When she returned to the room which she had been assigned, she shut and locked the door behind her, exhaling deeply. Adeline surveyed the large guest room Tille had taken her to, and gasped at how ornate and luxurious it was. The room was large enough to fit a mahogany four poster bed, which had sheer white curtains all the way around it. On one side of the bed was a matching nightstand, equipped with anything a young lady may need to beautify herself before bed. On the other side of the enormous bed was a full-length looking glass, framed in mahogany wood, with decorative hand carvings in the wood. Tillie had already unpacked her belongings, and placed most of her night wear in the dresser next to the looking glass. Adeline’s dresses were hung neatly on velvet hangers in a small closet next to the bedroom door.
On one side of the room was the bedroom, but on the other side of the room, there was room enough for a small beige divan, and a matching reading chair, which was next to an open window, where the night breeze was gently blowing in. In the corner, was a small, wooden writing desk. Adeline was very impressed with her room, and what other areas of the home she had seen so far.
There were so many rooms, it would take her a whole day just to explore what she was allowed to. Adeline yawned, opened the dresser, and pulled out her favorite nightgown. Her mother had given it to her as a birthday gift a year ago. She slid into the gown, and sat down at the desk, opening a bottom drawer, in hopes to find some writing paper. She gasped at the gold-lined writing paper that was waiting for her in the drawer, along with what seemed to be a gold pen. She placed a piece of this beautiful paper on the desk, propped the pen comfortably in her hand, and began to write.
August 29, 1871
Dear Mother and Father,
I am delighted to tell you of our safe arrival at the Arnolds Ranch in Talon Peaks, Texas. The trip was a bit arduous, but Richard has been nothing but a kind, courteous, and generous guardian to me since we left. I sit in my assigned bedroom tonight, missing both of you terribly. Mother, I hope your health has improved, knowing that your daughter is safe and sound now. Father, thank you for making arrangements to keep me out of harm’s way. Has there been any new news of the Wild Hog? I will pray each night I am here that the monster is caught, and for justice to be done for all his wrong doings. How can men be so cruel to one another? I fret, no matter how old I become, that I shall never be able to answer this question. Tomorrow, I will rise early, and Richard has given me permission to go to the stables and select any one of his fine thoroughbreds for my morning ride. Oh, to ride again! I feel the miles we traveled now on my weary eyes, so I will close this letter, and retire to bed. Know that you are both always in my heart and prayers. I will write as often as possible, and tell you of my adventures here in Talon Peaks. For now, good night.
Your Loving Daughter,
Adeline
Adeline folded the paper neatly, and placed it in an envelope that was inside the top drawer of the desk. She yawned again, leaving the letter on the desk to address in the morning, and give to Tillie to make sure it found its way to her parents. She pulled back the down comforter on the high mattress of the bed. Using the step stool next to the bed, she climbed up into the softest bed she had ever encountered. It only took a few minutes for her to drift into a deep sleep, after saying her nightly prayers.
* * *
When Adeline woke, the sky outside her open bedroom window was still pitch black, so she lit the lantern next to her bed and fumbled to find the small closet in the shadow of the lantern light. She felt for her morning robe among the hanging garments that Tillie had neatly placed in the closet the night before; she put it on, also finding her slippers on the floor of the closet. She lifted the lantern, and decided to go in search of the kitchen, in hopes that Tillie was already up, having coffee prepared.
Adeline slowly descended the spiral staircase, using the lantern to watch her every step. She was not use to stairs like these, and was afraid, in her loose slippers, that she might lose her step and fall. Once at the bottom of the stairs, she held out the lantern, and turned right, then left, confused as to where the kitchen was placed in this large house. She had been very tired the night before, and had not made mental notes of the placement of her surroundings.
She decided to proceed to the right, and as she followed the dim light of the lantern down a long hallway, she saw a small light illuminating from a room off to the left. She was pleased to find this was the kitchen area when she arrived at the room. She could hear a lady humming in the kitchen, among the noise of pots and pans clattering. Adeline entered the kitchen, seeing Tillie at the stove, cracking eggs into a cast iron skillet.
“Good morning, Tillie,” Adeline whispered, hoping not to rouse anyone else that might be in the vicinity still asleep.
Tillie turned her head around, while still cracking an egg, “Why, good morning, Miss Adeline. How was your sleep?”
Adeline smiled at Tillie’s use of words, “I am afraid I was so tired, I do not even recall, Tillie. Is there any coffee available, yet?” she asked.
“Oh, yes, I get up very early in order to have coffee ready for Sir Richard, and have his breakfast made before sunrise on his business days,” Tillie answered, looking back down at the eggs frying in the skillet. “Just one moment, Miss, and I will pour you a cup. Why don’t you have a rest at the breakfast table,” she pointed at the oak table off to the left side of the room, “Sir, Richard likes to have breakfast in here. He says the dining room is for formal gatherings, and we have not had many of those of late.”
Adeline made her way to the table, and sat in one of the empty chairs, placing the lantern on the table, “Is Richard awake, yet?” she questioned Tillie.
“Oh, heaven’s sake, yes! He has an important business meeting today, and will be leaving early.He has instructed me to show you to the stables this morning so that you may take your mornin’ ride,” Tillie tightened her apron around her waist, “I love ridin’ myself.I was on a horse just not long after I learned to walk!” Tillie poured a cup of coffee for Adeline, and placed it in front of her, “What do you take in your coffee, Miss?”
“Just sugar, no cream, thank you,” Adeline replied.
“Sugar’s right there at the table with the spoon you’ll need for your stirring,” Tillie went back to tending to the eggs, which were ready to be placed on a plate.
Adeline asked, “Where are you from, Tillie?”
Tillie scooped up the eggs with a spatula, and placed them on a white china plate. She placed a few strips of bacon in the same skillet the eggs were in, “I’m from Oklahoma, Miss Adeline. I’m what they call a ‘half-breed,’ she smiled. She turned to face Adeline, while the bacon began to sizzle in the skillet, “My momma was pure blooded Cherokee, and was taken as prisoner by those mean Apache durin’ a raid. She lived with them, as the servant to the chief, until my father traded some furs for her one day, and rescued her from their cruelty.” A sadness came over Tillie’s face, “My pa took good care of my ma, but she died givin’ birth to me. So, I was raised by my pa, who was an English fur trader. We lived with his Ma for most of my growin’ years, and she is the one who raised me. He was always out in some wooded area, hunting those animals for money.”
Adeline stirred the sugar into her coffee slowly, “I am sorry to hear about your mother’s passing. That must have been hard, growing up without a mother. I do not know what I would do without mine.”
“Well, Miss, life’s not fair to all of us, and we got along the best we could. My grandma was a good, God-fearing woman, and taught me to read and write, but it was my father who taught me to ride horses,” Tillie turned the bacon in the skillet. She added more wood to the stove, “This darn thing never does stay warm enough!”
“My father taught me to ride, too. That is something we have in common, Tillie,” Adeline said, trying to lift Tillie’s spirits.
Tillie used a fork to poke the bacon, and lifted it onto the plate she was preparing. “Sir Richard is leaving early this morning, and has
asked me to bring his breakfast to his study, where he is gettin’ ready for his trip. I will make you some breakfast when I get back, if ya’ like?” Tillie picked up the plate, and placed it on a wooden tray, which had a glass of juice, silverware and cloth napkin neatly put in place.
“I think I would like just two eggs and some toast this morning before we go to the stables, Tillie, if it is not too much trouble for you,” Adeline requested.
“Nothin’ at all! Sir Richard told me that nothin’ is too much or too good for ya’ while ya’ here. He wants ya’ to be comfortable and well- tended to,” Tillie exited the kitchen, giving Adeline a nod, and a smile.
* * *
Adeline followed Tillie, as they made their way to the stables. The sky was starting to turn to a light pink, as the sun was peeking its head above the horizon. Adeline genuinely liked Tillie. She seemed to be a very sincere and kind woman who had gone through many hardships in her life. Adeline had not been exposed to many personal stories that compared to Tillie’s. Her life had been protected, and the people her mother and father had her around growing up were all of fine breeding. Adeline felt almost embarrassed to be so naïve. She was sure she would have many things to write about to her parents while she was here, and many more adventures to tell them upon her return to home.
Tillie stopped at the stable, where the horses were receiving their morning hay from a young lad, who looked barely to be in his teens. “This is Sonny, our main stable boy. He will help you with anything you need to get you goin’ on a horse this mornin’, Miss Adeline,” Tillie motioned for Sonny to come over to meet Adeline.
“How da ya’ do, Miss? I’m Sonny,” the young man grinned, and blushed at the sight of such a beautiful young woman.
“She know that,” Tillie grumbled. “Just get her the finest horse we got, so she can get her mornin’ ride in before the heat sets in!” Adeline could see that this young man irritated Tillie in some way, as her demeanor had changed quickly.
“Yes, mam,” the lad tipped his dusty hat to Tillie and went off to saddle up a horse for Adeline.
“If there is anythin’ else you need from me, I’ll be back at the house, Miss,” Tillie turned and began to walk back to the ranch house.
Adeline called out, “Thank you, Tillie! Thank you for everything!”
Tillie waved as she went further into the distance. Adeline walked over to the stables, and picked up a handful of hay, feeding it to one of the mares in her stall. In only a few minutes, Sonny walked around to Adeline, leading a tall stallion, “This here’s Thunder. We call him that because of the way his hooves sound when he gets to runnin,’” the young boy sheepishly smiled. “He’s the best of the best here, and I warn ya’ to take it easy with him on your first try!”
Adeline put her hands firmly on her hips, “I am very capable on a horse, Sonny, but thank you for the warning.” With Sonny’s help, she placed one foot in the foot strap, and lifted herself up onto the giant’s back. “I will be back in about an hour, Sonny. That is all I need from you now,” she stated. Sonny was standing, staring at her, and her words broke his gaze. Adeline could tell he had a boyish attraction to her, and made a mental note not to be too nice to him, to keep a distance. The last thing she needed was to break two men’s hearts when she returned home.
Chapter Six
Adeline’s morning ride had been exquisite. She rode around almost the entire perimeter of the main property, making sure to stay within the fence line, so as not to get lost on her first day. The sky seemed to be more expansive here in Texas, and she thought nothing could compare to her Arizona skyline. She had to admit, Sonny was right about Thunder; he was a challenge to ride. He was a very spirited horse, but was gentle in his gallop. She dared not run him yet. She wanted him to become a bit more familiar with her riding style before she broke him out in the open fields.
When she returned to the ranch house, Tillie greeted her, asking her if there was anything she needed. Adeline requested to see the library, if she were allowed to visit it.
“Of course, Miss. I heard ya’ are a reader, and Richard won’t be back till after dark tonight, so, unless you want one of the hands to take you into town today, you can read the day away!”
“I think I will save going to town until tomorrow. I believe I need to rest up a bit from our travels. It was a long distance we covered. Where did Richard go?” Adeline asked, snooping for information.
“Oh, he’s on his usual business day trip. He never tell me where he go on his trips, just that he go. Don’t worry, Miss, you can see him this evening when he come home.” Tillie motioned toward the hallway which led to the kitchen. “The library is down here, past the kitchen. Stop in the kitchen if ya’ like, and I’ll fix ya’ a cool glass of water or tea, maybe?”
“Just some water, please, and if you could bring it to the study, I would be grateful, Tillie,” Adeline spoke, as she walked down the hall.
Adeline located the library two rooms down from the kitchen. When she walked in, she felt as if she were trespassing in some way. To her, her books were personal, and what she read told many things about her. Knowing this, she wanted to see what books Richard held in his collection, hoping to gain a better insight into the man who had brought her here.
The library walls were lined with shelves made out of some type of dark wood that Adeline did not immediately recognize. There was a large desk against the window, where she supposed Richard sat to perform his business, while looking out at the view of his property. She was impressed by how luxurious his home was, and knew he must have worked hard, or was lucky in the gold business to have obtained all that was in her surroundings.
She walked over to the first shelf, and began to glance at the titles of the books. She surmised the first shelf must be for philosophical works because it was full of Plato, Socrates, Aristotle, Euripides, and other classic authors. She did not think Richard to be such an intellectual, as to hold these types of writings, but then again, he could just be a collector, not a connoisseur of books.
Adeline moved over to the second shelf. Placed on this shelf, were more recent authors, such as Thoreau, Emerson, Melville, and Hawthorne. She could relate these texts more to Richard’s personality; he seemed to enjoy nature and liked a challenging story, such as Moby Dick. She pulled the copy of this book from the shelf and flipped through the pages, seeing that they were worn. So, she was right, this was the shelf that Richard read the most from, maybe. She continued on, from shelf to shelf, inspecting various books. Richard’s collection contained everything from philosophy to cookbooks. The range was impressive.
She had the urge to rummage through his personal desk, knowing he was gone for the day, and that Tillie was performing her daily tasks. However, she declined doing so out of respect for Richard, and herself. No one likes a sneak! She put her finger to her mouth, deliberating on which of the books she would read today, and settled on a poetry publication by Percy Shelley. She was not too fond of poetry, but decided that it might be nice to read something she usually did not have a taste for.
Tillie entered the room, holding a glass of water for Adeline with a sprig of mint in it, “Here ya’ go, Miss. Anything else ya’ need until lunch?”
“No, that will be all, Tillie, thank you. Would it be alright if I take this book out on the back patio and read in the shade for a bit? I am not sure if Richard allows his books to be taken out of the library.” Adeline questioned.
“Well, he is fussy about them books, Miss, but for you, I am sure he don’t mind if you take it anywhere! He just adores you!” Tillie turned and exited the room, leaving Adeline to her peaceful morning of reading.
* * *
“There’s my girl!” Richard exclaimed, as he walked through the French doors that led to the back patio.
Adeline was engulfed in a poem, but heard his voice and her body jolted, “Richard! What are you doing home so early? Tillie told me you were on a business trip until late tonight.”
“Well, I
had some business in town to tend to, but postponed the trip until tomorrow. I just had to see my dear Adeline, and I have brought you something from town!” He handed her a square package, wrapped in brown butcher paper, and tied with a pink ribbon.
“You didn’t have to bring me anything, Richard! There is plenty here for me to keep myself entertained while you are out,” Adeline defensively responded. She knew it was another book by the weight of the package when he handed it to her. “Nonetheless, thank you.”
Adeline untied the ribbon and slowly unwrapped the package, anxious to see his selection in books for her again. It was a book on Texas history. She frowned, “I am not much of a historian, but I will give it a glance.”
“Oh, you will like this book, Adeline. It is a detailed account of how Texas seceded from the Union to join the Confederacy during the Civil War. You know it was only a little over a year ago that Texas rejoined the Union?” Richard asked.
The Cowboy's Stolen Bride (Historical Western Romance) Page 5