Chapter Eighteen
As soon as Katie was scooped off her feet. She knew exactly who had taken her. His arm squeezed the breath from her, and her scream died in the air. Each minute they galloped further from town along the uneven ground and through the fog, Katie prayed Eli wouldn’t drop her. About a mile from town he slowed the horse and did exactly that. He dropped her on the ground and glared down at her.
“Get up,” he snarled. “My arm is tired. You’re going to have to ride behind me.”
Katie refused to move. “I’m not going anywhere with you.” Her hair had tumbled out of its pins, and her new green dress was torn. “Look what you did to me.”
“You have two choices. You either swing up behind me, or I’ll knock you out and drape you over the saddle. Your choice. Either way, you’re coming with me.” Eli’s eyes had turned dark with fury, and Katie feared for her safety.
Katie realizing it would be better to be alert when she rode with Eli relented and stood. “I’ll ride with you.”
Eli grinned at her. “Good choice. You might make an obedient wife after all.”
Katie shuddered but allowed herself to be lifted and positioned herself behind Eli. Her hands shook as she slipped them around his waist to hold on while he rode away. She couldn’t understand why he was racing away from town, the rail tracks, and houses into the empty plains. He was heading in the wrong direction if he expected to find a town.
“Where are we going,” she yelled as he once again kicked the horse into a gallop.
“Just a spot I found to hide out until they realize you aren’t coming back. Then we’ll head for the nearest town and catch a train to somewhere far from here, your snoopy guardians, and that so-called fiancé of yours. Someplace where you will finally realize you belong to me.”
Katie didn’t answer. She watched their surroundings so that she would be able to find her way back once she escaped and escape she would if it killed her. She prayed hard for the strength to run when she had a chance.
At least five miles out of town, Eli reined in the horse behind a few stately pines standing near a small creek. They dismounted, and the horse hurried to the water to begin drinking.
Katie tried to reach the horse's reins, but Eli stopped her.
“You’re not leaving,” he snapped.
“I wasn’t trying to, but if you don’t stop the horse, he’ll drink himself sick, and we won’t be going anywhere.” She yanked free from his grasp and led the horse away from the stream. “Don’t you know anything?”
Eli shrugged. “My brother took care of any horse’s needs. I told you I detest farm chores. Caring for horses is too much work.”
Katie rolled her eyes. She chided herself for sending that ad to the paper. She should have known she would attract the wrong sort of person. Looking around, she noticed that Eli must have planned this well. She saw bags of food, bedrolls, wood chopped for fires, a coffee pot, a heavy frying pan, and a second horse.
“Start a fire and cook me some breakfast. I’m hungry,” Eli demanded.
“All right,” Katie agreed. “Take the coffee pot and get some water from the creek, please.”
When Eli returned with the water, Katie was bent over the fire blowing on it to get it going. Eli leaned down next to her and placed the coffee pot on the ground next to the kindling.
Katie said a quick prayer asking God for forgiveness as she stood up with the heavy pan in her hand, swung it, and connected with the side of Eli’s head. As soon as he crumpled to the ground, she ran and climbed onto the still saddled horse and began a slow trek toward Silverpines. She didn’t want to put added strain on the horse, and she knew Eli wouldn’t follow. Eli was dead. She began to cry and beg God for forgiveness again. What would happen to her now? She’d be sent to prison and what about the children? Miss Ethel and Miss Edie would never allow them to be sent away. Ella Grace said husbands were coming to Silverpines for her dear guardians, but how could they marry and take care of the girls especially the infants? What about Benjamin? They planned on getting married. What would he think of her now?
Tears blurred her vision, and she didn’t pay attention to the rider approaching her until she heard the hoofbeats. It was Alexzander. Time for her confession and to head to jail.
Alexzander reined up next to her. “Katie are you all right? Are you hurt? Where is Eli? He did take you, didn’t he?”
Katie nodded and pointed behind her. “He’s at that stand of pine trees about four miles back. I killed him. I hit him with a skillet. I can see the town now. I’ll just ride to the jail and sit in a cell until you get back with his body. I won’t run, I promise.”
“Katie,” Alexzander said quietly. “You aren’t going to jail. I can see Howard House from here. Do you think you can ride there? I’ll see about Eli, and then I’ll come and talk to you.”
“But he’s dead.”
“Even if he is, you were protecting yourself. I’m not taking you to jail. Go home. Your little sisters are worried,” Alexzander explained.
“All right, I’ll go and see the girls,” Katie answered turning the horse toward home.
Alexzander watched her until she was on the Howard property and then turned back to the trail and headed toward the pine
