Against Her Will

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Temperance stepped gingerly out into the sunlight. It was bright and hot and felt good against her skin, though her eyes squinted at the sudden onslaught.

Nearly three weeks she had been laying on her stomach with very little movement as the wounds on her back had worked on scabbing over. Several had had to be stitched because they had been so severe and Temperance was grateful that Wilma was educated in such things.

Temperance looked up at the bright sun and the peaceful blue sky full of blue clouds and marveled at just how mocking it all seemed.

Today was not a happy day. Today was the day that the verdict of Tanner's trial would be announced and he would be sentenced. Temperance had been unable to testify in person on his behalf but she had sent in a written testimony that Patrick Starr had come out and picked up.

Felix had been in the courtroom during it all and had said that things weren't looking very well for Tanner. The guilt Temperance felt inside was nearly crippling. Tanner had done what he had done because of her.... If she hadn't put that rifle down, if she hadn't opened that door, if she had never gone to him with her problems in the first place, then Tanner would not be facing a noose.

"Are ya sure ya can handle a trip to town, Temperance?" Wilma asked gently.

Temperance nodded. "I have no choice," she replied. "I have to be there for Tanner."

"I understand," Wilma laid a gentle hand on Temperance's shoulder and Temperance tensed and moved away from the touch. Human contact caused her heart to race and breathing to become difficult--even from Wilma whom she trusted.

Wilma sighed and walked past her. "I'll have Felix ready a cart with plenty of soft blankets. You're probably going to be in a lot of pain, Temperance."

Temperance simply sighed. "Pain is nothing new to me."

The ride to town was painful and it took much longer than normal as Felix kept the pace slow and attempted to pick the least rutted routes possible. It left Temperance with plenty of time to think about herself and her life.

Trevor was gone. She was a free woman. Free to leave the plantation and have a life anywhere she chose and yet.... She couldn't think of anywhere else that she would go.

The only people in the world that she knew lived here. True, most of the old slaves had chosen to leave after Trevor's death and Tanner's arrest but there were still ten here. Five men that Temperance had never spoken to other than in passing, Felix, Wilma and three young girls, twelve, thirteen and sixteen who had been too young to simply go off on their own.

And if Tanner was found innocent he would be back as well. Temperance couldn't think of anywhere else she could possibly live. She only hoped that Tanner would be allowed to live and that he would still want her here. He had been forced to shoot his brother in the back because of her... maybe that would cause him to want her gone.

Getting out of the wagon at the courthouse in town proved to be a spectacle. Cries had arisen when people had realized that she was Trevor's battered widow. She was the woman who, in the eyes of the town, had caused the brothers to feud and had led to one murdering the other in a cold blooded jealous rage.

Wilma led Temperance inside with Felix attempting to fight back the crowd. Temperance was forced to stand--she could have sat in one of the rows of seats but negros were not permitted to sit and she would not sit without her friends.

Temperance was nervous in the crowd. She stiffened whenever anyone bumped against her. Her heart beat violently against her ribs when a man made eye contact. She wanted to run and yet she had to stay--she had to hear what was going to become of Tanner.