The sun was nearly fully up, when Carol walked into the kitchen, still adjusting her hair and apron, “I will have breakfast done soon, gentlemen. I know you have a long journey today, Mr. Arnolds.” She began to collect the items she would need to prepare enough bacon and eggs, and some fresh biscuits, that there would be sufficient leftovers for Richard and Adeline on their journey. “Thank you, Carol, for starting your day early for us. Please make sure to take a rest later in the day to make up for any sleep that you may have missed,” Edgar directed.
Adeline strolled into the kitchen, “Carol will prepare the belongings that I need for the trip after breakfast, and I have roused Mother so that she can join us for breakfast.” Adeline sat down at the table with her father and Richard, and crossed one leg over the other, then one arm over the other.
“How did you sleep, dear?” Edgar asked.
“Fine, after crying myself to sleep,” Adeline rebelliously answered.
“You will find my ranch to be a pleasing place to be, Adeline,” Richard tried to console her. “There are plenty of horses to ride, and people of the town to meet. There are quite a few social activities that take place each week, and most people are very friendly. The food is wonderful, too. Have you ever had fried okra, or turnip greens?” Richard asked.
“I don’t believe I have even heard of either one, and neither sounds that enticing, but at least I can get back on horseback,” Adeline conceded.
Agnes shuffled into the kitchen in her white silk robe, “Good Morning, all. Hello, dear,” she kissed Edgar on the cheek. “Adeline, how are you this morning, dear?” she asked.
Adeline sat, twirling her long hair between her fingers like she did when she was twelve. Somehow, this situation had made her feel as if she were a young child again, being told what to do. “I slept well, Mother, and you?”
“I had a restless night. I am worried about this whole ordeal of you going to Talon Peaks, but I know it is the best thing for us all to do for your safety, dear.” Agnes spoke softly.
“Well, now that the can of worms is opened up,” Edgar spoke up, “I think we need to discuss one more issue before we begin the final preparations for your departure, Adeline.”
“Now what?” Adeline begged. She did not know if she could handle any more surprises or demands at this point in time.
“I, um, have given permission for Richard to have your hand in marriage. He asked me last night after everyone had gone to bed. We both agree that it would ruin your reputation for you to accompany a bachelor to his ranch, being a single, unmarried lady yourself. So, you will be betrothed, hinging on the fact that if you decide not to marry Richard when the Wild Hog has been caught, you may return here to us, and go on about your own life. However, if you decide to marry Richard, then you will be at his ranch, already acquainted with the town and his home. You would then be prepared to make wedding plans.”
“This is news to me, Edgar,” Agnes’ voice lifted higher.
“And to me, too, Father! So, if I have a choice in saying whether I want to marry Richard or not, then why can’t I just say no right now?” Adeline pleaded.
“Because of propriety, Adeline,” Richard chimed in. “Your whole future could be stained by this one event of coming to my ranch with me, even if it is for your safety. People of society do not see things that way. They look at what is proper, and what is not.”
“What is not proper is having three people sitting here, telling me I am engaged to a man that is my father’s oldest friend, and that I have known since I was a little girl! What ever happened to giving me a chance to find love on my own accord?” Adeline’s face was red, and angry tears began to run down her tanned cheeks.
“It does not seem right to you right now, dear, but it will seem so in the future, whether you decide to marry Richard or not,” Edgar insisted.
A moment of silence fell in the kitchen. Adeline sat in her chair, with tears streaming down her cheeks, while Richard stood up to refill his cup of coffee, trying to distract himself from her emotional state.
“Adeline, we all love you,” Agnes said, “and we just want the best for you, dear. Please, let us just keep this as simple as a temporary engagement for the sake of demonstration to others, and you know that you ultimately get to make the final decision on what you want to do with your life once this mad man is caught. But if you were to stay here, you risk the chance of not having a life to decide what to do with.”
Those words from her mother were the only words that made sense to Adeline in the conversations from the last two days. Adeline knew she was in danger here in Frailburg, and if she had to leave under the guise of being engaged to an old family friend, then that was just the way it was going to be. Her parents would not take no for an answer from her, and at this point, she had no more mental strength to fight them.
“I understand, Mother. All of your intentions are in my best interest. It is just hard to see it that way from my point of view. However, I will agree to follow your directions, and prepare to leave with Richard, knowing that this is only a temporary engagement.” With those final words, Adeline brushed the tears from her eyes and exited the room, to prepare for the journey.
“This really is the right thing to do, Edgar and Agnes, and I promise I will make sure that she is well taken care of. She will have more than what she needs, or wants, and will have every possible activity at her disposal. She is young, and needs to be active. She will feel much better once we get to Talon Peaks, and she can regain some independence, even if it’s just by getting back to her morning rides. Thank you for trusting me with your dear daughter.” Richard left the room to finish up the last bit of details he needed to tend to before their trip.
* * *
“Have you been to Texas before, Adeline?” Richard prompted her to look up from the mythology book she had been reading since they left her home.
“No,” she sharply replied.
“You will like it. There is a different atmosphere in Texas, more hospitable, I would say. All the people greet one another as they walk down the street of Talon Peaks, and everyone knows each other,” Richard spoke as he looked out the stagecoach window, watching the cacti plants and sage pass by quickly, as the horses sped on through the Arizona desert.
“People in Frailburg are rather friendly. I know most people who live there, and so does my father,” Adeline retorted.
Richard scratched his cleanly shaven chin, “So, what myth are you reading now, Adeline?” he tried to alter the conversation.
“The famous myth about Medusa,” she replied with a coy smile, “when men touch her, they turn to stone!” Adeline giggled, as she caught Richard’s stare.
“Yes, well, uh, that is one of the most famous. But have you read to the end of it, yet?”
“No,” Adeline responded, as she closed the book, realizing Richard was not going to leave her in peace to read.
Richard smiled, “She gets her head cut off in the end,” he laughed.
Adeline glared at Richard, “Touché,” she said, acknowledging his cleverness.
“Adeline, let us quit bantering metaphors for now. I am taking you to my ranch to keep you safe, and will show you nothing but love and respect. It is completely up to you whether you decide to receive those things, or not.” Richard opened up the leather bag that was on his seat next to him. “Would you care for one of the sandwiches that Carol prepared for us, or would you rather stop and eat at the next town we come to?”
Adeline’s stomach was growling. They must have been in this stagecoach for at least four or five hours by now, and she had only picked at her breakfast this morning. “Yes, please,” she responded.
Richard handed her a sandwich wrapped with brown paper, and opened up a canteen of water, took a large drink, and passed it to her.
“Just the sandwich, thank you,” she responded. “However, I would like to stop at the next town, if possible, to stretch a bit, and freshen up,” Adeline requested as her teeth sank into the f
reshly made bread.
“That sounds just fine, Adeline,” Richard smiled his big white smile, “anything for my Adeline!”
* * *
Adeline had placed the last of the crumbs of her bread for the birds at the entry way of the restaurant the stagecoach pulled up to in what seemed to her as some unforgiving town. “Is this a ghost town, Richard?” she asked as they entered the restaurant.
“Pretty near, dear. Willow Grove once was a booming mining town, but now it is on the verge of extinction,” Richard answered her, as he surveyed the empty restaurant.
There were plenty of empty tables to accompany quite a crowd, but the only souls in the place were a bald-headed bartender with an overextended handle bar mustache, and a busty, red haired, young lady sitting at the bar, talking with him. Neither one of them looked up at Richard or Adeline.
Richard cleared his throat, “Um, excuse, me, sir. We were hoping to find some refreshments, and some accommodations for this lady to freshen up. You see, we are traveling many miles today, and are rather parched in this heat,” Richard grinned at the young lady at the bar, as the bartender looked up from the glass he was drying with a rag.
“Beer or whiskey,” the man grumbled. “That is about all we serve here. We do not get many travelers passing through here anymore. Or, if we do, they do not find the necessity to stop,” the bartender smiled sheepishly.
Richard walked up to the bar, motioning Adeline to follow, “You have a nice establishment here, sir. I can see that, at one time, it must have been quite the gathering place,” he consoled.
The bartender finally took interest in Richard, “Yes, it was, back in the day. Why, I have been here for over twenty-five years. I have seen the increase and decrease of people, as one watches the sun rise and fall each day. I don’t remember, though, seeing many people of the likes of you around here,” the bartender said.
“Well, let me introduce us. I am Richard Arnolds from Talon Peaks, Texas, and this here is Miss Adeline Baxter, my betrothed,” Richard winked at Adeline, while staying in conversation with the man. Adeline turned away from the small group of people at the bar, and began to walk around the restaurant, looking at various artifacts on the walls. Richard continued to speak with the bartender, while Adeline began to grow restless at how long it was taking to simply get a drink.
“Where might I locate the ladies’ room, so that I can freshen up a bit, please?” Adeline’s voice rose above the conversation the two men were still engaged in.
The bartender stopped talking abruptly, “Oh, forgive me, Miss. Why doesn’t Rachel show you where the ladies’ room is,” he pointed at the red head to assist Adeline, as the men continued exchanging information.
Adeline waited for the young lady to approach her, and then she silently followed her down a long hallway, where she could see the kitchen in the back room. Rachel spoke softly, “Here you are, Miss. What would you like to drink, and I can get it ready for you while you freshen up.”
“Might you have some cold tea, with sugar, please? Adeline asked Rachel, as the young lady adjusted her large bosom in her dress.
“Being a lady is not all what it is made out to be, eh?” Rachel smiled. “Sure, I’ll getcha some tea with sugar, but I don’t know how cold it will be.”
“Thank you, um, Rachel, is it?”
“Yeah, my name is Rachel, and I am one of three women in this town! Hard to believe, huh? Hey, hon, I was meanin’ to ask ya, is that really your betrothed, or is he your father?”
Adeline grew impatient, “Does it really matter?”
Rachel smacked her bright red lips, “Not really, but I suppose it matters to you!”
Adeline turned quickly, pushing the door to the ladies’ room open, and sighing in relief when she heard the door slam behind her.
Chapter Five
It had seemed to take longer than any other trip Adeline had been on to arrive at Talon Peaks, Texas, from Arizona. Perhaps it was being in close quarters on the stagecoach with Richard that had agitated Adeline so much, but by the time the stagecoach approached the sprawling acres of the ranch, Adeline could feel the tight knot that had developed in her stomach begin to loosen.
The terrain of West Texas was not much different than that of what she was use to back home in Frialburg. The only difference in terrain that Adeline noticed was there were small, dry trees spread about the land. Richard had introduced them to her as “mesquite trees,” when they had crossed the border into the western portion of the state. He said they used them on his ranch to cook, and the flavor was delightful, something she looked forward to trying.
“Here we are, dear! Your new home for the time being,” Richard sat up straight, put his grey hat on his head, and began to put the items he had taken out of his bag back in it, ready to exit the stagecoach immediately.
Adeline smiled, for what seemed like the first time in the entire trip, when the stagecoach passed by the stables, and she saw more horses than she could count on her two hands. These were not just any type of horses, but fine thoroughbreds, the kind that one only dreamed of riding. “Are those all your horses, or do you board for others?” she quietly asked.
“Those are all my horses, Adeline, and any of them are at your disposal to ride any time of the day or night. We are lucky here in Talon Peaks; we have no mad men running about!” Richard proudly responded.
Adeline blushed. She realized for the first time on the trip that she was taking out her anger towards her parents sending her away on Richard. However, she still held a grudge toward him for talking her father into her supposed hand in marriage.
The stagecoach stopped at a massive, white ranch house. The driver hopped off his seat to the ground, and opened the door for Richard and Adeline, “Here ya’ are, sir! Finally, home!”
Richard stepped out of the stagecoach, handing the driver a roll of money, “Thank you, and please have the stable boys take care of your horses for the night. You may stay in the bunk house with them until your departure in the morning.”
Richard reached his long, thin arm into the stagecoach and offered assistance to Adeline, “May we?” he grinned.
A bittersweet feeling came over Adeline. She was relieved to be out of harm’s way in Frailburg, but sad to have to leave her parents behind. She was excited to explore the ranch house, and the land upon which it sat. However, she could see the grin on Richard’s face, and she knew that type of smile from a man, and what it meant. He brought her here, not only to rescue her, but to win her over. And by all means, she would do everything within her power to stop that. She wanted true love, love at first sight. Love that was natural, not bargained for, as Richard was trying to do for her affections.
Adeline grabbed his hand, and made her first contact with Texas soil. “This is a beautiful ranch and home, Richard,” she complimented him, “But I would really like to be shown to my room now. I am extremely weary from the trip, as I am sure you are, too.”
“Of course, dear, whatever you desire. Let us go inside, and you can meet Tillie, my housemaid. She handles all matters of my home for me, and has been with me for many years.” They walked toward the large, red doors, and Richard opened the door for Adeline. “Ladies first!” he smiled again, a smile of a young schoolboy.
Adeline’s eyebrows creased, “Thank you,” she said stiffly, as she walked across the threshold. Before she even got fully in the entry way, a small, plump older lady darted over to her.
“This is her? Adeline? Well, hello, there, sweetie! Sir Richard sent a telegraph to let us know you were coming! I am so glad you made it here safely. I am Tillie, and I bet you are hungry! I have dinner prepared already for you both. Let me take you upstairs and show you your room, and Guy will bring in your luggage in just a bit.” The tiny lady was so close to Adeline’s face, that Adeline had to take three steps backwards to be able to even see Tillie’s full, round face. Tillie was dark-skinned, possibly having some Indian blood in her. She had large, doe-like eyes, that gave the impression
of Tillie having much beauty when she was younger. However, now, her face had been dried and wrinkled by the sun and wind. She held out her stumpy hand to take Adeline’s, and lead her upstairs.
Adeline looked toward Richard, who merely nodded, and she followed Tillie up the long, spiraling staircase, almost being dragged by the tiny woman, whose strength was impressive. Richard watched Adeline, as she climbed the stairs, noticing her grace, even as tired as she was. She was such a beautiful creature, and now he had her in his own home! He would make sure to give her every care and comfort imaginable. Richard was growing very fond of Adeline. He could not bear the thought of her ever wanting to leave the Arnolds Ranch.
* * *
Adeline had gulped her dinner down as fast as she could, so she could excuse herself to her room for the evening. She had not had any alone time for days, and it was wearing on her. Plus, Tillie just had too much enthusiasm and questions for her. Adeline had responded to a battery of them with one-word answers, trying to be as polite as she could.
The Cowboy's Stolen Bride (Historical Western Romance) Page 4