“I moved recently to Texas with a dear woman named Martha Wythe—Marty. We are staying with her brother-in-law and sister, Mr. and Mrs. William Barnett. They own a large ranch not far from Dallas, near a town called Cedar Springs. I find it peaceful. Having never been outside of Denver, I also find the warmer climate quite agreeable.”
Alice paused and drew a deep breath before continuing.
“I don’t know how to say the things that are on my heart. I was so hurt when you left, and I’ve never known what to do with that pain. How does a mother leave her child without any warning, without any word? How you must have hated me. The very thought of that causes me to want to forget about sending this letter, but Marty tells me I must.”
That sounds so harsh. Perhaps I should rewrite it.
She looked at several wadded-up pieces of paper and knew she shouldn’t waste yet another piece of Hannah’s good writing paper. Maybe letting her mother see the pain was a good thing.
“I won’t lie and pretend the past doesn’t matter. I won’t try to sugar this up so that it goes down easier. Nobody did that for me.”
Alice’s anger stirred and she fought to push it back down.
“If you desire to correspond with me, you may feel free to do so at the address you’ll find at the bottom of this letter. I would particularly like to know why you left and whether my brother Simon is still alive.
“Yours truly,
“Alice”
Taking up the pen, she wrote the mailing instructions and set the letter aside to let the ink dry. A part of her felt good for what she’d accomplished, while another part felt sick. Marty had been after her to write ever since they’d learned the truth in Denver, and Alice knew she would never stop hounding her about it.
She knew Marty was right. It needed to be done. Whether her mother had a proper explanation or even cared, Alice knew she had to have at least this small contact. She could only pray that her mother was still alive and residing at the same place.
Her thoughts quickly passed from the letter to Robert’s promise of riding lessons that afternoon. He was a most incredible man, nearly ten years her senior, as Alice understood from Marty. He was the only son and heir to the Barnett ranching empire, but even if he’d been poor, Alice would have found herself drawn to him.
There was something about the casual way he interacted with her. He didn’t seem to care about her appearance. He had never commented on the scar once. No doubt Marty had filled everyone in on her situation prior to their arrival. And if she hadn’t, now that they were in residence the story would surely have been told. Even so, Robert made no mention of it.
Perhaps it truly doesn’t bother him. Maybe he doesn’t care that I’m less than perfect.
A knock on her door brought Alice to her feet. She crossed and opened to find Marty standing there. “We have guests and I thought you should come meet them.”
“Let me get my shawl.” She picked up a dark blue shawl and wrapped it around her shoulders before joining Marty in the hall. “Do I look presentable?”
“Very much so. You know, I think that scar is fading even faster now that Hannah has you using that special salve she made.”
Alice put her hand to her jaw. “Do you really?”
“I do. My sister is a wonder. She knows about all sorts of things like that. You’ll like getting to know her better.”
“I’m sure I will,” Alice said, letting Marty lead her down the hall.
In the large front room, Alice saw two women sitting and speaking with Hannah. She offered a smile but again kept her face to the right. It was a habit she found hard to break.
“Alice, this is Mrs. Carissa Atherton and her daughter Jessica. You and Jessica are about the same age,” Marty declared.
Alice looked first to the older woman. Mrs. Atherton’s honey-colored hair was neatly tucked and curled into place beneath a lovely hat of plum velvet and black ribbon. Alice thought her one of the most beautiful women she’d ever met.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, ma’am,” Alice said, giving a little nod. She turned next to the younger woman, who seemed rather indifferent to the introduction. “Miss Atherton, I’m pleased to make your acquaintance.”
Jessica looked her over for a moment. “Mother tells me you are Marty’s maid.”
“Not anymore,” Marty replied before Alice could say a word. “Alice and I are just dear friends now.”
Alice heard Jessica give a little sniff, as if disapproving. She wondered if the young woman had been raised to look down on those of less fortune. Alice waited a moment longer and then felt a sense of relief when Marty motioned her to sit.
“We were just having a nice visit,” Hannah said, “and I wanted you to join us. We’ve been discussing plans for several events that will take place in the next few weeks, and I want you to be a part of it.”
Marty seemed quite eager to share the details. “One of those events will be Jake’s and Hannah’s birthdays. Hannah’s is on the fifth of March and Jake’s is the seventh. We want to have a big party.”
“They want to have a big party,” Hannah corrected.
“And of course Robert has a birthday on the second of April,” Jessica said, smiling. “I do hope we can have a party for him, as well.”
“First things first,” Mrs. Atherton interjected. “The men won’t have time for much of anything until after roundup. We need to think on how we’re going to handle that. I was speaking with my sister, Laura, a couple of days ago, and we thought it might be nice to host the roundup at my place. It’s pretty centrally located to all the participants, since we’ll have the Harpers and Watsons joining us.”
“I think that sounds fine,” Hannah replied.
Alice had no idea what they were talking about, but it sounded like quite the occasion. She looked to Marty for clarification, but her friend didn’t seem to notice.
“So there will be eight ranches involved all together?” Marty questioned.
Hannah and Carissa Atherton nodded in unison, but it was the latter who spoke. “The Reids will be there, the Harpers, Watsons, Barnetts.” She paused a moment to count on her fingers.
Marty used that opportunity to explain to Alice, “The Reids are Carissa’s sister and brother-in-law and their sons, of course. They have a horse farm with some of the finest quality animals to be had.”
Carissa seemed to regain her thoughts. “Of course our family will be there. Then there’s the Palmers, the Kirbys, and the Armstrongs. Yes, eight ranches in total.”
“Speaking of the Armstrongs.” Marty paused and looked to Alice. “Mrs. Atherton’s oldest daughter married the Armstrongs’ youngest son, Elliot.” She returned her gaze to Carissa. “How is Gloria doing? Are they still in North Dakota?”
“No, they were reassigned last year to Fort Assiniboine,” Carissa said. “It’s located way to the north in Montana. It just so happens that the black Tenth Cavalry was also moved north from its duties west of here. We just had a letter telling us all about it. Elliot was promoted to captain and has very much enjoyed getting to know some of the buffalo soldiers and hearing their stories. Gloria finds life there to be quite taxing, but she has her friends.”
“And what about children?” Marty asked.
Carissa shook her head. “She lost two and I think she’d just as soon not have any more, at least for the time. It’s such a hard life there. I honestly don’t know how she bears it.”
Hannah looked to Marty and smiled. “Are you going to share your news?”
Alice saw Marty blush as she nodded. “I’m going to have a baby. It’s due in August or perhaps July.”
“Oh, that’s wonderful news,” Carissa said. “I was just telling Jess that we needed some little ones around here. All the children are grown.”
“I know just what you mean,” Hannah agreed. “I keep trying to convince my daughter Sarah that she and her family should move here. Goodness, I try to talk my brother, Andy, into it, as well. I suppose we shall just
have to wait to spoil Marty’s baby.”
“What of your younger daughter?” Carissa asked.
Hannah shrugged. “Ellie will probably never marry, or if she does, her husband will have to be a very strong man. Ellie is far too caught up in women’s rights. She wants education and the ability to vote for every woman. I admire her passion, but I’d just as soon have a houseful of grandchildren.” A soft laugh escaped her lips. “I think babies make a house more cheerful.”
The topic of babies quickly overtook the conversation, and Alice sat patiently listening as the women planned and plotted regarding Marty’s summer delivery. She lost track of the conversation and reflected once again on her letter. If Simon were alive he’d be ten.
I wonder what kind of boy you are. Are you sweet and scholarly? Are you strong and well-mannered? Visions of her brother at the age of five flickered through her mind for just a moment and then were gone. She could barely remember how he looked.
The memory of Robert’s face came to mind. Alice loved his strong jaw and full lips. She wanted very much to reach out and touch his cheek and feel the stubble of his beard, the warmth of his skin. Was it possible to fall in love with a man based purely on his appearance? And if one did, was there any sense in it?
I don’t even know him. He could be a lazy good-for-nothing. The thought made her smile. Of course he was neither of those things. His family had raised him to be God-fearing and responsible. He was kind and gentle in his nature and very generous with his time.
Otherwise he would never have offered to take me riding.
The Athertons left before lunch, despite Hannah’s encouraging them to stay. It seemed Jessica had a dress fitting or some other appointment in town, and they needed to push on. Alice put aside her reflections on the handsome Robert Barnett. She had just begun to help with the cleanup when Marty posed a question Alice hadn’t expected. A question that left her feeling sick.
“So, Hannah, when do Robert and Jessica plan to marry?”
Chapter 15
“Are you comfortable?” Robert asked, looking up into Alice’s pale, anxious face.
“It seems awfully high up here,” she replied from the horse’s back.
He chuckled. “I suppose it would, since you aren’t used to ridin’.” He handed her the reins. “Now take these and hold them firm in your left hand but not tight. Your hand will cramp up on you if you clench the reins.”
She took the straps in her gloved hands, as if she were handling a rattlesnake. Robert knew she was terrified and longed to find a way to reassure her. He knew the only way for her to get comfortable, however, was to actually ride the animal, so he quickly mounted his own horse.
“Betsey, there, is a good old gal. She won’t go runnin’ off with you, so try to relax.” He motioned toward the open range. “Let’s go up this way and let you get a feel for the saddle.”
Alice said nothing. The set of her jaw and her stiff posture told Robert she was focusing completely on her position. No doubt she was terrified of falling off and equally certain that Betsey could feel her tension. This might require a little more work than he’d originally thought. Reaching out, he took hold of the bridle. “Come on, Betsey. Let’s show her how it’s done.”
The horses moved forward and Alice reached for the horn with her right hand. Robert smiled but said nothing. She still held on to the reins, so he didn’t want to discourage her.
“I know a lot of gals ride sidesaddle, but Ma suggested I train you on the regular saddle instead. Riding astride isn’t always looked favorably upon for women, but I think it offers you more security, and out here with the snakes and holes and such, I think you need that extra help. This way if something spooks your horse and she rears, you have the added advantage of holding on with your . . . uh . . . legs.”
“I’m sure you know better than I would,” Alice replied in a tight, clipped tone.
Robert let go of Betsey’s bridle and allowed Rojoe to fall back even with the mare. “The important thing is to keep yourself balanced and centered. The horse will do the work if you just keep a few things like that in mind. A horse needs to know who’s in charge, for one.”
“He is,” Alice said. “Or, I should say, she is.”
Robert chuckled. “No. You are. You need to establish that with the animal as soon as you make contact. Betsey, here, has been a good horse to train children on, so I have the utmost confidence she’ll be easy for you.”
Alice gave a hint of a smile. “I don’t think any part of this will be easy.”
“Remember what I told you about holdin’ your legs tight. If you tighten up too much you’re gonna wear both of you out.” He thought Alice relaxed the tiniest bit. “Now I’m gonna show you how to stop her. I want you to gently pull back on the reins.”
Alice did so, but as her right hand was still firmly on the horn, she pulled with her left, and Betsey veered toward the left and headed straight into Rojoe.
Robert corrected his mount. “No, you need to pull them straight back toward your waist. You pulled left, so Betsey thought you wanted to turn. Straighten up and loosen the reins again.” He watched and waited. “Now, pull straight back and say, ‘Whoa.’ ”
“Whoa!” Alice called out a little too enthusiastically.
Robert smiled. She was such a petite thing, and her nervousness on the back of the fourteen-hand-high mare made him want to just pull her over onto his lap and comfort her like he might a child. Of course, he wasn’t thinking about Alice as a child. She was a beautiful young woman, and he had meant what he’d said about her maturity and old spirit. Compared to Jessica Atherton, Alice was far more astute and sensitive. She showed genuine concern for the people around her, and despite her fears and ordeals in life, she had the gumption to get up and try again.
“There now,” Robert said, looking at Alice’s tight hold, “ease up on the reins a little but keep control.”
He heard Alice let out a heavy breath. She looked at him as if to question what was next. He smiled. “All right, now you get us started again.”
“Me? I don’t know what to do.”
“Remember what I told you. Give her a little nudge with your heels. Keep your feet in the stirrups and mostly squeeze with your legs. I’m sorry if this sounds too forward talkin’ about legs and such,” he said, realizing he was speaking in a most familiar manner with a woman he hardly knew. “If you’re too uncomfortable I could just have Aunt Marty or my mother teach you.”
“No, I’m not offended.”
“But you are very tense. Relax, and don’t forget to draw a good deep breath. Sometimes folks forget to breathe while riding and faint off the back of the horse.”
Alice grimaced. “I certainly wouldn’t want to fall off Betsey. It’s a long ways down.”
Robert chuckled. “Now, just squeeze with your legs and give a little click with your tongue. She’s leg trained so she’ll respond to the pressure, but the clicking just lets her know you mean business.”
Alice did as he instructed and the mare began to move. “Oh my,” Alice said, again going rigid in the saddle.
“Relax. You’re gonna be sore when we get done if you don’t learn to ease into it.”
He had to give her credit. She was trying hard not to be afraid. Alice obeyed his every order and after half an hour, Robert decided she’d had enough.
“Let’s walk ’em back. It’s not that far. Stop your horse.”
Alice pulled back on the reins. “Whoa!” Betsey halted instantly.
“Good. You learn quick.” He jumped off Rojoe’s back in an effortless manner. Having been riding since before he could walk, Robert felt as if the horse was a mere extension of his own limbs.
Still holding on to the reins of his horse, he went to Alice. Rojoe seemed more interested in the new spring grass than his master, but he quickly complied and followed.
“Now you are going to dismount,” Robert told Alice. “It’s not all that difficult. Coming down is always easier than ge
tting up there.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of,” she said, looking down.
“Don’t be afraid, Alice. I have you.”
She frowned and looked back at the neck of her mount. “What do I need to do?”
“Keep the reins in your left hand and slip your boots out of the stirrups,” he instructed. She did as he said, looking only a little bit frightened. “Now lean forward, and with your right hand you can grip the saddle or the horn. While you do this, I want you to swing your right leg back over the horse. You’re gonna lean against her and then push off to slide down Betsey’s side.”
He heard Alice’s heavy sigh and stood ready to help in case she lost her balance. To the surprise of both of them, however, she managed a perfect dismount the first time.
Robert grinned and patted her on the back. “See? You’re a natural.”
She shivered. “I wouldn’t go so far as to say that.”
“Let’s walk. It’ll warm you up and get your nerves untangled.”
He showed her how to lead Betsey, and the two began to move back down the trail toward home. Robert couldn’t help but admire the young woman at his side. He wanted more than anything to know everything about her. He wanted her to talk about her mother and brother, to tell him about the night she was knifed. Instead, he said the first thing that came to mind.
“I hear you’re gonna help with the roundup cookin’.”
Alice didn’t look at him but nodded. “I want to be useful. I don’t know anything about roundups, but I’m willing to learn.”
“This will probably be our last open-range roundup,” Robert said, feeling a certain sorrow. “Everyone is fencing these days. Farmers say the open range causes their crops to be ruined and thieves will drive off portions of the herd if you don’t keep them under watch. Times are especially hard for folks, so stealing seems like an acceptable way to feed the family.”
“Do you lose a lot of your stock?”
“No. We’re in a pretty good position. We have good neighbors and we work together. We’ve always helped one another at roundup, but I know the time is coming when we’ll be handlin’ these things separately.” He shrugged. “’Course that doesn’t mean we won’t still help one another. I know Pa will always be willing to lend a hand to anyone who needs it, and so will I.”
Moment in Time, A (Lone Star Brides Book #2) Page 14