Episode 10
Episode 10
Episode 10: Late-August 1875
Scene 1: Belleterre, between the house and the barns, evening. Gabe is pacing the yard. Steven and several of the women are trying to calm him down.
Steven: Dad, you should sit down.
Gabe: I can't sit down. My God! Anything could have happened to her. How could I have left her for so long? I should have gone back long before I did.
Elizabeth: You were only doing what you were trained to do. Georgie is probably just lost. They will find her.
Tess: Would you like a drink, Gabe?
Gabe: No, no, I must stay sober. Just in case--
Tess: Oh, don't even think that way. Georgie is fine! She's a survivor.
Three shots rang out in quick succession.
Tess: You see? That's the signal. They've found her.
Cut to: Grace, Louisa, and Georgie emerging from the woods at the far end of a long Belleterre pasture, escorted by Nick.
Nick: Georgie, why don't you ride with me? We'll get back faster. Georgie nods and allows herself to be pulled off her own horse and placed in front of Nick, Nick turns to Grace. I'm going to go ahead with Georgie. You two follow at your own pace. Gracie, for God's sake don't leave Louisa behind.
Nick takes off. Grace and Louisa soon follow, Grace allowing Louisa to set the pace. Once back at the house, as Nick is helping Georgie down from the horse, she collapses and faints. Gabe is there to catch her, and he disappears into the house with her just as Grace and Louisa return. They leave their horses with one of the hired hands and follow everyone else into the house. Venturing upstairs, they find a crowd of people gathering by the door to a suite of rooms.
Steven: Dad wanted both of you to go inside.
Grace and Louisa quietly enter the suite. Tess is waiting for them in the first room. The door to the bedroom is closed.
Tess: I've been waiting for the two of you. What happened out there?
Grace: Mrs. Hewitt told Louisa the story.
Louisa relates the entire story.
Tess: Oh, God. She steadies herself against a wall. Grace, are you sure you just hit him in the arm?
Grace: Nods. He was well enough to quickly run away. I'm sure it was only a flesh wound. Who is Leroy?
Tess: I'll tell you later. Go find your father and Nick and tell them the story, please. They'll have to start a search.
Gabe emerges from the bedroom, sees Louisa, and hugs her tightly.
Louisa: Is she going to be all right, Daddy?
Gabe: I think so. She is still unconscious. He turns to Tess. Could you sit with her, please? He waits for Tess to disappear into the bedroom and turns to his daughter again. Baby, are you all right? Tell me everything that happened.
Scene 2: John Henry's office, an hour later. John Henry is gathered there with Will, Philip, Nick, Benjamin, and Joe. John Henry is sitting on the front of his desk, the rest of the men are sitting in chairs or leaning against something.
John Henry: All right, first thing tomorrow we'll start the search for this lunatic, but I thought I'd give you the description while you were all still here.
Will: Are you going to tell us who this person is? Why would he attack Georgie?
John Henry: It is not my business to tell you. You'll have to hear the story from Georgie or Tess.
Will: How is Tess involved?
John Henry: Like I said, it is not my business to tell you. His name is Leroy. He could have been in the area since early July. He's of average height and build. He has brown hair, brown eyes, and bushy eyebrows. Thanks to my Gracie, he has a bullet wound on his left arm. He also has access to my work horses.
Will: Hell, Dad, that could be half our workers. We gave most of them the day off today.
John Henry: I'm well aware of that. Watch out for my daughters, especially Gracie. He may know she shot him, so he could be holding a grudge. Don't let any of them go off on their own. He looks to Joe. I know that may be hard for some of you considering some of my daughters, but he may go after any of them to get to Tess.
Joe: Liv isn't going to like this.
John Henry: Mumbles. She'll be far more receptive to it than Grace. He looks to each of his sons-in-law. My daughters are going to be coming here every day to prepare for the wedding. Make sure none of them come without one of you escorting them. Understand?
They all nod in agreement.
John Henry: Good. Now go home.
Scene 3: The bunkhouse at Belleterre, late at night. Most of the beds are filled with sleeping workers, Jed Smith has just returned.
He quietly looks through his clothing, finds a flask, his shaving kit, and a pair of scissors, and heads for the bath house. He removes his shirt, revealing a bloodied piece of tied around his arm. After removing the makeshift bandage, he pumps some water into the basin and rinses it. He washes the wound with water first, then cringes as he pours some of the whiskey on it. The wound is not deep, but it is bleeding more than he'd expected. He mumbles curses about Marshall's daughter needing to be put in her place. He uses the old bandage and ties it as tightly as he can above the wound, then tears off another strip from his shirt and wraps it around his wound. He then splashes water on his face, shaves, and carefully trims his hair. When he's finished, he admires his new look in the mirror. He thinks for a moment, then takes the scissors and trims his eyebrows. Once done, he smiles at himself.
Jed: There, now. I'm almost a new man. That barber over in Boise did a damn good job. He smiles. Ah'll getcha, Miss Lovelorn.
He takes the basin and dumps it outside in the outhouse pit, then returns to the bunk house. He returns his things to his bag, puts on a fresh shirt, and collapses onto his bed boots and all. It appears he has collapsed there straight from returning from Boise.
Scene 4: Georgie and Gabe's bedroom, the same time. Gabe is sitting pensively in a chair watching Georgie sleep.
Georgie stirs. Gabe nearly jumps from the chair and goes to kneel beside the bed. She turns over and opens her eyes.
Gabe: How are you feeling?
Georgie: Fine. I was never hurt. How long have I been out?
Gabe: A little over six hours. Louisa told me what happened, or at least what she saw and what you told her. Is there anything else?
Georgie: No. I got my hands untied just in time. I got a few good kicks in, but it wasn't enough. He came after me when I ran, pinned me to the ground. If it weren't for Grace...
Gabe: Don't think about what might have happened. Grace is disappointed because she didn't have better aim. She had Nick helping her practice after supper.
Georgie: Smiles. I never got around to thanking her.
Gabe: I did, several times. Would you like something to eat?
Georgie: I would, but don't leave.
Gabe: I don't have to. I had some food brought in before everyone went to bed so I wouldn't have to. And something to drink. Milk, water, brandy?
Georgie: Water will be fine.
Gabe crossed the room and retrieved the tray of food, bringing also a glass and a pitcher of water. He poured her a glass and watched as she downed it all.
Georgie: Do husbands often stare at their wives while they're doing the simplest things?
Gabe: I do. Especially when my wife has just been through something traumatic.
Georgie: Slides from the bed, looking down at the white nightgown she's wearing. Who changed me?
Gabe: Tess and I. Where are you going?
Georgie: To the privy. Are you going to watch me there to?
Gabe: I'll let you do that in private.
Georgie: Thank you. Where is it?
Gabe: Points. Through that door.
Georgie disappears through the door, but leaves it open a crack.
Georgie: Did you spend great amounts of time watching Ellie?
Gabe: On three separate occasions. After Steven was born, after Louisa was born, and while she was dying.
Georgie: That must have been very hard for you.
Gabe: It was, but it was harder on Louisa. That is why she is so worried about you right now.
Georgie: Is she? She shouldn't be.
Gabe: Sure she should. She already lost one mother. She doesn't want to lose you.
Georgie returns to the bedroom and sits on the edge of the bed.
Georgie: Maybe I should check in on her.
Gabe: She only just fell asleep. Steven stayed up with her. He surprised me.
Georgie: He's a good boy. He takes after his father. Georgie smiles and crawls into the bed. Are you going to sit in that chair wearing that suit all night?
Gabe: I was thinking about it. I thought being with me might make you anxious.
Georgie: I think I can live with you sleeping next to me. Just don't leave before morning.
Gabe: I am sorry about that. I should never have left you.
Georgie: Of course you should have. Someone needed help. How is that woman doing, by the way?
Gabe: Just fine, and the baby, too. They were going to name him Gabriel, but I convinced them to change their minds.
Georgie: Oh? Why? What's his name?
Gabe: George. His name is George Randall Hewitt Schumacher.
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