The Outlaw's Lady

He shrugged, as if her intended insult did not touch him. “Once Delgado is satisfied that he has pictures enough to record his adventures for posterity, you will be escorted safely home.”

All she could do was stare at him, her brain reeling at the implications of what he had said.

“I’ll find a way to escape,” she whispered at least, hating the shakiness of her voice. “If not with my camera, then without it. I won’t stay here in a camp of outlaws, with only your promise to protect me.”

He lowered his head so that his lips were mere inches from hers. “I would not advise that, Miss Hennessy. You are across the Rio Grande, in territory foreign to you, and you’re clearly a gringa. Not only Delgado’s men roam this land, but other bandoleros much less civilized than these, not to mention Apaches and Comancheros. As I have said, I will protect you from all harm. I make this promise before God, and I consider it a sacred promise. And one other thing you have said is wrong, Miss Hennessy.”

“Oh, and what is that?” she asked.

“That God does not know where you are. He does know, Miss Hennessy—Tess. And if the promise of my protection does not comfort you, the promise that He always knows where you are, and will keep you safe, should give you all the assurance you need.”

Chapter Four

He could tell by her sudden stillness that his words had made Tess think. She looked down, blinking. When she lifted her face again, her expression was calmer, though her blue eyes still flashed with defiance.

She’s afraid, he realized. What woman wouldn’t be, in these circumstances? But she doesn’t want to show it. Most women would have swooned by now, or succumbed to a bout of hysterics. His admiration for her spirit grew.

“You’re right, He does know where I am. And if you believe in God, how can you take part in something like this?” She made a sweeping gesture as if to include everything—her kidnapping, the camp and all of Delgado’s men.

He allowed his face to show polite regret and shrugged. “A man must earn his bread in the best way he is able.”

“Having ranches on both sides of the river wasn’t enough for you?”

Inwardly he winced at her scornful tone, much preferring the spark of interest he had seen in her eyes at the barbecue. He wished he could take her into his confidence, tell her she had no reason to fear him, that he was on the side of justice, but it was too dangerous. There were too many eyes on them right now.

“Ah, where is the zest in that? There is no excitement,” he said, knowing his words would make her more furious still, but that she would control herself because she knew she must.

“So being a bandolero is a sport for you?” Tess exclaimed, but didn’t wait for an answer before asking another outraged question. “You never did intend to come and pick up your framed picture at my shop on Tuesday, did you?” she asked then. “That was just a ruse. And you probably don’t even have a mother, do you? Much less one having a birthday soon.”

“On the contrary, Miss Hennessy, my mother is very much alive, living on my ranch north of Chapin, and will be very pleased with the picture you have taken of me, frame or no frame. You do have it with you, don’t you?”

She nodded sullenly, pointing into the wagon.

“And if you had not driven home by yourself, then yes, the appointment on Tuesday would have been necessary—although a kidnapping raid in broad daylight in a town, involving seizing you, packing up your wagon and hitching up your mule, would have been much more risky, not to mention difficult.”

Again, she appeared to consider his words, and it was a long moment before she spoke again.

“Do you think that my parents will just tamely wait for me to return?” she asked. “You don’t know my father. He’ll have the Texas Rangers after you—maybe even the army!”

He couldn’t help grinning at the irony of what she was saying, and knew she would take it as insolence.

Which she did. “You think I’m joking? Mister, you just took hold of a tiger’s tail!” she cried.

“Miss Hennessy, don’t you think if the Rinches—the Rangers—or the army were capable of catching us, they would have long ago?”

He thought she would have another retort for him, but just then he saw her look behind him, and heard footsteps approaching.

“Ah, our guest has arrived at last, eh?” Delgado remarked in Spanish.

“Sí, jefe,” Sandoval said, turning to face the outlaw leader, and switched to English, which Delgado understood as well. “Miss Teresa Hennessy, may I present Diego Delgado, leader of our band, and the reason you are here.”

He saw Tess’s eyes widen as she beheld Delgado, who had dressed for the occasion in the spotless uniform of a Mexican coronel, which had been cleverly laundered of its bloodstains and mended by Delores, Esteban’s old mother, to hide the bullet holes that had caused the uniform’s sudden availability.

Delgado swept her a bow as courtly as any European count could have made.

“Señorita Hennessy, I am delighted you were able to join us, especially on such…shall we say ‘short notice’?” His English was as flawless as Sandoval’s, though more heavily accented.

“Mr. Delgado,” she replied, “the pleasure is all yours. I am here very much against my will.”

He stared at Tess for a moment as if he was not sure he had heard her correctly, and then he threw back his head and roared with laughter. “‘The pleasure is all yours,’ she says!” he exclaimed, slapping his side gleefully. “Sandoval, you said she was a feisty one and you were correct, amigo! Ay, caramba, I like her!”

Delgado’s eyes gleamed as, coming toward her, he looked her up and down, as if she were an untamed mare that needed breaking, and suddenly Sandoval had to fight the urge to clench his fists. “Jefe, I have promised her she need not be afraid, for she will be safe among us,” he said quickly, hoping Delgado would get the hint.

It seemed he did, for Delgado took a step back. “Señorita, you will be as safe here as in the midst of a church,” he said, sweeping her another bow. “I, Delgado, have sworn it.” He turned and repeated his words in Spanish for the benefit of his men. “Any man who touches this lady will answer to me, and will pay with his life, you understand, amigos?”

There was a resounding chorus of agreement.

Delgado turned back to Tess. “You see, they agree. You will be as their hermana, their sister.” He made a gesture with his hand to indicate that he considered this problem solved. “And so you are here to take my picture, Señorita Hennessy? Why don’t we start now, eh? Do I not appear magnificent in uniform?”

Now that her worst fears had been relieved somewhat, Sandoval saw the lines of weariness etched on her face. “Jefe, Señorita Hennessy has traveled a long way overnight bound and gagged. She has not eaten anything, I’ll wager, since yesterday afternoon. Perhaps the picture taking could wait a little while until she has broken her fast and rested a bit?”

Delgado looked surprised. “But, of course! How remiss of me not to realize how tired she must be, and how hungry. Delores!” he called over his shoulder to the older woman who had been hovering nearby. “Cook this young lady some breakfast. She is famished! And then assist her to settle in. Get her some comfortable clothes—Alma’s will fit her, I am sure.” His face darkened slightly as he said the last, and Sandoval knew he was thinking of his last mistress, who had become so jealous and demanding that Sandoval had finally taken her back to the village from which he had lured her. “Perhaps I can pose for the señorita this afternoon instead? Until then, señorita,” he said, bowing again.

Sandoval saw Tess nod uncertainly as Delgado walked away. “Come with me, Miss Hennessy,” he said. “I hope you don’t mind if your breakfast is a little spicy. Delores makes the best huevos rancheros I’ve ever tasted. Esteban will unhitch your mule and bring your supplies to that adobe over there. It’s where you will be staying.”

Now that the outlaw leader was no longer favoring her with his bold stare, and the other outlaws were busying themselves elsewhere, Tess felt freer to examine her surroundings as she followed Parrish to where the old woman was stirring something into a skillet over an open fire. Beyond them, flush against the high red-rock walls that soared perhaps forty feet above them, sat three adobe huts. One of them was large, and stood on the left end of the row; the other two, including the one Sandoval had indicated as hers, were smaller.

“That one’s Delgado’s,” Parrish said, pointing to the large one farthest from hers. “That one is mine,” he added, pointing to the one in the middle. “The rest of the men sleep by the fire.”

“So you really are Delgado’s right-hand man,” she murmured. “No humble bedroll for Sandoval Parrish.” As she had expected, he only shrugged at her barb.

She was reassured by the fact that Parrish’s building was situated between Delgado’s and hers, but despite his earlier words, how safe was she, really, with Parrish?

Lord, protect me. She had a comforting sense of God’s presence, but knew that sometimes evil things befell God’s children for reasons they might never understand on this earth.

A creek, with a wooden plank bridge spanning it in the middle, mirrored the curve of the rock walls and served to separate the adobes from the rest of the camp. There were two corrals, one empty, one full of horses. Ben was now being led into the latter. Many of the horses had carried the men who had kidnapped her last night, but a tall, rangy black mustang she hadn’t seen before pranced up now to challenge the newcomer, laying back his ears and snorting threateningly. Ben flattened his own longer ears against his skull, brayed and whirled around, lashing out with his heels. His hooves missed the mustang. The black horse turned and trotted away, still snorting.

Tess smiled, then saw that Sandoval was watching her. “My mule doesn’t cotton to bullying,” she said.

“And neither does his mistress, I’m thinking. Good for you, Miss Hennessy.” They had reached the campfire now, and Parrish smiled at the older woman who turned to face them. “Delores, this is Señorita Teresa Hennessy, the photographer and our guest,” he said in Spanish, then added, “and she speaks Spanish.” He turned back to Tess. “It’s a good thing, since Delores speaks little English.”

“Mucho gusto, señorita,” the older woman said, smiling warmly at her, then invited her to have a seat on a pile of old blankets behind Tess. Delores then turned back to the eggs, peppers, onions and tomatoes she was cooking. The wind carried a whiff of the savory, spicy smell and all at once Tess realized how hungry she was. It had been probably more than fourteen hours since she had eaten.

She sank onto the horse blankets, her aching bones protesting at the long, bumpy ride, and smiled gratefully as the woman handed her a tin cup full of steaming hot coffee poured from a pot resting on hot stones within the fire ring. She caught sight of her dusty navy skirt as she drank, and was thankful all over again that she had been wearing sensible, modest clothing. She could only imagine how nervous she would have felt among these outlaws if she had been wearing the frilly, frivolous dress her mother had wanted her to wear.

She wondered what the clothes being loaned to her by the aforementioned Alma would look like, and if Alma would begrudge her the loan. She prayed the garments would be decent—if Delgado and Parrish thought she was going to parade around in revealing clothing like a cantina girl, they had better think again!

Minutes later Delores had deposited tin plates heaped with eggs and tortillas in both her and Parrish’s laps, and refilled their coffee. Tess ate the spicy food ravenously, and saw out of the corner of her eye that Parrish was doing likewise. It was a surprisingly companionable moment. For a few minutes, at least, Tess forgot she was so angry with him for involving her in this strange situation.