Authors: Janet Dailey
Coley smiled in understanding. ‘What did you think of him, Danny?'
He paused before answering. ‘I like him. I mean, he's rough and says what he thinks, but I like him.'
'So do I.'
'When I was out there cleaning the barn, I thought about how he can't even get out there to see if I'm doing my job. He's got to be hard or everything he's worked for will crumble away. Do you know what I mean, Coley?’ She nodded. ‘I don't feel sorry for him. You can't pity a man like that even if he is an invalid. I said as much to Tony, but he just laughed. I don't think he understood what I meant.'
Jase's words rushed back to Coley. ‘Your precious Tony would destroy everything you've worked for in a week.’ She sat silently on the bed, debating whether she should tell Danny the things she had overheard.
'Come on,’ her brother said, taking hold of her hand and pulling her off the bed. ‘You'd better clear out. I've got to shower and change yet and your jabbering is holding me up. I'll meet you downstairs.'
'Okay.’ She left the room meekly, not yet willing to put her thoughts into words.
'Colleen! Oh, there you are,’ said her aunt, standing at the bottom of the stairs. ‘Would you help Maggie set the table? I haven't got the flowers done yet or I'd give her a hand. I didn't realize it was so close to dinner time.'
'I don't mind,’ Coley answered, skipping on down the steps.
'Is your brother ready yet?’ At Coley's negative shake, Aunt Willy pursed her lips nervously. ‘Well, it never takes men long to get ready,’ she mused, and bustled Coley into the dining room. ‘The silverware is in the china cabinet over there. The rest of the things Maggie has in the kitchen.'
Coley glanced around at the six plates resting on the white tablecloth. ‘Is Maggie eating with us tonight?'
'Oh, no, dear. She says that hopping up and down is bad for her digestion, so she eats later.'
'Who's the extra plate for?’ Coley asked.
'Oh, didn't I tell you? Benjamin's grandson will be here for dinner this evening. Now really you must hurry. The men will be coming in shortly and the table won't be ready.'
Coley placed the silver around the table, filled the glasses with iced water, and brought in the necessary salt, pepper, butter, sugar and cream containers from the kitchen. Danny entered the room as Aunt Wilhelmina was putting the finishing touches on the centre-piece and Coley was ticking off on her fingers the various items on the table.
'Is dinner ready?’ Danny asked, stretching and patting his stomach hungrily.
'Mmm,’ Aunt Willy answered absently, stepping back to admire her handiwork. ‘We'll be sitting down presently. My, but you look nice, Daniel.'
Coley glowed at the praise for her brother. His crisply starched white shirt and brown trousers did make him look rather attractive, especially with his fresh scrubbed face, and the water still clinging brightly to his immaculately combed hair. A murmur of voices sounded from the hallway.
'That will be the men coming.’ Aunt Willy adjusted the strand of pearls around her neck and patted the silver waves that wouldn't think of being out of place.
Coley and Danny turned to the arched doorway expectantly. Ben wheeled in first, his grizzled hair still bushily denying any efforts from the brush.
'I certainly hope dinner is ready by now, Willy,’ he grunted.
'Of course it is, Benjamin. We always eat at this time,’ Aunt Willy admonished, accompanying her brother-in-law to his place at the head of the table.
Tony followed his uncle into the room, smiling at Danny and slapping him on the back.
'How are you feeling? The old muscles tightening up yet?'
'Some,’ Danny smiled, his head cocking inquiringly at the man now standing in the doorway. He glanced at Tony and added, ‘I guess I'm not used to it yet.'
'You will be,’ Tony nodded with a mock grimace. Turning towards the doorway, he said, ‘I don't think you've met our new guests, Jase.'
Coley stood transfixed staring at the man in the doorway. His beard was gone, revealing the strong cheekbones and sharp jawline. The scar wasn't as visible against the tan of his cheeks as it had been. His straight black hair was still too long and his icy blue eyes hadn't lost their brilliance. He looked younger, in his early thirties. His clothes were different. In place of Levis were trimly tailored blue slacks topped with a lighter blue shirt. He looked so distinguished, so commanding and slightly ruthless. He was walking forward. Coley dimly heard Aunt Willy making the introductions, catching the words only half-consciously.
'—my sister's daughter's children. Colleen, Daniel, this is your Uncle Ben's grandson, Jason Savage.'
Jase held out his hand to Danny. ‘I understand you had an unfortunate experience with our floods,’ he said.
Danny cocked his head bewilderedly, then with dawning comprehension, he took Jason's hand and replied, ‘We're lucky we were able to get to the Simpson ranch.'
Jason turned to Coley. ‘I'm happy to meet you.'
Coley awkwardly placed her hand in his warm, firm handshake. She couldn't speak. She just swallowed and nodded.
'Did you want me to start servin’ dinner now, Mr. Savage?’ Maggie asked from the kitchen doorway.
'Of course,’ Ben scowled. ‘I'm not sitting here for want of a better place. Providing that you're finished with all of your polite amenities, Willy.'
'I believe we're ready to sit down, Maggie,’ Aunt Wilhelmina agreed with a stately nod. ‘I hope you will remember Benjamin, about quarrelling at the table. It's very bad for the digestion.'
Jase had pulled out the chair on his grandfather's left for Coley before walking around the table to sit at Wilhelmina's left. Coley glanced hesitantly at her brother beside her, but he frowned at her slightly to signal silence. She clinched her hands tightly in her lap, watching the dishes pass from Uncle Ben to Tony on to Jase and Aunt Willy. She tried to act as nonchalant as everyone else, to assume the indifferent mask that Jase wore, but it was impossible for her. She jumped every time Ben grumbled a sentence, expecting each time that the arguing would start, and a little more tense each time that it didn't.
'What did you do today, Coley?’ Tony asked, flashing his white teeth at her from across the table.
'I helped Aunt Willy in the garden,’ stammered Coley, almost dropping her fork as she spoke. She felt her cheeks flush as Jase glanced at her.
'What did dear Uncle Ben decide for you to do around here?’ Tony grinned, eyeing his uncle mischievously.
Coley averted her eyes to her plate and waited breathlessly for him to answer. Not for anything was she going to let Tony know how rotten her interview had turned out.
'She's worthless for anything but ornamentation,’ replied Ben, scowling at her through his bristly brows. ‘The way she looks sight now she ain't much good for that either. Willy, you're going to have to get something done about her hair. It's always sticking out all over.'
'Like yours, Uncle?’ Tony teased.
'Don't be insolent!’ Ben glared at his nephew. Looking back at his sister-in-law, he continued, waving a fork in the air as he did so. ‘Get her some decent clothes, too. Next time she comes to dinner I want her dressed for it and not looking like a ragamuffin.'
Shame and humiliation welled up inside Coley. She blinked desperately, aware of Jason's stare. Coley glanced quickly at her brother. The back of his neck was turning red, but his mouth had clamped shut on his anger. For Danny, this was their last chance and they must make a home here at any cost, even their pride.
'Really, Benjamin, must you be so blunt?’ Willy scolded. ‘You are so utterly tactless at times. I had already planned to take Colleen shopping tomorrow. Most of her clothes were damaged in the flood, so of course, her clothes would be in a disgraceful condition.'
'I'm sure Colleen will enjoy the shopping trip,’ Jase said, sending a small smile of assurance in Coley's direction.
'Of course she will. All we girls do.’ Aunt Willy stretched her red mouth into a playful, conspiratorial smile.
'Yes, it will be fun.’ Coley's words trembled only a little, but she knew it was enough to betray her.
'Nonsense!’ Snorted Ben. ‘You females just like to spend money.’ He reached over and laid a gnarled hand on Coley's arm. ‘But you be sure to pick out something nice for dinner tomorrow. I'll expect to see a pretty little lady sitting next to me.'
His words touched Coley as she sensed that he was, in his own way, apologizing for his bluntness. She felt Danny relax a little, too.
'Maggie!’ Ben bellowed. When she finally poked her head around the door, he said, ‘We'll be having our coffee on the porch.’ As the chairs scraped the polished wood floor, Ben turned to Coley. ‘Well, are you going to help me or not?'
She nodded slightly and stepped behind the wheelchair to lead the entourage out to the porch. As she manoeuvred the chair through the screen door and on to the porch, Coley heard the lowered voice of her aunt speaking.
'You are coming out with us for a little while, aren't you, Jason?'
'No.’ His voice was clipped and hard.
'But, Jason—’ her aunt began plaintively.
Coley glanced at the other three on the porch. Danny and Tony were talking and Ben was staring out into the sunset. Only Coley's ears were straining to hear the conversation inside.
'I will not be a party to any of your conciliatory attempts. It's no use,’ Jase said sharply. ‘Leave Ben and me alone. There's nothing you can say or do that can change the past. Leave us with our mutual dislike.'
Coley's eyes mirrored the confusion and pain that was on Willy's face as she stepped through the light bathing through the screen door on to the porch. Her aunt glanced beseechingly at Ben, but he was staring unseeingly at the crimson glow above the hills. Coley tensely watched the flustered woman who had become embedded in her heart in the last thirty-six hours. She saw her shoulders straighten and the sagging chin lift, before her aunt seated herself next to Ben, regaining her grace and dignity. Coley remained in the shadows apart from the group. Her heart contracted in pain while she watched the flashing red nails of her aunt's hands as she poured the coffee. When the same hands were done with their task and one went to its owner's throat to click the beads together nervously, Coley knew she could watch no more the agony that was burning inside her aunt and slipped unnoticed off the porch into the yard.
Silently, not wanting to be seen or stopped, Coley followed the evening path of shadows to the back of the house. At last out of sight, she slowed her steps and began wandering aimlessly among the stately oaks. Her thoughts became jumbled and incoherent. Flashes of her night spent with Jase came searing back, but mixed up with the never-ceasing echo of Ben's ringing ‘Murderer,’ ‘Murderer,’ ‘Murderer!’ She glanced bewilderedly up to the evening sky with its smattering of stars, only to see once again ominous rolling clouds splintered by forks of lightning before they were blocked out by the vision of a jagged white scar against a black beard and her own taunting words, ‘Mark of Cain.’ Her lids closed tightly over her hazel eyes trying to shut out the pictures she was seeing. What had happened that could cause such hatred between grandfather and grandson? Why hadn't Jase told her that night that he was the grandson of the owner? Why had he let her think he only worked on the ranch? He must have known she would find out.
Danny had had such high hopes for them. Her generous mouth turned up slightly with affection for her brother. He had wanted a family and a home for her. She had both and now wanted desperately to belong, but this family was torn apart by hate and mistrust. A sickening feeling knotted itself in the pit of her stomach at the thought of continued arguments such as she had heard today between Jase and Uncle Ben. Coley, who hated any disagreement, who couldn't cope with bitter words from people she cared about, shuddered in fear. Jase couldn't be a murderer, she told herself. If he really was, he would be in prison. Somewhere there were answers, a solution. That was what she must find.
Suddenly, amid the shrilling cries of the cicadas and crickets, Coley heard the rasp of a match being struck behind her. Her spine tingled in apprehension as she turned towards the sound and murmured hoarsely:
'Who's there?'
Without answering, a figure stepped out of the shadows, shaking out the match as he did so. The light of the quarter moon illuminated the blue shirt and then the face of the figure. Jase walked slowly towards her, the gentle glow of a lit cigar in his hand.
'Good evening again, Miss McGuire,’ he murmured very politely. ‘It's a lovely night for strolling through Aunt Willy's rose garden, isn't it?'
Her body tensed as he stopped beside her, barely controlling a wild desire to flee. His blue eyes challenged her, but only briefly as she turned her head away from his face. Did he know or had he guessed that she had overheard him talking to Aunt Willy? Did he think she had expected to find him out here?
'I needed some fresh air and I was too restless to sit on the porch with the others,’ Coley explained breathlessly. She glanced up at him hesitantly and had the peculiar feeling that those piercing eyes saw right through her.
'We all are in need of fresh air after dinner,’ he replied grimly, ‘Did you enjoy the evening meal?'