Pemberley Ranch - Jack Caldwell [113]
Beth was horrified. “Father! You didn’t!”
“Oh, no, no! Nothing seriously wrong!” he claimed. “Although it looked bad enough to your grandpa! Helped settle our courtship in a more rapid manner, I can tell you that.”
Beth was still scandalized. “No wonder Grandpa didn’t like you.”
Bennet chuckled. “Nope, he didn’t. I hope to get along with your young man better—as long as he minds his manners and behaves himself in my house!” Beth nodded happily and received a kiss on the forehead. “Now,” Bennet grew more serious, “go and help your mother and sisters pack. That wagon from Pemberley’ll be here any time now. Go on with yourself.” Beth left for the back of the house, and Bennet steeled himself for his talk with Darcy.
He walked out onto the front porch. There was Darcy, talking in low tones to one of his men, pointing towards the low hills at the entrance to the farm. The movement from the doorway caught his eye, and he dismissed his hireling to await Beth’s father. Bennet walked beside him and looked out into the moonlit darkness. They stood together for a time, not sharing a look or a word.
Finally, Bennet broke the silence. “You’ll take care of her?”
Darcy didn’t have to ask whom the older man referred to. “Yes, sir.”
Bennet sighed. “A man’s not supposed to favor one of his children over the others. It’s a sin. But, Lord help me, Elizabeth’s the child of my heart. When you’re a father, Will, you’ll understand.”
Will faced the man beside him and saw that Bennet seemed to have aged before his eyes. “Rest easy, sir—Beth will want for nothing. She’ll be comfortable, cared for, and safe. I pledge my life on it.”
“Well… I hope it doesn’t come to that,” Bennet teased halfheartedly. They shook hands in the darkness and Bennet turned the conversation to Darcy’s plans for Whitehead. It was a few minutes later when a lookout reported that a wagon was spotted approaching the turnout. Another few minutes saw the arrival of a flatbed open wagon, with three men in it and a rider as escort. The wagon stopped before the house, and Darcy ordered it unloaded. Two long boxes and one smaller one were carried into the house. Bennet was surprised as to the contents.
“Henry rifles?”
Darcy shook his head, grinning. “No, sir. These are Winchesters—Model 1866 lever action repeating rifles. Fires the same .44 caliber cartridge as the Henry, but it’s more reliable. All my riders carry Winchesters.”
Bennet looked at the two cases, each with six rifles. “And you’ve brought along a dozen more?”
“Even at fifteen rounds, a man can run out of ammunition. Having two loaded rifles can make the difference in a gunfight. That last box is a case of ammo.”
Bennet shook his head. At almost fifty dollars a rifle and knowing that Darcy had two dozen men working for him, he was looking at more money than some farmhands would see in their lifetimes. “You’re a generous man, Will Darcy.”
Darcy shrugged. “If you want a man to do his job, you give him the tools he needs. Bennet, I don’t mean to rush anything, but the sooner the women are on their way to Pemberley, the better I’ll feel.”
Bennet called for his wife and daughters to prepare to leave. Turning to Darcy, he asked, “You’re sure about Pemberley?”
“Yes, sir. It was built to withstand Indian raids. I’ve sent Fitzwilliam to organize the defense of the house. It’s the safest place in fifty miles.”
The ladies made their appearance, Lily now in her own clothing. All were taken aback at the sight of the firearms, but none said a word as they were escorted outside. Darcy had Beth on his arm, and he was just reaching to lift her up into the wagon when a rider came in hot.
“Ethan,” greeted Darcy, “what news? Why did you leave your post in town?”
The young cowhand pulled up in front of his employer. “Whitehead, Mr. Darcy,” he panted. “Whitehead’s done