by Betty McLain
Dody
Betty McLain
Copyright 2013 Betty McLain
Kindle Edition
Kindle Edition, License Notes
All Rights Reserved
Dedication
This book is dedicated to my daughter, Amanda McLain-Young Her encouragement and inspiration has been invaluable. Thank you, Amanda, for all of your loving help.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Dedication
About the Author
Connect With Betty Jean McLain
Also by Betty McLain - “Rich Man’s Daughter”
Recommended Reads
** Suriax, If it was legal to kill, would you?
** Wolf of the Past/Wolf of the Present, Werewolf Romance Series
** Tales From A One Alley Town, Collection of Short Stories
Chapter 1
“Are you sure you want to go, Dody?” Sue asked.
“Yes, I am very sure. I want to get away where I can think. Charles has been pressing me to set our wedding date. With Mom on one side pushing and Charles and his mother on the other, I feel like I am being rushed too much. I am hoping a change of scenery will help. Your pictures gave me the perfect excuse for not going home just yet.” Dody, a tall, slender young woman with raven hair and a fair complexion, smiled at Sue as she packed her bag for a four day trip to Reno, Nevada. Dody, whose real name was Barbara Lansing, and Sue Taylor were teachers at Harristown, a private school for girls. Dody taught music, while Sue was the art teacher. They were still new at the school, only in their second semester there. Both were twenty two years old, fresh out of college and thrilled to be working for such a good school, but work was hard, and it was good to have a break every so often. With the onset of the spring holiday they were enjoying the idea of a long four days away from school. Sue, always the artist, had planned to take some of her pictures to a showing in Reno, Nevada, but an urgent call informing her of her mother’s illness changed all that. Dody, hearing of her friend’s problems, and wanting to postpone her own trip home as long as possible, offered to take the pictures to Reno for her. It took some persuading, but they finally agreed she would go.
“There, that is all,” said Dody, snapping her suitcase shut. “Now we can go down to your room for the pictures and I can be off.”
“Okay, let’s go,” said Sue, with a sigh, as she slid from the bed where she had been sitting. “At least, you don’t have to worry about frames. The pictures will be framed at the gallery. That makes transporting them a lot easier. There are usually some really nice people at the show. A lot of them come year after year, so they know each other. I hope you will find some new friends. Have a good time, but just be careful, okay.”
“I will be alright,” Dody said. She put an arm around Sue as they walked down the hall to Sue’s room. “I know I haven’t traveled around the way you have, but I will be very careful, and I will be back in four days to tell you all of your paintings have been sold and you are a big success,” soothed Dody.
“Alright, I will try not to worry,” agreed Sue. “One of your troubles is you’re too pretty. You will draw men like flies.”
“Don’t worry,” Dody laughed, as they took the pictures and started out of the building. “I have always been pretty good at swatting flies.” Sue laughed with her, but she still seemed a little worried. “Look, it will take me a day to get there on the train,” Dody said, trying to placate Sue’s fears. I will spend a day showing your pictures, and I will have a day to myself before I have to take the train for home. So, what can happen in a day? I am just going to do some sightseeing. I will be perfectly alright. Now, you run along home and see about your mother. I hope she is doing better.”
“You are right. I guess I am just a worrier. I have reservations at the Carrolton hotel, so you can use them. I do not see any reason to change the name. Just sign in with my name and you will be fine.”
“If you’re sure,” laughed Dody. “It might be fun to live under an alias for a few days. I will try not to disgrace your name.”
“I’m not worried about that. Bye, you have a good time.” Sue and Dody exchanged a brief hug before going to their separate cars. They waved as they pulled away to start their trips. Sue left to go home and Dody headed for the train depot to catch the train for Reno.
Dody drove to the train depot and parked her car. After locking her car, she took her suitcase and the valise of pictures over to the ticket window. She bought a round trip ticket, then showed the porter her seat number and turned her luggage over to him. There was still about twenty minutes before the train left, so she went to find a couple of magazines to read on the trip. Finding two that looked promising, she purchased them and made her way back to the train to find her seat. Her luggage was already stored in the overhead storage. She tipped the porter and thanked him for his help, and then she sat down and leaned back in her seat, closing her eyes and thinking about her life. She let the magazines go unnoticed on her lap. The train started to move, she did not open her eyes to look out at the passing scenery.
She thought about the plantation that belonged to her family for four generations. It had been run by her brother David since the death of their father. David was now twenty eight. He lived in their large old family home with his wife, Sandra, and their two year old daughter, Karen. Her mother lived there, too. Also a resident of the farm was Dody’s fourteen year old brother, Rod. She really missed them all, especially Rod, when she was away teaching school, but she felt she needed to be away from them for awhile. It could get smothering at home. She was not cut out to be a farmer. She was a teacher. Being in the classroom and passing knowledge to the girls in her class was very satisfying. She made some good friends, such as Sue, at the school. Going on this trip was a grand adventure. It was great for her to be on her own for a while.
The plantation to the left of them was owned by the Marlow family. Charles Marlow was twenty two. He and Dody grew up together and their mothers had been hoping they would marry some day. Charles was helping his father run their plantation and it was expected for Dody to move into their home after the marriage.
Although Charles never proposed to Dody, everyone seemed to think the matter was all settled. Dody felt what she had to say was being ignored. Everyone went their merry way and made plans and expected Dody to just fall in line. There was never any mention made of a house being built for them. She would be expected to be under Mrs. Marlow’s thumb all through her married life. That was not acceptable as far as she was concerned. Her mother just did not understand her objections. She thought Mrs. Marlow was a lovely person, but she had blinders on when it came to something she did not want to see.
“Mom wants the marriage because she is afraid I will marry and go far away where I will hardly ever see the family,” she thought to herself. “His mother wants it because she is afraid Charles will bring home some strange girl who she can not get along with, who will want to remodel her home that she loves so much. Charles has been pushed so much I am not sure if he loves me or just thinks he does because it has been assumed for so long. I am not sure of my feelings, either. I like Charles a lot. We have fun together, but I am not sure I love him. Oh, how can I be sure when there is so much pressure from both sides? I can not let myself be pushed into a marriage just to make our mothers happy. Nobody picked their husbands for them. Why can’t they leave us alone to find out what we really wa
nt, instead of pushing all of the time? I am going to tell them I do not want to get married for at least another year. That will give me a little more time to come up with a solution without hurting anyone’s feelings, at least.” With this resolution, she opened her eyes. Taking up one of her magazines, she began to look through it.
There were many male stares directed at this lovely young woman, but since she really did not think she was all that pretty, she did not notice the attention. She browsed through the magazines with rapt attention. Some of the articles were very interesting. She turned the page and saw a male model pictured, recognizing him instantly. He was popular among the girls at her school. She studied the picture for a long minute and shook her head. She just did not see what all of the fuss was about. She saw a lot of males better looking than he was. There was no accounting for taste. The girls seemed to follow the crowd. If one of them started to rave about a certain man, the next thing you know, they are all drooling over him. Dody and Sue really enjoyed listening to the way the girls carried on about different guys. It was an education in itself to listen to the things that were said. Dody knew she had never been as uninhibited as some of the girls in her class. When the two classes were together at recreation time it seemed as if they tried to out do each other with outrageous claims. They all had a good time, though, and Dody looked forward to her classes each day. She was glad she decided to put off thinking about getting married. She really was not ready to give up her job, yet.
Dody thought about Sue. She hoped Sue’s mother was alright. Even though she was really glad of the chance to make this trip, she did not wish any bad luck on Sue. She would have to say a special prayer for Sue’s mother tonight.
Dody looked into the bag she had with her, grateful Sue suggested she bring a few snacks along so she would not get hungry. She said you could never depend on getting enough food on a long trip and it was better to be prepared than to be hungry. Dody decided she would nibble on some peanuts, although she did not want to eat too many, afraid the salt would make her thirsty. She only had a couple of bottles of juice and did not want to drink them, yet. As Dody ate her peanuts, she idly glanced out of the window at the passing scenery. It was hard to really see a whole lot because the train was moving so fast, but she could see a lot of fields, some hills, and houses dotted through the landscape. When the train came to a town, it slowed to a stop to allow people to get on or off as the case may be. There was a lot of bustling movement until they all settled down and the train was on its way again. Dody settled back and watched everything. She did not want to miss a moment of this adventure. It was all very exciting. She would have to remember all of the goings on. The girls and Sue were going to have a lot of questions for her when she returned to school. She smiled as she thought of all of the stories she would have to tell. It would be better than the stories that circulated after one of her girls made a trip to New York with her aunt, last year. The girl’s aunt kept such a close eye on her, she complained she almost wished she stayed at home. Dody sighed. She would never be wishing she stayed home. She was too excited she was able to make the trip. She was really looking forward to what was to come.
Chapter 2
Two pairs of the male eyes watching Dody were seated a couple of seats away from her on the other side of the isle. They belonged to Greg Dorchester and his friend, Ronald Harding. They were also on their way to Reno for the art exhibit. Ron was a talented artist and had made the trip to Reno for the art exhibit many times.
“I’m glad you decided to come with me,” Ron remarked, breaking into Greg’s thoughts.
“Yes,” Greg replied. “I’m glad, too. It will probably be a while before I will get another chance for a few days off. After I help get Dad, Mom and Marcie settled in at the new estate, I will have to see what I can do about getting my law practice going.” Greg sighed. He could hardly take his eyes off of Dody. He kept watching her as she seemed to be absorbed in her magazine.
“Didn’t you apply at the firm of Drake, Drake, and Collins?” Ron asked.
“Yes, I did. I have a pretty good chance of getting in with them. I have an appointment for two weeks from today. So, we will see. I would like to get on with them, so I will be close enough to run home on weekends. I was afraid Mom would be lonesome living here, but it seems there is an old schoolmate of hers living on the estate next to ours. They have been really excited about being in each others company since they realized they were neighbors two days ago. That is one reason I decided to go with you. I only seemed to get in their way. I think they were glad to get me out of there.”
“Well, I’m glad you decided to come with me. I will try to show you a good time,” Ron remarked, smiling.
“Say, Ron, do you know who that girl is over there?” Greg asked. He was pointing toward Dody. “She is the pretty one with the black hair and dressed in blue, who is absorbed in her magazine.”
“I was just watching her. She is one fine looking lady. She is the prettiest girl I have seen in a while. No, I don’t know who she is.”
“She is stunning. I sure would like to meet her.” Greg’s eyes seemed to cling to Dody, unable to drink in enough of her loveliness.
“Maybe we will meet her. I saw a valise of paintings in her luggage when she got something out a while ago. Maybe she is headed for the art show. If she is, I can get Carolyn to invite her to her party. She always gives one the night after an art exhibit,” remarked Ron, smiling as if very pleased with the idea.
“I think that would be great,” said Greg. He was smiling for his friend’s sake, but still not taking his eyes off of Dody.
The train came to a stop at the next station. As the passengers started to come on, Dody glanced around to watch them. As she did, she met Greg’s eyes. She felt as if a shock had gone through her. Her own eyes widened at the look of admiration she saw there. She pulled her eyes away from his with what seemed like physical effort and turned back to her magazine. She stared unseeingly at the page before her. What had come over her? She never reacted to anyone this way before. Who was he? Why did he stare at her like that? He was eating her with his eyes. Why did she feel so strange? The questions kept going around and around in her head until she began to feel dizzy. She leaned her head back and closed her eyes. Maybe if she rested a while, she would feel better. Maybe she would forget the feeling of being lost in a stranger’s eyes. Maybe, but she did not believe she would. She could still feel those eyes on her. They seemed to bore into her back. She gave herself a mental shake and opened her eyes. She had to get control of herself. She could not believe looking into someone’s eyes could affect her so. She turned to stare out of the window at the passing scenery. The train was passing through a thickly wooded area. All she could see was trees everywhere. There was a vastness of black and brown. It would be lovely in the summer. Right now, it all seemed dead. She felt a strange shiver go through her.
Dody glanced at her watch. It was almost lunchtime. Even though she was not hungry, she decided to go to the dining car and pick up a sandwich. Maybe she would get over this strange feeling then. She rose from her seat, gathered together her purse and gloves, and started for the dining car, all the time fighting the urge to look back at the stranger with the beautiful eyes.
The dining car was almost deserted. There were a couple of men deep in conversation and a girl talking to the waitress. Dody took a seat as far away from them as she could get. She looked over the menu as the waitress started her way to get her order. She asked for a roast beef sandwich and coffee. Then, she sat back to try and relax. She could still see those eyes. She could still feel the shock of the warmth that flowed through her when their eyes met.
“What am I going to do?” She asked herself silently. “How can I let another man affect me this way when I am practically engaged to Charles?” She groaned inwardly and lowered her head onto her hands on the table.
“Excuse me.” She looked up to see the waitress had returned with her order. She gave a weak smile that
did not quite take, and leaned back out of the way
“Are you alright?” The waitress inquired. “You look sort of pale.”
“Yes, I am fine. I just have a slight headache.” She tried smiling again, managing to do a little better.
“Would you like a couple of aspirin? I always carry a tin in my pocket. Here, I will get you a glass of water.”
Dody took the aspirin, gratefully. “Thanks, I am sure I will be fine, now.” She took a bite of her sandwich, discovering she was hungry after all. The waitress smiled and returned to talk with her friend.
* * *
When Dody left the car where they were seated, Greg’s eyes followed her. He sat staring at the door through which she went for about five minutes, when a voice at his side brought him out of his thoughts. He glanced up at a young man about his own age who was obviously talking to Ron.
“Hey, Bill!” Ron exclaimed. He rose from his seat to shake hands with the newcomer.
“Where are you headed?” Bill asked.
“Greg and I are going to the art show In Reno. This is Greg Dorchester. Greg, you have heard me speak of Bill Dexter.”
“Sure, it is nice to meet you,” said Greg, shaking hands and smiling at Bill. “Ron is always talking about some of the escapades the two of you were involved in.”
“We had some fine times,” agreed Bill, smiling. “Say, why don’t you two come on back with me? I am a couple of cars back with Rick and Jim and a couple more of our old buddies. Come on. I am sure we can find a couple of more seats.”
“Would that be alright with you, Greg?” Ron asked.
“Sure, let’s go and join the crowd,” Greg said, looking at Ron’s eager face. So Greg reluctantly followed Bill and Ron. He glanced back at the empty seat across the isle, wondering if he would ever see the dark haired girl again.