Otherwise, he was going to spend a sleepless night.
Chapter Four
“You think you’ve fallen into a soft bed, don’t you, girl?”
George Mitchum’s words were harsh and accusing, piercing Ellie’s thoughts. Startled, she dropped the shirt she held into the dirt; then, gathering her courage to face the man behind her, she bent to pick it up.
“Drat,” she whispered, aggravated at the mud that stained both the shirtfront and one sleeve. Carefully, she placed it beside the wash basket, then turned to look at her father.
“I’m working for my keep,” she said quietly. “Same as I did at home.”
“Does he know you’ve got a bastard under your skirts?”
Scornfully, he tossed the query in her direction, his eyes raking her figure with a scalding look, then seeking her face. With every speck of courage she possessed, Ellie met the gaze he turned on her.
“Doc Gray knows I’m going to have a baby, yes.” Pain swept through her, that her own father could be so cruel. Yet, what had she expected? That he would come to visit, seeking her out to ask forgiveness for his brutal actions?
Not likely, she thought, her lips tight as she fought the trembling that seized her. “I didn’t get this way all by myself,” she said curtly, wary of the clenched fists hanging against George’s thighs.
“You flaunted yourself, just like all women, looking for—”
“Is there a problem here?” Win’s voice was stiffly polite, his words reeking of a courteous inquiry as he spoke from the back door. Long strides brought him to Ellie’s side and she straightened her spine, lest she be tempted to lean against his stalwart strength.
“This is my daughter,” George said sharply. “I don’t need you interfering. Seems like you’ve already stuck your nose in where it doesn’t belong.”
“All I’ve done is hire Ellie to be my housekeeper and tend to my kitchen,” Win said quietly. “You’re trespassing, Mr. Mitchum, and causing Ellie to be upset. I don’t think you need to say any more to her.”
“Well, well,” George drawled, rocking back on his heels. “Looks like you got yourself a champion, girl. At least he won’t have to worry about getting you in the family way, will he? Since you’ve managed to do that already.”
Ellie shot a look at Win, noting the crimson streaks that lined his cheekbones. “He’s my employer, Pa. Nothing else.”
“You just keep tellin’ folks that, girl. Not that anybody’s gonna believe you.”
“They’ll believe her, Mr. Mitchum,” Win said forcefully. “The truth always manages to win out in the end. And Ellie is being honest with you.”
“I doubt you’ll have much of a practice left when folks realize you’re harboring a woman like Ellie under your roof,” George sneered. “And I’ll see to it that they know what’s goin’ on here.”
“Why’d you come here, Pa?” Ellie asked in a small voice. “Haven’t you already done enough damage?”
He shook his head, his eyes sweeping over her face. “Not near as much as you deserve, shaming me the way you have.”
From the other side of the yard, near the sheriff’s back door, a woman spoke. “Good morning, Doc. Does James need to walk on over there?”
Ellie gasped. It wasn’t bad enough that Pa was giving Win a rough going over. Now the neighbor had to be privy to the shame of it all.
“I think Mr. Mitchum is leaving, Mrs. Kincaid. Thanks just the same.”
“Good morning, Ellie,” Kate Kincaid called cheerfully. “I heard at the mercantile that you were going to be my new neighbor. Why don’t you step over, and I’ll pour us each a cup of coffee.”
Ellie turned slowly to face the neighbor. That the invitation was an escape route was all too obvious, and yet she hesitated leaving Win to face Pa alone.
It seemed Dr. Gray had other thoughts on the matter. His hand touched Ellie’s shoulder. “That sounds like a wonderful idea, Ellie. Go on across and visit with Kate for a while. You can finish the wash later.” More than a suggestion, his firm tone implied an order, and Ellie cast one quick glance at his stern profile.
“Yes, all right,” she said breathlessly, and lifting her skirts, she turned and hastened across the yard to where the neighbor watched, a determined smile curving her lips. Kate Kincaid was definitely the woman in the window, Ellie decided, except that by daylight, she wore small spectacles. Her body heavy with advanced pregnancy, she was nonetheless a beautiful woman, her dark hair and delicate features only enhanced by the sunlight.
And with a soft word of welcome, she cast Ellie a lifeline she felt sadly in need of this morning. Behind Ellie, her father muttered a profanity and Win murmured an answering phrase, one Ellie could not decipher. It mattered little. If Win was willing to face George on his own, and obviously he was, Ellie was more than willing to let him. She stepped onto the low stoop as Kate opened the screen door wide.
“Come on in,” she invited, waiting until her guest was over the threshold before she allowed one last look at the two men who faced each other some seventy feet away from her back door.
“Sit down, Ellie,” Kate said quietly. “You look like you’re about to pass out cold.” A cup of steaming coffee appeared before her, and Ellie gripped it with both hands, craving the heat of the cup against her chilled skin.
“Thank you,” she whispered. “I’m sorry you got involved in this, ma’am. But I surely appreciate you allowing me to escape my father. Maybe Dr. Gray can persuade him to go along and let me be.” To her enormous shame, hot tears cascaded down her cheeks as she spoke, her voice choking on the words.
Kate settled across the table, easing her pregnant body onto a chair. “Well, I’m just glad he didn’t call my bluff, Ellie. James is already gone to his office, and I’d have looked mighty foolish trying to call him home to take a hand. I figured your father wouldn’t know I was lying through my teeth, insinuating that James was in the house.”
Ellie lifted the cup and sipped at the strong brew. Her hands trembled, but she persisted, knowing that the warmth would penetrate and soothe her inner trembling. Kate watched silently as the cup was settled back on the table, and Ellie pulled a handkerchief from her pocket. Tears were dried and her nose attended to before she spoke again.
“Did Tess really tell you I was next door?” she asked. And then added in a hesitant whisper, “Did she tell you about me?”
Kate nodded. “She was pleased that Doc hired you on. It’s a wonderful place for you to stay.” She pushed a plate across the table. “Here, have a cookie, Ellie. I baked this morning. James loves Saturdays. During school months it’s the only day I can devote to being a wife.”
“And you teach at the schoolhouse all day, every day?” Ellie asked, reaching for a cookie.
“I’ve been there just over a year now,” Kate told her. “I’m probably the first woman to teach during a pregnancy, and I’m still surprised that the town council agreed. I’ll be taking a couple of weeks off when the baby comes, and then he’ll go with me every day.”
“They’ll let you do that?” Ellie asked, stunned by such a thing being possible.
“It looks that way,” Kate said. “They thought for a while that they had a man available for the job, but Will Kincaid gave him a job at the bank. Jonathan, the fella who came to take over my place, decided it was easier handling folks’ accounts and sitting behind a desk than coping with a schoolroom. They’re looking for another teacher now, but in the meantime, I’m it.”
“When do you think—” Ellie faltered, her gaze resting