The Glenmore's: Caught (17 page)

“On my way boss” Levi said and disappeared back out the door.

James and George lowered Ben down flat onto the floor and as they moved him; Ben groaned and opened his eye.

“Little brother; got yerself in a bit of a pickle here ain’t ya?” George asked.

“Snuck up behind me; didn’t see ‘em. Knew ya’d come” Ben croaked out weakly before he passed out again.

“He sure is burnin’ up pa” James told his father worriedly.

“I know son but ma will take care of that once we get him home. Roll him over, let’s have a look at his back” Joseph instructed
and George and James rolled him onto his side.

“Woowee; he’s got some powerful, ugly injury’s there” Joseph said and George and James leaned over to have a closer look.

“Our little brother is gonna need a few stitches by the look of it. He’s gonna have an awful lotta pain when he wakes up” James observed.

Justine attempted to see for herself how badly Ben had been hurt but Josh held her tight to him. He didn’t want her to see the torn, bruised and bleeding skin.

“Get that blanket over there son” Joseph asked and James reached behind him, picked up the blanket and handed it to his father. Joseph spread it out on the floor behind Ben. “Roll him down onto it boys. His clothes are pretty much gone so this will help protect him a bit”

“What happened to him Joe?” Justine asked between sobs.

“I’m not sure darlin’ but I’d say he’s been dragged along the ground either by the men or by a horse” Joseph explained.

“Oh Ben” Justine buried her head back into Josh’s chest and began crying harder.

Josh’s anger of earlier was forgotten and his heart went out to his daughter as her anguish consumed her.

“Buckboards here boss” Levi announced from the doorway.

“Okay, let’s move him as gently as we can” Joseph told his sons.

Max moved alongside Joseph to help and George and James lifted from the other side. “Okay on three. One, two, three” the four
powerful men lifted Ben from the ground on Joseph’s command. They carried him outside to the buckboard and laid him down in the back gently. Before they had a chance to place anything under his head; Justine had broken free of Josh, climbed into the back of the board and was lifting Ben’s head into her lap.

They covered him with blankets and after Josh sent his men home with his horse; he climbed up onto the front of the buckboard and headed for the Glenmore ranch.

********

Virginia was watching out through the parlour window and when she saw the men and the buckboard she knew they’d found Ben. She shouted out to Alice and Nellie to start boiling some water and she raced onto the porch in time to watch as they came to a stop.

Joseph dismounted and raced up the steps to his worried wife. “He’s hurt pretty bad Ginny, He’s got cuts and bruises all over his back and legs, his wrists and ankles were tied with ropes and his skins broken and bleeding and he’s got a real bad fever already”

Tears sprang to Virginia’s eyes and Joseph hugged her close. “How’s Justine?” she asked.

“She’s fine but awful upset”

Josh helped Max, George and James lift ben down and they began slowly walking him inside while Justine followed behind.

“Bring him to the downstairs guest room George. He’s too heavy to carry upstairs; I’ll go and get it ready” Virginia hurried to the bedroom, folded back the sheets and laid clean towels down for Ben to be placed on. The men arrived with Ben and Virginia directed them to put him down on the bed.

“Thank you. You can leave now while I get him cleaned up. Alice is preparing breakfast for whoever wants it”

“I’ll help ya Ginny” Justine announced. Josh, Virginia and Joe looked at her in surprise.

“Ya not wedded yet Justine and it ain’t proper for ya to see him naked” Josh warned his stubborn daughter.

“I don’t care if it’s proper or not, I ain’t leavin’! I’m stayin’ with him until he’s well again!” Justine yelled through her tears.

“Whoa, calm down pretty lady” Joe took her into his arms to calm her and looked at Virginia and Josh. Virginia sighed and nodded. “Josh?”

“Guess she’s stayin but I cain’t say I’m real pleased” Josh said reluctantly.

Justine walked over and kissed Josh’s cheek. “Thanks pa”

The men left the room as Alice and Nellie arrived with bowls of hot water. The ladies looked at Justine and then back at Virginia.

“Justine is gonna help me” Virginia advised.

“We heard all the way in the kitchen” Nellie smothered a giggle.

“I think we’ll be okay but if I need ya I’ll call”

Alice and Nellie left the room and closed the door. Justine had pulled off Ben’s boots and socks.

********

Once they had removed all Ben’s torn and filthy clothes Virginia rolled his naked body towards Justine so she could look at and clean his back and legs.

“My goodness what a mess; there’s some real nasty, angry wounds full of dirt and a few are gonna need stitches!”

Justine leaned over Ben’s body and gasped at the dreadful sight. “How could they do this Ginny” Justine cried.

“I don’t know darlin’, do ya know how it happened?”

“Joe said he thought he’d been dragged, either by the men or a horse”

“They didn’t even bother to clean his wounds; no wonder he has infection”

Virginia began sponging and cleaning the wounds as much as she could and applied salve to those that didn’t need stitching. She also applied salve to the broken skin on his ankles and wrists. She told Justine there were about six wounds that needed two to three stitches and one wound that would need about eight.

Together they washed his body all over. Justine felt tingles in the pit of her belly as she admired Ben’s large muscular chest, slim waist and hips and very long legs. His manhood made her head spin and it wasn’t even at full length!

When he was cleaned they pulled clean drawers onto his body before they covered him over and began waiting for Doc.

“I’ll get some cool water to bathe his face. We need to get that fever down” Virginia left the room and headed to the kitchen. A few minutes later she was back with Alice and Nellie who removed the bowls of dirty warm water and Virginia placed the cool water and clean cloths onto the table next to the bed.

Justine had pulled a chair up close to the bed and sat holding Ben’s hand. “I’ll take care of him Ginny” she stated as she took a clean cloth from the pile, soaked it in the cool water, wrung it out and began gently wiping Ben’s face.

“Okay darlin’. Ya can stay but ya will need to rest sometimes and let someone else watch him. Ya need to eat too”

“I’m not hungry Ginny but thank you” Justine replied as she continued to wipe Ben’s face.

“Ya have to eat Justine or you’ll end up sick. The men are havin’ breakfast; I’ll get a plate made up and brought to ya” Virginia admired Justine’s devotion to and love for her son but she determined to make sure Justine didn’t suffer while she watched over Ben.

“Okay Ginny” Justine was too tired and upset to argue with her future mother-in-law.

********

An hour after they’d brought Ben home the Doc arrived.

“Charlie; thanks for comin’ so fast” Ginny showed him into Ben’s room.

“Justine, this is Charlie, the doctor. Charlie this is Mason Prentiss’ granddaughter Justine” Virginia introduced the two and Justine shook the doctor’s hand.

“I didn’t know old Mason had family” Doc was surprised.

“My mama was his daughter but after grandmama died givin’ birth grandpapa left her with friends to be raised” Justine explained. My mama and papa were killed in a hotel fire in Boston just on two years ago. Grandpapa sent me to boarding school”

“I see. You were caught in the fire too?” Doc asked gently and watched as Justine ran her hand down her face and neck.

“Yes, I was hit by a piece of burnt ceiling” she answered.

“I’m sorry for ya loss but let’s see about this young man. I hear he’s ya beau? I never thought anyone would catch this young man. You must be one real special lady” Doc moved to Ben’s side as Justine blushed at his compliment.

Doc opened his bag on the bed next to Ben and examined his badly bruised eye and cheek; as he placed his hand to Ben’s face he frowned. “Nothin’ broken, just a real good shiner”

“He has a few wounds on his back and legs that need stitches Charlie. Some have got infection and ya obviously felt that he’s got a fever”

“He’s awful hot Ginny; if that fever don’t start comin’ down soon we’ll have to get him into a cold bath. Roll him over so I can take a look at his back”

Virginia helped Justine remove Ben’s drawers and pull him onto his side so Doc could look at his wounds.
She pointed out the wounds that would need stitches and brought the infected wounds to the doctor’s attention.

“Jeez Ginny, what did they do? Even his backside
has nasty wounds”

“Joe thinks they dragged him to the cabin; either the two men or by horse”

“Goddamn bastards!” Doc muttered. “Sorry Ginny, Justine; it makes my blood boil seein’ someone hurt like this. Let’s get him all stitched up”

After Doc finished he helped the ladies with Ben’s drawers and trickled some Laudenum into his mouth before handing the bottle to Virginia. “Keep applyin’ the salve and I’ll come back tomorrow and check on him
. If ya get worried send someone out to get me”

“Thanks Charlie. Would ya like some breakfast?” Virginia offered.

“No thanks Ginny; I’ve already eaten but coffee would be nice”

Doc followed Virginia back to the kitchen and Justine went back to bathing Ben’s face”

********

Nick and Dan had Squeaky and Bill safely locked up in jail and Nick had left to go in search of the doctor for Ben.

Squeaky and Bill were grumbling about being tricked and about being caught. Dan just shook his head and laughed.

“What ya laughin’ at sheriff?” Squeaky asked.

“You two; ya wrote a note tellin’ us where ya were and what ya were doin’. Of course ya were gonna get caught” Dan told them.

“Was we stupid Squeaky?” Bill asked.

“Yeah we was Bill” Squeaky admitted.

“What’s gonna happen now sheriff?” Bill enquired nervously.

“A couple of Deputy’s are comin’ from Austin. They’ll take ya back there for ya trial and then you’ll go to jail for a few years”

“A few years?”
Squeaky objected. “We didn’t really do no harm”

“Tell young Ben that; he’s hurt bad and he’s real sick with the fever” Dan reminded them.

“We shouldn’t have dragged him behind the horse huh Squeaky?”

“Ya dragged him behind ya horse?” Dan exclaimed. “What
was ya thinkin’?”

“Well he was too big and heavy to carry after we knocked him out and we had to get him to the cabin or he’d a froze to death. We walked real
slow” Squeaky explained.

“Well you’re in real big trouble. Did ya know he’s the Deputy’s brother?”

Squeaky groaned. “Of all the rotten luck”

“Yeah, rotten luck” Bill mimicked.

********

Justine sat with Ben throughout the day
leaving only when she needed to relieve herself. She was hoping he’d wake up but he was still unconscious.

George came in again late in the afternoon. “How is he Justine?” James asked.

“Just the same; I wish he’d wake up”

“He will when his body’s ready. At least while he’s out he cain’t feel the pain” George assured her.

“I guess so but I’d feel a whole lot better if he was awake and talkin’.” She admitted.

“I wouldn’t want him awake yet if I was you” James stated and Justine and George both looked at him curiously. “He’s gonna be powerful mad about ya goin’ after him alone”

“I don’t care; he can be as mad as he likes as long as he gets well soon” Justine lifted her chin into the air stubbornly.

“We’re headed off now; I’ll see ya in the mornin’.” George told her and kissed her cheek. “Thanks for gettin’ our brother back”

James bent to kiss her cheek too. “I’ll bring Rebecca and Caleb out the day after tomorrow”

“That will be good James. I have something I’d like to ask them both”

After the two men had left; Justine returned to bathing Ben’s face in an attempt to get his fever down.

“Justine, come out for supper darlin’.” Virginia said as she poked her head in the door.

“I ain’t hungry Ginny” Justine answered.

“Ya ate next to no breakfast, no lunch and if ya don’t come down and eat a good supper; I’m gonna send ya home”
Virginia threatened and Justine could tell by the look on the older woman’s face that she was serious.

“Okay then but I hate leavin’ him”

“I know ya do darlin’ and ya can come straight back as soon as you’ve eaten”

Justine got up and reluctantly followed Virginia out to the kitchen.