Arriving home late and exhausted, Lynna had just crawled under the cover, breathing a deep sigh of relief to be home, when she was jerked awake by a loud voice that she recognized immediately. Her uncle was home, and as usual he was drunk.
“I told you, Tobias, I don’t have any money,” Judith cried. “Please lower your voice before you wake Lynna.”
“You always keep money hidden around here somewhere, you lying bitch,” Tobias slurred. “You know I will eventually find it. So save us both the trouble and tell me where it is.”
“Even if I did, I wouldn’t give it to you to waste on rot gut whiskey.” Judith clutched her thin gown around her and tensed as she waited for his next blow to fall. “We need that money to live.”
Lynna heard a dull thud and knew that her aunt had been struck. Leaping out of bed she ran to the kitchen with lightning speed. Tobias had Judith pinned against the wall with his hands around her throat, squeezing the life from her.
“Let her go!” Lynna screamed, grabbing his arm and pulling and kicking until he released her. Judith collapsed to the floor with a sickly white pallor. Then, before Lynna could even begin to defend herself, he unleashed the full force of his fury on her.
She tried to dodge the blow that she knew was coming, but unwittingly backed into the table and was cornered. He stood before her, smiling broadly as his fist smashed under her right eye with a painful crunch. The last thing she remembered before the floor jumped up to greet her was the look of absolute horror on her aunt’s bloodless face. Thank God. At least she was still alive.
Lynna came to later with a pulsating headache that seemed to hammer in her temples. Her aunt was holding her head in her lap and sobbing pitifully. Judith’s tears fell in earnest when her niece at last opened her bruised and swollen eyes.
“Is he gone?” Lynna mumbled, gingerly feeling her swollen face to see if any bones were broken.
“He found my reticule and took what few coins we had. I pray he rots in hell for the pain he has caused you.”
“My pain? What about your pain?” Lynna cried, struggling to sit up and wincing at the throbbing ache the effort caused her. “How badly did he hurt you?”
“He only shoved me against the wall and choked me, nothing out of the ordinary. It’s you I’m worried about.” She turned Lynna’s face to the light for a better look. “You have a terrible bruise.”
“I’ll remain inside until it fades.” Nothing new there. “We have so much work to do, I wouldn’t be spending much time outside anyway. Look on the bright side. We won’t have to worry about him returning for at least a fortnight.”
A silent tear rolled down Judith’s cheek. “Please forgive me for allowing this to happen to you, darling. I should have protected you. If your father knew…”
“Aunt Judith, don’t blame yourself. There is no way you could have stopped that madman. We both know that you can’t reason with Tobias when he’s drunk, and my father would never hold you accountable for his sins.”
That was a lie and they both recognized it as such. Nathan Rhodes would indeed fault his sister if he knew of her vicious husband’s abuse toward his daughter.
Heaven help Tobias Mathison if he ever found out.
Judith swiped at a tear as it streaked down her wet cheek. “Maybe he will take his ill-gotten gains and never come back.”
Unfortunately, they both knew that Tobias would return the minute his stolen funds had been exhausted.
The following morning Lynna didn’t feel up to going through the motions of getting dressed. Her body ached with each movement. Why bother anyway? She wouldn’t be showing her face outside of the house.
As the early morning sun peeped over the horizon, she lay in bed wondering for the thousandth time why her father had not sent funds as he had promised. There was simply no excuse for it. Her father was fabulously wealthy, surely he could spare a few coins to make life easier for his sister and his only child.
Forcing her mind away from the pain that thinking about her father caused, she slipped on a lavender and green checkered dress and ambled barefoot into the kitchen, grinning sheepishly when her aunt gasped at her black and blue face.
“I look a fright, don’t I, Aunt Judith?” Lynna covered her face with her hands, embarrassed.
Before Judith could answer, a knock sounded at the open kitchen door. Luckily Lynna’s back was to the door and she pleaded with her eyes for her aunt to send whoever it was away. She breathed a deep sigh of relief when Judith moved to the door, but every ounce of blood drained from her body when she heard her say, “Good morning, Joshua. It’s good to see you again. When did you arrive?”
His husky voice floated through the open doorway causing Lynna’s pulse to throb. “Good morning, ladies. I arrived late last night and Silas has invited me to ride into town with him. He was coming to see if he could bring you anything, but I volunteered to come in his stead.”
“How very kind of you. As a matter of fact, we do need a few provisions. “Please come…” The loud clanging of a pot hitting the floor stopped Judith short. She had almost invited him in. “Please, have a seat… on the porch. I will be right back with my list.”
Lynna stood motionless as she waited to hear the porch swing creak, a signal that he had sat down. It did not come. Apparently he was still standing at the door watching her. Had her aunt gone suddenly mad? Why hadn’t she sent him away posthaste? Nothing from town could be this important. Besides, obviously she had forgotten that Tobias had stolen all of their money last night and she had never once known Judith to purchase on credit.
“Good morning, Lynna,” came that sexy southern drawl that never failed to send her blood racing.
When she failed to respond, he laughed. “Lynna, why are you behaving like a spoiled child?” He waited somewhat impatiently and when no answer was forthcoming he strode uninvited into the house, pausing behind her only a second before spinning her around to face him. He halted abruptly as every ounce of blood drained from his face and he clenched his fists at his side. “Who did this?” he ground out through gritted teeth.
Lynna attempted to shrug off his concern with a laugh. “Clumsy me, I ran into a door. I should have brought a candle outside with me last night when I went to sit on the porch.” Where was her aunt and why was she dawdling at a time like this?
“Are you sure? That’s a nasty bruise and you had to be walking at full speed to hit the door that hard.”
“Of course, I’m sure,” she lied.
Far from convinced, Joshua angled her face to get a better look. “I fail to see how colliding with a door could cause the entire side of your face to turn a deep shade of black and purple, and your eye to almost be swollen shut.”
Turning away, she mumbled, “It looks much worse than it actually is.” Of all the times for him to show up. She must look like one of the voodoo zombies the slaves were always whispering about. She knew Joshua was still behind her when she felt the heat from his warm breath caress her neck.
“Try walking with your eyes open in the future,” he whispered, intoxicated by the lilac fragrance of her hair. “It works amazingly well. In fact, I do it all the time,”
Lynna jerked around with a sharp retort that died in her throat when Judith walked into the room. “On second thought, we don’t need anything from town, but thank you for the generous offer, Joshua.”
“My pleasure, ma’am.” He smiled, although his cheerful mood had deserted him on first sight of Lynna’s bruised and swollen face. Something was off kilter here and he intended to find out exactly what it was.
After he left, Lynna sat at the kitchen table, truly bereft. “Why did he have to show up this morning? Look at my face.” She buried her head in her hands. “And he thinks I go around walking into doors.”
“Even bruised and swollen, you are still beautiful in Captain Jordan’s eyes,” Judith assured her. “It was obvious to one and all the night you met that he was quite taken with you. I’ll wager that you have never met a man
quite like him before.”
Believe me, Aunt Judith, I have.
Her aunt left the room smiling and called from her bedroom, “I will not deny it. I think your Captain Jordan is quite exceptional. There are few to equal to him.”
“My Captain Jordan?” Lynna cried, thoroughly astonished by her aunt’s choice of words.
“Had you rather I say Suzanne’s Captain Jordan?” Judith peeked around the doorframe, glancing at her niece from underneath her lashes.
The day was frightfully hot, but her question sent a chill down Lynna’s spine that caused her to shiver.
Few women, young or old, could long stay immune to Joshua’s masculine charms and Jasmine was no exception. Joshua had totally charmed the cook during his brief stay at Magnolia House. She was lifting a heavy pot of vegetable soup from the stove when he sauntered in. Taking the pot, he admonished, “Here, let me take that. Don’t you have any men working in the kitchen to aid you with the heavy lifting, Jasmine?”
Jasmine’s plump body shook with mirth. “Mist’ Joshua, you sho’ is sumphin’. I lifts dis heah pot evah day of my life. Why, I ‘spec’ I could lift bout much as any man on dis heah plan’ation. Now you jus’ sit down rite chere an’ have some of my blackberry cobbler wit’ frash cream.”
Joshua laughed with her. “I’m sure you could, Jasmine. But you shouldn’t have to.”
Never one to be accused of being gullible, Jasmine placed a steaming dish of cobbler before him. “Whut is you in heah tryin’ ta sweet talk ole Jasmine fo’, Mist’ Joshua?”
“Why, Jasmine, I am sorely disappointed in you. I thought we had become friends.”
“And we is. We sho’ ‘nuff is. But you done got sumphin’ troublin’ you, so you mite jus’ as well spit it on out.”
After a long silence, Joshua asked quietly, “Have you perchance seen Lynna’s face today?”
“Whut ‘bout her face?” Jasmine snapped, fearing the worst as the cup of milk she was pouring overflowed the rim.
Joshua observed her plump face closely for her reaction. “It’s badly bruised. She claims to have run into a door.”
“Run into a do’, my big black behind!” she spat as her huge body fairly shook with anger. “Dat chile gwine run out of ‘scuses one of dese days.”
Instantly on his feet, Joshua grabbed her by the shoulders, forcing her to meet his eyes. “Are you saying that is not what happened, Jasmine?”
Jasmine was thoughtful for a long time before speaking. “I won’t der, so I cain say fo’ sho’ whut done happen.”
“But you have an opinion,” he said, urging her to continue.
“If you done seed as many bruises on dat chile as I have,” she stopped suddenly, wondering if she should be voicing her opinion against a white man. “But I done said too much a’ready.”
Joshua wanted to shake the old slave woman, force her to tell him everything she knew, but there were easier ways. “I suppose it is just as she said. Lynna impresses me as being the clumsy sort.”
“Whut you mean, clumsy?” Jasmine stormed with her hands on her hips and her dark eye blazing. Joshua knew his gambit had worked beautifully. “Dat chile ain’t run into no do’. Dat man done hit dat baby agin.”
“What man?” The depth of rage Joshua felt at that moment was surprising even to him. Knowing that someone had struck Lynna, deliberately, with enough force to leave her badly bruised, caused his body to tremble with rage. “Who was it, Jasmine?”
Jasmine knew she had been duped, but that was no longer the issue. What was important was Lynna. Why should she go on protecting that po’ white trash Tobias Mathison when next time it might be too late to help Lynna or Judith? Next time he might kill them both. “Her own uncle. Tobias Mat’son. He da one whut beats her. He come home lookin’ fo’ dey money in a flyin’ rage an’ always findin’ a reason to hit my sweet Lynna.”
Hot tears coursed down Jasmine’s plump cheeks. “How I knows is dat po’ chile done broke down one day an’ tol’ me so herself. She said she had ta talk to somebody, so I jus’ held her while she talk’ an’ cried, axkin’ me why her own uncle hate her so much. Querstions dat I ain’t got no answer fo’. Den when she finish, she made me give my word dat I keep it to myself, an’ here I done tol’ you. Forgive me, Lawd!” she cried, stretching out her arms and beseeching the heavens. Drying her eyes, she blew her nose loudly. “But I cain keep it to myself no mo’. Dat man gwine kill dat chile one day.”
“Where is Tobias now, Jasmine?” Joshua couldn’t be still, pacing across the room with nervous energy. “I promise you that he will never get another chance to harm her if you tell me where to find him.”
“He ain’t heah,” she sniffled. “Dey ain’t be knowin’ where he gwine or when he comin’ back.”
“I will find him, Jasmine. I give you my word.” Joshua strode determinedly out the door without a thought for the mouthwatering pie.
Jasmine knew in her heart that Tobias Mathison was surely about to pay for his multitude of sins and it was about time. As for her precious Lynna, she mumbled, “Whut don’t kill will fatten.”
Later that night in town Joshua made inquiries as to Tobias Mathison’s whereabouts at the local taverns. He learned from a barkeep that Tobias had come into town the night before, purchased a bottle of whiskey, and went upstairs with one of the girls who was known for leaving a man with empty pockets. Joshua was halfway up the stairs, already imagining the feel of his hands tightening around Tobias’s neck, before the barkeep stopped him.
“He ain’t here now. He rode out before sun up.”
Joshua slammed his fist into the wall, making the barkeep jump. “Can you tell me which direction he traveled?”
“Naw, he slipped out without even paying what he owed for the room, the thieving low life.” The barkeep swished a filthy rag across the bar, and mumbled, “I should have learnt the lying beggar by now. But you know, I can’t figure him out. One day his pockets are overflowing with coin, and the next he can’t afford a cup of ale.”
Ignoring the barkeep, Joshua swore under his breath, “You got away this time, but I will find you if it is the last thing I ever do.”
Chapter 20