Christmas on the Prairie

by Frances Devine

  “I see.” Teddy seemed to let it drop, but after another swallow of coffee she shook her head. “No, I really don’t. Your aunt lived her life. You should be able to live your own now.”

  “That is my life, now, Teddy.”

  The younger woman looked her in the eye, one eyebrow raised. “No. It’s her life. Yours is here with your family.”

  “There’s something I need to confess to you, and you might think differently when I do.”

  “If you’re talking about the court hearing, I already know.”

  Ansley gasped. “How could you possibly?” Then she remembered, her lawyer said the papers would come to Seth and Teddy through the post. But if they knew, why would Seth still be so kind to her? “I don’t understand.”

  “I hid the papers from Seth and decided I wouldn’t tell him until I absolutely had to.”

  “But he would have needed to obtain a lawyer if we were going to court.”

  “Yes, and I spoke with one from Martin’s Creek. He has been working on it.”

  “But that’s what I wanted to tell you...”

  She waved away the rest of Ansley’s words. “I also received the notice saying there would be no hearing after all.” She gave Ansley a quick hug. “I never thought you’d go through with it. You love the children and it’s obvious they should be here. But Ansley, so should you.”

  “I wish I could. Truly. But it’s just not possible.”

  “Well, I am not giving up. So be forewarned.” She planted her hands on her hips and looked at the tree. “Well, this isn’t going to decorate itself!”

  It only took a couple of hours to finish decorating. The holly and greenery combined with the handmade decorations made the cabin look festive.

  Snow was continuing to fall, and another couple of inches had thickened the ground since they arrived. The sleigh cut a neat path through the snow and the horses had no trouble getting Teddy and Ansley back to town. As they reached the boardinghouse, Teddy placed her hand on Ansley’s arm. “I’m sorry for speaking out of turn. I do understand obligations. It’s just that we are all going to miss you terribly when you return to Boston.”

  Tears sprang to Ansley’s eyes. She gave her friend a quick hug. “As I will miss all of you.”

  Teddy collected Seth and the children so they could go home and get cleaned up for the dance. Ansley waved goodbye at the door and trudged up the stairs to her room.

  A sudden headache sent her straight to her bed. She stretched out, her mind going over her conversations with Seth and then Teddy. She hadn’t expected to find herself so utterly attached, not just to the children, but to the two adults, as well. She didn’t know how she was ever going to leave them. She drifted to sleep, imagining a life in Prairie Chicken with her family.

  When she awoke, the room was dark and music was wafting up through the floor. Her headache had gone away and she sat up. Lighting the lamp, she glanced at the clock. The dance hadn’t been underway for too long. Suddenly, she decided she very much wanted to go downstairs. She wanted to see her nieces in the dresses she’d cut down for them from the gowns she’d made for Rose. She wanted to join in with the rest of the town to celebrate Christmas. And most of all, she wanted to take Seth at his word and feel his arms around her as they danced.

  Chapter 16

  Twenty minutes later, Ansley walked into the room of dancers. Lit by candles and a few lamps, the room held a romantic glow as the candles flickered off the walls. She spotted Teddy smiling brightly as she danced with Luke Carson. He didn’t look half-bad, and from what Ansley could see in the dimly lit room, he might have even taken a bath. Mrs. Boatwright smiled and gave her a little wave from her place behind the refreshments counter. But Ansley didn’t see Seth anywhere, and her stomach dipped in disappointment.

  “Do you know how beautiful you are?” The whispering voice came from over her shoulder. Seth. She turned, a smile stretching her lips, and then gasped. The voice didn’t belong to Seth. Fear gripped her.

  “Mitch...Mr. Lane.”

  Ansley glanced around, frantically searching the room for Seth. Did he know Mitch Lane had come to the dance? “What are you doing here?” she asked, trying desperately to keep the tremble from her voice.

  “May I have this dance?” He smiled as though he hadn’t tried to rob her just a few weeks ago, and held out his hand.

  The last thing Ansley wanted to do was touch hands that had ransacked her home, but since no one else seemed to notice anything awry, she didn’t want to take any chances. A refusal might cause him to disappear into the snowy night and keep him from justice. “Of course.” She took his hand, trying without much success to smile,

  “Are you all right, Miss Potter?” he asked, a little frown creasing his brow.

  “I’m just surprised to see you. It’s been a while.”

  He led her to the dance floor and she slipped into his arms. “I do apologize for leaving without a word. I received a telegram that my father was dying and I should come home if I wanted to see him before he passed on. I left word at the Carsons’ before I left.”

  “Oh, they must not have received your message.”

  His lips twitched as he looked down into her eyes. “Did you go looking for me?”

  “No. The sheriff did.”

  “The sheriff?” He glanced around the room. “Why would the sheriff be asking about me? Were you worried something had happened to me?”

  “Mr. Lane, I had no idea what had happened to you. And I certainly wasn’t worried. The truth is someone entered my cabin while I was helping Alice with her children.”

  “What do you mean?” He frowned. He appeared to be sincerely concerned. Had Seth been wrong about him after all?

  Ansley relaxed in his arms, hoping Mitch had a suitable explanation. “My home was in complete disarray, as though someone were trying to find something to steal. Seth believed...well...” Her face warmed and suddenly she wasn’t so sure.

  A knowing look crossed his face as he raised his eyebrows and nodded. “I see. Since the attempted robbery happened at the same time I left town, Seth assumed I had something to do with it. But you couldn’t have believed such a thing.” His arm tightened around her and he pulled her closer, the warmth from his hand seeping through her glove. Ansley’s head began to swim.

  “I didn’t know what to believe. Seth’s claims certainly seemed credible.”

  Oh, where was Seth? Why wasn’t he confronting Mitch?

  “How could he have accused me? I knew he was jealous that I care for you, but to try to turn you against me in this way is truly inconceivable.”

  He cared for her? Confusion flooded Ansley’s mind. Suddenly she didn’t know what to believe. Just as she was about to ask Mitch to escort her from the floor, she saw Seth out of the corner of her eye. She turned and faced him. His jaw was clenched and anger was flashing in his eyes as he strode straight for them. She gave a little gasp and Mitch turned. He stopped short, causing Ansley to stumble. She righted herself just as Seth reached them.

  “So you showed your face in town again.” He shook his head. “I have to say, I admire your boldness.”

  “It doesn’t take boldness for an innocent man to come back home.”

  “Innocent?” A short, humorless laugh left Seth’s curled lips. “You and I both know you are far from innocent.”

  The music had stopped suddenly, and the three of them were the immediate focus of all eyes in the room. Ansley placed her hand on Seth’s arm. “Let’s go somewhere else to discuss this.”

  “I say we take it outside so I can beat this man the way he deserves. Then I’m taking him straight to the sheriff.”

  Mr. Carson seemed to appear out of nowhere. “What’s the trouble here?”

  Seth didn’t even bother to take his gaze from Mitch. “None of y
our business, Carson.”

  “This man works for me.”

  “You mean the man who disappeared for two weeks?”

  Mr. Carson rubbed his chin. “A man can’t be faulted for going to the bedside of his dying father, now, can he?”

  Seth’s face blanched. “What do you mean?”

  “I think Miss Potter’s suggestion was apt,” Mitch said. “Let’s take this into another room and I can explain everything.”

  Ansley could tell by Seth’s scowl the last thing he wanted to do was allow Mitch to explain anything. But he gave a curt nod and led the way from the room. He claimed Ansley from Mitch with a firm hand on her elbow, and the two of them walked into the parlor where they’d met that first day.

  Mitch took a seat on the sofa and smiled up at Ansley as though he expected her to join him. But Ansley knew that would only antagonize Seth, so she sat on the wing chair next to the fire.

  Seth poked at the fire instead of sitting with the rest of them. He turned, folding his arms, and glared straight at Mitch. “Let’s have it.”

  “Not that I feel you need an explanation,” Mitch said, his calm voice holding a hint of steel that made Ansley shudder. “But just to put Miss Potter’s mind at ease over your erroneous accusation, I’m happy to offer my side of the story.”

  “Go on.”

  “Just after I left your place...you remember Miss Potter asked that I deliver the message that Mrs. Anderson’s baby had arrived and that you needed to pick up your nieces at the boardinghouse.”

  “I remember.”

  “Well, I returned to town to discover Lou Bledstoe had received a telegram for me. You may check with him if you like.”

  “I will.” Seth’s face remained immovable. “And what did this telegram say?”

  “Seth...” Ansley couldn’t help but feel bad for Mitch. After all, the man had just lost his father.

  “Stay out of this.”

  Irritation flashed inside her chest. Stay out of it? “Excuse me, Seth Dobson, but since you are accusing Mitch of trying to steal from me, I don’t believe you have any right to tell me to stay out of it.”

  “She has a point.” Mitch chuckled, which only made the situation worse. Seth’s hands clenched into fists and Ansley feared the two men might come to blows right there in Mrs. Boatwright’s parlor.

  “I want to know what was in that convenient telegram.”

  Releasing a sigh, Mitch crossed his ankle over his knee. “Mr. Dobson, I’m afraid the telegram wasn’t convenient, nor did it hold good news. My uncle sent it to inform me my father was on his deathbed.”

  “And you just left with no word to anyone? Forgive me if you’re being truthful, but that doesn’t seem very responsible. Even for a man in grief.”

  Mr. Carson had been sitting silently, but now he stood to face Seth. “The fact is Mitch did leave a note on my desk to inform me he would return as soon as possible.”

  Seth narrowed his gaze as he turned toward Mr. Carson. “I was at your house the day after the so-called telegram arrived, Carson. Luke told me Mitch’s things were absent and you didn’t know where he’d gone.”

  Carson scowled and waved his hand. “My idiot son didn’t know what he was saying.”

  Seth took a step forward, his fists still clenched. Surely he wouldn’t hit a man twice his age. “Luke may not be a harsh man like you, but that doesn’t mean he’s an idiot.”

  “Well, that’s an argument for another time. I can corroborate Mitch’s story so you’ll never get the sheriff to arrest him for the unfortunate incident at your brother’s cabin.” He looked at Mitch. “Seems we’ve overstayed our welcome, son.”

  Mitch nodded and stood. “I agree.” He turned to Ansley. “May I escort you home?”

  “She doesn’t need you,” Seth broke in before Ansley could open her mouth. “As a matter of fact, you stay away from Miss Potter.”

  “I think that’s for Miss Potter to say.”

  “Yes,” Ansley said. “It is for me to say. Mr. Lane, I have moved back into the boardinghouse for the remainder of my time in Prairie Chicken. So while I thank you for your generous offer to escort me home—” she gave Seth a pointed glare “—I am already home.”

  Mitch inclined his head and gave a short bow. “I’m relieved to know you’re safe.”

  The snort that Seth gave was simply uncalled for. Mitch grinned at him. “I see you are not convinced of my innocence, but I am grateful that Miss Potter no longer believes I am capable of bringing any harm to her—or stealing from her.”

  “Good night, Mr. Lane. Thank you for the lovely dance. Please allow me to escort you to the door.”

  She slipped her hand inside the crook of his extended arm and they walked through the foyer to the door.

  “I hope I may call on you now that this little misunderstanding has been cleared up. I would like to take up where we left things before I had to go away.”

  “But my circumstances have not changed. I will be leaving town soon. I see no reason to give you false hope.”

  His face darkened for an instant, but brightened again so quickly Ansley almost believed she had imagined the change. Almost. Her stomach twisted with uncertainty and she couldn’t help but feel as though Mitch Lane was not all he appeared to be.

  * * *

  Seth stood in helpless fury and watched Ansley leave the room with that low-down snake, Mitch Lane. He knew jealousy when it rose up and he had to admit the feeling was present inside of him. But that wasn’t all he felt. No matter what Mitch Lane claimed, he had no doubt the man was behind the attempted robbery at the cabin.

  He waited for her by the door leading back into the dance. The last song was playing and they would be dismissed soon. But he hoped for one dance with her before the evening ended.

  She came toward him, her lavender silk gown kissing the floor as she walked. When she saw him, her eyes clouded. The look could only mean one thing.

  “Oh, Ansley. Surely you didn’t believe any of that.”

  “Do not presume to tell me what to think, Seth Dobson. And how dare you order Mitch Lane to stay away from me?” Her voice shook as she spoke.

  “How dare I? How can you even ask me that? Clearly, you don’t feel safe as you thought you were, since you told him you weren’t going to move back to the cabin. Didn’t you insist on moving back there for the week?” He slapped his palms against the sides of his legs. “I’m trying to protect you.”

  “Do you truly believe I need protection from him, even after he offered a perfectly reasonable explanation for his absence?” Her chest rose and fell quickly, as though she were out of breath. “Honestly, Seth. All you have to do is confirm his statement with Mr. Bledstoe at the telegraph office.”

  The music inside the room ended and Seth’s heart sank. “Well, I suppose the dance is over. The girls fell asleep in a corner an hour ago.”

  Ansley’s expression softened considerably at the mention of Hannah and Lily. “May I help you get them to the sleigh?”

  “Teddy can help.” Seth could have kicked himself for saying that. He hadn’t meant to be spiteful, but the way her expression fell once more, he realized she assumed he had. “You can if you’d like, though. At least come and kiss them good-night. I’ll let them know tomorrow that you did.”

  Her eyes widened and she smiled. “Seth, what if the girls spend the night here with me? I mean, that way you won’t need to get them out in the snow and cold. And I haven’t spent nearly enough time with them lately.”

  Teddy appeared in the doorway. “What are you two arguing about now? I saw Mitch Lane showed up. What’s his flimsy excuse for being gone all this time?”

  Seth gave her a silencing stare. “We’ll talk about it later.”

  “You’d best come help me with the girls. I’ve been trying to
wake them, but they’re not budging.” She grinned. “They sleep as dead as you do.”

  “Ansley would like the girls to spend the night here with her.”

  “That’s a lovely idea. Then we wouldn’t have to get them all bundled up and take them out in the cold. You sure you don’t mind?”

  “Of course not.”

  “I’ll be by here early tomorrow so we can all go to the cabin.”

  Under Mrs. Boatwright’s watchful eye, Seth carried Hannah upstairs while Ansley followed with Lily. They tucked the girls into Ansley’s bed and she walked with him into the hall, closing the door behind her. In the hallway, Seth searched her face. “I’m sorry for the way this night turned out.”

  She leaned back against the door. “I shouldn’t have gone down to the dance.”

  “You look beautiful tonight.” Though as far as Seth was concerned, she had looked just as beautiful earlier in her borrowed muslin dress, with her hair in disarray. He hated the sadness in her eyes, especially knowing he was the cause of it. “I could have handled things better tonight. I’m sorry.”

  “You believe Mitch, then?”

  “No. I don’t know about the telegram or about his father dying. But I know he’s a dangerous man with dishonorable intentions.”

  “There is something—not right. I just can’t put my finger on what.”

  “Do you mean to say you didn’t believe his story?”

  “I wanted to.” She gave him a rueful smile. “After all, if he isn’t telling the truth, then I’m a fool for believing he cares about me. But there’s something dangerous about him. And I think he might have followed me here from Boston.”

  Seth took hold of her arm and searched her eyes. “What do you mean?”

  “The day we arrived, I kept thinking he looked familiar. But there are so many handsome older men in my circles in Boston, I thought perhaps I was imagining it. Still, I can’t quite shake the feeling that I saw him several times during the train ride.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me this before?” Seth dropped her arm but kept his gaze firmly on hers.