CHAPTER 6
MOLLY FIDGETED WITH the lace about the collar of her white shirtwaist and strolled again to the window. The men had been gone a long time. Plenty of time to see the ranch and livestock, but no dust cloud announced their return. A sigh escaped her lips. Her plans for time alone with Stefan receded to the background as quickly as the fresh bread had disappeared at dinner.
Clarissa stepped up behind Molly. “Watching for them isn’t going to bring them back any sooner.”
“Oh, dear, am I that obvious?” Molly bit her lip, but couldn’t resist another glance out the window.
“Yes, you are. Now come on and join Rose and me. She was telling me about her wedding plans.” Clarissa tugged Molly’s arm back toward the parlor. “All the other women are in the kitchen or taking care of the youngest ones just waking from their naps. I must say I really enjoy all the hustle and bustle of such a large family. We have only the three of us now with occasional visits from Papa’s brother and his family. They live in New Orleans and don’t come up to St. Francisville very often.”
Sometimes having such a large family wasn’t as much fun as others may think. Once in a while Molly wouldn’t mind having a quiet Sunday afternoon at home without so many cousins around, but then again she never had to complain about being lonely. Having no family around at all would not be fun.
Rose glanced up when Molly and Clarissa returned to the sofa. “You’re going to wear the carpet out between here and that window. They’ll be back shortly because those boys will want more of that pie Ma made today.” She patted the sofa beside her. “I was telling Clarissa about my wedding plans for August.”
Right now the last thing Molly wanted to talk about would be weddings—or at least somebody else’s wedding. She shouldn’t have been so obvious in her desire to have the men return. With all that Mama had planned for the next two weeks, she and Stefan would be hard put to find time to be alone and get to know each other as adults rather than children.
The other women filed into the parlor and seated themselves. Molly gazed at the women as they filled the room.
Three different generations represented, yet they spoke and laughed as though all the same age. Mrs. Gordon’s hair had only a few streaks of black still running through the silver, and now she sat beaming at her daughters and the two women her sons had married.
In the years since Hannah had married Micah, Ruth Gordon had become like the Louisiana grandmother Molly sorely missed since Papa’s practice didn’t leave much time for trips back to St. Francisville. Someone spoke her name. “I’m sorry, what did you say?”
Ruth Gordon laughed. “I was commenting on the fact that you and Clara are the last two girls of marrying age in the family, but I do believe a certain young man has already caught your fancy.”
Heat rushed to Molly’s cheeks as she stole a peek at her mother and Mrs. Elliot. Both women wore smiles that stretched clean across their faces. What must they be thinking about her behavior this afternoon?
Clarissa joined in the teasing. “I must say my brother does present a handsome figure in his uniform.” Then she leaned forward with a grin. “I do believe he has a mutual interest in you, Molly.”
“But we’ve only seen each other this once for all these years. Why, I hardly know him.”
Clarissa wrapped her arm around Molly’s shoulder. “Oh, but you have two whole weeks to get to know him.” She winked at her mother. “I think we can arrange for that, can’t we, Mama.”
Molly sought to change the subject. “I say, it’s quiet in here. Where are all the children?”
“The older boys are with their fathers riding around the ranch. The girls are upstairs playing with their dolls, and the babies are here. All are accounted for.” Ellie bounced her little girl on her knee. “This one is rested, fed, and ready for some attention.”
“Oh, let me hold her.” Molly stood and reached out for the baby. At eighteen months of age, Elizabeth had recently learned to walk and squirmed on her mother’s lap.
“Looks like you want to go for a walk, young lady.” Molly grasped the child about the waist then set her feet on the floor. “We’ll just take a stroll around the room.”
Ellie’s voice followed her. “She likes to look out the window, too.”
Heat again rose in Molly’s cheeks as the women behind her laughed then resumed their conversation. Never mind them, she did want Stefan to return.
“Molly, Molly, it’s time to go see my horse.” Grace raced up from behind and wrapped her arms about Molly’s waist.
“So it is.” She picked up Elizabeth. “Do you think it’d be okay for our little cousin to join us?” She looked to Ellie for approval. At her nod, Molly then looked to Grace.
The young girl bit her lip. “I s’pose it’s okay. Pa put me up on my first horse when I was just a little older than she is.”
“Well, I don’t intend to put her on any horse today, but we’d like to get acquainted with yours. Wouldn’t we, Elizabeth?”
“Horsie. Horsie.” Elizabeth grinned and clapped her hands.
“All right, let’s go.” She turned to the women and headed to the door. “We won’t be gone long.”
Clarissa rose from her chair and hurried to join Molly and the children. “I’d love to meet your horse, too, Miss Grace.”
The ten-year-old girl beamed her approval and raced ahead outside to open the stable doors. “Come on. Starlight is waiting.”
They entered the building and Clarissa grabbed Molly’s arm and gazed about in wide-eyed awe at the size of the stables. Molly’s heart filled with pride at what Micah and Levi had accomplished. Stalls lined the walls for all the family horses as well as all the horses used by the ranch hands in their daily work. A door opened into a storage room, and saddles of every color and description straddled lengths of wood near the stalls.
She breathed deeply and savored the smell of horse flesh, but then she laughed as Clarissa wrinkled her nose and pinched it.
“Ew, it stinks, but I’ve never seen a barn so big. How many horses do they have?”
Before Molly could speak, Grace poured a few oats into a bucket and answered. “About twenty, maybe thirty, I think. All the cowboys have one, plus Pa, Ma, and Joel each have one, and then there’s my new horse, and a few extra they take on round-ups. That’s what they call a remuda.”
“My, my, you certainly know a lot about horses.” Clarissa let go of her nose to pick up her skirts to keep them off the ground.
“Sure I do. I’m gonna ride Starlight to school once she’s saddle broke. Pa says he’ll do that soon as she’s old enough. He even got me my very own saddle.” She chattered as she led them to a stall where an inky black filly stood. When Grace drew near, Starlight nuzzled Grace’s neck. “Hey, Starlight. I brought some visitors to meet you.”
“Oh, my, she’s a gorgeous horse.” Molly shifted Elizabeth to her left side and reached up to caress the white dots on Starlight’s forehead. “This must be why you named her Starlight. All these small circles look like stars in the sky at night.” She held Elizabeth’s hand toward the horse. “See, pretty horsie.”
A giggle bubbled from the baby’s throat as she leaned forwar
d and said, “Horsie.”
Grace held out a handful of oats, and Starlight ate from her hand. “Good girl, Elizabeth. She likes you. You’re right about the name, Molly. Pa and Joel thought it silly, but Ma and Grandma like it.”
Clarissa stepped closer, but didn’t reach out toward the horse. “These horses are much bigger than the ones we have at home. Father and Stefan ride, but Mother and I prefer the buggy or carriage. You say you’ve been riding since you were Elizabeth’s age.”
“Sure have. Pa put me in front of him on the saddle before I was two years old. I rode by myself the first time when I was four. I had another horse, but he was old, so last year Pa promised me a new one.”
A male voice interrupted. “Well, I figured I’d find you in here showing off Starlight.”
Grace squealed, dropped her bucket, and ran to Micah. “Pa.” She threw her arms around his waist.
Levi followed his brother and reached toward Elizabeth, who held her arms out to him and grinned, exposing the two rows of baby teeth in her cherub mouth.
Molly let her go, but her eyes searched behind her uncle. Stefan stood a few feet away, and her heart did a jump skip when she locked gazes with him. “How . . . how was the ride?”
His dimple flashed again. “Hot, but enlightening.”
Everyone made their way from the stables, and Stefan stepped closer to her. “Your mother said we’d be leaving for town in an hour. May I ask for that time with you? I’ve hardly had a chance to speak with you since our carriage ride out here.”
Heat crept into Molly’s cheeks, but she accepted his extended arm and hooked her hand to his elbow. “Why don’t we get something cool to drink, and then we can take a walk or sit on the porch.”
A few minutes later they sat with glasses of cold lemonade on the porch of the Gordon home. Stefan wished to discard the sweltering uniform jacket, but it wouldn’t be protocol for him to do so with Molly seated next to him. The air hung thick and hot as the afternoon sun moved to the west. He’d enjoyed the trip around the ranch, and especially the interest Micah and Levi Gordon had shown in his military action. With the younger boys scampering ahead and playing with their mounts, Stefan had spoken freely on his military service, a subject dear to his heart.
Molly sipped her lemonade and her eyes danced with amusement. “You’re here on the porch with me, but for a moment there, I truly thought you were somewhere else.”
What was he thinking? This time with Molly was what he’d anticipated all afternoon, and here he was letting his mind wander. “I apologize. I’ve looked forward to having some time with you this afternoon. I do hope you’ll forgive me.”
“Forgiven. But tell me, what do you think of the ranch?”
“I’d say it’s quite remarkable. In Louisiana we have fields and fields of cotton plants and sugarcane, but here I saw nothing but acres of cattle and horses. The land around here is so wild and untamed. I’m accustomed to the moss-covered trees and easygoing life of the South.”
Molly laughed and set her glass on the table. “It’s pretty hectic around here most times, I must admit, but you’ll get used to it. I remember those lazy afternoons at Grandmother Woodruff’s home. Sunday afternoons were for resting and quiet time, but not around the Gordon and Whiteman families. We’re all about family and having fun together.”
“Yes, I’ve seen that, and I do envy it some. We hardly ever see any of ours.”
“That’s what Clarissa told me.” She leaned forward. “Enough talk about the Gordon family and the ranch. It’s been a long time since we last saw each other. Tell me what you’ve done in those years. I know you went to West Point and now you’re an officer like your father, but what do you do all the time?”
Stefan gazed about the well-kept yard of the ranch house and out toward the stables and corral. What could he tell her? Most of his military life, though busy, consisted mostly of drills, routine maintenance of equipment, and occasional patrols.
“Since the Indian raids have died down, we spend most of our time at the fort. On occasion we’re called on to escort a shipment of gold somewhere or payroll from the depot to the fort. Sometimes we get so bored we almost wish for a battle like our fathers experienced.”
Molly’s eyes opened wide. “Oh no, that was horrible. I’ve heard a few stories about those days, and I’m glad we have nothing like that today. The thought of fighting and killing other men gives me the chills.”
She wrapped her arms around her waist as though to actually ward off the cold. Stefan bit his lip. How would she feel if she knew his drills and training were all about just that? His father’s war had been terrible, but Indians had made life miserable for settlers, and outlaws still roamed the land looking to steal and rob. That meant someone had to defend the innocent, and he’d just as soon be a part of that as not.
“I’m sorry, Molly. War is a tough subject.” He had to change the direction of this conversation. He remembered Mrs. Whiteman speaking of a party in honor of his parents. “I say, I’m looking forward to the party your mother is planning for us next week. I’m sure it will be quite different from those we have at home.”
Relief flooded Molly’s face as she sat back in her chair. “Oh, it will be, but it may well be the most fun you’ve ever had at a party.”
“Is that so? Pray tell how that may be?” He could imagine the music and the dances. They would probably be much like the ones at the fort, but he’d still rather hear Molly’s description of the event.
As she told him of the fiddle music and the reel dances they’d be doing, he listened, but at the same time enjoyed the beauty of the young woman before him. Her gold-flecked green eyes sparkled with excitement, and her hands danced with enthusiasm as she described what would take place a week from Friday at the town hall. He reached over and grasped her hands to still them.
“May I be so bold as to ask that I be your escort for that evening, Miss Whiteman?”
A shade of pink he couldn’t quite describe flushed her cheeks. She gazed at him a moment before answering. “There you go with that ‘Miss’ business again, but I would be honored to attend the dance with you.”
“Thank you. I’m glad that’s settled.” And he’d be sure he didn’t discuss or mention anything having to do with war or the military. Clearly that was one subject to avoid with Molly. As pretty and smart as she was, she simply didn’t understand the necessities that came along with protecting one’s country and freedoms. Killing may not be the best choice, but sometimes there was no alternative.
CHAPTER 7
ANDREW WASHED AND dried his hands then went to the desk to fill out the information for his report. Only two patients had come in this afternoon, but it was enough to make him glad he’d insisted on staying in town so Dr. Whiteman could enjoy the time with his family.
One patient had fallen from his horse and required stitches in a cut on his forehead, and the other was a fainting spell by one of their elderly patients. He’d rushed to her home and taken care of her there. Now he sat at his desk in the quiet infirmary. After the last of the notes had been entered on patient charts, he sat back and swiveled around in his chair to gaze out the window toward Main Street.
He didn’t see what was there because a pretty, dark-haired young woma
n filled his mind and thoughts. Clarissa Elliot not only possessed good looks, but also had a wit about her that charmed him right out of his shoes. He hadn’t paid much attention to women in the past few years because of his focus on his medical career. However, only a blind man could miss the attractiveness of Miss Elliot.
They’d be here for two weeks, but that was little time in the grand scheme of things to even get to know a person, much less entertain any romantic thoughts. Besides, at the end of the two weeks she’d return to Louisiana with her family and forget all about him. Still, it would be nice to enjoy her company while she was here. He shook his head to clear it. Best get his mind off that subject and check the supplies for the coming week.
With the sun making its way to the horizon, Andrew turned on the gas lights on the wall behind his desk then proceeded to light several other lamps to give him light enough to carry out his duties.
He’d begun to check the rolls of bandages and the supplies for stitching up gashes when the rattle of carriage wheels filtered in through the open window. Must be the Whiteman family and their guests returning. Dr. Whiteman had said they’d be home before sunset.
After a cursory glance through the supplies, he closed the cabinet and headed for the hallway where voices now chased away the silence of the evening. Before stepping through the doorway leading to the Whiteman home, Andrew adjusted his jacket and straightened his tie. Maybe Miss Elliot would still be downstairs.
Love Never Fails Page 5