Chapter 9
Gustave's mind was reeling as he slammed the hammer against the wooden sign. For all the bantering, discussions on every single thing ("zee mushrooms", to be precise!) and countless eye rolls (mostly about amount of those dreadful beets!), Gustave loved his cousin deeply.
Gustave grew up with two brothers, Jean and Pierre, and the three of them were inseparable. They called themselves "The three musketeers" and always had a loud fight about who would get to be D'Artagnan. However, they generously offered the role to their little cousin when he came to visit them in Paris for the first time at the tender age of five.
Eventhough he was the youngest among them and a bit of a loner, Lucas already had a part that he wanted to play in a big yard of his Uncle and Aunt's home.
Robin Hood.
It took only ten minutes for Gustave, Jean and Pierre to throw away wooden swords and capes made of old sheets in order to embrace countless leaves, bushes and branches as their own private Sherwood forest. They spent days and days running around the yard, trying to scare the Sheriff of Nottingham away.
One day, while they ran around, they rushed inside the house to scare away enemy's army. In one moment, Pierre got so caught up in playing that he swung his wooden sword and sent an antique statue of King Louis XIV of France crashing down in billion pieces.
Hearing the crash all grown ups rushed to see what happened. They were dismayed with such a behavior and demanded an explanation and for the guilty rascal to step forward.
But before any of the boys could move or speak, little Lucas stepped forward, more than ready to carry all the blame and punishment on his little shoulders.
The Pepin brothers were speechless just for a moment before they all stepped in front of their little cousin yelling "Un pour tous, tous pour un!", quickly adding the English version "All for one and One for All!" to prevent any misinterpretations.
And ever since that day The Pepin brothers accepted their cousin Lucas as the fourth brother.
Whether he was a musketeer or Robin Hood.
Life took them to different sides of the world, but they always remained close and watched each other's back…
…and that was exactly what Gustave was about to do right now.
"Gustave?", Lee came out from the saloon "Whatever is going on?", seeing the sign, his eyes widened "What the…Does Lucas know about this?", he asked stupidly.
Gustave shot daggers with his eyes and if looks could kill Lee would drop dead ten times by now.
"Do you want me to tell you or would you like me to publish it in your newspaper?", grumbled Gustave.
"Publish what…", Rosemary's voice was heard. In next moment she gasped after she saw the sign "Well, how…why…?!", she glared at Gustave.
Gustave glared back and sourly smiled.
"That is none of your business, Madame Coulter", he said, causing quite a few gasps among the people who gathered around.
He ignored them and went to pick his toolbox from the floor when horses' hooves were heard.
Bill, Nathan and Elizabeth just rode in town.
Gustave put the tool box back on the ground, knowing what was coming.
"Elizabeth?", Rosemary was first to step toward the horses.
"What's going on?", Florence demanded.
"We are leaving for Union City. It's Lucas. There was an attempt of assasination on him last night", Bill said gravely sending crowd in frenzy.
"She is not going", Gustave said, his eyes fixed upon Elizabeth.
"I beg your pardon?!", gasped Elizabeth.
"You have no right to stop her!", Rosemary jumped in, pointing her finger at Gustave.
"I have the only right to say who is coming with Monsieur Avery and me", Gustave grumbled "And she and him", he pointed to Nathan "they are not coming".
"I won't leave Lucas alone in his time of need!", Elizabeth exclaimed, staring down at Gustave.
Only to have Lucas' cousin step closer to her horse and with a cold smile say loud enough for everybody to hear:
"You did not seem to have that problem a week ago when you not only left him alone to board that train but destroyed his happiness by telling him it is over between you two. And right in the moment when he couldn't react because he had to board that train. Three years, that's how long you played with his feelings. Not anymore. He doesn't need you, Madame, to come just so you could clean your dirty consciousness", he finished and turned around, finally collecting his tool box and entering the doors, slamming them shut behind him.
A grave silence fell over the crowd as they all glanced at Elizabeth. She fumed and in the next moment, she turned the horse and rode away from the town.
"She did that?!", Molly whispered to Florence who simply stood, speechless for the first time in her life.
Bill looked around and dismounting his horse, he loudly said "Alright, show is over. Go home", he looked at Nathan and nodded "Same goes for you. I won't need you in Capitol City after all".
Bill tied up his horse and climbing up on the step, he entered the saloon.