Disclaimer: All the characters from the "Magnificent Seven" T.V. series are property of Trilogy Entertainment, The Mirisch Group, MGM Worldwide.
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Alexandra Styles had looked in on her patient several times that day, unaware that his friends were embroiled in any crisis. Her inquiries regarding the investigation of Nathan Jackson's attack were met with polite explanations from Ezra Standish that things were progressing accordingly. Very quickly coming to the realization that her interest was not required, Alex decided to concentrate on her patient and finding the appropriate premises for her new surgery. She had spent much of the day looking over potential venues, without reaching any definitive decision over any particular one. Although she had more than enough money to sustain her indefinitely, at least according to her father's solicitors, she knew she could ill afford to squander her inheritance. While the hotel accommodation was adequate for now, Alex wanted a home of her own, where she could put a nail in the wall without concern.
Despite declining dinner invitations from several of the men she came across today, she had to admit some disappointment in not receiving one from Ezra Standish. He was the only person in Four Corners she knew with any depth, but understood that he had more pressing concerns at the time. Instead of inflicting herself with the company of someone she could not abide, Alex chose to dine alone in the restaurant.
It was not long after she had sat down and ordered that she saw Mary Travis enter the dining room. It was with curiosity that Alex also noticed the widow's presence had raised some pointed stares from the other patrons. There was a noticeable rise in the whispers generated by her arrival and Alex wondered immediately if there was something going on that she as a newcomer was yet to learn about the owner of the Clarion News. However, what caught her attention most were the bloodstains splattered across the woman's lavender colored dress.
Mary's eyes surveyed the room and then came to rest on her table. The two women made eye contact and Alex knew instinctively that Mary had come in search of her. The widow crossed the floor as Alex dropped her fork gently onto her plate. She rose to her feet as Mary approached, holding her breath in anticipation of some new crisis regarding Jackson's condition. Mary was clearly in a distressed state as she neared, and Alex did not wait until she reached the table. The young doctor hastily paid her bill and quickly left her table.
What in God's name had happened?
"Mrs. Travis!" Alex said meeting her half way. "What is wrong?"
"I can't discuss it here." Mary swallowed thickly. The blond woman looked around nervously, conscious of the eyes staring at them both. Things were bad enough without the entire town knowing about Inez' horrifying assault. "Please, you must come with me."
She was in such a heightened state of anxiety that there was no question in Alex's mind about refusing the request.
"Of course," Alex nodded and the two women hurried out of the dining room, amidst the inevitable flurry of speculative gossip that would flow immediately following their departure.
Mary did not speak until after they were well out of the hotel and hurrying down the wooden walkway which led to the Clarion News. Alex did not question where they were going but she was worried that her patient's condition had been somehow compromised. As far as Alex could recall, she had left Nathan in satisfactory condition. Of course he was still seriously injured, but his condition was not deteriorating and his will to live was strong.
"Can you please tell me what is wrong?" Alex questioned once they were far enough away from eavesdroppers and prying eyes.
Mary paused a moment, clearly distressed. "I need you to go to my house. My best friend, Inez...oh God." Her voice faltered then and Alex understood just how bad the situation was because it appeared that Mary was fighting to maintain her composure. Alex could see that she was barely able to keep from sobbing out loud but was keeping herself together out of sheer will. "She's hurt." Mary said after a moment.
"Hurt? How?" Alex questioned.
"You need to see her!" Mary snapped, descending into the black well of despair when her mind cast back to images of Inez at her doorsteps. "No questions, at least not yet!"
"Mary!" The doctor grabbed Mary by her shoulders to try and settle her down. "I'm going to see her, nothing will stop me from doing that, but you need to calm yourself." Alex tried to inject confidence in her voice to make Mary Travis understand the need to remain cool.
"I can't calm down!" Mary practically roared, removing herself from Alex's grip abruptly. "You didn't see, you don't know what they did to her...." Mary could barely contain the unbelievable rage and disgust she felt churning in her stomach. She was so angry she could barely think. Four Corners was her home! To think those animals could be allowed to roam free in the place where she lived and hoped to raise her son, shook Mary to the core.
Suddenly it came to her what Mary could not say, and in her understanding felt similar waves of outrage. However, she was a doctor and for her to be effective, she had to maintain some professional detachment. No medical school had ever been able to teach that particular skill with any degree of success. "I'm sorry Mary," she said soothingly, trying to pacify this woman whose worry was justified in light of what Alex now knew. "You need to be strong for Inez." Alex looked into her eyes and stated firmly. "You are not any good to her the way you are."
On that note, Alex reached her. Mary suppressed all the anger and bitterness she felt, focusing her energy on the support Inez would soon need. She began to calm down, breathing a little easier. "You're right," she swallowed hard. "I'm sorry."
"Where is she now?" Alex asked now that Mary was more coherent.
"At my house." Mary answered and started walking again. As they made their way down the main street from the hotel, Mary saw Chris emerge from the saloon with Buck, Vin and JD following close behind.
"Chris!" Mary exclaimed, never feeling more relieved to see him. She did not care what anyone thought of her reputation any more, not after what had happened to Inez. In the scheme of things, what other people thought about her mattered little now. Mary picked her up her skirts and crossed the street, running straight into Chris' arms. Right now, she needed to feel his reassuring arms around her. She needed to hear his voice whispering in her ear, that everything would be all right because when Chris Larabee said it, it almost felt true.
He felt her arms wrap tightly around him and knew immediately something was terribly wrong. She was not open to displays of affection like this, and her grip indicated this was more than just happiness to see him. When they parted and Chris had a chance to look into her face, he was mildly shocked by what he saw there. She was distraught and not that far from hysterical. Like Alex, he guessed her composure was being held together by a hair's breadth. Chris had seen her so distressed only once before, when Billy had run away from home. He immediately felt alarm and did not resist when she buried her face in his arms and held him tight.
"What's happened?" He asked, feeling tension knot his insides. If anyone had hurt her...
"It's Inez," she said hesitantly. "She's at my house."
There was more to it than that. Her eyes more or less said it even if she not could tell him outright. Buck and Vin had heard enough to enter the conversation. Predictably it was Buck who started firing questions at her even before Chris could think to ask them.
"Is she okay? Is she hurt? Where has she been?" The big man demanded and then they all seemed to realize that Alex Styles was walking towards the Clarion's office. Chris saw the color drain out of Buck's face as the lady doctor strode forward with a purpose unknown to them but could not be anything else.
"Inez!" Buck ran forward and Mary grabbed his arm to stop him.
"No!" She hissed with more command in her voice than Chris had ever heard her use. The lawman froze in his tracks. In fact they all did. Mary met Buck's gaze so that he would understand what she could not say. "You can't go in there Buck." Mary said trying to be kind because she knew just how much feeling there was in his eyes, how much fear she had seen when he understood that Alex Styles was going to her house for Inez.
"She's going be alright, ain't she?" His voice was soft, almost as if he needed to hear it even if it was not true.
"She's been hurt Buck." Mary could not bring herself to say the word, even though it hung in the air like a pregnant drop of water, waiting to fall. She turned to Chris and said softly. "Could we take this inside please? Its not something to be spoken of out in the open."
"Jesus." Buck realized at last what that unspeakable truth in her eyes was trying to say. Understanding escaped his lungs like air trapped for an eternity. "Did they touch her?" His voice was a hoarse whisper.
The anguish Mary saw in his face reached into her soul and burned its memory there forever. "I'm sorry Buck," she said, nodding slowly, feeling the beginnings of her own tears. "Please," Mary implored, starting to feel the loss of her own emotional control. "You can't go in there yet! She couldn't take seeing anyone right now!"
Buck stared hard at Mary for a long time. She could see the rage in his eyes give way to a stronger emotion. She had no doubt that if he learnt who had defiled Inez like this, Buck Wilmington would kill every last one of them. However, he stood before her, shaking from the rage but somehow reining it, banishing it to a place where it could be utilized later because Mary was right. "I'm going to back to the saloon." He said with a measured but thready voice. "I'd appreciate it if someone brings word to me when the Doc knows how she is."
Chris watched him walk towards the jailhouse, knowing exactly what was running through his mind. It had been a long time since Chris had seen Buck Wilmington this way and the gunslinger had hoped he would never have to do so again.
Not since Alice.
Alex found Inez in a tub of ice cold water.
The water had turned red from the blood she was washing off her skin. She had been so desperate to erase the stink of her attackers from her body that Inez had not bothered to heat the water or acknowledge that her arm was broken. Alex paused at the door to the bathroom and watched her scrubbing the blood from her skin as Inez tried not to weep. She could see Inez' jaw tightened as she struggled against breaking down into fresh tears and found herself admiring Inez for her spirit. As the blood came off the Mexican's dusky skin, Alex saw the bruises left behind that no amount of soap or water could ever wash away. Alex's much vaunted professional detachment hollowed at the sight of the bite marks in her neck along with the blistering circles on her breasts that Alex knew were most likely caused by someone taking to her with a cigar.
The injuries on her body could be hidden, but those inflicted on her face would not be so easy to disguise. The sultry features of the woman Alex met the night before were now marred with split lips, a jaw contorted by swelling and an eye battered so badly that it was swollen shut. Alex could not even begin to imagine what nightmare this poor woman must have endured at the hands of the monsters that inflicted these terrible injuries.
"Inez." Alex announced herself.
Inez did not look up. "Go away." She said biting down as she fought the urge to cry. Inez was not going to let them take away her dignity as easily as they had violated her body.
This was not going to be easy, Alex had expected that much. When she had been practicing with her father, she had come across numerous cases like this, despite her father's distaste in involving her with such crimes. Inez was undoubtedly stronger than most women who underwent such ordeals, but it would not make the healing process any easier.
"I don't want any help." Inez retorted, continuing to scrub her neck hard until the tough bristles made her skin raw.
"You're hurt." Alex tried again, refusing to give up. This was not a matter for debate; Inez had serious injuries that had to be treated. The mental trauma would have to wait for the moment. "Your arm appears to be broken. I need to treat it."
Inez paused, considering her words even though she seemed farther away than Alex could reach. The doctor hoped she would not have to.
"I can't wash the smell away." She whispered looking up at Alex for the first time. "Why?"
"Because it's not on your skin any more," Alex answered honestly, knowing of no other way to proceed than to use plain sincerity. She was never an advocate of patronizing one's patient with untruths. "It's in your mind and that's not something you can wash away."
"When I was little girl," Inez said turning her head enough to meet her gaze. "my mother used to tell me I would be a beautiful woman when I grew up. So many things were possible for me because of this face. She said beautiful girls grew up to marry rich men and got to live in villas with servants and fine carriages."
"I think I remember my father saying something like that too." Alex confessed, missing him profoundly now because he would know the words to say to Inez that might ease her pain.
"Do they all say that?" Inez almost smiled but could not quite manage it. "I did not want to be beautiful because I knew if I was, it would mean no one would care what was in my heart. Beauty has cost me everything that meant anything to me. I ran from my home because a man wanted to own this beautiful face and me. I protected my honor by leaving it all behind. I find a place where I think maybe I can get by on what's in my head and I am reminded again that there is a price that comes with beauty." She laughed without a trace of humor. "I think I am not so beautiful now."
"They tell you a lot of things when you're a child Inez." Alex said taking a step forward. Inez' soiled clothes were on the floor and Alex reached for a robe she saw hanging on the wall. "They tell you that monsters are all make believe, but they do exist and they can hurt you, whether you're beautiful or ugly. It doesn't really matter who you are Inez, the kind of men who did this to you don't know the difference. It wasn't you they wanted to hurt, it was the fear inside their mind that made them do this."
Inez said nothing, letting the scrubbing brush slip from her hand before watching it disappeared in the murky red water. Inez started sobbing and despite all the rules of professionalism that Alex had ever been forced to accept as irrefutable, she found herself abandoning them as she offered this undefeated woman her compassion and sympathy.
When Alex emerged from the guest bedroom that Mary had prepared for Inez' use, she found most of the seven and Mary in the kitchen downstairs, waiting for any trace of news. Even though her injuries did not require it, Alex had given the woman a mild sedative to help her sleep. Although she had composed herself reasonably by the time the sedative became effective, Alex knew that there were deep wounds that no amount of medical knowledge could heal. Unfortunately, Inez was the only one who could decide how to administer her own recovery.
The mood in the kitchen seemed as if it were transferred and superimposed from the night before when they had found themselves in the same position. Only this time, they were not waiting to hear if Nathan would make it through the night, they were waiting to hear how Inez had survived her ordeal at the hands of men who would soon find death preferable to being in their company. While Nathan's injuries were more severe than Inez', they assumed with confidence that his wounds would heal eventually. The same could not be said for Inez.
Buck had returned with Ezra, who had been the last to arrive, having turned his saloon over to the ministrations of one of the more trustworthy working girls, whom Inez had once selected in the unlikely event that either of them were indisposed. It was far simpler than closing down the saloon and being forced to usher the drinking public elsewhere. Knowing his customers, he would have been forced to make them leave at gunpoint. Leaving JD with Josiah to keep watch over Nathan, Ezra had bolted to the Clarion News when he learnt that Inez had been found. However, upon learning the circumstances of her return, Ezra found himself cursing at his stupidity a dozen times over for not sounding the alarm over Inez' disappearance earlier. It stabbed him to the core when he realized what those few hours might have meant to Inez' suffering.
"I've given her something to sleep." Alex announced upon gaining their undivided attention at her entry into the room. Why was it she only saw these people under such circumstances? "Her arm is broken and three of her ribs are cracked. There was a great deal of bruising but nothing that would leave any permanent effect." Alex decided not to brutalize them with the ugly details of Inez' injuries, particularly the bite marks and cigar burns. They were outraged enough by the whole affair, and while their faces showed concern for Inez, Alex saw that it was barely hiding the unspeakable fury they were feeling. However, in Buck Wilmington, her mostly harmless welcoming committee, the expression was beyond rage, and certainly beyond her ability to describe. Staring into those normally warm eyes, Alex was taken back by the burning hatred she saw festering inside him.
"I suggest she stay here for a while." Alex looked towards Mary. It was obvious that they were close friends and Inez would need all the support she could get. "She will need time to recuperate, preferably without having to deal with people."
"She can stay here as long as she likes." Mary stated, requiring no thought whatsoever on the matter.
"If the text book is anything to follow, there will be rage and then withdrawal, and finally acceptance." Alex knew the advice was weak because the mentality of each person was different and thus the recovery of each rape victim was similarly unique. "I will give you some medication for her in the event she has difficulty sleeping."
"Is that really necessary?" Mary asked. She felt completely out of her depth in this matter because she could not even begin to imagine what Inez was going through.
"Yes." Alex answered without hesitation. "The attack was brutal. Their interest was not in the sex but to hurt."
Mary closed her eyes and drew a silent breath as her heart filled with sympathy for her friend while the men around her remained just as somber, their jaws tightening as each of them tried to come to grips with their anger.
Chris, who was the only one who had any kind of control over his emotions, let out a deep sigh and moved onto the burning question in all their minds. Buck, Ezra and Vin were too close to it and Mary had fallen silent again. The widow had been sitting quietly, staring into the black depths of her coffee cup, as if the dark could offer her some insight into why this had happened to Inez. "Did she say who they were?"
"No," Alex answered automatically, anticipating that the question would come from him. "She was not able to see them. They were wearing masks or something over their faces. She told me a little of it when I was setting her arm." Alex replied trying to remain detached and finding that she was fighting a losing battle, perhaps from the very beginning. "There were three of them. Apparently, they dragged her off the street and knocked her out. When she came to, she couldn't recognise where she was and it began soon after.
No one needed clarification on what 'it' was.
Chris saw Buck's knuckles turning white.
Knowing that Chris was unsatisfied with that information, Alex wondered if he would make some clumsy attempt to question Inez later. Hoping to prevent any such action on his part, Alex further added. "She is extremely traumatized Mr. Larabee. The experience is bad enough without having to relive it repeatedly. I am sorry that there isn't more information to impart, but as her physician I'll be damned if I let anyone try getting it from her. She will talk about it when she is ready. Push her too hard and I guarantee you, the damage will be severe."
"Lay off Chris." Buck warned, taking his attention away from the very determined Alex Styles. The threat in his voice was clear. Chris let it go, understanding what was motivating Buck's rage. He, more than anyone else, knew what Buck was going through and was willing to make allowances for his behavior.
Despite what Miss Styles believed, Chris had no intention of questioning Inez further, even though he would have liked to. Although the woman could be imperious, Chris liked that Miss Styles was willing to throw caution to the wind for the benefit of those under her care by standing up to him. In that way, she and Nathan Jackson had more in common than they realised.
"Why Inez?" Vin quickly interjected, trying to diffuse the powder keg of tension in the room. Emotions were running hot all around at the moment and it would not help things if they started fighting amongst themselves. Inez was his friend too and he cared for her deeply but Vin did not want their tempers to become more of a liability than they already were. It was clear to him that the men had done this to Inez to get this very reaction from the seven. "I don't get it. She's our friend but we ain't any closer than that. There was no reason for this."
"You think it's the same men who shot Nathan?" Mary asked, shocked by the possibility that someone could be so callous as to use Inez in such a terrible way simply because of her association with the seven.
"Apparently someone is going to a great deal of trouble to inconvenience us." Ezra said taking a sip of coffee. Alex noticed that his fingers were wrapped so tightly around the cup that he was in danger of breaking it if he did not loosen his grip. She wondered exactly what the relationship was between the gambler and Inez. Despite his outwardly calm manner, Alex was developing a strange sort of insight about Ezra Standish and at the moment, that insight was telling her that he was barely maintaining his composure.
"Inconvenience!" Buck exploded at his choice of words. "You call what they did to her an inconvenience!" He started towards Ezra with every intention of carrying out the threat his voice implied.
Ezra held his ground but Chris was not about to let this turn into a brawl. The man in black stood up from his chair and intercepted Buck in two easy strides. Chris locked his fingers around Buck's arm in a strong grip and held firm. "Stand down Buck." Chris ordered coolly even though his voice oozing with predatory command.
"Go to hell." Buck said yanking his arm away sharply. His anger had gone beyond his ability to control and he no longer gave a damn about trying. "I'm not letting her go the way Alice did. I'm not going to let her die too!" With that Buck stormed out of the kitchen, slamming the front door on his way out and leaving his friends staring in stunned silence.
No one spoke for a few seconds because they were reeling in shock at Buck's uncharacteristic outburst. The enraged man was a far cry from the good-natured person they had become accustomed to knowing over the last year. They knew he cared for Inez a great deal, and while they understood his rage at her assault only too well, there seemed to be something else driving him to such distraction. "What's gotten into him?" Vin said mystified. "I ain't never seen him like this."
"It's not his fault." Ezra said, surprising himself by defending Buck's actions. "I am experiencing similar feelings towards our unseen enemy."
"It looks to me like someone is trying very hard to hurt all of you, and if you don't mind me saying so," Alex added her voice to the debate,. "it's working. Whoever this enemy of yours is, they know you very well and they're making their attack very personal."
"Absolutely." Chris agreed, glad that there was one other person in the room thinking clearly.
"So we are looking for someone with the means and the motive." Ezra sighed. "There are any number of people that fit that description. Unfortunately, Nathan being a Negro made him an easy target. With the exception of ourselves and Mrs. Travis, who else was going to make a fuss about a black man being shot?"
"True." Mary found herself admitting reluctantly. Even though it was impossible for them to see Nathan as anything but their friend, it was easy to forget that not everyone in Four Corners felt the same way about him. The war between the states was still fresh in the minds of many people and many still considered Negroes to be a slave race.
"Raising the price on my head from five hundred dollars to two thousand makes me a tastier bounty. Whoever did had to know that I'd rather leave than let this town suffer because of me. They also know my connection to the reservation."
"But then what possible reason could anyone have to hurt Inez?" Mary looked at the faces in the room, hoping that they would have an answer. "There has been no indication that Buck and Inez had a relationship at all. It's been more adversarial than romantic."
"What did he mean when he said he was not going to let her go the way Alice did?" Alex asked.
"I have no idea." Ezra confessed. There had been so many women in Buck's life it was almost impossible to pinpoint one particular name. In the last year or so, Ezra had been privy to dozens of women who had breezed in and out of Buck Wilmington's bed. Although he had to admit being unable to recall an Alice at any point.
Chris said nothing, debating whether or not he should tell the others about Alice Sullivan. Perhaps if they knew why Buck felt so damn strongly about what had happened to Inez, it would make it easier for them to understand the demons he was facing at this moment.
"Chris?" Mary recognised the look in Chris' eyes that said otherwise.
There was hesitation in his manner as he tried to decide whether he could trust Alexandra Styles, and furthermore, whether he was willing to talk about Alice Sullivan. It was so long ago but the memories were vivid, almost as vivid as Buck's terrible anguish. However, Buck's behavior demanded explanation to his friends, and the woman who had saved Nathan's life and come to Inez' aid without question did the rare thing of earning his trust. Her fierce protection of Inez and Nathan's life had earned her the right to stay while he told the others. For reasons he could not explain, Chris suddenly felt their fellowship expanding. Defining Alex Styles' role in it was beyond Chris' ability, but he knew they could rely on her to keep their confidence.
"I was 19 years old when I joined the Union Army." Chris finally responded, never for a moment believing how difficult it was to let those first words slip past a lifetime of guarded privacy. He saw confusion in their faces as no one seemed to understand the relevance, but Chris knew of no other way to even begin telling the story. "It was as bloody as most wars got and I saw a lot of good men die. Things like that change a man, kills the person he might have been and leaves a stranger in his place. I wore the blue for three years and when it was over I was different."
"You were Union soldier?" Ezra said with some surprise and a hint of skepticism. Chris' personality did not lend itself well to authority, but then as Chris had already stated, he was 19 years and probably nothing like the dangerous man they now knew.
"A lieutenant when the war ended, if you believe." Chris said with a faint smile. Somewhere in the ashes of the farm where Sarah and Adam were buried was also the remains of a blue uniform and a saber buried in the rubble. "After the war, I traveled around a lot, didn't feel the need to settle anywhere. I got into bounty hunting because I was good at it and I knew I wasn't going be much of a farmer."
Mary listened with as much fascination as the others in the room. Before Sarah and Adam, almost nothing was known of Chris Larabee's origins beyond the fact that he was a gunslinger. Mary had never intruded on that earlier life because it felt like prying. She loved him enough to allow him his secrets, and was patient that he would tell her when it was right for him to do so. While she regretted the circumstances under which he was forced to reveal himself, she was nevertheless curious.
"I ended up in Crest Falls and that's where I met Buck." He could not help thinking fondly on that first meeting. Had it been that long already? Sometimes, Chris could hardly believe the speed in which time traveled. "He wouldn't leave me alone. Every time he rode in from the Blesdoe ranch, if he saw me in the saloon, he'd come over and try to get friendly. Buck seemed to think I needed the company."
"I can't imagine why." Ezra remarked with a straight face.
Chris threw him a look and then continued. "Buck was a ranch hand with Keith Blesdoe. Believe it or not he was actually engaged and was saving most of his money to marry this girl. She was a pretty thing and his first real love. I've never seen him fall so hard." Images of the lady in question brushed past his memories. Alice with her blue bonnet, hiding her sun streaked hair and her laughing green eyes. Even Chris had to admit to being taken with her, even though she was always Buck's. "Her name was Alice Sullivan."
It was hard for the others to imagine Buck smitten enough by any woman to think of marriage. If anything, Buck had always shown how adverse he was to the idea of matrimony, but this offered some explanation about that as well.
"Back then, Crest Falls was under the control of a rancher named James Westbrook. Westbrook owned most of the town and the sheriff too. He had three boys; one of whom was called Damien. Damien had a reputation for hurting women all across town. Of course his daddy saw to it that the law didn't touch him, and his men had a way of convincing anyone brave enough to want justice to think otherwise." Chris did not need to elaborate. Everyone in the room was aware of that kind of persuasion. "Buck had just left town for a couple of weeks on a cattle drive when Damien Westbrook came across Alice. When he was done with Alice, you could barely recognise her. He raped her, but that was not enough for him. He liked to hurt and Alice had no one to protect her except a father who was too old do anything but drink himself to death after."
"How did Buck take it?" Mary asked, understanding the pain she had seen in Buck's eyes so much better now. No doubt, he was being subjected to the return of some long buried nightmares. To have that happened to someone once was bad enough, let alone enduring it a second time. Fate could sometimes be very cruel. Her heart went out to him, wherever he was at this moment.
"He didn't know and by the time he got back it was too late. She killed herself." Chris said softly, remembering how he had rode into town and heard the news. Buck had yet to return from the trail and was not even aware his bride had been violated, let alone committed suicide. Someone told Chris that she had drowned herself in the river, wearing the dress she would have been married in a few short weeks later. Chris had ridden out that very night and found Buck, deciding that his best friend was not going hear the news from any stranger. Unfortunately, nothing could lessen the impact of that kind of news. Until Chris had lost Sarah and Adam he had never understood what anguish Buck suffered that night.
"Did they get him?" Vin inquired thinking that if it was his fiancée, the man who dared hurt her that way would not be still breathing.
"The law in Crest Falls did nothing as expected and I stopped Buck from doing anything stupid." Chris volunteered. "A man with urges like that will eventually make a mistake, so I made Buck wait. Not long after, Damien went to Bitter Creek and ended up murdering a girl up there. This time, not even his daddy's money was going to save him from a murder charge. However, James Westbrook was not going to let his boy go to jail so he took Damien back to Crest Falls and made sure no one came for the boy. Anyone who did usually ended up dead."
"Don't tell me this scoundrel got away with his crime." Ezra exclaimed with unconcealed disgust. He had known men like the one Chris was describing and they weren't far from being animals themselves. Rape was the one crime which Ezra Standish condemned with utter conviction. Ezra was never able to abide such twisted savagery.
"No he didn't." Chris replied shortly. "Bounty hunters came and went, some dead and some alive, but eventually Damien Westbrook did hang."
He remembered accompanying Buck to Bitter Creek for Damien Westbrook's trial. The rapist was entitled to a jury of his peers and his family money had bought the best lawyer in town to defend him. Unfortunately, there were just too many witnesses who had seen him with the murdered girl and eventually some brave young women from Crest Falls had surfaced long enough to tell their story. With James Westbrook dead, they had little reason to fear any repercussions for their actions. The jury had deliberated for less than a day before they found Damien Westbrook guilty.
"Who brought him in?" Vin probed further.
"Chris did." Buck said announcing his return. He seemed calmer than when he had left, and the expression of regret on his face told them all that he had used the time alone to examine his behavior. "Chris spent a month at Westbrook's' property working as a ranch hand and on Christmas night, when all the ranch hands and hired guns had gone to town to celebrate, Chris went in and got him."
Chris' gaze dropped to the floor because that was one night that he had no wish to remember or relate. The memory of the dead still bothered him, even now, and there were times after Sarah and Adam had died that Chris wondered if his actions that night had not somehow cost him his wife and child. He had actually believed that fate was taking its revenge on him, family for family.
"You promised me you would handle it and you did." Buck looked at Chris with a look of apology, laced with the barest hint of a smile. After a moment of unspoken regard, Buck turned to Ezra. "I'm sorry, I was out of line Ezra."
"It's been forgotten Mr. Wilmington," Ezra said graciously in complete sympathy. "I understand what you're feeling."
"I don't think you do." Buck replied without any trace of malice but it was the truth. He doubted anyone could appreciate what he was going through. "However, I appreciate the sentiment."
"Well I have to go." Alex said deciding she could not remain here for long. She had another patient to deal with, and her visit to Nathan Jackson had already been delayed longer than she would have liked. Despite his stable condition, he was not out of the woods and she wanted to keep a close eye on him until then. Alex could hardly believe the last two days. It seemed that she had arrived right in the middle of some dime novel that was quickly spiraling from one terrible event to another. "I need to see how Mr. Jackson is doing."
"Ezra go with her." Chris replied automatically.
"Are we on that again?" Alex complained. "I do not need an escort."
"Ma'am." Chris stared at her with those intense blue eyes that immediately conveyed to her that she was not going to win any argument against this man. "There are dangerous men running around out there who may not appreciate the help you've been giving us. We're not letting you put your life at risk without at least making some effort to protect you. So get used to one of us being around you for the duration."
"Your kindness is overwhelming." She said dryly before letting out a groan of exasperation and turning to Mary. "Is he always like this?"
Mary rolled her eyes and retorted. "Don't get me started."
Although the saloon was not far from Mary Travis' home, the silence that existed between Ezra and Alex seemed to stretch that narrow distance longer than normal. She knew Ezra was consumed with thoughts of Inez' welfare so she did not force conversation from him. After having to treat the woman's injuries, Alex did not feel the need to speak either. The last hours had drained them both completely of any need to talk. It was the first time she looked in his face and saw the profound sadness that lay beneath the surface of his gentlemanlike facade.
"Inez is a survivor Ezra." Alex stated, finally deciding she was unable to endure the pain she saw in his face. "She'll come through this."
Ezra looked up at her and at that moment, he seemed nothing like the suave, charming gambler and con man she had come to know. In his blue eyes, she saw sorrow and grief that touched her the way nothing had since her father had died. "I feel like I should have been able to prevent this. It never occurred to me that she might be in danger. In hindsight, it makes perfect sense that they would strike at her to get to us. Besides Mrs. Travis, she is the only other person who means that much to us, not just Buck."
"You can't blame yourself." She said empathetically. "It's not your fault."
"I know that." Ezra answered but sounding not at all convinced of what he was saying. "It's just that she means a great deal to me. Until I arrived in Four Corners, I was sadly lacking in any real friendships. Besides the men I ride with and Mrs. Travis, Inez is the only other person I can truly call a friend."
"Is it just friendship?" Alex found herself asking and then swore inwardly, because it was not an appropriate question for this moment.
Ezra allowed himself a faint smile and met her gaze upon discovering something in her question of which he had been previously unaware. However, for the moment he needed to answer her question because the nature of his relationship with Inez bore great importance to her.
Suppressing a smile of pleasure at knowing that she might care for him, Ezra tried to answer her as evenly as possible. "While Buck Wilmington may hope to conjure something more than friendship in his relations with Inez, I do not. She's like the sister I always wanted and never had. The woman acts as my conscience and God forbid, I've gotten used to her being around in the last few months."
She nodded at his answer but Ezra noticed her shoulders relaxing as if the lack of this knowledge had been of some concern to her. For the first time, he realised that the enchantment he felt in her presence might not necessarily be one sided. The lady might actually return his affections if he chose to pursue her.
In the distance, he could hear the cheerful sound of music in the night air while the moon hung heavy in the clouds. Ezra suddenly felt the need to tell her something of how he felt because this thing with Inez had shown him how indifferently time moved by. For one instant, a moment of relative peace had been mistaken for a lifetime and the complacency had cost them dearly. He would not make the same mistake again. Pausing a moment, Ezra gathered his resolve because he needed to speak before courage failed him. Even though he had known her for less than a day, he felt a connection to her he did not understand, and yet he could not withdraw with his usual cavalier attitude. For once in his life he did not want the image of the self assured Southern gentleman to ruin the moment.
Ezra turned to Alex and stated softly. "I would like to be with you on a slow river boat sailing the Mississippi with New Orleans behind us." He stared into her brown eyes that flowed into his soul like warm chocolate. "I'd like to see the lights of the river in your eyes and see the wind in your hair. It would be truly heavenly to gaze upon you at that moment Miss Styles."
Alex felt her cheeks flush and was grateful that her coloring hid it so well. As a young debutante, she had been courted with such words before and none had possessed the power to move her. However, when Ezra Standish gazed upon her with that look of hungry longing, making such claims, she felt sixteen again and completely lost to the power of her own desires. Fortunately, a part of her remained that was still very much the grown woman, who was seasoned to such talk even if the words had affected her deeply. "Now how am I supposed to let you call me Miss Styles when you say things like that?" She whispered silkily, the corner of her full lips turning up into a coquettish smile.
"I don't know." Ezra said taking a step closer towards her and was encouraged when she did not move away. "It just doesn't feel right to call you Alex."
"Doesn't it?" She responded, becoming aware of his closeness and was unable to ignore the effect of this intimacy on her. She could feel his breath brushing against her skin, leaving slivers of tiny delight in its wake. "What would you call me then?" She asked softly, her voice almost purring.
"Beautiful," he said without having to think twice. His voice was husky and Ezra could see the slight part in her lips that whispered her desire to him. "Enchanting." He drew even closer to her, until he could feel the rough fabric of her dress against his waistcoat. "Maybe just Alexandra."
For the first time since she had breezed into town, that self-assurance had all but evaporated. He could feel her breath caressing his skin and her perfume lingered just enough for him to savor it with relish. He was never so presumptuous with any woman, but he had the feeling that Alex did not like to be treated as if she were something to be worshipped or adored, as southern men were taught to do with women. For as long as he could remember, he had been told to treat a woman like an object but wondered if it was just possible to treat one as lady.
Tentatively, his hand slid into hers, fingers interlocking and delighting in the seduction of touch. He let his thumb circle the small of her palm slowly, his fingers stroking each knuckle with delicate care, feeling the curve of bone and the velvet softness of her skin. He felt her shudder at the subtle movements of his fingertips across her flesh and felt himself drowning in the intoxicating embrace of arousal. Their eyes remained locked, a thousand thoughts of smoldering hunger passed between them. Wordlessly, he raised her hand to his lips, never once marring the moment with anything as banal as conversation. Ezra waited for the feel of her skin under his lips with rising anticipation, unable to deny that the urgency building inside of him was making him lose all good sense.
Suddenly, their attention was snapped sharply back to reality with one loud and abrupt creak of a plank from further up the boardwalk. Alex snatched her hand back as if scalded and Ezra took a respectable step backwards as their eyes followed the sound to an approaching passer-by that had no idea what he had intruded upon.
"Perhaps, we better see how Nathan is doing." Alex swallowed thickly, unable to hide in her voice that she was visibly shaken by their brief moment of intimacy.
"I think that would best." Ezra cleared his throat with similar discomfiture and tried to ignore the pounding in his heart or the disappointment at the opportunity lost.
"Vin I want you stay out of sight tomorrow, but I still want you in town." Chris said after giving thought to what they should do next. The situation has escalated beyond any of their worst imaginings and it was time to go on the offensive before things deteriorated any further. The kitchen was becoming an unofficial venue for their council of war and Chris did not intend to waste what little time they had left before some other crisis appeared out of nowhere to distract them again. Their opponent had drawn an orchestrated plan of attack and most of the moves had left them reeling with no avenue for counter offence.
"That's not a good idea, Chris." Vin pointed out. "Men are going to be coming after me." He did not want anyone else put in danger because of him. A two thousand-dollar reward was going to bring out some of the best professional bounty hunters in search of his head. These were ruthless men capable of anything. Vin shuddered to think what they would do to those around him in an effort to collect that bounty.
"I know." Chris nodded, understanding his concerns but he could not let Vin disappear like he wanted. At the moment, Chris needed him too much. "But it's not wise to separate right now." The leader of the seven had come to the firm conclusion that their enemy was attempting to divide them by attacking the people around them as they had done with Inez. The state Buck was in and to some extent Ezra, confirmed that much to him. "Mary, if you don't mind, I'd like Vin to stay here."
"Certainly," Mary agreed without hesitation. After what had happened to Inez, Mary was going to have her hands full looking after her friend. Emotionally, she could use the support of comforting shoulder. "You're welcome to remain as long as you like Mr. Tanner."
"I don't want intrude ma'am." Vin said quickly, showing in his expression aimed at Chris, just how much he did not like this idea.
"You'll be protecting Mary and Inez, Vin." Chris retorted before any further argument arose on this subject. "After what happened to Inez, I'm not happy to let either of them out of my sight."
"But Chris..." Mary started to protest, now finding herself in the same situation as Vin. She had a life to lead and could not be worried about shadows behind every corner.
"Mary," Chris met her gaze with a look of determination that told her it was unwise to argue. He would be unmovable on this subject. "These men are capable of anything, as we've already found out, and I won't let them harm either you or Inez any more. I also don't want you unprotected while this thing is still going on."
"Alright," she conceded the point, knowing that he was right. This time. However on reflection, she realised that the men who had raped Inez were still out there and in light of the rumors circulating around town about her relationship with Chris, it was safe to assume she had made herself a ripe target. She wondered how this would effect her reputation, she thought with some amusement. With Vin Tanner taking up residence in her home, she was no doubt going to be branded a wanton. Despite the circumstances, she found the whole thing rather amusing. Her reputation seemed a trifling matter in comparison to what Inez had endured.
"Chris," Buck spoke for the first time. He had been quietly drinking his coffee, trying to keep thoughts about Inez far from his mind. However, the notion of Vin staying at Mary Travis' home brought to mind something else that happened today. "Vin staying here is not such a good idea."
Chris turned to him and wondered if anyone was listening to him today. "Why not?"
Buck shifted uncomfortably where he stood, uncertain of how he was going to tell his friend about the gossip that had been running rife through town about him and Mary. Buck was not even sure Mary was aware of the situation. He wondered if he should be the one to tell them. As the pause of the silence grew louder and all eyes were looking to him for an answer, Buck decided he did not have much of a choice and Chris and Mary had a right to know.
"I've been hearing talk all day." Buck said reluctantly.
"Talk?" Chris looked at him not understanding.
While Vin and Chris seemed unaware of what he was talking about, Buck saw Mary's face tell a different story. She had been seated at the kitchen table and as soon as he made mention of 'talk', her eyes dropped, unable to meet his gaze. She knew, Buck decided. She knew what was being said and was still willing to have Vin in her house, despite the rumor mongering that would build into frenzy when his presence was discovered. God, what a woman.
"I didn't find out much about any strangers in town today but everyone was talking alright." Buck volunteered reluctantly, his eyes still on Mary.
"About?" Chris wondered since when had it become so painstaking to make Buck Wilmington talk.
"About you and Mrs. Travis sleeping together."
Chris blinked and stared at him in a mixture of astonishment and pure outrage. "What?" He exclaimed in the angriest voice that Mary had ever heard him use. It made her jump. "Who's been talking?" He demanded, taking an angry step towards Buck.
Vin immediately put down his cup of coffee and strode in between them. "Take it easy, Chris." He said firmly. Chris paused and turned away, looking at Mary, realizing at that moment nothing that Buck had said surprised her. She was aware of the gossip and had said nothing to him!
"Mary?" He looked at her sternly.
"I had a visit from Victoria Kendall this morning." Mary admitted reluctantly, knowing there was no avoiding it now. While she had not deliberately kept the scandal away from him, she had to confess a certain hesitation in bringing it up. In all truth, there had hardly been time to think about the lady's visit earlier when so much else was happening around them.
"Who?" Neither Buck nor Chris recognised the name.
"Victoria Kendall." Mary repeated. "She's the owner of the Emporium."
"Oh yes," Buck retorted feeling some of his humor return. "Chris is pretty familiar with the Emporium."
Chris threw him an evil glare before remarking sharply. "This is hardly the time, Buck."
Nevertheless, Buck was smiling and that was a good sign, Chris had to admit, even if it was at his expense. "I've never seen her."
"How odd," Mary mused, thinking that everyone must have been aware of Victoria Kendall by now. Her arrival in town and the establishment of the Emporium had attracted much attention. "She's the woman who is always escorted by a man named Wilkins. Surely you've seen Mr. Wilkins, he is a big man with a very odd scar running on the side of his head, like he had been hit with an axe or something."
"I know him." Vin offered having seen the man around town on occasion. "I've seen him at the hotel but I thought the lady was his wife."
Something about how Mary had described the man suddenly jarred loose a memory in light of his recent recollection of his past. It rose up in his mind like dank water from some forgotten pool in his mind and what emerged was not all pleasant. Chris looked at her sharply. "Sort of dark hair with not much on top and a big moustache, like Buck's?" He probed, suddenly having a very bad feeling about the elusive Mrs. Kendall and her unseen companion.
"That's him." Mary nodded in answer. "You have seen him." She declared.
"No." Chris shook his head. However, his face belied his words. At the moment, he only had suspicions but he had to make certain. If it what he suspected was even half true then this revenge that everyone was experiencing had little do with any of the seven but with him personally and perhaps indirectly, Buck Wilmington. "What did she say, this Mrs. Kendall?" Chris replied softly, not really interested in her answer because his thoughts were too preoccupied with Wilkins and the possibilities that came with him.
"Only that she heard stories about us," Mary said, unhappy that they were back on that subject. It seemed as if Chris did know Mr. Wilkins but was being very evasive about it. She made a mental note to question him about it when they were alone. "She came to warn me that the town was talking about me and that I should be concerned. Apparently Mr. Wilkins claimed that you had been telling people about us."
"That's a lie." Vin retorted before Chris could open his mouth to defend himself against such an allegation.
"I know that." Mary replied meeting Chris' gaze with a look of affection. "However, she thought I ought to know."
Chris gave her a smile meant only for her, pleased that she trusted him enough to know that he was incapable of doing anything of the sort. However, things were falling quickly into place now that he had somewhere to begin. After a moment, he took a deep breath and uncovered their next course of action. "Mary I need you to wire the judge." He instructed after a moment. "I need him to contact someone at Tascosa and see if the reward money came from Crest Falls."
Both Buck and Vin turned to him immediately.
"Crest Falls?" Mary exclaimed in surprise. "Why Crest Falls?" Then she recalled the story that Chris had told them earlier.
"Because this Mr. Wilkins sound a hell of a lot like Willis."
"You don't mean Saul Willis?" Buck's eyes narrowed in recognition of the name. Suddenly, he had a good idea of what was going through Chris' mind. It now made sense why neither of them had chanced to come across the man. If he was who they thought he was, Wilkins would have taken great pains to avoid them. Even after thirteen years, he could not afford for them to recognise him. Both Buck and Chris knew Willis, or Wilkins as he now called himself, on sight and this whole twisted plan of vengeance might have died before it even had a chance to begin.
"I'm going down there Buck." Chris announced firmly. This was as good a time as any. "You coming?" He needed answers and he no longer believed that they could afford to wait.
"Damn straight." Buck said without question and in complete agreement now that he knew who they might be up against.
"What's going on?" Vin demanded, exasperated at being left in the dark. "Who is this Willis?"
Chris and Buck exchanged glances and the look in each man's eyes spoke volumes regarding their certainty that this was their mysterious opponent. Finally it was Buck who answered. "He was one of the hired guns at the Westbrook place."
Nathan Jackson was alive.
This state of affairs was of no greater surprise to anyone than to Nathan himself. The first thing that convinced him he was in the land of the living was the chunky sound of a piano playing in the background and the low rumble of drunks in the saloon. It was just his luck to be shot and be required to convalesce over a saloon. The noise did nothing to alleviate the throbbing pain in his head or the sharper pain that seemed concentrated on his torso and abdomen. He tried to gain his bearings, a difficult enough task considering everything in the room was spinning about uncontrollably. It was at this point he arrived at the brilliant deduction that perhaps he should try to get up. That effort was met with a pain so intense that it was enough to force his teeth together and extract a groan of exquisite agony.
"Nathan?" He heard Josiah's voice call out to him.
Despite the pain, his head felt light as if filled with cotton instead of flesh and bond. His senses had taken on similar consistency and it took time to focus on Josiah's voice or the man's location in the room. At least he was able to hear Josiah footsteps approaching and after a moment of haze, he saw enough of his surroundings to know that he was in Ezra's room above the saloon. He could see one of Ezra's familiar tailored coats hanging off a hook against a wall and a robe draped over the bedpost. When Josiah finally appeared at his side, the preacher was wearing a wide grin on his face, obviously pleased at seeing Nathan finally rejoin the land of the living.
"Its good to see you brother." Josiah replied, pulling up a chair to the side of the bed. "How are you feeling?"
"Like I been dragged under a stagecoach." Nathan croaked, his voice little more that a squeak. Instinctively, he reached for his throat and felt the bandage wrapped tightly around his neck. Tugging gently at it in irritation, he was rewarded with a fresh round of pain as the ruined neck throbbed at his touch. In frustration, Nathan made another attempt at sitting up before he was forced to reconsider in light of the effort it took and the pain it engendered. Finally, he decided perhaps he ought to take his own advice when his comrades were injured and just stay where he was.
"Settle down Nathan," Josiah said placing her hand on his bare shoulder, requiring little effort to keep Nathan in bed. "You've been hurt bad. I wouldn't try moving around too much."
Nathan nodded weakly and then remembered the events that had brought him to this bed. The memories were as hazy as his senses, but enough of it returned in a swirl of images for him to recall some things quite clearly. Vivid in his mind were the four men who had waited for him in the darkness of the night, taunting him with words like nigger before everything dissolved into a blaze of gunfire. The ground had claimed him with such speed that he still remembered dirt grinding against his cheek and the fearful awareness of the dying to come. "I remember." He said softly.
At this point, Nathan regained enough of his faculties to become curious about the fresh bandages around his body and the fact the he was indeed alive after such severe injuries. It appeared that he had been under the ministrations of a skilled surgeon because the healer in him knew that most of his injuries could not be treated any other way. Since he was the closest thing to a doctor in these parts, Nathan wondered who had taken care of him. "Did you get the saw bones in Bitter Creek to fix me up?" He inquired.
"No," Josiah shook his head. "There wasn't time to get you to Bitter Creek. The new doctor arrived the day you went to the reservation."
"Lucky for me." Nathan mumbled but felt some relief that his injuries had been tended to by a professional and not some horse doctor. Although he could not see the injuries beneath the bandages, he knew that he had been under the care of a capable surgeon because despite the throbbing and the pain, he was still alive and did not appear to be suffering any ill effects beyond that.
The door swung open with a gentle creak and a decidedly feminine voice entered the room. "How's my patient doing Josiah?" Alex inquired, her gaze moving to the bed.
"He's awake." Josiah announced cheerfully.
"Now that is good news." Nathan heard Ezra's voice responding with just as much pleasure. The gambler was wearing a genuine grin of happiness on his face and Nathan wondered just how long he had been unconscious to receive such an overwhelming show of affection from these normally dispassionate men. However, his attention was focussed mostly on the woman who apparently was his doctor. She was very beautiful. Although she did not look like a Negro or an Indian, her appearance was a curious mix of the exotic, with a refined polish of western culture, and judging by the way Ezra's eyes was following her across the room, it was a mix the gambler did not at all mind.
She breezed past Josiah who immediately vacated his seat for her and stood aside while she conducted her business with Nathan. "How are we feeling Mr. Jackson?"
Nathan found his voice, although a moment later, he wished he had not. "You're the doctor?" he stammered in surprise and immediately saw Josiah roll his eyes while Ezra hid a smile beneath his hand.
"Well enough to be chauvinistic I see." Alex replied unperturbed as she began carrying out a quick examination of his bandages and his general physical state.
"I'm sorry ma'am," Nathan apologised feeling pretty stupid for making such a comment, when it was thanks to her skills that he was still alive. "Mrs. Travis said nothing about the doctor being a lady. I was just a little surprised." He admitted honestly. "You do good work. I reckon I should be dead by all rights."
"Well thank you," Alex smiled, knowing he was not meaning to be offensive and was sincere in his apology. From all the concern his injuries had engendered in his companions, Alex guessed Nathan was a good man and an exceptional healer. Under those circumstances, she felt he was deserving of her forgiveness. In truth, she felt some measure of admiration in his will to live when a weaker man might have given up instead of fighting.
"How bad was I hurt?" He asked although Alex guessed he was perceptive enough to have some idea.
"Do you want the technical version or the layman's terms I give to your friends?" She winked at him playfully. He managed a small laugh and that pleased Alex considerably. Someone had once told her humor was the best medicine and she had used it enough in the past to know that it was partially true. Alex found that sharing a joke with the people she treated often went a long way in enabling them to trust her.
"I do believe we were insulted." Ezra remarked, meeting her gaze with a look of mock hurt
"We'll live." Josiah deadpanned as he was more interested in her evaluation of Nathan's recovery.
"You were shot in mid thorax. The bullet passed through your lung and it was very near collapse. The second bullet penetrated your abdomen. It passed straight through your liver because I found no bullet and an exit wound. I did what I could to patch up the internal bleeding but this is frontier medicine, so I will be honest with you, recovery will be slow. It would be best if you remain in bed for at least a week to give the sutures time to do their work. After that, no riding at all. I don't want to see you doing anything strenuous. Your throat was grazed, but that injury is mostly superficial. The bullet caused some mild swelling which is why you're not in the best singing voice. Your friends have been very diligent in seeing that you get the medication I prescribed which has been successful so far in fighting off any infection."
"So I'm alright." He said with a weak smile.
"Better than most with your injuries." Alex added for the benefit of Josiah and Ezra who needed to hear at least one person in their life would recover without any permanent effects. She wished she was able to help Inez with that much certainty. "Then again most people don't have the friends you do either." She remarked, casting a gaze at the two men standing vigil at the foot of his bed.
"Thank you Miss." Nathan replied, glancing at them gratefully. He felt a certain amount of burden eased from his shoulders, knowing that his recovery would not be detrimental to the health of Four Corners since it appeared that the new doctor had things well in hand at the moment.
"My pleasure Mr. Jackson," She smiled warmly, "I have no intention of becoming the only practicing physician in this town."
"Nathan," Josiah said coming forward, with a decidedly serious issue to present. Alex gave him a cautionary look that implied she did not wished him interrogated. Josiah could ask his question but Alex did not wish him to upset Nathan in any way. He was simply too weak to cope with the stress of such a thing. "Do you know who did this to you?"
Nathan thought back to the events of that night, no longer requiring to fight the haze that seemed to have lifted from his mind. His strongest memories were of the man who had shot him, not the others with him. Ironically when his assailant had fired his weapon, the flash created had lit the man's features enough for Nathan to recognise him. He remembered feeling some confusion as to why in the split second before the bullet tore through his body.
"I don't know his name." Nathan said taking a deep breath and felt the action laborious. "But he's a friend of that lady who owns the Emporium."
"You mean Mrs. Kendall?" Ezra exclaimed, knowing the woman well. When she had first arrived, he had entertained notions of charming the homely lady, made attractive by her sizeable fortune. However, when Ezra learnt she was in the company of a Mr. Wilkins, a rather somber looking gentlemen who created gossip regarding the mighty scar running along the side of his face, he abandoned the idea.
"You know this person?" Josiah looked at Ezra in question.
"Why yes," he nodded mutely, mystified as to why this man would want to shoot Nathan. "I have seen him on occasion with Mrs. Kendall but why would he want to attack Nathan?"
"Perhaps you should ask him." Alex declared.
"I think that's a very good idea." Josiah agreed. "Come on Ezra." He gestured to the gambler before turning to Alex. "We'll leave JD here to keep an eye on things. You think you can keep Nathan company awhile?"
Alex glanced at Nathan and nodded with a smile. "I think I can manage."
As the two men started to walk out, Alex called out to Ezra before he left the room. "Mr. Standish?"
Ezra looked over his shoulder at her.
"Don't assume that everyone is susceptible to that charming smile of yours." She said trying to hide her concern for his welfare. "Watch yourself."
"I never refuse the advice of a lady." He smiled, tipping his hat to her before disappearing out the door after Josiah.
Nathan watched the exchange between the two of them and realised then there was more to their subtle looks and gestures than anyone might have guessed. Fortunately, Nathan knew enough about people to read them well and what he was seeing between Ezra and Miss Styles appeared to be a little bit more than simple flirtation. When they were alone, Nathan stared at her and remarked with genuine sincerity.
"Miss, you're in more trouble than I am."
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