Here are another two chapters (13 and 14) of Sweet Liberty. This historical romance is finished now, and I will be working on putting it online in full, this includes designing the best cover I can.
After that, I will start editing another of my unpublished books and will post sample chapters of that as I go along. I haven’t decided, yet, if it will be another historical or an intrigue instead. I need to keep my brain from getting staid on one genre.
I hope you enjoy what I’ve posted this time. For those who prefer knowing, I give it a PG-17 rating.
Chapter 13
Libby stared at Nate in shock. Blood streamed from a long cut, spreading from halfway into one of his eyebrows to about a third of the way into the other. Instantly, she sprang into action and interrupted Nate’s approach toward Ross by stepping between the men. The doctor entered the room and closed the door behind him. Libby forced herself to remain calm despite her panic.
With her hands against his broad chest, she gazed up at Nate. “Stop, Nate. Don’t make matters worse.”
He stared down at her blankly then blinked several times. Obviously, he was too incoherent to argue with her because, without a word, he nodded once and loosened his fists. Relieved, she grasped his wrist and led him to her bed.
“You’ve been hurt, Nate,” she said soothingly as she pushed him down by his shoulders. “Lie down, and I’ll nurse your wound.”
“What are you doing, Libby?” Ross asked. “He deserved that for being alone with you—especially when you’re dressed as you are. Now you want to help him. Have you no morals?”
“I obviously have more than you.” She dabbed Nate’s head with the towel she’d used to dry herself. “You can make amends by going downstairs and paying for the damage you caused. Then you can have someone come clean up this mess.” When Ross didn’t move, Libby looked over at him and added maternally, “Go on now. Do as you’re told.”
“Don’t you ever talk to me like that!” he raged, grabbing her arm tightly. “And I refuse to leave this room as long as Payne is here alone with you.”
Despite her squeal of surprise, Libby maintained her calm. “I invited him in, Hiram, which is more than I can say for you. Now get out of here, and get some help for Nate. This cut is bad. I think it needs a doctor to sew it closed.”
“Let me see that wound.”
“Get away from him. You’ve already done enough damage. I won’t let you hurt him more. If you won’t get a doctor, I’ll send Will when he gets here.”
Ross jerked Libby away from Nate. Pain shot through her shoulder, and she cried out. Instantly, Nate was on his feet to protect her.
“Leave her alone, you bastard!” Nate demanded.
“Get out of this room!” Ross retaliated. “I’m not going to hurt Libby. That’s a lot more than I can say for a man who comes into her room when she’s alone and undressed.”
“I invited him in, Hiram,” Libby said in a hushed tone. “Now you two be quiet. I don’t want you attracting attention to this room.”
“Don’t you ever tell me what to do, either,” Ross said.
Still holding Libby securely by the arm, he slapped her hard across the face with the back of his free hand. Her head snapped back, and she again cried out in pain. If he hadn’t had such a tight hold on her, she would have fallen from the force of the blow.
“That does it!” Nate shouted. “How dare you treat her that way. If you don’t get out of this room right now, I’ll forget that Libby doesn’t like violence and beat the hell out of you.”
“I’m going,” Ross agreed angrily, “but Libby’s coming with me. I won’t leave her alone with you.”
Ross forced Libby to the door as she struggled against him. Nate jumped into action. Grabbing Libby’s other arm gently but securely, he hit Ross in the back, just below his ribcage. With an agonized yell, Ross released her. Immediately, she felt herself spin into Nate’s protective embrace. Despite his pale, disoriented expression, he stood stolidly with one arm around her and the other pointing accusingly at Ross.
“If I hear so much as a rumor that you’ve hit Miss Libby again,” Nate warned, “I’ll find you—no matter where you are. And I’ll make damned sure that you never hurt her again. Now get the hell out of my sight and do what Miss Libby said. Go down to the owner and offer to pay for all the damages you caused. Then you can come back and apologize to Miss Libby for hitting her. I’ll be waiting right here with her, too. If you don’t apologize, I’ll find you and force you to. Go on, you bastard. Get the hell out of my sight before I lose my temper completely.”
Angrily slamming the door behind him, Ross left the room. A small crowd had gathered in the hall, but he ignored it. The owner met Ross as he hurried down the stairs.
“What’s happening up there?” the owner asked.
“The lady in 212 had an argument with her gentleman caller. From the looks of things, he assaulted her. She’s only wearing a dressing gown and has a small cut on her cheek. But she apparently did well enough in fighting him off to injure him, as well. He fell against the tub you sent up to her and cut his head.”
“I find that hard to believe. I heard two men’s voices as I came upstairs. I didn’t hear the young lady’s, nor did I hear her scream.”
“She didn’t scream. I arrived in time to thwart that trapper’s attack.”
Studying him suspiciously, Mr. Gray blocked Ross’s descent. “I don’t believe that, either. That trapper is a true gentleman. He would never hurt the woman he loves.”
“Loves! That man loves no one but himself. If you don’t believe me, go ask her what happened. You’ll see for yourself that I’m telling the truth. The evidence is all there.” Ross pushed his way past the owner to race downstairs and out of the building.
Once the owner dispersed the crowed, he knocked on the door to Libby’s room and waited for admittance. When he saw Nate lying on the bed with a towel on his head, Mr. Gray asked, “What happened in here?”
“Hiram hit Nate—without provocation,” Libby explained. “Nate fell against the tub and hurt himself. I think a doctor should see him, but I don’t want Hiram. I want the town doctor. Do you think he would come?”
“I’ll go get him myself. On my way out, I’ll send someone to clean your room.”
When the doctor arrived, he gave Nate a mild sedative would sleep while the doctor stitch the wound.
After tending to the small cut under Libby’s left ey, he told her that Nate would wake up soon. Then he left with instructions for Nate to rest a few hours to assure that he didn’t suffer any worse damage than a cut.
By the time Nate awoke a short time later, Libby was dressed and sitting in a chair she’d set beside the bed.
Before he could speak, Libby said, “The doctor said for you to stay in bed for a few hours. How do you feel?”
“Fine—under the circumstances. Did Ross pay the damages yet? Did he come back to apologize?”
“As far as I know, he’s done neither. But Will was here for a few minutes. He came in just after the owner left to get the doctor. He heard the noise all the way upstairs on the fourth floor, so he came down to see what all the commotion was. That’s when he realized that it was my room. I was surprised at how upset he was. I didn’t know he could be so caring.”
“That’s because you never give him the chance to show it. He’s becoming a man now, Miss Libby. It’s time that you realize that.”
“I do now,” she replied. “But he’s been my little brother for a long time, Nate. It isn’t easy to let him grow up.”
“He’s getting to be as much of a man as he looks.”
Libby nodded. “I know. He’s been tall for so long that I always thought of him as a big child. Now he’s starting to look different. I didn’t notice it until today, but he needs a shave. Would you be willing to teach him the proper way so he won’t cut himself much?”
“Gladly, but it’s more than a shave he needs. He could use some new clothes, too. He’s beginning to fill out all that lankiness of his. Maybe all the work he’s had to do on the trail had something to do with that. Does this mean you’re going to give him a chance to become the man he can?”
“Of course.” Libby paused, uncertain she should tell him what was on her mind. But deep in her heart, she knew she must, despite the embarrassment it could cause her. “I honestly don’t feel that Hiram’s the proper influence on Will. As much as I hate to admit it, I’m afraid of Hiram now. I’d like to send him away, but I’m afraid he would ignore me—or hit me again.”
“That’s quite understandable considering what happened a while ago.” Reaching up, Nate laid his hand on her cheek. Earlier he’d noticed a light bruise and small cut, and now he tenderly touched them with his thumb. Smiling, he rubbed her cheekbone. “I wish I could stay with you to protect you from him.”
Her heart almost broke at the thought, and she fought to control her voice. She couldn’t understand why he insisted on leaving them. “Why do you have to go to the mountains, Nate?”
“I already told you. I always spend the winter at my cabin there. I’ve never seen anything so beautiful as to wake up one morning and see everything blanketed in snow—until you came along, I should say.” Winking at her, he smiled. “You have no idea how much I’ve longed to have someone there to share the beauty with me.”
“You love the mountain in winter, don’t you.”
“Very much. The only thing I’ve ever found missing is the companionship of a lady.”
“I see.”
Suddenly, Nate was nervous. He’d never even considered this before, so he’d never rehearsed the words. Now he found it difficult to express himself. But he had to force the words out, or he would never know the answer. Moving his hand to take hers, he asked, “Miss Liberty, could I persuade you to go to Nashville instead of going north? I have some land outside of town that I plan to start farming this spring. We could still see each other, be near each other, if you’d move to Nashville. That way we could still travel together. I could protect you from Ross, and so I could teach Will to be the right kind of man.”
“I don’t know Nate,” she replied with a blush. “Does Hiram have to go along?”
Nate squeezed her hand tenderly. She must have been waiting all this time for him to invite her to change her plans and follow him. “I don’t see how you’re going to avoid it, Miss Libby.”
“Couldn’t we leave without telling him?” she asked.
“We could, but we both know he’d follow us. After all, he followed you from Charleston when you left without telling him. And he’s said several times that he wants to marry you. As I see it, that’s the best offer you’ve had so far.”
“But he hit me, Nate,” she protested softly. “How can I possibly marry a man who would hit me?”
“He probably lost his temper in a fit of jealousy. He’d just found us together in your room while you were wearing only your dressing gown. For all he knew, we’d been in bed together—intimately, I mean. Or even more intimately than we were.”
Libby blushed. “Do you think I should give him a chance to prove it would never happen again?”
“That’s exactly what I’m trying to say, but I can’t explain why I feel this way. Deep in my heart I want him out of your life, but in my mind, I know he can give you everything you deserve—unlike me. I suppose that’s why I’m pleading his case to you.”
“Could we make it to Nashville before the first big snowfall?”
“Probably not, but we could make it to my cabin. We could all stay there until spring. It’s not a big place, but it does have a separate bedroom. You could sleep there—if you decide that you want to go. The rest of us can sleep on the floor in the main room.”
“Do you honestly want so much company? You’re used to being alone up there.”
“Didn’t I just tell you that I’ve always wanted someone to share it with?”
“You said you wanted a lady to share it with,” she reminded him. “You’d be getting more than a lady, you’d be getting two men, too.”
Nate smiled. She was beginning to relent, and he could hardly wait until she finally agreed. “I won’t mind—as long as you’re the lady. What do you say? Will you go?”
“I don’t know, Nate. This is so sudden. I should talk to Will about it. I’ll give you an answer after I do.”
“I can tell you right now that he’ll agree. He’s been very obvious about having to go north when I’m going to the mountains; he doesn’t like the idea at all. He has some sort of belief that I’m a real man and wants to stay with me.”
“What’s Nashville like?”
“It’s nice. It could also use a young doctor. The one they have is getting pretty old to be practicing medicine. I know, because I needed his services when I was there buying my land last year. I can tell you right now that Ross would make a good living in Nashville—good enough to put you two into the upper class.”
“You act like I’m going to agree to his proposal before we get there. Do you honestly think I’m so interested in marriage that I’d say yes to just anybody?”
“Isn’t that how all women feel?”
Libby shook her head. “I can’t answer for other women, but I don’t feel that way. I told you before that I never intend to love anyone to that extent. I won’t risk losing someone I love like my father did. If I don’t fall in love, I won’t lose anyone.”
“You can lose love without being married, my sweet,” he said. “After all, marriage isn’t the only way to express that kind of commitment. One can also fall in love without having the slightest idea that it’s happening in the first place. That’s something I know from experience. And I also know from experience that one can lose a loved one without being married. Remember, I lost my mother, even if she didn’t die like yours did. And I love my mother deeply. Anyway, that’s all beside the point. You’re going to Nashville with me, right?”
“Nate, …”
Interrupting her, he grasped her other hand, as well. “I’ve listened very carefully to everything you’ve said, Miss Libby. You said that I act like you’re going to agree to marry Ross before we get to Nashville.” He emphasized the last words to remind her. “That sounds to me like you’ve already made up your mind. Now all I have to do is get you to admit it. All I need to do is get you to agree to come with me to my cabin in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Say that you’ll be the only lady to share the snow with me there.”
“First promise me that you won’t kiss me like you did earlier while we’re at the cabin—if I decide to go. It wouldn’t be a good idea given the conditions under which we would be living.”
“If you’ll go, I’ll promise you the world and stick to my promise like molasses.”
She giggled at his lighthearted tone. “All right. Will and I will go, but I still don’t particularly want Hiram to go with us. I trust you not to hurt me—or do anything else that I don’t want you to. But I don’t think I can ever trust Hiram again.”
“That’s understandable. And I promise that, if he does come along, I’ll do everything in my power to see that he doesn’t bother you. It’s not that I want him there, mind you; it’s that I believe he’s bound to show up eventually, anyway.”
“Then I suppose we should make plans to leave the day after tomorrow. We can do that tonight—while we’re eating dinner right here. Mr. Gray—the owner of the hotel?—offered to bring us some because of the trouble you were put through in his establishment.” With a mischievous smile, she added, “I think you’ve made a conquest, Nathaniel Payne. The owner obviously likes you.”
After kissing her fingers, Nate reached up to caress the back of her head with one hand. Staring unfalteringly into her eyes, he emitted words he was uncertain she wanted to hear. “There’s a much more important conquest I’d rather make, my sweet, one that could lead to a deeper friendship than already exists.”
Although she pushed her head against his hand to slow his movement of drawing her downward, she couldn’t stop him. He was determined to have this one night, despite her reluctance.
“Nate, please,” she said. “You promised not to do this.”
“No, I didn’t—not here, anyway. I promised I wouldn’t kiss you like that at the cabin, and I intend to keep that vow. But as for here, sweet Liberty, I made no promises.” His lips met hers in a soft kiss that lasted only a moment. “This won’t work with you sitting in that chair. Come sit on the bed with me.”
Chapter 14
Gazing at him longingly, Libby fought the desires surging through her body. Even though she didn’t want to, she had to deny him. From somewhere deep within her, she had to summon the courage to tell him that she would never lie in a bed with him again. But could she do that when he was so kind to her? Knowing she must, whether she liked the idea or not, she removed his hand from her head.
“No, Nate,” she said softly. “I can’t let this go as far as it did earlier. It’s immoral, irresponsible, and simply not right.”
“Don’t be afraid of your feelings, my sweet,” he pleaded. “I can see in your beautiful green eyes that you want me to kiss you—and not a mere peck. You want a passionate kiss like we engaged in earlier. For God’s sake, Miss Liberty, why do you want to deny yourself a simple pleasure?”
“I told you that my eyes don’t speak; my mouth does. And my mouth says no. Besides, even if it is to you, such a pleasure isn’t simple to me.”
“But your heart says yes. It’s obvious by the way you respond to me.” Gently pulling her so she was forced to move from the chair to the bed, he embraced her waist. “Don’t deny your heart, Miss Liberty. Enjoy our attraction to each other as much as I do.”
She released a moan of pleasure when he slid his hands up her sides and around to her back. Why did her body always respond, even when she tried to will it not to? “It isn’t the same for me as it is for you, Nate. I’m a lady. I’m not supposed to do this until I fall in love. I’m not supposed to have physical attractions.”
He smiled at her, his eyes glowing with adoration. “At least, you’ve admitted that you have a physical attraction. I suppose that means I’m making some progress.”
His hands continued massaging her back. They moved closer to her neck and head until he found the combs in her hair. Removing them, he tossed them aside. They clattered onto the wood floor as his fingers combed through her hair in a languid motion. His actions made her long for more intimate caresses—caresses she had to deny both of them if they were going to continue traveling together.
“All right. I admit that I’m physically attracted to you. But I can’t give you what you want, Nate. I was raised to be a lady, and even you know ladies don’t do that kind of thing.”
“Don’t they? The first woman I bedded was a woman of breeding, a woman who was from one of the most prestigious families in Philadelphia. She was a woman many years older than I, a woman who loved showing young men the facts of life as they pertain to the upper echelon of society. Granted, I felt no love for her and, quite frankly, no attraction. Then her husband went out of town on business, and she needed a strapping young man of eighteen to help her move some heavy furniture. But it turned out that the only furniture she wanted moved was her bed—and then only the mattress. It’s difficult for a young man that age to turn down the advances of a woman, and it was even more difficult when I discovered that she wore nothing but the sheet under which she lay. So your claim that ladies don’t bed a man without the benefit of marriage has fallen on deaf ears. I know better.”
Nate’s description of his seduction brought vivid images to Libby’s mind, and she began to respond to his caresses. But if she continued, she would find it difficult to turn him away at the cabin. Besides, with her brother and the doctor present, they would need to hide their attraction. Taking advantage of this privacy now might make that deception impossible.
“What will happen at the cabin, Nate?” she asked nervously. “What if we go farther now? How will be contain our desires there?”
“My God!” he breathed heatedly. “Now you’re admitting that you have desires. Don’t torment me like this any longer, Miss Liberty. Let me kiss you. Let me hold you. Let me show you how attracted to you I am before the long, cold winter of hiding our feelings.”
“Nate, please understand …”
“To hell with pleading!” he exclaimed, crushing her against him. “Now that I know you want the same thing I do, I’m going to take it. And I’m going to give it to you in such a way that you’ll never question my feelings for you again.”
With his hands holding her head, his fingers entwined in her hair, he brought her lips against his in a passionate kiss. Before she could stop it, a heated moan ripped from deep in her chest. Oh, how she loved it when he kissed her like this! Then his hands began to explore her clothed body.
The heat his caresses summoned forth was like nothing she’d ever experienced, not even in Nate’s arms. Her body refused to listen to her mind and moved against him of its own accord. Then again, she had only thoughts of pleasure in her mind, anyway. Her thoughts of propriety were no longer present. Giving in to her instincts, Libby grasped his shoulders tenderly while he skillfully maneuvered them on the bed. When she finally lay beneath him, he flung one leg over one of hers and pressed against her covered womanhood.
Sensations so intense that she couldn’t classify them swept over her. They centered between her legs and spread directly to her chest, constricting her heart and lungs until she could scarcely breathe. His tongue entered her mouth as she moved against him. Even through all the layers of their clothing, she felt his hardened manhood. Not only was he leading her to a union that she’d long been avoiding, he was leading her to one of which she’s been dreaming!
What he gave her was much more than physical fulfillment. She’d never felt so satisfied in the realization that a man wanted her. And she never wanted the moment to end.
This throbbing excitement when he quickly released all the buttons separating him from her naked breasts was too wonderful to lose. And when he repositioned himself to trail feathery kisses from her mouth to her breasts, her excitement grew even greater. He suckled gently on one while toying with the other with his free hand.
Not once did he relieve the pressure of his leg between hers. The desire kept growing until she came to a panting physical explosion that she never even considered possible. And she certainly never thought she could show a man how much she enjoyed him—not even Nathaniel Payne.
Kissing his way back to her mouth, he massaged her taut breasts for several minutes. Finally, he released her lips and stared down at her with a look in his bright blue eyes that she’d never seen before.
“Oh, God, Miss Liberty,” he whispered. “I would give the world to show you my feelings properly.”
“I don’t understand,” she replied, still slightly short of breath.
“I want you so much—much more than I’ll allow myself the pleasure of taking. I’ll have to be content knowing that you were satisfied.”
“Why?”
“Because I could never do that to a lady.”
“But you said …”
“I know what I said, but it was a lie designed to seduce you into letting me do exactly what I did. I wasn’t seduced by a much older socialite when I was eighteen—not that there aren’t socialites who would do exactly what I recounted. The truth is that I lost my virginity to a poor girl from the wrong part of Philadelphia—when I was sixteen. And the idea was all mine even if she did agree. I took advantage of her, my sweet, just like I did you.”
“I don’t feel like you took advantage of me,” she admitted as unexpected shyness overwhelmed. “For the first time in my life, I feel like a man honestly found me attractive enough to give me something special. And I feel like you still respect me now that it’s all over. Papa always told me that men who seduce a woman without the benefit of marriage don’t respect the woman afterwards.”
“For one thing, Miss Liberty, you’re father wasn’t right about everything he told you. For another, what we did wasn’t what he was talking about. And finally, I’ll always respect you. I’ll never do anything to you that could even make you think that I don’t. But what we did a few moments ago won’t happen again for a very long time. I made a vow that I doubt I’ll have trouble keeping while we’re at the cabin with Will—and probably Ross, too.”
While Nate tied her camisole and buttoned her blouse, Libby delighted in the feel of his fingers against her skin. When he finished, he lay back beside her. Snuggling against him, she laid her head in the junction of his shoulder and chest. Almost instantly he began to run his fingers through her hair.
“You showed me something about myself today, Nate,” she admitted, “something I never knew I had. I didn’t know that I was capable of responding to a man like I did you, and I’m surprised that it was you who showed me that I was. After all the trouble we’ve had getting along, it didn’t seem likely to me.”
“We didn’t get along because we were trying too hard to hide our attraction to each other—at least, you were. You didn’t even want to let yourself see it. Now that you’ve admitted you’re attracted to me, though, things should be a lot easier for us.”
“Should they, Nate?” she asked skeptically. “Or is that wishful thinking on your part? Or maybe it’s something you’re saying to make your distress easier to bear. It won’t be easy for me, Nate, so I know it will be even harder for you. You understand your feelings much better than I understand mine.”
“No, my sweet, I don’t understand my feelings, no matter how it seems to you.” Kissing her hair softly, he wrapped his arms around her. “All of those other things are probably part of it, but I honestly believe we’ll have less trouble now that we know how we feel about each other.”
“We still have to hide it from Will and Hiram, Nate. Neither one of them can ever know what happened this afternoon—or tonight. Especially Will. I couldn’t bear it if he thought badly of me.”
“I agree, and neither will learn it from me. Now enough about this. It’s part of our memories, and we should keep it there for the time being. We need to begin making plans for the trip to the cabin.” He kissed her hair softly. “I should leave now.”
“Leave?” she asked, struggling to keep the disappointment from her voice.
“You don’t want Will or Ross to find me here in the morning, do you?”
“No, but I’m not ready for you to leave yet, either. Can’t you stay a little while longer?”
With a smile, he hugged her. “A little while. But when you finally fall asleep, I’ll go to my own room in the other hotel.”
“Thank you,” she replied, sliding her hand across his muscular chest and delighting in the feel of it.
The next morning a knock on the door startled Libby awake. Realizing that she was alone in the bed, she smiled as she rose. Nate was a true gentleman. He’d granted her request that he stay, yet he’d kept his vow to leave so Will wouldn’t find him there. Her heart swelled with joy to know that she could trust him to keep his word—no matter what it was.
After breakfast, Libby and Nate traded her wagon, along with many of the supplies, for a smaller, more lightweight carriage and another pack mule for their journey into the Blue Ridge Mountains. The day after that, they packed their belongings and began their trip.
***
As soon as they arrived at the cabin, everyone prepared for when the snow finally came. Will cut cords of wood, and Libby smoked as much meat as possible in the small smokehouse a few yards behind the cabin. This was a task she willingly took on, according to Nate’s instructions, because the men were gone nearly all the time looking for enough food to hold them through the sparse winter months.
Snow began falling in small flakes that third morning, growing as the day progressed. Shortly before noon, the men returned because the snow was rapidly getting deeper. The flakes became larger as they mounted on the ground, blanketing everything with a cottony appearance. After eating, Nate tenderly grasped Libby’s hand and led her to the door. While he embraced her from behind to keep off the cold, they watched the gentle but persistent snowfall.
“What do you think, Miss Liberty?” Nate asked in a whisper. “Is it as beautiful as I predicted?”
“Oh, yes,” she sighed.
“Wait until the clouds clear. Then it will be even more beautiful—with blue sky, white ground, and evergreens weighed down with snow, the green scarcely visible.”
“It sounds lovely.”
Libby was so comfortable in Nate’s arms that she hardly noticed the biting winter air. This was why Nate had invited her to the cabin, and she wasn’t a bit sorry that she’d come. The scene before her was as beautiful as he had described, and she could hardly wait to see the new vision he’d created in her mind.
The boughs of trees already buckled under the weight of the snow. The green of the pines and firs was scarcely noticeable through the white. Libby had seen snow before, but only for a short time and nothing compared to what lay before her that day.
When Ross complained of the cold several minutes later, Nate whispered into her hair. “Ross is right this time. It’s getting too cold to stand here. You could get sick if we don’t close the door, and I can’t let that happen to the best cook in the house. Why don’t we move to the window?”
Absently agreeing, Libby kept her gaze unfalteringly on the winter scene until the dark, wooden door blocked it.
***
With Christmas upon them, snow covered the ground constantly. Not only did Nate need to hunt and trap daily, he needed the help of Will and Ross. For some reason, game was exceptionally scarce that year. Not only they, but carnivorous animals were on the verge of starvation.
To ease their minds, Nate vowed that they were in no immediate danger. With rationing, they could come through the winter with the little food Libby had smoked, as well as what the men could find on occasion.
Hearing Nate’s decision to ration, Libby gave all of her food possible to Will. His trousers became too short for his legs, and the crotch tightened as he began another growing spurt. He needed the extra food now more than she did. Had it not been for that tightness, she reasoned, she could add material from her dresses to the length. And she did, although it did nothing to correct the other problem.
She also noticed that his shirts were becoming too snug across the shoulders. He was filling out and broadening as he labored until his muscles bulged. Since she’d stopped growing years before, Will needed the nourishment of her food much more than she did. So she pretended not to be hungry whenever Nate wasn’t around to know what she was doing.
But the food wasn’t the only place Libby scrimped. Although Nate had told her to let him know when the firewood was in danger of running out, she refused. He didn’t need the added burden of finding wood when he had to worry about putting food on the table.
To conserve wood, she used it only to cook and when the men were there. Otherwise, she put out the fire and bundled up in a coat. Then she worked vigorously inside the cabin, cleaning everything over and over to keep warm.
The afternoon of Christmas Eve, Libby realized that she needed to go out into the snowstorm. If they were to have the big Christmas dinner she’d promised Nate, they needed a lot more firewood.
She felt terrible, like she would vomit or faint at any moment. And she couldn’t seem to stop coughing lately. Today, though, her cold seemed worse. Her chest felt tight, and it was almost impossible to breathe.
But what could she do? If they were to make it through winter alive, they all had to make sacrifices and do their fair share of work.
Already bundled in her heaviest coat, Libby set out to find a small, dead tree. She trudged through the deep snow with great difficulty. As much as she hated to do it, she released the cough she’d been stifling. It hurt all the way down to her chest. She coughed again—a loud, hacking sound that racked her entire body with pain that radiated from her chest.
She forced herself onward. She had to find wood so she could cook Nate the dinner he so desperately wanted. After all he’d done for her, all he’d shown her, he deserved at least that much.
***
Coming home early to warn Libby that they’d killed a large white-tailed deer stag, Will raced into the cabin.
“Libby!” he shouted, slamming the door behind him. When she didn’t reply, he strode to the bedroom door and rapped on it lightly. “You in there, Libby?”
Again he received no reply. Slowly opening the door, he peeked in to see if she was napping. To his amazement, she wasn’t there.
“Where the hell did …” Will gasped in horror. “Oh, my God! Indians!”
Racing out of the cabin, Will jumped on his horse and urged it as fast as it could go in the rapidly deepening snow. When he returned to where Nate and Ross were skinning and butchering the deer, he called out frantically. “Nate! Come quick!”
Glancing up from his work, Nate rose as hurried to Will. “What is it, lad?”
“Libby’s gone,” Will announced as he dismounted.
“What do you mean she’s gone?” Nate asked frantically. “She has to be there somewhere. Did you look in the bedroom?”
“Of course, I did,” Will said irritably. “I’m not stupid. She’s not there. I think Indians took her.”
Nate’s heart skipped a beat. He would never forgive himself if that were true. But before he could berate himself for convincing her to join him, he needed to verify Will’s suspicions. “Did you see their tracks?”
“I didn’t exactly look,” Will admitted, “but where else could she be?”
“I don’t know,” Nate said, taking Will’s reins and swinging into the saddle, “but I’m sure as hell going to find out. You help Ross get that carcass back. I’m going to find Libby.”
Nate raced the horse all the way back to the cabin. Even as he dismounted, he saw her tracks, too faint for the less experienced Will to notice. After about fifteen minutes of following her trail on foot, he found her lying unconscious in the snow, with several pieces of firewood scattered around and under her.
“Oh, God, no!” he exclaimed as he raced to her side. “For God’s sake, Liberty. Why didn’t you tell me we needed wood?”
Dropping to his knees, he gently rolled her onto her back then removed his glove. Despite the fact that she’d been lying on her side in the snow, her cheeks and forehead were warm when he felt them. Nate could only imagine how high her fever was.
Without hesitation, he gathered her into his arms and rushed back to the cabin. There was no fire in either fireplace! He needed to warm up the cabin. But first he had to get Libby out of her cold, wet clothes. Laying her on the bed, he quickly stripped her then covered her with all the blankets and coats available. Now to start a fire in the bedroom fireplace.