The Untold Read Online Free PDF Page B

to lock it. He usually always locked it and he usually always kept his guns loaded. She grabbed a rifle, crouched down and peered through the front window.
    There were two men approaching the house and neither of them was Fitz. Beyond them she couldn’t quite see but she knew she was hearing the muster of at least half a dozen horses, and if they were being mustered there must be more men.
    There was a banging on the door.
    Fitz?
yelled one of them
.
    Jessie crawled beneath the window and stood behind the door. She yelled back,
What?
It was her best impression of Fitz.
    We’ve got the horses
, said the voice on the other side of the door.
    Fitz had not told her of any delivery. But he never told her of anything. She concealed the rifle on one side of her and opened the door.
    Sorry, ma’am
, said one of them, surprised to see her.
Is Fitz in?
    Both men looked like droving types. Tall and lean. They kept their hats on.
    He’ll be back soon
, said Jessie.
Do you have business with him?
    We do, but we won’t stick around if he’s not in.
    Was he expecting you?
    Yes, ma’am. Told us to deliver the horses tonight.
    They’ll need to go into the holding yard
, said Jessie.
    And they need rebranding quick smart
, said one of the men.
    I’ll get to them in the morning
, said Jessie.
    You might want to get to ’em sooner.
    They stolen?
she asked.
    I’m just saying, ma’am. You might want to rebrand ’em tonight, before dawn.

    B Y THE TIME Fitz arrived back at the homestead the next day, Jessie had rebranded the stolen horses and she had chosen one for herself, the dapple-gray Waler she named Houdini. She was riding him in the paddock when she heard a gunshot. The horse reared up but she was able to calm him. She turned to see Fitz riding out of the forest. Even from far off she could tell he was drunk by the way he was swaying back and forth in his saddle.
    He was riding towards her and he was aiming his gun. She dismounted Houdini and stood in front of him.
    You aiming that gun at me?
    You’ve got an imagination,
he said, dropping the gun to his side.
I see you’ve been busy.
    I’ve been branding your horses.
    Well done
, he said
. Come up to the house.
I’ve a present for you.
    At the house, Fitz pushed a brown package across the table and Jessie unwrapped it. Inside was a long white cotton dress with a hem of embroidered roses.
    Why would I want a dress?
she asked.
I’m perfectly at home in my trousers.
    Go and put it on
, Fitz said.
    She did not. Instead, she busied herself lighting the fire.
    Fitz sat down and put his feet up on the table.
You’re looking at a year for each horse.
    I haven’t stolen any horses
, said Jessie.
    Unless there’s something wrong with my eyes, half a dozen horses have appeared in the holding yard.
    The horses were delivered for you.
    But it was you who took delivery of them
.
And I suspect I could track down the owners.
    She knew what was coming. All of these months he had been biding his time, unable to accept no as an answer.
    Jessie, you have two options that I can see.
    And what are they?
    I can take you back to the same jail I collected you from.
    Or?
    You can marry me.

    M Y MOTHER CHOSE but it was a false choice. On the same day that Fitz had swayed out from the forest he doubled her back into it. He was dressed in a blue suit and his hair was slicked back and she wore the long white dress. They rode fast beneath low-hanging branches and when Fitz yelled,
Duck!
she did and then she did not. She held up her arms and the branch hooked her but only for asecond before she fell to the ground and when she stood up he slapped her.
    That afternoon, the justice of the peace—the postmaster—who married them made a note in his book that the bell sleeves on the bride were ripped in places and speckled with blood. No family or friends were present. The bride appeared unsettled but in the end the postmaster took the