Dorothy Garlock (21 page)

Corbin was determined to make the most of this time alone with her. She had crept into his heart and his mind and lodged there. He tried to think of something to say that would put her at ease.

“How long have you been playing the violin?”

“Since I was about ten years old. My mother played and taught me to read music.”

“Tonight you played for almost an hour from memory. It was amazing.”

She laughed a little. “It isn’t amazing at all if you have an ear for music.”

“The only ear I have for music is for the enjoyment of it.”

“That’s the most important part.” Her voice came softly out of the darkness.

Corbin decided that he’d better act soon before Jack or Boone came back. She either liked him or she didn’t. It was time to find out.

Annabel’s heart almost stopped when he moved over closer to her and reached into her lap for her hand. He held it tightly in both of his.

“One of the first rules I learned when I was a lad and started noticing girls was always to hold the girl’s hand if we were sitting in a porch swing.”

“Whose rule was that? I never heard of it.”

“
Appleby Family Rule Book on Courting,
written by my grandfather back in 1870.”

“Corbin Appleby! You’re making that up!” Her soft girlish laughter delighted him. “What was the second rule you learned?”

“Number two, if she jerks her hand away and slaps you, cry loud and long. She’ll feel sorry for you and might even let you put your arm around her.”

Annabel released another breath of soft laughter. “Did you ever give that second rule a try?”

“Not yet, but the night’s not over.”

“I’m thinking that you’re full of blarney, Mr Appleby.”

“You called me Corbin a couple times tonight.”

“I did? How rude of me.”

“You don’t think you know me well enough? I think about you as Annabel Lee.”

“How did you know Lee was my middle name?”

“My friend Edgar Allan Poe told me.”

“The…poet?”

“I know him well.” He quoted: “‘
She was a child, and I was a child—
’ ”

“‘
In this kingdom by the sea.
’ ” Her voice was a mere whisper.

“‘
But we loved with a love that was more than love—
’ ” Corbin paused.

“‘
I and my Annabel Lee—
’ ”

“‘
With a love that the wingéd seraphs of Heaven/ Coveted her and me.
’ ” He finished the verse in a soft, intimate whisper.

The silence that followed was broken only by the squeaking of the chains holding the porch swing. The hand holding hers was never still. His thumb stroked her knuckles, her palm and her fingertips.

“Is Lee really your middle name?” he asked.

“Yes, it is. My mother loved the poem. Her name was Annalee.”

“Annabel Lee and Annalee are both beautiful names.”

“I used to wonder what the word
seraphs
meant when my mother read the poem.” Her voice was strong, but she was quivering inside. “I looked it up when I went to school.”

“Let me guess. It means a whole herd of angels.”

Her laugh was low and musical. “Not a whole herd, but a few. I’m not sure, but it may mean the angel’s wings. I’ll have to look it up again.”

He gazed at her profile and wanted to tell her that sometimes thinking about her made him feel all mixed up and shaky inside, and at other times he was surprised by the flood of happiness that washed over him. He was afraid that if he attempted to say any of those things, he would make a mess of it and scare her away.

“I think it’s time to test the third rule,” he said lightly. “You’re cold. I felt you shivering.” His arm arched over her head and pulled her close. “If I hold your hands tight enough, it says in the rule book, you can’t slap me.”

“I’ve never slapped anyone in my life.”

“That’s good to know. I thought I’d better do this before Boone comes back and punches me in the nose.”

The sound of his voice in the warm, dark night was so reassuring she lost her self-consciousness and relaxed against him.

“This is nice,” he said in a low whisper. “I’ve wanted to do this since that first day when we met in front of the hotel. After that day, I couldn’t get you out of my mind.”

“More blarney, Mr. Appleby?”

His fingers came up to silence her lips. “I shouldn’t have said that so soon. Have I ruined my chances with you?” His voice was husky and had the sound of a plea in it.

“Nooo…” She drew the word out because she was breathless.

The word gave him the encouragement to continue. “Want the truth? I’ve been mooning over a girl with sea-green eyes, a sweet smile, and beautiful dark brown hair, a girl whose father would like to flatten me out like a pancake.”

“I’m sorry—”

“You’ve nothing to be sorry for. If I had a sweet and pretty daughter like you, I’d guard her like Fort Knox. He doesn’t know me. I could be a flimflammer, for all he knows.”

“Are you a flimflammer?” Annabel’s heart was beating so hard and so fast that she was sure he could feel it.

“When he gets back, I’ll tell him my life’s story, show him my army records and get a horde of preachers to vouch for me, tell him about all the old ladies I’ve helped cross the street, and maybe he’ll let me come courting when you get moved down to St. Louis.”

“You’d come all the way to St. Louis?”

“Didn’t Napoleon come home from the wars to be with his Josephine? Didn’t George Washington cross the icy Potomac to be with his Martha? Didn’t the gallant Sir Walter Raleigh throw his coat over a mud puddle to protect the feet of Queen Elizabeth?”

He felt her body tremble with laughter. It was in her voice when she spoke. Corbin was enthralled with her.

“It’s pure fiction that Sir Walter Raleigh threw down his coat for the queen to walk on. I’m glad he didn’t, because a few years later she had his head cut off.”

“The ungrateful wench.” The arm around her tightened a bit. “The lesson here is never throw down your coat for a lady to walk on.”

“Especially if she’s a queen.”

Corbin was happier than he could remember being in a long time, and his foot moved the swing gently. He held her firmly to his side, loving the feel of her soft body against his. This was more, much more than he had hoped for when he left town to come here. He was sure now that she didn’t object to his attention. Her father was the obstacle he would have to overcome.

Sitting close to Corbin, her shoulder behind his, her hip and thigh snugly against him, Annabel had no thoughts except of him. She was gloriously, foolishly happy. He had not said that he would come to St. Louis to see her, but he had indicated that he would. By then her father would be out of the bootlegging business and would have nothing to fear from a former police officer. After he got to know Corbin, he would like him.
Oh, she hoped so.

She turned her head to look at him and found him looking down at her. There was a mingling of their breaths and she was sure that he wanted to kiss her.

Then Boone’s voice came rumbling out of the darkness.

Chapter
15

H
ELLFIRE! I figured I’d better get back here.”

Corbin swore under his breath and refused to remove his arm from around Annabel.

“Boone, one of these days I’m going to bust you in the mouth. You can count on it.”

“Yeah?” Boone came up onto the porch. “Who’re ya goin’ to get to help ya? Where’s Jack?”

“He’s around here somewhere.”

“Got rid of him, did ya?”

Annabel got suddenly to her feet. “Good night, Corbin,” she said briskly. “Thank you for watching over me while my
guardian
was away.”

“You’re very welcome, Annabel. And thank you for supper and the concert and the ice cream. I’ll be out Saturday to take you and Jack to the ball game.”

“What’s this about?” Boone demanded.

Ignoring him, Corbin said, “Good night, Annabel.” And he walked off the porch.

Boone followed him to the car. “Yo’re askin’ for trouble, Appleby. Annabel’s pa told me to keep her away from you.”

“Yeah? Why didn’t he tell me himself?”

“He will. Don’t doubt it.”

Corbin leaned back against his car and lit a cigarette. He waited until he saw a light in the house before he spoke.

“Boone, to my way of thinking prohibition is a stupid law, but it’s law. I don’t know how deep you and Donovan are into the bootlegging business, but I’ll tell you this. Be careful how you play with the boys in Chicago. They’re tough. They squash little operators like bugs if they get in the way.”

“Yo’re a Fed.”

“I’m not a Fed. I’ve told you that. I’ve no interest in Donovan other than he’s Annabel’s father. If he thinks he can compete with the big operators out of Chicago and St. Louis, he’d better be careful. He could get you all killed.”

“He’s gettin’ out.”

“I’m glad to hear it.”

“What are you doin’ here?”

“Courting Annabel, or trying to.”

“Hell, I know that. I’m not blind. I mean what’re ya hangin’ ’round Henderson for?”

“Waitin’ for Jack to be ready to go home.”

“Horse hockey! Ya might fool them rubes in Henderson, but ya ain’t foolin’ me.”

“I’m not trying to. What’s going on between you and the Carter girl? She’s a fine-looking woman even if she does act like a cowed pup. Been meeting her on the sly? Can’t say that I blame you.”

“It’s none of yore damn business.” Boone’s voice rose angrily.

“Then stop sticking your nose in mine.” Corbin dropped his cigarette on the ground and stepped on it. “Better get back to town.”

“Good idea. Watch out for Carter. He sent Tess over to see what ya was doin’ here. He’s layin’ claim to Annabel and don’t want ya chiselin’ in on him.”

Corbin’s head jerked up. “He’ll pay hell claiming her! If her pa can’t put a stop to it, I can.”

“Tess says he’s crazy about her and he’s layin’ for ya for what ya did last Sunday.”

“She told you that? You two must be cozier than I thought.”

“If ya let it be known she warned ya, it’ll go hard with her. Might get her killed. Then I’d come for ya—”

“Tell Miss Carter I thank her for the warning.” Corbin got into the car, reached under the seat and placed a revolver on the seat beside him. “Use your head, man. Bring Annabel to town. She can wait for her pa there.”

“Ya’d like that, wouldn’t ya?”

“Don’t be more of an ass than you are, Boone. If things get rough out here and you need me, send Jack.”

He started the car and drove down the lane toward the road. At the end of the path he stopped for a moment and wondered if there was a way to get to town other than going by the Carter place. He had not heard of a road that went around the town and didn’t relish the thought of wandering around at night looking for one. He turned south toward town.

The headlights on his car picked out the rough spots in the road to avoid but didn’t reach into the brush that grew along the roadside. He traveled down a small incline and rounded a slight bend in the road that brought him even with the Carter place. He increased the speed of the car, then on down the road he slowed down again, his eyes peering into the dark ahead of the headlights.

His keen night vision allowed him to see the obstruction in the road ahead just as the headlights reached the large pile of brush and tree limbs. He stomped on the brake, put the car in reverse, backed up and stopped. Then out to the side he caught a glimpse of someone on a balking mule.

They were trying to box him in with another tree limb.

He tromped down on the gas pedal and the car sprang forward, the headlights bouncing on the deadfalls that had been dragged across the road.

Without hesitation, Corbin gunned the motor and jerked the wheel. The car bounced as it hit the ditch and the brush that grew alongside the road. At the last second he saw another mule, but it was too late to keep from hitting it. The fender of the car hit the hind legs of the mule trying to get out of the way. The man riding it was thrown off and hit the side of the car with a loud thump.

Corbin thanked God for the powerful motor that kept the car plowing through the brush until he could steer it back up onto the road.

The bastards had been waiting for him!

He slowed the car and reached down for the gun that had bounced off the seat when he hit the ditch. He regretted hitting the mule, but he hoped that whoever was on it got his head busted when he hit his car. The bastard deserved to have his neck broken.

There wasn’t a car in sight when Corbin drove down the main street of Henderson on his way to the hotel. The light was on in the telephone office, the billiard parlor and Alex Lemon’s photography shop.

Corbin parked in front of the hotel, sat for a minute or two, then tucked the gun inside his shirt and got out. The front fender of his car had a good-sized dent, as did the door on the passenger side. He wasn’t sure without touching it, but there could be a couple spots of blood on the door.

On the way to town he had decided to report the incident to the sheriff in the morning. Corbin was almost sure that the Carters wouldn’t report that he’d hit the mule unless the man on it had been badly hurt.

Tess knew that something had happened when she heard the cursing on the porch. She jumped out of bed the instant her name was bellowed by one of her brothers and pulled her dress on over the petticoat she slept in.

“Tess, get yore skinny ass out here, light a lamp and hold open the door.”

“I’m comin’.” She parted the curtains and hurried to the table where the lamp sat beside a box of matches.

As soon as she replaced the chimney on the lamp and the room was flooded with light, she went to the door. Bud and Marvin, carrying Leroy on a flat board, stood on the porch. She held back the screen door and stepped out of the way.

“What happened?” Leroy’s face and head were covered with blood. Ignoring her question, they carried him to the bunk at the end of the kitchen where he had slept since he was a child and eased him down.

“Is he dead?” Tess peered over Marvin’s shoulder at the bloody figure of her younger brother.