|
He sadly looked into the young girl's baby blue
eyes.
"I won't leave," he said in a smooth southern
drawl.
"You must. If they catch you they will hang
you," she said gently touching his face. She pushed him toward the door
and turned her back on him. He took the hint, but before he left he walked
to her and lifted her long black hair and pressed his lips to her skin,
before turning and leaving the room never to return.....
|
Ezra Standish awoke with a start. He couldn't understand
why he all of a sudden began to think of that night from three years ago.
He shrugged to himself and got up to dress when he
noticed the sun was beginning to rise.
Surely Chris and Vin are already up, he thought.
He always wondered why they could get up so early?
Finished dressing, Ezra grabbed his hat and headed
outside. In the hall he ran into a woman leaving one of the rooms. Buck
Wilmington followed her. He grinned sheepishly at Ezra.
Ezra merely shook his head. As he walked out of the
hotel he bumped into Mary Travis, the owner of the town's newspaper.
"Oh! Mr. Standish, you startled me," she exclaimed
as Ezra grabbed her arm to steady her.
"I'm sorry to have frightened you, Mrs. Travis,"
he replied. He went to walk away but she stopped him.
"I wonder if you would walk with me a moment, Mr.
Standish," she asked. He nodded and offered her his arm, which she discreetly
took.
"It seems you gentlemen have been less than busy
lately as a lull in the local crime has occurred," she began.
"It would seem that way," he replied.
"Well a very formidable and powerful man is coming
to Four Corners with his daughter and her fiancé so the two can
be wed here. She was born here," Mary said. Ezra quirked an eyebrow at
her but kept silent allowing her to continue.
"Her father has asked that the local law keepers
keep it so that the wedding plans go off without a hitch. I was hoping
you gentlemen would be willing to accommodate him," she said stopping and
looked deeply into Ezra's blue eyes.
"Mrs. Travis, shouldn't you be talking to Mr. Larabee
about this? He is the leader of our said group," Ezra finally replied.
"Mr. Larabee and I had a disagreement yesterday and
I have been somewhat avoiding him. You are as good as anyone Mr. Standish
to discuss this with. You are as much apart of the group as the rest of
them," she said smiling at him. Mary Travis knew as well as anybody how
hard Ezra had been trying to turn his life around and not only befriend
but get the seven men he worked with to trust him. He had been doing a
good job so far even though there were times were he had a setback or two,
but even though the others wouldn't tell him for fear of Ezra taking it
to far, the seven men trusted Ezra with their lives.
Ezra smiled at the thought of Mary avoiding Chris
because of a disagreement. He knew the woman's feelings for the man ran
deeper than respect for what he did. He felt a pang of jealousy wishing
he could feel that kind of love again. He shook his head when he realized
that Mary was trying to get his attention.
"Ezra are you all right?" she asked concern lurking
behind her blue eyes.
"I'm sorry Mary. I have been plagued by some unsettling
dreams of late, and have therefore began to become distracted during my
down time," he said before flashing his care free grin at her. His eyes
said something more though, but Mary knew better than to pry. If he wanted
her to know he would say something.
"If you wish I will speak to Chris about your proposal
and I will refer back to you his answer," Ezra replied, thanking the woman
silently for not asking further about his dreams.
"I would appreciate it, thank you," she replied as
they stepped in front of the Clarion, the newspaper Mary published.
Ezra tipped his hat to her and left.
She watched him leave. She noticed his usually handsome
face was tense. She wondered what type of dreams could haunt the usually
laid back man, to the point that his mind would wander. She knew from simple
observation of all the men, that Ezra had a tendency to feel like the outsider,
but he seemed to be fitting in more lately. Becoming closer to Buck, Vin,
and Chris. Even Nathan was beginning to respect the Southerner more and
his comments on some of the man's habits were becoming more few and far
between. Mary realized even she had a lot more respect for the man now
then she did when they first met. She began to like the man much more when
he showed so much concern for her son, Billy, when he returned to Four
Corners and his father's murderers were brought to justice. Mary shrugged
her shoulders and entered the paper. Maybe once the wedding was
done with and things got a little quieter after words she would approach
the man and ask him if he needed to talk to someone.
Ezra shrugged out of his jacket and set the it on
the back of his chair. He didn't even see Chris Larabee walk up to the
table. He jumped slightly when he looked up.
"Mr. Larabee, you startled me," he said.
"Sorry. I saw you talking to Mary. Is something up?"
Chris asked sitting down at the table.
"She merely was asking me if our prestigious group
would be willing to make sure our fine and peaceful residence stays that
way for a gentleman who's daughter is coming to Four Corners to enter in
a matrimonial state," Ezra replied pulling a deck of cards out of his red
jacket.
"Why didn't she ask me?" Chris asked curiously. Chris
snapped his fingers in front of Ezra's face after a few minutes and he
realized the other man wasn't paying attention.
"I'm sorry, Chris. She said you two had a disagreement
yesterday and she is taking great care in avoiding you this fine day,"
Ezra said finally. He smiled at he perplexed look on the man's face.
"What did you say?" Chris asked.
"That I would get back to her," Ezra replied. Before
Chris could comment, Vin Tanner joined them.
"Heard a wedding is heading our way," he replied
non-chalantly. Chris and Ezra looked at one another and smiled.
"So what do you want me to tell Mrs. Travis?" Ezra
directed at Chris.
"Well we can't say no," he replied. Ezra didn't hold
the sarcasm against him. He suddenly began to feel restless, and got up.
"I'll go tell her now. I need some air anyway," he
replied. The man grabbed his hat and left. Chris and Vin watched him go.
"What's he so jumpy about?" Vin asked suddenly.
"You noticed that too?" Chris said looking at the
former Buffalo hunter. Vin's answer was to merely raise his eyebrows.
"I don't know. It's only been the past few days he's
seemed this way. Especially now that this wedding is coming to town," Chris
said.
"You think maybe he knows the people in this wedding?"
Vin asked.
"I don't think so. Mary never mentioned to him who
the people are. But maybe.... It's almost like he senses something about
it," Chris finally said after some thought. The two men sat watching the
Southerner's retreating back as he headed for the Clarion.
A pair of pale blue eyes watched the scenery as the
wagon went by. Her thoughts were not on the man next to her, but on a man
who gave her pleasure and love, what seemed like a lifetime ago.
"Justine?" the man asked.
"Huh?" Justine Chanteaux answered.
"That's original," the man said smiling.
"I'm sorry Alexander. My mind must have been wandering,"
she said.
"I guess it was. You looked a hundred miles away,"
Alexander said smiling at the woman. He pulled her hand to his lips and
kissed it softly. "We will be in Four Corners soon."
She smiled at him, but it never reached her eyes,
which didn't go unnoticed by the man. He looked over at the small child
across from them.
"How are you enjoying the ride Marie?" he asked her.
"Just fine Alexander. Thank you," She replied slowly.
"You can call me Dad. Your mother and I will be married
soon," Alexander said to the child.
"I won't call you Dad because you are not my father
and never will be," the little girl said snidely. Alexander's face grew
cold and stone like making the young girl shrink back.
"Marie, please we have been over this. By marriage
Alexander will be your father. Please respect him for that," Justine chided
the girl. She sighed softly to herself and realized that Marie would never
know her father.
Because of the relationship that she had with her
daughter's father, her own father refused to allow her to give the man's
last name to her daughter. This angered Justine, but not wanting to anger
her father further, she agreed. The one thing her father could not do to
his granddaughter was take away her looks. She was a spitting image of
her father. Anyone who looked at her could tell that right away. Justine
possessed her mother's Indian looks, but father's pale eyes, whereas Marie
looked as American as apple pie, with her light colored hair and lighter
eyes. She had her father's infectious smile. She did have her mother's
beauty and inherited the dimples of her mother when she smiled deeply.
But Justine noticed lately that she rarely saw her daughters dimples, because
she was rarely happy enough to smile widely. She usually had a tight lipped
smile or a sullen look on her face. It hurt and angered Justine to know
that her daughter was not happy. She knew Marie did not like Alexander,
but she also knew marrying him was the right thing to do for herself and
Marie.
Alexander was rich and successful and could supply
her and Marie with a good life. Plus her father liked him. She hoped that
Marie would learn to accept him and be happy, but if that were to ever
happen it would take time.
Justine sighed and leaned back as she watched they
got closer to Four Corners. And she got closer to seeing her daughter's
father again.
Mary smiled at Ezra as he sat in front of her not
saying a word. She never realized how handsome he was. He seemed at times
to have a boyish charm and was so child-like, but there were times, such
as now, where it looked as if the man had the entire world sitting on his
shoulders.
"I hope you don't mind me waiting in here for the
wedding party to arrive?" he said finally as he realized the woman was
watching him.
"Not at all. In fact I enjoy the company. Mr. Standish,
have you been feeling all right lately, you seem so distance of late,"
she finally said. She swore she would wait until the wedding party had
left but, being a journalist, curiosity got the better of her.
"I have been plagued by interesting dreams lately,
but other than that I am fine," he said smiling at the woman. She noticed
though that it never reached his eyes, as it normally would have. She couldn't
comment further because she heard the wagons of the wedding party show
up.
Ezra and Mary exited the office together and watched
as the luggage was being taken off the racks of the wagons. Mary heard
a gasp come from the man beside her as the wagon's occupants exited. Mary
looked at Ezra and than at the wagons as a young child that looked enough
like him to be his daughter, and a beautiful young woman, obviously the
bride-to-be, step out of the wagon. Mary once again looked at Ezra quizzically,
but the man seemed to have recovered and had a mask across his face to
cover his emotional slip.
The young woman looked over at them and her eyes
widened, and she turned away quickly ushering the child towards the hotel
as the man who exited the wagon behind them walked towards Mary.
"Hello, my name is Alexander Phillipson. I am the
bridegroom of the wedding. Are you Mary Travis?" he asked. Ezra grimaced
at he man.
"Excuse me, Mrs. Travis. I'm going to find Mr. Larabee
let him know our guests are here," he said. Mary nodded at him frowning.
He tipped his hat and her and Alexander and turned away. She watched him
go noticing his rigid stance.
"I guess that answers my question of who you are.
I wanted to make sure for my fiancee's father that the lawmen will provide
extra protection for us so that are wedding is spectacular," Alexander
said not noticing the man who had just left them.
"Yes they will. Mr. Standish who just left is one
of them. He is going to talk to the leader of the men, Mr. Larabee. I assure
you Mr. Phillipson that everything will be perfect," Mary replied.
Alexander raised his eyebrow slightly at the name
Standish. He heard that name before. He shook his head and tipped his hat
to Mary. He retreated to the hotel to find Justine.
Justine sat on the side of her bed frowning. What
is he doing here? I never thought I would see him again. How do I tell
him about Marie?, she thought. She realized that someone was in the
room with her. She looked behind her and saw Alexander standing there.
"What is Marie's father's last name?" he asked his
eyes clouded.
"Why?" she asked.
"Just answer me!" he snapped.
"Standish, why?"
"He's here. You bastard child's father is here,"
he replied angrily. Justine shot off the bed and slapped the man stingingly
across the face.
"Don't you dare call my daughter a
bastard!" she said angrily. She snapped her head up as a door opened. The
two adults looked over to see Marie standing in the door her hand on the
knob looking frightened. Justine snapped her yes back to Alexander and
walked away. The two silently unpacked.
I can't believe it! She's here. I never thought
I would see her again. Ezra was thinking. The man was so deep in thought
he didn't see Buck, and JD Dunne approach his table. He jumped when Buck
spoke.
"So the wedding party's here? The bride sure is a
looker," Buck said. He and JD sat down not noticing the look Ezra shot
at Buck. Josiah Sanchez, however did see it, but didn't comment on it.
Ezra began to shuffle the cards on the table and
soon the men were involved in a game of poker.
The sun was setting when Justine began looking for
Alexander after she had put Marie down. She looked in the saloon where
she saw him watching a table full of men. She noticed one of the men at
the table was Ezra. She knew then that trouble would arise.
Buck laughed at something Chris had said when he
noticed a distant look in Ezra's eyes.
"Hey Ezra, you with us tonight?" he asked. Ezra looked
up at him but said nothing because his eyes fell on the woman in the doorway.
He turned his eyes away but not soon enough. Alexander noticed it and got
up. He approached the table.
"Good evening gentlemen. I am Alexander Phillipson.
I hear you are the law of the town," he replied. Justine walked further
in trying to hear what was being said.
"That's right. I'm Chris Larabee. This is Vin Tanner,
Josiah Sanchez, JD Dunne, Buck Wilmington, Nathan Jackson, and Ezra Standish,"
Chris replied leaning back to look at the man.
"Ezra Standish? That name is familiar," he replied.
"I don't see how. We've never met," Ezra replied
shuffling the deck of cards he had.
"I know we've never met. But you do know my fiancee,"
he said. Ezra slowly raised his head. "You see I know about your attempt
to steal her father's money by seducing her. Didn't work did it?" Justine
closed her eyes hoping Ezra would rein in his temper.
"I guess not. I stopped trying after a while," Ezra
replied coolly.
"After you slept with her?"
"After I fell in love with her."
"Love? Lust maybe. You see I really want to tell
you something," Alexander began.
By this time Justine was up by the table watching
Ezra and Alexander and she knew that if something wrong was said someone
would get hurt. Chris and Vin sensed this and began to get up.
"Well? What's that?" Ezra said finally making eye
contact with Alexander.
"Thanks for breaking her in for me," Alexander said
smirking at the man. Before even Chris or Vin could react, Ezra tackled
the man and began punching him. Justine shrieked in fear and stepped back.
Chris and Vin pounced on Ezra and tried to pull him off Alexander. Eventually
they did, with Buck and Nathan's help.
"I want that man arrested for assault!" Alexander
cried out as he got up wiping blood from his mouth. Ezra struggled trying
to go after him again.
"Just go along with it it'll give you time to cool
off," Chris whispered harshly in his ear. "We'll talk about it there."
He felt Ezra nod and he and Nathan took him to the jail. Vin and the others
stayed back to make sure Alexander didn't try anything. Justine looked
venomously at her fiancé and stalked out of the saloon. Alexander
followed her.
"What was that about?" Chris asked Ezra after Nathan
had left the jail house. Ezra looked at him through the jail bars with
anger still evident on his face.
"Nothing." he replied.
"Bullshit!" Chris said. He pulled a chair over to
the cell and sat in front of Ezra.
"I have come to trust you and learned to call you
friend and comrade. Now that was not nothing. What happened between you
and the girl?"
"He was right. I tried to con her father out of money
through her. I attempted to seduce her but in the process I fell in love.
We were intimate, but one night she asked me to leave so her father and
brothers wouldn't find me and hang me. I loved her Chris. I still do. That
man is using that to taunt me because he's marrying her," Ezra replied
looking at his hands. Before Chris could say anything, the door of the
jail opened. He looked to see Justine walked in.
"I may I have a moment with the prisoner?" she asked.
Chris nodded and went to leave.
"Ten minutes," he said. She nodded never taking her
eyes off Ezra. Chris left silently.
"What do you want?" Ezra asked looking at her.
"I came to see if you're all right?" she said.
"I'm fine."
"I'm sorry for what he said. It was cruel...." she
began.
"But true," Ezra finished. Justine snapped her head
up to look at him harshly. He returned her look but she saw only hurt rather
than hatred.
"God Ezra I am so glad to see you! I never thought
I would see you again."
"Maybe it's better if you forget me..." he began.
"You have a daughter," she blurted out. That stopped
Ezra and he looked at her.
"A daughter?" he asked. She nodded.
"The child that got out of the wagon with you?"
"Marie. Our daughter."
"Our daughter. She's beautiful." Ezra smiled at her.
She returned the smile but then frowned.
"I'm scared Ezra."
"Of him?"
"Of me. Of you, and of him. I'm even scared of Marie.
She hates Alexander."
"But you're still going to marry him," Ezra said.
Justine noticed it was more of a statement than a question.
"Yes tomorrow."
"Then I wish you happiness."
"Ezra...." she began.
"No. It's better if we break like this. You're getting
married tomorrow and then you'll be gone. It's better if Marie doesn't
know I'm her father," he said. Justine looked at him tears welling in her
eyes.
"Fine," she said angrily. She stalked out of the
building, and for the first time in Ezra's adult life he fell on the bed
and curled into a ball and cried himself to sleep, his heart broken.
Justine walked into the hotel room to see Alexander
and her father there.
"You went to see him didn't you?" Alexander asked.
"Yes," she said coldly.
"And?" her father asked.
"And nothing. I'm still marrying Alexander tomorrow
and then we'll leave," she said.
"Good. I will see you in the morning," her father
replied. He kissed his daughter's cheek and left.
"Well." Alexander said. He walked over and paced
his hands on her shoulders but she shrugged him off.
"Don't touch me! I will never forgive you for what
you said!. I still love that man, and even though I am marrying you, I
always will love him. He is my daughter's father and he deserves respect
for that at least if for nothing else," she said.
"He attacked me!"
"I would have too if I had been him," she stated.
Without a word she turned and walked away. Alexander fumed but didn't say
a word. He had won. She was still marrying him.
Ezra walked out of his room after he changed once
he was released. He walked to sit with the other men as they heard the
Wedding March begin in the church.
He closed his eyes and silently wished her luck,
as his heart broke. He snapped them open when he heard Justine's voice.
He saw her running out of the church in her wedding gown with her daughter
close behind her as well as her family and Alexander.
"Ezra! I can't do it. I can't marry a man I don't
love. I love you too much," she said. "Marie meet your father." Marie opened
her eyes wide at her mother's words and looked at Ezra. He smiled softly
at her and she returned it her deep dimples showing. Suddenly Chris, who
had been standing next to Ezra, heard a gun cock.
"Standish!" Alexander bellowed. He
aimed the revolver he had at Ezra's chest and pulled the trigger.
"No!" Justine yelled and leaned to
the left. The bullet struck her in the chest and she collapsed into Ezra's
arms.
"Mommy!" Marie yelled. Buck turned
the girl away and pushed her to her grandmother. Nathan and Josiah where
the closest to Alexander and grabbed him taking him to the jail.
Justine's father knelt by his daughter. She looked
at him resentment in her eyes.
"I want Marie to know her father. Understand me?"
she said quietly. Her father nodded. Justine looked at Ezra.
"I wish this hadn't happened. But it has. I love
you Ezra. Remember that. Don't let my daughter forget me. Our daughter,"
she said softly.
"I won't," Ezra whispered to her. "I love you."
"And... I... love...," she started but the life left
her before she could finish. Ezra pulled her closer and began to sob rocking
her back and forth.
"NO!" he bellowed into the air.
Chris knocked on Ezra's door but got no answer. He
walked after finding the door unlocked. He saw Ezra loading his gun a look
of hatred on his face.
"Where are you going?" he asked the man.
"To kill him," he said.
"If you kill him than you are no better than he is."
"Don't you dare tell me that! You don't understand."
"The hell I don't! Of anyone I know what you are
going through, but revenge is not the answer Ezra. I know that. It won't
make the pain go away, it will only make it worse and leave you empty,"
Chris said taking the man's gun.
"What do you mean?" he asked.
"When my wife and son died I went looking for the
sons of bitches who killed them I found some and killed them. But the revenge
didn't make their loss easier."
"Dammit Chris! I loved her," Ezra said finally beginning
to cry again.
"I know. But killing Alexander is like letting him
go. He won't pay for what is done. You owe to her daughter, your
daughter to let justice do what is right," Chris said placing a hand on
the man's shoulder. He stood there as Ezra hung his head and silently cried.
Chris knew as long as he was there he would make sure Ezra would begin
to heal properly, and he knew that was already being accomplished.
"But I don't wanna go," Marie said the next day.
"I know but I promise I'll visit soon. You're grandma
and grandpa know what's best for you right now, but I promise that I will
never leave you," Ezra said to his daughter.
"Promise?" she asked.
"Cross my heart," he said. She smiled at him and
hugged him fiercely. She got onto the coach with her grandmother without
looking at the casket that held her mother's body.
Ezra turned to Justine's father and shook his hand.
"The judge was wired and he'll receive a fair trial
and will get the proper punishment," Ezra said to him.
"If I was you I would have killed him," the man said.
"I wanted to but a friend talked me out of it," Ezra
replied looking at Chris.
"Well we will see you soon," he said.
"Mr. Chanteaux?" Ezra called. He looked at Ezra.
"No matter what you think of me, I loved your daughter
very much and I will love my daughter, as much or more," he said.
Justine's father said nothing but nodded. Mary walked up next to Ezra and
watched as the wagon's disappeared.
"Are you all right?" she asked.
"No. But I will be. Justine would have wanted me
to be strong for her and our daughter," he said looking at her and smiling
sadly. She returned the smile and knew he would be all right. She squeezed
his arm and walked away. Ezra continued to watch the wagons until they
where gone. He turned to see his friends, all six, standing there waiting
for him. He knew as long as he had them and his daughter, he would be fine.
The End
