If You Give a Smuggler a Secret & If You Give a Rake a Reason

6. Chapter Six

6

Chapter Six

A Test of Skill

A shrill scream shattered Keelan’s musings, snapping her attention to the yard. She raced from the garden, searching for the source of the alarmed cry. A young slave boy, of perhaps nine or ten years, burst from the smokehouse, his shrieks ringing across the grounds. He wobbled and fell.

Keelan recognized the child as Ruth’s youngest, Joseph, whose chicken-feeding duty had been performed earlier by Slaney. Although crippled, he did a fine job tending the smokehouse, fueling and keeping the coals smoldering while defending the meat from the dogs.

Handling the fire poker as a brace, he now struggled to heave himself to his feet. Keelan ran to help. Had he been burned? Slaney had an ointment that would help.

Before she could close the distance between herself and the boy, a snarling wild dog limped out of the building, its short thick fur raised along its spine. The boy shrieked again, and in his panicked haste to retreat, lost his footing and tumbled back to the ground.

Behind her, the door to the kitchen house banged open. Ruth emerged and yelled for help.

Keelan’s chest constricted in panic. The dog staggered toward the boy, it’s gaping mouth frothing wildly. Joseph brandished the poker in the direction of the enraged creature and swung, striking its muzzle. The animal yelped, shook its head, and its yellowed eyes locked with Joseph’s terrified ones. There was no time to traverse the gap between them. Her dagger! Keelan slid to a halt, snatched out her dirk and threw.

And missed.

Daniel’s voice echoed in her head telling her she rushed the throw, her chest didn’t point to the target. Her wrist wasn’t c****d correctly (Hart’s voice). She didn’t hold it firm (Hart’s voice, again).

The movement or perhaps sound of the wayward blade striking the packed dirt diverted the dog’s attention from the boy to her. A violent jolt shot through her limbs, and for a second she was paralyzed. Joseph still sat, frozen in terror, defenseless on the ground.

The rabid dog swiveled its head back to the boy. The image of it attacking the child spurred Keelan into action. She clapped her hands and shouted, again gaining the beast’s attention. It turned and took a step toward her and lowered its head. A low, insidious growl emanated from deep within its throat.

At least if it chased after her, she’d run and hopefully get to the kitchen house first. It would give the child time to scramble to his feet and lock himself in the smokehouse. It was then she remembered Daniel’s dagger she’d wedged between her waistband and belt.

She gripped it and paused long enough to take careful aim, replicating the grip Captain Hart had showed her, then stiffened her arm and let it fly. The knife pierced the matted coat behind the animal’s shoulder. It snarled and snapped its jaws at the hilt as it fell, twisting and writhing less than four feet from where Joseph sprawled, wide-eyed, on the ground.

⚓︎ ⚓︎ ⚓︎

One look at the thrashing wild dog told Landon the animal was diseased and deadly. Even wounded, its bite could kill. If Keelan got too near… He doubted the proud young woman would heed a warning to go no closer, so he broke into a dead run. Just as she threw the second dagger, he sprinted past her, grabbed the boy, then swung him up over his shoulder, and carried him further from the creature before depositing him back on the ground.

Keelan stumbled past and knelt by the young boy’s side. His shaking hands still clutched the poker; tears spilled down his face as he drew in shallow, ragged breaths. His eyes were filled with shock and fear, and he stared at Keelan as if she had sprouted three heads.

“Are you hurt, Joseph?” she asked softly, helping him to his feet. She clasped the boy’s arm and gently brushed a spot of soot from his nose.

Joseph shook his head, his wary gaze locked on her flushed face. Two other slave boys crept up to Keelan’s side.

“Good God, Miss Keelan, you pierced the monster’s heart!”

Landon nodded in appreciation. “An impressive throw.” It was. His throw would have been no less true, although he wouldn’t have missed the first time.

The boys’ eyes brightened in awe. “How’d you learn to do dat, Miss Keelan?”

With an impish glint in her eyes, she responded, gesturing to Landon, “Captain Hart taught me this morning.” She tossed him a smug smirk.

The chit was smart. She just put him in Daniel’s place. When gossip traveled about the plantation, they would associate his name with the incident.

One boy leaned forward and spoke in a scratchy whisper, “Ain’t no one goin’ to believe dis.”

“Ain’t nobody... goin’ to hear... ‘bout it,” a stout black woman panted, stopping for breath beside Keelan. She pointed her meat mallet at the boys. “As far as anyone knows, I kilt this devil.” She shuffled over to the dying creature and brought the mallet down on its skull with a sickening c***k.

Keelan cringed and turned away. For all her bravado, she didn’t have the strongest stomach. Would she faint at the sight of blood? Somehow he didn’t expect it, but ladies were an unpredictable lot.

The woman spoke again. “Miss Keelan did a brave thing. Don’t you be making trouble with her papa and uncle by blabbin’ about it. Understand?”

“Yes’m,” the chastised boys answered in unison.

She wrung her hands as she turned to face Landon. “Please, sir, I don’t want no problems for Miss Keelan.”

Landon inclined his head. “Rest assured. I won’t retell this tale. It will be our secret.”

He slid a knowing glance at Keelan. There would be a price, though. She narrowed her eyes, reading his expression perfectly. Landon grinned. He suspected she didn’t trust he’d remain silent, which made the situation more entertaining. It would be entertaining to tease her a bit more, enough to win another of her fiery kisses. Or maybe two.

“Don’t worry about me, Ruth.” Keelan patted the woman’s arm.

Ruth bent over and tugged the dirk free, then wiped the blade on her stained apron. “Miss Keelan, I’ll git this knife back to you soon as I boil it clean again.” She flung her arm at the two older boys. “Now take dis mad animal down past the creek and bury it deep.” She shooed them away. “Go on, now.”

The braver of the two scuffled over and nudged the mud-caked, wild dog with his toe. Satisfied it was indeed dead, the boys grasped its hind legs and hauled the carcass away.

Ruth grabbed her son with the fierceness of a mother bear and crushed him to her bosom. Joseph let out a jagged sob. Tears slid down Ruth’s cheeks as she and the boy swayed together in the dirt yard.

Keelan’s face softened. With what? Tenderness? Yes, but there was something else. Landon’s chest clenched as he realized what he was observing.

Longing.

Her reaction stirred his curiosity. Which did she long for? A child to love or a mother to love?

Keelan shifted and caught him staring. Her face became shuttered, once again masking that raw corner of her soul.

The slamming of the front door jolted everyone into action.

“You’d better leave,” he advised. “I’ll take responsibility for the events here.”

Keelan gave him a hesitant, but grateful nod and whirled toward the garden path. Her gaze sliced to a first-floor window, and she drew in a sharp breath. Her mouth parted briefly before snapping shut. He twisted in time to see a hand release the curtain. He’d not readily give away her secret, but if someone else had seen the commotion, his promised silence might no longer matter.

Keelan ran to the servant’s door, like a forest sprite in bare feet. Landon shook his head in wonderment. She’d tweaked his interest, for sure.

He’d see her again.