Chapter 4
“Yeah it sure is” agreed Rachel “I started to make this last year but then things happened and I never finished it. Hopefully it will be ready for Saturday”
“Saturday?”Rachel stopped sewing “Yes, Saturday. The church dance, remember?” “Oh yeah” replied Amy absently.
“You are not really with us at the moment are you” Rachel laughed then looked seriously at the young woman “Did something happen in town this morning? Cody didn’t ... well ... try anything, did he?”
In spite of her morose mood Amy laughed “No he was the perfect gentleman” “He was? Cody, a gentleman?”
“Well, in a Cody kind of way” she explained to the amused look on her friend’s face.
“I guess the trip just tired me out is all” Amy looked down knowing thather eyes would betray her lie.
“Have you got anything to wear on Saturday?” Rachel queried.
“Yes, I have a couple of dresses in my trunk.” “You better get them, they will need airing at least.”
Amy walked to room slowly wondering why Ethan was in town. Was it just by chance or was he looking for her?
If it was for her then no doubt he would find her, but then what would he do? She wasn’t even sure it was Ethan, she was probably just jumpy and it was someone else.
**** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** Saturday arrived with a sense of urgency from dawn. Rachel was putting the finishing touches on her dress in-between checking for Buck.
The rider had been due back on Friday and Rachel was beginning to worry.
Cody and Jimmy were outside, arguing about who owed who money, when Amy came back from her walk.
“When you sort it out you can come and see me cos you both owe me”stated Noah checking the leather on his whip.
“Amy, can you see if Lou wants anything for tonight” Rachel asked glancing up fromher sewing.
“Sure” Amy raised her eyebrows thinking “probably a dance or two with my brother” and headed for the bunkhouse. “Rider coming, looks like Buck” she called back as the dust cloud came closer.
“It aint nothing to do with you Kid!” came a raised voice from inside. “You can’t wear that!”“Why not!” “Because folks will know you’re a girl and then Russell Majors and Waddell will hear about it and you will lose your job” said the male voice, then more quietly “besides that dress is too low at the front.”
Amy had to bite her lip from laughing, it sounded like an argument that her and Jimmy should be having.
“What I do and what I wear is my business Kid so just leave me alone” “This is for Jimmy’s sake isn’t it?” replied the Kid softly.
“GET OUT NOW!” The Kid flew out the door as something crashed inside against a wall. Amy watched him head to the barn hanging his head, she felt sorry for him.
He was so solemn and quiet. Cody had told her about how the Kid and Lou had been close before Lou broke things off, Cody said he was a fairly happy and friendly person but in the past few weeks since she had arrived she had seen no sign of that.
“He must be really hurting, but he seems too nice for someone like her!” Amy thought.
The beginnings of an idea formed in her mind, Kid wanted Lou and she wanted Lou to leave Jimmy alone so maybe she could somehow get Kid and Lou back together and then both of their problems would be solved.
She smiled as she entered the Bunkhouse.“Lou? You alright” Amy had entered boldly, enjoying the prospect of telling Lou how hurt Kid looked in hope of making her feel bad but when she saw the sobbing figureat the table she quickly felt guilty for her nasty thoughts.
“What would you care” Lou snarled with her face in her arms still “you hate me!” “I guess I deserve that” Amy replied gently, she moved forward toward the distressed young woman.
“I don’t hate you Lou. I was just being childish and getting jealous of your friendship with Jimmy”
“You’re not the only one” “No but I should know better. The Kid, well he’s a male so ...” Amy shrugged her shoulders.Lou raised her tear stained face and smiled a little “Sorry I was rude to you before”.
“You’re forgiven, besides if Jimmy thinks you are good enough to be his friend then I’d like to have you as mine too.
Should we start over?” Amy held her hand out “Amy Hickok, pleased to make your acquaintance” Lou half sniffed, half laughed and took Amy’s hand and shook it “Lou,Louise Mcloud”
“Lucky that mug was made of tin” Amy nodded towards the cup lying on the floor by the door “I always throw things too when I’m mad to help me feel better” Lou wiped her eyes “And does it?”
“No” laughed Amy shaking her head “but people usually give you some peace for a while incase they cop something in the head!”
“Jimmy said you were wild” “He did? Funny, I’m not the Hickok that has books written about how wild I am! What else did he say about me?” Amy narrowed her eyes.
“He said you were sweet but head-strong and that he was pleased to have you around again. He told me about the things you used to do together as kids. I wish I had abrother like Jimmy” Lou confessed thoughtfully.
“Can I ask you something?”
“I guess”
“Do you care for Jimmy the way you used to care for Kid?”
Lou looked uneasily at her hands then out the window towards the steps that Jimmy was sitting on “I honestly don’t know what I feel anymore, Amy. I am so confused. Sometimes I miss the Kid but when I’m with him it’s like I can’t breathe or be me.
Jimmy understands me and I think I understand him.” she looked at Amy “Alot has happened to him since he came out here. He is not who people think he is. He is not who he thinks he is either”.
“A gunfighter?”
“Yeah. He is a good man, Amy, but you know that, he’s just trapped by the things that happen to him and he doesn’t understand why.”
“Destiny” whispered Amy “An old Indian friend of our father said that destiny would change Jimmy’s path and that he would have to learn how to walk on the new path.”
Amy shook her head to clear the memory. “Can I see this shockingly low dress?” she asked mischievously.
Lou raised her hand and covered her mouth with mock modesty then removed a dress from her bed and held it up for Amy to see.
“That is quite low isn’t it?” Amy laughed “But I have seen much worse, and in better society too!”
She took the dress and spun around the room with it “This is gorgeous,are you going to wear it?”
“No”
“Why not?” Amy lay it back on the bed. “Because I’d lose my job like Kid said.”
“That’s a shame, it would look great on you!”
“Uh huh” said Lou absently, removing the dress from the bed once more.She turned to Amy and held it up next to her “You’re the same size as me. Why don’t you wear it?”
“Me? Because I already have a dress and because Jimmy would have kittens if I wore this!” she looked at Lou who had a wicked gleam in her eye and realised that she had just found her partner in crime!
********************
Amy unbuttoned the emerald garment. She felt like a child at Christmas, thoroughly spoiled, the dress was obviously expensive and she was a little scared to put it on incase she harmed it in any way, Lou would never forgive her.
She held the material to her cheek enjoying its coolness. There was a knock at the door. “Amy? Is it alright” Lou called from outside. Amy dropped the dress over her head and began to smooth it down. “I need some help with the buttons but other than that it is fine” Lou slipped through the door and grinned “This should get a reaction,you look great”. Amy laughed and turned her back to Lou so the buttons could be fastened.
“What are you girls up to?” called Rachel “Can I come in?”
“Sure, Rachel” Lou replied as she fastened the last button “There, now turn around” “Whoa, you’re going to catch some eyes tonight” exclaimed Rachel as she entered “I can’t wait to see Jimmy’s face when he sees how grown up his little sister is”Amy and Lou looked at each other “Nor can we” said Lou.
“Come on the boys are waiting downstairs” Rachel motioned to the door. Amy touched her hair nervously “Is my hair still alright?” “It will be if you stop touching it” scolded Lou. “I wish you could get dressed up too, it would be so much fun for us both to go like this” Amy looked sadly at Lou then smiled “although you do make a handsome boy!”
“Ready?”
“I guess!”
“What the...Where’d you get that dress?” gasped Jimmy as Amy came down the stairs following a grinning Lou. For the first time in weeks Kid grinned, he knew what Jimmy was going to say and was pleased that it was Amy in the dress and not Lou!
“It’s Lou’s” he told his staggered friend.
“Don’t you think it’s kinda...” Jimmy shook his head searching for the word. “Low?” finished Kid, he was beginning to enjoy himself.
The girls burst out laughing and a knowing glance passed between Kid and Lou.
Amy cuffed her brother gently as she walked passed him “Why Jimmy, I don’t believe you should have been looking there in the first place!” she said playfully.“But...”
“Leave her be Jimmy. She’s just growing up is all” said Rachel softly.
Jimmy rolled his eyes and sighed. Things had been difficult for him with Amy and Lou at opposites with each other but now they had teamed up he knew he was in for trouble!
The hall was already buzzing with people when the group of riders arrived. Amy had been sitting with a scarf over her hair to protect it during the ride, she carefully removed it and placed it in the bag that Rachel had brought with them.
Cody came bounding out when the group arrived. He and Noah had drawn the short straws and had headed into town earlier to help set up the hall.
He broke into a grin as saw Rachel and Amy preparing to get down from the wagon.
“Ladies” he bowed elaborately then offered his hand to Rachel, the nearest of the two women to him.
Rachel accepted his hand and stepped down gracefully as Teaspoon came out of the hall to greet the new arrivals.
Teaspoon raised an eyebrow to Rachel when he noticed Jimmy cut in front of Cody to help Amy down.
Amy,having no choice, took Jimmy’s hand and copied Rachel’s performance as well as she could.
She caught Lou’s wink and smiled at her new friend.
Once inside Jimmy hovered nearby Amy and quickly came closer everytime Cody approached her.
It took all Amy’s self-control to stop herself from laughing at her brother and the constant smirks from Lou weren’t helping.
Just when Amy was ready to strangle Jimmy, Teaspoon approached and whisked her away to dance. The next time Amy looked over, Rachel smiled at her and dragged Jimmy onto the dance floor.
Cody noticed Rachel’s ploy immediately and, not being one to pass up an opportunity, cut in on Teaspoon. As they swooped past Rachel and Jimmy,Cody flashed a victorious smile at his partner’s brother.
Amy couldn’t contain her laughter any longer.
She felt free and exuberant, this was the most fun she’d had in ages and Cody was a surprisingly good dancer!
After the third dance Cody released her reluctantly to Ike.
When she had danced withwhat seemed like half of the town she collapsed in a seat near a similarly exhausted Cody.
While she had been twirling with the men of the town Cody had been dancing with an equal number of the town’s women.
“Do you want a drink?” Cody asked as he stood up.
Amy nodded “Yes please”.
She watched him head towards the table then heard the start of a favourite reel, she tapped her feet under the seat, oh where had all her energy gone she wondered.
Her eyes caught a familiar pair of eyes across the room, her blood froze.
The owner gave her a cold smile and pointed at her as if to say “I’ve got you now!”
Amy bolted from the hall almost knocking Cody off his feet as he returned with the drinks.
“Amy?” he handed the drinks to a nearby Lou and Kid, who still weren’t talking to each other, and flew through the door after her.
Outside he lost sight of her for a moment then caught a movement under a nearby tree.
“Amy? What happened back there?” he stood behind her not quite knowing what to do next.,p>“He saw me. He knows I’m here. He’s going to kill me.” She turned to Cody “go back if he sees you with me he will go after you too!”
“Amy you’re not making any sense. Slow down. Who’s here?”
She burst into tears “Ethan. I’m so scared Billy, he is going to do something to me but I don’t know what”
He wondered what prompted her to use his first name but now was not the time to ask. He put his arm around her “Come on, lets find somewhere quiet and you can tell me who Ethan is and what is going on”.
Cody lead her to the Marshal’s Office, which by some strange twist of fate was empty tonight, or at least until some of the revelers got a bit too happy.
Once she had calmed down a little Cody gingerly approached the topic again.
“Do you want me to get Jimmy?” The reply was such a definite “no” that Cody almost regretted asking.
“Who is Ethan?” he asked gently, hoping that she wouldn’t cry again. He enjoyed being with women normally but he was not too sure about them when they cried.
Luckily for Cody, Amy was not the crying type, she was over her little outburst and was now just quiet and pale.
“My fiancée” she whispered not looking up. “We were meant to be married next month”.
“Is he the person you saw in town earlier this week?”
She nodded. “What happened?Surely he won’t try to kill you for not marrying him?”
“That’s not the reason” she bit her bottom lip considering whether to tell him or not, “You have to promise not to breathe a word of this to anyone, especially not Jimmy!Do you understand?”
Cody nodded wondering what he was going to hear.
“After I came back from school I went to live with my mother’s sister and her husband. There was nowhere else for me to go. Our parents were dead, Celinda had just got married and my other brothers have their own families or weren’t interested in having a little sister around. The only other person who would have put up with me was Jimmy and I didn’t know how to find him then.
Aunt Eliza was good to meand so was her husband. Ethan’s family lived nearby and were close friends of my Aunt and Uncle so they introduced us.
He was really sweet at first and he seemed so mature compared to the boys I had known. About three months ago I began to get suspicious about some of the things he said. The way he talked about slaves... My father worked with the underground railroad, Jimmy has probably told you”
Cody nodded and she continued “I had never really heard anyone talk about the slaves in the way that Ethan did, I had been sheltered I guess.
Anyway I began to eavesdrop on conversations he had with his so-called “freedom fighter” friends and found out that they were involved in gunrunning for the South.
One day he caught me listening.....”her voice trailed off, she paused as if to gain the strength to continue.
“What did he do?” asked Cody gravely, hoping that he didn’t know the answer.
Amy took a deep breathe “He hit me, not my face, oh no, he was real careful not to let it show!
He told me that if I ever mentioned it to anyone he would kill me, and I believe him” she looked at Cody with wide eyes imploring him to believe her.
“ I packed my trunk and ran away. My Aunt and Uncle have no idea where I am . He has found me and obviously thinks that I have told someone so I thought I might as well tell you so I don’t die for nothing”
“You’re not going to die” Cody held her close “but we really should tell Jimmy”. “No! What would he do if he found that Ethan had beaten me?”
“Probably try to shoot him” Cody nodded beginning to understand Amy’s reason.
“Ethan is a coward. He wouldn’t come out here alone. You can be sure that he brought at least one hired gun with him, especially if he figured out that I had headed for Jimmy.
He knows Jimmy’s reputation from those novels.” her hatred of those works of fiction evident in her voice.
“If Jimmy knew, we’d both end up dead”.
