For the Roses (31 page)

"You can't treat me this way." She burst into tears and threw her hands over her face.

"Mary Rose's brothers will cheer me. I'm making their job easier for them. They were going to give you the boot tomorrow."

Eleanor was quite remarkable. She stopped weeping in mid sob. "What do you mean?"

"They're going to make you leave."

"Mary Rose won't let them."

"Everyone voted," he said. He didn't feel at all bad that he was upsetting her. It was time someone shook her up. She'd been acting like a spoiled little princess with a thorn in her backside long enough. The young woman needed to learn the consequences of her actions.

"Adam would vote to let me stay," she cried out.

"He would if he could," Harrison agreed. "But he's head of the household, so he always abstains. Cole, Travis, and Douglas voted against you. I would have, but I'm not a member of the family, so they wouldn't let me vote. In the Clayborne household, majority rules, Eleanor. You've been given every chance. Mary Rose was going to help you pack tonight. I've just saved her the chore."

"I won't leave."

"If you should happen to find your way back to the ranch, one of the brothers will haul you back to town and dump you there."

Harrison wasn't showing any mercy. He was a bit ashamed when he realized how much he was enjoying himself.

Eleanor became hysterical. Harrison picked up the reins and started for the ranch again. Her screams followed him along the trail. He started whistling in an attempt to block out the noise. It

suddenly dawned on him that the screaming wasn't receding. It was getting closer. He turned and saw her running toward him. Eleanor could move when she wanted to. Odd, she couldn't find the strength to come downstairs in the morning to eat with the family, but she could run up a mountain just as fast as the horses were trotting along.

She was shouting colorful obscenities at him. Harrison turned back to the road and increased the pace. According to the plan, Cole would be waiting just around the next bend. He was probably watching Eleanor now, making certain she didn't injure herself or get into trouble. Cole would eventually become Eleanor's savior. He would make her promise to behave herself and then bring her home.

The rest of the trip was blissfully peaceful for Harrison. He forgot about Eleanor's behavior and concentrated on his own. He was having trouble accepting the fact that he had deliberately provoked a gunfight. He hadn't been acting like a civilized man. No doubt about it, the longer he stayed at the ranch, the more barbaric he became.

His thoughts turned to the confrontation ahead of him. Now that all the brothers were home, he would talk to them tonight. He dreaded the duty, and he thought perhaps his own feelings about the brothers had been yet another reason for his procrastination. They were all good, decent men. Damn, he almost wished they weren't.

Harrison refused to think about Mary Rose's reaction to the fact that he'd been acting under false pretenses from the moment they'd met.

He started down the hill, spotted the ranch in the distance, and suddenly felt as though he were coming home. Three of the four brothers were sitting on the porch. Adam was working inside the corral, riding a black horse Harrison hadn't seen before. The animal was trying to buck his rider off his back. Adam wasn't having any trouble staying on, which was a remarkable feat, given the fact that the brother was riding bareback. He looked as though he were glued to the wild animal's back. Adam's movements were fluid and graceful. It wasn't as easy as it appeared to be though. Adam had taken his shirt off, and Harrison could see the sweat from his strenuous exertion glistening on his shoulders. Harrison waved to him as he passed him and continued on to the barn. Travis shouted to him. He pointed to a bottle he held up in one hand. Harrison nodded. He took the buggy into the barn, unhitched the horses and put them in the back pasture to cool down, then moved MacHugh outside to an empty corral so he could get some exercise, and headed for the main house. He was ready for a cool drink and was smiling in anticipation. "Where's Mary Rose?" he called out. "Inside," Douglas called back. Adam had dismounted and was just opening the gait to the corral when Harrison walked past him. He stopped to speak to him. "After supper tonight, I'd like to talk to you and your brothers."

"All right," Adam agreed. "What do you want to talk about?"

"I'll explain later," Harrison hedged. "I don't want Mary Rose to listen in." Adam nodded. He unfolded his shirt and put it on. The two men walked together. Adam looked thoughtful. Harrison was a little surprised he didn't ask more questions.

"It's hot out, isn't it, Harrison?" Cole remarked. "It sure is," Harrison answered before he realized whom he was talking to.

Harrison increased his pace until he was almost running.

"What are you doing here?" he demanded in a near shout.

"I live here," Cole replied.

"Where's Eleanor?" Harrison asked.

"Isn't she with you?" Adam asked from behind.

"She was supposed to be with Cole," Harrison answered. "What happened? Did you take her back to town and leave her there?"

Even as he asked the question, he knew it wasn't possible. Cole wouldn't have had enough time to take Eleanor back to Blue Belle and then make it home before Harrison.

Unless he'd taken a shortcut.

Harrison jumped on the possibility. "She's inside, isn't she?" Douglas smiled. Cole tilted his chair back, propped his booted feet up on the rail, lowered the rim of his hat, and closed his eyes.

Harrison turned to Adam. The eldest brother looked appalled.

"She isn't inside," Adam announced. He turned his attention to Cole. "I swear I'm going to tear the hide off your backside if anything happened to her. Were you supposed to bring her home?"

"Yes," Cole admitted without opening his eyes.

Adam reached the bottom step and stopped. Harrison sat down on the top step. He decided he'd let Adam deal with the problem. He would have better luck getting answers out of Cole.

"What happened?" Adam asked.

"She's all right," Cole said.

"Don't you realize the dangers up there? Are you completely out of your mind? For the love of God, there are wild animals roaming about. What could you have been thinking?"

"She won't hurt any of the animals. Don't get all lathered up, Adam."

"That isn't funny," Adam snapped.

Harrison began to smile, but Adam gave him a hard look and he quickly forced a frown. He knew Eleanor had to be all right. Cole wouldn't have left her to fend for herself up there, and once Harrison had gotten over his initial surprise, he realized that fact. Adam would realize it, too, as soon as he got over being angry. Cole was just having a little sport with all of them. Harrison would let him have his laugh and then find out where he'd hidden Eleanor.

"The animals won't bother Eleanor," Cole assured everyone. "Relax, will you? I'm having my break. Adam, did Travis tell you he spotted those five missing steers up on the short ridge? I'm thinking about going after them in a little while. Travis can go with me."

"I'll go with you," Harrison volunteered. He wanted to keep as busy as possible so he wouldn't have to think about the meeting tonight.

"What for? You can't help," Cole told him.

"Of course I can help," Harrison argued. "Show me what you want me to do, and I'll do it."

"Where have I heard that before?" Cole said dryly.

"What have you done with Eleanor?" Adam demanded once again. He came up the stairs and sat down next to Harrison. The oldest brother must not have been overly concerned about their houseguest, however. His gaze was centered on MacHugh now. The stallion was prancing around inside the corral.

"Harrison, would you mind if I rode MacHugh?" he asked.

"I don't mind. MacHugh might. You're welcome to give him a try."

"Cole, are you about ready to answer me?" Adam asked. He kept his attention on MacHugh while he waited for his brother to answer.

"Dooley's looking out for her. I ran into him on my way past the creek. I gave him a dollar to keep his eye on her until I feel like going back."

Harrison grinned. "Exactly when will you feel like going after her?" he asked.

"In a spell," Cole promised. "It's real peaceful now, isn't it?" Travis came outside with bottles of beer for all of them. He handed one to Douglas and then gave Harrison one.

"Isn't that Dooley coming down the hill?" Douglas asked the question. He squinted against the sunlight in an attempt to get a better look. "Yes, I do believe it is Dooley." Adam leaned forward. "By God, it is Dooley, and he's alone. Cole, if anything happens to Eleanor, you're responsible."

"Adam, do you want a beer?" Travis asked.

The worry about Eleanor was temporarily put on hold. He accepted the bottle and took a long swallow.

"It goes down real smooth, doesn't it?"

Travis nodded. "I bartered for a dozen bottles. Sure tastes good."

"I hope Mary Rose doesn't come outside. She's bound to notice Eleanor's missing," Douglas said.

"If she asks, we won't tell her anything," Travis said. He leaned against the post and let out a yawn. "She

thinks Eleanor's in her room. Let her go on thinking it."

"I don't think she'll want to talk to Eleanor for a long time," Douglas predicted.

"Why not?" Adam asked.

"She's still mad at her," Douglas said. "Eleanor called Mrs. Morrison a fat cow."

"Dear Lord. I hope Mrs. Morrison didn't hear her," Adam said. He shuddered over the mere possibility.

"I don't see how she couldn't have heard," Douglas said. "She was talking to the woman and said it to her face."

Adam shook his head. "Looks like we're going to have to go to Hammond to get our necessaries."

"Eleanor will apologize," Cole predicted. "I'll bet she's almost ready to change her ways."

"What was she doing when you took off?" Travis asked.

"Throwing rocks and screaming. The woman's got quite a colorful vocabulary."

"Afternoon, Dooley," Douglas called out. "Do you want a beer?"

"I sure could use me one," Dooley replied. He climbed down from his mount and strutted over to the stairs. Harrison had never noticed how bowlegged the man was before. Dooley walked like he was carrying a pickle barrel between his knees.

The old man sat down on the steps between Adam and Harrison. He took his hat off, wiped his brow with the back of his arm, and then said, "It surely is warm for winter, ain't it?"

"It's June, Dooley," Cole informed him.

Harrison patiently waited for one of the brothers to find out what had happened to Eleanor. No one said a word. They were still busy appreciating their beverages. Harrison assumed the drink was a rarity for them because of the scarcity.

Dooley was licking his lips in anticipation of the treat he was going to get. Harrison finally broke down and asked the question for the others.

"Dooley, weren't you supposed to be watching out for Eleanor?"

"Yes, sir, I surely was."

"Then why are you here?"

"I couldn't take it no more. She was making so much noise my head started in pounding. She didn't spot me watching out for her though. I can hide real tight when I set my mind to it. I couldn't hide from the screaming, even when I covered my ears with my hands. Then Ghost happened along. I gave him two whole dollars to sit a spell and watch over her."

"Was Ghost drinking his brew?" Cole asked.

"He ran out three days ago. He's pretty straight now," Dooley assured him. Harrison turned to Cole. "I'm not going after her."

"I didn't ask you to."

"I'm still going to get blamed for this, aren't I?"

"Yes, sir, you surely are." Cole laughed after he answered in just the same way Dooley would have. "If Mary Rose finds out before I bring Eleanor back, it's got to be your fault."

"How do you figure that?" Harrison asked.

"It was your plan."

"Mary Rose might not find out," Travis suggested from the doorway.

"I acted in good faith," Harrison argued.

"She'll find out all right," Douglas predicted. "She'll get real suspicious in a couple of days if Eleanor doesn't come downstairs. I figure Mary Rose will stay mad at her until around Friday. Then she'll start asking questions."

"Are you going to leave Eleanor up on the mountain that long?" Harrison asked Cole.

"I don't believe Ghost could take it that long. I might have to add another dollar to keep him from balking. You willing to lend me one, Cole?"

"Sure, Dooley," Cole agreed.

"Here's your beer, Dooley," Travis said. He handed the bottle to the man. "Say, isn't that Ghost coming down the trail?"

Harrison stood up. He accepted the inevitable. He was going to have to fetch Eleanor. Mary Rose appeared in the doorway. "Hello, Dooley," she called out.

"Howdy, Miss Mary," he called back.

She walked out onto the porch and looked around. "Has anyone seen Eleanor? I want to have a talk with her."

Everyone looked at Harrison. He didn't say a word. He sat down again and stared off into the distance. Travis decided to lie for him. "She's up in her room. Let her stew for a while."

"What would she be stewing about?"

Travis couldn't think of anything. Douglas came to his assistance. "She must know you're angry with her, Mary Rose. She's mean, not stupid. She called Mrs. Morrison a fat cow, and she's got to know you're unhappy about that," he reasoned.

Harrison turned to look at Mary Rose. She gave him a hard frown.

"Adam, have you had your talk with Harrison yet?" she asked.

"Not yet, Mary Rose."

"Please see to it. The sooner the better."

"Talk about what?" Harrison asked her.

She didn't answer him. She turned around and went back inside. She let the screen door slam shut behind her.

Harrison turned to Adam. "What was that all about?"

"She told on you," Cole said.

"What?"

"She told Adam about the gunfight," he explained.

"Don't take offense, Harrison. She's only trying to look out for you," Douglas said. Cole stood up. He stretched his shoulders, put the beer bottle down on the railing, and then went down the steps.