Nameless

by Marni MacRae

  “Our place. We have a table in the back where it's mostly quiet.” Anabel gestures with her chin to her and Lee’s home a few houses down the street, and we all follow her to her yard.

  Around back there’s a large folding table set up with eight chairs. No one speaks, we just sit down and dive into our plates, enjoying the sun on our backs and the sounds of laughter in the street.

  “Thank you for inviting me, Anabel.” Eve has finished her plate and is wiping her fingers with a napkin. “This is so lively and fun. Everyone seems to be friends in Brighton Valley.”

  “Except that damn Bast family.”

  Lee plops down next to Anabel with a full plate and dives in.

  “Richard?” I look to Ana for confirmation.

  She nods, her expression clearly declaring her opinion of the man. “That fool was drinking before he showed up.”

  “Clarabelle’s no better,” Lee said around a mouthful of burger. He swallows and gestures toward the street. “She and her kids are devouring everything. Throwing trash on the ground even though she’s standing right next to a garbage can.” He pops open a can of Coke and washes down his burger. “I don’t begrudge the kids getting some solid food in their bellies, but I can see this heading toward a street brawl if Richard doesn’t slow his roll.”

  Anabel shakes her head and looks toward the street where people are mingling, gossiping, enjoying the first day of May. “I’ll keep an eye on it,” she murmurs.

  “Humph.” Is Lee’s response to that. “Gonna be a volleyball game across the street. You in?”

  “Pratts against Donovans again?’

  “Nah, Mom said we can’t start a feud. She insists we mix up the players.”

  Ana wags a finger at him as I rise to toss my plate in the trash. “You know, the Hatfield-McCoy feud started over a pig.”

  “I don’t want the Pratt’s pig,” Lee says, joining me as he dumps his plate in the can. “I want them to bow to our superior skills.”

  “Like grilling?” Laurel asks innocently.

  Anabel chokes on a laugh and rises to hug her husband who is now glaring at Laurel. “You can challenge the Pratts some other day, my love.” She pats him on the chest and turns to go back to the street. “I going to make sure Gabe isn’t torturing your father. See you at the Pratts in twenty.”

  I feel Eve’s small warm hand slide into mine and look down to see her smiling up at me.

  “I like your family. Anabel and Lee are wonderful.”

  “Yeah,” I nod. “They’re great together. Good people.” I turn as Lee, Laurel and Tuck begin wandering toward the street. “Mom says you’re forbidden from the grill.”

  “That grill was rigged.” Lee scowls.

  “This isn’t Vegas.” I shake my head, and I’m about to comment on his poker skills when Ana comes flying toward us. At first, I think something must have happened, maybe to Gabe, the expression on her face has her eyes so wide. Both Lee and I tense.

  “Babe,” Ana whispers loudly. “The Queen is here!”

  Chapter 23

  Anabel’s hands are clasped at her breast, her eyes wide and dramatic. “Lee, did you invite her?”

  Laurel clears her throat and looks between Anabel and a confused Lee. “Uh, sweetie, do you mean the queen of England?”

  “No, silly.” Ana spins on her heel and tiptoes back toward the street as if she is a spy. She pauses, craning her neck to look down the road, and then glances back at us. Looking as confused as ever, she squints her eyes and whispers loudly. “The Thorn queen!”

  “Elizabeth!” I release Nick’s hand and move quickly past Anabel. “I invited her,” I say to Ana as I pass. “I hope it’s okay. Lee said I could.”

  Then I am off down the street. I don’t want Elizabeth to be left alone for fear she will leave. Although she had promised me this morning at breakfast that she would “be attending,” as she put it, I couldn’t be sure until it actually happened.

  “There you are, Eve.” Ms. Thornton grasps my hands as I reach her and leans in to kiss my cheek. “I wasn’t sure if I should send Ezra on or ask him to wait.”

  Her eyes take in the scene in the street, the children playing, neighbors laughing loudly and the smell of grilling meat. I worry for a split second that Elizabeth will change her mind. Although she’s dressed in crisp jeans and a white blouse, her attire perfect for the day, she seems out of her element.

  “Oh, please, ask him to stay. There’s someone here I want him to meet.” The older lady pauses and sends me a questioning look, but she retrieves her cell phone from her handbag and skillfully types what I assume is a text to Ezra.

  “Ms. Thornton, I am pleased you could join us.” Anabel is beside me as if from nowhere, her face lit with real happiness as she reaches her hand out to Elizabeth.

  “Elizabeth, this is Anabel Donovan, Nick’s sister-in-law.” I step aside, introducing Lee’s wife and catch sight of the others joining us at the end of the street.

  “Ah, yes, the hostess of this celebration.” Ms. Thornton takes Anabel’s hand in hers and shakes it gently. “Thank you for allowing me to crash your May Day.”

  Again, Elizabeth’s eyes wander to the street as the little girl with the puppy runs by screaming with delight. Through her eyes, this must look like chaos. I picture the large, quiet mansion the older woman is accustomed to, and I’m certain she will find an excuse to leave at any moment.

  “Oh, no, you are not crashing at all.” Ana releases the thorn queen’s hand and gestures toward the tables still overflowing with food. "Are you hungry? Thirsty?”

  “Honestly, dear, I could do with a drink.” Ms. Thornton nods decisively, and Anabel smiles.

  “Ice tea? Water? Pop? What would you like?”

  “Do you have any scotch?”

  Anabel chokes and shakes her head, at a loss for a response, but Lee chuckles and reaches around his wife. He hands a cold bottle of beer to Elizabeth and winks.

  “Start with this. Alec Johnson down the street has a full bar if you know the password. I can see if he has anything of your caliber. “

  “Well, thank you, young man.” Elizabeth takes the bottle and reads the label. “Is this any good?”

  “Only one way to find out,” Nick assures her. He takes the bottle from her and pops the cap off with an opener from his key chain and hands it back. “Let me know if you like it. If not, Mom always has a stash of wine somewhere.”

  Ms. Thornton takes a long sip from the bottle and swallows. Her eyes widening a bit as the cool liquid slides down her throat.

  “This is perfect.” She nods at Lee. “Your mother is here?”

  She asks the question of Nick even though she would be Lee’s mother, too, and I realize I haven’t made any introductions. We are crowded around Elizabeth as if she is a novelty, gaping like…well, like townsfolk.

  “Yes, she’s helping Kim with pies last I heard.”

  Elizabeth nods and peeks through our shoulders to get a glimpse of all the action along the street. I step to the side to give her space and lay my hand on her arm. “Elizabeth, let me introduce you to everyone. You just met Anabel”—Ana nods and smiles again— “this is her husband, Lee, Nick’s brother.”

  Lee raises his bottle to her, and Elizabeth smiles.

  You know Laurel, of course.”

  Laurel steps forward and kisses Elizabeth’s cheek.

  “Of course, dear, you look lovely as always.”

  Laurel curtsies, causing Anabel to giggle.

  “And this,” I finish, “is Tuck. He trains horses at…where do you work again?”

  I crane my head to look up at Tuck. He removes his hat and reaches for Elizabeth’s hand.

  “Ms. Thornton. I know of you, of course. I work over at the Greyson’s estate. You are spoken of quite highly. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

  “And you.” She sizes him up and nods in approval. “The Greysons are good people, they treat their stock well. I’ve heard your name around. You must be good.�
�

  “Thank you, ma’am.”

  “Oh, here he is.” Elizabeth turns as Ezra steps up beside her.

  “Ma’am?”

  “Ezra, Eve has asked you to attend, she has an introduction?” She aims the question to me, and suddenly all eyes turn to me.

  “Oh, no, I didn’t want to cause a fuss. I was actually going to bring him to you, but I didn’t know where you parked.”

  Ezra stands waiting. His job is to do Ms. T’s bidding, but I feel bad that I’ve cornered him in a spot he may not be comfortable with.

  “This is Tuck.” I gesture hurriedly to the tall man who has replaced his cowboy hat, his eyes shaded below the brim. “He’s a horse trainer at the Greyson farm. I thought you two might…well, um, have things in common.” I find my voice has turned to a mumble. “Because of Beast.”

  “Beast?” Anabel asks, and Nick takes my hand as if to comfort me.

  I feel awkward. Everyone is quiet and now the simple thought of wanting to introduce the two men has turned into a confusing mess.

  “Yes, The Beast,” I repeat. “Ezra raced him, he trained horses. Like Tuck.”

  I nod at Tuck who, although he looks a bit confused, is glancing at Ezra with an interested expression.

  “Here in Brighton Valley?’ Tuck pokes a finger at the brim of his hat to raise it an inch revealing his green eyes.

  Ezra turns to the taller man and nods. “At the Thornton stables.”

  “Oh.” Tuck’s expression changes as realization dawns on him. “The Beast. You mean Black Bród?’

  Ezra nods, his expression changing from his usual neutral to one of pride. “Indeed, he’s the one.”

  “You rode Black Bród?” Both Elizabeth and Tuck say in unison.

  Ezra answers his mistress first. “Yes, ma’am. You were away those years. Schooling, I think.”

  “But I know the horse. I know the tale. That was you?” Her voice is almost awestruck as if the man she had known for decades was a stranger.

  “Yes, I rode him.” He turns to Tuck and nods. “Raced him.”

  “You’re Canton Sidell!”

  Ezra nods. “I am.”

  Tuck removes his hat again and reaches for the older man’s hand. “You’re a legend! No one even knows you’re alive! And your father, he’s the reason I’m a trainer.” Tuck’s face is the most animated I have ever seen it. “You and your father, The Beast—people still talk about that. You still hold records never broken.”

  Out of the corner of my eye, I catch Nick shaking his head and look up to find a look of wonder on his face.

  “Canton Sidell. Well, I’ll be damned.” A low whistle comes from Lee’s direction, and I smile. “Dude, I mean, uh, sir,” Lee stumbles over his words and then thrusts his beer at Anabel and steps forward. “I just gotta shake your hand.” He clasps Ezra’s hand in both of his and pumps it vigorously. “We grew up on stories about you!”

  “Who is, um, The Beast?” Anabel queries.

  “And I thought your name was Ezra,” Laurel adds. “Who is Canton?”

  “Ah, it seems we have a story to tell. Let’s find some shade and give Ezra a chance to breathe.” Elizabeth skillfully nips the questions in the bud and raises an eyebrow to Anabel.

  “Oh, yes, well then. Let’s go to our place. There are chairs on the covered patio in the back. Ezra, can I offer you a drink?”

  The older man nods as we move back down the street toward Anabel and Lee’s home.

  “You have any scotch?”

  * * *

  It only took about five minutes for everyone to settle into the comfy padded chairs on the patio. The shade is refreshing with a light breeze to cool our sun-warmed skin. As Anabel passes around fresh beer and ice tea, an older couple arrives and introductions are made.

  “Mom, Dad.” Both Lee and Nick rise.

  Nick clasp his father’s hand, and I study the older man. His resemblance to both of his sons is obvious, but Nick’s mother—I can’t take my eyes off her. Tall and lean, similar in build to Laurel, she carries herself with grace, and her voice has a lilting southern accent.

  Nick gestures around the patio as he makes introductions. “This is Ms. Elizabeth Thornton, Ezra Sidell, and this”—he takes my hand as he sits back down in the chair beside me— “is Eve Brighton.”

  “Well, then.” Mrs. Donovan nods at Elizabeth. “Ms. Thornton, a pleasure to meet you.” Her voice is soft and sultry. “Mr. Sidell”—another nod, then her eyes light on me— “Eve.”

  She says my name like it pleases her. Her gray eyes, the exact shade I love in Nick’s, take me in with long, almost loving regard before she reaches out her hand to me.

  I immediately rise to accept her soft grasp, and she steps forward to wrap her other arm around me in an embrace.

  “You are as lovely as he said. So very wonderful to meet you, dear.” Her words are low so only I hear them and she steps back, releasing me before I have a chance to respond.

  “You can’t all call us Mom and Dad.” She smiles down at me and then winks at Elizabeth. “It would be awkward and confusing. Since my sons have forgotten all the manners I beat into them over the decades, I will introduce myself.

  I hear Nick’s father chuckle and look to see both the Donovan boys with heads hanging.

  “I’m Olivia, and this is my husband, Landon.” Landon raises a beer in salutation, and I stifle a laugh. I see where Lee gets it.

  Olivia gracefully seats herself in the chair next to Elizabeth while Landon takes a chair across from Nick and me.

  “Ms. Thornton, how is your greenhouse? I trust you will be showing your orchids again this year?”

  “The plants are thriving.” Elizabeth smiles at Olivia. “And, yes, the doors will be open next month. Have you toured the greenhouse?”

  “Many times.”

  I notice everyone else is quiet, the older women the only ones conversing. The lighthearted banter from earlier is gone, and everyone seems just a little…tense. Lee clears his throat and then casts a sheepish look around the group before interrupting.

  “Um, Mom. Well, you did beat manners into us pretty solid over the years, but you and Dad, well, you caught us just when we were about to hear about The Beast. So, my apologies, ma’am—he nods to Elizabeth— “and love you, Mom”—he grins at Olivia— “but, man, you just gotta finish telling us about Black Bród!”

  Ezra looks up from his beer to find Lee is addressing him, and all eyes have turned his way.

  “Yes, Lee. I agree.” Elizabeth leans forward setting her empty beer bottle on a side table and clasps her hands on her knees. “Please illuminate us. I find I am in the dark as much as everyone, and you know how I do detest not knowing everything, Ezra.”

  The old butler looks around the group to find us all nodding, Olivia looking slightly confused but amused, and Landon looking just plain confused.

  “You can’t mean that old legend of the Irish devil?” Landon looks at Lee who nods, his eyes lit up.

  “That”—he points to Ezra who is now smiling wryly— “is Canton Sidell!”

  “No.” Landon turns to Nick for confirmation, and his older son nods and shrugs.

  “Appears to be so, Dad. He was about to answer our dozens of questions. We hope.” Nick leans back in his chair, and Landon mimics him, waving his hand at Ezra.

  “Well, go on, man, I agree with Lee. You have the floor.”

  “Well, now.” Ezra rubs the back of his neck looking a little uncomfortable and out of place amongst all the casual dresses, shorts, and jeans the group is wearing. He is in black slacks, white shirt buttoned to the collar and a suit jacket open in the front. “I don’t rightly know where to begin.”

  “I find it is always best to start at the beginning.” Olivia’s soft voice encourages him. “Thank you, dear.” She smiles at Anabel and accepts a glass of iced tea.

  “The beginning would be with my pa.” Ezra looks at Olivia, and I can see the admiration there in his eyes.

  “My fa
ther was born on a horse. That’s the truth of it. My grandmother had gone into labor in the early morning, so Grandfather put her on the plow horse and led it out of the back hills, twenty miles to the nearest town. By the time the sun was set, my father had been born up on that horse’s back. But Grandfather kept on. He delivered his wife and son to the doctor’s door. So, I was always told it was the smell of horse first thing in his nose. The feel of horse hair the first thing he touched. He never came down off horses from the second he was born.

  “He had a way with them. He knew them like they were kin. So it was only natural he was as skilled as he was with the beasts. Over the years his ability became noticed as the remarkable skill it was. His name circulated. And one day it hit Master Thornton’s ear.

  “Grandfather.”

  “Yes, that’s right, ma’am. Your grandfather heard there was a man in the hills that could make wild stallions dance. And he could. I’ve seen it.” He nodded at the group in general. “Even though I was raised on a horse and watched him work with them, it always amazed me. He spoke to them, and they listened. He would smile at them, and I could swear those horses smiled back. So, Master Thornton sent him an offer of work.”

  “And you came here. To Brighton Valley?” Anabel was leaning forward, enraptured with the tale being painted with Ezra’s words.

  “No, miss. My father refused.”

  “Oh!” Even Elizabeth looked startled at that.

  “You see, we had a bit of land. Just a spit really, but my father worked it as his father had. He had been raised on that patch of dirt and didn’t plan to leave it. Ever. Master Thornton sent word he would double his offer. And, again, my father refused.

  “About a month passed, and one day a man arrives on a beautiful palomino stallion. The horse was worth more than the offer Pa had gotten, and shone like the sun to my young eyes. The man introduced himself as Fredrick Thornton. He dismounted and held out an envelope with triple his original offer and begged my father to come work at his stables.”

  “My father told Master Thornton he would take the offer if he could have the horse Frederick had rode in on. Master Thornton laughed and rode away.”