Chapter One
Daisy sat on the cot in the tiny jail and watched the redhead pace. She recalled the sheriff had called the girl Sarah. A pretty name for the girl. She hoped that the young woman would get a decent husband in the lottery drawing. She struck Daisy as a woman who would endure what she had to, the type of woman Daisy had once been. But every woman had her limits and Daisy had finally reached hers. And reaching them had landed her in this cell and in the bride lottery.
She’d come west to Texas with her sister and brother-in-law when their parents had died. She hadn’t wanted to be alone in the big house. So when Clancy, her sister’s husband, had made the decision to sell everything and start afresh out west she had offered no complaints and gone along with them. She could have stayed with her spinster aunt, could have accepted any of the numerous offers of marriage, but had hoped for adventure and instead… Well, she’d found her sister’s life wasn’t the fairy tale it seemed.
They’d bought a farm just outside of this sleepy little town and it had been up to her and Amelia to run it. Clancy had business in town and was gone often for weeks at a time. But Daisy preferred those times to when he would come back to the farm with mean-looking men in his company. She didn’t like the way they eyed her and her sister, nor the way that Clancy didn’t seem to care. She was almost certain that they were all up to no good but her sister didn’t want to hear about it.
Daisy usually escaped for the few days when Clancy and his friends showed up, at her sister’s insistence. She wanted Amelia to come with her to the little shack in the woods that they had discovered. But Amelia said that if they were both gone Clancy would just come to find them. She felt that it was her responsibility as his wife to stay. But Daisy noticed that her sister seemed to die a little more each time the men came and left. However, when she asked her what happened Amelia would just clam up and move to a different topic.
Daisy noticed the bruises, the haunted look in her sister’s eyes and the way she showed real fear when Clancy could be seen returning. So the last time Daisy had snuck back late in the evening and watched through the window. She’d been sick at what she saw. While Clancy sat and watched, each of the men who were with him took turns raping her sister. They were rough and violent and Daisy no longer had to wonder at the bruises that marred her sister’s fair skin. She had been violently ill and wanted to barge in and save Amelia. But a hand had clamped around her mouth and strong arms had carried her away.
When she was released she turned to see what she was facing and was surprised at the old man who stood before her. He was an Indian, and she’d heard horrid stories of how they raped and took the scalps of their victims.
But he’d calmed her and using his hands to communicate had made her see that he wouldn’t hurt her. A friendship had been born and she learned that he had been watching over her for some time. Or, sometimes she wondered if maybe he had just been following Clancy or one of his men? Either way she was glad that she had a friend. Over the next weeks she’d met him here as often as she could and he had taught her how to defend herself. The old man was quick and wiry and amazing. Clancy was gone for several months this time and as she watched her sister grow large with child she continued to meet the man she had dubbed Saviour and learned all that she could from him.
She now knew how to fight if she needed to. She could use her hands, her feet, a knife, and had proved amazingly adept. She had strength she never knew she had. He taught her other things as well, how to trap small game like rabbits and how to cook the most amazing things from the meat. She knew how to skin and clean and even how to make a fire in the open. She was no longer a city girl. She was a true frontier woman now.
Daisy sat on the cot in the tiny jail and watched the redhead pace. She recalled the sheriff had called the girl Sarah. A pretty name for the girl. She hoped that the young woman would get a decent husband in the lottery drawing. She struck Daisy as a woman who would endure what she had to, the type of woman Daisy had once been. But every woman had her limits and Daisy had finally reached hers. And reaching them had landed her in this cell and in the bride lottery.
She’d come west to Texas with her sister and brother-in-law when their parents had died. She hadn’t wanted to be alone in the big house. So when Clancy, her sister’s husband, had made the decision to sell everything and start afresh out west she had offered no complaints and gone along with them. She could have stayed with her spinster aunt, could have accepted any of the numerous offers of marriage, but had hoped for adventure and instead… Well, she’d found her sister’s life wasn’t the fairy tale it seemed.
They’d bought a farm just outside of this sleepy little town and it had been up to her and Amelia to run it. Clancy had business in town and was gone often for weeks at a time. But Daisy preferred those times to when he would come back to the farm with mean-looking men in his company. She didn’t like the way they eyed her and her sister, nor the way that Clancy didn’t seem to care. She was almost certain that they were all up to no good but her sister didn’t want to hear about it.
Daisy usually escaped for the few days when Clancy and his friends showed up, at her sister’s insistence. She wanted Amelia to come with her to the little shack in the woods that they had discovered. But Amelia said that if they were both gone Clancy would just come to find them. She felt that it was her responsibility as his wife to stay. But Daisy noticed that her sister seemed to die a little more each time the men came and left. However, when she asked her what happened Amelia would just clam up and move to a different topic.
Daisy noticed the bruises, the haunted look in her sister’s eyes and the way she showed real fear when Clancy could be seen returning. So the last time Daisy had snuck back late in the evening and watched through the window. She’d been sick at what she saw. While Clancy sat and watched, each of the men who were with him took turns raping her sister. They were rough and violent and Daisy no longer had to wonder at the bruises that marred her sister’s fair skin. She had been violently ill and wanted to barge in and save Amelia. But a hand had clamped around her mouth and strong arms had carried her away.
When she was released she turned to see what she was facing and was surprised at the old man who stood before her. He was an Indian, and she’d heard horrid stories of how they raped and took the scalps of their victims.
But he’d calmed her and using his hands to communicate had made her see that he wouldn’t hurt her. A friendship had been born and she learned that he had been watching over her for some time. Or, sometimes she wondered if maybe he had just been following Clancy or one of his men? Either way she was glad that she had a friend. Over the next weeks she’d met him here as often as she could and he had taught her how to defend herself. The old man was quick and wiry and amazing. Clancy was gone for several months this time and as she watched her sister grow large with child she continued to meet the man she had dubbed Saviour and learned all that she could from him.
She now knew how to fight if she needed to. She could use her hands, her feet, a knife, and had proved amazingly adept. She had strength she never knew she had. He taught her other things as well, how to trap small game like rabbits and how to cook the most amazing things from the meat. She knew how to skin and clean and even how to make a fire in the open. She was no longer a city girl. She was a true frontier woman now.
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