get the hand covered again, Lizzy saw her damaged hand.
“ My hand! Oh God, Rosie, he broke my hand all to pieces! I can’t move my fingers!”
Rosalie tried to calm her, a useless gesture. “Lizzy, it isn't as bad as it looks.” Actually, it was worse, but what else could she say?
“ And I can't see out of my left eye. Still!” She groped with her right hand.
Rosalie grabbed her wrist, trying to keep her from learning the truth about that eye, but she was too late.
“My eye! It's gone! Rosie, he cut out my eye!”
“ Your eye is still there. It’s just bruised real bad. Try to settle down. You'll start bleeding again.”
“ My leg. Did he cut off my leg?” She tried to sit up.
“ No! Your legs are both there. You're mending. It's just taking a while. Please, Elizabeth! Stop flailing! If you start bleeding again, I might not be able to get it stopped!”
Suddenly still, Lizzy stared at Rosalie with her good eye. “Let me bleed, Rosie. I can't live like this. Let me bleed until I die. Please.”
“ That's nonsense and you know it. We're going to Denver. I'm going to take care of you.”
“ But what will I do there? I won't be able to dance. There ain't no use in a dance hall for a half-blind girl who can't dance.” She squeezed her eyes shut, tears streaming. “You should've let me die.”
“ Don't say that! Don't ever say that again! You're going to be all right, do you hear me? Lizzy, do you hear me?”
“ Lizzy. That's who I am. I'll never be Elizabeth again. Don't you see, Rosie?” She turned her face into the stained pillow and cried bitterly, her body shaking with sobs.
“ I'll be back later with the doctor. Maybe he can give you something to help you feel better.”
Rosalie went to the door and motioned for Jocelyn to come back, to stay with Lizzy.
“Don't leave her for an instant. Understand? Not an instant!”
“ I won't, Rosie, I promise.” She went into Lizzy's room and closed the door. Rosalie waited until she heard the bar slipping back into place, then headed for the front room.
Zane was leaning back against the bar, propped on his elbows, a terrible grin on his face. Tom's expression, even from this distance, chilled her.
Rosalie suddenly felt feverish. Rage for what Zane Strickland had done to Lizzy boiled inside her, threatening to explode if she couldn't let it out. She stormed into the room, not knowing what she'd say or do, knowing something had to be done to make this animal pay.
She stopped when Zane fixed her in his inebriated gaze. “There’s my bride now.
Tom turned to see who was standing behind him. Oh, dear God, no.
“ I'm going to marry Rosie Kincannon.”
C hapter 8
Rosalie fainted. Tom rushed to catch her and eased her to the floor. Cradling her head, he patted her cheeks, urging her to wake up.
“ Come on, Rosalie, it's all right.” He glared at Zane Strickland. “She's hotter than a pistol. It's no wonder she fainted.”
Rosalie moaned, moving her head from side to side.
“That's it. Wake up now.” He cast around for the bartender. “Bring me some brandy.”
The burly man obeyed, concern showing in his rheumy eyes. He fetched a bottle from under the bar, filled a shot glass, and handed it to Tom.
“ Drink this, Rosalie.” He tipped the glass to her lips, allowing only a few drops to moisten, then trickle between. When the fiery liquor hit her throat, she coughed. Tom raised her to a sitting position, careful to support her back.
Tom glared at Strickland. “You bastard. Don't you have any sense of decency at all?” Tom knew the answer to that question.
“ She would've known soon enough, wouldn't you sugar? I'll bet she just can't wait to be hitched and respectable. Why, my paw is gonna love it when I bring home a whore as my bride.”
Tom made sure Rosalie wouldn't fall backward before he stood, turned, and connected his fist with Zane's jaw, throwing him backward against the bar.
Unlike William Kincannon, Zane Strickland
“ My hand! Oh God, Rosie, he broke my hand all to pieces! I can’t move my fingers!”
Rosalie tried to calm her, a useless gesture. “Lizzy, it isn't as bad as it looks.” Actually, it was worse, but what else could she say?
“ And I can't see out of my left eye. Still!” She groped with her right hand.
Rosalie grabbed her wrist, trying to keep her from learning the truth about that eye, but she was too late.
“My eye! It's gone! Rosie, he cut out my eye!”
“ Your eye is still there. It’s just bruised real bad. Try to settle down. You'll start bleeding again.”
“ My leg. Did he cut off my leg?” She tried to sit up.
“ No! Your legs are both there. You're mending. It's just taking a while. Please, Elizabeth! Stop flailing! If you start bleeding again, I might not be able to get it stopped!”
Suddenly still, Lizzy stared at Rosalie with her good eye. “Let me bleed, Rosie. I can't live like this. Let me bleed until I die. Please.”
“ That's nonsense and you know it. We're going to Denver. I'm going to take care of you.”
“ But what will I do there? I won't be able to dance. There ain't no use in a dance hall for a half-blind girl who can't dance.” She squeezed her eyes shut, tears streaming. “You should've let me die.”
“ Don't say that! Don't ever say that again! You're going to be all right, do you hear me? Lizzy, do you hear me?”
“ Lizzy. That's who I am. I'll never be Elizabeth again. Don't you see, Rosie?” She turned her face into the stained pillow and cried bitterly, her body shaking with sobs.
“ I'll be back later with the doctor. Maybe he can give you something to help you feel better.”
Rosalie went to the door and motioned for Jocelyn to come back, to stay with Lizzy.
“Don't leave her for an instant. Understand? Not an instant!”
“ I won't, Rosie, I promise.” She went into Lizzy's room and closed the door. Rosalie waited until she heard the bar slipping back into place, then headed for the front room.
Zane was leaning back against the bar, propped on his elbows, a terrible grin on his face. Tom's expression, even from this distance, chilled her.
Rosalie suddenly felt feverish. Rage for what Zane Strickland had done to Lizzy boiled inside her, threatening to explode if she couldn't let it out. She stormed into the room, not knowing what she'd say or do, knowing something had to be done to make this animal pay.
She stopped when Zane fixed her in his inebriated gaze. “There’s my bride now.
Tom turned to see who was standing behind him. Oh, dear God, no.
“ I'm going to marry Rosie Kincannon.”
C hapter 8
Rosalie fainted. Tom rushed to catch her and eased her to the floor. Cradling her head, he patted her cheeks, urging her to wake up.
“ Come on, Rosalie, it's all right.” He glared at Zane Strickland. “She's hotter than a pistol. It's no wonder she fainted.”
Rosalie moaned, moving her head from side to side.
“That's it. Wake up now.” He cast around for the bartender. “Bring me some brandy.”
The burly man obeyed, concern showing in his rheumy eyes. He fetched a bottle from under the bar, filled a shot glass, and handed it to Tom.
“ Drink this, Rosalie.” He tipped the glass to her lips, allowing only a few drops to moisten, then trickle between. When the fiery liquor hit her throat, she coughed. Tom raised her to a sitting position, careful to support her back.
Tom glared at Strickland. “You bastard. Don't you have any sense of decency at all?” Tom knew the answer to that question.
“ She would've known soon enough, wouldn't you sugar? I'll bet she just can't wait to be hitched and respectable. Why, my paw is gonna love it when I bring home a whore as my bride.”
Tom made sure Rosalie wouldn't fall backward before he stood, turned, and connected his fist with Zane's jaw, throwing him backward against the bar.
Unlike William Kincannon, Zane Strickland
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