Golden Feather Press
EMERALD VALLEY

CHAPTER 11

Not seeing Francine since she'd come home from the Lewis ranch, yesterday, Mason Coby called Bryce into his office and ordered him to get the buggy hitched. He'd only told Bryce that he wanted to go to town. He really wanted to talk to Ralph Bardell, the bank president, to hear the truth about Dix Logan.

When Bryce stuck his head into Coby's office to say the buggy was ready, Mason hobbled into the foyer to get his hat. His hat wasn't there!

"Confound it!" he shouted. "Where's my hat?" He looked toward the stairs to the second floor and bellowed, "Francine, did you take my hat?"

Francine suddenly appeared from her room and descended the stairs. Dressed in travel clothes and carrying two soft leather bags, packed past their limit, she marched into the parlor and dropped them. "I'm going back to Boston, Father. I don't like living here anymore."

Leaning on his cane, Coby glared at his daughter through slits. "Like hell you are! I figured you try something like this, especially after you threw things around in your room." He smiled hatefully. "I paid the train stationmaster and the stage agent not to sell you a ticket to anywhere. I also had your horse brought to the top of a mesa to graze. None of my hands will let you ride any horse. You are confined to this house."

Shocked at the imprisonment by her own father, but with enough schooling to remain calm, Francine folded her arms and half smiled. "Wait until Kyle Chase hears about this!"

Coby's face paled. "Kyle Chase? How do you know Chase? Tell me!"

Francine's spirits rose seeing her loathsome father seem so terrified. She doubted if Kyle would lift a finger to help her, but seeing her father's expression just now…she could care less. She felt in control.

"Tell me! How do you know Kyle Chase?" Mason Coby leaned harder on his cane. His left knee throbbed. Beads of sweat popped out on his forehead as he again felt Kyle's bullet shattering his kneecap.

Francine lifted her head and squinted slightly. "I met Kyle Chase at Dix Logan's ranch. Mr. Chase is Dix Logan's new foreman."

"That's a lie!" Coby shouted. "Chase is in Montana!"

Francine smiled snottily. "Why don't you have Brice take you out to Dix's ranch and find out for yourself? Or are you afraid Mr. Chase will shoot your other knee for cheating at cards?" She picked up her bags, struggled with them halfway up the stairs, then stopped and looked down at her father. "Oh, I burned your filthy hat in the kitchen stove an hour ago." She stuck her nose in the air, ascended the rest of the stairs and slammed her bedroom door.

"Damn you!" Coby screamed. "That was my hat! I'll keep you prisoner here until the day I die!"

Glaring at the noon sun that burned his balding, hatless head, Mason Coby scowled at the people in the streets of Grand Junction. He hated all of them. Nothing but brainless chattel!

As Bryce helped him out of the buggy, Coby sniffed the air.

"Bryce, you smell like a hog!"

"But, Mr. Coby, you told us not to bathe to save water."

Coby frowned hatefully at Bryce, then at the sun. He'd told his men not to bathe to make them believe they needed more water for the ranch. He hadn't realized they wouldn't at least bathe in the river. He raised an eyebrow at his power.

In the bank, Mason Coby grabbed Ralph Bardell's cravat and pulled him over his desk. "What do you mean Dix Logan is still alive? Is it true that Kyle Chase is his new foreman?"

"Er, I...yes. Boss, I'm just relating the facts."

Coby pulled Bardell closer. "You make sure Logan never gets his hands on Bill Lewis' money. You got that?"

"But, Judge Stevens has the last say after he reads Bill Lewis' will."

"You're working for me, not Judge Stevens!" He shoved Bardell into his chair, then lowered himself into his armchair beside Bardell's desk. "By the way, where did Bill Lewis' will come from? I didn't know codgers like him made wills."

"Dix Logan brought in the sealed envelope. It was made out by a law firm in Denver. Logan said he'd found it in a desk drawer in Bill's office."

In her room, Francine tossed her bags on the floor. She put her hands on her hips and looked around the drab space. The old white curtains with groupings of faded rosebuds were tied halfway to form graceful drapes. She'd done that the day she'd left for college. She'd wanted her room to be a cheery greeting on her return. The small room contained a bed, dresser, wardrobe and washing stand. The rosebud wallpaper seemed muted from age. She'd wiped down everything the first week she'd been back, but it hadn't helped. Dust was everywhere. Francine noticed there was already dust on the top of her dresser. She'd dusted it just two hours ago.

How could she have lived here so long? What was it that brought her back from the East? Bryce? She laughed and shook her head. She'd had an offer of proposal in Boston, and very much liked...loved Michael. She'd asked him to come back here with her, but his students had kept him there.

Tears came to Francine's eyes. Why had she come back? Alone. What brought her back? Searching her mind, she suddenly missed Matilda. She ran to the window and looked toward Green Top Mesa. Was Matilda up there? She'll be furious.

Francine laughed. Of course! She'd come back for Matilda. She shoved up the window, leaned out and looked to the ground. Quickly, she ducked back into the room, ran to the iron bed and tried to lift one corner, but could lift it only a few inches. Francine smiled. The bed would hold her weight later that night when she climbed out the window.

The moment her father left for town, Francine unlocked her bedroom door and rushed downstairs to the kitchen. She'd need at least a week's worth of supplies to search for Matilda. After stowing the supplies in a dark corner of the barn, she found a thirty-foot length of rope and quickly brought it up to her room.