Jane dabbed alcohol on a cotton ball and pressed it against Max’s lip. His head reared back and his eyes watered, but he did not make a sound. “Hold that there while I see to your hands.” He brought up his bound hands to his mouth, and Jane carefully washed his battered knuckles.
Gideon watched her ministrations. “You’re good to give your man so much kind attention, but it’s likely only a temporary balm, you understand.”
“What do you mean?”
Max spoke between clenched teeth. “He means they’re going to plant more fists in my face.”
Jane’s head swiveled to Gideon. “Is he right? You’re going to hurt him again?”
“Maybe. Where is your husband?”
“I told you. Around and about.”
“Then, yeah, he’s right.”
Jane wrung out the washcloth hard. “For God’s sake, how can I possibly know where Morgan is? It is a ridiculous question. Morning Star is twenty-six square miles. That’s more than sixteen thousand acres. He could be standing in the middle of any one of them right now.”
“Where did he set off to?”
“Blue Valley.”
“That doesn’t mean much. What direction and how far?”
She looked at Max. He shook his head. Jane told Gideon anyway.
“And the others?” asked Gideon.
Jane hesitated, and then relented. It seemed little enough to tell him. He wasn’t going to ride out to meet them when he could wait at the house to announce his presence.
Gideon lightly tapped the top rail of his chair. “What has Morgan told you about me?”
Jane was keenly aware that Gideon’s question served him alone. He did not ask, “What has Morgan told you about us?” It came to her suddenly that Jackson Welling might not be one of the “others.” She could not say what the consequences might be, but in spite of not knowing, she asked, “Where is your brother Jack?”
Gideon did not answer immediately. His head tilted to one side as he studied Jane. He knuckled his beard. “He’s outside.”
Jane shook her head. “He’s not. You are lying.” She was not certain it was true until she said it, and then she was very certain that it was. “Yes,” she said with confidence. “You are lying.”
Gideon pointed to his right eyelid. “Was it twitching? Sometimes I don’t notice it, and I can’t really stop it, so…” He held up his hands in a helpless gesture. “I would not want to play poker with you.”
“Where is Jackson?”
“Nebraska. A little place called Falls City.”
“He did not want to join you?”
“He did, except that he couldn’t, seein’ how he got himself murdered for cheatin’. At cards, you understand. Not with a woman.”
Jane offered no condolences. Her face remained a mask, and she went back to attending to Max.
“You haven’t asked why I am here. You probably figured out this isn’t a regular family reunion.”
“Yes. Your actions have spoken to that. It seems clear you have business with my husband.”
“ ‘Business.’ That’s as good a word for it as any other. Yes, I have business with my little brother.” Gideon suddenly leaned back and called into the front room, “Avery! Go outside and see what’s keepin’ Marcellus. He should have been here by now. And while you’re out, get—” He cocked an eyebrow at Jane. She held up eight fingers. “Get eight eggs.”
Avery appeared in the doorway, shrugging into his coat. “Eight eggs.” He sniffed the air just as Gideon had done earlier. “Am I smelling potatoes bakin’?”
Gideon nodded shortly and pointed to the door. When Avery lumbered off, Gideon said, “Shouldn’t you be seein’ to those potatoes about now?”
