“You are more beautiful than we heard,” one man said to her.
“My name is Earl Johnson,” another one introduced himself. “You are a fine looking lady.”
“Fine? She’s gorgeous,” another man said.
Her brother chuckled. “This happens all the time,” he told Sam and Tim. He must have noticed her look of dread, for he said, “I think Billy will be coming soon. Perhaps you ought to freshen up before the dancing starts? I believe the vanity mirror is in that building.”
“Yes. I should make myself presentable,” she readily agreed, took the bag he held for her and ran to the local inn where she could change in the restroom.
When she changed into her Billy disguise, she took the back entrance and walked around a couple of buildings so it looked as if she had been in town for awhile. She hid the bag behind the outhouse so she could use it in the future.
As soon as her brother saw her, he whispered, “So, this is how Billy looks. You looked better in the paper.”
“It’s the best I can do. It’s not like you gave me a lot to work with,” she joked.
He huffed, clearly offended.
“You need to relax,” she told him as they joined the people.
“This is Paul,” she told Jeff. “He came by to see why I would bother to stay here for a short while.”
“Yes, we’ve already met. Any brother of Billy’s is a friend of mine.” Jeff grinned and shook his hand.
“You’re a hero, Billy,” Tim told her. “We’ve been telling everyone all about how you saved that young boy last night.”
The other men surrounded her and asked her to tell them about how she saved the boy. She did her best to sum up the events. She wasn’t sure she liked all the attention they were giving her. It made her feel self-conscious.
“So, where is that good looking sister of yours?” Sam asked Paul.
“I believe Billy knows the answer to that,” Paul replied, turning to her with an amused expression on his face.
“She’s in the outhouse,” she told them. “When are the horse races?”
“We already know not to bet against you,” Tim stated. “We lost a lot of money last time.”
“You won all the horse races?” Her brother looked impressed. “I see all that training has paid off.”
“Yes. I love to race. It’s in my bones. I never feel more alive than when I’m on a horse, racing and jumping,” she stated.
“Billy always had an affection for horses. He’s been known to handle the toughest of them.”
She was pleased by his compliment.
“If your sister doesn’t hurry, she’ll miss the races,” Sam told them.
“Oh, I’m sure she’ll come out soon and see me riding. She’s seen me ride many times before.”
“But she hasn’t seen me ride,” Tim protested.
She shrugged. “When she’s ready to come out, she’ll come out. I’m not going into the outhouse to get her.”
Satisfied that they accepted it, she took Reliable to the start line, eager to race the stallion. It was a good horse and responded well to her commands. She easily won the four races. She could tell that her brother was proud of her.
“It’s good to see a strong woman winning against the men,” he whispered to her. “Does Chad have any idea at how well you ride?”
“He knows I’m a good rider as Billy but not as Kate. I have to go make my appearance as Kate. Can you tell them that I had to fix a hole in my boot?”
“I’ll do that.”
She ran off to grab the sack and run into the outhouse. By the time she returned, as Kate, she found her brother talking to Sam, Jeff and Tim. She forced aside her aggravation as they were introducing him to Lacy. It’s like they’re trying to pawn her off on any bachelor they can find. She didn’t think she would have to warn her brother about the raven haired woman, but that was her mistake.
“Hello, Paul,” she said, smiling at her brother.
“Good afternoon, Kate,” he replied.
The men turned to her in interest and said hello.
“Oh, good afternoon again,” she told them.
“Kate, have you met our sister, Lacy?” Tim asked her.
“I briefly met her when she was at the farm. Hello, Lacy.”
“Hello, Kate,” the woman sweetly said. “I didn’t realize your other brother would be in town.”
“Paul just got here today. Billy and I didn’t expect to see him so soon.”
“Yes, I do a lot of traveling, though I do not confine myself to the hobo lifestyle,” her brother remarked. “I enjoy the comforts of a bed. I cannot imagine sleeping in a barn loft.”
Kate realized that this would only impress Lacy further so she spoke up. “It’s too bad your fancy lifestyle has gotten you heavily in debt.”
He glanced at her, appalled.
“If only you could find a woman who was rich enough to pay it off,” she continued to lie, encouraged by Lacy’s frown.
“I beg your pardon,” he huffed.
“Just expressing the obvious.”
“Billy’s quite the talk of the town, Kate,” Tim said. “Did you see the paper?”
“Yes, I did,” she replied. “We’re all proud of him.”
“He’s a noble man,” Lacy agreed. “Where is he? I wanted to express how wonderful I think he is for saving the poor child, but I didn’t get a chance to do so earlier because I was taking care of a pie. I made the apple one. Be sure to tell him to try it out.”
“Lacy’s a great cook,” Sam added. “She’d make a good wife for any man.”
“We believe that a woman’s worth is above rubies,” Jeff added. “That’s from the book of Proverbs in the Bible. Anyway, we are respectful of all women.”
You are such a liar. Had she not been playing Billy, she would have actually believed him, for he seemed sincere. Instead of calling him on his lie, she blurted out, “It’s a shame that Chad wasn’t able to join us. I do miss him when he’s not around.”
The men frowned.
She turned her attention to the music from the fiddle and banjo. “I don’t know about anyone else, but I feel like dancing.”
A group of men crowded around her to be the first one to dance with her. She wasn’t looking forward to dancing with any of them but realized she would have to. While the men fought over who would dance with her, she glanced at her brother and Lacy.
“Would you like to dance?” Lacy asked him.
He chuckled. “No. You are not my type.” Then he walked away from her and sat down at the table.
She breathed a sigh of relief. Apparently, her brother had quickly figured her out and knew exactly what to say.
“I win,” Tim told her. “I get to dance with you first.”
Kate forced herself to smile. She didn’t appreciate being treated like a piece of meat to be fought over, but she graciously danced with each man. When the sixth dance was done, it was time to eat. She excused herself and ran to the outhouse to change into her Billy disguise. She returned, sat next to her brother and started eating her meal.
“Yet again, you won every race,” Sam congratulated her as he stopped by to pat her on the back. “You’re a regular hero. You are the fastest man on a horse I’ve ever seen and you save boys in trouble.”
“You made us some good money today,” Tim agreed from next to her. “It’s a good thing we got to see you in action before today.”
“Well, save that money because you’ll lose the bet on who Kate will pick to marry,” she warned them.
Her brother looked at her in curiosity. “There’s a bet on who Kate will marry?”
She nodded.
“Yes. Since Chad is impotent, it’s a sure thing she won’t choose him,” Tim said.
“Chad Walker is impotent?” He stared at her.
“Oh, that was just something his dead wife said,” she stated between bites of her fried chicken. “I don’t buy it though.”
“He was married for ten years
and never had children,” Sam remarked.
“That doesn’t sound very promising,” her brother replied. “Doesn’t Kate wish for children?”
“Honestly, Paul. There’s no problem,” she insisted.
“Well, a woman will surely want children,” Sam confidently said.
“So you’re betting on who will win Kate’s heart?” her brother asked her.
“It’s a sure thing. I’m going to win this one,” she responded.
He laughed. “Let me in on this bet too. I’m going with Billy on this one.”
“We’ll see,” Sam stated as he left for his seat.
“Speaking of Kate, where is she?” Tim asked.
“Oh, she’s around here somewhere,” she vaguely replied.
She quickly ate the food on her plate.
Her brother looked at her in disgust. “Really, Billy. You might want to show better table manners.”
“I’m in a hurry,” she whispered.
“Still, your upbringing was better than this.”
She ignored him and wolfed down the rest of the food on her plate. After she was done, she changed back into Kate. When she returned to the fairgrounds, she sat next to her brother, aware that she was gasping for air.
“You should be an actress,” her brother commented. “You are actually pulling this stunt off.”
“Being two people is wearing me out,” she admitted.
He frowned at her. “How do you know that Chad isn’t impotent? Did you have sex with him?”
She gasped. “I can’t believe you would think that. I’m still a virgin.”
“How far did you go with him?”
“We just danced. We haven’t even kissed.”
“Then how do you know he’s not impotent?”
“Because he told ‘Billy’ that Georgia lied about being pregnant. Now how would he believe her if he wasn’t able to perform?”
“Alright.”
“He’s a gentleman. He wouldn’t take advantage of anyone. I hope you’re the same way.”
“Of course, I am. I’m waiting until my wedding night. I take Scripture seriously.”
“So does he.”
“Good.”
To her dismay, Lacy came over to them. “Where is Billy?” she asked them.
Kate sighed. Too bad “Billy” didn’t tell Lacy that she wasn’t his type in the same fashion that her brother did.
“You think you have a chance with Billy?” her brother asked.
“He’s been a perfect gentlemen,” Lacy replied. “I can tell he likes me.”
“That’s interesting.” He looked at Kate with a raised eyebrow.
Kate was surprised to see that Lacy’s mother came over to them. “Isn’t it a lovely day? Lacy looks most beautiful in her pink dress.”
“Is that your standard of beauty around here?” He shook his head as if he couldn’t believe his ears.
Even Kate couldn’t believe her brother was being blatantly rude.
Lacy ignored his comment. “Oh, I didn’t introduce you to Kate Ingram,” Lacy told her mother. “Kate is Billy’s sister, and she’s staying out at Chad Walker’s place.”
“I’m much more handsome than my brother,” her brother casually inserted. “My name is Paul.”
“Nice to meet you both,” her mother kindly said. “Poor Chad,” she sighed. “He is so distraught over Georgia’s death.”
“Well, he seems to be healing from it,” Kate replied.
“He’s always been very brave about not showing his sorrow over losing her. She was his whole world. She confided all of this to me. A mother can tell when her son-in-law is devoted to her daughter.”
“Chad was deeply in love with her,” Lacy agreed. “He can’t function without her. Why, when he came into town this morning, he asked to see Georgia’s old bedroom.”
Kate didn’t believe her for a minute.
Lacy’s mother put her hand to her heart. “I wish I had known. I would have showed it to him.” She turned to Kate. “Would you like to see Georgia’s old bedroom?”
“No thank you.” Kate shook her head.
“You keep a bedroom for a dead woman?” her brother asked.
“I see.” Her mother brought out her handkerchief and dabbed her eyes. “Georgia’s memory lives on every time someone sees what she was like.”
“She made the world a brighter place,” Lacy said, though Kate sensed she didn’t mean it.
“Maybe so but she’s not here anymore,” Kate responded. “I think it’s time we accept her death and move on with our lives. Chad would be much happier if he didn’t have to be reminded of her all the time.”
“The poor man. He really needs to be loved again,” her mother sighed.
“Come on, Kate. Let’s see this room. It’s probably the most entertainment this town has to offer,” her brother said. “Besides, I’d like to see what Chad’s first wife was like. It will be interesting to see how she compares to my sister.”
Her mother beamed. “Follow me.”
Kate’s brother took her hand and led her along the street to the old woman’s house. She didn’t feel like looking at the bedroom again. “Billy’s already seen it,” she told him.
“Really? What did he think?” her brother asked.
Lacy’s mother glanced back at her.
She chose her words with great care. “It’s very well preserved.”
The woman smiled. “I try to keep it as immaculate as the day she left to go to California. That’s where she met Chad. From there, his life greatly improved. She brought him back here since his family died in a horrible accident. I don’t know the details, but Georgia assured me that it was a sad story.”
He looked at Kate who shook her head to let him know that Georgia had lied about it. He kept his comments to himself, which she was grateful for. They walked into the house.
As soon as they entered the bedroom, he said, “I see that Georgia was a princess.” The way he said it was demeaning but her mother glowed as if he paid her deceased daughter with the highest of all praises.
“Georgia was lovely,” her mother gushed. “Pictures don’t do her justice though. I assure you that she was much more breathtaking in real life.”
“As breathtaking as a skunk,” he muttered under his breath.
“She was kind and generous to everyone,” her mother continued. “Here are some pictures of her.”
He walked over to the dresser and examined the pictures along the mirror. He shrugged. “She’s alright. Kate’s much better.”
The woman gasped.
He glanced at her. “Just look at her.” He motioned to Kate. “Georgia has nothing over her.”
“Georgia could win a beauty pageant,” her mother insisted.
He raised an eyebrow. “That depends on who the other contestants are. I’m sorry. I’m not impressed. Chad can do better.”
“Her diary tells you what kind of person she was. Here. Read it. You will find she had great inner beauty.”
“Now this, I have to see.” He didn’t hide his amusement as he read a couple of pages. He chuckled as he turned the page.
“What is so funny?”
“This is cute. Where is her real diary?”
“That is her real diary.” Her mother was obviously offended.
“I’m not buying it. No one is this good.” He tossed it back on the dresser. “This was a decoy to throw you off track.”
Her mother ran over to the dresser and anxiously put the diary neatly back into its regular spot.
“Mrs. Montgomery, I must be frank with you,” he started. “You would do better to pay attention to the children you have who are still living. I’ve seen enough. You have nothing to worry about, Kate. You far exceed Georgia. Chad will be extremely lucky to have you. Poor man went through enough misery with his first wife. It’s only fitting his second wife should be an honorable and good woman.”
“What are you talking about? Georgia didn’t make him miserable. She blesse
d his days,” her mother angrily spat.
“I’m sure you have to believe that since you are her mother, but from a man’s viewpoint, I can assure you that Georgia was a selfish, spoiled and manipulative brat. There’s no way a man could be happy with character flaws that great.”
“You can’t tell that from looking at her bedroom,” Lacy argued.
“No. But I’ve seen his place. He’s glad Georgia’s dead, and after seeing this bedroom, I understand why. I have also seen the way he looks at Kate, and he’s very much in love with her,” he told Lacy. “I suspect a proposal is imminent.”
“Georgia was his whole life,” her mother replied, clearly distraught.
“Kate is a diamond. Georgia was a cubit zirconia. Kate is real. Georgia was fake. There is no contest.”
Kate quickly followed him out of the house before her mother or Lacy could say anything else. She didn’t care for the sudden wave of animosity that was coursing through the room. They don’t like me. I’m a threat to them. She stood in their way of how they wanted to view Georgia.
“You need to learn to choose your words,” she told her brother as they walked back to the fairgrounds.
“Why? They needed to hear it. I won’t have them building up that money sucker as if she was a saint.”
“Money sucker?”
“Anyone can tell from the way Chad handles himself that he came from a wealthy background. He acts different from the other people in this place. He’s out of his element here. You’ll do him a favor when you take him to Virginia.”
“Now I know how Chad feels whenever I figure things out with pinpoint accuracy.”
“It runs in the family. I’m just as perceptive, if not more so, then you are.”
It was true, so she couldn’t argue with him.
“You’re best bet is to get into your Billy costume again. You’re not very popular with those two,” he said. “Though Lacy is in love with Billy, there’s no telling what she’ll do to get him so watch out. That woman is desperate for any man.”
“Your advice is well-heeded.” She went off to change into her Billy outfit. When she went back to the fairgrounds, she decided to take a cup of punch that was on the table. She was tired of acting like she was drinking beer all the time.
“Billy!” Sam called out to her. “We’ve been looking everywhere for you? Where have you been?”
An Unlikely Place for Love Page 22