For the Roses

September 1, 1863

Dear Mama Rose,

Your daughter has quite a mouth on her. Yesterday morning she told Cole to hush up, and just a few minutes ago, she told Travis to mind his own business. We're always so astonished to hear her talk like that, we have to work real hard at not letting her know how funny we think it is. She loves to try to boss us around, and lately she's been repeating cuss words she's heard Cole say. We all learned an important lesson, of course, and we're trying hard not to say anything improper. She's spending quite a lot of time sitting by herself, and, Lord, can she cry. She can be a little stinker all right.

We have started taking turns teaching her the alphabet. She's still too young to get the hang of it, but she enjoys having the attention. Travis got her a chalkboard and two boxes of chalk. She ate one of the pieces of chalk, and that made her sick. I don't think she'll eat any more of them.

Everyone's worried about you, Mama Rose. What with the war going on, and none of your letters getting through to us, we get anxious. We pray you and Miss Livonia are safe. It sure would help us get through the days if we'd get a letter from you. We know you write, but the post service is in such a confusion now, we aren't even sure you're getting any of our letters. I believe God will look out for you, and that when this is over, you'll be a free woman, and you can come join your family. The baby needs you so…

God protect you,

Douglas

Chapter 7

She never should have tempted fate. Things progressed from worse to horrible. Ten minutes after she'd suffered her humiliating attack, she found herself in the most ludicrous position. She was seated in a chair with her feet propped up on a stool in the Morrisons' parlor. She was all by herself. Everyone else had disappeared into the kitchen. Catherine's mother had gone to fetch cloths and water so she could clean up Mary Rose's face, while her daughter entertained their other guests at the kitchen table.

Mary Rose told herself she deserved the misery she was suffering. She had made unkind remarks about Catherine, and even though most of the uncharitable opinions were true, she couldn't complain when Catherine lived up to her every expectation. At first-when Mary Rose walked inside the house, anyway-Catherine had pretended sympathy. She'd had an audience then. She gave quite a grand performance. Why, she even became tearful over what she kept calling her dear friend's hideous condition. Mary Rose wasn't fooled. She'd figured Catherine out years ago. Even as a little girl, Catherine pretended to be the perfect child in front of her parents and Mary Rose's brothers, but the second their backs were turned, she'd grab hold of Mary Rose and take a bite out of her. Time, unfortunately, hadn't improved her disposition or her behavior. Her sympathy for Mary Rose ended the minute Mrs. Morrison ushered the men into the kitchen. Catherine haphazardly slapped a towel her mother had given her against Mary Rose's face and went chasing after Harrison.

Travis, Cole, and Harrison were all seated around the kitchen table eating portions of the blackberry cobbler Mrs. Morrison had only just taken out of the oven. Dooley joined them. From where Mary Rose sat, she could see Harrison clearly. And Catherine, of course. She was hanging all over him. When she served him some dessert, she put her hand on his arm and draped herself over his shoulder to place the bowl in front of him. It took her an eternity to straighten back up. Harrison didn't seem to mind.

Having to watch Catherine flirt and not being able to do anything about it was purgatory. Travis wasn't about to be left out. He was competing for Catherine's attention, throwing out one perfectly stupid compliment after another. Catherine preened like a cat.

'It sure was something the way you got so mad, Harrison,' Dooley praised. 'I thought you were out of your mind taking on all them fellas, and I'll bet you didn't even feel the punches you were getting.'

Harrison shook his head. 'No, I wasn't out of my mind. I knew exactly what I was doing.'

Dooley wasn't finished talking about the excitement in town. 'Who would have thought it possible,' he remarked. 'A fancy lawyer like you being able to fight so mean.'

Cole went completely still. 'He's a lawyer?'

'Sure is,' Dooley said.

Cole slowly put his spoon down and turned to Harrison. Then he punched him in the side of his jaw.

Harrison flinched in reaction. The punch stung. He rubbed his jaw and glared at Cole. 'What'd you do that for?'

'Cause you're a lawyer,' Cole answered.

He picked up his spoon again, turned to his bowl of cobbler, and then said, 'Why in thunder didn't you tell us you were a lawyer?'

'It weren't no secret,' Dooley blurted out. He walked over to the stove and leaned against the edge of it. There weren't any seats available unless he went into the parlor, and he wasn't about to leave the kitchen for fear he would miss some important piece of gossip.

The old man shoveled in another heaping spoonful of dessert and then said, 'Everyone in town knows what Harrison does for a living, Cole. We even talked over the notion of him opening an office across the street from the general store. Yes, sir, we did.'

'You hit me again, and I'll flatten you,' Harrison said.

'I hate lawyers.'

'Apparently so,' Harrison said dryly. 'Mind telling me why?'

'I would have punched you myself, but Cole was quicker,' Travis muttered.

'Cole pretty much hates everyone, Harrison. Ain't you figured that out yet?' Dooley asked.

Travis finally answered Harrison 's question. 'We hate lawyers because they're always poking their noses in where they don't belong. Someone ought to round them all up and hang them. We could have a picnic after.'

'We almost had us a bunch of hangings this morning, Miss Catherine,' Dooley said.

Harrison looked into the parlor to see how Mary Rose was doing. He'd been looking every other minute just to make certain she was all right. Mrs. Morrison was taking forever getting her supplies ready so she could take care of Mary Rose, and Harrison had about used up all his patience waiting for someone to help her.

'What are you staring at?' Cole asked him.

'Your sister,' he admitted. He started to stand up. 'I think I'll go see if I can help…'

'Let the Morrison women see to her,' Travis advised. 'Women like other women nursing them.'

Harrison sat back down again. In a low whisper, he said, 'It's taking the women a hell of a long time to get to it, isn't it?'

'All in good time, Harrison,' Travis said. He glanced over his shoulder to look at his sister, then turned back to the table. 'She's fine. Don't worry about her.'

'Someone has to worry,' Harrison stubbornly insisted. 'You and Cole act as though she skinned her knee. She was knocked out, for God's sake. She could be…'

'Don't let her know you're concerned.'

Cole gave the warning. Travis grinned. 'Sound advice, Harrison. You'd do well to remember it.'

Harrison couldn't believe how unfeeling the brothers were. Cole guessed what he was thinking when he saw how incredulous he looked.

'She's little, but she's tough.'

'She's probably feeling like hell,' Harrison said.

'For God's sake, don't ask her how she feels,' Travis warned.

'Why not?'

'You're a lawyer, you figure it out,' Cole answered. 'You really thinking about giving up on the law and learning to ranch?'

'Yes,' Harrison replied. 'That's exactly what I'm thinking about.'

'Mr. MacDonald, I just love the way you talk,' Catherine Morrison said. She leaned forward to brush against her guest while she put a linen napkin down in front of him. 'It's so unusual. Isn't it, Travis?'

'I think he sounds like he's got something caught in his throat,' Travis muttered. He wasn't at all happy to