. I have never shot a woman, but there is always a first time!" He looked at Aurora and there was something slightly different in her facial expressions as well. He let the thought go because he had to figure out how to get himself and Aurora out of there without getting killed.

He had gone all over the school house and the teacher residences and had found that there was a trap door leading to a cellar. He had quietly explored the cellar and had found a door that opened up to the pasture on the far side of the farm. There was a shed nearby that he could get to, he had put the horses there, so that he could escape so he and Aurora would be able to leave quickly and be gone before the others knew they were gone.

He pointed the gun at Aurora again and said:

"We are going to get out of here, Your friend will stay gagged, so she cant tell them where we went. I am sure she already knows about the cellar!" He looked at Fay, who did not blink. He then turned towards Aurora and said:

"It is time. Bullets started to come through the walls, Fay rolled herself of the settee and onto the floor, Aurora was genuinely scared. She went to the trap door, and they went down the stairs, he held the gun on her and would have shot her if she had even turned around. She could not risk getting shot. Jeremy had been very worried about that part of the plan! They went through the cellar and then to the open door. They stood up out of the pasture and he prodded her with the gun to run to the shed. In the shed, there were two horses; she climbed on one horse and he on another. Then they rode away from the house and the farm.

Chapter 9 Hiding Out

Jeremy was the first to rush the house. When he got in there, he did not see Candy. Aurora ran in next and untied Fay and ungagged her.

"They took the cellar, there is a door that is at the end of the pasture, there is a shed, hurry, they won't be too far!"

Jeremy, Frank, Mr. Carter, and Mr. Fuller all ran out and got their horses. They went to the pasture, found the trail and followed it. Candy was riding with Richard, when they stopped, she drank a little water and took the ribbon out of her hair. Richard was watching and said:

"You know Aurora, I was wondering why you seem so different, you are Candy, aren't you?" He asked as he quickly took the ribbon and put it in his pocket.

"What makes you think that?" She asked sweetly.

"Because, Candy, I recognized the little smile you make when you are thinking about escaping. Aurora, does not have that same smile. When she thinks of escaping she gets a serious look on her face and purses her lips!" He took another drink and then he said:

"Well, I heard you had child already? That is nice, but now, you are not going to see Jeremy or that child ever again. I have plans, right now, we need to ride! So, get on your horse!" He tied her hands to the saddle and gagged her. He took the lead rope and rode both horses as hard as he could. They had to make it up the hill to a spot he had chosen.

Meanwhile, Jeremy was searching for the signs of where they might have gone. He stopped at a tree and took a drink of water. Frank looked down and saw something glinting in the sunshine. He got off his horse and picked it up. He showed it to Jeremy.

"It is the brooch my Uncle gave her as a present!" Jeremy said

"Then that means we are on the right trail!" said Frank. Just then Aurora and Fay rode up along with Mr. Carter, Mr. Fuller and the sheriff and the about ten or more men.

"Fay, I want you and Aurora to stay down her, it looks like he is going to the old caves, we can follow them, but the trail gets hard and you ladies are not dressed for hiking today!" Fay looked at her father and said:

"I plan to go climb that mountain father, if you think I don't have the equipment now, look again!" She brought out her saddle bags. Frank looked at Aurora, he had a feeling she had the same things, hanging out with Fay was good for her. Aurora smiled a smile that lit up her whole face when she saw Franks reaction to her saddle bags as well!

"Frank, when Fay and I were planning that night she had extra hiking clothes that I could wear. I did not want my sister to get hurt, not after all the trouble I put her through!" Even Jeremy was impressed with Aurora's desire to help.

"There is good in people!" he thought and was glad Aurora was on their side now.

"We had better camp for the night, tomorrow we go up into higher country and you ladies will need those clothes you brought sooner than you think!" Mr. Fuller said. They made camp, Jeremy put the brooch in a safe place to give to Candy when they rescued her.

"We are almost there, Candy honey!" He said it knowing that would annoy her. The weather was getting cold, she had not brought a coat or any warm clothes. He had clothes for her so that she would not freeze. But he decided to withhold those unless he could trust her not to escape. He got off his horse and took her off the other horse. He led her into the cave, it was not as nice and cozy as the one closest to where he had taken her the last time, but it would do. He made her sit down. He took her gag off and untied her hands. He wasn't as nice as he had tried to be last time. In fact, he stood up and said:

"You are going to cook. I have the rabbit it has been cleaned and ready for you to cook it. So, here is the water, and you can get the fire started Woman!" He looked at her, again, she looked at him, his 'loving' eyes and demeaner were gone. He was a rough and tumble cowboy, thief and cattle rustler and he was not going to be nice this time.

"Don't worry, Candy Honey, I wont attempt anything yet, but once I kill your husband, you will be mine and mine forever, so remember that this time, you and he will not get away alive!" he left and stood outside watching and waiting until the stew was ready. Candy did the job, cooking the stew, she wanted to stay alive, and she wanted Jeremy as well. She was crying a little but silently since she did not want him to see her crying. The stew was finally ready, and he came in to eat.

"Well, thank you Candy Honey, I greatly appreciate this dinner. Next time you will be able to make some biscuits as well." Candy ate her dinner in silence. She had nothing to say to him that wouldn't make him mad, so she said nothing at all! He got up after finishing his meal and put the bowl in a makeshift sink and showed her how to wash the dishes with just a little water and soap.

"Well, Candy Honey, you have been silent, I would prefer a nice conversation with you but maybe you are tired. After you are finished cleaning our dinner dishes, I have a place for you to sleep tonight." He pointed to a high flat rock with furs covering it. There was room for two to sleep in comfort.

"I am not sleeping there! I will sleep right here by the fire!" she said to him. He looked at her and said:

"Well, that is fine, since I will be up most of the night watching for anyone coming. Here, take one of the furs, so you wont freeze tonight!" He handed her a fur and she put it around her shoulders. He did not want to be too mean to her, just yet, but he had some ideas as to what he was going to do to her later.

Jeremy could not sleep; he was very worried about Candy. He wished his brothers were here, they would be able to help him sleep. He had taken the first watch but was sure that he would stay awake all night. Frank came up to him and talked with him.

"Jeremy, she will be alright, I don't think he will hurt her?" Jeremy gave Frank a look and said:

"The last time he had taken her, he tried to attack her, I hope he doesn't do it now!" Jeremy yelled at Frank who stepped back and then said:

"Jeremy, I realize that you are upset, but you did say she could take Aurora's place?" Frank said

"I know I said that, but I thought we would get them out before he got away! I didn't realize that he would take her with him! What if he knows she is Candy? What if he takes advantage of her? Frank, I gave a little pistol, in case he does take advantage of her so she could shoot him, what if he kills her?" Someone nearby just coming into the camp heard Jeremy and said;

"Jeremy!" Jeremy recognized that voice and saw his brothers Jason and Joshua. He ran over to them, and they hugged each other.

"Wh- wh- what are you doing here? Jeremy asked

"We came to help you!" Jason said. "We came because we got a telegraph that you needed us." Jeremy looked around and then the sheriff said:

"I sent the telegram before we left yesterday. I told them where we would be and how to get here quickly. I did it because we were dealing with a man whom they have already dealt with, and you are in the same position you were in a few years back if I am not mistaken?" The sheriff said to Jeremy who nodded yes. They all settle down then and slept well with watches through the night.

The next morning, they got up and Mr. Fuller said he knew where the caves were and that they could get there in no time.

"H-how-how do we know they will still be there?" Jeremy asked.

"They will still be there because as you see, we have frost on the ground, did I not say it was going to get colder? Well, there will be heavy snow up by that cave and they cannot leave right now, so we have an advantage but a slight one. When we get up higher the snow gets deeper, and we get slower. So, we leave the horses and one or two men to guard them and keep them safe from the wolves while the rest of us head up on foot!" Mr. Fuller answered then looked up and said:

"Ladies, I see that you are ready to go!" they shook their head yes, Frank looked at Aurora and smiled, he loved that she was doing this, he loved her more and more. She looked at him and smiled. He smiled and both of their hearts were warmed.