Page 68 of Ordered Home for the Holidays
Cass nodded. “Just do the research for me.”
When Cass exited the courthouse, there was a menacing quiet and the air hung heavy - as if it sensed something was going to happen.
As he rounded the corner and Main Street came into view, his heart started racing.
Two crowds were about to come together like a tidal wave in the middle of the dusty, cobbled street. All the men on one side carried lead pipes - and some of them had drawn aside their coats so the butts of the pistols they wore could be seen.
On the other side was a group of ragtag men with determined looks on their faces. Deirdre’s brother Seamus was in the first row.
The men hired by the mining company to quell the insurrection advanced on the crowd of miners standing its ground.
“This needn’t come to violence!” Seamus shouted as he strode ahead of his group.
“You’re refusin’ to work, and Adams Mineworks doesn’t tolerate belligerence,” one of the enforcers said as he tapped the end of his lead pipe against his boot.
Cass crept into the back row of miners because he had a sour feeling in the pit of his stomach. It was clear the men marching toward them were ready to turn this into a melee instead of a peaceful demonstration.
“We were promised safer working conditions months ago -after the fourth explosion in two years. If our requests are addressed, we’ll go back to work.”
The leader spat on the ground. “There’ll be no compromise with a bunch of Krauts and Micks.”
The slur against his comrades made Cass clench his fists. This was exactly the reason he wanted control of his father’scompany. A company that invested in mines and made its profits on the backs of men and women at the mercy of thugs like this.
Cass pushed his way to the front row, until he was beside Seamus. He’d seen showdowns in the West and knew how fast things could escalate.
“I don’t think they’re as afraid of violence as you are,” Cass muttered.
“You’re likely right. But we need to make them listen to us.”
One of the men across from them pulled out his Colt 45 and twirled it like a gunslinger.
“This is your last warning. Disperse and return to the mines. You’ll receive half wages for the rest of the week.”
There was a roar from behind them and the men pushed them closer to the hired guards.
The one who’d drawn his pistol got a panicked look in his eyes. “You!” He waved the gun in Seamus’s direction. “You’re the ring leader. You take your men back to the worksite.”
Seamus took another step forward. They were now less than ten feet apart and the man with the gun began gesticulating wildly.
There was a crack in the air and the acrid smell of gunshot filled the air. Cass lurched sideways, his shoulder burning. His arms and his head felt too heavy to hold up and as he fell to the ground, he wondered if he was the one who’d been shot. His last thought before he lost consciousness was that he’d been right when he feared the confrontation would end violently.
Chapter Twelve
Deirdre
When she opened her door at noon, her brother was standing there with a grim expression. “Cass was shot during the standoff today. I thought it best to bring him here. The chance of someone from the other side calling him out as a traitor is less likely to happen if he’s here,” he gestured behind him.
Deirdre peered over his shoulder and gasped. Cass was laid out on a stretcher, his mouth slack and his features stark. “Bring him in. You can put him in his room on the second floor. First door on the left at the top of the stairs. I’ll damper the stove and be right there.”
“Doc Hampton will be here soon,” her younger brother called from the stairwell as he and Liam maneuvered the stretcher.
As she hurried through preparations for the midday meal, she pondered whether or not she should regret her harsh words from that morning. Whether she should let the holiday spirit of peace and goodwill that was fast upon them influence her behavior.
She’d only been seventeen when he left. Pregnant and scared. She’d felt betrayed and alone in the world and when Patrick O’Shaugnessy had offered her his name and his protection she’d taken it. Deirdre didn’t know where she’d be if she hadn’t. She regretted nothing about that decision and the life she’d led until now.
She heard the front door open again, and her brother’s voices. Then the quietly confident baritone of Doc Hampton. “I’ll see to him, lads.”
When she emerged from the kitchen, the three of them were ascending the stairs. She took a deep breath and braced herself for what was to come.
