by Alice Addy
The women sat silently around the table until the sun began to turn the eastern sky a brilliant pink. How many hours had Pearl been lying in a bed upstairs, staring death in the face, and struggling to bring a new life into this world?
The muffled sound of footsteps caught everyone’s attention. Dora entered the room holding a tiny bundle in her arms. She looked at her friends and smiled, and introduced Pearl’s new baby girl.
Pulling back the blanket, she revealed the most beautiful, perfect little face anyone could remember ever having seen. The infant was pink and wide-awake, trying to focus her huge blue eyes. Her little bow lips were plump and totally precious. Pearl had produced a curly, dark-haired angel, perfect in every respect.
There wasn’t a dry eye in the house. All the women wanted to hold the tiny baby before she was returned to her mother.
“How’s Pearl? Has she named her?” Eve asked.
Dora’s smile disappeared. She handed the baby over to a seated Cassie and then stood ramrod straight, with her shoulders back and her head held high. She cleared her throat several times before speaking.
“Pearl is gone from us. The Lord saw fit to take her. She left us her baby daughter.” She paused to gather enough strength to carry on. “She was too small to deliver easy, and if it hadn’t been for Dr. Donovan, we would have lost this child, as well. Pearl got to hold her for a minute. Got to look into her wee little face and kiss her soft, black curls. I swear the baby smiled at her mama. Pearl saw it too, and her face glowed with a heavenly radiance.” Once again, the older woman paused to remember. “Her last words were, ‘I did good, didn’t I?’”
Dora wiped a tear from her cheek. “Before the baby was born, Pearl knew she wasn’t gonna make it, so she asked me a favor. She wants all of us to help with the child, now and then, but she wants you, Miss Birdsong, to adopt her and raise her as your own. She hoped you’d give her child, what you gave to her. She liked Mr. Fenton and she hoped that someday, the two of you would marry and make a real home for her baby. You are to name the child.”
Eve was overcome with emotion. She had just been given the most divine gift, and she would be forever grateful to sweet, darling Pearl. She was speechless. What was there to say? Her heart was breaking and yet overflowing with gratitude. She lost Pearl, but had been given a child, a child to love and cherish from this moment forward.
“I’ll tell Carol all about her real mother. I’ll tell her how brave she was and how happy she was that she had given birth to her. I would like Patty to paint a portrait of Pearl, to give to her daughter. I will devote my life to seeing that this child is as much loved and cherished as any other child, and she will have all the advantages that Pearl did not. And you all will help me. Little Carol is going to be one very lucky little girl.”
Then Eve gently lifted the sleeping babe from Cassie’s loving arms, and quietly retreated to her own room. She would bond with her daughter today, and forever more—with little Carol Dora Birdsong.
Many of the townsfolk came by the hotel to pay their respects to the women, there. They knew how close they had all become, and they knew how Pearl had been welcomed into their fold.
The Church of the Good Shepherd was filled to the rafters with friends and acquaintances. That spoke well for Pearl. One by one, they stood and extolled her virtues. They said she had been quick to smile and slow to anger. She was always the first to volunteer to help someone less fortunate than she. Pearl was honest and loyal. One woman remarked on her sense of optimism. She had faith that everything would eventually work out all right, no matter how desperate things appeared. She was too good for this life, they all said, while agreeing that their own lives had been enriched just for having known her . . . and they never knew her last name.
Eve ended the service by singing Pearl’s favorite hymn. Everyone stood, even the folks outside, walking past the door, stopped to listen to the heavenly notes. Eve prayed that Pearl was finally at peace and was enjoying all the things that this life had not provided. But above all else, she wanted Pearl to know many had loved her and that her child’s future was bright.
Dr. Blake Donovan decided it was time to ride out. He had some land to look at and he’d done all he could do for these amazing women. Tipping his hat, he said so long to them, finally allowing his eyes to rest upon the extraordinarily beautiful Emily. He would take the memory of her standing there, at the base of the staircase with an armful of daisies, with him, wherever he went. She was the kind of woman he could love—if only things were different.
*
Ty rode in a week later. As soon as he entered the hotel, he could sense that something had changed. The women were quieter, a little more somber. Dora smiled, but didn’t converse. He didn’t see Pearl and he didn’t see the young doctor. After sitting for a spell, he grasped Cassie’s hand as she walked past.
“Cassie, you got a minute? No one has talked to me since I got here. I haven’t even seen Eve. Where is she?”
“She’s in her room, Ty.”
“Is she ill? Shouldn’t she be down here, welcoming her guests?” He was slightly alarmed.
“Well, I guess I can tell you, as you’ll find out soon enough. Pearl had her baby, but she didn’t live long after.”
Ty wasn’t prepared to hear that. “Oh, Cassie. I’m sorry. I know as how you all set a high store in that girl.”
She nodded. “Yes, we loved her very much . . . and she loved us. So much so, she gave us the honor of caring for her daughter—Eve in particular.”
“Eve? What does she know about babies?” Ty was shocked.
“She knows as much as any woman, I guess. That thing just sort of comes natural to us. Dora is her guide and Patty, Emily and I do what we can.
“You should see her, Ty. She’s the most beautiful baby in the world. She’s got the blackest curls and the bluest eyes, and she almost sleeps through the entire night. Eve named her Carol. She said it was one of her favorite names from her childhood, I think.”
Ty thought it over. He was going to have a ready-made family. Heck, he had a little girl . . . almost. He turned, and shouted over his shoulder, “Thanks, Cassie,” as he ran up the stairs, eager to confront Eve.
He turned the knob and quietly entered. There, sitting on the bed, was his lovely, copper-haired beauty, Eve, and she was clucking over a tiny, black-headed, bundle of goodness. Ty could hear the infant cooing, softly. As he tiptoed closer to the bed, Eve saw him approach. Her face lit up and her eyes sparkled with happiness. She had never looked lovelier, he thought.
Speaking softly, Eve said to Ty, “Come closer, darling, and meet my daughter, Carol.”
He leaned over and, instantly, the smiling infant stole his heart. He knew at that very moment he would give his life for her. “Eve, she’s beautiful. Can I touch her?” he asked, timidly. Ty had never had much experience with babies, but he needed to hold this one close to his heart.
“Yes, sweetheart. Do you know how to hold a baby?”
“Nope. Never wanted to hold one, ‘til now.”
She laughed. “You’ll be fine. Just be sure to support her head and her back. She won’t break, but you don’t want to bend her out of shape, either,” she laughed.
His large hands were shaking, but it was with anticipation, not fear. As soon as he felt the weight of her in his arms, he brought her close to his chest. He could feel the quick little thumps of her heartbeat; he could feel her tummy go up and down, with regularity. Her sweet little baby smell filled his nostrils and tickled his senses. She was a miracle, he thought.
“Carol,” he whispered. “You’re so very pretty, sweetheart.” He kissed the top of her head, and said, “I love you.”
Eve could see the affection Ty had for this child, and her heart nearly burst with the love she felt for him. “Ty, she’s my child, now. Would you consider a wife and a baby?”
He grinned that slow smile that made Eve’s toes curl up inside her shoes. A tingle ran down her spine as she was caught up in a sensual rush of emo
tions. He could ignite her passions with a simple smile.
“Sweetheart, I would be the happiest man alive if you and Carol were legally mine. Are you ready to marry me, darling?” He felt hopeful. Eve needed him to help raise this incredible child.
Eve walked up to Ty, still cradling the baby, and gently sought out his lips. With a touch as light as angel’s wings, she pressed her lips to his and murmured, “Yes, my love. I’ll marry you now.”
Ty could barely control his joy. He had waited months for her to finally agree to marry him. Never did he doubt her love for him, and he was convinced that someday, she would commit to him—but now, she was ready to marry him. Hallelujah! His happiness knew no boundaries.
Handing Carol back to her mother, he asked, “When? What do we do first? I guess I need to go tell Ma and Pa to get ready for a weddin’. When?”
Eve giggled at seeing Ty’s enthusiasm get the better of him. “Calm down, darling. I’d marry you today, if only it was proper, but I need to give the girls a little notice. There is much to be considered. I’ll be turning over the running of the hotel to them. They aren’t aware that I’ve already made them equal partners in the Birdsong.” She hoped they would be pleased when they found out.
“I need to pack my things and buy necessities for Carol.” Eve paused, her brow wrinkled, as she was temporarily lost in thought.
“Where are we going to live, Ty?” It had just occurred to Eve that they had never discussed the exact living arrangements after they married, and now there was the baby to consider.
Ty looked puzzled. “I just assumed that we would be living at the ranch, in the big house with Ma and Pa. Have you changed your mind about living on the ranch?”
“No. I love it there, Ty. And I really like your parents, but I’m not sure they are willing to live in such closeness with an infant. Isn’t there a bunkhouse or an abandoned cabin somewhere on the ranch where we could live?”
Ty thought long and hard. “There’s the old place where Ma and Pa started up, but it’s in pretty bad shape. It would take a lot of time and hard work to make it livable again, but I guess we’ve plenty of both. It might not be so bad, at that.
“All right. If you’re willing to give up the luxuries of this hotel, for a ranch out in the middle of nowhere, I guess you can give up the comfort of a ranch house for a beginner’s cabin.”
Eve placed a very sleepy Carol in her cradle and walked over to Ty, taking him in her arms. “You make me a very happy woman, Mr. Ty Fenton.” Once again, she kissed his lips, and his cheeks, his eyes, and his chin. She couldn’t get enough of the taste of him.
He chuckled, as her hands started to roam over his back and down to his waist. He knew where this was leading. “I think I had better make an honest woman of you, real quick, Eve Birdsong, before we present Ma and Pa with Irish twins.”
She smiled. “I wouldn’t mind, would you?”
“I’d die with happiness, darling,” Ty murmured, as he swooped Eve up into his arms and carried her effortlessly, to the bed.
“How long will she sleep?” he whispered.
Eve smiled. “Long enough.”
* * *
Ty spent much of the next month out on the ranch, repairing and improving the little cabin where his Ma and Pa had started out so many years earlier. It was their first home, and now, it would be his and Eve’s first home.
It would always be a simple cabin and nothing like what Eve was used to, but he thought it was comfortable and they could be happy there. He whitewashed the outside, and at his ma’s suggestion, he put up Irish green shutters. Standing back and admiring his work, he had to admit, it looked mighty inviting.
“Ty, you paint the front door red, and it will be perfect. You’ve worked hard, son, and I know Eve is going to love it, just as I did when I first married your pa. There have been times when I wished we lived there still.”
Ty bought a new woodstove, brought the shiny pump inside the kitchen, and added a little bed nook for Carol. He reinforced the doors and replaced the window glass. The roof was repaired and the rear steps were new.
Ty and his pa added a new front porch to the house, with a strong railing and decorative posts placed close together. “I don’t know why you insist these rails be placed so close together, son. It ain’t necessary and it’s a waste of good wood.”
Ty smiled to himself, thinking of a crawling toddler. “It looks real pretty, that’s why. Eve will approve.”
Cora brought down her best dishes, a couple of lamps, and a few new rugs she had braided. She also had finished a wedding ring quilt for the happy couple. “This goes on your bed, Ty. I hope Eve likes the colors.” She ran her fingers proudly over the smooth fabric and dainty stitches. It had been made with love.
Ty gave his ma a kiss on her plump cheek. “I sure am lucky to have two such beautiful women in my life. You’ve been the best ma a son could ever have, and I love you more than you’ll ever know.”
The older woman’s eyes watered up and the tears threatened to overflow. “You do go on, Ty Fenton. You’re as bad as your pa. But I love you too, son—as much as any mother could love her son. God blessed us the day we got you.”
The three Fentons stood outside the little white house with the vibrant green shutters and bright red door. It boasted a new porch with fancy railings and a stone walk leading from the porch down to the road. Some white geese had decided to squat on the property and were strolling around the place, giving it their approval. John provided the martin house, stuck high on a pole, at the corner of the side yard. He had painted it to resemble the cabin, right down to the green shutters.
“It sure is pretty, Ty. I think Eve is going to love it,” Cora announced.
“It don’t look like the old place, anymore. Too fancy for me, but I suppose that’s for the best,” John chuckled.
“Even though Eve is used to the finer things, I know she’ll be happy here. We all will. This place turned out real nice.” Ty stood, nodding his head and smiling ear to ear. He put his arms around the shoulders of both his ma and pa and said softly, “Thank you, for everything.”
His ma was getting up in years, but she was still quick. She looked up into her son’s handsome face and questioned, “You all? Ty, is there something you’re not telling your pa and me? Is it possible that Eve is in the family way?”
Ty looked at his ma and didn’t know quite what to say. Biting his lower lip, unsure of what to say, he replied, “No, Ma. Eve is not in the family way, but we’ll be a family faster than you can imagine. Quite fast, in fact.”
How odd, Cora thought. She knew Ty was not telling her everything, but she would not pry. Things were what they were, and she would learn to deal with it.
“Tomorrow, I’m going into Hays City, and when I return, I’ll be bringing my fiancé back with me. There are a couple of things we want to tell you, and Eve wants to personally invite you to the wedding in town. I don’t plan to be gone too long; just a couple of days, at most.”
The Fentons climbed into the wagon and rumbled back home to the big house, with the men discussing the workings of the ranch, and what needed to be done in short order.
Their hired hands were dependable, good men, and Ty was grateful to them. Not only did they work hard, but they also quietly kept an eye on his elderly Pa. The old man didn’t realize his age, and sometimes he took on too much. One of the men was always there to help out or to give advice. Ty was certain they would accept Eve and the baby, and they’d be just as loyal to her.
*
It was a beautiful morning, and Eve was in exceptionally good spirits. She decided to bundle up Carol and take her for her first stroll through town. Patty had purchased a pram from New York, the likes of which Hays City had never seen. As Eve pushed the baby down the sidewalk, Carol did her best to enchant everyone she came in contact with. They all oohed and aahed over the adorable baby.
“I do believe that is the bonniest lassie I’ve ever laid my eyes on, Miss Birdsong,” old
Mrs. Shaunessey declared. “You take good care of her, you hear?” She smiled as she strolled on down the sidewalk.
“Lordy . . . that sho’ is a purty baby. Almost as purty as the new little filly I have at home. Lordy,” Jim Becker exclaimed.
That was quite a compliment, coming from the young man. He only spoke about horses—horses all the time! So, for him to compare Carol to a new filly, that was a mighty fine compliment, indeed.
Eve was having a delightful time, as was little Carol. She cooed and blew bubbles, and kicked her blanket off with her tiny little feet. Eve laughed, watching the baby’s silly antics.
Happily, humming a nameless tune, Eve was startled out of her sense of euphoria, when a bedraggled man suddenly stepped out from an alley, and stopped directly in her path.
She barely recognized the once devastatingly handsome gambler, Sam Garrison. She wondered what he had done to himself in just the last year? His eyes were red-rimmed and watery, slightly wild in appearance. The glossy black curls that had attracted the ladies, were now greasy and in severe need of a trim. His wicked mustache was irregular and thin, and failed at its feeble attempt to hide his yellowed teeth. A deep red scar ran across his cheek, ending at the corner of his mouth.
Sam looked years older than his actual age. He was slightly stooped and his gate was slow and uneven. Eve allowed herself to feel some pity for this miserable human being, even though she loathed everything about him.
“Eve,” he said in a hoarse and gravelly voice. “Please do not scream. I mean you no harm.” He looked at her, pleadingly.
“What do you want, Sam?”
“I’ve heard about the child. Is that her?” He nodded toward the sleeping infant.
Eve’s heart seized. She knew why he asked, and she knew the truth. “I knew it was you, “ she spit. “You’re a bastard, Sam—a real bastard. When I think of what you put Pearl through, I could happily fire a bullet in you. You’re not much of a man. Now, get out of our way!”
“Eve, please.” He reached out to grasp the corner of the buggy. “I must see my child. Surely, I deserve to see her?”