Another young man has come."
Smiling at Maria, Antonie nodded. “I saw him. I'll go out in a moment."
“Do not leave it too long, eh?"
“Is this one not a gentleman then?"
“I have never seen him misbehave but,” Maria shrugged, “I have this feeling about him, eh? I don't trust him."
“I'll get out there, Maria."
After the woman left, Antonie sighed and hurriedly finished her coffee. While Maria tended to worry too much about Patricia, Antonie did not want to ignore the woman's qualms. She did wish, however, that she had known how much of her time would be taken up with watching Patricia before she had insisted on taking her turn at standing guard at the ranch. The roundup was hot, exhausting, and dirty work, but it was not boring like this. Antonie was beginning to feel like a nursemaid.
She strode out onto the veranda and, after brief introductions were made, sat down on the top step. Sitting sideways, her back against the rail post, she was able to survey the horizon for danger as well as the young couple on the swing. Taking out a small pouch of tobacco and some papers, Antonie started to practice rolling a cigarette. She really had no inclination to smoke one but, after watching several hands roll one with apparent ease, she was curious as to how it was done.
“Antonie, you aren't taking up smoking, are you?” Patricia asked.
Peeking at Patricia's shocked face, Antonie almost smiled. “No. I think not. I am just trying to roll one. It is not easy, eh?"
“Oh. Why?"
“Why not, chica?"
Even in that brief moment of looking directly at Patricia and her beau, Antonie decided that Maria was right to fret. The young man had looked at her with an expression in his eyes that Juan would have shot him for. Considering that he was sweet-talking Patricia at the time with a possible eye toward marriage, Antonie decided that was reason enough not to trust him. There was also the very good chance that he had only the seduction of a naive girl in mind.
Within a few moments, Antonie saw that her growing suspicions were justified. Young Clem Tillis clearly thought her too involved in her attempts to roll a cigarette to notice how often his hands roamed over Patricia. It took Antonie another moment to see that Patricia was not calling for help or protesting because the girl was either too embarrassed or too frightened. The look on the girl's pale face was certainly not passion nor even reckless daring. Slowly, Antonie turned to face the couple.
“Move those hands, Señor Tillis."
“It's just a little cuddling, ma'am. Nothing to get all fired up over.” His last words ended on a squeak when he suddenly found himself staring down the barrel of Antonie's gun.
“Move the hands, gringo, or I shoot you. Simple, eh?"
“Yeah, yeah, simple.” He edged away from Patricia but then looked at the girl. “Now, Pattie, tell her it was nothing, hmm?"
Patricia opened her mouth to speak just as a shot rang out. Clem Tillis squealed and held his hands up. He lost all of his cockiness in an instant.
“Damnation! No need to shoot. I stopped touching her."
Moving with a swift grace, Antonie yanked Patricia off the swing and pushed the girl down onto the floor of the veranda. “I did not shoot at you, gringo. They did.” Peering over the veranda rail, Antonie indicated the large group of armed men riding straight for the ranch. “I think it is not safe in that seat now, Señor Tillis."
Throwing himself to the floor, Tillis made no move to draw his gun. “What the hell's going on around here?"
“Antonie? You all right?” Tomás shouted from his perch on the roof.
"Sí, Tomás.” She neatly took down two men, briefly curbing the attackers’ advance.
The front door was flung open and for one dangerous instant, a frantic Maria was framed in the doorway. Antonie was surprised at how fast the plump woman prostrated herself when bullets shattered the door frame. From within the house came Rosa's screams of
Smiling at Maria, Antonie nodded. “I saw him. I'll go out in a moment."
“Do not leave it too long, eh?"
“Is this one not a gentleman then?"
“I have never seen him misbehave but,” Maria shrugged, “I have this feeling about him, eh? I don't trust him."
“I'll get out there, Maria."
After the woman left, Antonie sighed and hurriedly finished her coffee. While Maria tended to worry too much about Patricia, Antonie did not want to ignore the woman's qualms. She did wish, however, that she had known how much of her time would be taken up with watching Patricia before she had insisted on taking her turn at standing guard at the ranch. The roundup was hot, exhausting, and dirty work, but it was not boring like this. Antonie was beginning to feel like a nursemaid.
She strode out onto the veranda and, after brief introductions were made, sat down on the top step. Sitting sideways, her back against the rail post, she was able to survey the horizon for danger as well as the young couple on the swing. Taking out a small pouch of tobacco and some papers, Antonie started to practice rolling a cigarette. She really had no inclination to smoke one but, after watching several hands roll one with apparent ease, she was curious as to how it was done.
“Antonie, you aren't taking up smoking, are you?” Patricia asked.
Peeking at Patricia's shocked face, Antonie almost smiled. “No. I think not. I am just trying to roll one. It is not easy, eh?"
“Oh. Why?"
“Why not, chica?"
Even in that brief moment of looking directly at Patricia and her beau, Antonie decided that Maria was right to fret. The young man had looked at her with an expression in his eyes that Juan would have shot him for. Considering that he was sweet-talking Patricia at the time with a possible eye toward marriage, Antonie decided that was reason enough not to trust him. There was also the very good chance that he had only the seduction of a naive girl in mind.
Within a few moments, Antonie saw that her growing suspicions were justified. Young Clem Tillis clearly thought her too involved in her attempts to roll a cigarette to notice how often his hands roamed over Patricia. It took Antonie another moment to see that Patricia was not calling for help or protesting because the girl was either too embarrassed or too frightened. The look on the girl's pale face was certainly not passion nor even reckless daring. Slowly, Antonie turned to face the couple.
“Move those hands, Señor Tillis."
“It's just a little cuddling, ma'am. Nothing to get all fired up over.” His last words ended on a squeak when he suddenly found himself staring down the barrel of Antonie's gun.
“Move the hands, gringo, or I shoot you. Simple, eh?"
“Yeah, yeah, simple.” He edged away from Patricia but then looked at the girl. “Now, Pattie, tell her it was nothing, hmm?"
Patricia opened her mouth to speak just as a shot rang out. Clem Tillis squealed and held his hands up. He lost all of his cockiness in an instant.
“Damnation! No need to shoot. I stopped touching her."
Moving with a swift grace, Antonie yanked Patricia off the swing and pushed the girl down onto the floor of the veranda. “I did not shoot at you, gringo. They did.” Peering over the veranda rail, Antonie indicated the large group of armed men riding straight for the ranch. “I think it is not safe in that seat now, Señor Tillis."
Throwing himself to the floor, Tillis made no move to draw his gun. “What the hell's going on around here?"
“Antonie? You all right?” Tomás shouted from his perch on the roof.
"Sí, Tomás.” She neatly took down two men, briefly curbing the attackers’ advance.
The front door was flung open and for one dangerous instant, a frantic Maria was framed in the doorway. Antonie was surprised at how fast the plump woman prostrated herself when bullets shattered the door frame. From within the house came Rosa's screams of
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