Rusty nodded thoughtfully; then frowned.
“You’re not the only one aware of Alex,” Rusty said with a nod in the direction they had come from. Jonathon frowned and looked in the direction indicated. Alexandria was coming down the sidewalk opposite them; a small group of men were following her. Jonathon closed his eyes and blew out a frustrated sigh. He started across the street and could hear Rusty’s laugh floating behind him.
One of the men behind her made a crude comment and Alexandria spun around to face the men; she had obviously noticed them for the first time. Jonathon knew stopping wasn’t a good idea. The thought had no more than formed in his head than one of the men reached for her. Alexandria jumped backwards and bumped into Jonathon who had closed the distance between them.
“What do you think you’re doing here?” Jonathon demanded. Alexandria turned to him with wide eyes; then visibly relaxed. “You just don’t listen do you?” He watched her chin come up.
“I’m not a child! You should have told me why you didn’t want me here then maybe…”
“You’re acting childish!” he snapped at her. “You don’t get your way so you go running off to prove to yourself how grown you are without thought for your safety!”
Alexandria looked as though she had been slapped. She blinked rapidly and pulled herself up straighter even as she struggled for control.
“We have business to see to and in case you’ve forgotten I’m the boss,” she said haughtily.
“Are you going to fire me, Alexandria?” Jonathon demanded though his voice had softened. He watched confusion and pain cross Alexandria’s face before she stepped around him and resumed walking. Jonathon followed her; he regretted speaking so harshly.
She nodded at Rusty as she approached him and stopped and scanned the saloon where they were to meet Mr. Kingston.
“Alexandria, you can’t….”
Alexandria marched through the doors.
“go in there,” he finished to the closed doors.
Alexandria stopped and surveyed the murky room in front of her. The room smelled of stale cigars and whisky and smoke curled from numerous ashtrays throughout the room. A long polished bar stretched before her and men sat scattered at tables around the room that was dominated on one end by a stage. As her eyes adjusted to the dim lighting, she noticed several women, dressed only in their under things, lingering around the room. Alexandria felt the blood drain from her face.
“You come looking for work darlin’?” one of the men asked. “I’m sure that Nolls could use another girl.”
Alexandria became aware that every eye in the room was now on her and stepped backward to bump into a solid wall behind her. She gasped and jumped forward for an iron band to grasp her arm. Her startled eyes met Jonathon’s angry ones and she nearly collapsed from relief.
Jonathon had been ready to tear into her until he saw the fear in her eyes and the tears that were starting to spill over. “Come on,” he said as he approached the bar and inquired of the man they were to meet. They were directed to a private room behind a curtain where a high stakes game was in progress.
“Mr. Kingston?” he inquired of the men at the table. The men at the table glanced up and the women watched Jonathon with interest. Alexandria’s eyes widened when she recognized one of the men as Tristan Price. He was supposed to arrange the meeting, she reminded herself and it wasn’t exactly as if he didn’t have a reputation.
“Yes?” a thick chested gentleman responded. Even sitting down one was aware that the man was tall. He was broad through the shoulders, wide through the chest, and thick in the waist. His hair was dark brown; his eyes cold gray.
“Jonathon Stewart, I’m here to look at your cattle,” Jonathon reminded the man of their meeting.
“Yes, I recall that,” he nodded as he lowered his cigar from his mouth. “Care to join us?”
“No, sir, I don’t gamble.”
“Care for a more inviting form of entertainment?” Mr. Kingston nudged the girl at his elbow in Jonathon’s direction. His gaze when it settled on Alexandria was unnerving, as though he were undressing her with his eyes. Alexandria shrank back from him.
The woman Mr. Kingston had offered to Jonathon moved closer. The look she shot Alexandria was hostile. Jonathon’s gaze barely flickered over the girl before it settled pointedly on Mr. Kingston.
“Suit yourself,” the man shrugged. “Let me play this hand. My luck has been good today,” he turned back to his cards.
“Why don’t you stay with us while they talk business?” one of the men invited Alexandria as he claimed her by the wrist. Jonathon stepped forward, but before he could react, Tristan stood and intervened.
“Games over, gentlemen; Cain, let her go. She’s not that type of woman,” Tristan tossed his cards onto the table and took a long dress coat from a hook by the door. It was too warm for a coat but Alexandria took it gratefully when he offered it to her.
Mr. Kingston lifted his hulking frame from his seat and grabbed his bowler, a ridiculous hat on him, and plopped it onto his head. Alexandria stuck close to Jonathon as she followed the men back out into the afternoon sunlight.
“I brought the cattle to the corrals at the edge of town, it’s a short walk, if you don’t mind walking,” he said to them and started down the sidewalk without waiting for their reply.
“Mrs. Morris, my buggy is waiting, I’d be happy to give you a ride to the corrals and spare you walking through these unsafe streets,” Tristan put her on the spot. Before she could recover, Tristan had escorted her to the buggy and into the seat.
Jonathon glared at the buggy as it started down the street. A low whistle sounded from beside him and he turned to Rusty with a frown.
“If looks could kill, Tristan would be a dead man,” Rusty said with an amused smile. Jonathon arched one brow; then started down the sidewalk at an angry pace.
***
Alexandria spent a miserable two hours at the corrals with the men. With Tristan’s coat on, she drew less attention but was terribly warm and Tristan himself was making her uncomfortable. He was solicitous, overly so. The angry looks Jonathon shot her way weren’t helping. With little to do but watch the men, Alexandria’s thoughts turned to what she had seen this morning. Had Elijah visited places like that and the women who lived there, had her brother; her father? Alexandria didn’t want to think that Elijah had been in a place like that but then he had certainly never touched her in such a way. Could that have been why? Alexandria tried desperately to shut the troubling thoughts out to no avail. By the time their business was concluded, Alexandria’s insides felt tighter than a sailor’s knot and her head pounded viciously.
“Might I offer you a ride to your in-laws?” Tristan offered politely.
“That’s kind of you, however, I need to speak with my men,” she responded as she handed him his coat.
“I’m sure that you and your men could talk more comfortably there at a later time.”
“Your offer is kind, Mr. Price, however, I need to speak with my boss, if you’ll excuse us,” Jonathon took Alexandria by the arm and directed her toward town. He was shocked by how possessive he felt toward her, that couldn’t be good; couldn’t be good at all.
“Could you slow down please? I know I’m freakishly tall for a woman but even I can’t keep up this pace,” Alexandria commented after they were out of earshot of the others.
“Slow down, Jonathon,” Rusty added from behind them.
“Sorry,” he muttered almost under his breath. Rusty parted ways when they reached the street his hotel occupied and Alexandria and Jonathon continued in silence to the Morris’s where they let themselves in the back gate.
They were half way up the back walk when Alexandria decided she’d had enough of the silent treatment.
“It was stupid to follow you, I’ll admit it so would you please stop ignoring me and say something? Anything!” her tone was clipped. Jonathon stopped short and turned to face her. “That’s an understateme
nt, Alexandria. Not only did you put yourself in danger, you exposed yourself to things a lady should never see!” he all but yelled at her.
“And you should? Why did you need to meet the man there….”
“He changed the meeting place on us at the last minute as you know. I was no more comfortable in there than you were. In the future when I ask you to trust my judgment…”
“In the future trust me to be grown up enough to hear the truth about why you don’t want me somewhere!” she yelled back at him. “Do you think I enjoyed today? That I wanted to see those things; that I like the questions it raised? That I like wandering if my own husband, my brother, my father have been places like that? Don’t think that I didn’t know that half the men in there were married. Some of them even were wearing wedding bands in a place like that.
“I hate men! I hate the way they treat women, that they can pay to step out on their wives and it’s called business,” she spat at him with her hands shaking and tears streaming down her face.
Jonathon was staring at her in amazement. “Alexandria, I’m sorry…” he reached out to take her arms to have his slapped away.
“Don’t!” Alexandria lost her hat as she jerked away from him.
“Alexandria, I’m sorry I was angry with you,” he succeeded in pulling her close. Alexandria stood in the circle of his arms and cried like her heart was breaking. “I’m so sorry,” Jonathon whispered over and over again as he stroked her back gently. He raised his hand to smooth loose hairs from her face; his heart was aching, there was a wealth of pain in the sobs racking the slender frame in his arms. He wanted to take her somewhere away from the pain and doubts that plagued her. The trouble was he couldn’t take her away from herself.
Janice stepped onto the porch and watched with concerned eyes.
“I’m fine,” Alexandria finally said and pulled away from Jonathon. She turned to toward the house and spotted her mother-in-law; her steps faltered before she slipped around her and hurried to her room. Alexandria hated feeling vulnerable and right now she felt as though all her hurts and fears had been laid bare for all to see. Had Elijah visited a place like that? Was that why he hadn’t come to her bed, because he had been in another bed, one that didn’t ask for his heart or a commitment? Would these questions ever stop plaguing her now that they had started?
***
Alexandria was thankful that her mother-in-law never asked for an explanation of what had been going on when she apologized for making a scene. The rest of the afternoon had been uneventful and the next day had been spent touring the Morris’s dry goods store and the town of Jasper. Sunday morning when they loaded into the Morris’ carriage and started for church, Alexandria was feeling much more like herself.
At the church, Alexandria was introduced to Elijah’s childhood neighbors and friends and felt herself growing uncomfortable again. These people had known her husband better than she had. She forced a smile and swallowed her discomfort. She was still talking to the last woman she had been introduced to when a grating voice reached her ears.
“Mrs. Morris, how wonderful to see you, pray tell who is this with you?” the voice, thick with a southern accent, inquired.
Alexandria turned to find herself looking at every stereotype she had ever heard about the south. The woman was petite standing no more than five feet three inches in height. Her hair was golden blonde, her eyes sky blue, and her figure full in all the right places.
“Ellie, this is Alexandria Morris, my daughter-in-law. Alexandria, Ellie Meade,” Janice introduced them.
“Charmed I’m sure,” Ellie smiled. “And who is this?” her eyes were locked on Jonathon with rapt attention.
“This is Jonathon Stewart, the foreman on Alexandria’s ranch. Jonathon, Ellie Meade,” Janice obliged her request for an introduction. Alexandria rolled her eyes and started into the church. She had no desire to watch yet another woman fawn over her foreman. He attracted women like honey drew flies.
Alexandria would have been hard pressed to tell anyone what the sermon was about; her own thoughts had been on preparing for the trip home. Alexandria was relieved when church dismissed and anxious to start packing. If she had known that Ellie was about to invite herself to dinner she might not have been in such a hurry.
“Oh, Mrs. Morris, won’t you come have dinner with me tomorrow evening?” Ellie asked Alexandria.
“I’m sorry, Ellie, Alexandria is leaving tomorrow, however, you’re welcome to join us for dinner now,” Janice invited.
“Well aren’t you a doll. I’d be just delighted to join you,” Ellie beamed.
Alexandria forced a smile and stepped into the buggy. Janice turned back to speak with the pastor and Jonathon politely handed Ellie into the buggy before seating himself beside Alexandria. Nathaniel sat on the driver’s seat with Henry, the Morris’ driver, to make room. Janice joined them and they started the short trip to the Morris’ home.
“You have your own ranch?” Ellie inquired of Alexandria as soon as they were moving.
“It was my late husband’s but I have been running it since his death, well, with a lot of help from Jonath… Mr. Stewart, anyway,” Alexandria answered.
“How fortunate that you have someone of his talents around,” Ellie smiled; it didn’t reach her eyes. Alexandria bristled at the implication the comment held but let it go. “You sure are a pretty thing,” Ellie smiled at Lilly.
Lilly frowned at her and gazed up at the hat that seemed fixed into Ellie’s curls. When Ellie tried patting Lilly on the head the child scampered into Jonathon’s lap and frowned at Ellie.
“I’m sorry, Lilly can be a little shy,” Alexandria apologized for her daughter. Lilly stuck her index finger in her mouth and laid her head on Jonathon’s shoulder.
“You are a little ham aren’t you?” Janice asked her granddaughter.
“She thinks she owns Jonathon,” Alexandria laughed.
“She does,” Jonathon smiled.
Ellie was surveying them sharply and Alexandria shuddered. The woman came across as almost predatory.
Alexandria was relieved to arrive at the Morris’s and escape the confines of the buggy. Desiree, a gorgeous young maid of the Morris’s, had dinner waiting and served them in a hostile manner; her eyes were shooting poison at Ellie, who spent the entire meal flirting with Jonathon. It was with dread that Alexandria moved toward the parlor after the meal was over. Saying he wasn’t feeling well, Nathaniel excused himself and Janice went to put Lilly down for a nap after telling the “younger people” to enjoy themselves.
“Alexandria, Janice speaks very highly of you and hinted that you actually work out on the ranch, is that true?” Ellie turned to her as they entered the room.
“I do work on the range some, it’s necessary,” she answered.
“How fortunate for you, most of us have to depend on catching a husband for support,” her eyes were nearly slits as she studied Alexandria. “My but you are tall aren’t you?” Ellie asked. “And rather sturdy as well.”
Alexandria flinched slightly at her words and Ellie smiled in satisfaction.
“It must help you in working on the ranch,” Ellie smiled sweetly as she seated herself on the settee.
Jonathon frowned; this catty woman seemed to have a sixth sense for Alexandria’s insecurities.
“Janice indicated that you are a widower, Mr. Stewart, what was your wife like?”
“My wife was kind and generous to everyone, one of many reasons I loved her,” Jonathon returned tersely.
“Well, of course,” Ellie smiled. “I bet she was small and petite; it made you feel manly didn’t it?” Ellie speculated aloud; she was watching Alexandria out of the corner of her eye.
“Why have you never married?” Jonathon questioned.
Ellie colored.
Jonathon avoided Alexandria’s astonished gaze.
“I haven’t met the right man, I guess,” her tone was cool.
“Good luck in finding him. Alexandria, we ne
ed to check on the cattle and meet with Rusty,” Jonathon stood.
He had surprised her nearly speechless. Not only was his behavior toward Ellie well outside his usual treatment of a woman, she had hardly expected to be invited back to the corrals after the previous trip.
“We probably should,” Alexandria stood quickly.
Janice was just returning to the room and frowned as she looked among them. The tension in the room was palpable.
“Would you mind terribly giving me a ride home to my aunt’s?” Ellie asked.
Jonathon’s jaw tightened. “Certainly,” his voice was too even. He asked Henry to prepare the smaller buggy and changed into his jeans and a work shirt. He pulled the buggy around front and Henry helped the ladies into the buggy. Ellie had seen to it that she was seated beside Jonathon and preceded to flirt for the five minutes it took to get her home. Jonathon had never been more relieved to be rid of someone in his life.
“That is the first time I have ever seen you be rude to a lady,” Alexandria commented after they were on their way again.
“That is the first time I recall being intentionally rude to a lady,” he admitted.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
“Why would anyone as pretty as she is act so ugly?” Alexandria was shaking her head in bafflement.
“She perceived you as competition, Alexandria. You’re a beautiful woman and she was threatened. She obviously feels better about herself if those around her feel worse; I’ve seen it many times. You didn’t catch on to that?”
“Jonathon, I’ve never been one to chase the men and I never bothered learning the games; besides, how was I threat to her?”
“She obviously picked up on the fact that we’re good friends.”
“Oh, I noticed she was interested in you. You know, Jonathon, you should start a mission for less fortunate men. You could send your cast offs their way,” she teased.
A Headstrong Woman Page 18