Conjuring Sight (Becky Jo Chronicles Book 1) (24 page)

“You shoot them between the eyes, and they turn to dust. Their bodies are temporary, and when they are shot between the eyes, they return to the earth. It will be thirty days before Cassandra can reassemble him. However, there are plenty of other corpses of wicked men rotting in the ground. Virginia City is full of the ingredients a witch needs for her own personal army of the Cursed.”

I’m grateful for an additional explanation about zombies, but it doesn’t change the fact I’ve got serious problems.  My life is so messed up: I can see and talk to ghosts, I’ve gone back in time to save four people, and now I’m being hunted by zombies. Completely messed up!

“Why would Cassandra see me as an obstacle to the Blair fortune?” I ask.

Colonel Blair dashes into the room, interrupting our conversation.

“Indian, I want you to tell me what in the blazes I was just shooting at!” he bellows.

He silences when he sees me.

“Perhaps we should have this conversation in another room?” White Cloud rises. “Miss Harris is very fragile, indeed.”

The Colonel crosses the room and takes my hand. “I am grateful you had the good sense to listen to me, for once.”

“Oh, she tried to go outside but still does not have the energy to walk. We found her on the floor.” White Cloud goes to the door. “Come along, Colonel Blair. I will tell you all about the coyote epidemic we are facing.”

Colonel Blair frowns down at me before following White Cloud out the door.

“Why doesn’t White Cloud tell him the truth?” I ask Clara.

“Why haven’t you?” she replies.

I sigh. Both questions have the same answer – Colonel Blair isn’t ready for the truth.

Wednesday, March 17, 1875

Next morning, I open my eyes to find Colonel Blair sleeping peacefully next to me. He is fully dressed, including his boots and a pistol in a holster. I don’t think he bought the whole coyote epidemic explanation White Cloud tried to sell. I gently move the soft, curly locks out of his face before cautiously trying to remove his pistol. His hand immediately grabs mine as his eyes flicker open.

“Don’t tell me you want to hunt coyotes,” he says in a teasing tone as he sits up.

“Not at all. I simply do not want you sleeping in my bed –
armed
.” I take away the gun and put it on the bedside table. I scold him, “You didn’t even take off your boots.”

He gently moves the hair out of my face. “I’m not even supposed to be in your bed.”

“Technically, it is your bed.” I smile at him. “My headache is gone.”

“Regardless, you will remain in…”

I roll, knocking him off the bed. I immediately get to my feet. “You can stay in bed if you want – I have things to do.”

He lunges after me, and I fall on top of his stomach, knocking the air out of him. He recoils, grabbing his abdomen.

“Serves you right,” I say, getting to my feet. “I need to get dressed. You may leave.”

He sucks in a breath of air, getting to his feet. “I do not want you out of bed, so I will not leave. You cannot go anywhere dressed in your nightclothes.”

I go to the wardrobe and pull out some clean underclothes. Pulling a trick I learned doing beauty pageants, I change my drawers and chemise before putting on my corset, all underneath my nightgown. I step into a petticoat before removing the nightgown. I give Colonel Blair a mocking grin.

He raises an eyebrow. “I will stop you.”

“Instead of trying to stop me, why don’t you make yourself useful?” I pass him my dress and lift my hands over my head. “You can go with me to check on Clara’s and Chun’s families.”

His face is unreadable. Just when I think he is going to reject my plan, he slips the dress over my head. “I will agree to a short walk over the grounds, in my company.” He begins buttoning up the front of my dress.

I slap his hands away. “Colonel Blair, I expect you to behave like a gentleman.”

He unexpectedly wraps his arms around me. “I am afraid that is impossible.”

I try to push him away. He merely laughs before releasing me.

“If you cannot keep your hands to yourself, I will stay with Rose!” I snarl, angrily picking up my stockings and shoes before storming from the room.

I’m surprised to find my ankle feels a lot better on the journey to the kitchen. It’s a little stiff, but I no longer limp when I walk. My weariness from the previous day is also gone. A day of rest has been good for my entire body.

“Miss Rebecca, what you be doin’ out of bed?” Rose exclaims as I take a seat at the kitchen table.

I put the stockings on my feet. “I find my energies restored this morning.”

“Uh-uh,” she says, putting down a pan of grits. “We ain’t be needin’ no more of your trouble. You gonna hafta rest.”

“I will keep her out of trouble,” Colonel Blair says, walking into the room.

“You are the trouble maker!” I snarl, putting on my shoes.

She doesn’t even raise an eyebrow as she puts a bowl of grits in front of Colonel Blair.

I humph at him. But, before I can get to my feet, Rose serves me grits as well. I am frustrated, but I’m also starving. I quickly empty the bowl, barely taking time to taste the grits. I grab a biscuit on my way out the back door.

“Rebecca!” Colonel Blair calls after me.

“Go away.” I take a bite of biscuit.

“It is not going to happen.” He puts my cloak on my shoulders, fastening it at my neck. He passes me a second biscuit before tearing into one himself.

I ignore him while munching on Rose’s perfect biscuits.

“Colonel Blair, Miss Harris,” White Cloud greets us as we walk into the group of wikiups. “You look much better this morning, Miss Harris.”

I swallow the last of my biscuit. “I feel like a whole new person. Was anyone injured during the coyote attack last night?”

“No, Colonel Blair’s impeccable shooting skills kept us all safe.”

“And our Chinese friends?” I ask.

“Mr. Chiu is doing a lot better. I am afraid he and his lovely family have eagerly taken to our band, and we will be left with no choice but to adopt them.” He points behind me.

Mr. Chiu and Chun smile and wave as they walk with a group of Paiute warriors. Mr. Chiu remains in bandages, but both he and the boy have rifles swung over their shoulders.

“Alas, they are off to shooting practice,” White Cloud says, watching them pass. “Good, honest men must be able to defend themselves in Virginia City. They speak very little English, but I have been fortunate to learn a few Chinese words over the years.”

Mr. Chiu calls to White Cloud in Chinese. White Cloud smiles as he relays a message, “Miss Harris, Mr. Chiu wishes for me to thank you and tell you he has prayed to his ancestors to protect you in your travels.”

“Please tell him that I will also pray for him,” I say.

White Cloud relays the message. Mr. Chiu smiles as he hurries to join the others.

“Rebecca, I believe you have had enough visiting for one day,” Colonel Blair says.

I shake my head. “You may go back to the house. My visiting has just begun.”

I go to Clara’s wikiup. I have spent too much time in bed; I need to socialize.

I spend the morning by a fire with the women and children. I comb and braid many of the children’s hair and help Mrs. Chiu bathe her little girl in a tub in one of the wikiups. It is heartwarming to see the children I nursed back to health have made friends with the Paiute children. When noon comes, I also help make stew for lunch. I really like spending time with the Paiutes, Chinese, and Colonel Blair’s tenants. All three groups are good people who value family and friends. Even with the language barriers, they are more similar than different.

After lunch, I make my way to the ever-vigilant Colonel Blair. “I am ready to visit the widows of the explosion,” I announce.

“Leave the women to their grief,” he replies, standing up from the fire. “They need time with their families, and you need to get out of the cold.”

“I’m not ready to go inside. I think I will go for a walk.” I turn around and begin striding across the field.

He catches pace. “Rebecca, you have been ill, and have you forgotten about the MacKay’s party this evening?”

I stop. “It can’t be the seventeenth.”

“It is the seventeenth.  If you are up to attending the party, then we must begin dressing.”

I put a hand on my head. I have less than five days to figure out a way to save Colonel Blair. Time is running out!

*     *     *

Ida’s eyes twinkle as she helps me into my pink gown. She says she’s fine after the attack, but I know she will be snuggled up next to Rose when she goes to bed tonight. I hate to leave her after such a traumatic experience, but we have already agreed to attend the MacKays’ St. Patrick’s Day party.

“It be da most beautiful dress I done ever seen!” Ida runs her fingertips over my skirt.

“It is pretty, isn’t it?” I smile at myself in the mirror. “You will have to try it on tomorrow.”

Her eyes open wide. “You gonna let me wear it?”

“Of course,” I put my hands into my long gloves. “A dress is even prettier if it’s shared.”

“I be wantin’ to serve you forever,” she says, smiling at me.

I stop smiling in the mirror and turn around. “Ida, you are not going to help me forever because I will not allow it.”

Her smile disappears and her bottom lip begins to tremble.

“Don’t I be doin’ good work?” she asks.

I go to her and take her hand. “You do the best work, but that’s the problem. You are too bright to be taking care of a spoiled woman. If you work hard on your reading, you will have all kinds of opportunities. Promise me that you will keep working on your reading.”

She nods. “I be promisin’, Miss Harris, but I wouldn’t mind takin’ care of you forever.”

“But I would mind. You deserve so much more than that.”

When I descend the staircase, Colonel Blair is waiting at the bottom for me. He is strikingly handsome in a dark suit and top hat. He holds out an arm to me, and I take it.

“Virginia City has never seen a more beautiful woman,” he says in a hushed voice.

“You should not lie, Colonel Blair. I am well aware I am not a beauty.”

“Then you are blind because you are the most beautiful creature I have ever set my eyes upon.”

I pull away.

“Are you sure everything will be safe in our absence” I ask, thinking of little Ida, freaky zombies, and Samuel.

“Gabe will take care of everything here,” he answers, wrapping my arm around his. “I have looked forward to this evening all week and don’t want anything to spoil it.”

When we walk outside, I smile to see Henry waiting with the carriage. “Old friend!” he exclaims, waving excitedly at me. He looks smart in a suit.

“Are you coming with us?” I ask.

“With Clara and White Cloud,” he says proudly.

“White Cloud is coming?”

“We cannot be too careful with so many coyotes about,” White Cloud says while he and Clara join us. I don’t fail to notice that he is holding Clara’s hand.

“I agree with White Cloud and since Gabe is otherwise engaged, Henry has agreed to escort us this evening,” explains Colonel Blair as he helps me into the carriage and wraps me up in a blanket.

“Perhaps Henry can sing for us?” I suggest.

“Do not get him started.” Colonel Blair laughs. “He will never stop.”

“That’s fine. I’m rather fond of your voice, Henry,” I say loudly through the window.

Henry laughs happily before breaking into song. He sings the entire way into Virginia City.

John and Louise’s house is breathtaking, being decorated for the occasion with boughs of green and lit with countless candles. The moment the door opens, we are surrounded by lively music.

“Colonel Blair, Miss Harris, I’m so glad you could attend our celebration!” Mr. MacKay meets us at the door. “Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Did you hear they decorated the trains with green for the occasion?”

“I would have loved to have seen that,” I lament having missed it.

“I’m certain they will do it again next year,” John says.

It’s too bad I won’t be around to see it. Trains decorated in green would be awesome!

We are shown into a grand ballroom. An assortment of people are talking, eating, and dancing in their finest clothing – men in sharp suits and women in fine gowns. Everything is decorated in green. Eyes go to Colonel Blair and me as we enter.

“Miss Harris, would you like to dance?” Mr. MacKay asks, always a gracious host.

“I’m afraid Miss Harris will not be dancing tonight, John,” Colonel Blair answers for me. “She is still recovering from the mining accident.”

“Of course, perhaps I could offer the two of you a drink? Maybe some apple cider?”

“That sounds wonderful,” I answer truthfully.

“I will have a sazerac cocktail,” says Colonel Blair.

I give him a dirty look. He laughs blissfully.

The party is a lot more fun than I had anticipated. I spend the evening with Colonel Blair, Mr. and Mrs. MacKay, and Bishop Whitaker and Julia. White Cloud and Clara whisper sweet-nothings to one another in the corner. It makes me happy to see them happy, even though the other guests seem to be upset the Native Americans are there. I’m glad the two of them don’t seem to notice.  I also discover how extremely useful fancy fans are when wearing a corset. The fresh air helps – a lot.

Colonel Blair goes to speak with Sergeant Marsh, and I watch in appreciation as the young ladies take turns singing with the band.

“She is too uppity for a girl without a dowry or trousseau!” I hear Harriet’s voice behind me. “Yes, she has a pretty face, but Colonel Blair could do so much better! I honestly do not know what he sees in her. There are half a dozen girls in this room with proper dowries who would jump at the chance to court him.”

I don’t hear anything else as Colonel Blair returns to me. His huge grin tells me he didn’t hear any of what Harriet said. “Miss Harris, I have spoken with the band director, and the band would be delighted if you would play with them.”

“Colonel Blair, why do you want to court me?” I ask, thinking of the conversation I overheard.

“You bring sunshine to my life,” he answers automatically, reminding me of a statement Mama told me countless times. “And it would make me very happy if you were to play the violin for me.”

“But I do not have any land or a dowry. You could find a girl who could help further your business. I would not feel bad if you did,” I clarify.

He frowns. “Miss Harris, I have seen enough death to know that, in the end, the only thing which matters is our loved ones. Land will not make me happy, but you will.”