“There’s my pretty lady!” he spoke in a soft voice.
Adeline was startled by his voice, and his presence. She thought she was alone, while Agnes was napping, except for the housemaids. “Um, yes, here I am!” She forced a smile, “Where have you been today, Richard?”
“Oh, just at a long, boring business meeting,” he answered.
“I am thoroughly enjoying the book you gave to me. I just finished the myth “Cupid and Psyche,” and found it quite interesting.” Adeline sat up straight, swinging her legs to the floor. She did not want to seem improper with a man in the room, especially one old enough to be her father.
“Ah, Cupid and Psyche, yes! One of my favorites!” Richard replied.
Adeline looked carefully at him. His hair had greyed more since last Christmas, and his face showed signs of age through the wrinkles that had gathered around the corners of his eyes and mouth. She could tell that he used to be a very attractive man in his youth. Her father had explained to her once that Richard’s wife had died in childbirth, and the child did not survive, either. Ever since that year, Richard had delved into his work, using it as his escape from the pain associated with this double loss.
“But what I cannot figure out about the myth is why Cupid wouldn’t let Psyche see him. He kept her in the dark about his physical features.” Adeline stated.
“Oh, my dear, you must understand that Cupid was relying on the faith and trust of Psyche’s love before he would reveal himself to her. It was a test, a test to see how much she really loved him.” Richard sat in the chair opposite the divan, and leaned forward, “Without trust and faith in one’s partner, love is absolutely tainted, no good. It may only be a myth, but it is a message to us all about how we are to handle ourselves in our personal lives.”
Adeline flipped her hair back from her face, “Well, I don’t think love should be a test. Love should be natural, and easy. Not hard, like a test. There are other ways to know if someone is truly in love with you, other than making them pass some strategic test!”
“Maybe you are right, dear. However, I do not think either one of us has mastery in the area of love. I am an older man, who has loved and lost. You, are just beginning, and have much to learn.” Richard replied.
Adeline squinted her eyes from the bright sun coming through the window, “I will learn in my own due time, and in my own way, then.”
Richard smiled coyly, “I imagine you will, Adeline, I imagine you will.”
* * *
There was still talk of Jessie’s murder at the tavern, where Richard had invited Edgar to meet him for dinner. The whole town of Frailburg was in an uproar about the Wild Hog, and this serial murderer was receiving more newspaper and gossip attention than he deserved, or so Edgar thought. Edgar arrived earlier than Richard. Richard had warned him he might be running late due to this being his last business meeting, and last night in Frailburg before his return to Texas.
The waiter seated Edgar at a small out-of-the-way table upon Edgar’s request, and Edgar ordered two whiskeys, which he knew Richard would be appreciative of when he arrived.
“Anything else I can get for you sir?” the waiter asked, as he placed the two shots of whiskey in front of Edgar.
“Oh, no, only one of these is for me. I am waiting for a guest, thank you.” Edgar slid one of the glasses across the table in front of the empty chair.
Edgar could not get Adeline out of his mind today. The entire town was in frenzy about the Wild Hog, and he was afraid he had caught the fever, too. He must do something at all cost to save her life. She was in danger, real danger. Not only was she young, but she was beautiful and rich. All of these, together, made her a prime target. With this last thought, he decided not to wait for Richard, and he picked up the glass of whiskey, drinking it down, with one gulp.
“Starting without me, already?” Richard’s voice rang behind him, as Edgar felt the warmth of the whiskey hit his empty stomach.
Richard sat down in the empty seat across from Edgar, “Have you ordered dinner, too?”
“Oh, no, dear friend. I was just medicating this uneasy feeling that my daughter is on the Wild Hog’s list of young ladies to murder!” Edgar’s voice rose in frustration.
“Well, Edgar, that is exactly why I asked you to meet me here for dinner tonight. With this being my last night in Frailburg, I was afraid I might not get a chance to speak with you in private at the house,” Richard explained.
Edgar raised his bushy silver eyebrows, “What is on your mind, Richard? Have you thought of a way for Agnes and I to help Adeline?”
“Yes, Edgar, I have, I sure have. I have a proposition to make, one that I think you will find pleasing,” Richard replied. “I would like to take Adeline home with me to Talon Peaks, to my ranch, to stay with me until the Wild Hog has been caught. She will be out of state, a long distance from this fellow, and the sheriff and his posse can do their jobs.”
The waiter approached the table slowly, seeing that a serious conversation was underway, “Can I get you gentlemen anything else?”
Richard picked up the glass of whiskey and drank it down, “Another one of these for each of us, and a steak for both, as well, please.”
“Yes, sir,” the waiter answered, and took the empty glasses with him, leaving the men to finish their discussion.
“You know I will have to talk to Agnes about this.” Edgar warned.
“Well, time is of the essence, Edgar. I leave mid-morning tomorrow for home, and I would like to have Adeline accompany me then.” Richard said.
Edgar could feel his instinct tell him this was the right plan of action to take, and he was sure Agnes would agree, but he would do the respectful thing, and go home after dinner, explaining this conversation to her in order to receive her approval.
“I can see the wheels turning in your brain, Edgar. I have known you way too long for you to hide any thoughts from me.” Richard urged Edgar to speak.
“Well, Richard, let us put this subject to rest for now, enjoy our steaks, and when I get home, I will need to approach Agnes for her decision on the matter. I will have an answer for you before we retire tonight. And by the way, thank you for being willing to take care of my daughter and to see to her safety for us in such a desperate time of need. You are truly my dearest friend!” Edgar smiled, as the waiter placed a large, fried steak in front of him.
* * *
“I believe this may be our only option, and Richard is one of the few people we trust enough with our own daughter’s safety,” Edgar said persuasively.
Agnes sat upright in bed. She had been resting, but could not fall asleep for the night until Edgar had returned home, and he seemed to have come in at a later hour than when he usually went out. She did trust Richard, trusted him enough to send her only child out of state with him, but only on the account that it was to keep her from any harm. She really did not even like the idea of being in the house without Adeline there, but she knew this was for her own good, and theirs.
“Yes, we will arrange to send Adeline with Richard when he leaves in the morning,” Agnes took a deep breath as she exhaled these words.
“Alright, dear, let me go tell Richard the news, so he can prepare for her to accompany him, and we must, at some point, let Adeline know, too. Go ahead and try to get some rest tonight. I will be up for a bit, but will join you in bed as soon as possible,” Edgar kissed his wife on her forehead, and pulled the covers up to her chin. “Rest easy, now, dear. Our angel will be alright.”
* * *
Edgar found Adeline still in the study, reading the book Richard had given to her, when he went searching for her. She reminded him of his little girl, who would crawl up on his lap and they would read together before bed. He had to let her go with Richard, no matter how hard it was to let her out of his sight. He eased into the room, trying not to break her concentration from her book.
Adeline quickly sensed his presence in the room, and closed her book tightly. She knew that somet
hing was awry because he had been out so late with Richard, and when Richard came back, he went directly to his room to pack up his things for his departure tomorrow.
“Good night, Father?” she questioned.
“Yes, Adeline, I came in to say good night, but I also have something I need to talk to you about, and it is an urgent matter.” Edgar reached to hold her hand.
Adeline felt her palms begin to get warm with nervousness, “What is it, Father? Is it Mother? Is she alright?”
“Oh, yes, dear, she is fine, well as fine as can be expected. I want to talk to you about Richard leaving tomorrow.”
“Yes, it will be sad to see him go. You seemed to have enjoyed his visit so much, Father,” Adeline consoled him.
“It has been a wonderful visit, but I am afraid I have to ask you to do one more thing for me,” Edgar looked at Adeline with a loving gaze that could only come from a father. “Your mother and I have arranged for you to accompany Richard to Talon Peaks tomorrow morning, to stay with him on his ranch until the Wild Hog murders have ceased, and the murderer is caught, or killed.”
“What?” Adeline exclaimed in a voice that could be heard by the housemaids down the hall, “You are sending me away with someone that I really don’t know very well, and we do not know for how long? You are sending me to Texas, a place I have never been, but have heard terrible stories of?” Tears came to Adeline’s eyes, not out of sadness, but out of anger. Adeline had a tendency to cry when she was extremely upset, signaling to her father to be careful with her at this point.
“Angel, there is no other alternative to keep you safe. You cannot stay in this house, cooped up indefinitely, dear. It is not healthy for you, and it might do you some good to spread your wings a bit, and explore some new territory. Richard has an exquisite ranch, with many horses to ride, and a lot of friends of his to be made by you. It will be fine, dear, trust me.” Edgar tried to use everything he could think of to persuade Adeline to compromise with Agnes and him.
“The real question is,” Adeline said, as she wiped away tears from her sparkling blue eyes, “do I actually have a choice?”
There was an awkward silence between the two of them, and Edgar broke it, “Actually, none of us have a choice right now. Desperate times call for desperate measures, dear. I am afraid you have to go, no matter how much you may not want to.” Edgar squeezed her hand. “We love you, and are doing this only out of that love for you. You have to believe this, Adeline. You must.”
Tears continued to fall from Adeline’s eyes.
* * *
Edgar had urged Adeline to immediately go to bed, and he would arrange for Carol to pack her belongings first thing in the morning before her departure with Richard. Edgar felt one thing gnawing at him in his gut, though, and he needed to speak with Richard about the matter before he made the final commitment to send Adeline away.
Edgar tapped lightly on the guest bedroom where Richard had been staying, “Richard, it is Edgar. May I have a word with you, please?”
Richard opened the door, and stood in front of Edgar in a pair of grey silk pajamas with his monogram on the left breast. “Yes, Edgar, have you had a chance to speak with Agnes, yet?”
“I have,” Edgar replied. “However, there is one matter of concern that I have about sending Adeline with you to your private ranch. I am afraid of how it might appear to others for a single, unmarried lady to be staying with a bachelor on his private ranch. I do not want to do anything to taint Adeline’s reputation. She is of marrying age, you know.”
“I completely understand your concerns, my dear Edgar. That is why I have another proposition to make.”
Edgar entered the room, and closed the door behind him, so that no one could overhear this portion of the conversation. “What is your proposition, Richard?”
“I know Adeline is of marrying age, and I would like to ask you for her hand in marriage. If Adeline does not want to marry me by the time the Wild Hog murderer is caught, or killed, then she will be free to return to you here in Frailburg, and I will take full responsibility for the break of the engagement. But this way, her reputation would stay intact, being that she would be engaged to me, returning with me to my ranch in order to prepare for the wedding.” Richard proposed.
Edgar scratched his head, “Adeline was vehemently against even going to Talon Peaks with you to protect her safety. Now, if I give you my permission, she will be completely irate, and may vent out on you while she is with you at your ranch. She is very spirited, you know,” Edgar said.
“Yes, that is one thing that I like about her, her spirit. Why don’t we wait and tell her about the engagement in the morning before we depart, so she can have a good night’s rest. And the rest of us can, too. That is, if you are giving me permission for her hand in marriage.” Richard glanced away.
Edgar paused for a moment, walked to the bedroom window, and looked out at the black night, “Yes, I suppose it would be alright to set it up as a temporary engagement, dependent upon her wishes, once they have ended this murdering spree here in Frailburg.”
“Excellent!” Richard beamed. I will continue to complete my packing duties tonight, and will have arrangements for us to leave around eight o’clock in the morning. We can all discuss this engagement at breakfast, no?”
“Yes, that will be fine. I have already sent Adeline to her room for the night, and Agnes is waiting for me to come to bed so she can fall asleep. You know how women are; they must have the man there to feel safe.”
“That is exactly what I plan to do for your daughter, Edgar, to make her feel loved and safe.” Richard assured Edgar.
“Then until the morning, Richard,” Edgar answered, as he quietly left the room.
Chapter Four
The house was especially quiet the next morning. Adeline woke before dawn, and was out on the patio watching the sunrise when Edgar came to the kitchen for his coffee. He watched her through the kitchen window, as she stood motionless, staring at the changing light and colors of the Arizona sky. He felt a nudge of guilt come over him, but then it was immediately replaced with the thought that this was for her safety, and for her well-being as a young lady in society. It would not have been right to send her under the pretense of no engagement to Richard’s home. It would have decimated any possible marriage for her in the future with a suitable, respectable man. But to convince her of these things would be another matter.
Edgar poured his own cup of coffee, as Carol and the other housemaids were not on duty, yet. He added some sugar, and as he was slowly stirring his coffee, Richard came into the kitchen behind him.
“A good morning to you, Edgar,” Richard spoke in a chipper voice.
Edgar turned to face Richard, “Yes, I suppose it is a good morning, but one that I fear will not be without its hardships,” he pointed to Adeline outside on the patio.
“Edgar, she will be able to ride every morning in Talon Peaks, without a gun, if she wants,” Richard encouraged him.
“Yes, I know. But it is sad to see her go, and we do not know how long this ordeal will last with the Wild Hog.” Edgar replied.
Richard poured a cup of coffee, and sat at the kitchen table, pulling a chair back for Edgar, to sit and relax with his cup of coffee. Edgar had always been the worrier among the two of them. When they were in school together, Edgar would get stomachaches whenever he felt he was not prepared for the tests, or when he had to approach a girl he was interested in. Edgar was not as strong as him, not as tough. That is how he had reached the pinnacle of success that he had in the gold mining business. He did not give time to worry and fear; he just simply took action, and paid any consequences that came.
“When will Agnes awake this morning, Edgar? I would like for all of us to be able to have the conversation about the engagement together,” he asked.
Edgar looked at Richard with a blank look, “I suppose sometime after the sun comes up. She was restless last night, and the pain woke her up a few times. I will wake her, if
needed, and she can continue her rest after you and Adeline have departed.”
Adeline had turned from the patio, and noticed her father and Richard at the table, drinking coffee. She decided to join them. As she entered the kitchen through the patio doors, Richard stood up, “Can I pour you some coffee this morning, Adeline?”
Adeline looked away, “I was the one who made it since no one was up, yet, and I have already had a cup, thank you.”
Richard sank down in his chair, realizing that Edgar was right. This was going to be more of an ordeal than he had originally thought. Adeline excused herself to go see if Carol was getting ready for duty, so that breakfast could be made.
“Is it Agnes or you that she gets her stubbornness from?” Richard jokingly asked Edgar.
“I suppose she has a double dose!” Edgar smiled, and sipped more of his coffee.
The Cowboy's Stolen Bride (Historical Western Romance) Page 3