The Surrogate Wife. Barbara Leigh

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СКАЧАТЬ like that could have happened,” Josh said noncommittally. “Now let’s get you back to the house so I can clean up this mess.”

      Meagan looked beyond Josh and realized the fruit of the days’ milking was spilled across the floor. She pulled herself to her feet, her head spinning. “Oh, Josh, I’m so sorry,” she said. “I should have been more careful.”

      “Don’t let it fuss you,” he said reassuringly. “I’ll take care of it. You go back to the house. I’ll make sure there aren’t any more unpleasant surprises before I come in and we’ll try to sort this whole thing out later.”

      Abbie came across the barnyard, a dripping wet dishcloth trailing behind her like a banner. “I got it!” she hollered. “A nice cold cloth for Meagan’s head.”

      The child was somewhat taken aback when she realized her potential patient was already on her feet, but she thrust the cloth into Meagan’s hand and smiled proudly at her achievement.

      Meagan wrung out the cloth and pressed it against the lump. “Thank you, Abbie. That feels much better. Now if you’ll just help me back to the house, I think I’ll sit a while before I put supper on the table.”

      Abbie would have preferred to stay in the barn with her father, Meagan knew, but the little girl made no argument. If there were other accidents waiting to happen, Meagan and Josh wanted to be certain Abbie was not the next unsuspecting victim.

      

      There was nothing else that posed a threat, and life returned to normal. As normal as life could be for a man and a woman who were trying to hide their attraction from each other, as well as from themselves. With the approach of the harvest they worked from sunup to sundown.

      Abbie stayed on the edge of the fields playing with her kitten. Buttermilk was a fat, yellow feline, lazy beyond belief, who didn’t care what position he was in as long as he was cherished and fed. Abbie dressed the little animal in doll clothes and carried him in a basket, feeding him a continual bounty of tidbits she had brought for his gratification.

      Because the little cat occupied Abbie so completely, Meagan and Josh were able to accomplish a great amount of work and by the end of the week Josh felt he could take time to go hunting to fill the larder.

      “I could butcher a pig,” he told Meagan, “but I’d rather wait until the cold weather sets in. There’s plenty of game out there and thanks to you and that lazy cat of Abbie’s I have the time.”

      He left early the next morning, promising to be back by nightfall.

      Meagan and Abbie listened throughout the day, occasionally catching the echo of a shot from his gun. Meagan put dinner on the table and saw to it that Abbie ate a healthy portion. She stored the rest on the back of the fire for Josh.

      The days were growing short, and Meagan reminded herself of that fact as she got Abbie ready for bed. Once the child was settled, Meagan sat on the dogtrot in the warm summer night and watched the shadows chase the moonlight across the yard.

      A twig snapped somewhere in the distance. Instantly alert, Meagan watched for Josh’s familiar figure to come through the trees.

      The smile on her face froze, and the greeting in her throat was silenced when she realized the figure that emerged from the woods was not Josh Daniels, but an Indian.

      She jumped to her feet and was about to run into the house when a familiar voice called out, “Meagan? Meagan? Is that you?”

      In the next moment she was across the yard, hurling herself into the arms of her younger brother.

      “What in the devil are you doing way out here?” he asked as he tried to embrace her and get a look at her at the same time.

      “Oh, Reilly, how I’ve hoped you’d find me.” The tears ran down her cheeks and she was on the verge of blubbering.

      He jerked the scarf from around his head and wiped her cheeks, then he thrust it in her hand. “Blow your nose and tell me what happened.”

      Meagan did as she was told. “How much do you know?” she asked.

      “I heard that a white woman was found guilty of murder and made a slave of the man whose wife she supposedly killed. I never thought it might be you.” He hesitated and looked through the moonlight into her eyes. “It is you, isn’t it, Meagan?”

      “Yes, it’s me.” She sighed.

      “Tell me—” he ordered “—all of it.”

      “After you left I heard of a possible position with the Somers family. The woman said if I pleased her she would hire me to teach her children and help with the housework. I was carrying some supplies to her kitchen when I heard a scream and a thumping sound. I ran into the parlor and found a lady lying at the foot of the stairs. As I bent over the body to try to help the woman, Ruth Somers started screaming that I’d killed her friend. She said I had pushed her down the stairs. Reilly, I’d never even been upstairs, but it was Ruth Somers’s word against mine and no one believed me.

      “The jury found me guilty, but asked for mercy because there was no evidence, and no motive. Just Ruth’s testimony that I’d pushed Lily Daniels down the stairs.”

      There was a moment of silence, then Reilly urged, “And…”

      “There is no prison for women in the Carolinas, and rather than—” she swallowed once before forcing out the word “—hang me, the judge sentenced me to work for Josh Daniels, the dead woman’s husband.”

      “And…” Reilly prompted.

      “I tried to get away. To find you, somehow. Josh caught me and brought me here. I think he would have let me go had it not been for the threats of the judge.”

      “So you live with him and take his wife’s place, is that it?” The anger built in Reilly’s voice.

      “I take care of Abbie, Josh’s little girl, and I help with the chores and the housework.” She swallowed again, realizing the core of her brother’s concern. “I don’t share Josh’s bed,” she finished weakly.

      “Of your choice, or his?” Reilly persisted. The whole situation regarding his sister was so bizarre he couldn’t believe it had happened.

      “Judge Osborne said that if I did anything more than work for Josh the original sentence would be carried out. I would hang and Josh would be jailed for contempt of court.”

      Meagan watched as her brother’s already swarthy face grew dark with anger. “I’m beginning to understand why the Indians delight in taking the scalps of white men,” he growled. “Where is this bereaved widower now? Why isn’t he here protecting his property?”

      “Josh went hunting. He should be coming back any time now.”

      Reilly’s eyes scanned the shadows. “Get your things, Meagan. Come with me, now.”

      “I can’t leave Abbie here alone. She’s just a little girl.”

      Reilly grabbed his sister’s arms, squeezing them firmly as he gave her a little shake. “Listen to me, Meagan. I’m on my way to a powwow. Old Howling Dog wants the white man СКАЧАТЬ