“I expect to arrive in Jamestown in a couple of days,” he told his father. “I’ve heard a man can sell anything in Creelsboro. Perhaps I can find some work there.”
“Perhaps.” Hiram stood and faced Shelton. “I’m sorry, son.” He extended his hand.
Shelton pulled his father into an embrace. “It’s going to work out. I promise.”
Hiram nodded and walked away.
Shelton followed his father’s slow movements. Lord God, bring peace back to my father.
Taking in a deep breath, Shelton stared at the far wall of the den, behind which he had squirreled away one prized family heirloom. He hated keeping it a secret from his father, but if Hiram knew about it, Shelton was certain he would give in and sell it.
He set his hat on his head and flung his leather saddlebags across his shoulder. If he wanted to get a jump on his journey, he had to leave now.
Kate’s lively green eyes and head full of red curls flitted across his memory. Shelton closed his eyes, trying to hold on to the vision a little longer. Lord, I love her, and she doesn’t even know it. Show me if I’m just carrying on like a lovesick puppy or if what I feel for her is real.
A knock at the front door interrupted Katherine’s dishwashing. She grabbed a towel and dried her hands as she headed toward the door. Between Elizabeth’s crying all night and Vern getting his head stuck between the slats of the pigs’ feeding trough, it had already been quite a day. Wondering what new catastrophe might be just around the corner, she opened the front door. “Can I help you?”
In front of her stood a rather handsome young man with broad but slight shoulders. He stood about four inches taller than her. “Kate?”
She gripped the doorknob tighter and nodded.
“You don’t recognize me, do you?”
Tucker ran in from the sitting room. “Uncle Shelton!” he screamed in excitement.
“Shelton Greene?” Katherine squeaked.
His hair had darkened to a rich brown hue, like a fine walnut stain on a piece of oak. His eyes, which reflected the deep blue color of the sky just after sunset, drew her. The doorknob slipped through her fingers.
He knelt down and captured his nephew into his arms. “Tucker! How’s your mommy and daddy?”
“Fine. Daddy is in the fields. Mommy is upstairs with ’Lizabeth.”
A deep smile spread across his face. “You have a new sister?”
“Uh-huh.”
Realizing she was keeping the man standing outside, Katherine stepped back. “Come on in. I’ll get Prudence.”
“Thank you. It’s nice to see you again, Kate.”
The rich tones of his voice sent a shiver across Katherine’s belly. Shelton Greene did not look anything like the boy she’d known when she left his home. Now he was a man, and a rather handsome one at that. Not that she had the right to notice, she scolded herself.
“Uncle!” Vern sang out, running up to Shelton and vying with his brother for the newcomer’s attention.
By the time Katherine reached the top of the stairs, she found Prudence already on her way down, with Elizabeth in her arms.
“Is Shelton really here?” she asked. Her eyes lit up with excitement.
“Yes, although I didn’t recognize him.”
Prudence looked puzzled, then smiled. “Oh, that’s right. You didn’t make the trip to Hazel Green with us, so you haven’t seen the changes in him. I was pretty shocked myself. He’s matured into a rather distinguished young man.”
Katherine blushed.
Prudence giggled. “It’s all right, Katherine. Your secret is safe with me.”
Secret? What secret? That I find the woman’s brother attractive? The heat in her face intensified.
“Excuse me while I go find out what’s brought him all this way.”
Katherine stood at the top of the stairs. She wanted to know the answer to that question, too, but it was none of her concern. She slipped into her room to give the family some time to be with one another. But she couldn’t get the image of the handsome visitor out of her head.
Unlike his father, Shelton had never treated her like a servant—well, except for that one day when he … Katherine stopped herself from recalling that memory. No one knew about that, and it was better left in the past.
Chapter 2
Shelton stood by the mantel over the fireplace. An array of finely crafted, hand-carved animals decorated the thick shelf. “Who made these?”
“Grandpa Mac and my dad,” Urias answered, escorting Prudence to the sofa. “Now that the children are down for their naps, we can finally talk. So, what brought you here?”
Shelton explained the family woes as he scanned the downstairs open area for Kate. After assuring himself that she could not hear their conversation, he leaned close to his brother-in-law and spoke in a lowered voice. “Urias, I discovered you paid my father three times the prescribed debt for your sister’s bond.”
Urias smiled. “Prudence and I know my mother would never have sold Katherine for such a high price. But it doesn’t matter; I would have paid anything to get my sister out of servitude.”
Prudence caressed her husband’s arm. “How’s Mother handling their situation?”
“Not well, I’m afraid. And Father isn’t dealing with it either. I swear I could see him plotting another way to get money before I even left for Jamestown. I honestly don’t know how to help them. I sold off the salt mines and almost all of the property to a coal mining company. That covered most of Father’s gambling debts. The bankers will take the house if I don’t come up with a viable plan to repay the remainder of the loan Father took out.”
“Even if you do pay off Hiram’s loan, do you think he could keep himself from gambling again?” Urias asked.
“There’s no guarantee. He admitted that he is to blame for the family’s situation, but I sensed he wasn’t completely repentant. With me gone, however, I suspect he and Mother will find it pretty uncomfortable living in the town where he lost everything.”
“That might be good enough motivation for your father.”
“I agree.”
Urias nodded gravely. He had the same green eyes as Kate’s, yet different in a way Shelton couldn’t put his finger on. “How can I help?”
“Getting a job is my top priority at this point, one that will pay me enough to cover my own expenses and Father’s.”
“There might be work on some of the farms in the area. Crockett’s paper mill may be hiring. You might even find some work on the docks in Creelsboro.”
Prudence stood. “I’m going upstairs to write a letter to Mother. You two can go over all the details.”
Shelton watched his sister’s slow gait toward the stairs. “Is she all right?” he asked Urias.
“Elizabeth’s birth took a bit more out of her than the boys, but she’s doing well.” Urias motioned for Shelton to take a seat, which he did. “Now, let’s go over your options.”
“As you know, my income from breeding horses has held off the creditors for the past year. I’m hoping I can earn a little with Kehoe and Kate.” He and Urias both shared a love for breeding powerful horseflesh with sleek lines.
“We can let folks in the area know about your stud horse. Introducing new bloodlines into the local stock might be a benefit the farmers would want to take advantage of. But I don’t see how it will solve the immediate problems your parents are facing.”
Shelton rubbed the back of his neck. “If I sell the house and remaining land, there should be enough to buy something in this area.”
“Do you have the authority to do that?”
“Yes. The bank wouldn’t extend any more credit to my father until he relinquished title of the property over to me.”
“I’ll get the word out. We’ll find some work for you. In the meantime, I can hire you on to do some of the chores on my farm. Mac and Pamela might be able to use your help, too, and since their place is right next door—”
“I couldn’t do that.�
�� Shelton rose to his feet. “You’re family.”
Urias stood beside him and placed a hand on Shelton’s shoulder. “We’ll talk about it tomorrow. Tonight you can sleep on the sofa.”
“The barn is fine.”
“Nonsense. Like you said, you’re family.” Urias nodded. “I’ll get some sheets and a blanket from Katherine. I suspect she’s already put a kettle of hot water on for you to bathe from your journey.”
“Thank you.”
Urias gave him a hearty pat on the back. “We’ll pray and see what the Lord says. You’re welcome to stay as long as you need to. Tomorrow, if you like, we can set up a little room for you in the barn.”
“I’d be most grateful.”
Katherine scurried into the room, carrying a bundle of sheets, blankets, and what appeared to be a feather pillow. Shelton swooped up the bundle from her hands. Stunned, she stood there frozen, her vivid green eyes wide with some emotion he couldn’t quite identify. Was it shock?
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you.”
She lowered her head and looked at the floor.
“Kate, you’re not my servant.”
She scurried out of the family living area. A moment later he heard a door close and latch. She was afraid of him! Why?
Shelton recalled the last moments he’d spent with Kate five years ago. He’d tried then to tell her how he felt. His tongue had felt like cotton. When he attempted to kiss her, she’d started to run away. He had ordered her to stay.
Dread suddenly filled him. He had been only sixteen—and a fool.
He plopped the linens on the sofa. Driven to clear the matter up, he marched toward Kate’s room.
A charge of lightning had coursed through Katherine’s body when Shelton’s fingers brushed up against hers. Behind the closed door of her room she felt safe. Her body leaned hard against the wall. Her mind flew back to five years ago, two weeks before Urias had come to rescue her.
Katherine hid her face in her hands. The shame, the fears … Her knees weakened. She fell into the bed and buried her face in the pillow. Tears soaked the quilt Grandma Mac had made for her when she first arrived.
A gentle tap on her door caused her to cling to the quilt.
“Kate, it’s me,” Shelton whispered. “Please open up. I wish to speak with you.”
She couldn’t face him. She couldn’t allow him to ever be near her again.
Shelton gave another tap on the door. “Kate, I’m sorry. I just realized what you must have been thinking all these years about me. I never meant to hurt you.”
Fresh tears poured down her cheeks.
“Forgive me, Kate. Please.”
Katherine refused to speak. She couldn’t even if she wanted to. A lump the size of an apple stuck in her throat. She slid off the bed, pulling the quilt with her and wrapping it around her. Sitting Indian style, she rocked back and forth as the demons of the past surfaced.
Memories of the beatings from her drunken mother switched to the peddler who had once owned her bond. He was a gambler, and she hadn’t stayed with him long. She washed his clothes, fixed his meals, and thanked God daily that she was alive. She prayed her mother would rescue her. But Mother never came. Soon the ugly truth of what her mother had done to her became clear.
As Kate grew older she became the property of other men. No one knew the horror of the favors she’d had to endure.
“Oh God, please don’t let these memories come back,” she cried into the quilt.
She had lost her faith and her identity when Wiley owned her. How Michael Pike ever purchased her bond from that ugly man, she didn’t know, but she’d been grateful to be owned by someone who didn’t beat her.
Hiram Greene purchased her a year after that. She’d lived with the Greenes since the age of fourteen. They had never abused her the way the others had. But watching Prudence, who was about the same age as she was, enjoying the normal pleasures a young girl would have, was difficult. And living in the Greene house, seeing all their wealth and luxury, made her life even harder. But Prudence Greene proved to be a true friend. The love she showed her allowed her to once again step out in faith and trust God. She’d asked God to forgive her for her anger, for her lack of faith, and for the sinful life she’d been forced to live.
But in moments like these, when her mind traveled over the darkness of the past, she found it hard to believe God had truly forgiven her. She knew it in her head. She knew it from His Holy Word. And there were moments when she knew it in her heart. But this was not one of those times.
“Kate?” Shelton called softly.
“Please,” she moaned. “Just go away.”
After several moments, she heard muffled footsteps fading away down the hall.
Katherine curled into a fetal position on the floor, not having the strength to climb back into her bed, and cried herself to exhaustion.
During his first two weeks in Jamestown, Shelton performed many odd jobs at the various farms in the area, but still hadn’t found full-time employment. Urias had helped in every way he could, including setting up a temporary room for him in the barn. But it seemed Shelton’s best bet was to move to Creelsboro to try to work for one of the companies helping folks go west, or to work for Crockett’s paper mill.
The tension between him and Kate had been constant. He wanted to get to know her as a woman, but she avoided him. She spoke in his presence only when others were around, and she hid in her room most of the time. One thing seemed certain: He couldn’t be the right man for her when she was terrified of him. He had his answer.
He gathered his sparse belongings and began to pack his saddlebags. A move to Creelsboro would give Kate back the freedom to move around in her own house.
The barn door creaked. Shelton blinked at the sudden stream of light. Kate’s silhouette paused, then she walked into the barn. After glancing over her shoulder, she closed the door behind her. She sneaked over to the farthest horse pen and pushed the hay from the wall, exposing the floorboards.
Again she paused and looked around. Shelton knew he should make a noise and let her know he was there, but he held his breath instead. What could she be doing?
Kate lifted a floorboard and pulled something out. He couldn’t see from his angle what it was. Obviously she was hiding something, but what? And why?
She returned the item and secured the board and hay back in place.
He slipped out of the shadows. “Kate.”
A startled yelp escaped her lips. Her eyes widened with fear.
He grabbed her arms. “I’m not going to hurt you.”
She trembled from his touch.
He released his grip. “I’m sorry. I only wanted to speak with you, to apologize for the time at my father’s house. I acted foolishly. I was sixteen and so in love with you I couldn’t think straight. I should never have forced you to kiss me. That was wrong.”
She nodded but kept her eyes averted.
“Kate, please speak to me. I’m leaving today.”
Her gaze shot up to his. “Leaving?”
“Yes. I can’t stay here and have you afraid all the time. It isn’t right. This is your home. You should not live in fear of me.”
Kate seemed to lose her footing and stumbled to the left. Instinctively, he reached out and caught her by the elbow. She stared at her feet once again.
“Please stop looking down. You’re not a servant, and I don’t like seeing you behave like this.”
“Why?”
Indeed, why did it bother him so much? Oh, he knew in part it was because of his feelings for her in the past. But it went beyond that. A horrible injustice had happened to her. “I want to be your friend, Kate.”
“Katherine,” she corrected.
“Katherine,” he repeated. “It suits you better.”
“Kate’s my bondage name.” She squared her shoulders and stared straight at him.
“Then I’ll try to never call you that again.”
A slight smile crept
up her cheek for the briefest of moments, then was gone as quickly as it had appeared. She gazed at the floor. “You shouldn’t leave because of me.”
“I just want us to be friends.” With every ounce of willpower he could muster, Shelton held his hands at his side rather than lift her delicate chin. “I saw you put something under the floorboards.”
She raised her head.
“What are you hiding? If you don’t mind telling me.”
“I do.” She marched to the spot where she had been, opened her secret hiding place, and removed a small wooden box. “Now I’ll have to put it somewhere else.”
Shelton saw fire in this woman, despite her past. A fierce determination. His desire to get to know her grew. “You don’t have to. I promise I won’t touch it.”
She eyed him for a long moment. “It’s not really a secret. Urias made the box for me.”
So why bury it? he wanted to ask, but refrained from doing so.
She traced some sort of carving on the top of the box with her finger. “I could keep this in my room, I suppose, but the boys get into everything.”
Shelton chuckled. “That they do. I was always into something when I was a boy. Prudence squealed on me more times than I can remember.” She placed the box back under the floorboard. Then she stood and took a step closer to him, but kept herself at least eight feet away and did not make eye contact. “Why are you here?”
Two reasons—and one of them is you, he yearned to say. “Father lost a lot of money gambling. I thought breeding horses here might provide enough income to support my folks and myself. I have to do what I can to help them.”
She snatched a quick glimpse of him, but quickly averted her gaze again. “Why? Shouldn’t your father pay for what he’s done?” Her voice quavered.
“Perhaps. But Mother is innocent. Even though I’m not proud of Father’s gambling, I won’t let my mother suffer if I can help it.”
I don’t know how I can provide for her, but I’m going to do it, somehow, with God’s grace. He fought down his anger by picking up his horse brush and running it down Kehoe’s neck.
“You always did like spending time with the horses.”
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