Savage Arrow

Reginald took it upon himself to choose a book for her. He lovingly eased it from betwe

en two others, then handed it to Jessie. “This is my favorite,” he murmured. “I’m sure you’ll enjoy it. It’s a classic.”

She took it and gazed at the title. “Wraths Decided,” she said, then gave him a questioning look. “What is this about?”

He chuckled. “Read it and then you will know,” he said, turning and walking toward the door. “Enjoy, Cousin. Enjoy.”

When he was gone from the room, Jessie sat down before the fire, stretching her legs out and resting her feet on a footstool. If she could only forget the ugliness of the things she’d discovered since her arrival in Tombstone, this could be a relaxing evening before the fire, for she did love to read.

But even after opening the book to the first page, she couldn’t concentrate on reading. Too many images kept flashing before her eyes: Thunder Horse; the child she had saved; Lee-Lee. . . .

“Jessie?”

A soft, cautious voice drew Jessie quickly from her thoughts.

She looked over her shoulder as Jade came into the room, her hands clasped humbly before her.

“Jessie, did you see Lee-Lee today?” Jade asked as she went and stood before Jessie.

“Yes,” Jessie murmured. “Yes, I saw her.”

“Was . . . she . . . alright?” Jade asked, tears filling her eyes.

Jessie tried to blink away the memory of Lee-Lee having been chosen by a man and taken quickly from the window. She tried not to imagine what Lee-Lee had had to endure while alone with that man.

She knew better than to tell Jade about it.

“Yes, she’s fine,” Jessie murmured, and saw relief enter Jade’s eyes.

“That’s all I needed to know,” Jade said, wiping the tears from her cheeks.

She looked guardedly over her shoulder, then at Jessie again. “I must go now,” she said softly. “I can never allow Reginald to find us talking about Lee-Lee.”

“He’s gone, and I’m sure for some time,” Jessie tried to reassure her.

“One never knows about him,” Jade said, reaching a soft hand to Jessie’s face, smiling, then hurrying from the room.

Jarred somewhat by this newest confrontation with the lovely woman, feeling so helpless to know that she couldn’t help Jade or Lee-Lee when she couldn’t even help herself, Jessie opened the book in the hope of being able to lose herself in the story. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t concentrate.

She couldn’t forget everything that had happened today. She couldn’t get Jade’s worried look off her mind, or how her voice revealed her terrible fear for her daughter.

“This isn’t working,” Jessie murmured, closing the book and laying it aside on a table.

She rose and slowly paced the room, then looked toward the door as she thought of something that might distract her. She was remembering how she had always calmed herself when she was sad or troubled.

A piano.

While she was playing the piano, her soul became peaceful.

Her heart pounded now as she remembered Reginald’s warning about playing his grand piano. For some reason, he absolutely forbade it.

“But he’s gone,” she whispered.

Her eyes brightened at the realization that he would never know she had played his piano.

Surely that would be all it would take to bring some peace to her troubled heart. And then she would go to bed.

“No, he’ll never know,” she whispered as she walked quickly from the library, her heart pounding with the thought of finally being able to sit at a piano again.