The Demure Bride(9)

"I'll help you all I can, Rob." Matt suddenly pushed his plate away. "I feel like a jackass right now," he muttered angrily.

"I understand," Rob said softly, getting to his feet and picking up his  hat from the sideboard and putting it on his head. "Thanks for dinner,  Matt. Keep an eye out, and I will keep you informed if I discover  anything."

Matt watched the young man leave and then smiled. Apparently a pie made  of soap wasn't enough to turn the Englishman away from his feisty  Amanda. He got to his feet and went upstairs. He knocked on his  daughter's door and turned the knob and walked right in. Amanda let out a  squeal of embarrassment and too late Matt realized that he should have  waited for her to give him an invitation to enter. She was in the  process of changing her clothing, and was dropping her nightdress over  her nude body. Matt got a good look at her bruised backside before the  gown hid her from view.

"Papa!" Amanda scolded, humiliated.

"Good God, Mandy!" Matt whispered in shock. "I'm sorry!"

"Ohhhhh!" She stomped her foot in outrage as she put her wrapper over  her gown and tied it with angry motions. "Will you please wait for an  answer before you barge in on me?" she demanded, her temper flaring. She  raised her eyes to look at him, and saw tears in his eyes. "What's  wrong, Papa?" she asked, walking over to where he stood staring at her.

"Oh, Mandy, how can you ever forgive me for bruising you like that? I  was brutal! You're black and blue!" He reached for her and pulled her  close to hug her tightly. "I'm so sorry, baby girl. Papa is so sorry!  I'll send for Doc. He'll help you, baby."

"No! Don't you dare send for the Doctor, Papa! I will be fine," she  insisted, mortified at the mere thought of her father sending for the  Doctor to treat her because of a spanking! "I was already sore when you  strapped me... and I had a few marks from when Robert struck me.  Besides, what I did was deplorable. I am still smelling and tasting  soap," she confessed. "I would safely say I have learned my lesson."

"I meant to give you a lesson, but I didn't mean to go as far as I did,  honey. I will never take a belt to you again. You have my word on that,"  he said firmly. "Goldie was right when she told me a strap was too  harsh for a delicate girl. Can you forgive an old fool, Mandy?" he asked  so sincerely that Mandy was hard-pressed not to smile.

"Papa, how many times have you forgiven me?" she asked. "Of course I  forgive you; you only spanked me because I was horrible, and it was my  own fault for acting like a spoiled brat. If I'd served a normal piece  of pie I wouldn't have ended up over the table for a strapping. Can we  put this behind us now, please?" she asked. "By that I mean, please  don't punish me further by asking me to sit at the table right now. I  promise you I am not sulking and pouting or trying to punish you for  punishing me."

"We'll put some pillows on your chair, Mandy," Matt promised. "And I'll  ask Goldie what we can do to make your belly feel better, and if she  knows of something to help with the bruises," he added guiltily.

"I already have something for that, Papa," she admitted, blushing.  "Please don't be angry. I bruise easily," she told him matter-of-factly.  "I wasn't trying to be defiant by asking Goldie for something... It  just hurt so much after you spanked me the first time."         

     



 

"I wish I'd paid attention to that. Your Papa made a big mistake, honey. I'll take better care of you now, I swear to that."

"I feel much better already," she said, smiling at him. "I couldn't bear  having you so angry with me. That hurt more than my bottom."

Matt gave her another hug, and he was relieved when she hugged him back.  He knew he was forgiven, too. He gave her a kiss on the cheek and told  her goodnight before strapping on his gun and going out to hunt  rustlers.







Two weeks! Amanda fumed. She had been cooped up for two weeks now, and  she didn't like it one little bit! Her Papa was adamant that she not go  riding alone, and then said he couldn't spare anyone to go with her. He  was staying up most of the night hunting for rustlers and his mood was  grouchy as could be. Amanda had seen Robert Thorne twice, and both times  he practically ignored her. That did not do one thing to improve her  mood. She was going crazy, and she was not going to stay inside this  house with nothing to do one more day!

Goldie said nothing as Amanda entered the kitchen, but got up to fix her  something to eat. "Where is Papa, Goldie?" Amanda asked, pouring  herself some coffee.

"Out already today."

"That tears it," she muttered angrily. Amanda ate her breakfast and  thanked the older woman for cooking it. Just as she was ready to leave  the kitchen, Goldie spoke.

"Better not do what you're thinking, Missy."

"I'll consider myself duly warned, Goldie." Amanda hurried upstairs and  changed her clothing. She remembered her father's scathing remarks about  her riding habits, the ones she wore back in Boston, and wondered what  he would say now. She grinned as she pulled a pair of denim pants over  her drawers. She added a white shirt, which she tucked into the pants,  and a jacket that hid her curves from view. She plaited her hair into  one braid, and then tucked it under her new hat. She pulled on her boots  and then surveyed herself in the mirror. She looked exactly like a  young boy, and she doubted her father would recognize her if he spotted  her, and that suited Amanda just fine. If he wanted her to dismiss her  upbringing, then she would do so.

She took the time to arm herself and then made her way to the barn. The  hands were all busy and there was no one there to prevent her from  putting a saddle on Glimmer and riding out. Sweet freedom! Amanda felt  joy in the simple pleasure of riding her little mare. Unconsciously, or  consciously, she headed for Robert Thorne's ranch. All of the rustling  incidents had occurred on his ranch, and no one else seemed to be  affected. Perhaps she might see something she could report and make  herself useful to the investigation, Amanda reasoned. She did not stop  to consider that she just might be putting herself at risk. If the  rustlers wanted cattle, they certainly wouldn't notice one small woman  going for a ride!







"Where is Mandy, Goldie?" Matt asked as he walked into the kitchen. He  was agitated and if that fool girl didn't have a damn good excuse for  taking her mare out for a ride, he was going to warm her backside.

Goldie shrugged.

"She didn't tell you where she was goin'?" he demanded, wishing for once  his housekeeper was more like other women and talked too much!

Goldie looked at him and shook her head no, and the look in her eyes  warned him to leave her alone. Matt wasn't a fool. Besides, he had to  find his disobedient daughter. He mounted his stallion and went looking  for Amanda, three of his men trailing along in case there was trouble.  God knows Amanda had a talent for getting in over her head.







Amanda tried and tried to work her hands free of the ropes binding her  so she could untie her feet. The men had taken her by surprise and she  hadn't been able to get to her gun before one of them swept her from her  saddle and held her. Two of them tried to catch Glimmer, but her little  mare was fast and she ran for her life. Amanda hoped Glimmer went back  to the ranch and caused her Papa to come looking, like the last time she  was unseated. Of course, he couldn't come if he wasn't home to know  that Glimmer returned without her. She cursed under her breath when the  ropes proved stubborn.

"She's seen us; we have no choice but kill her," one man said, his voice low.

"I don't hold with hurting females," another replied.

"The boss said no more killing."

"The boss isn't the one who's going to hang," the first man sneered. "If  you two are afraid to do the job, then it falls to me. But I aim to  have me some fun first," he told the other two. "You boys can ride on  out. I'll make it look good and no one will connect us to her."

"You ain't gonna hurt that girl, Amos."

"You gonna stop me, boy?" Amos asked in a surly voice.         

     



 

"If I got to, yes." Those were the last words the man would say; Amos shot him between the eyes and he fell over, dead.

"What about you, Striker? You got any objections?" Amos demanded, the meaning behind his words clear.

"Nope. But I ain't having none of it on my conscience, either. You  shouldn't of killed off Willie. The boss is going to be mad." He tossed  down the piece of grass he'd been chewing on and headed for his horse,  half expecting the other man to shoot him in the back. Luckily, he  mounted and rode off. But, instead of waiting at the appointed meeting  place, Striker kept right on going. He was done with Amos... and with  the man behind the rustling and murders. Taking a few cattle was one  thing, but killing was something Amos enjoyed too much. Striker felt  sorry for the poor girl; she didn't have a chance against Amos, but he  wasn't a fool. If he tried to help her he would end up like Willie. He  kicked his gelding and rode even faster, trying to put a lot of distance  between himself and what was happening back there.