Read Online Dorothy Garlock by High on a Hill - Free Book Online Page B

over when their father died.
    After Leroy and Bud left the house, Marvin lingered at the table. Tess knew him well enough to know that he was going to say something or do something he didn’t want his brothers to know about. She kept the knife close, determined to use it if he attempted to whip her, even though she knew Marvin was capable of killing her.
    Lord, if she only had someplace to go and some way of supporting herself without doing it on her back. If she left, she would have to go far enough away so that a Carter couldn’t find her. Any one of them would delight in dragging her back to Marvin.
    “I got a thin’ to say. Turn around.” Marvin’s voice was stern.
    “I figured you did.” Tessie turned to face him.
    “You earned a slap or two, but I ain’t goin’ to give it to ya yet.”
    “Not ever again, Marvin. I told you that. I’ll hurt you if I can. If I can’t, I’ll hang myself. Then who would do your washing and cooking?”
    Grinning as if he were really enjoying himself, Marvin pushed his hair from his forehead and leaned back in his chair.
    “Cousin Judd would send over one of his girls. Maybe that little towhead.”
    “Ora Jean? She’s only fourteen or fifteen. Cousin Judd knows that you’d work her by day and screw her by night. He wouldn’t put up with that.”
    “Yo’re gettin’ smarty.” The smile had left Marvin’s face. “Is that what you want to talk about … how smart I am?”
    “No. I wanna know about the man ya met in the woods.”
    “Sheesh! I didn’t know the man from a bale of hay. I told you that he was just passing through.”
    “What’d he say? Did he feel ya up? Leroy said he lifted ya off the ground.”
    “Leroy is lying … as usual. He didn’t touch me.”
    “Dadburnit! Did he look like he
wanted
to feel ya up?” Marvin raised his voice to a near roar.
    “How’d I know? I didn’t look at him.”
    “She-it. Leroy said yore dress was up over yore butt. He looked.”
    “What if he did? I’ll never see him again. He sure won’t be making a shortcut through here. Leroy saw to that.”
    “Too bad. Leroy’s a dumb-ass. Never uses his head.”
    Tess agreed but decided to remain silent and wait for whatever scheme Marvin had in mind. She didn’t have to wait long.
    “I want to know what’s goin’ on over there.”
    “Isn’t your spy telling you enough?”
    “I want you to hang around the edge of the woods. The man might come over to see if he can get some.”
    “I might be able to get him over here if I stripped naked and hung a sign around my neck saying ‘Come on over.’ ” Tess grinned cockily.
    Marvin’s eyes turned cold. “Ya makin’ fun a me?”
    “Why would you think that?” Tess backed away when Marvin got up from the table.
    “I’m gettin’ tired a yore lip. I want ya to get friendly with them folks. Call on the woman … neighborly-like. See what they’re up to. Leroy says there’s a tall skinny feller over there and the black-haired one ya met in the woods. Get next to ’em. I don’t care which one.”
    “I’ll not be a whore for you or anyone else!”
    “Why not? Ya was a whore for Cousin Willard,” he shouted. “I want to know if they’re tied in with the revenuers. Air ya so dumb ya can’t see that they ain’t but a mile or two from the still what puts food in yore belly?”
    “You wasn’t worried about the Millers when they lived there.”
    “That old man wasn’t goin’ to do nothin’. I scared the shit out of ’im. They moved, didn’t they?”
    “Didn’t they own the land?”
    “Banker in St. Louis owned the land. Feller named Donovan bought it. So reckon they’ll be there awhile.”
    “I can’t just go over there.”
    “Didn’t that fancy schoolin’ tell ya how to call on neighbors?” Marvin sneered.
    “If it did, I’ve forgotten about it after being stuck here for six years and going to town less than once a year.”
    “Well, ya better do some thinkin’ on it, and if ya shame us I’ll