Hardscrabble Pt. 02

When Wools and the other two young rangers went to the jail to incarcerate the prisoner who had fallen victim to Lilly, they found a brief, handwritten letter of resignation, with a silver star lying on top. It seems that California was becoming a popular destination.

The party in the park started slowly after the gunplay, but the excited crowd had returned in force within an hour. The punch and kegs were drunk and the hot dogs eaten, and the governor and attorney general had shaken the hands of hundreds 6:30, when they were escorted back to the train to prepare for the by-invitation-only ball.

A group of six rangers summoned earlier from San Antonio appeared about that time, and, after being told the story and warned that there might be other assassins, they were tasked with security. The Carrs and Robbins were relieved of duty, and Ben sent them to the friend's house to clean up and change clothes; he went back to the hotel to dress.

***

"Good evening, Governor Roberts. May I introduce my companion for the night, Miss..."

"Lilly Thomson!" he exclaimed. He opened his arms and hugged her to him. "It has been so long! I see you did become the beautiful young woman your father predicted, and I understand I owe you my life!"

"Thank you, Governor, but..."

"Lilly! You always called me Uncle Oran, and I demand that you continue! Even though my friend, your father, is no longer with us, I still consider you my niece!"

"Of course, Uncle Oran; I'm pleased so to do. What I meant to tell you, was that my escort stopped two of the gunmen, and my mother's new husband, Lorenzo Carr, stopped another. And, of course, Andrew and Robert Robbins and the Rangers took care of the rest. I played a very small role!"

"Without a doubt, My Dear! I'm only here due to their bravery; but, and I think they will agree, they were armed with guns, while you were armed with a parasol! Your bravery shone brightly today!"

"Thank you, Uncle Oran. I could not have them harm you, so I did what I could! But, as I was saying, my companion..."

He leaned over, kissed her cheek, and quietly said, "Honey, I know all about your young man; his fearlessness is legend, as are his sterling character and intellect. There is no need for you to promote him!"

He straightened up, looked from Lilly to Silas and back again, smiled brightly, and warned, "Young man, it appears your availability as an escort to events around Austin is at an end. I do believe my niece has set her cap for you, which means you have little hope of remaining unattached. But then, why would anyone want to remain unattached with this beautiful, polished, clever, and brave young lady available as a life companion?

"If your wedding happens while I'm in office, and I suspect it will, I expect to be included in some capacity!"

Lilly hid her smile behind a fan that suddenly appeared. The Governor moved the fan to kiss her on the cheek, and they moved on.

Gwen then became the center of attention from the Governor. "Oh my goodness, Gwen! I do believe you have gotten even more beautiful! And who is this gallant young man? I saw him engage the misguided hardcases to protect me, but we have not formally met!"

Lorenzo introduced himself, and the governor took the opportunity to fawn on them as he had Silas and Lilly, as any good politician would do.

Meanwhile, attorney general James H. McLeary was heartily greeting his young protégé, and effusively complementing his gorgeous date. He took her hands in his, looked her over, and stated, "Silas once told me that his hope was to marry a young woman of character, intelligence, and good breeding, with exceptional common sense. It appears that he found all that, plus an inordinate degree of self-control and bodacious bravery, in the perfect package. But why would I be surprised? This is a very impressive young man by your side!

"He has had his choice of exceptional young women since he enrolled at Southwestern, and, with his usual discerning eye, I see that he has chosen the pick of the litter!" He looked back at Silas and asked with a knowing smile, "I'm right aren't I? This is your chosen companion, isn't it?"

Lilly preened; Silas blushed, but maintained his composure. "As you say, General McLeary, she is 'the pick of the litter', and I am greatly enjoying getting to know her again. We were friends before University, but only became reacquainted when I returned home, so our relationship is still fresh. She is only eighteen, but she will be completing her secondary studies at Ursuline Academy next year, and then intends to pursue a college degree. Given my new duties, while I certainly intend to keep our friendship active, it will be several years before we are able to... expand our relationship."

Lilly was avidly watching his response, nodding as if she agreed. But when Silas finished, she turned back to the AG and, with an innocent smile, winked at him.

He burst out laughing, and, when he could speak again, told Silas, "You keep telling yourself that, young man! I fear you are but whistling in the wind! I'll set aside a few weeks for your honeymoon when the time comes!"

They moved aside, Silas with a confused look, while Gwen and Lonnie were introduced and carried on a conversation with the attorney general.

"Silas, it seems that both Uncle Oran and your new employer find us a flawless couple. Yet, you flee from me at every opportunity. Why is that?" she asked guilelessly.

Knowing any answer he gave would either accelerate his difficulty sticking to his promise, or be a lie, Silas took her arm and escorted her to the punch bowl. He only wanted to gain a brief respite from her interrogation, but instead he lost her to an amorphous group of her friends and admirers from San Antonio who crowded around her without acknowledging him.

He stood back and watched her operate, and realized two things he had failed to acknowledge: she operated seamlessly in a social setting, whether interacting with two of the top elected officials in the state, or her scholastic and social peers; and, she was stunningly gorgeous!

That ringlets or reddish gold fell carelessly down from her upswept hair do only served to call attention to her exquisite, and quite bare, neck, shoulders, and arms. Without being immodest, the elaborately embroidered, golden dress fell in a shallow V off her shoulders, showing only the promising swell of the breasts it covered. It tightly flowed along her form to the tiny, waspish waist, and then flared over her hips and fell to the floor. He knew a bustle was quite unnecessary, given the way her round butt jutted out in her jeans, but, in the style of the day, the dress included a small bustle.

As delectable as her young body was, however, it was her pixyish face that captivated him. Her face was simply a thing of beauty, but it was her ability to express her feelings, or hide them; to pout, or appear stoic; and to express joy, or sadness, that mesmerized him. He wanted the words he spoke to General McLeary to be true; they really should remain friends while she completed her education and he devoted himself to his new position.

He realized, however, that his plan became less likely by the moment! He should not have invited her to this affair: regardless of her reason, he should have remained aloof after her faux pas of inviting an outlaw to his celebration!

But from the moment he gazed upon her countenance in the moonlight he had been enchanted, and when they kissed, he knew he was lost!

He had enjoyed the pleasures offered by many women; most importantly, the woman who had turned him from a boy to a man, and then from a man to a polished gentleman. Yet, nothing he had ever done had affected his senses like Lilly's kiss. He wished that Tillie were here, so he could turn to her for advice...

And just like that...

"Silas Carr! How wonderful to see you!" exclaimed a voice he knew very, very well. He turned to his right, and there she was: Tillie, with her fiancé, Harold Johnson.

He grasped Harold's hand and shook it fiercely, and then embraced Tillie tightly. "What are you doing here?" he asked excitedly.

Harold enthusiastically replied, "Oh, we are great supporters of both General McLeary and Governor Roberts! We were held up in San Antonio and didn't make the rally this afternoon, but we are here for the ball, and we have reservations at the hotel tonight!"

Silas was looking from one to the other with a rapt expression, when his date suddenly reappeared at his side with her hand extended to Tillie. "Good evening, I'm afraid I haven't had the pleasure of meeting you. I'm Lilly Thomson, Silas' companion for the weekend."

As they approached, Tillie had been watching Silas staring at this gorgeous little creature as she held court, and now the dazzling young lady was displaying a jealous passiveness toward him. She searched her memory, but came up blank, until, "Oh! You were his childhood friend, before he moved to Georgetown. He mentioned you a number of times!"

The sky blue eyes of the young lady were icy as she replied, "Unfortunately, although you appear to be old friends, Silas has not spoken of you."

Harold joined the conversation before Tillie could poke the lioness again, saying, "Silas boarded his horse at my fiancée's ranch while attending Southwestern. He introduced us, and we are, indeed, 'old friends'. It is our pleasure to meet you, Miss Thomson!"

With Harold's intervention, Lilly's jealous dander was sufficiently placated that she morphed back to her charming self. She took Silas' arm possessively, and asked if they would like some punch and cookies or pastries. Harold replied that they would, and followed as Lilly led her date to the table. Silas looked at her with a frown, surprised at her unusual demeanor, before he caught Tillie's broad smile and twinkling eye.

'What have I gotten myself into?', he asked himself silently. He never intended for them to meet, much less speak, but here they were in animated conversation. This would most likely not turn out well for him, because Tillie was clearly enjoying knowing what Lilly desperately wanted to know: the kind of 'friendship' they had shared. And Tillie was toying with Lilly rather than replying to her subtle inquiries, which only made Lilly more adamant.

Fortunately, the Governor joined the band on the slightly elevated platform, and gave a brief speech. Immediately after, the band began playing, and the dancing began.

Lilly was not subtle with Silas, "Who is that stunning woman, and don't tell me she's just a friend! I saw the way you looked at each other, and it was not the look of friends!"

"As Harold explained, she allowed me to board my horse..."

She pinched him and hissed, "Don't lie to me, Silas Matthew Carr! I can see in your eyes that she is much more than someone who boarded your horse!"

Searching his mind anxiously for an answer that resolved Lilly's curiosity and preserved Tillie's good name, Silas was saved by Gwen and Lonnie. "Honey, let me dance with Silas while Lonnie dances with you. Us old folks will be leaving soon, and we want to dance with you before we do."

Lilly was fuming and she knew she was being tricked, but she had no other choice, so she graciously yielded Silas and stepped into Lonnie's arms.

"So, Silas, who is she? We overheard Lilly and decided to save you, but I'm as curious as my daughter."

"She is... in addition to the woman who allowed me to board my horse at her ranch... a close friend, confidant, and mentor. Or she was. It matters not; her husband had died, we became close, but then she met Harold and they are getting married in September. I'm to be in the wedding. Whatever we had is behind us."

"You probably want to practice that answer in your mind a few times before you give it to my suddenly green-eyed daughter. 'What you had' may be behind you, but the light still comes on when you see each other. Perhaps being honest would be best, but I suspect you are unwilling to unmask your 'friend and mentor', so think carefully before you answer. My daughter is foolish, but not a fool, my beautiful boy."

Harold cut in on Lilly, Lonnie cut in on Gwen, leaving Tillie dancing with Silas. Harold shepherded Lilly in one direction, and Tillie took Silas in another.

With a raised eyebrow, Tillie asked, "So, my sweetheart, who is this possessive young enchantress, and what does she know of us?"

"Unlike Harold, she knows nothing, and I prefer it remain that way. Not because of her relationship with me, which, by the way, is in its infant stages, but because I wish to preserve and protect your reputation."

"Silly boy!" Tillie replied with a smile. "My reputation will not be impugned by having had a relationship with you, nor will yours by having had a relationship with me! Perhaps you should show her all that I taught you first, and then see how she feels about my mentorship. Or is your infant relationship yet not at that point?"

"I... we... well, she is... certainly willing, but I promised her mother I would not compromise her virtue on this trip, and so..."

"From the way her mother looks at you, pregnant or not, she might prefer that you demonstrate your excellence with her first, but she clearly knows her daughter's desires. She won't stand in the way."

The song ended, and they each returned to their original partners. Lilly had calmed, but remained obviously suspicious. Tillie didn't taunt her, but she did make her fondness for Silas rather obvious, which everyone but Lilly saw for what it was; an experienced woman teasing a girl.

When a slow song began, Lilly danced into Silas' arms and insinuated herself against him. He was oblivious to anything else, as her taut body rubbed against him. They danced slowly, with Lilly taunting her beau in a manner ensured to make him forget all others.

Suddenly, his left arm was pulled from her shoulder, and a hard object was pressed into his ribs. "Manny sent us to remove the taint you put on the Clement family name, Boy. Come quietly, or your pretty girlfriend here will die."

He looked at Lilly, who as staring wide-eyed at him while being held by another man with a gun pressed against her ribs. Fearing for her life, Silas went with the man, but looked back over his shoulder at Lilly, hoping to alert Lonnie or one of the Rangers to her plight. She looked pale, but he could see that she had taken a deep breath and was getting ready to scream.

Lonnie was watching Silas' abrupt departure, and followed his eyes back to Lilly. He and Gwen were dancing nearby; he saw Harold standing behind Lilly and the gunman, and signaled with his eyes. Lonnie put his right hand on his gun, and he pulled it when she screamed! He was preparing to take a shot at the outlaw and hope he didn't hit Lilly, and that the outlaw didn't pull the trigger and kill her.

Lonnie never pulled the trigger, because as soon as she screamed, Harold struck the outlaw's gun hand downward with his right hand and struck him on the back of the neck with the pistol in his left. The gunman crumpled, and his gun clattered on the wooden floor.

When Lilly screamed, the gunman holding Silas looked back for a second, which was enough time for Silas to swing his left arm down, knocking the gunman's pistol across his ribs to the back. The pistol went off; he felt pain across the top of his opposite hip and heard the sound of the bullet striking the wall behind him. He palmed his pistol and shot the gunman across his body before he could recover.

As the gunman fell, Silas felt a terrible blow on the right side of his chest. With his shooting hand suddenly becoming weak and numb, he tossed the pistol to his left hand and pivoted to face whoever was shooting at him from the door. Another bullet grazed his right shoulder, but it didn't keep Silas from emptying his pistol into the man standing on the steps outside. The gunman fell backward; Silas fell forward, and the lights went out.

***

Silas awoke with bright sunlight penetrating through his lids into his closed eyes. He felt dizzy, nauseated, and confused; his head hurt terribly, and his right arm, ribs, and hip hurt even worse.

He forced his eyes open, and saw he was in a stark room with white walls. It was nowhere he recognized, but he couldn't get his mind to determine why he was here.

He turned his head gently to the left, moving his head slowly to keep the pain from worsening, and saw an angel curled up in a love seat along the wall. The angel had red hair with golden highlights, and she stirred as he stared at her, trying to remember how he knew such a creature.

She opened her eyes; when she saw him looking at her, she shrieked "Doctor!" and sat up!

"Silas! You're awake! Oh, thank you, Lord, thank you!" the angel cried.

Silas' foggy, molasses-filled brain began to clear slightly as he watched the angel, whom he now recognized as his love, Lilly. "Hello, Angel. Where am I?"

She jumped up and lunged forward as if to hug him, but stopped herself, and, leaning over him, asked, "Do you know who I am?"

"I remember. You're Lilly, my personal angel," he replied in a muddled voice.

"Oh, God, thank you! Thank you!" she prayed.

"Yes, my love it is I, Lilly, who loves you more than life itself! I've been so worried!"

"Where am I and why am I here, Angel? I don't remember much right now."

"You are at the Santa Rosa Infirmary in San Antonio, my love.

"We were at the ball and there were gunmen, and two of them shot you! Oh, Silas, I almost died when I learned they were kin to Billy Clement! My foolishness almost got you killed, and me too!

If Harold hadn't clubbed the one holding me, he would have shot me when I screamed! But I couldn't let them take you outside to shoot you -- I would have died without you! So I screamed, and you shot the gunman holding you, and another gunman outside the doors shot you -- twice - and then you shot him five times with you left hand and killed him!

"Uncle Oran is going to give you a medal for heroism when you get well!"

The doctor arrived to find a befuddled patient and his overwrought girlfriend. He had to make her leave the room in order to examine the patient, whose wounds had begun recovering quickly even while he was in a coma.

The patient was confused, but that was to be expected. He was, however, capable of answering the questions the doctor asked, with extra time for consideration. After the examination, he was sure Silas was on the way to recovery.

Strangely enough, he wasn't certain it was his treatment that had saved him.

Two days later, the doctor ordered a "NO VISITORS" sign be placed on the patient's door. He was recovering, but his recovery was being hampered by the constant stream of family, friends, highly-placed well- wishers, and reporters. Even his omnipresent girlfriend was tired of the stream, and encouraged him to post the sign so Silas could get some rest; with her remaining in the room, of course.

With a bit of peace, Silas' recovery accelerated. With the opportunity to converse privately without interruption about any and all subjects, the relationship between Silas and Lilly also accelerated. Of course, that she insisted on giving him his daily 'bath' using a washcloth had played a role in the acceleration; there was little she didn't already know about her beloved's body and its sensibilities.

Silas begged her to stop what she was doing many times, and threatened that he would insist on the nurses doing the cleaning if she didn't quit experimenting on him, but to no avail. She was fastidious in her 'cleaning', and took great joy in learning his responses to her efforts. It was only later that he learned that Lilly had been mentored in the ways of pleasing a man, and urged to use this opportunity to practice, by Tillie.

Each session ended with her drying him, and then applying a poultice to the rapidly healing wounds. He never thought to ask why, assuming the oily, smelly concoction was ordered by the doctor.