by Lilah Rivers
“Tabitha, how nice to see you,” Chelsea greeted with as much politeness as she appeared to be able to muster.
Clementine thought about the fact that Tabitha was around their age. It was clear that Chelsea did not care for her as a friend and thought about how everyone seemed to dislike being around her.
She felt bad for poor Tabitha. It must have been hard for her, being awkward and unfriendly enough to steer people away. She likely was not aware that her presence caused a sense of distress in others. Perhaps she was just naive to her own strangeness.
“Oh, it’s nice to see both of you, as well,” she said in a pleasant mood.
“Are you all right?” Chelsea asked.
Tabitha looked momentarily offended.
“Of course I am all right. Why would you ask that kind of a question? Do I not seem all right?” she asked.
“No, that’s not what I meant. I simply noticed that you appear brighter than…uh…brighter than usual,” Chelsea said.
“Yes, well, I have a great reason to celebrate, you see,” Tabitha said.
“Oh? What is that? I would love to hear what has happened which is worth celebrating,” Chelsea told her.
“Yes, well, I am thrilled about the gentleman who has begun courting me,” Tabitha said.
Chelsea’s surprise was inked all over her face and Clementine tried to distract Tabitha before she could notice.
“Oh, that’s lovely,” she said. Although Clementine still didn’t know Tabitha well, she could sense rather easily that this was a strange thing. Who is town would want to be a match with her? Who would seek to court her?
“Yes, well, he is quite an amazing gentleman. I am so happy that I can say that I have found the man that my heart belongs to. And I have his heart as well. You know, I think we will be married within the coming months,” she said.
“He has proposed?” Chelsea asked, dubiously.
“He is soon to. I am sure that he will call after my father any day now that he has made his intentions clear to me,” she said, chipper as ever.
“That is very exciting,” Clementine said. “I am happy for you.”
“You don’t even know me. But yes, you should be happy because this is the best news this town has had in quite some time,” she said, rather rudely.
“Who is the lucky gentleman? I would like to congratulate him,” Chelsea said.
“Oh, I shouldn’t say until the engagement is official. Perhaps by the end of the week I may share it,” she replied.
“That is quite some news,” Chelsea said. “I do hope to learn more soon.”
Clementine detected the disbelief in Chelsea’s voice. But there was no reason that she should not think it to be true about a young lady that she didn’t know. She would just have to let Chelsea make her assumptions without making her own.
“So you shall. Until then, I wish you ladies well on your journey in town,” Tabitha said.
There was such a change in her demeanor from the miserable young woman that Clementine had met on Sunday until now. She had to make the choice to be happy for Tabitha that this gentleman made her grow so much more delightful, even if she was still a little bit harsh with her words.
As she walked away, Chelsea stared after her.
“Well, that’s good for her,” Clementine said.
“I guess. But I also hope that she knows what she is doing,” Chelsea said.
“What do you mean by that?” Clementine asked.
“I don’t want to be rude or a gossip monger and I certainly know that I shouldn’t go sharing everything all at once. But she once cared for a man, a man who now has my heart. All that to say, I do hope that she is not trying to convince him once more to pursue her,” Chelsea said.
Clementine nodded, understanding that she would not yet hear the full story, but she did believe that she had some decent assumptions on the matter.
“Well, I do hope for your sake and his that she is not going after him either. You deserve to be happy, and so does she. I should like to have hope, as someone who does not know her, that she has truly found the right match for herself,” Clementine said.
“I hope so as well,” Chelsea replied, although her face showed that she did not believe it to be the case in the least.
Still, Clementine tried her best to remain positive for the sake of her new friend. As they continued about town, they tried to speak of other, happier things.
Clementine learned that Chelsea really was a gifted songstress as a few people who milled about tried to convince her to sing a sweet hymn for them. She politely declined, stating that her songs were for the Lord and not for the entertainment of others.
And while she admired this mindset, Clementine still hoped that she would hear a hymn someday soon. She, herself, was not such a gifted singer and had always longed to have that sort of skill.
At least now, she could live vicariously through a friend. A friend who was exactly what she needed.
Chapter 8
David was cleaning the hooves of a painted mare when he spotted Clementine coming from the house.
She looked such a vision in her riding dress, with her hair pinned up so that it would not be tangled in the breeze. Immediately he knew what was on her mind.
“Good afternoon,” she greeted.
“And to you, Miss Clementine. It’s a bit early for lunch, isn’t it?” he asked, trying not to be presumptuous.
“Actually, I came out so that I could go for a ride. Lunch will be ready at the normal time, but I wanted to have a nice ride around the land for a bit. I haven’t had too many chances to explore yet,” she said.
“Oh, I understand. It is beautiful around here. I was glad to take a ride on my third day and have a few times since then. Your aunt has an incredible property and I am amazed at how well she has managed to keep it up,” he said.
“Yes, she really is wonderful. She told me that you or Hank would be able to help me with a horse? I know how to ready one, but I am not certain which one would be best for me,” she said.
“Well, I’ve been able to get to know them fairly well. What kind of rider are you? Have you got much experience?” he asked, hoping the question did not come off as offensive.
“Oh, yes. I have been a rider for many years and my mother and father were both rather distinguished in their skill,” she said.
“Wonderful. In that case, I think Mildred would be good for you. She’s about the right size and she is better with some of the more advanced techniques,” he said.
“Thank you. I’ll just get her dressed,” Clementine said.
“Could I help?” he offered, eagerly stopping her before she went too far.
Clementine turned to him as if weighing the offer.
“I think that would be nice,” she said.
David could see it in her eyes. She didn’t want to let go of her pride by accepting his help, but there was a hint of a smile in her eyes. Was she as happy to spend time with him as he was with her?
They went to Mildred’s stable and led her to where David began dressing her. He chose the most comfortable saddle that he had found on the ranch and adjusted it to fit both horse and rider.
“What do you think?” he asked, as he went about his work.
“It all looks grand to me. I can see that you have done this more than a few times,” she laughed.
“Oh, that I have,” he replied, amused. In fact he had done this hundreds, if not thousands of times.
“I wish that I had ridden more than I did when I had the chance as a child. We went out often, but when we moved to the city, it grew more and more difficult to find the time or the places to which we could go and enjoy ourselves,” she said.
David wondered what her childhood was like. Why had she left her parents and family and friends to come here? What had they been doing in the city when they lived there?
“How long did you live in the city?” he asked.
“We were in Boston for six years. No, wait. I think it was seven. Yes, i
t was seven. And my parents loved it there, although they missed the quiet. Of course, before they moved to Boston, they were living just outside of it, so it was still a great deal louder than it is out here,” she said.
“So Mrs. Roberta must have come out here from there?” he asked.
“A little bit further south, to my knowledge. My mother met my father when she had gone north in search of a position as a nurse. She was quite skilled with medicine,” she told him.
David was thrilled to learn these little things about Clementine. She appeared willing to answer his questions, but he wanted to be cautious. He had only just prayed a few nights before about his feelings for her and about hoping that God would make some things clear.
The last thing he wanted to do was to jump onto hope and expect that he would suddenly find that he and Clementine were meant to be, only to learn that they were anything but.
David had been through that before. He was not eager to experience it again.
“Anyway, I have spoken much about me. How rude you must think I am,” she said.
“No, not at all. I was curious,” he said.
She blushed a bit as she walked to Mildred’s face and brushed a hand along the mare’s jaw.
“You are a natural with her,” David observed.
“She is lovely. Do you have any apples?” she asked.
“A whole bag of them, right over there. Just for treats,” he said, pointing to a sack that was filled to the brim.
There was an apple tree on the grounds that he had been stripping for the sake of the animals and Hank had been more than happy with the idea.
Clementine grabbed two and held them, one at a time, in her hand for Mildred to eat with her great big teeth.
“That’s a good girl,” she said, rubbing Mildred’s nose.
Clementine’s brown eyes shone with adoration when she interacted with the horse and David wished that he had the authority to gift her to Clementine.
“Is Mrs. Roberta attached to the horses?” he asked.
“She used to be. But I don’t think she rides much anymore. Since she has aged, she has lost interest as it is a discomfort to her bones,” she replied.
“That makes sense,” he said.
“Also, my uncle was the one who really did most of the riding. I think without him, she isn’t planning to do much other than her needlepoint. I worry for her sometimes,” she said.
“She is lucky to have you here, then,” he replied.
“I suppose. Anyway, where were you before this?” she asked.
David sighed.
“I was halfway between Boston and here,” he said with a chuckle. “Another small town. You wouldn’t have heard of it or passed through. But I was glad that I made it here and stumbled upon Hank at a well and learned of this job for your aunt.”
“Aunt Roberta told me the story. I was quite impressed. To think that the two of you should happen upon one another, each what the other was looking for? It was certainly something arranged by the Lord,” she said.
“That is something that everyone appears to agree on. There is no other way that we could have come upon each other if he had not arranged it,” David said.
“Hank appears fairly popular in town,” she said, as if searching for something with her words.
“Yes, he does,” David replied, stiffly.
He began to wonder why she was asking about this. Was there something about Hank that interested her? Even after the conversation about him having another lady that he cared for?
“My aunt seems to think that he is going to be married off soon enough,” she said.
“Oh? He didn’t say that to me, but we are only just getting to know each other. It sounded more like he wished to marry but doesn’t think it is going to happen as he would like,” David said.
At least now it appeared as though she was not asking for her own interest. Perhaps she knew the young lady in question that Hank was interested in. Regardless, he knew where his own heart was leaning.
Despite his pain, he was still unable to resist this intrigue. And as he gave Clementine a hand up to mount—one that she clearly did not need—David wished he knew how to trust as he once did.
“You’re a natural,” he said.
“Well, when I said that I used to ride a lot, I meant it. It has just been a while,” she explained.
David watched her take off and ride around the plain, seeing her spirit soaring as she did so. It was a beautiful sight to see, one that he could not have imagined just a week ago when he had come to Feldey.
Clementine was more than just her beauty. She was sweet, devoted, and extremely dedicated to helping her aunt. She was a decent girl with a heart that he could see from anywhere he stood.
As she disappeared over a hill, David got back to his previous duties, hoping he would be the one to help her when she returned.
In the end, Hank was with him when Clementine came back. She was in a rush to get lunch together and didn’t stay to chat as he had hoped.
But he could see it in her eyes. The fire that she got from riding. The elixir that it was for her soul.
It was obvious to him, then, that she was like him. There was a past that she was trying to escape, a hurt that she could not bear. It was almost a comfort to him that he was not alone.
“She is a proficient rider,” Hank noted.
“Yes, she is,” David said, not willing to elaborate.
“It’s okay, you know,” Hank said.
“What is?” David asked.
“The fact that you are interested in her. Just so we are clear, I’m not. And I know Mrs. Roberta. She would be thrilled for her niece to find a good man,” Hank said.
David knew that his cheeks were growing red with embarrassment. Was he so obvious?
“I just wanted to make all of that clear. You know, in case you were feeling shy about it,” Hank said.
It took a moment for David to grow the courage to say what he felt, but finally he managed the words.
“Th-thank you. I guess it’s good to know that it’s not something to worry about,” he said.
“Anyway, I think that very same lady will have lunch together within the hour so we should finish hauling in the hay,” Hank said, leading the way.
David admired his hard-working friend. As they had spent time getting to know one another, he was constantly surprised by the fact that Hank was capable of far more than most people would have given him credit for.
By the time they went in for lunch, they were tired and glad for the break.
“Here, I’ve made a bit of cold tea,” Clementine said.
“Mmm, that’s good. Is there cinnamon in it?” he asked.
“Yes. I love the spice that it adds,” she replied, pouring a glass for Hank.
“You’re awfully creative,” David said.
She blushed again and he found that this was growing to be a hobby of his. Flattering Clementine was a fun thing to do and it didn’t take much. He gathered that she had not received many simple compliments like this from men before.