Eleanor

by Rachel Wesson

  “What have you eaten since Mrs. Sullivan left yesterday?”

  Eleanor noted he knew about her landlady. It was a really small town if everyone’s comings and goings were so well known. Had she picked the right place to hide? He was staring at her. She blurted, “Sandwiches. She left some bread and there was ham and some pickles. She also left some cake and cookies.”

  “You must be starving. Why didn’t you cook some eggs?”

  “I tried but the shell ended up in the pan and then it all stuck, and oh what’s the use, I am not suited to living out here miles away from civilization. I should have moved to a city where they have restaurants and…and…hotels.”

  “Calm down. I can show you how to cook some eggs. It isn’t hard. In no time, you will be cooking lots of things.”

  “Aren’t you busy?”

  “No, the saloon is always quiet in the mornings. Anyway, no one will die if they don’t get a drop of whiskey, will they?”

  She half-smiled.

  “Coffee?” he suggested.

  “It’s in that jar over there but…well, the bits are bigger than they were in England. It tastes funny.”

  This time he had to turn away to hide his smile. Did you grind them?”

  She shook her head miserably.

  “Let’s start slowly. You get the coffee beans and I will fill up the pan with water. We will both feel better after some coffee. Now does Mrs. Sullivan keep hens or does she get her eggs from the store?”

  “I think from the store but I don’t know. I haven’t seen any hens.”

  He grinned as she looked around her as if expecting hens to walk across the kitchen floor. She was right, she didn’t know anything about cooking. But it was okay. He knew enough to teach her the basics. It was the perfect chance to spend some time with her and get to know the person behind the beautiful mask.

  He cooked her dinner and she insisted he join her. She knew she would never have done so if they were in England but for once the rules could go out the window. She was lonely, hated eating by herself and he had fixed dinner. They talked about all sorts of things. He was so easy to speak too. She guessed he was used to chatting about everything and nothing due to his saloon.

  “Why does a man who doesn’t drink own a saloon?” she asked after he said he hated the taste of alcohol.

  “I’m not really qualified for anything else. I am not a farmer and don’t know one end of a horse from the other so my employment prospects were rather narrow. I didn’t enjoy school much either, and I hated working underground in the mines.”

  “I thought you would have loved school. You know so much about different things.”

  “I love to read and to learn but let’s just say me and teachers didn’t get along too well.”

  Eleanor laughed as he realized who he was talking to. “I didn’t have teachers like you. I mean they were old and boring and…”

  “You didn’t offend me, Mr. Barrett, so please stop.”

  He smiled his thanks. The smile lasted as she found she couldn’t tear her eyes from his. She had an urge to move closer to him. Instead, she stood and started clearing the plates. She needed to occupy herself.

  “Thank you very much for the company, but I best get going. Good night, Miss Templeton.”

  “Thank you and goodnight.”

  She closed the door behind him and leaned against it. He was the most interesting person she had ever spoken too. If she was honest, it wasn’t only his mind that attracted her. He wasn’t polished or groomed like the men she was used to, but he seemed more real. He had lovely eyes and a nice smile. He didn’t have whiskers either. She hated facial hair. What was she doing? There was no point in thinking about him romantically, only heartache came from that. And she’d had her heart broken enough already.

  Chapter 20

  Bright and early Monday morning, Eleanor knocked on the door of the school house. As she waited for an answer, she smoothed down her dress and checked her hat was still straight. Her palms were all sweaty. She hoped her gloves wouldn’t feel wet when she shook their hands. What would they be like?

  The door opened as a young lady carrying a baby stood smiling at her.

  “I’m sorry to keep you waiting. I shouted to come in but I don’t think you heard me.”

  “No, I’m sorry. I didn’t,” Eleanor said quietly.

  “Come inside. Laura will be back any minute. My name is Ellen, Ellen Higgins.”

  “Nice to meet you, Mrs. Higgins.”

  “Oh, call me Ellen, please. We are all equals here. I imagine its very different from what you are used to.”

  “Why do you say that?” Eleanor’s tone caused Ellen’s eyes to widen. “What I mean is what do you think I am used to?” Eleanor’s heart was beating rapidly making breathing a little difficult. If she kept this up they would march her out of town.

  “I only meant Clover Springs is very different from what I saw when I went to college. I imagine an English school is very caught up on structure and who is the most senior teacher. Isn’t it like that?”

  “Oh my yes, totally. You can only sit on a certain chair if you have been with the school for one hundred years.”

  Ellen smiled, her smile lighting up her whole face.

  “I like that you have a sense of humor, with some of our children you will need one. Oh, there’s Laura now.”

  Her sense of unease was back. What if Laura wasn’t as nice as Ellen?

  “Laura Kelley, this is Miss Templeton.” Ellen turned to Eleanor. “I forgot to ask you your first name.”

  “Eleanor. Nice to meet you, Mrs. Kelley.”

  The red-haired girl smiled, her eyes kind. Eleanor’s nerves floated away.

  “Oh please, don’t call me that. You obviously haven’t had the pleasure of meeting my mother-in-law yet. Although she will love you.”

  Eleanor wasn't sure whether to be pleased or not by the comment as it didn’t sound like Mrs. Kelley was someone she wanted to meet. Her face must have reflected her thoughts as Ellen hastened to add.

  “What Laura meant was Ma Kelley as we call her, has a certain idea of what a young lady should look like. You would match that to perfection. Your clothes are wonderful. I assume they are the latest fashion?” Ellen asked as she took Eleanor’s hand and drew her into the classroom, the baby held firmly in the other one.

  “Well, in England they would be quite new, but I don’t know what the fashions are like here. I haven’t been to any of your shops. Despite my clothes, I have to watch my pennies. Hence, why I am here.”

  “We are all very glad you are here. Both Ellen and I had babies recently, and we have found the job even more tiring than usual,” Laura said indicating Eleanor should take a seat.

  “We have also had a large number of new children to cater for.” Ellen explained how the orphans had been rescued on the train. “We have so many children it would be nice to separate them into groups based on age and perhaps ability. But until the school is expanded, we have to make do.”

  “It’s lovely and cozy in here,” Eleanor complimented the two ladies.

  “We try but it can sometimes get very cold, especially in winter. We make the children take turns at the stove. You won’t have experienced anything like our winters. I believe the weather in England is fairly mild.”

  “We don’t tend to have blizzards and other extreme conditions like you do here. The story of those poor school children dying in January scared me, I must admit.”

  “We read some of the stories in the newspaper. Some of the children brought some stories to school too. Some of them true and others that have been disproved as rumors. But a lot of people, mainly children, died,” Laura said.

  “Yes, it was so tragic. Their parents must have been frantic,” Ellen added. “We are lucky here in Clover Springs. We escaped the worst of the weather at least so far. I believe you are staying with Martha Sullivan. She is my sister’s mother-in-law. Such a lovely lady.”

  “She has been very kin
d to me,” Eleanor said quietly.

  “You will have to come out to the ranch and meet the rest of the ladies. We tend to meet at Mary’s as she has the biggest place. Not to mention the secret weapon being Mrs. Higgins to cook for us.”

  Eleanor’s head was buzzing with the names of all the people she had to meet.

  “Don’t worry about remembering who is who. You will know everyone soon enough. Clover Springs is so small, everyone knows everyone else,” Ellen said reassuringly.

  “Do you have any questions you wanted to ask me?” Eleanor hoped her voice didn’t betray her nerves.

  “Not really. Father Molloy is happy with your credentials. He says we are lucky to have someone so well qualified. I assume you have taught boys as well as girls,” Laura said, looking down at some paperwork on the desk.

  “Actually, I haven’t.” Both women looked at her. “I have only taught girls and that was only for a few months. I worked as a governess rather than a teacher. I hope that won’t change your mind.”

  “Not at all, although you are in for a baptism of fire.” Laura exchanged a glance with Ellen. “Our boys are mostly well-behaved but we have a couple of little horrors. You will have to put them in their place. Any signs of weakness and they will torment you making your life, and ours, miserable.”

  “Do you cane them?” Eleanor shuddered even saying the words. She had never used any form of corporal punishment on a child, although she’d been the victim of it more than once.

  “No, never. Neither of us believe in corporal punishment. You must agree never to resort to it either,” Laura said firmly.

  “That’s easy. I hate it too.”

  “Good, I think you will fit in here very well. Bertram Shaw is likely to give you some lip over your, well you know…” Ellen’s voice trailed off.

  Eleanor’s stomach hit the floor. Had Father Molloy told them her history? Did it make them think less of her?”

  “What Ellen means is your beautiful accent. It is so different from what we are used to. You sound like I imagine Queen Victoria does.”

  “Oh no, she has a much nicer voice than mine,” Eleanor said without thinking.

  “You met the Queen?” Ellen stammered.

  Drat it anyway, why did she have to say anything. She looked at the two ladies who were now staring at her, their faces lit up with excitement.

  “Yes, I was presented at court. It’s quite usual in England. It doesn’t mean anything.” Flustered, Eleanor attempted to make light of it.

  “Yes, it does. I read about it in the society pages when I lived in New York.”

  “Oh, you must come to tea and tell us all about it. The ladies will be interested. Although many of us are Irish, we are still fascinated by the workings of the royal court. We may not want a British government in Ireland, but we are feminine enough to like the beautiful gowns and jewelry worn by ladies of the court.”

  “It was nothing. The Prince of Wales insisted it happen, but in reality they only allowed it as my father saved his life when he toured India. I didn’t have the correct background to be presented. I am not a fan of the season. It is a marriage market, pure and simple.”

  Eleanor kicked herself, she had only made the whole thing worse by making the season even more interesting. Why did she have to mention the queen?

  She stood up. “I better be getting back to the boarding house, and you two will want to return to your families. Do I start tomorrow?”

  “Yes, please. Ellen will be here in the morning, and I will take over after lunch. It will be lovely working with you, Eleanor. I hope you will like it here,” Laura said kindly.

  “Thank you. I am sure I will.”

  Eleanor shook their hands and walked as quickly as she could, without appearing rude, out of the school and toward the boarding house. Now she had really done it. She could see the questions in their faces. Why would anyone who had met the queen want to settle as a teacher in the back end of nowhere? Why indeed?

  As she walked, her thoughts turned back to that special night. Father had insisted on buying the most beautiful Worth dress. He’d lent her the family diamond earrings to wear telling her Grandmamma had approved. The old lady hadn’t but she wasn’t to know that until much later after her beloved father had died.

  Her father had introduced her to so many wonderful people. His friends from the army and from his work in America. She’d been so excited, she hadn’t noticed the frowns and little comments from people. Prince Bertie as he was known had taken a liking to her and insisted she be presented. Her father had accompanied him on his tour of India. They were good friends.

  Eleanor didn’t want to think of her father anymore. It was too painful trying to reconcile the wonderful man she had known with the real one who had lied to her. She was frowning as she walked into the boarding house hating the thoughts of being alone again. But she got a pleasant surprise.

  “Are you all right, Miss Templeton?”

  “Yes, perfectly fine. Thank you, Mrs. Sullivan, you are back. I am so pleased to see you. How are the children?”

  “You don’t look it. You look rather cross,” Mrs. Sullivan replied, her eyes full of concern. “I hope people are being kind to you.”

  “Yes, everyone is very nice. Sorry, I was thinking about something. Nothing to do with Clover Springs. I met both Laura and Ellen. They were lovely. But how are your grandchildren? I hope you didn’t rush back on my account.”

  “Not at all,” Mrs. Sullivan said, although she spoke so quickly Eleanor thought she might be lying. “The children are much better now and my daughter said it was time for me to go home. We love each other dearly but sometimes two women in one kitchen can be one woman too much.”

  Eleanor laughed politely. She’d never experienced anything domestic. She thought it might be fun but bowed to Mrs. Sullivan’s greater experience.

  “I am so glad you met both Ellen and Laura. Two wonderful girls. I am guessing you have been through some hard times.”

  At the look of terror on Eleanor’s face, Mrs. Sullivan quickly continued.

  “I am not asking what happened nor do I know anything but I have a daughter. I learned over the years to read her like a book. You will be fine in Clover Springs. Better than that. You will be happy. Take your time to settle in and give the town a chance. It is special. Many a broken heart has been cured here.”

  Eleanor was about to protest it wasn’t a man who’d made her heart break but she stopped herself in time. Wasn’t it better people thought she had run from a broken romance than know the real reason?

  “Thank you, Mrs. Sullivan. I am very tired so I am going to bed. Goodnight.”

  “Don’t you want some tea?”

  “No thank you.” Craving her bed and some privacy, Eleanor walked slowly up the stairs.

  Chapter 21

  “She looks incredibly sad and lost, doesn’t she?” Ellen said as she cleaned the slates in preparation for the next day.

  “Yes, Ellen, she does but I am not sure she wants us to do anything about it. She got quite prickly, didn’t she?” Laura asked as she walked down the boardwalk to the orphanage. Paul was waiting to bring her home.

  “I think that’s the whole British stiff upper lip thing. I didn’t come across it much in Ireland being so young. But I remember my mam telling us stories about the ladies at the big house and how they had to pretend everything was all right even if it wasn’t. Like when their brother was killed fighting some war, there was no wailing or gnashing of teeth.”

  “I am sure they cried, or do you think they are heartless because they are British?”

  Ellen poked Laura in the ribs. “That’s not fair. Not every Irish person hates the British.”

  “Well, you aren’t too fond of them. Not since they sent Liam to prison.”

  “True, but that’s not Miss Templeton’s fault,” Ellen said sighing as she thought of Liam. “But going back to the ladies of the big house, if someone died in Ireland we would all be crying for days.
They even pay old ladies to do the crying on behalf of the family. You haven’t seen anything like it.”

  “I went to a couple of wakes back in Boston, but I guess nothing like what you are describing. I wonder what caused Miss Templeton’s distress. She can’t be afraid of us, can she?”

  “Well, you can be quite frightening when you want to be, Mrs. Kelley.”

  This time it was Laura who gave Ellen a dig in the ribs. They were laughing as they pushed the door open to the orphanage.

  “You two are in great form this evening,” Samuel Higgins commented.

  “Aren’t we always?” Ellen asked her husband.

  “I am not going to answer that. I like living,” Samuel replied.

  “I love you, too, dear!” Ellen retorted but she had a smile on her face.

  “How is Wilma?”

  “Better actually. Mrs. Grey was here for ages today. Rosa said they are going on a trip to Denver.”

  “What’s in Denver?” Ellen and Laura asked at the same time.

  “Can I go up and see her?”

  “Laura, you don’t need to ask. Go on. I will make us a cup of coffee and bring it up,” Ellen said. “Just as soon as I give Jake a cuddle and a kiss.”

  “What was the new teacher like? Will she fit in?” Samuel asked.

  Ellen took a second or two to answer. “Yes, I think she will but it may take some time. She is very different to us. She’s British and…”

  “You haven’t held that against her, have you?”

  “Not you as well. Why does anyone think I would do that? I don’t blame the entire British population for what happened to my mam and my brother. Miss Templeton wasn’t in Galway, and I doubt she even knows where it is.” Ellen also spoke fast when she was annoyed.

  “All right, keep your hair on. What’s wrong with her then?”

  “There’s nothing wrong with her as you so nicely put it. She’s just very different. For one thing, how many people do you know who met Queen Victoria?”

  The two men exchanged glances.