Randolph McCoy was a lot of things and a southern gentleman was one of them, or that is what Lydia thought anyway. He let her enter his home and had his wife, Sally, fix her a cup of tea.
"Thank you ma'am." Lydia smiled when Sally sat a mug in front of her. 
"What can I do for ya Ms. Wilson?" Randall asked her. Calvin McCoy was also present and Lydia did not like the way he was staring at her.

"I know you're a very proud man but I came to ask you to drop the feud with Mr. Hatfield. If you'll stop this and drop the charges they'll leave your family alone. I give you my word."
"And what good would your word do me? I've lost over half my family already."
"If you don't stop you'll lose the other half. Please Mr. McCoy. I'll pay as much as you want."
"Which one of 'em are you sleepin' with?" The question took Lydia by surprise. Well there went the gentleman part, Lydia thought.

"I'm a honorable lady McCoy. I'm not bedding with any of them."
"You're one of them. I thought maybe you'd come to help us. Maybe you saw the wickedness that is the Hatfield's but they've corrupted you and you're going to hell with them. Get off my land."
"I came here to warn you too. If this goes to court I have enough to send you off for a long time. Drop it now while you're ahead." Lydia spat and stood up to leave. Randall came over to her and towered over her.
"Tell your dear Hatfield's that this ain't over till they're all dead. I just wanted Anse but now I'll take them all."
"They were right. You're pathetic." She turned to leave but he grabbed her shoulders and jerked her back in front of him.
"I got one more message for 'em." He slapped her across the cheek.
"If another Hatfield comes on my land I will use force. Get out." He growled. Lydia wanted to cradle her stinging face but she would not give him that satisfaction. She held her head high and walked out the door. She quickly untied the horse and climbed on. Then she headed back to her side of the Tug.

"Cap you can't go wanderin' off now!" Levicy chased after her son. 
"She wouldn't just go off like that Ma. I gotta find 'er." Cap went to the barn and found that his horse was missing too.
"Son of a bitch." He kicked at the dirt and threw his hat.

"Cap calm down son." Anse told him.
"She wouldn't leave me Pa. Somethin' happened."
"Never know 'bout her kind." Jim said.
"Her kind? She's one of us now." Cap defended her.
"She's a spoilt rich girl. Probably ran back home to her Pap." Jim said.
"You shut your mouth Jim! She wouldn't do that!"
"Boy you barely know 'er!" 

"Cap! Ms. Lydia is back!" Cotton ran in the barn. Cap stormed past everyone. When he saw her she was unmounting his horse.
"Where in the hell have you been!?" He confronted her.
"I just went for a ride." She whispered. She kept her back to him and made sure her hair covered the growing bruise.
"I know better than that Lydia Jean."
"I'm a grown woman. I don't need your permission."
"Dammit Lydia you had me worried sick! What if something happened to you? What would I have done then?" His tone softening at the end.
"I'm sorry. I had to." She sighed and went in the house, leaving the horse for Cap to put up.

Lydia was in the girl's room thinking about the previous event. She tried to help but now she has made it worse. Tears threatened to spill but she held them in. A soft knock sounded.
"Go away." She said, knowing it was Cap. He came in anyway.
"What's the point in knocking if you're gonna come in anyway?" She mumbled and turned her right cheek away from him.
"Tell me why you left." He demanded.
"No."
"Dammit Lydia." He turned and hit the wall.
"What is your problem?" She asked him.
"You!"
"Well if I'm that big of a problem then maybe I should go and court Kane!"
"Go fuck the son a bitch! See if I care!"
"Fine! Maybe I will!" She stood up and started packing her things. Cap just watched her in disbelief. His fear was coming true, he pushed her away. His temper got the best of him. Lydia forgot about her bruised face and carelessly moved around the room collecting her things. As Cap's eyes wandered over her he noticed the purple mark that had visible fingerprints. He rushed to her and grabbed her arm. He gently grabbed her chin and turned her face towards him. Lydia realized what he saw and avoided his eyes.
"Who did this?" He growled.
"Why do you care?" She struggled to get out of his grip.
"You know why I care Lyddie. Tell me before I go and find out myself."
"It's a message. If any Hatfield steps on McCoy land they'll use force." She quoted Randall's words.
"Which one was it?" Cap saw red as he pictured a McCoy laying a hand on her.
"It doesn't matter."
"You're gonna tell me which one it was Lydia."
"I went to talk to Randolph." She admitted.
"And why in the hell did you do that?"
"I thought I could convince him to stop this. I can't lose you or any of your family Cap. Anse and Randall are way past the talking stage. I was just trying to stop more bloodshed." She was on the verge of tears, scared of his reaction. He sighed and pulled her into a bone crushing hug.
"Just don't do anything that stupid again and leave this all to me."
"I can't promise you anything."
"I know. Which is why I'll be watching you like a hawk. Come on, let's go tell Pa about your little adventure." 

Another wave of fear washed over her. Devil Anse would for sure think she was a fool now. And she did not even want to think about what Jim Vance would have to say.

"Ole McCoy sent us a message." Cap stated as he walked out of the room.
"What are you going on about?" Anse asked his son. Cap moved out of the way to reveal Lydia behind him. The bruise was on full display to the family. Devil Anse rose from his seat.
"Get ta talkin' girl." Anse told her.
"It ain't 'er fault Pa." Cap defended her yet again.
"I'm just askin' her what happened."
"It's okay Cap. I went to talk to Randolph McCoy last night. I thought if I told him what would happen in court he would stop all this nonsense. I'm sorry Mr. Hatfield. I was trying to help but I made things worse. He said this wouldn't be over till you were all dead. I went to leave but he stopped me and said he had one more message for you. Then he hit me and said if any of you stepped foot on his land he'd use force." She explained.
"Is that all?" Anse asked.
"Well, when I asked him to drop the charges he asked which one I was sleeping with...." She started.
"Well he ain't as dumb as we thought." Jim mumbled. Cap glared daggers at his Uncle.
"Anyway, I told him I was an honorable lady and was not bedding anyone. He said he only let me in his house because he thought I was there to help him but obviously the Hatfields had corrupted me and were taking me to hell with them." She finished.
"Sounds like him. Don't you worry about it. We'll handle it from here." Devil Anse assured her.
"I'm sorry." 
"No need for that. It was stupid of you but the only harm done was to you and we'll take care of that. At least now he knows we have the law on our side."
"Maybe if ya tell your Pap that McCoy attacked ya he'll send his army faster." Jim suggested.
"I'll tell him if you want but the army won't be coming till after New Years." 

"You can go help Levicy with chores if you want Lydia. She'll tend to your bruisin' too. Cap, stay here." Anse ordered. Lydia nodded and went outside to find Levicy and Cap took a seat across from his Father.

"Don't you do it." Anse told Cap.
"Do what?"
"You know exactly what I'm sayin' boy. As soon as she's asleep you're gonna go ridin' to McCoy's like a madman with your gun blazin' and get yourself killed. I ain't havin' it. You let me take care of this ya hear?" 
"Yes sir." Cap gave in. That was what Cap was planning to do. He was going to kill every single one of them for laying a hand on her. He would show them how 'barbaric' he was. When it came to Lydia, he'd do anything to protect her and defend her honor.