He grabbed her arm. “We’ll just wander over to your barn and see.”
“No, we won’t, because it is a stupid accusation and now you try to use me to help make it stronger.” She tried to pull free of his grip, but he kept yanking her toward the steps leading down into the yard on the barn side.
At some point he decided it would be a good idea to disarm her and tried to yank her rifle out of her hands. Belle fought that, and when Geordie stepped outside, he began to fear they’d manage to fire it off soon. He also did not like the way the man was so roughly handling her. Just as he began to step forward, drawing the attention of the four men Bennet had brought with him, Bennet grabbed her gun and yanked again.
For a moment they participated in a childish tugging battle with her gun and he grew nervous. It was a dangerous thing to do. He watched her hand slipping as she tried to get a firm grip on the trigger guard. Then Bennet suddenly yanked her close to him and they both released the gun, but before Geordie could relax, it hit the porch and went off. One of Bennet’s men cried out and fell, clutching his leg.
“You old fool, you shot one of your own men.”
“No, I didn’t. You had the gun.”
“Of course, let us blame it on me. That was probably your plan all along. Let go, so I can tend to your man.”
Bennet released her and she hurried over to the young man who was holding his leg and moaning. Not one of the other men stopped her. They did not even look concerned by her tending to the young man, who had quietly passed out.
“I need one of those neckerchiefs you all wear to tie on his leg, a tourniquet to stop the bleeding.”
Geordie reached for his, then stopped and nearly laughed when Bennet’s men all shed theirs and put them in her outstretched hand. She snapped out the occasional order and they obeyed without question, fully trusting in her skill. He suspected that irritated Bennet a lot, but he would be willing to wager the man always brought his men here when something was wrong with them.
“I need to take him into the infirmary. The bullet is still in there and must be removed.” When the men around her stepped forward and reached out for her patient, she warned, “Try to make sure his leg is kept up and straight so that he doesn’t lose too much blood.”
They all headed into the house, the men carrying the wounded fellow following her, Bennet marching behind them and Geordie bringing up the rear. The way the men moved into the infirmary and sought out an empty bed told Geordie that, for all his rancor, Bennet’s men obviously trusted her doctoring skills. She worked fast while Bennet’s men quietly talked to a very groggy Robbie. Everyone ignored Bennet’s constant grumbling that it wasn’t his fault.
When his man was fixed, Bennet was sternly informed that he was staying for at least a day or two, maybe longer. His other men, who were not all that far out of boyhood either, followed him when he left, murmuring farewells to Robbie and thank-yous to Belle. Geordie wondered what the man planned to do now.
“He never used to be an idiot,” Belle said as she washed up. “He will be back with the sheriff.”
“Why?”
“He will still try to claim I stole his cow, and I should go check the barn myself and see if he managed to get one of his in there. He may also try to blame me for his boy being shot.”
“He doesnae have any pull with the sheriff, does he?”
“Not in this nonsense. Fact is, I think the sheriff would like to shoot Bennet at times.”
“I am sorry I wasnae more help.”
“Nothing you could help with. You certainly did a good thing by not getting into the middle of the squabble over the gun. I was surprised he didn’t end up shooting himself in the belly.” She looked down at her dress, shaking her head at the bloodstains there.
“I need to clean up before he drags the sheriff here. If either of you boys want anything, just ask Mr. MacEnroy.”
“Boy?” said Bennet’s man. “You are only about a year or two older than me.”
“True, but I am still older,” she replied sweetly as she left.
Chapter Ten
Robbie collected the cards he and Geordie were playing with. “Ha! Beat ye this round. So, think I will get some sleep now before I start to lose my magic touch.”
Geordie laughed as he stood up and put his chair back against the wall. “Ye never had a magic touch, just occasional flashes of luck.”
“It was all a ploy to make ye believe that and let down your guard so I could swoop in with my skill and thrash you.” He smiled when Geordie laughed, then he yawned.
“Get some sleep. Boasting has clearly worn ye out.”
“I cannae wait until this heals enough so I can sleep on my side,” Robbie grumbled.
“Try to grasp some patience. It has only been a night and a day. Even in that time, ye have done a lot of healing.”
