Southern Charms

by Trana Mae Simmons

  “I think things are going swimmingly, don’t you, Pandora?” she asked her cat. Not hearing an answering meow, she glanced around until she saw Pandora asleep on the loveseat over by the fireplace. Sprawled in debauched laziness, the cat lay on her back, paws spread to the four corners, her body covering fully half the seat.

  Fatima smiled at her pet, then walked over to the loveseat and squeezed herself into the remaining space. Stroking Pandora’s fluffy belly fur, she willed the cat to wake and offer up her end of the conversation.

  Some people thought it impossible to communicate with animals, but while Pandora never answered her in words, her actions and various tones of meow gave Fatima feedback. When Pandora wanted to, that is, which it didn’t look like the cat felt like doing right now. One paw batted away Fatima’s stroking hand, and Pandora shifted into an even lazier sprawl and settled back into sleep.

  “I like that,” Fatima told the cat. “Didn’t I conjure up fresh salmon and caviar for your supper? Now all you want to do is sleep.”

  Pandora slit one eye, sighed a cat sigh, and slowly shifted to her feet. Ponderously she glided over into Fatima’s lap and resettled herself. She purred for a few seconds while Fatima stroked her, then laid her chin on Fatima’s knee and went back to sleep.

  Fatima shook her head. Given Pandora’s weight, she almost wished the cat had stayed on her end of the loveseat. But as always the close companionship of her precious Pandora afforded her a measure of serenity. Fatima laid her head back and imagined the beautiful wedding Shane and Ellie would have.

  Oh, yes, this would be a wonderfully easy assignment. After the last one, she deserved an easier time of achieving happy-ever-after for the two people she chose. She shuddered delicately, not even liking to remember the problems associated with that last assignment. The woman she chose—as wild and wooly as Annie Oakley—had no intentions of settling down with a gentleman painter from France. But the last time Fatima checked, she saw the woman happily bossing around the crew setting up her husband’s latest show of western art in Denver, belly heavy with child.

  The only fly in this current ointment was the lack of clues to Ellie’s true identity. It was already clear that for the love relationship to fall into place, the mystery of Ellie’s background needed to be unraveled. That had a direct bearing on how well the love between her and Shane would flourish.

  Should Ellie fall in love with Shane as Ellie Parker, then find out she truly was the missing heiress Mariana Morgan searched for, her entire world would be tumbled upside down.

  Should Ellie not be that heiress, nothing would change. Unless Ellie found out Shane’s true purpose here in Texas.

  For once in her various adventurous episodes, Fatima wished she had a companion with whom to discuss how they might help uncover Ellie’s true background. Her magic couldn’t take her back in time, and she’d spent her centuries on earth dealing with human love lives, not mysteries involving detective work. Pandora was a wonderful companion, but the cat would need more than a series of various meows to carry on a discussion with her mistress about the possible repercussions solving this mystery in either vein would have on Ellie’s mental attitude.

  * * * *

  “Ellie!”

  Ellie covered her head with the pillow, but Darlene grabbed it and tossed it to the floor.

  “Ellie, wake up!”

  How her sister could whisper so piercingly, when she normally had such a nice, smooth voice, was beyond Ellie. She pulled the comforter over her face, realizing her mistake when the heat stifled her. Goosedown apparently didn’t breath at all.

  Darlene swiped the comforter off, dancing away when Ellie surged upright and grabbed for it.

  “What on earth do you want so early, Darlene?” Ellie halfway snarled. “I gave the men an extra hour to sleep in this morning, since we didn’t get in until well after midnight. It would’ve been nice for me to get some extra sleep, too!”

  “Oh, I’m sorry.” Darlene’s pretty face fell in true humility. But not for long. “I didn’t know you got in so late. I tried to wait up for you last night, but I fell asleep.”

  Ellie scooted up against the headboard. “Well, I’m awake now. What on earth’s on your mind?”

  Smiling ecstatically, Darlene hugged the comforter in her arms, rocking it back and forth in excitement. “Rockford, of course. I think he’s going to ask me to marry him!”

  “You’ve been saying that for a couple months now,” Ellie grumped, not really wanting to deflate her sister’s happiness but still groggy from lack of sleep. “But I’ve yet to see a ring on your finger, so I don’t see why you had to wake me up.”

  As soon as the words left her mouth, Ellie wished she could take them back. Darlene’s smile crumbled, and her lower lip pouched out resentfully. Dropping the comforter to the floor, she determinedly strode over and bounced down on the edge of the mattress.

  “He is going to ask me to marry him, Ellie!”

  Ellie hugged her sister. “I know he is, Dar. I can tell he’s desperately in love with you. And I’m sorry. I’m still tired and I took my grumpy mood out on you. Forgive me?”

  Darlene hugged her in return before settling herself more comfortably, her actions indicating she wanted to talk further. Repressing her sigh, since she knew any more sleep that morning was now out, Ellie leaned back to listen.

  “Rockford and I talked yesterday afternoon, after Shane left with you,” Darlene said. “He was so earnest, Ellie. And very, very honest with me. And sooooo romantic.”

  She closed her eyes in bliss, silently contemplating her adored future mate. Ellie stood it as long as she could, biting back her amusement, but she just couldn’t imagine feelings for a man that would make her act that foolish. The words “simpering silliness” flashed in her head, and it was all she could do not to laugh out loud.

  “You haven’t explained what he actually said,” she prodded finally.

  “Oh!” Darlene opened her eyes wide in wonder. “He said that there was someone he wanted very much to ask something very important. But that when he asked this someone that something, he wanted to be able to offer that someone the world.”

  Ellie laughed delightedly. “I’m assuming this someone is you, and the something is a proposal,” she said.

  “I’m positive it is.”

  “Then why didn’t he ask you?”

  Darlene blinked wisely. “Because he isn’t able to offer me the world right now. There are just a teensie couple problems with his and his father’s business, but it looks like those are going to work out. That’s why Shane’s here, remember? To look into expanding his business down here. And to consider expanding Rockford and his father’s business, perhaps offering them the opportunity to expand into New York City.”

  Darlene bounced up and down on the mattress in unrestrained glee, unaware of her childish silliness. “Rockford said that Shane’s help would expand their business well enough for the profits to support two families! And since he’s the only child, I do believe the family he and I would have would be that second one. Don’t you?”

  “I can’t deny it must be,” Ellie mused. “I gather Shane Morgan must be fairly well off himself, then.”

  “Rockford says Shane has enough money to buy half of Texas if he wants, and still have enough left over to consider buying Louisiana. They met when Rockford went to school back east, and Shane’s family is one of the richest and most prominent ones on the entire eastern seaboard.”

  “We’ve never heard of them in Texas.”

  “Oh, maybe you haven’t, Ellie. You’re always buried in the ranch or your books. But those newspapers Mother gets have society pages, you know. I always read them after she’s done, and I’ll bet I know as much about New York City society as the New Yorkers themselves.”

  Ellie stretched her arms above her head, easing her sore muscles, then leaned forward and pushed a stray lock of dark hair behind Darlene’s ear.

  “I’m not interested in the people in
New York society, although I admit I’d enjoy attending some of the entertainment they frequent. But I am very happy for you, if Shane Morgan’s being here helps you and Rockford with your betrothal plans. I love you, Dar, and I want you to be happy. Rockford is a good man.”

  “I agree with that,” Darlene said dreamily.

  Drawing her legs up, Ellie scooted past her sister and started out of the bedroom to the upstairs water closet.

  “El?”

  Ellie turned at the door. Hardly ever did Darlene call her that childhood nickname, although she still periodically shortened her sister’s name.

  “Uh—Rockford said that expanding the business might mean they had to open an office in New York City.”

  Darlene could have punched her in her stomach and not made a bigger effect on Ellie. Her voice froze in her throat as she waited for Darlene to continue—feared beyond doubt that she knew what her sister was going to say next.

  Darlene’s words confirmed Ellie’s foreboding. “He said that his father would probably want him to be the one to move up there and handle that office.”

  “Oh, Dar,” Ellie whispered.

  “That...that’s not all, Ellie.”

  With a frown, Ellie slowly walked back over to the bed and sat down by Darlene. What could be worse than her beloved sister—the person in the world who meant more to Ellie than anyone else—moving halfway across the country?

  Darlene’s hands twisted in her lap. “I’m so very afraid Mother might want to come with us. You know how she dislikes living on the ranch. And I really don’t want to start my married life with my mother living with me.”

  “What—” Ellie cleared her throat. “What would she do with the ranch?”

  “Probably sell it, Ellie. While you’ve been out on the range lately, she’s been going over the books. She never ordered me not to tell you about it, so you have a right to know.”

  Sell the ranch? Her beloved Leaning G? Cold dread crawled into Ellie’s stomach. What would happen to her if they sold the ranch out from under her?

  Reaching out, Darlene took Ellie’s hand, her words coming as though from a distance.

  “You’ll always have a home with me, El. It would be different having you rather than Mother live with me. And...” Her sister gulped. “And if it meant you having a place to stay, also, I’d put up with Mother.”

  Rigidly Ellie took a grip on her emotions. Despite Darlene’s being a year older, Ellie had always assumed the position reserved for the older sister in their relationship. She matured much faster than Darlene, given that Darlene was pampered more as the blood daughter.

  “Please don’t worry, Dar,” Ellie assured her as she rose to her feet again. “You know I can always find employment in Fort Worth. Why, Mr. Jenkins at the dry goods store has offered me work as his bookkeeper for years now.”

  “Ellie, you’d shrivel up and die in an old office all day long. I won’t see that happen to you.”

  “I’ll be fine, Dar. You just concentrate on your plans with Rockford.”

  Ellie managed to dress and slip out of the house without encountering anyone. Dawn was just breaking as she crossed the ranch yard to the barn. Normally this hour would be filled with noise—men at the corral choosing their mounts for the day; whistles piercing the air, along with jokes and teasing chiding as lassoes swirled and horses milled, trying to avoid the day’s work; Cookie, finished serving the men and busy feeding the flock of chickens or slopping the hogs he raised each year. This morning the sunrise filled the sky unnoticed by anyone except Ellie as the men took advantage of the extra respite of a late morning start.

  Despite the turmoil in her belly, Ellie paused a moment to look at the gorgeous sunrise spectacle. Normally she barely had time to notice the glory, and today she caught herself thinking maybe it had put on this awesome display to soothe her troubled spirit. Or perhaps to remind her what she stood to lose.

  Gold and violet colored the sky, streaks of vermilion highlighting the less than intense yellow and pink. The lack of clouds indicated another hot, pure day. Ellie couldn’t bring herself to resent the fact that another sweltering day was on the horizon. Not when each day on her beloved ranch might now be her last.

  Never had she resented being the adopted daughter more than today.

  Dragging her eyes away, now misted with tears which blurred the beautiful sunrise, she strode on into the barn. Before she reached Cinder’s stall, she halted as abruptly as though she had run into the stall door.

  That fairy woman stood in front of Cinder’s stall, dressed today in colors that rivaled even the sunrise. Shiny silver threads sparkled in the red laces running up the front of the black, sequined bodice of the dress. Once again, the bodice bared her shoulders and barely covered her breast nipples. Gold and purple stripes wove through the skirt, and it ended today at least two inches above her knees. This time her net stocking were red to match the laces, her high heeled slippers a gold glowing even in the dim barn.

  That silky, extremely red hair was piled on her head and caught with jeweled hairpins matching the various colors in her attire. The white cat in her arms stared at Ellie with piercingly blue eyes.

  Ellie glanced over her shoulder, prepared to run, but the barn door swung shut behind her, eerily silent when normally it squeaked on its hinges.

  “We need to talk, Ellie,” the fairy woman said.

  Oh, sure! The fairy woman had already told her no one could see her and her cat except Ellie. That’s exactly what Ellie needed right now—someone coming into the barn and catching her talking to thin air.

  She could try to tell whoever saw her the truth.

  Sure she could!

  She could tell them that a red-headed lady of the evening had begun appearing to her. A woman who carried a white Persian cat nearly as large as a new-born calf in her arms. A woman who claimed to have magical powers. And gosh diddly darn, the woman actually did appear to create magic!

  Ellie wouldn’t need to worry about what would happen to her if Elvina sold the ranch. She would be locked away in an asylum, with no one believing she was truly sane.

  Whirling, she raced to the barn door and tugged frantically. It refused to budge, and she yanked harder.

  “Open this!” she screamed over her shoulder. “Let me out of here!”

  The door swung open, and she fell into Shane Morgan’s arms. Shaking and trembling, she wrapped her arms around his solid, comforting presence and buried her head on his chest. He hesitated slightly, then gathered her close to him, rocking her and murmuring soothingly.

  Several long seconds later Ellie fathomed what she was doing. Hot humiliation surging through her, she struggled to escape Shane’s embrace. He loosened his arms enough for her to pull back, but refused to drop them completely, his more-than-adequate grasp effectively unbreakable.

  “What’s wrong, Ellie?” he asked. “What happened?”

  Ellie threw a glance over her shoulder. The fairy woman—Fatima, she remembered her name was—still stood outside Cinder’s stall. Still held that beautiful, blue-eyed cat in her arms. She quirked one eyebrow, and wiggled two fingers of one hand at Ellie. The rest of both hands—and her arms—were busy holding the cat.

  Ellie bit her tongue to keep from asking Shane if he saw the woman. When she glanced at his face, she could tell by his puzzled expression that he didn’t. She looked back into the barn. Fatima waved again.

  “Ellie?” Shane asked again. “Did something in there frighten you?”

  “Frighten me?” She couldn’t halt the harsh laugh that emerged. “Now, what on earth could frighten me in a barn? I’ve been in there a million times.”

  “With the door propped shut from outside?” Shane questioned.

  “Oh. Is that what was wrong? Gee, the wind must have blown the prop against the door.”

  Shane turned slightly to look at the heavy wooden prop they used to hold the barn door shut when necessary. It weighed at least fifty pounds, as Ellie knew from having to strug
gle it into place herself when a ranch hand wasn’t around. She bit her bottom lip and kept her mouth shut as Shane casually perused the quiet, early morning air. Not one sign of a breeze stirred the humid heat.

  While his attention was distracted, Ellie slipped out of his arms. Funny how reluctant she had been to make that move for such a long moment.

  “I think I’ll—uh—go check and see if Cookie has any coffee ready. I know I gave them all an extra hour off this morning, but Cookie is so used to getting up before dawn, I’ll bet he at least made coffee.”

  “I could use a cup myself.”

  “Oh.” She bit her lip. He was coming with her. “Oh, of course.”

  They walked out of the barn and headed toward the bunkhouse, and Ellie unyieldingly kept herself from looking back over her shoulder. It didn’t help much. As they approached the bunkhouse, Fatima and the cat appeared on the roof, the fairy woman once again waving at Ellie.

  Fatima sighed when Ellie refused to acknowledge her greeting and hurried into the cook shack. El-shaped, the cook shack and bunkhouse were really two parts of the building, connected by a short breezeway. Cookie reigned in his end of the building. Fatima had wandered around the bunkhouse when she first arrived at the Leaning G, but the men’s messiness in the bunkhouse sent shudders up her spine. At least Cookie kept the kitchen sparkling clean.

  “I’ve never had this happen before, Pandora,” she told the cat as they settled on the roof. “Ellie’s desperately afraid of us. Of course, just about everyone is a little scared when I first contact them, but they usually see the good I can do for them and become friends with us. Selfishly, at times, but even that gives us a chance to build a good relationship with them. I don’t understand Ellie’s fear at all.”

  “Meow.”

  “I have been thinking about it, and I can’t—oh! Oh, Pandora, you don’t think— But if that’s it, and what it looks like might happen after what’s going on with Darlene and Rockford— And with what Elvina’s been up to— If all that happens, it’s going to devastate Ellie.”