The Proud Shall Stumble

by Gerald N. Lund

  “Thank you.” Celeste handed Reginald to Frank, but Tina spoke up quickly.

  “Can I feed him and put him to bed, Celeste? I would love to. Please?”

  That seemed to please Celeste, and she smiled and handed him to Tina. “That would be nice, Tina. Thank you.”

  As they moved into the living room, Celeste seemed a little surprised to see a table fully set right there, but then she took a deep breath. “It smells wonderful!” she exclaimed. “And I am famished. The food on the train was awful.”

  Frank cocked his head. “I need to warn you. I’ve already put on five pounds since I got here. Mama’s cooking is the best.”

  “Well,” Edie said, “it’s all ready. We just need to dish it up. Everyone find your places. Children, you’re at the table out in the living room. Adults and Tina will be in the kitchen at the main table.”

  As they got the food all dished up and everyone seated, Christina came out from the bedroom to join them. As she sat down between her father and Frank, she spoke to Celeste. “Reginald was asleep before he finished his bottle. And he never stirred when I laid him down.”

  “Good. Thank you.” Then Celeste reached across Frank and briefly touched Tina’s hand. “You’ve grown so much in the last year, Christina. You’ve turned into a beautiful young woman.”

  Tina ducked her head as her face colored. “Thank you.”

  “And I love how you’ve cut your hair. Very chic. Very stylish.”

  Tina was momentarily taken aback, but then she smiled and looked at her father. “Why thank you, Celeste. Would you mind saying that again for the benefit of my father?”

  Celeste’s eyes darted back and forth between them. “Why? Did I say something wrong?”

  “Oh, no,” Mitch laughed quickly before his daughter could reply. “It’s just that I’ve always thought that a bob cut would look great on Tina, but she wouldn’t believe me. I tried for months to get her to cut it.”

  Tina’s mouth fell open. “What?” she cried.

  Mitch went right on. “She’s always been a stubborn girl, right, Frank?”

  Trying hard to keep a straight face, Frank grunted, “You can say that again.”

  “Dad!” Tina cried. “That’s not true.” She whirled around to face Edie. “Tell her what really happened, Mom.”

  Edie shrugged. “Well, the real truth is, Mitch finally had to threaten to get the sheep shears out and do it himself before she finally gave in.”

  “Mother!” Tina was aghast.

  Celeste was staring in open astonishment at her in-laws. Then she glanced around the table. Frank and MJ had turned their heads away and were sniggering into their napkins. June had her hand cupped over her mouth to stop herself from laughing out loud. Rowland and Rena had ducked their heads and were stifling giggles. And then Celeste got it and began to laugh.

  “It’s not funny!” Tina yelped. “It was all my idea, and Dad really fought me—”

  “Actually,” Frank said, “it is pretty funny. If you hadn’t given in, think how ba-a-a-a-d Dad’s haircut would have turned out.” He did a perfect imitation of a sheep bleating.

  That sent everyone except Tina into paroxysms of laughter. Tina just rolled her eyes.

  During the laughter, Celeste looked around at the circle of faces and leaned in close to Frank. “Are your parents always like this?” she whispered. She had meant it for Frank’s ears only, but in the confines of the kitchen, everyone heard it clearly. The family roared in delight as Celeste’s face turned bright red. Even Tina couldn’t hold it back now.

  As the laughter gradually died out, Tina turned to her sister-in-law with a plaintive look on her face and asked, “Could I ever come and live with you, Celeste? See what I have to put up with here?”

  Celeste sobered as she considered that. Then, with just the tiniest hint of a smile playing around the corners of her mouth, she replied, “Only if your parents will take Frank back in trade.”

  “Hey!” Frank howled.

  At that the laughter started right back up. Edie waited until it subsided and then spoke to Celeste. “Tina for Frank? Oh, Celeste, you’d have to kick in a substantial sum of money to make that work.”

  5:35 p.m.

  “So,” MJ said to Celeste as everyone was eating, “I’m guessing that you’ve found our country out here to be a bit different than New England.”

  “Oh my goodness, yes. The whole West. I couldn’t believe it as we came through Colorado. I’d seen pictures of the Rocky Mountains before, of course, but they were so fantastic with all the snow on them.”

  Rena chuckled. “And then you got to drab old Utah. I’ll bet that was a shock.”

  Celeste laid her fork down. “Oh, no. There’s a lot of emptiness, of course, but when we got close to that first town. . . .” She turned to Frank. “What was the name of it?”

  “Moab.”

  “Oh, yeah, Moab.” Celeste’s eyes were very wide now. “It took my breath away. I mean, suddenly, there were these massive red cliffs on both sides of the road. And I mean, massive! And in the sunlight, the colors were so breathtaking. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

  Rowland, who hadn’t said much since Celeste’s arrival, was pleased with that. “Just a few miles northeast of Moab, up on those high rocky plateaus that you passed, there are literally hundreds of huge stone arches cut out of that same red rock. They’re pretty spectacular too. We’ll have to take you up there sometime.”

  “Oh, yes,” Celeste cried. “We saw an arch. A real one. Right by the side of the road.”

  “Wilson’s Arch?” Mitch asked Frank, who nodded.

  “Did you stop?” MJ asked.

  “Of course he stopped,” Celeste said. “I made him. I made him take me up to it.”

  That brought Edie’s head up. “You mean you hiked up to it?” She was thinking of the red dress.

  “In the snow?” June asked at the same time.

  Frank read their expressions well and was pleased to answer. “Moab didn’t get as much snow as you did here. There were a few muddy spots on the path, but we went up most of the way.”

  “I kind of ruined my shoes,” Celeste said ruefully. “Frank’s going to try and clean them off for me tomorrow. But I’m so glad we went up. I was. . . . I don’t know. I’ve never had a feeling quite like that before. I felt so small. So insignificant.”

  Edie had to look away to hide her surprise. So that answers the question about what you wore on the train. It certainly wasn’t the red dress and matching shoes. Or the outfit you’re wearing now. But this little revelation actually pleased her. This was a side to her daughter-in-law that she had not expected.

  “Tell you what,” Mitch said. “If that interests you, let’s watch the weather next week, and if we get a warm spell with no snow, we’ll all drive up to Moab and go see some of those arches. Rowland’s right. They’re pretty spectacular.”

  “They’re only about fifty miles from here,” Frank said. “Would you like that, Celeste?”

  “Oh, yes!” she cried. “Very much.”

  Rowland spoke up again. “There’s one arch that’s my favorite. They call it Delicate Arch, because it’s freestanding. It comes right up out of the rock base and is about the same height as a six-story building.”

  “But it’s about an hour-and-a-half hike from where we park the cars,” Rena said. “And the trail is pretty steep in some places.”

  Frank was amused. They were worried about whether it would be too much for his wife. “Oh, Celeste loves hiking,” he said. “Her family has a cabin up in the Adirondacks. She hikes for miles up there.” He looked at Celeste proudly. “She can out-hike me two times over.”

  Well, well, well. Edie picked up her fork and began to eat again. There’s a good lesson for you, Edie Westland. Don’t judge a book by its cover. No matter how elegant and beautiful th
at cover may be.

  6:13 p.m.

  The adults were gathered in the living room. After doing the dishes, the children had asked permission to go to MJ and June’s house so they could play games there. Tina volunteered to go with them and supervise. Reginald was up again now, and Edie was feeding him his bottle, cuddling him and cooing to him as she did so. The rest of the adults were seated around the room talking to each other quietly, enjoying the warm glow of being well fed and in good company.

  Mitch cleared his throat as he looked at Frank. “So did you tell Celeste our plans for tomorrow?”

  “Uh . . . no. Not yet.”

  Celeste turned to Mitch. “What plans?”

  “We’re going to get the family Christmas tree.”

  “Oh, good,” Celeste replied. “I always love that part of Christmas. So is there a Christmas tree lot here in town?”

  Rena looked up in surprise. “A Christmas tree lot?”

  But Celeste missed her question. “In Boston we always go down to the harbor. They bring in shiploads of trees from Canada and then set them up in Christmas tree lots throughout town. But Daddy always sends Alfred—he’s our butler—right down to the wharf so he can choose one before they’re all picked over. And growing up, Alfred would always let me go with him.” Celeste’s voice trailed off as she noticed the expressions all around her. “What?” She turned to Frank. “What did I say?”

  Mitch leaned forward. “You didn’t say anything wrong, Celeste. It’s just that . . . well, we have our own Christmas tree lot just to the west of us.”

  “You do? You have your own Christmas tree lot?”

  “It’s called Horse Head Peak,” Frank explained, smiling at his wife. “It’s part of the ranch. We’re going to take a horse and a sleigh and go up and cut down our own tree right out of the forest.”

  “Really?” Celeste looked to Mitch for confirmation. She clearly thought Frank was teasing her.

  “Yes, really,” Mitch said. “And if you would like, you can be the one who actually picks it out for us. And you can help cut it down, too.”

  She peered at him. “You mean like with an axe?”

  “Yes. And we use a saw, too,” Mitch replied. “We’ll help you, but you could make the last few strokes and watch it topple.”

  Celeste whipped around and looked at her husband. He laughed at her expression. “Dad’s serious, honey. Is that something that you would like to do?”

  “Cut down my own Christmas tree?” she yelped. “Are you kidding? Of course I would!”

  Rena was pleased with her reaction. “And after we get it back and set it up, we spend the rest of the day decorating it, with the kids taking the lead.”

  “Can I help do that too?” Celeste asked eagerly.

  “Of course,” Edie said. “It’s a family thing.”

  Chapter Notes

  Around this time, people in the Moab region were trying to get the federal government to come out and see the area that is now known as Arches National Park. When government representatives finally visited, action was taken and the area was made a park on April 12, 1929. It now receives more than a million visitors each year, and they come from all around the world.

  Delicate Arch, now an iconic symbol of Utah, was originally called “The Chaps” or “The Schoolmarm’s Bloomers” by the local cowboys and settlers. It got its current name in 1934.

  December 19, 1923, 7:15 a.m.—EDW Ranch

  Frank blew out his breath in exasperation and shouted down the hallway. “Celeste? Are you coming? Everybody’s ready. The kids are already out in the sleigh.”

  There was some kind of muffled response that was not intelligible. Frank turned to his mother, lifting his hands in a gesture of helplessness.

  “It’s all right,” Edie said. “We don’t have a set schedule here, son.”

  “What is she doing?” June asked, more curious than irritated. She stood beside her mother-in-law and Rena. The three women were not bundled up for the cold. They were staying behind with the babies while the rest of the family went out to get the Christmas tree.

  “I don’t know,” Frank grumbled. “She was almost ready, then Tina came in and said she had to get something out of the chest of drawers. I thought she and Celeste would be right out.” With a soft harrumph, he started down the hall.

  “Frank,” his mother called after him, “give them another minute or two. Maybe Celeste is—”

  The front door opened with a bang and Mitch stuck his head in. “Frank? You coming?”

  “Yes, I am!” Frank jammed his hat on his head and started to turn. But just then, the door down the hall opened and Tina slipped out. She was buttoning her heavy woolen coat. “Tina? Where’s Celeste?”

  Tina smiled sweetly. “She’s coming. Right now.” She came up to Frank. “Close your eyes.” She turned to Edie and June. “And you too.” Seeing her father, she nodded. “And you, Dad.”

  “This is no time for games, Tina,” Frank snapped. “Everybody’s waiting and—”

  “Then close your eyes, grumpy,” Tina snapped right back at him. “You’re the one holding everybody up.” But she was trying hard to keep a straight face as she said it.

  When they all had their eyes shut, Tina called out, “Okay, Celeste. We’re ready.”

  They heard the door open, and a moment later Celeste stepped out into the hall. She walked into the room and told them they could open their eyes. A collective gasp sounded. Frank looked as though a bale of hay had dropped on his head. Edie recovered first. “Oh my word,” she said, clapping her hands. “Look at you!”

  That clearly was the reaction Celeste had been hoping for. She laughed right out loud and did a very slow pirouette so that everyone could see her clearly. She wore a pair of Levi’s that fit her quite nicely, a bright red flannel shirt with a plaid design, and a belt with a miniature horseshoe as its buckle. A worn pair of cowboy boots completed her ensemble. She also held a sheepskin coat in one hand and a felt cowboy hat in the other.

  “What are you doing?” Frank finally sputtered.

  Celeste put the hat on her head, tipped it down at a jaunty angle, and sauntered up to him. “What d’ya think, cowboy?” she drawled in a gravelly voice.

  Frank was too stunned to answer. Not Mitch. He hooted and slapped his upper leg in pure delight. “Hoo-ee!” he cried. “I think we’ve got us another cowgirl in the family, Mama.”

  “Are those yours?” Frank finally managed.

  “No, they’re mine,” Tina said. “Except for the coat. That’s Mama’s.” She stepped over and punched Frank on the shoulder. “Pretty good fit, don’t you think?”

  Celeste’s face was coloring slightly as everyone stared at her, but her dark eyes were wide and filled with joy. Edie just shook her head in amazement.

  Finally, Frank recovered enough to mumble something about it certainly being more practical for what they were doing today.

  “Aw, c’mon, Frank,” Mitch said, coming over to nudge him with an elbow. “Look at her. She’s dang cute, if you ask me. I think that deserves a kiss.” And to Celeste’s utter astonishment, Mitch stepped forward, bent down, and kissed her on the cheek. “You make one pretty filly, ma’am,” he said with a grin.

  Celeste blushed to the roots of her hair. “Why thank you, Grandpa Westland. Now there’s a compliment a girl can appreciate.”

  Frank went to kiss her too, but she slipped away from him. “Sorry, cowboy,” she said airily. “You missed your chance.” Then she turned to Edie. “I have a question, Grandma Westland. Would you mind if Grandpa Westland saddled Balline for me?”

  “You want to ride Grandma Westland’s horse?” Mitch blurted.

  “Are you out of your mind?” Frank gasped at the same instant.

  Celeste laughed. “Yes, to both.” Then to Edie, she said, “Tina tells me that she’s quite gentle.” />
  Edie quickly replied. “Yes, she is a very gentle horse. Are you thinking you’d like to ride along with Frank instead of being in the sleigh?”

  “Yes. That’s exactly what I was thinking.”

  “Yes!” Tina cried, clenching her fist and punching the air.

  “But you hate animals,” Frank pleaded, perplexed.

  Edie turned to Mitch, ignoring Frank. That brought Mitch out of his daze. “Okay,” he said. “I’ll go saddle her up.”

  Celeste hurriedly put on her coat. “Wait for me. I want to watch.” And with that, she turned and hurried out the back door, following after Mitch.

  When Mitch and Celeste were outside, Frank whirled on Tina. “What did you say to her?”

  Tina sniffed loftily. “If I were you, I’d get out there and help her.”

  Frank looked as if he wanted to hit his sister, but instead he growled something they didn’t understand and turned and plunged after his wife.

  “Well, well, well,” was all Edie could think of to say. “Did you suggest that she could ride Balline?” she asked Tina.

  “No! I wasn’t thinking that at all. I was as shocked as you were when she asked about it.” Her face grew somber. “She may be a spoiled rich girl, Mom, but I like her. I like her a lot. And she loves Frank so much. I think she knows he doesn’t care about her being rich, which is very important to her. And it really, really means a lot to her what you and Dad think of her. I guess she saw this as a way to show you that she’s more than you think she is. I just hope Dad isn’t too upset with her.”

  “Your father?” Edie exclaimed. “Didn’t you see his face? He was delighted.” She pulled a face. “But I’m not sure Frank is going to forgive you.”

  With a giggle Tina gave a toss of her head. “Who cares? Frank’s an old stuffed shirt sometimes.” She started for the door. “I’ve got to go. I’m going to saddle up Daisy so I can ride with Celeste and Frank.”

  As she headed out, she called back to them. “Isn’t this turning out to be a great Christmas?”

  1:35 p.m.