In The Beginning by Gail Daley (top 100 books of all time checklist .TXT) 📕

"You both did just fine," she told Tessa and Paco. "They are in great shape."

"Does this mean I can ride in next month's races?" Paco asked eagerly.

Bethany nodded. "I spoke to your mother, and she agreed to allow it, so yes you can ride."

"What about me?" inquired Tessa.

"You will be up on Stinger for the distance races," Bethany said. "As of today, both of you will be spending a lot of time with my racers, so you are excused from any other duties around the house and barns."

Tessa gave her a big smile.

"They act like you gave them a gift instead of a prescription for hard work," Alec said, watching as the pair left the barn.

She smiled at him. "Yes, they do, don't they?"

"We need to talk, honey," he said.

A little wariness came into her eyes. "About what?"

"Mike, Carlos and I think it's time to take the fight to the Johnsons," he said. "So far, all we've done is make defensive moves. That won't end the war."

She leaned against a stall door, absently stroking the nose of the tricorn inside. "What are you going to do?"

"Carlos will go into Junction City and file a complaint with the District Court so we can get it legally on record that Johnson has attacked us twice."

"Does that mean you are turning the fight over to the Marshals?" she asked hopefully.

"No, but it will give me cover I when move to take Johnson and his son down."

She looked troubled. "What about Samuel?"

"As far as I know, he's out of it. From what Giselle says, he left without intending to return."

"He's Jeanne's husband now. I don't want a rift in the family."

He dropped a kiss on her brow. "I know you don't. I won't fight Samuel if I can avoid it. This is the way it has to be though."

"I know. You will be careful, won't you?"

"Worried about me?" he teased.

"I know you can beat them in a fair fight, but they won't fight fairly—"

Tessa came running back into the stable, followed by Paco. "The pasture is on fire!"

Bethany grabbed her arm. "Get up to the cupola and ring the bell. Paco find the herdsman and tell them to open the pasture gates. Tell them to herd the stock toward the river ford below the stockyards and get them across. They might have to swim but they will be safe from the fire. Go! Alec, open the stall doors in here. I will open the back doors."

"Wait," he said. "We need to keep enough tricorns saddled here to run if the fire gets away from us."

Bethany nodded and went to the tack room and grabbed saddles. Quickly she and Alec readied all the tricorns in the barn and put them back in their stalls.

Iris's goats came through the horse barn, herded by Patrice, the head Dairymaid, and several of the ranches herding dogs.

"Take them down to the river ford below the stock pens," Bethany told the girl. Once you get them across, you stay with them. The river will protect you from the fire.

She helped Alec hitch up a couple of the tricorns used for plowing so the men could turn over dirt for a firebreak between the house and the burning grass. Leaving the other tricorns in the barn, Bethany led her father's mount onto the patio. She wanted to get her father mounted in case the fire reached the house. Unable to move by himself, Michael St. Vyr would be trapped. Mounted, he could escape.

Inside the house, Iris was handing out buckets and pails, instructing the women to pour water down the outside house walls, saturating the clay bricks. The men she had already sent out to help with the fire. Margo and Giselle were packing food, bandages and blankets into the buckboard parked on the patio to be ready if the household had to evacuate.

"Where's Papa?" Bethany asked Giselle.

"I told Stevens to help him out to the courtyard," her grandmother replied.

"They aren't there. I'm going to check his room."

She nearly tripped over Stevens prone body when she entered her father's room. Looking down, she saw that Stevens head was bleeding and bent to check on him. He was alive. Looking up, she realized Michael was struggling with Emory Johnson over a knife.

"Leave him alone!" Bethany shouted. Jumping up, she grabbed Johnson's knife arm, but he shrugged her off with a blow that sent her to the floor.

Screaming for her Grandmother to come and help, Bethany tried again to pull Johnson off her father. This time she saw stars when he hit her. Falling back against the bed, she banged against Michael's holster hanging over the bedpost. Realizing the gun was still in it, she grabbed it, cocked it and pulled the trigger. There was a double boom in the small room as Bethany and another gun both fired.

A bloom of red exploded in Johnson's back. He fell forward, still clutching the knife, which cut a deep slash in Michael's leg, before he slumped the rest of the way to the floor.

Carlos was standing in the doorway, a smoking gun in his fist. Iris peered around his shoulder.

"Papa!" Iris pushed Carlos out of the way and ran to the bed. "He's been cut. Bethany! Snap out of it! Get me a tourniquet to stop the bleeding."

"Here," Carlos handed her his neck bandanna, which she quickly wrapped around Michael's bleeding leg and tied over the slash. He gripped Johnson by his collar and pulled his body away from the bed so the women could reach Michael.

"It needs stitched," Iris said.

"I'll get Gran," said Bethany, running from the room.

She returned a few minutes later with Giselle who carried her first aid kit. "Carlos, see if Stevens is alive and take him into the parlor; Dr. Rodgers is set up in there to handle burns. Get this mess out of here." Giselle kicked Emory Johnson with her foot.

Ignoring Johnson's body, Carlos hoisted Stevens over his shoulder and left the room.

Giselle took scissors and