by Annie Lane
“Do you even sell chamomile tea?”
“I most certainly do not.”
“Maybe you should try it,” he said. “Was that really her only fault?”
“She doesn’t know how to make meatballs, Henry!”
Henry had no comeback for that.
Meatballs?
He had no clue as to what she was talking about now, so he let the thought go, and instead ran his fingers through his wife’s hair. “Give the girl a chance, Louise. Perhaps you should consider the fact that we’re finally gaining a daughter. Did you ever contemplate that? You can share with her all those girly things you’ve been trying to get Gabe interested in his whole life. Let her prove herself before you judge her. She might well surprise you.”
“You’re probably right,” sighed Louise.
“Of course I’m right, now that’s enough of all this nonsense. I still need to change my clothes and wash up for the evening before it gets too late.”
Louise felt her husband roll to his side and then climb off the bed, feeling the empty space he left behind like some cavernous void, and she found herself, once again, in a melancholy mood.
She’d missed Henry lately. It had been a long while since they’d talked so openly and she drew strength from his sturdy heart, his sharp mind and his warm body cuddled up beside her.
“You know…” she said, a teasing lilt to her voice as Henry crossed the room and headed toward the door. “I could help you change out of your clothes. I think you might just still have it in you, Sheriff Calhoun.”
“You want to … you mean, you’re thinking … we might…?”
Henry was back in the bed so fast his feet barely scraped the floor, and while it was most out of character and nothing which he’d make a habit of, Sheriff Calhoun — for the very first time in the history of town meetings — arrived a full five minutes late that evening.
Chapter 16
Dear Diary,
Well, I finally made it to Conrad!
Gabe Calhoun is so much more than I expected. He’s handsome and kind and incredibly generous too and I can’t veil the wonderful sense of peace I find in his company. I already have feelings for him. It makes no sense, I know that in my head, but try telling my silly heart otherwise. Never in my life did I expect to marry a man I’d never met before, but just between you and I — I can’t wait for the day to arrive now that I’m actually here.
‘Mrs. Alice Calhoun — the blacksmith’s wife!’ Now doesn’t that have a delightful ring to it?
And the town itself is just so quaint and charming too. I sure can see myself fitting right in. Of course, the picture I’m painting isn’t all roses and rainbows. There is one small problem. Well, if the truth be told it’s not so much a small problem at all, more an enormous problem. Gabe’s mother hates me. And I’m not even sure why.
But if what I laid witness to today is anything to go by, then my future with Gabe will be made very difficult indeed. For one moment I thought I saw a spark of warmth in her eyes … right at the very end, right as I left the wagon and headed inside the saloon … but it soon tapered out and then she went back to fiddling with her gloves, like they were just about the most interesting things she had ever seen.
Only once did the two men from Texas come to mind today — that being when Gabe’s head near snapped clean from his neck to look over at me. I slipped up and said ‘my Uncle Bert’s about as yella as mustard but without the bite.’ At first I thought he hadn’t detected my southern accent but for the rest of the ride home he had one eye facing forward and the other one on me.
I know it’s immoral of me to be entering into a marriage without the whole truth, but it’s the only way to keep Gabe out of harm. The only way.
The Fallons are wonderful people and they sure have made me feel welcome. Edith went out of her way to be especially welcoming, even helping me undo my buttons. The bath was delightful — the hot water helped all my aches and pains drift away.
I can’t write for long tonight as it seems I’m being picked up again! To attend a town meeting! I’m most definitely not looking forward to it. Being the center of attention is hardly my idea of a good time. But what choice do I have?
Gabe seemed so excited by the prospect of introducing me to everyone that I couldn’t tell him otherwise. Anyway, I must be off now.
Town meeting and all!
Love from,
Alice.
Chapter 17
“Order … Order!”
Mayor Clarkson quieted the room with a commanding voice and then pounded his gavel down on the lectern. The run-down hall was bursting at the seams. Never before had a meeting been held with such high attendance.
But it didn’t take a genius to work out why.
It was the inaugural open forum town meeting. The constant interruptions and the never ending stream of questions had the Mayor regretting his idea altogether.
Mabel Clay waved her umbrella about, desperate to catch the Mayor’s attention. She didn’t want to miss out on having her say before the night drew to a close. She’d gotten so carried away in fact, that she almost poked poor Mrs. Clarkson’s eye out over in the second row.
Mayor Clarkson shouted, “Put that thing down before someone gets hurt. I do believe you think the sun comes up just to hear you crow.”
Mabel huffed. “Well it’s alright for some, but I have a lot to discuss and I don’t have all night, Mayor.”
Louise sniggered. “Speaking of nightmares…”
Henry missed her comment. He preferred to stand at the very back of the room, where he positioned himself carefully against the wall so as his eyes and ears could be everywhere and nowhere all at the same time. It was an occupational hazard.
Thomas sat beside Charlotte on the opposite side of the hall. Mrs. Brewer was seated on the other side of his wife and the two women’s heads had been glued together for the last quarter hour, lost deep in a whispered conversation that Thomas knew nothing of — cotton, or yarn or something of the sort he didn’t care to bother himself with — and so as a result, he’d spent most of that time with his head tipped back on his shoulders, counting each and every rivet in the ceiling. To his way of thinking, Mayor Clarkson must have taken lessons in public speaking from the town’s loquacious preacher. The man sure could talk.
Alice and Gabe sat in the seats directly behind Louise — a fact for which Alice was extremely grateful — never had she been so very pleased to see the back of someone’s head before, and while she knew the thought to be most impolite, she still couldn’t help but offer a small sigh of relief as they settled into their chairs.
Gabe seemed blasé about the whole event though, and Alice realized that she was quickly growing accustomed to his style. He’d been alternating between picking at his fingernails and fiddling with his shoelaces. Of course, that was right before he nodded off to sleep, and Alice giggled as she snuck a peek in his direction and watched his head jolt and jerk as he fought to keep his eyes open.
Sitting forward like she was, Alice couldn’t help but notice Mabel Clay a few seats along. She was no longer vying for the Mayor’s attention, and was instead now whispering and gossiping with the gaggle of women surrounding her. Alice couldn’t quite remember all their names, but they reminded her of chickens in a henhouse, pecking and picking and hanging off the woman’s every word.
“And then…” whispered Mabel, in the most meddlesome voice. “They snuck around the corner where they thought no one else could see them. But I could see them alright, I’m certainly not blind. This is what I’ve been trying to tell you ladies right from the very beginning, ‘trash will sure start to stink if it’s left out too long.’”
Alice knew she shouldn’t be eavesdropping, but she was far too curious to sit back just yet. So she shuffled forward a little more, all the while careful not to disturb Gabe.
One of the ladies murmured, “Are you sure, Mabel? I can’t imagine Henry fooling around with anyone, let alone a young bride?”
Alice froze. She felt a shiver scamper all the way up and down her spine.
Henry? Gabe’s father?
Mabel looked offended. “Yes, of course I’m sure … Henry Calhoun is having an affair with the red-headed orphan. I saw them with my own two eyes this very morning.”
Oh no, were they talking about Beth, too? Henry and Beth?
“Please go on, Mabel,” said another of the ladies. “How did it come to be?”
Mabel nodded, pleased with herself. She loved nothing more than holding all the cards in her hands and dealing them out as she saw fit. At last, the silly good-for-nothings were finally offering her the respect she deserved.
“Listen carefully for I don’t care to repeat myself,” she began. She was going to milk it for all it was worth. “I was minding my own business behind the reception desk — just like I always do — when the Sheriff strolled into the waiting room to see about his injured hand. Next thing I know, Beth comes out of the doctor’s office and spots Henry sitting there and well, you wouldn’t want to know it, but she just went right on over, grabbed him by the arm and then they slipped outside for a minute or two. They got to whispering over by the bushes where they thought I couldn’t see them. But of course, I don’t miss a thing.”
The hens hung off her every word. “What did you see, Mabel?”
Mabel was clearly in her element. “Henry threw his arms around the girl and then swung her legs right up off the ground, making her fly all about in the air before he kissed her right there on the forehead.”
One of the ladies frowned. “That doesn’t sound overly romantic to me.”
Mabel didn’t like being questioned and narrowed her eyes. “You can doubt me all you want, Marjory Stapleton, but I’ve never been off the mark before. I swear to you Sheriff Calhoun is most definitely up to no good, though I don’t altogether blame him. That wife of his would be an abomination to live with. If you ask my opinion it’s probably not the first time he’s strayed.”
“I beg your pardon?”
Alice jumped in her seat and spun around to see Mrs. Calhoun standing behind her and staring at Mabel.
“Mrs. Calhoun, please don’t be upset by—”
“I’m fine, thank you, Alice.”
Louise never once took her eyes off Mabel. “What did you just say about my husband?”
Mabel’s lips pursed before she spoke, but the words never made it out of her mouth before Louise pounced. She marched right over to Mabel, towering over her so close that the woman’s face was hidden in her shadow. Gripped tight between her fingers was her small embroidered purse, and Alice feared — what with the way Louise’s teeth were clenched — that Mabel might end up wearing the purse as a bonnet before the night was through.
When Mabel didn’t immediately answer — instead offering one of the most smug, self-righteous, arrogant grins ever produced — Louise made no delay in spitting out a spray of ugly words.
“Just because you’ve never had a man look twice at you … you nasty-spirited piece of work, doesn’t mean my Henry is fooling around with anyone else. Let alone young Beth, who I’ll have you know is very much in love with her husband and is hardly the type to reduce another man’s marriage to dust by making funny-business in the hay. I’m sure there’s a perfectly reasonable explanation.”
Mabel stood slowly to her feet and stared Louise down. “You can tell yourself that until the cows come home, but it’s people like you who bring trouble unto themselves. I mean…” She scoffed then and rolled her eyes. “What kind of mother would allow her very own son to marry a girl he doesn’t even know? That is exactly how depravity bleeds into our humble society.”
Before she could stop herself, Alice stepped forward.
“The kind of mother who puts her son’s happiness before anything else. The kind of mother who loves her son with absolute devotion, and is willing to risk it all for his protection. The kind of mother I wish I still had in my life and the kind of mother I sure hope to be some day!”
She took a deep breath then and glanced down at Gabe, who’d been woken with a start once all the shouting had begun, and was now scrambling about in the seat, trying to gather up his bearings.
A cheer broke out, a few whistles too and Alice blushed. While her racing heart signaled for her to just put her head down and walk away, she felt she had something else to contribute. These people would soon be her family. And stepping in when family was in trouble is what family did best.
“And another thing…” She glanced then over at Louise and her eyes filled with unexpected tears. She hadn’t thought it possible to develop such a deep connection so soon. But it all made sense now. Louise was just as scared as Alice. “I promise to care for your son all the days of his life, and I will do everything within my ability to prove to you that you can trust me. I’m so terribly sorry we got off on the wrong foot, so terribly sorry indeed, but if it pleases you so … I’d be as proud as punch to call you my mother as well.”
At first Louise didn’t know what to say.
Her fingers trembled, her eyes stung with the emotion of it all, and if she didn’t watch herself closely she’d end up with tears falling down her cheeks again. But she was still furious. Livid in fact. She clutched her purse a little tighter and took three determined steps to close the gap, before she leaned over and walloped Gabe square over the head.
“What the blazes are you waiting for?” she shrieked.
Gabe cowered in the seat and covered his head with his hands. “Waiting … what, uh, oh heck Ma, will ya stop hittin’ me with that thing?”
Louise snapped her hands to her hips. “If you don’t marry this girl immediately, then you’re more of a fool than I first took you for. Don’t you dare let this little lady disappear out of our lives or you’ll be seeking my forgiveness all the years to come. She’s an absolute gem!”
And then Louise hit him once more, just to make sure he understood.
Chapter 18
Junior suddenly flew through the meeting hall door, shaking the snow from his floppy hair and exclaiming in a voice to rival the shrill tone of a banshee, “Beth’s belly’s growing a litter of love!”
All eyes spun in his direction, and then they watched as Earl and Beth followed closely behind him and walked inside out of the cold. Earl shook his head. But it had nothing to do with the snow. He couldn’t believe some of the things that came out of his son’s mouth sometimes. And no amount of classes ever seemed to make a difference either, so he figured he might as well give up on the whole idea or he might just die trying.
The boy was entertaining if nothing else.
An enormous smile plastered itself on Earl’s face. It was as broad and as deep and immeasurable as the Yellowstone River itself. Earl was thrilled with the news. The very same feelings had rushed through his veins almost a decade earlier and never had he expected to feel such joy twice in one lifetime.
“Yes … that’s right. My Beth’s with child. We’re beside ourselves!”
Junior clapped his hands and bounced around on his toes. “Well of course we are, Pa, what a silly thing to say. It’s us in our shadows right there … look …” He pointed quickly to the floor and laughed. He loved knowing stuff his Pa didn’t. But then in a flash he’d forgotten what they were even talking about and he focused his attention on the pretty fair-haired lady standing in front of him. “Good evening, Ma’am. It’s a pleasure to meet you. Please call me Junior.”
Alice smiled, instantly enamored. “Well, thank you. It’s most lovely to meet you too. Please call me Miss Alice.”
Junior nodded. “I like that name, Alice. It kinda sounds like palace, but with a different letter up front.”
And then the boy gasped and his eyes grew so wide they near popped straight out. “You’re Queen Alice who lives in a Palace!” He took a steady step forward, gazing at Alice all the while like she was royalty, and then … curtsied.
Junior finally stood tall again. “We’re late tonigh
t ’cause Beth wanted to tell me and Pa the good news both at the exact same time. But Pa wasn’t home yet from the paddocks. He was still sloppin’ the cows … uh, no I mean … he was milkin’ the pigs…” Junior burst out laughing and wrapped his arms around Beth’s waist. “Anyway, she said we should all find out together because each and every one of us grew that little baby right there inside her belly from all the love we have in our house.”
Earl rubbed his brow with the tips of his fingers. He sensed a very long nine months on the horizon. While Beth had tried her dandiest to explain the business of baby-making to an eight-year-old, it seemed Junior had still managed to come up with his very own topsy-turvy, upside-down, inside-out way of making sense of the whole thing. Which in all honesty, was just fine by Earl. He didn’t plan on having that discussion for quite some time yet.
“I reckon we’re gonna have another litter, just like Rosy.”
“No, boy. I told ya before … there’ll only be one baby. And no we don’t have to share it with Thomas, and no, you can’t take it to ‘bring your pet to school day.’ Are there any more questions?”
Junior thought hard. “No but I’m hopin’ it’s full o’ sugar and spice and not them snails and puppy-dog tails.”
Earl turned to Louise. “And don’t you go getting mad at Henry for not spilling the beans. Beth swore him to secrecy and I’m reckonin’ he’s a smarter man than to go against the wishes of a lady in the family way.”
Beth ran a hand over her flat stomach, already feeling the enormous torrent of love that welled up inside her. The nausea had long been forgotten and it was now overpowered by the wonderful blessing she had growing within. “Oh yes, Louise, it’s not Henry’s fault. I made him promise not to tell … at least not until I’d spoken to Earl and Junior first.”