Liberty Creek: Episode 11

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Episode 11

Episode 11: August 25, 1875

Scene 1: Boise, morning. Christopher, Lydia, and Delie are waiting as some of their trunks and bags are loaded atop the stagecoach. The rest of their things are stacked in the shipping office behind them, waiting to be shipped the next day.

Driver: I'll try to make the horses go faster, Christopher. You wouldn't want to be late for the wedding.

Christopher: Wedding? What wedding?

Driver: You're not going back for the wedding?

Christopher: No, who's wedding?

Driver: Your brother's, Nick's.

Christopher: Nick is getting married? Why didn't he write me?

Driver: He prob'ly did. Him and Tess got engaged back in July, the Fourth I think.

Christopher: Tess? The schoolteacher? Good for him. They should've married long ago.

Driver: I thought so. I also thought you'd be one of those men who married when he was forty. Certainly not one to elope.

Christopher: Smiles, pulls Lydia close. We knew our family would try to interfere. But we did have a lovely wedding. No one knows yet, so I'd be appreciative if you didn't mention it to anyone until we can.

Driver: Of course, of course. He opens the door on the stage. Your carriage awaits. He helps the two ladies in, then holds the door for Christopher. I'd leave now, but there's one more passenger to come and I'm not scheduled to leave for another five minutes. Ah! Here he is now. I'll take your bag, Mr. MacKenzie.

A short, slim man boarded the stage and sat next to Delie. He wore boots, a hat, and work clothes. Two pistols rested in a holster around his waist. He has a dark complexion and smooth features. He removes his hat to reveal a mane of dark, curly hair in need of a good cutting. The stage soon pulls away.

Christopher: A man like yourself would have a horse, would he not?

MacKenzie: In a voice surprisingly soft for his gruff appearance. Probably. Had to shoot mine just before I got to Boise. Broken leg.

Christopher: Too bad. Are you heading to buy one from my brother, then?

MacKenzie: No, but I'll have to buy one, I s'pose. I'm lookin' for work. I heard there were a few good ranches up near this town.

Christopher: There are. Three of them. My father owns one; the Kincaid brothers, both my brothers-in-law, own one; and Lydie's brother has one.

MacKenzie: He'd be your brother-in-law too, then? The two of you are married?

Christopher: Yes, but how did you know?

MacKenzie: She's wearin' a wedding ring.

Christopher: That she is. Philip was my brother-in-law before Lydia and I married. He married my sister.

MacKenzie: How many sister do you have? I've counted three now.

Christopher: Laughs. I have five sisters, three brothers, and a sister-in-law. Two sisters-in-law after today, I hear. We are the Marshall brood. My name is Christopher, Lydia is my wife of twenty- five days, and Delie is our friend.

MacKenzie: Shakes hands with all. Stuart MacKenzie.

Christopher: If you don't mind my saying, you don't look like a Scot.

Stuart: My father was a full-blooded Highlander, with the temper to prove it. He was into ranching in Texas long before the war. He never married my mother, but they were together for a very long time. Mama was half Mexican of purely Spanish decent and half Apache. Mama died when I was two, Papa died a few years after the War and I lost the ranch. I've been a drifter ever since. But I'm good with horses, and I've been on more than a few cattle drives.

Christopher: You don't need to sell yourself to me. I've never been involved in the ranching. You'll need to talk to Dad or Nick, but I'll give you a good recommendation.

Stuart: Much obliged.

The four settle in for the long trip, discussing all sorts of things.

Scene 2: Belleterre, mid-day. The courtyard has been filled with rows of pews and chairs, and workmen are still milling around. In the guest room Tess has been given, her peace and quiet has been disturbed by a group of women all talking at once. Some are fully dressed, some half dressed. Tess, wearing her underclothes, is trying unsuccessfully to listen to them all.

Giving up, Tess quietly rises from the bed, puts on a robe, and slips from the room. She walks through the halls soaking up the quiet. Her peace is suddenly disturbed by the high-pitched screams of an infant down the hall. She finds the room, but no maid is around. All three babies are awake, but only the youngest one is crying. Tess picks up the two-month-old and walks it around the room.

Tess: It's all right, Bobby. Libbie does not mean to ignore you. She and your aunties are just preoccupied. They don't seem to need us, so we'll just stay out of their way. She sniffs the air, then looks down at the baby. You're a smelly one, aren't you?

Tess changes the baby's clothing and diaper, then rocks him, humming, till he falls asleep. She takes him to the next room where she finds a small bed. She places him on the bed close to the wall, then curls up next to him and promptly falls asleep.

Scene 3: Tess's room, a half hour later. All the ladies are dressed.

Georgie, with help from Louisa, lifts Tess's dress off the form and turns around.

Georgie: This is it, Tess. Time to put on the gown. She looks to the bed, then to several empty chairs, then to the blank faces of the other ladies. Where is Tess?

Marietta: She was sitting on the bed just a moment ago.

Grace: No she wasn't. That's where I was.

Georgie: Oh, God. He--

Grace: No! He couldn't have. There are too many people. Someone would have seen something.

Marietta: She probably went somewhere to sit and to think.

Elizabeth: We cannot just sit here. Everyone, go look for her. Look in all the bedrooms. If you do not find her, look downstairs. If you do not find her there, then we will tell the others.

Cut to: A half hour later. A group of men, some dressed to the nines some in work clothes, gathered outside the barn.

Nick: This isn't right. Tess and I were supposed to be marrying right now.

John Henry: You will find her, son. She will be all right.

Nick: Just don't forget to fire off the signal if she comes back.

John Henry: We will remember. Now go.

Cut to: An hour later. Libbie goes into the nursery to check on the babies. When she comes to her own son's empty bassinet, she panics and runs from the room screaming for help. Within seconds, most have run to her aid.

Elizabeth: Chèrie, what is the matter?

Libbie: Bobby, he's... he's gone. He's not in his bassinet.

Elizabeth: Mon Dieu! Now Bobby is missing, as well.

Tess: Appears slightly groggy, with Bobby cradled in one arm. No he isn't. He's right here. What is the matter?

Georgie: Tess!

Libbie: Rushes for her baby. Bobby!

Tess: Why do all of you look so frightened?

Georgie: You went missing. We couldn't find you anywhere.

Tess: I was in the next room. I suppose I fell asleep.

Elizabeth: Who searched this room?

She receives sheepish looks.

Louisa: I might have. I just looked in quickly. I swear I didn't see the other door.

Libbie: God! I looked in here, too. I can not believe I didn't notice Bobby missing.

Tess: How long have I been asleep? What time is it?

Georgie: You scared the– You scared us! You've been gone for an hour and a half. It is two o'clock.

Tess: Nick must be frantic! We were supposed to be married an hour ago.

Libbie: Nick, Philip, everyone. Even Robert. They all went out to look for you.

Georgie: Well, come one. You have to get dressed. I can not believe you slept through your own wedding.

Scene 4: Nearly an hour later, a stagecoach pulling to a stop in front of the post office in town.

Driver: I might be able to take you part way to somewhere, Mr. MacKenzie. I'm takin' these other folks down to Belleterre.

Christopher: We are all going there.

Driver: Oh, well then. We're late for the wedding, but we're still in time for the big party Mr. Marshall's throwin'.

The driver urges the horses quickly through the near-empty town.

Scene 5: Belleterre, the same time. All the guests are seated. Nick is standing nervously with Reverend Harris and best man Will at the head of the aisle. Elizabeth is playing the piano. Tess is waiting with her friends in a room at the far end of the courtyard.

Tess: Stop fussing over her, Vic. Lizzie looks beautiful and she'll do just fine.

Lizzie: Three years old; dressed in a frilly, full-length silk dress. Yes, Mummy. I'll do just fine. I know how to throw flowers. See?

To prove her skill, she took a handful of petals from her basket and tossed them in her mother's face, then giggled wildly.

Victoria: You little troll. She leads her daughter to the door. Now, just walk up to Uncle Nick. Your papa is sitting right up there in the front row and you can sit with him.

Lizzie: I know, Mama. May I go?

Victoria: Yes, you may.

Everyone turned and smiled as short little Lizzie walked expertly up the aisle, tossing her flowers from side to side. When she reached the front and sat down, the ladies turned to Tess.

Georgie: Go on, now, girlie. If I can do it, you most certainly can.

Georgie gave Tess a reassuring hug and kiss, then pointed her towards the door and gave her a light push. Tess took a deep breath and started to leave, but turned at the last minute.

Georgie: Oh, what is it now?

Tess: I don't want any guns at my wedding. John Henry made everyone give theirs up before they came into the courtyard. Gracie, are you wearing your gun?

Grace: After a quick pause. No, of course not.

Olivia: She's lying. Gracie, give it up now so we can get on with the wedding.

Grace frowns and stands her ground for a few seconds, then puts her foot on a table and hikes up her skirt. She removes the gun from where she tied it on her leg and puts it on the table.

Tess: Thank you. Now I can go.

Tess turns, waits for her train to be straightened, and begins her trek. She smiles the whole way. She is confident. Three quarters of the way there, with Georgie fifteen feet behind her and all the attendants in the aisle, her walk is rudely disturbed. Georgie happens to look to her side. There, sitting on the aisle with a grin from ear to ear, is Leroy. She lets out a blood-curdling scream. All eyes leave Tess and move to her.

Tess: Georgie? What's the matter?

Georgie remains frozen, staring straight ahead. When Gabe moves from his seat, Leroy pulls the gun from the back of his pants, grabs Georgie around her neck, and points the gun to her head.