Unconventional Series Collection

by Verna Clay

  "Lady, I need your ticket. Hey, lady." The man inside the door sounded bored.

  "Oh, sorry." Jenny placed her ticket in his white-gloved hand. She started to walk toward the seats closest to the stage, but paused. "How can I get a message to Princess Prisca?"

  The man snorted, "You and everyone else. Not possible. Just enjoy the show."

  The man's attitude was off-putting, but she refused to be deterred in her purpose. Locating a spot in the front row center next to a gentleman so overweight as to require two seats, she smiled shyly and asked, "Is this seat taken?"

  He returned her smile, patted the velvet cushion, which made the rolls of fat on his cheeks jiggle, and said, "It is now…by you."

  "Thank you," Jenny responded politely.

  The big man returned to the newspaper he was reading and after several minutes the theater began to fill. Jenny kept her eyes trained on the stairs at the side of the stage. Maybe she could glimpse Prisca or Joe and shout their names if she did.

  The heavyset man closed his paper and said pleasantly, "My name's Paddy Pensing and you sure look out of your element. We don't get many country girls in here. In fact, you're the first I've seen."

  Jenny smiled warmly, "My name is Jenny Samson. I'm pleased to meet you, Mr. Pensing. And yes, I suppose I do look out of place. But I met Prisca and her piano player, Joe, on a stagecoach a few years ago. I'm only in town for a short time and when I saw the advertisement for Princess Prisca's show, I just had to come see them. They're such lovely people."

  Paddy grinned, "Well, Jenny Samson, you are a breath of fresh air. Most women who dress like you are stuffy and self-righteous."

  "Really?"

  Paddy laughed loudly. "Really. Now please call me Paddy." With difficulty, he pushed himself out of his chair and said, "Come with me if you want to see your friends before the show starts."

  Jenny's surprise made her immobile for a second, but Paddy was already waddling toward the stairs and she rushed to catch up. She followed him past a man standing guard who nodded respectfully, and then into the inner sanctum of backstage. Fascinated by the props being erected by stage hands—cliffs above an ocean—she almost tripped over her own feet.

  Paddy motioned her forward with a hand the size of a ham. "Hurry, child. We don't have much time."

  Jenny followed her guide into a hallway. At the last door, he stopped and knocked. A voice Jenny recognized as Prisca's said, "Come in. Come in. I need help."

  Paddy opened the door and blocked the entrance with his gigantic body. She heard him say, "You have a visitor, Prisca. And what do you need help with?"

  There was a response that Jenny could not understand and then Paddy stepped aside, motioning her forward. He said, "Your visitor can help you with that."

  Jenny sure hoped Prisca remembered her.

  As soon as Prisca saw Jenny, her countenance registered delight. "Jenny! How delightful seeing you again! I've often thought of you and our lovely journey from Two Rivers to Bingham. What are you doing so far from home? How did you know we were here?"

  "I saw your announcement in a Dallas newspaper and I just knew I had to come to your show. How's Joe? I hope I get to see him, too."

  "He's taking care of last minute details, but he should be back soon. Honey, I need help fastening my dress. Would you mind?"

  "Of course not."

  Prisca turned around and Jenny rushed forward, but remembered her manners. Turning swiftly, she said, "Thank you, Paddy. You're a lifesaver. I was wondering how I would get backstage." She held her hand out to him.

  Paddy looked at her hand and grinned. "Yes, Jenny, you are a breath of fresh air." He lifted her hand, turned it over, and kissed her palm. Gazing past Jenny to Prisca, he said, "I'll see you later, doll."

  Prisca smiled, "Later, Pad."

  Jenny fastened the clasps Prisca couldn't reach on her red velvet, tightly fitting bodice, flaring into layers of ruffles cascading down the skirt, and said, "You look beautiful."

  "Thank you. But please tell me you can stay and visit after the show with your escort. Surely, you're not here by yourself?"

  Jenny hesitated. "Actually, I am. I must admit that I stole away from my companion and he has no idea that I'm here."

  "He? That sounds intriguing. Is he a romantic interest?"

  Jenny blushed.

  Prisca clapped her hands. "He is and you must tell me about him after the show."

  There was a light knock on the door and Jenny turned to see Joe open it. "Jenny!" he said warmly. "Prisca and I have often spoken of you and wondered if we would have the pleasure of your company again. We must…"

  Joe was interrupted when a stage hand stepped beside him. "Five minutes to show time."

  Jenny placed her hand over her mouth. "Goodness, let me get out of your way."

  Prisca asked, "Which row are you seated in?"

  "I'm in the first row, center. Next to Paddy."

  "I'll sing especially for you, Jenny. And you tell Paddy to bring you back here as soon as the last curtain falls."

  For the next two hours, Jenny lost herself in the beautiful voice of Princess Prisca as she sang of longing for faraway lands and lovers left behind. When Jenny wiped tears from her eyes and surreptitiously glanced around, the majority of the audience of rough, weather-hewn cowboys and painted-faced saloon women were doing the same. As Prisca's last note faded and the curtain fell, the audience jumped to their feet shouting, "Encore! Encore!"

  When the curtain was raised again, Prisca waved a gracious hand for Joe to stand and introduced him as the reason for her success. He bowed, smiled warmly at the audience, blew Prisca a kiss, and sat back at the piano, playing a magnificent encore for Prisca to sing. Again, she was applauded amidst shouts and accolades.

  As soon as the curtain lowered, Paddy said, "Follow me, sweet Jenny."

  Another big cowboy stood at the stairs blocking backstage, but he stepped aside when Paddy approached. Behind the curtain everyone was laughing and congratulating each another on a successful final performance.

  Paddy led Jenny to the same dressing room. The door was open with people coming and going. When Prisca saw them, she beckoned them in. "Quick, close the door, Paddy, so Jenny and I can visit."

  Paddy said, "I'll stand guard. You two have a nice chat." He closed the door and left them in privacy.

  Prisca raised her hands above her head and stretched. "That man is such a dear. He owns the saloon and theater, you know." She smiled at Jenny's surprised expression. "His first wife's name was Sally. She and their child died in childbirth a couple of years after they married. Oh, he's remarried to a sweetheart of a woman that he treats like a queen and they have five children, but he often talks about Sally and named his saloon and theater after her."

  Prisca reached to her upswept red tresses and pulled out the pins holding a multicolored feathered hat to her curls. "Jenny, can you come to the hotel with me and Joe? We'll have a decadent dessert sent to our room and catch up on the past few years. Then Joe can see you home."

  Jenny answered, "That sounds wonderful, but I must return to my hotel. It's late and Ryder and I are leaving early tomorrow." She bit her lip. "He doesn't know I'm here."

  Prisca laughed, "Is he your husband?"

  "No." Jenny hesitated, and then said quickly, "I need to ask you something, but I don't want you to be offended."

  Prisca paused in lifting a brush to her hair. "Honey, you couldn't offend if you tried. Shoot. What do you want to ask?"

  Jenny inhaled before saying, "When we first met, you introduced yourself and Joe with different last names, so I assumed you weren't married. However, umm, the way you looked at each other and touched, I believed you were, umm, lovers."

  Prisca smiled. "Go on."

  "Well, umm, Ryder, he's the man I came to Dallas with—he wants to marry me. And, uh, well, we already have a child." Jenny felt her face flame. "I was just wondering how it is to be with someone and, uh, not be married to him. How do you overcome th
e censor of society? I guess I'm asking because I'm afraid to marry. I'm not afraid for myself; I'm afraid for Ryder. I don't think I can be the woman he needs and if we're married he would be stuck with me. But I want to be with him like you are with Joe."

  Prisca tapped her jaw. "Do you love Ryder?"

  Jenny looked at the floor. "Yes, very much."

  "Does he love you?"

  "He says he does."

  "Why do you think you're not what he needs?"

  Jenny sighed. "He's worldly, sophisticated, famous, rich, educated, everything I'm not."

  Prisca said, "I want to show you something." She placed a finger under a chain she was wearing and pulled it from beneath her bodice. Attached to the chain was a simple band. She held it out so Jenny could see. "This is my wedding band from Joe. He wears a matching one. I was eighteen when we married and about as back country as you can get. Joe was worldly and refined. We've been married almost fourteen years and–"

  Jenny interrupted, "I'm so sorry for assuming you weren't married. Please forgive me for my insensitivity."

  Prisca waved Jenny's apology away. "Honey, you had no way of knowing. We never let on to anyone that we're married. It's become a habit. We learned early on that folks thinkin' we're single draws bigger crowds. Maybe the men figure they have a chance with me and the women with Joe." She giggled, "You've seen how handsome my Joe is."

  Jenny fingered a tear before it fell.

  Prisca said softly, "You said you already have a child with this man. It sounds like he's tryin' to make things right. Is he a good man?"

  Jenny sniffled, "Yes. But he's been hurt real bad and I don't know if I can give him the comfort he needs. I'm kind of messed up, myself."

  Prisca reached and patted Jenny's hand. "When Joe asked me to marry him, I told him he didn't have to do that. I said I'd be with him whether we was married or not." She chuckled. "He got right offended and said I needed to respect him. Imagine that. Maybe your man is lookin' for your respect, too." Prisca opened a drawer in her vanity and handed Jenny a handkerchief.

  "Thank you." Jenny dabbed moisture from her eyes. "Can I ask you one more thing?"

  Prisca smiled warmly. "Anything."

  "Do you think I would look nice in a fancy hat or just ridiculous?"

  Prisca looked surprised by the question and then jumped up. Opening an armoire crammed with beautiful dresses, she flipped through them, pausing occasionally and muttering. "No, no, hmm, no, maybe. Yes!" She removed a lovely cobalt blue satin gown with matching silk overlay and handed it to Jenny. Next, she reached for one of the hatboxes atop the armoire and set it on her vanity, after pushing all manner of lady's face paints aside. Lifting the round top, she tossed it on a chair and then pulled out a stylish white satin hat adorned with peacock feathers.

  Jenny gasped at its prettiness.

  Prisca commanded, "Hold the dress up to you."

  With a questioning look, Jenny held the puffy lace sleeves up to her shoulders. Prisca tilted her head and clucked, "Perfect." Stepping close, she untied the ribbons of Jenny's bonnet and removed it, replacing it with the stylish hat. She adjusted the hat and then stepped back. "Look in the mirror, Jenny."

  Jenny stepped in front of a mirror next to the armoire and gasped.

  Excited, Prisca said, "See how pretty you look. The blue is perfect for showing off the color of your eyes. And if you put your hair in an upsweep with some tendrils drifting around your face, you'll have every man within eyesight falling at your feet."

  Jenny turned first one way and then the other holding the dress against her body and watched her reflection.

  Prisca asked, "Do you sew, Jenny?"

  "Not very well, I'm afraid."

  "I remember you talking about your stepmother. Does she sew?"

  "Oh, yes. She sews as well as a seamstress."

  "Wonderful! She can alter the dress to fit you."

  "What! No, Prisca, I can't accept this dress."

  "Oh, fiddle, of course you can, and the hat too. I only wish I was a fly on the wall when your man sees you in it. Here, let me put it in a garment bag and pack the hat back in the box."

  Even while Jenny protested, Prisca readied the dress and hat. There was a knock on her door and Joe peeked around it. "Ladies, I had to bribe Paddy into letting me interrupt. Do you think you'll be ready to leave soon? The carriage is waiting."

  Jenny said, "I really must be getting back to my hotel. If you would call another carriage, I would be grateful."

  Prisca admonished, "We certainly won't call another carriage. You ride with us and we'll have our driver drop you at your hotel."

  "Oh, I couldn't impose."

  Prisca ignored her protest and asked Joe to carry Jenny's gifts to their coach.

  Chapter Sixteen: Mina's Wisdom

  In some ways, the return trip to Two Rivers was harder on Jenny than the travel to Dallas had been. Although Ryder did not press for an answer, she knew she would have to give her decision about marriage soon. In her heart, she longed to say yes, but her fear of failing him kept her in emotional turmoil.

  Ryder was polite during their train and stagecoach journeys and spoke of interesting events during his travels abroad. Jenny listened, commented, and laughed occasionally. Little did Ryder realize, however, that his conversation was driving them further apart. The fact that they came from two different worlds became even more apparent.

  When at last they reached Two Rivers and Ryder retrieved his buggy and horse from the livery, Jenny sighed with relief and exhaustion. She was anxious to return home and sort through her confused thoughts.

  At last Ryder pulled the buggy into Luke's drive. "Looks like your Pa's buckboard is here."

  Jenny saw Rusty, James, and Nate dash out of the barn. "There're my brothers. It'll be nice having my whole family together."

  Ryder drove the buggy to the porch of the main house. Luke opened the door and stepped out, followed by Angel holding their newborn, Charity. Ma Abby joined them holding Eva's and Joy's hands and her pa was the last to walk onto the porch to greet them. Luke hastened to the buggy to assist Jenny down.

  "Mama!" Joy shouted and held out her arms.

  Jenny rushed to her little girl and lifted her into a big hug. "I missed you so much!" She gave Joy a noisy kiss on her cheek.

  Joy looked at Ryder, "Yder!" She reached her arms toward him.

  He grinned and bent to kiss her forehead, but she clutched his neck, so he lifted her into his arm.

  Jenny turned to Angel and hugged her and the baby.

  Brant slapped Ryder on the back. "How was Dallas? Did you enjoy your trip?"

  "It was as chaotic as ever and yes, I enjoyed taking Jenny there." His eyes met and held hers.

  Jenny heard Rusty, James, and Nate run up and she welcomed any distraction to remove her gaze from Ryder's. She smiled at them. "What trouble have you three been getting into?" she teased.

  Before they could answer, Brant said, "They got into enough trouble yesterday to last the rest of the year. Didn't you, boys?"

  Abby laughed, "Only the rest of the year? I was thinking next year, too."

  Rusty said, "Aw, c'mon, Ma."

  Brant laughed and placed his arm around Rusty's shoulders.

  Eva yelled, "I want a hug, too," and pulled her hand from her grandmother's to run and grab Jenny around the knees. Jenny knelt and hugged her niece tightly.

  Angel said, "I've got two big loaves of bread ready to come out of the oven and Abby brought raspberry preserves. Come on, family, let's visit in the kitchen."

  Ryder started to hand Joy to her grandfather. "I guess I'll head on to my ranch."

  Brant, said, "No, son, you stay and visit. It's been awhile since we chewed the wool. Besides, you can't miss out on Angel's bread and Abby's preserves."

  Ryder smiled, kissed Joy's cheek, and said, "Thank you, sir. I'd like that."

  Luke held the door open for everyone. Jenny saw a look pass between her pa and ma, and her ma said, "I'll tell he
r."

  Jenny's heart skipped. The serious looks on their faces didn't bode well.

  Abby placed a hand on her arm and pulled her aside. "Honey, we got word the day you left for Dallas that Mina Priestly passed on. She was buried yesterday. Family members are still arriving from out-of-town and Pastor Merriweather is devoting the Sunday service to her.

  Tears pricked Jenny's eyes. "I'm going to miss her. She was one of the sweetest women ever born—and the wisest, too."

  Abby wiped moisture from her own eyes. "She made me feel so welcome when I first arrived. She was also the one who sent Doc Henry to the house after Ty got sick. And she was so kind to me after his death."

  Big tears rolled down Abby's cheeks and Jenny reached to hug her. Both women embraced and cried against each other. Jenny's pa said, "Can I join you in that hug?"

  Abby lifted a hand and waved him over. "Honey, we need your strength right now."

  Brant's pulled his wife and daughter to his chest and grieved with them.

  * * *

  Sunday morning dawned cloudy and gray, as if even the elements mourned Mina's passing. Jenny had never seen Ryder attend a church service, so she was surprised when he rode up. Brant asked him to sit with them, but he said he preferred sitting in the back. Jenny longed to have him sit beside her. Each day, her desire to marry Ryder grew stronger, but so did her fear that he would reject her again when their incompatibility reared its head.

  Mrs. Merriweather solemnly walked to the piano and began playing softly. More parishioners arrived and Mina's family from out-of-town joined her local family sitting in the front pew. Jenny counted her four sons and three daughters-in-law. She knew Mina's eldest living son was a widower. Jenny recognized some of Mina's grandchildren, and even great-grandchildren. Most of her family lived in the outlying ranches around Two Rivers or in the next county.