Midnight Secrets

by Janelle Taylor

  Following a scant meal, men slept on the floor, driver and guards on bunks, and women with the keeper’s wife or in a separate room. Ginny longed for a bath and privacy. At least she had been allowed those treats on one wagontrain. That last word stirred up memories she didn’t want to think about tonight, so she pushed them aside to get much needed rest and sleep.

  They passed west of the Jack Fork Mountains, crossed several large creeks, and saw woods without the pines she had become accustomed to before entering Indian Territory. By the end of the second day, she learned there was little money available for feeding passengers a good supper. Mostly it was beans, corndodgers or biscuits, and meat the keeper had shot or trapped: antelope, deer, and rabbit which was usually cooked too long.

  The third day, rolling hills didn’t slow their progress as the stage skirted the highest ones. She saw where farmers were raising corn, maise, cattle, and horses. As they crossed the Red River, the Texas border, her anxiety mounted. She was exhausted and dust-covered by the time they halted for the night beyond the Gainsville stop where three passengers had gotten off and four had joined them. She longed to take a spur route to Dallas, but thought it best to continue on to her alleged stop to conceal her ruse in case the law investigated the missing “Mrs. Cora Myers.”

  On the fourth day, majestic mesas appeared between the east and west forks of the Trinity River. Abundant mesquite, cactus, rocks, flash flood areas, and lush grass greeted her. The lunch break was better, as it was on Main Street in Jacksboro where supplies were easier and cheaper to obtain, and three passengers deboarded. Including her, there were five left, giving them unaccustomed and welcome room in the coach.

  But Ginny learned while eating that there was no town at Fort Belknap, so she’d be stranded there and noticeable to curious eyes of soldiers. Too, another stage was due at four o’clock, heading for Dallas, which was about eighty miles away. She made the decision to alter her plans. She went outside and told the Fort Smith driver, “I received a message from my husband. He wants me to await him here where accommodations are better. I’ll need my satchel.”

  Ginny watched the noisy stage depart in a cloud of dust. She waited a few minutes, then walked to the adjoining office and purchased a ticket for her. real destination as Miss Johanna Chapman. One more night on the trail, she mused, before she began her next deception.

  As she sat on the porch to await her ride in an hour, doubts plagued her about her impending ruse. Perhaps it was wrong to take justice into her hands, and especially revenge if she discovered it was well deserved. There were terrible accusations against Bennett Chapman from the lips of Johanna’s mother. Ginny reflected on them to motivate her. Stella had said it took her years to get pregnant with Johanna, then she’d dared to birth a girl as the firstborn. When Ben learned she could have no more children, especially a son, he ignored and mistreated her. She claimed he had married her only to be his “brood mare” and arm decoration. Ben had wanted a son so badly that he had adopted a ten-year-old boy who lived and did chores on the ranch. He and Ben had become inseparable. Ben had lavished all of his love and attention on the boy and he had taken a mistress. The time came when Stella could no longer accept such cruelties, so she took Johanna and left for England to be far from Ben.

  Stella had told Johanna that Ben had even asked her if Johanna was his daughter and seemed to doubt she was. Ben had not forced them back home because, according to Stella, she threatened to expose all of his dirty secrets to his friends, neighbors, and even the law..Stella alleged that Ben loved his image and position and wanted to avoid a scandal so much that he left them in peace, and never contacted them again.

  Ginny remembered her crying friend’s painful words as they sat on the floor next to the trunk: “I was always told that Father didn’t love me or want me, that he never wrote me or tried to get me back. But here are his letters to me and Mother that prove it wasn’t true. If she lied about that part, perhaps she lied about other parts. I must learn why Mother left him. And why Father allowed her to take me away and keep me from him. I must seek the truth, Ginny, in America, in Texas, as soon as possible. If Father acted out of cruelty, I must find a way to punish him. If he is innocent of Mother’s claims, I must tell him the truth about me and her.”

  Johanna’s death had placed that task on her shoulders. Ginny worried over how Ben would react to “Johanna’s” sudden arrival. She fretted over what Ben’s adopted son would think. She had made her rash promise to Johanna in a moment of weakness and anguish. She had left Fort Smith in a moment of panic and torment. What she should have done, she now realized, was head for Colorado to search for her own father, not come here to investigate and possibly punish or hurt the father of her best friend. But she had no choice but to go on with her daring scheme, as almost all of the money from Steve was spent. Nor could she remain in Jacksboro and work to earn enough to head further west.

  She eyed her surroundings. She saw the building called Old Fort Richardson, which the soldiers had evacuated. The town was rowdy and noisy but had lovely sandstone structures from local sources. Many of the businesses must have been aimed at the soldiers who had pulled out recently, but now catered to rough-looking men of questionable character. She overheard tales of Indian raids that chilled her blood and made her glad she would be gone soon. She realized the close proximity to Indian Territory and the recent uprisings were the motives for reopening Fort Belknap and for impending construction of a larger Fort Richardson, a mile outside of town. She would be happy to leave this town.

  Late the following day, the coach halted at the Dallas depot. Ginny collected her satchel and walked to a small hotel she hoped was inexpensive and clean. She found it to be both and sighed in relief. Despite her dusty and wrinkled appearance, she decided to have dinner downstairs before she bathed and washed her hair, as she couldn’t go into the eating area later with her long tresses wet and they required hours to air dry.

  After a delicious meal, she approached the desk clerk and asked if he knew of a man named Bennett Chapman. “He owns a ranch nearby,” she explained.

  “Yes, Miss Chapman, a fine gentleman. Are you kinfolk?”

  “Yes, I am. I’ll need directions to the Circle C Ranch tomorrow.” Even if the clerk recalled the name she was using, it wouldn’t seem odd for her to need directions, since Johanna had left Dallas at the age of two.

  The man smiled. “Mr. Chapman will be in town in the morning for Sunday services at the church down the street. You could meet him there or have a message sent to the pastor to have him visit you here.”

  “Thank you, sir, that’s very helpful. Good night.”

  Ginny took a long bath and scrubbed her light-brown hair. She wanted to look her best for the meeting, and she would find that difficult enough with the simple cotton dress she had saved for the’ occasion.

  As she paced her room, Steve Carr took lodging in her mind. There was so much distance separating them, more than in miles. It was possible that nothing and no one could change him. Perhaps they would never meet again to find out if she was wrong. Perhaps he could never be the marrying and settling down type. Maybe all he could do was take whatever was offered to him then ride away, back to his self-imposed lonely existence. He was so complex, so contradictory: good and bad, strong and weak, giving and unrelenting, and tender and tough. If only he would soften up long enough for her to—

  Stop fooling yourself Ginny; he’s probably unattainable.

  Sunday morning she dressed with care. She was scared, nervous, and reluctant to initiate her ruse as Johanna. She scolded herself once more for not using Steve’s money to get her to Colorado, then dismissed her error, which was too late to correct. At least she looked enough like Johanna and knew enough about her best friend’s life to stand a good chance of duping Bennett Chapman and the people in Dallas. She had to find a way to get money to search for Mathew Marston. From the warnings in his past letters, she dared not telegraph him in Colorado City. She was trapped; it was c
arry out her scheme or … What?

  Ginny walked to the church down the street and took a seat near the back. Several people looked at her and smiled or nodded. She almost felt as if she were holding her breath as she quivered inside. A man across the aisle greeted a friend who had just entered. “Howdy, Ben,” she heard him say.

  Ginny tensed and observed, in case it was her…target. The man was well-dressed, nice-looking, and alone. His hair—a blend of black and gray—was combed neatly. He stood just under six feet and had a sturdy build. If he was Bennett Chapman, that wouldn’t surprise her since he had carved a huge cattle ranch from a wilderness while battling Indians, inclement weather, and other perils. As the newcomer’s gaze drifted over the people nearby, she noticed he had brown eyes and a gentle smile. Many furrows etched his forehead and numerous creases fanned from his expressive eyes. If this was the man she sought, Ginny couldn’t guess if they’d come from an age of forty-nine, his work beneath the sun, or from painful emotions. Surely even a cold and cruel man, she reasoned, would suffer from the losses and hardships Bennett Chapman had endured.

  Two older women sitting beside her shared their hymnal during the singing. After the preacher began, Ginny wanted to flee the building. The last thing she needed today was a sermon on the Ten Commandments about stealing, lying, “shewing mercy unto… them that love me,” and honoring “thy Father”: all the things of which she might soon be guilty. Yet the service finally ended the torment.

  Ginny hurried outside and watched the people leave. A few stopped and greeted her, and she thanked them but didn’t encourage conversation. She listened for names and heard the man she’d watched in church called “Ben” by some and “Mr. Chapman” by others. Her heart drummed in suspense and panic. She wondered if her mouth would speak and her feet would move when ordered to do so. Would a guilty conscience entice her gaze and expression to expose her bold lies? She must keep reminding herself how important this ruse and her success were to Johanna and to herself. When he finally approached a buggy to depart, Ginny walked to him and asked, “Sir, are you Bennett Chapman?”

  The man lowered his leg from an attempted mount and turned to face her. His inquisitive gaze locked to her guarded one. “Yes. May I help you?”

  Be direct, simple, and quick, Ginny. “I’m Johanna. I’ve just arrived from England. Mother is dead. I wanted to meet my father.” The man was stunned speechless. He stared at her as if fearing to believe his eyes and ears. Then, his brown gaze glowed and teared.

  “You’re Johanna? My precious, lost Johanna?”

  She commanded herself to reply, “Yes, sir, I am.” She watched him look her over from head to foot. “Please excuse my appearance, as I lost my things during the trip here. This simple dress was all I could afford.” He continued to stare in silence that made her nervous. “Do you doubt I’m your daughter?”

  “Of course you’re my Johanna. You favor your mother greatly.”

  She didn’t read the anticipated hatred in his softened gaze or hear resentment in his emotion-choked voice. Yet she probed, “Is that bad?” She calmed a little when Ben smiled at her and shook his head. She didn’t know how to respond when he hugged her and laughed merrily. She felt uneasy when he held her at arm’s length and studied her with a loving gaze.

  “My child, you’re home at last. I feared I’d never lay eyes on you again. I don’t know what to say. This is such a shock. A wonderful surprise.”

  He looked genuinely delighted and moved. “I hope so, Father. I didn’t know where else to go. I have no money left. You’re my only family. Am I welcome here?”

  Ben laughed and hugged her again. “Yes, yes, my girl. I’ve wanted you back since your mother stole you from me so long ago.”

  “Stole me?”

  Ben glanced around, then suggested, “Let’s go home to talk. There’s so much we have to tell each other.”

  “I’m staying at the Klems Hotel. It’s all I could afford.”

  “But you’ll come home with me, won’t you? Please.”

  This was her last chance to back out of the scheme. “I…”

  “Of course you will, my only daughter. Let’s fetch your things and be on our way.” He looked her up and down. “You’ve grown into a beautiful young woman, Johanna. I’m so proud of you and so happy you’ve returned. Wait until Nan and Stone see you. They won’t believe this wonderful news.”

  She feigned ignorance of those names. “You’ve married again?”

  “No, no,” he replied quickly. “Nan is my housekeeper and Stone is my adopted son, adopted before you were taken from me. Of course you wouldn’t remember Nan and your brother; you were only two when Stella cheated me out of my daughter … What did she tell you about me?” he asked abruptly.

  Ginny concluded he looked worried and scared. “Very little, Father. She didn’t like to speak of you or the past, even to me.”

  “She’s dead, you say?”

  “Yes, in February, from a winter chill in the chest. I used what little money she left to sail to America. I came here by wagontrain and stage. It was horrible, but I’ll tell you about my misadventures later.”

  “You won’t ever have to worry about money or be afraid again, Johanna. I promise everything will be safe and wonderful for you from now on.”

  “Thank you, Father.”

  “Let’s go home; you’ve been gone too long.”

  Ginny smiled and said, “Yes, Father, we’ve been apart too long.”

  Ginny stared at the stone arch as they drove beneath its large, encircled C. They had been riding on Chapman land for over an hour. The spread was beautiful and enormous, with fences, cattle, horses, and cowboys scattered here and there. Numerous structures came into view over a grassy hill: barns, outbuildings, corrals, and a large house.

  Ben halted the horse on a verdant knoll and motioned over the terrain. “Home, Johanna. All of this will belong to you and Stone one day.”

  “Is my… brother here so I can meet him?”

  “Not at present, but he’ll be home soon. He’s away taking care of some business. Stone’s lived here since he was a child. He did a lot to make the ranch as grand as you see it. The boy needed a father, needed a family. He was so special that I adopted him when he was ten. He’s like my real son, Johanna, but that takes nothing of me away from you. I hope you agree it’s only fair to split the ranch with him.”

  Ginny wondered if Ben had indeed showered all his affection and attention on his “son” as Stella had told Johanna? Love for Stone was obvious in Ben’s eyes and voice. “Of course I agree, Father. I’m eager to meet him.”

  “He’ll be thrilled to see you. He adored you. I wish you two could have been raised together. He was sad after Stella…But let’s forget that for a while.” He clicked his tongue and the reins to continue their ride.

  When she reached the house, Ben leapt down and shouted, “Nan! Nan! Come see who I’ve brought home! She’s back! My beloved Johanna has returned to me!”

  Ginny looked at the lovely fortyish woman who hurried onto the porch. Her silky black hair was in a neat bun at the nape of her neck. With her dark eyes, complexion, and hair, she looked Spanish to Ginny.

  “Johanna…”

  Ginny heard the name leave Nan’s lips in a whisper of amazement. She watched the neatly dressed woman come to greet her with enthusiasm. They exchanged smiles and studied each other quickly. Suddenly Nan embraced her with what seemed to be honest joy and affection.

  “It’s so good to have you home again, little one. Your father has ached and prayed for your return. This is a blessed day.”

  “Stella died a few months past, so Johanna decided to return home.”

  Ginny noticed a strained look on Nan’s face at that unexpected news. The woman glanced at Ben as if to see how he was taking it. The two exchanged smiles that told Ginny they were close friends.

  “I’m sorry about your mother. Come inside. Tell us everything.”

  The woman entered the house with her
satchel. When Ginny glanced at Ben in bewilderment, the man smiled and explained to her that Nan had been with the family since before she was born. She’s one of us. I couldn’t do without her. You’ll love her.”

  Once inside, Ben said, “Nan, show Johanna to her room. She can freshen up there before we sit down to eat.”

  Ginny followed the slim woman to a room that astonished her.

  Nan smiled and said, “He has kept it ready in anticipation of your return since the day you left. It’s cleaned every week and redecorated every five years as things get old and faded. He wanted it to be perfect when you came home, which he always prayed and believed you would. He selected everything in here himself. Sometimes I’d find him sitting on the bed thinking about you, sometimes crying over the loss of you. He loves you so much, little one. Every Christmas and birthday he bought you a present; they’re all in your drawers. He never shipped them because Stella refused to… I’m sorry; that isn’t something I should talk about. You must still be grieving.”

  “I’m recovered now, but thank you for your kindness. This room is beautiful.” Ginny looked at the sensitive woman and murmured, “I don’t know you, Father, or this house. It feels strange to be here.”

  Nan placed her arm around the girl’s back and patted it. “You were only two years old, so of course you don’t remember us or the house. Don’t worry; everything will be familiar soon. I’m so happy you’ve come home, Johanna. Your father has missed you so much.”

  “What’s he like, Nan? And is that what I should call you?”

  “You called me Nanna, but Nan is fine now that you’re grown. You’ve become such a lovely young woman, Johanna. He’ll be so proud of you.”

  Ginny wondered if Nan didn’t answer her question on purpose. “Why did Mother leave him and take me away?” she asked and saw Nan grimace.