Excerpt from chapter 39, The Queen of Paradise Valley:
The fence was cut in five places along a stretch of meadow bordering
Lord's property. Del and Clem rode along the line, but found no more gaps.
Stoney and Jim recovered the few cows that had strayed and made repairs by
lantern light.
"What d'you think?" Clem asked as they rode back. "I
don't like this kinda trouble. The cows are restless enough with water holes
drying up every day."
"Look around in the morning. Maybe you’ll find some clues."
Though disturbed, Del wasn't going to let new worries interfere with his plans
to have a long-overdue talk with Diana.
Clem sniffed the air. "Stinks kinda like–“ He stopped. “Will you
lookit that?" Awe in his voice, he pointed to the house.
Del jerked on the reins. Brilliant light issued from the lower floor
windows. The light of a thousand candles. Unbelievable. Impossible.
Ebony bounded forth, yapping. Diablo flattened his ears and, grunting,
tossed his head, while Clem's horse pranced and whinnied. Clem said, "What
the--" The front windows bulged as if the room behind was being inflated,
and simultaneously exploded. Slivers of glass showered to the earth like
burning raindrops. Smoke billowed from the yawning openings and formed pillars
that ascended high above the roof.
"Hell!" Del set the mustang into a hard gallop and chased
after Ebony. When Diablo snorted and skidded to a stop, Del jumped off and ran,
gripped by an unnamed fear.
Pandemonium reigned in the yard. Men shouted as they ran about with
shovels, beating out sparks as they fell. Where was Diana? Del swung about.
Where in hell was she?
He shouldered through the men and found the servants: Alfredo in his
shirtsleeves, struggled to hold the frantic dog; Teresa, hands to her heart,
wailed, "Dio mio--;" Nita,
tears glistening on her cheeks, tried to calm her mother; Marion, wild-eyed,
hugged her thin shoulders.
Del shouted, "Diana--where--?"
Each of them turned about, eyes wide, as if Diana should be there with
them. They stared at him, aghast.
Alfredo rubbed his knuckles across his brow. "Upstairs, she went--"
-- Cat
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