The Princess Club / Family Secrets / Mountain Madness (6 page)

Quickly, she slapped the catalog shut. There was no point in imagining such a thing. It wouldn't be the same as having it.

Like an imaginary doll, she thought with sudden sadness.

Ten

F
or sure and certain nobody followed us?” Bessie asked for what had to be the hundredth time that afternoon.

“For sure and certain, Bessie,” Ruby Mae said. She peered through the thick woods behind her though, just to be on the safe side. “Would you stop actin' like a scared rabbit?”

At the edge of Dead Man's Creek, the girls stopped to catch their breath. The dense greenery around them rustled with every breeze. The sun dappled the creek with sunlight.

“I could have swore I heard somebody a-whisperin',” Bessie said nervously.

“We doubled back just to be sure,” Clara reminded her. She sat on the bank and let her dusty feet cool in the creek. “Even Lundy Taylor would have had himself a hard time followin' us.”

“I still don't see why we had to come all the way back here with Prince Egbert,” Bessie complained.

“Now that Miz Christy's done teachin' with him, we owe it to him to set him back in his rightful home,” Clara said. “Could be he has a wife and kids, you know.”

“Let's just get this over with,” Ruby Mae said curtly. She didn't like coming back here any more than Bessie did. For some reason, returning to the spot where they'd found the gold made her feel guilty.

“You know, that talk about the gold with Miz Christy got me to feelin' kind of bad,” Clara murmured as they walked along the bank.

“You've been usin' your head too much again,” said Ruby Mae. “I can tell by the way your forehead gets all crinkled up.”

“Ain't crinkled.” Clara felt her forehead, just to be sure. “But all that talk about the Golden Rule and all . . .” She sighed. “This bein' princesses is awful complicated, ain't it?”

Bessie nodded. “Lizette wouldn't even talk to me this afternoon. You'd a thought I had the typhoid or somethin', the way she run off.”

“And last night,” Clara confided, “I heard my ma and pa arguin' out by the woodpile. Somethin' about how to spend the cash-money. My pa wants a new roof and a floor. And my ma wants to save some of the money for later. My pa started to yellin', sayin' how are we even goin' to have a later if'n we don't have a roof over our heads? It was somethin' awful to hear.”

“For a blessin',” Bessie said, “this gold sure is a passel of trouble.” She paused. “What's that? Did you hear anything? Kind of a rustlin' noise?”

“You're imaginin' things,” Ruby Mae said.

“All I'm sayin' is,” Clara continued, “this gold sure does seem to bring out the argufyin' in people.”

Suddenly, Ruby Mae stopped. A flash of white under some reeds by the edge of the creek caught her eye.

She bent down and fished her hand in the icy water.

It was a white handkerchief.

“What'd you find, Ruby Mae?” Clara asked.

Ruby Mae stared at the white clump of fabric in her palm. “Nothin' much. A man's handkerchief. Or maybe it's just a piece of fabric off'n a shirt. Can't rightly say.”

The other girls joined her. “Can so say,” Clara said. “That's a man's handkerchief for certain.”

“It looks like the one Mr. Halliday was carryin' with him,” Bessie said.

Ruby Mae wrung out the little piece of fabric. “Prob'ly lots of people carry handkerchiefs.”

“Not in these here parts, they don't,” Clara said. “Are you thinkin' what I'm thinkin'?”

“Not likely,” Ruby Mae said. “You think more than a whole roomful of teachers and preachers put together, Clara Spencer.”

Clara put her hands on her hips. “I'm thinkin' we were right about what we were sayin' before. I'm thinkin' that gold might just have belonged to Mr. Halliday. And I know you're thinkin' it too, Ruby Mae. Even if'n you don't
think
you're thinkin' it.”

“Start over,” Bessie said, scratching her head. “That's one ‘thinkin' too many.”

“What Clara means, Bessie,” Ruby Mae said, dropping onto the mossy bank, “is that our gold may really be Mr. Halliday's gold.”

“It's like one of them mystery stories Miz Christy reads us,” Clara explained. “We've got us some clues, see. We know Mr. Halliday said he was lookin' for somethin' out here. We know he and Clancy were by a creek when Clancy slipped. We know Mr. Halliday's handkerchief was here. That's a lot o' clues, no matter how you look at it.”

“'Ceptin' for one,” Ruby Mae shot back. “Like I said already—how come he doesn't just claim the gold then?”

Clara shook her head. “I don't know why. I admit it don't make a whit of sense. But flatlanders ain't always as sensible as regular people. Them that comes from the city don't always know which way's up and which way's down.”

“Maybe we should say somethin' to somebody,” Bessie said.

“Why?” Ruby Mae demanded. “Mr. Halliday had his chance to claim the gold.”

Bessie shrugged. “I don't know. It just sort of feels a little like stealin', Ruby Mae. And the preacher always says, ‘Thou shalt not steal.'”

“He also says, ‘finders, keepers.'”

“I ain't never heard him say that,” Clara said.

“Well, if'n we asked him, he
would
say it,

I'm pretty sure.” Ruby Mae fingered the handkerchief. She didn't like this ugly feeling inside her, not one little bit. “Look,” she pleaded, “even if'n it
is
Mr. Halliday's gold— and I ain't sayin' it is—I got to talkin' to him this mornin'. He's
got plenty of cash-money. He told me he's met real, live princesses his own self. And presidents and rich folks. A few nuggets of gold won't matter to him one way or the other.” She sighed. “Not the way they can matter to us. With that gold, we can make somethin' of ourselves.”

“Maybe you're right,” Bessie said.

“It's true he ain't said the gold's his,” Clara conceded.

Ruby Mae slapped her thigh and stood up. “Exactly! Now, no more disagreein'. The Princess Club has got to stick together.”

Clara held up her hand. “Here's the spot where we found Prince Egbert.” She opened the box she'd been carrying and gently set it on its side. Prince Egbert hopped out, blinked, and looked up at the girls.

“Without you, we might never have found the gold,” Clara said. “Thanks, Prince Egbert.”

Just then, the trees behind them rustled.

“That ain't no breeze,” Clara whispered darkly.

A branch cracked. A bush shook.

“There's somebody comin'!” Ruby Mae cried.

Out of the trees leapt Lundy Taylor. In his hand was a heavy rock.

“Well,” he sneered, “if'n it ain't The Princess Club. Fancy the luck. Just so happens I'm lookin' to join up.”

Eleven

L
undy took a step closer.

Standing higher up on the bank, he seemed to tower over the girls. He lifted the rock over his head. His black eyes gleamed.

“Tell me where you found the gold,” he growled. “Right now.”

Ruby Mae glanced at her friends. Both stood frozen in place. Bessie looked as if she were about to cry. Clara's eyes were darting here and there, searching for a way to escape. But Ruby Mae knew there was nowhere to run.

“I said, tell me where you found the gold, Ruby Mae!” Lundy shouted.

Ruby Mae could feel her heart thudding in her chest. She'd known Lundy Taylor her whole life. She'd listened to him sass Miz Christy. She'd watched him beat up boys half his size. She'd even seen him throw a rock at little Mountie O'Teale.

Lundy had done those things out of pure spite. There was no telling what he'd do for a chance to get rich.

“Ain't no more gold to be found, Lundy,” Ruby Mae said. She barely recognized her own squeaking voice. “We done found it all.”

“Liar!”

Lundy lurched down the bank toward Ruby Mae. She stumbled and fell in the shallow water at the edge of the creek.

“You tell me or I'll knock your head clean in two!” Lundy cried. He waved the big rock in front of Ruby Mae's face. “I'll do it, too!

You know I will!”

“Stop it, Lundy!” Clara said. “Ruby Mae's tellin' the truth. We found the gold in this here creek, only there ain't no more to be had. We looked and looked ourselves already.”

Lundy lowered the rock, taking in this new information. “Right here, in Dead Man's Creek?”

“Up there, just a few feet,” Ruby Mae said, slowly getting to her feet.

“How do you know there ain't no more gold?”

“W—we don't,” Ruby Mae stammered. “Not for sure and certain.”

Lundy dipped in a bare foot at the creek's edge and stirred up the rocks on the bottom. Then he bent down and scooped some into his palm, still clutching the big rock in his other hand.

“Don't believe you,” he pronounced at last. “These is just creek rocks. Nothin' special about 'em.” He scowled at Ruby Mae. “You're a-tryin' to put one over on me.”

“No we ain't,” Bessie said in a quavery voice. “It was just one of them things, Lundy. We was just plumb lucky, is all.”

Lundy stood. Angrily, he slapped the rock in his palm. “How come you all get to be plumb lucky, and I get nothin'? That seem fair to you?”

“That's how luck is,” Ruby Mae said with a helpless shrug. “It don't make a whit of sense.”

She looked over her shoulder, trying to plot an escape. They could try running for it, but Lundy would be faster. He was bound to catch one of them. Ruby Mae was one of the fastest runners in school—faster even than a lot of the boys. She'd probably be able to get away. But she couldn't risk leaving her friends behind. If she had to stay and fight, she would. Three to one, they might just have a chance. If only they were closer to the mission, they could try calling for help. But out here, no one would hear them.

Lundy moved close to Ruby Mae, so close she could smell the tobacco on his breath. “Tell me this, Princess Ruby Mae. What makes you so all-fired special you should get all that gold?” Again he raised the rock high. Its sharp edges glinted in the sun.

“I . . . I have an idea,” Clara said suddenly. “S'posin' we give you some of the gold, sort of like a reward. For not hittin' us and all.”

“Clara!” Ruby Mae moaned, but secretly she was relieved. After all, she wasn't going to enjoy the gold much if her head was split in two.

“A reward?” Lundy repeated. He stroked his stubbled chin.

Clara nodded. “Like for instance, s'posin' we give you a nugget of gold if'n you let us go?”

“Or even two?” Bessie added hopefully.

“Let's not get carried away,” Ruby Mae muttered.

“That's an idea, all right,” Lundy said, sounding reasonable at last.

“For starters,” Ruby Mae said, “how about you just toss that silly ol' rock aside?”

Lundy thought for a minute. His face darkened. “I got me a better idea. How about you three princesses just tell me where the gold's hid and give it all to me? Or else I'll bash your royal heads in!”

Lundy grabbed a lock of Ruby Mae's hair and yanked her closer. She let out a scream of protest. Bessie began to sob.

With the rock inches from Ruby Mae's temple, Lundy smiled a dangerous smile.

“Well?” he said. “I'm gettin' tired of your games. Just tell me where the gold is. I'd hate to have to get blood all over that pretty hair of yours.”

“Run, Bessie! Run, Clara!” Ruby Mae screamed. “Get help!”

“Ain't nowhere they can run in time to save your sorry head,” Lundy said. “Now, tell me how I can get me that gold . . .”

“Let her go, Lundy!” A booming voice filled the air. “Now!”

Lundy released Ruby Mae's hair and spun around.

To her amazement, there on the bank stood Doctor MacNeill and Miz Christy.

In two strides, the doctor reached Lundy. Lundy tried to resist, but he was no match. The doctor pinned Lundy's arm behind his back. The rock fell to the ground.

“Lemme go!” Lundy moaned. “My arm! You're a-hurtin' my arm!”

“Hurts,
you say?” the doctor inquired.

“Burns like fire!”

“I want you to remember this feeling, Lundy,” the doctor said. “Because if I ever catch you near these girls again, it's going to hurt a whole lot worse. You get my meaning?”

Lundy nodded.

“I'm sorry. I didn't quite catch your answer.”

“Yes!” Lundy squawked. “Yes!”

Slowly the doctor released him. Lundy rubbed his arm. “Docs ain't s'posed to go around hurtin' people,” he muttered.

Doctor MacNeill shrugged. “I went to a very unorthodox medical school.”

“What's that supposed to mean?” Lundy demanded. “You know I don't know no fancy words.”

“It means,” Christy said sharply, “that you'd better watch yourself from now on, Lundy.”

Ruby Mae blinked in disbelief. She'd never heard Miz Christy sound so riled, not even that time Lundy had hit Mountie O'Teale.

“But they said I could have a re-ward,” Lundy murmured, pointing at the girls.

“Well, they were mistaken,” said Christy. “They don't have the gold in their possession.”

“Who does?”

“It's safely locked away.”

Lundy's eyes narrowed. “I bet you got it, Teacher-gal.”

Doctor MacNeill took a step toward Lundy, who backed up instantly. “Apparently, I didn't make myself clear,” the doctor said with quiet rage.

Lundy spit on the ground, glaring at Ruby Mae. “You won't be princesses much longer,” he said. Then he turned and vanished into the trees.

Christy rushed to Ruby Mae's side and pulled her close. “Are you all right?”