“I must be at the wrong place. If you’ll excuse me—”
He’d gripped her arm, not too tightly but tight enough it got her attention. “If you were lookin’ for your ma, you have the right place. I’m so sorry to tell you she died two months ago. Stabbed she was. It was an awful thing. It’s just as well, though. She had some idea she could leave me and buy a small house for the two of you. I bet you’re looking for work. Come on inside and I can tell you more about your ma.” He tried to guide her through the batwing doors.
Her brain had a hard time making sense of what he was saying, but she had known if she went through those doors she might never come back out. She yanked her arm away and ran down the street, turned, ran again, and turned once more before she leaned her back against the brick of a building. Catching her breath was near impossible as tears streamed down her face.
Her mother was…was a whore? Clarissa felt cold. Her entire life had been a lie? There wasn’t a dress shop or a house? Her father was unknown? That made her a… She bent over, sick to her stomach. Oh Mama, why?
Why did a whore’s daughter need a fancy education? With frenzied haste, she had made her way back to the hotel and ran up the stairs to her room. She’d locked the door and then jammed the back of a chair up under the doorknob. No one would be able to get to her.
She had climbed onto the bed and curled up into a ball, struggling to make sense of her life. What about the plans they’d made for after her graduation? Mama had written they’d spend all their time together. But there wouldn’t be a time, whether her mother was dead or not. She’d lied about it all. The thought of them having a shop together was what had kept Clarissa going. There were years and years of lonely holidays, summers when she stayed mostly alone. She’d never been allowed to go with another student when invited. Her school had become her jail.
The looks of pity the teachers had given her suddenly made sense. They’d probably known. They’d known her mother was a whore. They’d heard her talk about the shop often enough, what they must have thought. All she’d ever wanted was a genuine hug from someone who loved her. Over the years she’d become withdrawn. She was fine, or so she had thought. When she had discovered the truth, her heart had broken into smaller pieces that would take forever to heal. If they ever would.
Clarissa had yearned to have friends, but something had held her back. She’d been right on the mark about that, hadn’t she? Maybe all along some part of her had suspected the truth. She’d had a few girls she spent time with, but she’d never allowed herself to get close to them. School wouldn’t last forever and saying goodbye would be too painful.
“Miss Plunkett? Clarissa?”
She shook off her musings to find Donnell standing in front of her, regarding her with one eyebrow cocked in question.
“I’m ready to go,” she responded.
He helped her into the carriage. “Your things are in the back.”
“Thank you.” She tried to be outwardly confident, but inside she quaked. He had brothers. She’d never been around many men, and certainly not young ones. Luckily, they wouldn’t find her very pleasing. Being plain suited her just fine; she could blend in and be forgotten about.
Chapter Two
She sure didn’t seem to be one for gabbing, and Donnell liked that about her. He’d help her get on her way as soon as he figured out what was really going on. He certainly didn’t discount the possibility she was lying about the entire thing. His mother had lied to him his whole life. Some women were experts at it.
The steady clop of the horses was growing monotonous, though. “What did John have to say?” He finally broke the silence between them.
“I learned a lot about mail delivery,” she said in a resigned tone, “and how, if you know a postal officer, you can possibly have your mail delivered anywhere no matter what the address is.” She released an exasperated sigh. “It doesn’t seem right to me, seeing what happened. There are many young women who want a fresh start or have nowhere to go. I can tell you the world isn’t friendly if you don’t have money.”
Silence fell over them again.
“I appreciate you taking me to your ranch,” she said after a moment. “I feel a bit awkward. I’ve been away at a boarding school for girls and I don’t know what to say to young men. I’m afraid your brothers will find me odd.”
He couldn’t contain his soft chuckle. “I wouldn’t worry about it. Dolly will take excellent care of you, and some of my brothers have wives and children.” What else was there to tell her? She’d be fine? After all, she traveled by herself. He’d hand her off to Dolly, and then his part would be done. He loved a good mystery, but he would not dive into this one. She was keeping something secret, and he’d had a lifetime of those. He would, however, make sure she was who she said she was. He couldn’t put his family in danger.
“It’s such a pretty spring day.” She made a broad gesture toward the prairie. “What are those blue flowers?”
He smiled. They were carpeted all around Texas. “Texas Blue Belles. I’m always glad to see them. It’s like they’re making an official announcement that winter’s over. Spring doesn’t last long around here.” He glanced at the clear blue sky above. “It’ll be mighty hot in a few weeks.”
She continued to watch the scenery. “I’m sure most places are hot in the summer. It just takes getting used to is all.”
His lips twitched. “There’s hot, then there’s Texas hot. You’ll see soon enough if you stay in these parts for long.” He released a sigh. “Look, I’ll see about finding Joe Kingsley.”
She turned toward him. “Please don’t. There must be some reason he didn’t want me, and I’d never survive the humiliation of him telling me I’m not good enough.”
“Why would anyone ever think you’re not good enough? You’re educated and so far you seem nice enough. And you’re graceful.” He swallowed. He hadn’t meant to say so much.
She peered at her lap. “Thank you for saying so.”
Huh. She really thought she wasn’t good enough. Some of his brother’s wives had been prone to quirks like that. Didn’t people raise their daughters to be confident in themselves? It was a shame, really. Confidence was attractive.
“Do you have family in, um, where did you say you were from?”
“I attended The Academy for Girls outside of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. I graduated this year and found that my mother was dead. She’d told me my father died when he was thrown from a horse.” She stared into the distance, but Donnell didn’t think she was looking at the bluebonnets any longer. “I gazed at the sea of people at the graduation ceremony and tried to find my mother, but she wasn’t there. She hadn’t come. So, I went to the only address I had for her and was told she’d been killed. She must have spent her life working to pay for my schooling. We were going to open a dress shop.” When she looked back at him, a tear trailed down her face. She quickly dashed it away with her hand and went back to watching the scenery.
He was full of questions. Something wasn’t right, something about her story was off. But she looked a bit wrung out. She’d probably spent the last few days finding out her world had turned upside down. Or perhaps she was a waif and was conning him. She was educated, but that didn’t mean anything.
“Where are we?” she asked after a bit. “How long until we get to your place?”
“We’re already on Kavanagh land. We have been for the past twenty minutes or so. It’s a cattle ranch mostly, but we have all kinds of animals. Last I heard Sheila was trying to fix a Blue Jay’s wing. She’s my brother Sullivan’s wife. Everyone will be on their best behavior.”
As he turned the carriage into the drive, he sighed at the sight of two men rolling around in the dirt. He’d end up eating his words. He stopped Rascal and tied off the reins. “I’ll be right back.”
Amid shouting and a cloud of dust, Murphy and Fitzpatrick scuffled, pushing and punching each other. Fitzpatrick landed on his back, and Murphy leaped on him, getting in
a good sock to the nose, which earned a savage growl from Fitzpatrick as he rolled and jumped into a crouch, fists clenched.
Donnell stalked across the distance to his brothers. “What’s going on?”
Sullivan leaped off the porch and grabbed Murphy while Donnell held Fitzpatrick back.
“What is wrong with you two?” Sullivan ground out.
Fitzpatrick wiped the blood from his nose with the back of his hand. “I told that girl stealer to leave Martha alone. I saw her first!”
“All I did was talk to her,” Murphy snarled. “It’s not my fault she asked me onto her front porch for a glass of water!”
“You sat with her for nearly an hour! Did you propose?” Fitzpatrick asked.
“Murphy, were you sweet-talking Martha?” Sullivan asked.
“Heck no! She doesn’t know one horse from another. She thinks all cattle are the same too and doesn’t like to talk about ranching. What would I do with a girl like her?” Murphy glared at Fitzpatrick.
“I guess I made a mistake.” Fitzpatrick’s words could hardly be heard.
“You’ll need to speak up, Fitzpatrick,” Donnell told him.
“I’m sorry!” Fitzpatrick walked away.
“Who’s the pretty gal in the carriage?” Murphy asked, peering over Donnell’s shoulder.
“None of your business,” Donnell said as he straightened his clothes. He walked to the carriage and helped Clarissa down. “Sorry about that. It’s usually much quieter around here.”
She looked into his eyes and smiled. “Your brothers I take it?”
“Yes, Murphy and Fitzpatrick. Sullivan is the one who helped to break it up.”
She followed him into the ranch house. As usual, he found Dolly in the kitchen. After she finished stirring a pot of something on the stove, she turned and smiled. He made introductions and left Clarissa in Dolly’s care.
“You heading out again?” Sullivan asked him.
“I have some questions I need answers to,” he answered, saying as little as he could get away with.
* * *
“Clarissa, please have a seat,” Dolly offered as she gestured to the nice furniture in front of a rather enormous stone fireplace.
“Thank you.” Clarissa sat in one of the plump chairs.
“Let me get the tea and I’ll introduce you to everyone. I have to confess we were pretty sure Donnell would bring you back, so we have a bit of a crowd.”
As nervous as she was, Clarissa relied on all the etiquette classes she’d had, sitting up straight and smiling. “May I be of any help?”
“That’s sweet,” said Dolly, shaking her head. “But I can manage. I’ll be right back.”
Dolly carried in a sizeable tea service with several cups. She set it down on the large table in the middle of the seating area. A lovely woman with brown hair and blue eyes followed with a tray full of desserts.
Clarissa didn’t have many expectations, but this was much more than she’d have imagined tea in the west to be. Donnell mentioned a few wives and children, and there were more than expected.
Dolly fixed Clarissa her tea and handed it to her. The other women sat down.
“Clarissa, this is Gemma, Heaven, Ciara, and Sheila. Gemma is married to Teagan, the oldest, and the sweet girl over there playing blocks is their daughter Lacey. Heaven is married to Quinn and they have Tim, Daisy, and Owen, the little one playing with Lacey. Ciara is married to Brogan and they have twin girls who are being looked after by their Aunt Orla. Sheila is married to Sullivan and they have Becca, the pretty girl watching over the little ones, and they also have one on the way. Don’t worry, we don’t expect you to remember all the names.”
“I’m delighted to meet you all. My, what a big family you have.”
“Do you have family close to here?” Heaven asked.
Clarissa smiled at the beautiful blond woman. “I don’t have anyone. I recently found out that my mother died a few months ago.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” Sheila said. She touched the back of her brown hair as though to be sure it was still in place.
“That’s too bad. Is that when you decided to become a mail-order bride?” Gemma asked. She’d been the one helping Dolly.
Clarissa smiled at the stunning woman with blue eyes. “Yes. I never gave it a thought before.”
“Many women are taking that step these days,” Ciara remarked.
“Unfortunately, a woman’s choice is limited. It is a bit scary, though,” Clarissa said with a frown. “I kept hoping that Mr. Kingsley was an honest man, but I don’t know. It’s a mystery that left me homeless. I appreciate your hospitality.”
Dolly smiled at her. “I thought the house across the way would suit your needs. You’re welcome here anytime, and of course we’d love to have you for all meals. I’d keep you here in the house if there was a free room.”
Clarissa’s eyes grew moist for a moment. “Thank you.”
“I’ll have someone open the place up. It hasn’t been used in a while.”
Dolly was everything Clarissa had ever wanted in a mother. Everything she imagined her mother to be. But her mother had lied to her, strung her along. She supposed she had figured something was wrong when the vague promises of going home on the holidays always ended up with an excuse for why she had to stay at the school instead. Did the good people who ran the school know what her mother did for a living? Shame washed over her. Was that why they had been kind to her? Her mother must have paid extra to have Clarissa kept there.
It was a good school with a good reputation. Still, there were plenty of times when she’d felt imprisoned by the high walls that surrounded the school. Often, she had longed for just a day away, time to explore and feel some freedom. Then she’d chastised herself for her uncharitable thoughts.
As they all sipped tea, Clarissa pretended to listen and she smiled and nodded to the women. But her thoughts were miles away. Her mother had told her that her father was dead, but she now knew that she didn’t have a father. Thinking about it made her feel less of herself.
Had her mother ever intended to tell her the truth? Clarissa had a drawing of her mother that had been sent to her. She did look very much like her. Her mother had never shown much interest in Clarissa’s appearance, nor had she seemed to care about her likes and dislikes. Most of her letters were brief, hoping that school was going well and Clarissa was being an obedient girl. At the time she’d been so grateful for a letter she never noticed how impersonal they were.
Her musings were once again interrupted when Dolly stood and went into another room. When she came back, she had her hands full of linens. “Follow me Clarissa, we’ll get the house aired out.”
Clarissa stood. “It was so lovely to meet you all. I hope we get to know each other better in the coming days.”
She heard a few calls of “you too” as she walked out the door and relieved Dolly of half her load.
They entered a quaint house. It was well made and even had a stove. “It’s so nice!” exclaimed Clarissa with delight. “I suppose I thought since no one else lived here it was drafty or something.”
Dolly chuckled. “Most have homes of their own, some live in the bunkhouse and a few in the main house. Donnell will be back in a bit. He went to town to ask some more questions about your groom.”
“How did you know where he went?”
“Murphy snuck in the back way, looking for something sweet. He told me.”
“I see. I will get a job, I promise. I insist on paying you rent.” She tried to sound positive, though her stomach was tying itself in knots. The rent for such a pleasant house was probably much more than she could afford.
“Don’t you worry about a thing. Everything will get sorted out,” Dolly said as she opened the last shutter. “Now it’s a bit dusty, but other than that I’d say it was in good shape.”
“It certainly is,” Clarissa choked out.
“Oh dear, I’ve made you cry.”
Clarissa shook her head
. “No, it’s just that you are so kind and caring. It’s heart expanding. Thank you.”
Dolly hugged her. “I’ll have one of the boys bring your things in. Supper is usually around five, depending on the sun. If the sun is up longer, supper is later. I’ll see you at the house soon.” She bustled out the door, and Clarissa watched her until she disappeared inside the main house.
Her days had always been so structured. School and school life ran on a tight schedule. It felt strange to stand and look out a window. What would Donnell find out? Did Joe Kingsley even exist? She never imagined that her groom would be a no show. Maybe this was a known risk that brides took. Frankly, she didn’t know all that much about the world.
Grabbing one of the dust cloths on the dining table, she set about dusting.
Chapter Three
Donnell stood on the front porch watching the shadows through the windows of the house Clarissa was staying in. He was in a snit and just wanted to be done with it all, but he wasn’t sure what to do with his anger short of punching one of his brothers. Especially Murphy and Fitzpatrick. Throughout supper they had acted as though Clarissa was a prize to be won. Didn’t they realize she had feelings?
Clarissa didn’t say much while she was at the main house. She looked decidedly uncomfortable with a plastered smile on her face. He could tell she was nervous as she walked inside though she returned his smile easy enough.
It wasn’t until they sat around the table and Murphy and Fitzpatrick vied for the empty chair next to her that suppertime started to go drastically wrong. Fitzpatrick won and gloated about it. Murphy made snide remarks about Fitzpatrick all evening. Clarissa had eaten little. Her face was beet red and he could tell she was getting kicked under the table by mistake.
Finally, Donnell stood and offered her his hand, which she took. He guided her to the sofa near the fireplace. “I think coffee in front of the fire would be nice.”
Donnell: Cowboy Scrutiny: The Kavanagh Brothers Book 5 Page 2