“Where’d you get such a nice dress out here?” Mr. McHenry asks. “Them little seed pearls were mighty fine.”
“It was my mother’s,” I say, trying not to remember the way I once dreamed of wearing it.
“I could have gotten you a cheaper model,” Mr. McHenry says, indicating my pocket where the box lies hidden.
I know he could have. “This is just right,” I say. “Thank you.”
Annie’s attendance becomes increasingly sporadic in the next few weeks, and she shows up later and later in the day. Snow starts sprinkling down, dusting everything in white, and the promised glass for the grease-paper window still hasn’t arrived, but the stove keeps us warm enough.
We’re in the middle of saying the Lord’s Prayer when Annie rushes in, snow already melting on her coat from the steamy heat of the stove. She carefully leans her rifle against the back wall and then whirls around to me.
“Miss Davies!” she gasps.
“Don’t interrupt,” I say, but it’s too late — the rest of the children are thoroughly distracted by Annie’s sudden appearance.
“A stranger’s here!” Annie says, still catching her breath. “He was at McHenry’s, looking for you!”
The children are abuzz, quizzing Annie about the stranger. For one brief moment, I think maybe it’s my papa, that Maggie told him where I went and he realized he loved me more than my reputation. But Maggie never really did like Papa.
Not the way she liked Richard.
And there he is, standing in the doorway.
“This is him!” Annie says excitedly. “The stranger!”
Richard strides into the room as if he owns the schoolhouse.
“That’s no stranger, Annie,” I say, backing up. “That’s a snake.”
The entire class’s attitude shifts immediately, although Richard doesn’t notice it. Jebediah’s and Joseph’s hands go to the revolvers they carry. Annie slinks to the back and picks up the Ballard rifle.
But Richard just slithers forward.
“I knew I’d find you eventually, Helen,” he says, his voice low and horrible. “You can’t run forever.”
“I’m not running, Richard,” I say. My hand goes to my pocket.
Jebediah moves, and Richard must notice him from the corner of his eye. He turns, surprised, and sees Jebediah’s hand on the grip of his pistol, not yet drawn. “Uh-uh, little boy,” he tells Jebediah. Richard moves like lightning, knocking the boy to the ground, and pulls out his own pistol quicker than thought. Joseph tries to draw his weapon, but Richard already has the barrel of his pistol pointed at him.
“Richard!” I scream. “Leave the children alone!”
Richard kicks Joseph in the chest, sending him to the ground too. “You’re coming with me, Helen. You’re coming home. What’s mine is mine, and you’re mine.”
“Miss Davies?” Annie’s voice is quiet, quivering in fear. Richard doesn’t turn around as he draws closer and closer to me. “Miss Davies, my daddy said I wasn’t allowed to shoot nobody in the back, not ever, but I’m wondering if it’s okay to shoot snakes in the back.”
Richard turns around slowly. Annie’s Ballard No. 4 Perfection Model is aimed right at his heart. And although she’s white as a ghost, her aim doesn’t quiver.
Richard snorts in contempt. “You’re going to let a little girl like that play with a big gun just so you feel safe?”
“No,” I say. “I’m not.”
I pull my own pistol out of my pocket. A small gun, bought with my mother’s wedding dress. I traded her seed pearls for the pearl grips of the .32.
“You’d never shoot me, Helen,” Richard says, smiling, his fangs showing. “No woman of mine would shoot me.”
So I shoot him.
“Get the law,” I order Bridget as the twins scream. Jebediah and Joseph pin Richard down as he writhes in pain on the floor. I peer down at him dispassionately.
I only shot him in the shoulder; you’d think a man would have more respect for himself than to scream like that.