His voice was full of confidence. "Charlie and I are going hunting in the morning. As soon as I get back, I'll have that chat with Abner."

Chapter 20.

When Lucy returned from the river, she could still hear the music from the campfire. Approaching the Applegates' wagon to pick up Amy, she couldn't contain herself and danced a happy step along the way. She was about to see the last of Abner! Amy would soon be all hers, and-best and most delightful of all-Clint loved her, she adored him, and they were going to be together for the rest of their lives. How incredibly wonderful. How incredibly happy could she be?

At the back of the Applegates' wagon, she knocked softly. Young Jessie stuck her head out. "The baby's not here. Mister Schneider came and got her a while back."

Since when did Abner have the faintest interest in caring for his own child? "Where did he take her?"

"To his tent, Mrs. Schneider. I know because I had to carry her, him being on crutches and all."

Lucy managed a polite thank you, not easy when a wave of apprehension was sweeping through her. She no longer felt like dancing as she headed toward the far end of the campsite where Abner had parked his wagon and pitched his tent alongside. When she reached it, she saw a figure looming in the darkness. "Abner?"

"Where have you been?" His voice was hard and low, barely above a whisper.

"At the campfire."

"No, you weren't." Leaning on his crutches, he took a step toward her. "You wh.o.r.e! You've been with Clint, haven't you?"

He knew! She gasped from the shock. Her mind raced. What should she say? She must think of an excuse ... something ... but before she could frame a reply, he tossed one of his crutches to the ground and grabbed her arm. In a flash, he twisted it behind her, causing her to spin around and gasp at the sudden pain. She was half bent over.

"What are you doing?"

"If ye shall still do wickedly, ye shall be consumed," he hissed. He bent her arm up, only a little, but the pain was incredible. "Admit you were with Clint!"

She gritted her teeth. Tears welled in her eyes. "Please, you're hurting me!"

He bent close to her ear. "I can smell him on you. Confess! Or I'll twist your arm clear off."

The music stopped. Lucy heard people still chatting around the campfire. If she screamed, they'd surely hear and come running, but she didn't want to scream. She'd die of mortification if anyone witnessed this ugly scene.

"Tell me!" Again, Abner jerked her arm up. She thought she'd faint from the pain. From inside the tent, she heard a sudden wake-up wail from the baby. "There's Amy. Let me go to her."

He tightened his grip. "Admit you were with Clint."

What with the pain and Amy crying, she knew she couldn't fight anymore, and besides, there was no sense lying. "All right, let me go, and I'll tell you."

He let go and shoved her hard up against the wagon, his hand pressing against her throat. "Talk!"

"I can't when you're choking me."

He removed his hand but remained so close she could feel his hot breath upon her face. What could she say? He could easily kill her, and probably would if she spoke the truth. Perhaps she could reason with him. "First, you need to calm down." She tried to a.s.sume a reasonable tone. "I must go see about Amy. She's crying."

He was still in her face. "You'll never see her again if you don't confess your sins."

She had no choice. It was time for the truth. "All right, step back and I'll tell you."

"I'm listening."

She took a deep breath. "Listen carefully. I love Clint, and he loves me. We want to be together, with Amy, too. You know you can't care for her properly. She'll be so much better off with-"

"You ... you strumpet!"

His hands dug hard into her shoulders. She twisted, trying to knock them away. "Now let me go. The baby-"

"I ought to kill you." His hands went around her throat again. She waited, her insides trembling, not knowing if these moments might be her last. He dropped his hands. "Get in the tent." His voice was so absolutely devoid of emotion it chilled her to the bone.

Without another word, she entered the tent and picked up Amy, who by now was crying l.u.s.tily. Cuddling the child, she whispered softly, "Now, now, sweetheart, you mustn't cry."

Abner hobbled in behind her. Without warning, he swept Amy out of her arms.

"What are you doing?" She reached for the baby, but Abner moved back, jerking the tiny bundle out of her reach.

"Not so fast." His lips twisted into a cynical smile. "Wouldn't it be a shame if something happened to the child?"

Icy fear twisted around her heart. "You wouldn't-"

"Accidents happen." He smiled. "Sometimes babies get sick or run over by a wagon, or they smother ... like this."

Lucy watched in horror as Abner slowly, deliberately, covered the baby's face with the palm of his hand. "Abner, stop! You wouldn't!" She threw herself at him, tried with all her might to wrench the child from his arms, but even in his weakened condition, Abner was much stronger than she. Easily he pushed her away.

"You'll never get away with this!"

"I won't? Babies die all the time." A satanic smile spread over his thin lips. He nodded toward the campsite with a taut jerk of his head. "You think those people care? They wouldn't lift a finger to help. All they want is to get to California. Besides, who'd take a mere woman's word against mine?"

What he said was true. Even if everyone knew the truth, what justice could she expect on a wagon train? A sick realization crept over her. Abner was not making an empty threat. She had thought him a bit strange, as did everyone, but now she could see from the crazed look in his eyes he'd crossed a line from eccentricity to insanity. Or had he been insane all along? It didn't matter. He meant what he said. He'd kill little Amy if had to. "All right, you win. I'll do anything you want."

He lifted his hand. The false smile disappeared, replaced by an expression of viciousness mixed with hate. "Pick up my Bible."

She did.

"Get on your knees."

Desperate, her heart pounding, she hastened to obey.

"Now swear on the Holy Bible you'll never leave me, or by G.o.d ..." his hand covered the baby's face again.

Did Abner mean what he said? How could he possibly harm his own child? How could he force her to such degradation? She knew him now for the cold, ruthless man he really was, and insane besides. Deep in her soul she knew the truth-he would do anything, no matter how horrible, to get his way, and she could not let that happen.

She clutched the Bible in her shaking hands and whispered, "I swear I won't leave you."

"Louder!"

She raised her voice. "I won't leave you!"

"You'll have nothing more to do with Clint Palance."

At this point he had her so terrified she would swear to anything. "All right, I'll have nothing more to do with him."

"Swear it."

"I swear, I swear!"

"Get back on your feet."

When she stood, he asked, "How much flour is left in the barrel?"

At first she didn't understand. What could flour matter at a time like this? His meaning dawned on her. "Abner, it's mine. You can't."

"Go get it."

As if in a dazed nightmare, she hurried to her wagon and retrieved the bag of five dollar gold pieces Jacob had hidden at the beginning of their journey. Soon she faced Abner again, the bag in her hands. She felt sick to think Jacob must have told Abner, but she should have known he would. Here she'd counted on that money. It was all she had-her security, her hope for the future. "This money isn't yours. How dare you take it."

"What was Jacob's is now mine." Abner gave her body a raking gaze. "Including you." Taking the bag of coins, he thrust Amy back in her arms. "Take her." His flat, pa.s.sionless eyes drilled into her. "Remember, if ever you disobey me, she'll die."

"Yes, I understand."

"Pack up. We leave for Downieville at dawn tomorrow."

"We're leaving the wagon train?"

"Don't you ever question my decisions." His voice hardened. "Woman, you will obey me from now on. Swear it!"

"I swear." Lucy answered in a very small voice. Never in her life had she felt so low, so defeated, so totally without hope. She hugged the baby tight, tears of humiliation running down her cheeks.

"Mister Palance?"

Beside his wagon, Clint raised his head from the wash basin. He and Charlie had just come back from hunting. In another minute, he'd be off for that much antic.i.p.ated talk with Abner. "Yes, Chad?"

"This is for you." Chad held out a sealed note. "Mister Schneider said I should deliver it to you after they left."

After they left? "Thank you." Clint took the note, sank down by the campfire and ripped it open.

Dear Mister Palance, I am writing this to inform you Abner Schneider and I have left the wagon train for good. It is my wish that I never see you again. If I gave you the impression I felt otherwise, I apologize.

Please don't come after me. It will be a waste of time if you do.

Sincerely yours, Lucy Schneider Charlie, newly returned from dressing the deer they'd shot, took one look at Clint "What's the matter? You look like you lost your best friend and your horse besides."

"She's gone off with that b.a.s.t.a.r.d." Clint's voice nearly broke with huskiness. "I can't believe it."

"Jehosaphat!" Charlie let out a soft whistle. "What would she want to do a fool thing like that for?"

Clint retained a tight-lipped silence, the note still clutched in his hand.

"I see the Schneiders' wagons are gone." Charlie gazed around the camp site. He raised an inquisitive eyebrow. "You ain't planning on doing anything crazy, are you?"

Clint balled a fist. "That f.u.c.king lunatic must have forced her."

"Reckon he did. Why else would she go off with him?"

"I'd wager the baby had something to do with it. I'm going to find her."

"Well, I think you should, but first you'd better find where she's headed."

Which way did she go? She'd told him Downieville, but he'd better make sure. At this point in the journey, several families had already left the train bound for any one of the many gold mining camps that dotted the Sierra Nevada Mountains. After making inquiries, Clint found two people who'd been up early enough to see the Schneider wagons leave. "I saw the Johnson and Lehman wagons leave also," one woman said. "Don't know about the Lehmans, but the Johnsons said they were headed north for Downieville. The Schneider wagons were right behind them, all of them after the gold."

"I heard Abner say he was going to Downieville," said another. "Heard him plain as day."

"So, you're headed north," Charlie said when Clint returned. He watched his friend saddle up. "You're sure they're going to Downieville?"

"Almost positive. I'm going to find her. I won't come back without her."

Hours later, Clint caught up with the Johnson wagon. They were alone. "I ain't seen them." Samuel Johnson scratched his head. "Maybe they went with the Lehmans when they turned off."

Clint tried to hide his frustration. "Where were the Lehmans heading?"

"Well, Sierra City, of course. They heard there's gold in the streets there, too."

Dammit, he'd have to backtrack for miles until he reached the Sierra City turnoff and then catch up as fast as he could. This was going to take time. Longer than he'd thought.

After leaving the camp at the crack of dawn, Abner followed the Johnson and Lehman wagons a short way north. When they came to a fork along the faint trail, to Lucy's astonishment, they turned south, not north. "Aren't we going to Downieville?"

"No."

"But you said-"

"I know what I said. That was just in case anyone should want to track us down."

In the back of her mind, she was hoping Clint would come after them. Now, even if he did, he'd be heading in the opposite direction. "Then where are we going?"

"Hangtown."

Her heart sank. From all she'd heard, Hangtown was a terrible place. How was Clint ever going to find her?

As the day wore on, she felt such an acute sense of loss she hardly cared. In a numb haze, she drove the wagon, cared for Amy, and fixed the meals over the campfires she'd built. All day she sought to absorb the events of the night before, which had shaken her world and changed her life. How had this happened? How could she have allowed herself to be so intimidated by Abner she'd lost the man she loved, along with her freedom, and was now heading to a wild, lawless gold mining town, the last place in the world she'd ever wanted to go? She was plagued by guilt and self-recrimination. She should've stood up to Abner, screamed for help, done something-anything!-instead of allowing him to ruin her life. But then ...

Each time she told herself what a cowardly fool she'd been, she remembered that crazed lunatic gleam in Abner's eye when he held his hand over little Amy's face. No question, he would've carried out his threat, had she not given in. I've ruined my life, but I did the right thing.