When Adele opened her eyes she found Peter studying her closely.
“Do not feel shame at admiring a man more of your age. I understand that he is more suitable for you, but I must ask that you not be obvious in your admiration. I am an old man, but I still have my pride you see.”
Adele’s eyes widened and she felt her eyes sting. She hadn’t meant to offend Peter. “I am sorry. I did not mean to offend. I was admiring the way he sat his horse. I am not a fine rider you see and… I did not mean any disrespect. I beg you forgiveness.”
Peter took her hand and patted it. “You have it.” He searched her eyes for several moments before he looked away and Adele couldn’t help but think he had found her wanting, but she had no words. She simply sat beside him as he guided the horses home.
6
Adele had drifted to sleep. Peter gently shook her and she opened her eyes to find him very close. She straightened immediately; embarrassed that in her slumber she had settled her head against his shoulder.
“I am sorry. I must have been more exhausted than I thought.” She said as she felt heat run up her neck to burn her cheeks.
Peter offered her a knowing smile. “I think it is right for a wife to rest her weary head on her husband’s shoulder. I found it very pleasant. It has been twenty-four years since I have had the pleasure.” He gently pinched her chin with his thumb and forefinger so she was forced to look at him. “Do not apologize for being familiar with me. I am your husband now and you will not stand on formalities with me. I want you to feel free to talk with me on any subject. I will be as honest as I am able to be. I want you to trust me.”
Fear struck Adele again. How would she be able to perform her duties with this man? She swallowed down her trepidation and tried to give him a smile. “I will try, but I fear I will disappoint you for I am unused to being familiar with gentlemen.”
Peter barked out a laugh that made Adele jump and drew the attention of his son. “I am glad to hear that Adele dear. I would be most put out to find that you were.”
Adele blushed again and allowed Peter to lead her to the house.
She allowed her eyes to take in the grandeur of the structure. It was made of a combination of materials that one would not think would complement one another, but the effect was magnificent. There were large beams and timbers that made up much of the house, but the glass windows were surrounded with what looked like mud bricks. There was extensive rock work along the wide, low porch that seemed to draw her inside with warmth and welcome. She stepped through the wide front door to find herself standing in a large entry way with a staircase on her left and doors opening down the other side. The stairs led up to the open walk above where she could see several more doors that she assumed were the bedrooms. She wondered which one she would share with Peter and felt a shiver race down her spine.
Peter didn’t seem to notice her sudden fear as he led her to the first door. “This is the sitting room. You may redecorate it if you would like since you are now the lady of the house, but remember where we are and keep things serviceable.”
Adele nodded and followed as he led her down the hall to the library, dining room, and then the kitchen. He led her back down the hall and opened a door that led under the stairs.
“This is my study. If you need anything you may come in here at any time. I will usually spend part of my day here. If I am not Bradley will likely be and he will see to anything you might need.” He took both of her hands in his callused ones. “I do not want you to feel as if this room is off limits to you. I am not a hard man and I hope you will find yourself seeking me out simply for my company before long and I will be glad to have you sit with me as I do my work. I do not expect you to be a bother in any way and my deepest wish is to see you happy.”
Adele was touched by his show of affection. She squeezed his hands. “I appreciate your kindness. I am sure I will find the need to visit with you often.”
Peter smiled and led her to the last door. It was also under the staircase but almost to the point where the door would need to be cut to accommodate the slant of the stairs. “This is my room.” He opened the door and Adele stepped inside with no little amount of fear. Then the word ‘my’ assaulted her.
“Your room? Will we not share a room?” She wanted to melt through the floor with mortification, but she had to ask.
It took a long moment for Peter to answer and in that time Adele surveyed the room. It was small for a master bedroom, but it was lovely. The room was decorated in deep blues and dark browns. It was a completely masculine room and Adele could not see herself living in such a place, but she would do as she was bidden and be grateful for such comfortable accommodations. Peter sighed drawing Adele’s attention once more.
Peter looked down at Adele and she saw the pain in his eyes again. “I will venture to say that would not be entirely desirable for you. I will not delude myself into believing that you would welcome my affections in an intimate way.” He placed his hands on her upper arm and turned her to face him. “I do not expect that sort of relationship. I would seek your company and your affection, but I will not seek out my husbandly rights in that way. You will have every comfort that I can give you along with your own rooms to do with as you see fit.”
Tears glistened along her lashes as she met his eyes. They were now filled with compassion and something she couldn’t understand, longing perhaps, but for what?
“I don’t know what to say.” She choked out around the lump in her throat.
“There is nothing that needs to be said. I am sorry I cannot offer you the life I am sure you had dreamed of, the family. I hope you will be able to find a measure of happiness here until you are free to pursue that dream.”
His words struck her heart as if they had been the tip of a Comanche arrow. He spoke of his death as if she would welcome it. “I am sure the happiness I find here as your wife will carry me all the days of my life. I would not look upon the loss of you with little grief. Already the idea makes me feel as if something inside me might break.”
Peter looked at her with pain-filled eyes. “I hope you will change your mind about that.” He said earnestly, but before she could speak he pulled her from his room and led her upstairs. There were five doors that led from the hall. Peter opened the first three showing her beautifully decorated guest rooms. The back stairs were concealed by another door. Then he came to the fourth and explained that it was Bradley’s room, but did not open the door. At the last door he stopped and bid her to enter. She opened the door to find an opulent sitting room with a wide fireplace of stone. The colors were more to her liking in the cream and light green that she favored. There were also accents in deep rose and even light blue. This was a woman’s room and she found herself looking toward Peter in question.
“Ah yes, I see the questions in your eyes. No, these were not Mrs. Davidson’s rooms. She left us before this house was completed, though the rooms were built with her in mind the decor was not chosen by her. I had Mrs. Finnagan take charge of it in hopes that there would, someday be a lady of the house again. As I said before, you may change anything you do not like. I want you to be happy here.”
Adele nodded.
Peter pointed his finger at the door that stood open on the other side of the room. “Your bedroom is through there as well as a dressing room. I will leave you to explore these rooms on your own. I hope you find everything to your liking. Dan should have brought your…”
He trailed off as Bradley pushed the door open and walked in carrying her trunk. He gave her a hard look and dropped the trunk at the foot of her bed before leaving again. Peter sighed heavily.
“I must apologize for my son. It is not you that he is unhappy with, but me. He does not understand my need for a wife at this stage of my life and he is angry at the way I have gone about it. I am sorry if his anger makes your life here uncomfortable for a while. He has had a hard life since we came to live out here. I hope he will come around in time.”
&
nbsp; “I hope so too. I do not wish to cause discord in your family.”
“There has always been discord with us, but don’t let it concern you overmuch. He is a good natured boy when he allows himself to be. I don’t think he will be able to hold this against you when he discovers your nature for himself.”
“I hope not.” She was skeptical because her mother always told her she had an ornery nature, but she didn’t share that with Peter.
Peter kissed Adele’s cheek and bid her goodnight before leaving her alone in her vast rooms for the night.
7
Adele almost panicked as she tried to undress, but there was a knock at her sitting room door and when she went to open it a woman entered with a nod to her head. Her light brown hair was pinned atop her head and she was dressed modestly. Adele thought she must be in her late-thirties, but it was hard to tell. Her grey eyes looked older than her face and for some reason that made Adele nervous. Adele tried to calm herself, she was obviously a servant and no one to worry over. Her words soon confirmed the assumption.
“My name is Mrs. McCrery and I will be serving you as much as you have need of me. I am in charge of the house and to seeing to anything you might need.”
“I am pleased to meet you Mrs. McCrery. It seems like you have your hands full so I will try not to be a bother to you. What other staff is here at the ranch?”
“There is Mrs. Finnagan, the cook. She sees to the pantry and does everything in the kitchen. If there is something you like just let her know and she will see to it that it is available to you. I will take you to her in the morning after breakfast. The men eat at sun up, but there will be something for you when you rise. Lunch is served at mid-day, but the men usually eat in the saddle. Dinner is served at eight sharp without exception.”
“Thank you. I will try to be prompt.” The woman was brisk, but Adele respected her for that. “Would you mind helping me out of this dress?”
“I saw Mr. Peter showing you around and I figured you would need some help.” Her smile was bright and Adele liked her instantly.
“You are a smart woman Mrs. McCrery. I was afraid I would have to rip out the seams.”
Mrs. McCrery’s snort made Adele smile. “That would be a shame. It is a beautiful dress,” she admitted grudgingly. “Do you plan to dress for dinner every night then?” She asked the question curiously and without malice, but Adele could detect a bit of disapproval in her voice.
“I had thought it would be best, but now I am not so sure.”
“I think it would bring the sparkle back in Mr. Davidson’s eyes to have you sitting at the table with him. That might be worth the effort if that is your goal.” Her eyes narrowed, but Adele didn’t understand why. “During the day though, it might be best to wear serviceable garments.”
Adele smiled. “Peter seems very kind and I would like to please him.” She didn’t comment on the other statement, after all she would decide what to wear.
Mrs. McCrery raised an eyebrow. “Have a care with your assumptions or you will land in a heap of trouble around here.”
Adele wanted to ask Mrs. McCrery what she meant by that, but she didn’t get the chance as her dress pooled around her feet and she felt a rise of modesty at being exposed to this stranger. Mrs. McCrery just hooted a laugh at her blush and continued to pull clothes from her body until she was standing in only her bloomers and chemise.
Mrs. McCrery made her way to the trunk and rummaged through it to find a night dress. She had some trouble since Adele only had one. She had been washing it out in the mornings and hanging it to dry.
“I had thought to by others, but I bought material instead thinking I would just make a few more, but I haven’t had the time yet.”
Mrs. McCrery nodded. “You will.” She slipped the garment over Adele’s head. She bent and gathered up Adele’s discarded garments and set about putting them away. “I will see to unpacking your trunk tomorrow, I figure you will want to be getting to bed now.”
“I think I will, but I will unpack it. You have enough to do already.”
Mrs. McCrery raised her eyebrows, but didn’t comment as she left the room.
Adele was puzzled by the woman. Mrs. McCrery seemed outspoken while at the same time speaking in riddles and giving her looks she didn’t know how to interpret. She shook her head and opened her window that overlooked the side yard. She couldn’t see clearly in the dark, but she thought she could make out the edges of a garden and she caught the scent of roses on the breeze. She had often helped her mother in the flower garden at home and hoped she would be able to spend some of her time doing so in her own garden. She would have to ask Peter if it would be alright. She looked down to find that her room was very high and fear gripped her at the thought of being trapped with no way of escaping. She grasped the edge of the window and took several deep breaths and willed away the panic. She almost screamed when she saw a slight movement in the garden bellow. She stared hard into the darkness, but saw nothing more. She shook off the fear and climbed into her big soft bed. She would not let fear rule her. This was a new beginning for her and she would need her courage to see her through.
She woke to the gentle breeze and sunlight pouring through her open window, but that was not what woke her she realized. She heard raised voices and rose from her bed so she could peer out the window that faced the front of the house. She saw Peter arguing with Bradley while another man looked on. She had never seen him before and she wondered who he was. He was tall with a shock of dark hair on top of his head. He stood taller than Peter and was rail thin. His clothes puzzled her the most. He was dressed in a fine black suit, not a cowboy then, but who was he?
She listened hard and finally decided to crack her window just a bit so she might hear them better. She knew she should not, but she felt almost compelled to know who the man in the suit was. She crouched so she would not be seen and held her breath to hear them better.
“I understand your reticence, Mr. Davidson. I would not want to give this news to my wife either, but I think you should explain it to yours.” The suited man said in a stern voice. “I believe it to be her right to know what she has gotten herself into.”
“This is none of your affair Doc. If you can’t keep this between the two of us then I won’t be needing your services any longer.” Peter insisted. “It is my body and I intend to keep what happens with it to myself.”
Bradley huffed loudly. “Well, she,” he practically sneered the word, “might not have a right to know what the hell is going on, but I do! If you’re going to keel over and leave me with that little gold digger, I think I should get some kind of warning.”
Adele cringed when she heard the fury in Peter’s voice. Obviously he had a temper; she hoped she never provoked it.
“You leave that girl alone! She is no gold digger. You have a lot more in common with her than you know. She is just what I need to make me feel young again and maybe give me some reason to keep livin’. After what happened…”
“Don’t.” The single word held more menace than Adele could believe. What had made Bradley speak to his father in such away?
The doctor broke in. “This isn’t helping. You need rest and less excitement. I doubt a young wife will provide you with that.”
“Don’t worry about that! She won’t even share his room!” Bradley burst out. Adele was shocked. She wanted to rage at him. That wasn’t the way of it at all, but she stayed quiet and listened.
“I have heard enough from the both of you. I want Adele to be welcomed here and treated as family. I will not have her burdened with things she cannot change. I would like to be happy again and I believe she is just the thing to help me find some piece again.”
“You talk like you won’t last till spring!” Bradley exclaimed.
“We never know when we will breathe our last. You of all people should understand that.” Peter said plainly, but Adele thought there was a hint of pain in his voice.
The yard fell silent then and sh
e soon heard the sounds of the doctor’s carriage pulling away from the house. She waited for several minutes before she stood and looked out the window. When she did her eyes met Bradley’s as he stared up at her window. She saw pain in them before he turned, even from such a great distance and she wondered at what had happened to this family to have them grieving so. Was it more than the loss of Mrs. Davidson? Surely enough time had passed to dull the pain of losing her. If not that then what was it? She doubted she would ever know.
She decided she would be very attentive to Peter. Perhaps he wouldn’t share with her, but she would be near if he needed her at least and that would be something.
She turned and tried to decide what to wear that day. She didn’t want to dress as shabbily as she had at the hotel so she pulled out a light blue morning dress that she had purchased before she’d left Atlanta.
It had light yellow ribbon as trimming and a slight train. She loved the way the bodice fit her and hoped it would please Peter to know he had purchased it for her. She quickly washed in her dressing room and was startled when Mrs. McCrery pushed open her door.
“I’ll help you dress now Ma’am. I thought you would be sleeping in this morning, but Mr. Bradley sent me up to help you dress. I won’t say how he knew, but…” She trailed off with a stern look that made Adele redden.
“I…I, well, I was standing by the window and he saw me there. I can assure you he does not like me well enough for there to be another reason and I feel the same for him.”
“Now.” The made grumbled as she set to shaking out Adele’s dress. “This is a fancy dress to be wearing out here in the middle of the morning. What you need is some sturdy calico. I thought I saw one in that trunk last night…” She turned and walked to Adele’s trunk that still sat unpacked by the foot of the bed, and pulled out a simple, pink calico dress that a friend had given her after the fire. “This is better suited to life on this ranch.
Life, Love, and Second Chances Page 3