He refused to be banished from her heart.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
Late August
“He’s married!” Opal waved the sheet of paper.
“Who’s married?” Ruby grabbed Mary before she could crawl out to the porch.
“Atticus! Can you believe that?” Opal planted her fists on her hips, the paper crumpled in one hand. “He said he was coming back!” For me. I thought he loved me. That I loved him. “What kind of a skunk is he?”
“All right. Let’s start over.” Ruby bounced Mary to calm her tears for having been thwarted from crawling out onto the porch after her brother. “You have a letter from Atticus?”
“No. I have a letter from Atticus’s wife telling me they are married! It’s a very short letter.”
“I’m sure it is. At least he found someone to write for him.”
“Ruby!”
“Sorry.”
“Opa?”
“Men!”
“Opa! Come.” Per looked up at her from his lock around her knee.
“Don’t grow up to be a man, all right, little guy?” She grabbed him up and set him on her shoulders. “What do you want me to see?”
He pointed toward the river. “Pa come.” He jerked on her braid. “Go, Opa.”
“Ouch. No, I’m not playing horse for you. And that hurt.” She swung him back to the ground. “Stay on the porch.”
“Opa, go.”
“No, stay on the porch.” She reached over and latched the gate. What kind of a friend did something like that to a friend? She smoothed the crumpled paper and read it again.
Dear Opal,
Dear, my foot.
My name is Winifred and my husband, Atticus Grady, asked me to write this for him.
The big coward.
We were married a fortnight ago and are happy living on our farm here in Oregon. Atticus said he wishes you every blessing.
Right, except part of my blessing was supposed to be him.
Your friend,
Atticus
Some friend.
But he didn’t have to write to you at all. The voice inside made her stamp her foot. She caught it on a root and hobbled until the sting left.
“Atticus is a rat! Atticus Grady is a low-bellied snake!”
“What are you screamin’ for?” Beans sat on his horse behind her as she stood shouting into the trees that climbed the ridge behind the house.
“Men are the worst vermin on earth!”
“Thanks a heap.” He crossed his arms on the saddle horn. “To what do we owe that honor?”
“Atticus had his wife write and tell me he was married.”
“I’d say that was right kind of him. Leastways this don’t leave you hangin’ around waitin’ on him to come back.”
She glared at him. “Leave it to a man to say something like that.”
“You din’t love him nohow. He was just your friend. Not that friends ain’t important.”
“How can you say that?” The shock of what he said dropped her mouth open. “I told him I’d go with him last Christmas, but he said no. That he’d come back. I figured he meant when we were both older.”
“I’d guess he done you a favor.”
Opal raised her hands toward the heavens. “Will someone around here please make sense?”
“I been watchin’ the way you and Jacob don’t look at each other.”
“What does that mean? Jacob’s my friend too. Is he going to go off and marry someone else? What’s the matter with me?”
Beans shook his head, real slowlike and with a funny grin. “Honey, you’re gonna find out it ain’t nothin’ that’s wrong with you that a few months won’t take care of.”
Opal cocked her head, leading with her chin as usual. “You are making exactly no sense.”
“Be that as it may, I better go let this horse get to grazin’, so he can go again tomorrow.” He reined the horse around and rode down to the barn to unsaddle.
Opal stared after him. Somehow she had a feeling she’d just heard wisdom, but for the life of her, she couldn’t figure it out. She thought of ripping up the letter but instead folded it and stuffed it into her pocket. She’d better get to the milking. And gather the eggs. These were chores she never minded.
The day after her lessons with Pearl, she cleaned several rooms for her, filled the woodbox, and helped her with the last of the cucumbers she was putting up in crocks. Dill pickles were mighty fine in the winter.
“I miss Amethyst so much,” Pearl said. “She was the biggest help, but beyond that, she was my friend. I thought she’d stay here until some man came along and married her.”
“I was hoping Mr. McHenry would be the one.”
“So was she, but after that party, she kind of gave up.”
Opal spread a layer of horseradish leaves across the layer of cucumbers. “She was going to teach me to make piccalilli.”
“Me too, but she left her receipt. I just haven’t had time. And since she left, we have too much milk, and people are asking for cottage cheese, and I don’t have time to make it. Daisy is helping me with that, but she isn’t Amethyst.”
“You think she’d like to hear from me?”
“Of course she would. I think she’s so homesick for us out here that she’d be on that train before you could blink if she thought it was the right thing to do.” Pearl paused and thought a moment. “But I could be wrong. Maybe she’s fallen in love with living in a grand house with servants and all.”
“Did you tell her about the cottage cheese and piccalilli?”
“No. I don’t want her to feel bad. She has to learn about making lotions, and I do know living in Chicago can be real entertaining.”
Opal shook her head. “Amethyst isn’t cut out for city living.”
“Not to change the subject, but do you have your homework assignments?”
“Yes, ma’am. And I better be going. Oh, I forgot to tell you. I got a letter from a woman named Winifred who is now married to Atticus.”
“Well, I’ll be. Good of him to let you know.”
“That’s what Beans said.”
“You don’t seem too sad about it.”
“No. It just made me mad for a while. But I hope he is happy out there in Oregon.”
“Opal honey, I think you are indeed growing up.” Pearl glanced down to where Carly had hold of Opal’s knee. “Hey, Carly, you going to keep her here?”
“Per does the same thing. But guess when you’re their size, knees are a good thing.” She bent down and picked Carly up. “I gotta go. You take care of Joseph now.”
Carly shook her head.
“Why not?”
“Joey bites.”
“I see.” Opal inspected the place Carly showed her on her arm. Sure enough—four red marks.
“Owie.”
“I see.” Opal kissed her cheek and set her back down. “I need to be going. Bye.”
Carly waved. “Bye. Come back soon.”
“Hey, new words.” She grinned at Pearl. “She’s talking more than Per already.”
“Girls always learn to talk faster. And according to Carl, we keep on talking.” Pearl moved Joseph away from the woodbox again. “He uses that for a teething ring.” She handed him a hard-baked crust of bread. “Try this. It tastes better.”
Opal heard the train whistle as she rode on home. I wonder when Jacob will be back. “Come on, Bay, let’s pick it up. I got work to do.”
Even though it wasn’t September yet, there was already the feeling of fall in the air. Beans said the signs predicted another hard winter, and this time they were taking no chances. Hopefully the bull had caught all the cows and the heifers that were old enough, and they would have a good calf crop in the spring.
As Rand said, “There is always next year.”
Opal still had a hard time when she saw the bleached bones of a cow on the prairie or in the draws. But they had picked up so many wagonloads of bones and hauled them to the tra
in station, they’d managed to fill an entire boxcar.
Pearl had assigned her to read Exodus and Leviticus. Her goal was to read through the entire Bible this year as part of her schoolwork. Then she and Pearl would talk about it. Bible history, now, that was an unusual class to take for school. While the other kids weren’t back to school yet, she’d started early because Pearl needed help.
“Opa!” Per banged on the gate of the porch and yelled at her.
She waved back and rode on up to the house. “You want a ride, little guy?”
“Ride.” He rattled the gate again.
She dismounted and went to pick him up. “I’m taking Per,” she called out to let Ruby know.
“Mange takk.”
He waved his arms and leaned toward Bay. She held him out, and Bay sniffed the boy’s hands, making him chuckle. Swinging him up in the saddle, she mounted and settled him in front of her. “I’m sure you’d rather go on a long ride than just down to the barn.”
“Go, Opa.”
She nudged Bay to a lope, and Per’s laughter made her laugh too.
That night when she settled in to do her homework, half listening to Ruby and Rand talking, she heard a horse loping up to the house. Ghost barked, announcing a visitor.
“Who could that be at this time of night?” Rand went to the door. “Jacob, welcome home.”
Opal felt like jumping up and running to the door. Jacob was home! She had so much to tell him. But when she thought about it for a moment, she figured she might not want to tell him about Atticus. He might not think it funny that Winifred wrote her a letter. But then again, maybe he would.
“Good evening. It sure feels good to be back on this side of the world.” Jacob removed his hat as he came through the door. “Mrs. Harrison, Opal.”
“How was your trip?” Ruby asked, laying down her sewing.
“Not what I expected. But I was there in time to talk with Mr. Dumfarthing before he died. We had a good visit, and then he died that night. Mrs. Howard, his housekeeper, said he’d been waiting for me.”
“That sounds like what our father did. Waited until Opal and I arrived, talked with us awhile, and then died that night. Isn’t it amazing people can do things like that?”
“I’m not surprised with Mr. Dumfarthing. I’m sure he’s straightened out any mismanagement in heaven already. But I am grateful beyond measure for his friendship, and Rand, that is what I must talk with you about. I’ll bring this up at church on Sunday, but I wanted your opinion first.”
“Here or privately?”
“Actually, this is fine, but I’d appreciate if you didn’t discuss it with anyone else until I can think about it more. I have to get ready to open the school in less than a week.”
“Of course. What is it?”
Opal closed her book. This sounded far more fascinating than classical history.
“Mr. Dumfarthing left money in his will for us to build a church here in Medora and to better support the school. He was a strong believer in good education, both temporal and spiritual. There is money to pay my salary, and there will be money to pay for any of the children who want to go on to further schooling.”
“Thank you, heavenly Father.” Ruby and Opal exchanged looks of wonder.
“Are you serious?” Rand asked.
“I am. I couldn’t believe it when I read the will. He made sure I read it with him there so he could answer any questions. He knows what a hard time we had here last winter and said if I wanted to use part of this money to help some who were desperate, to go ahead. He sent money home with me. Then he died. He had planned the funeral, everything down to the last dish to be served at the house after he was buried. The church was full. He left a solid legacy for them also.”
“Was he richer than Rockefeller?” Rand shook his head. “Jacob, you’re not making this up, are you?”
“No. There’s more that we can talk about later, but this is the gist of it.”
“I’ll put the coffee on.” Ruby started to get up.
Opal beat her to it. “I’ll take care of that.” Build a church, add to the school? Who had money like that and could give it away? Even the Brandons, who’d seemed rich to her, didn’t have that kind of money. Or at least she didn’t think they did.
“Is there enough gingerbread for us all to have some?” Ruby asked.
Opal checked the pan. “If I cut small pieces.”
“Good.”
Opal took out plates and forks and the vanilla sauce to be warmed up. Would Jacob continue to work for the Robertsons? How could he do it all and teach school too? Plus build a church.
“I figured it is too late to start building the church now. It would take some time to order the wood—from where?”
“Dickinson. Perhaps some things from Fargo. We’ll have to look into it. I know McHenry had to order some of his windows from Fargo. They came in on the train. We got the wood for the school from Dickinson. Other than what we cut ourselves.”
Opal listened to Jacob talk. Lately she’d noticed that he had a real good voice to listen to. And he wasn’t hard on the eyes either.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
September
“I thought you’d be happy out here with your house and all.” Rand shook his head. “You look like you lost your last friend.”
“Funny thing. I thought I would be too, but then I got used to having women around at the boardinghouse, and now I want…” Jeremiah paused and stared into the fire. “I think I made the biggest mistake of my life.”
“For one who never seems to make a mistake, it must be a big one.” Rand looked at his friend over the lip of the coffee cup. “I’m here if you need an ear.”
“I know. Remember when you met Ruby?”
“Of course. She near to ran me out of town. No matter what I did, it riled her up.”
McHenry chuckled. “She was a feisty one.”
“Still is.”
“You are one lucky man.”
“Not luck at all. God’s providence. He brought that woman into my life and then gave me a good shake now and then to keep me on the right track. For a while, I thought she was sweet on you. That’s when you came close to—well, let’s say things turned out all right in the end.” “No, not yet.”
“Not for you, eh?”
“Nope. I thought to pretty much live out my life in the army, perhaps retire someday, but not so soon. Yet I have, and I’m here where I always dreamed of being. I have my ranch started, and I’m lonely as all get out.” There, he’d said it. Lonely. Like a solitary bull elk who is driven out of the herd and roams alone.
“You need a wife.”
“I know. That’s where I went wrong.”
“Miss O’Shaunasy was sweet on you.”
“As I said, that’s where I went wrong. Didn’t realize it until she left.”
“Isn’t there some saying about absence making the heart grow fonder?”
McHenry nodded. “You want another cup of coffee? Don’t have anything stronger to put in it.”
“What happened?”
“I realized that if I didn’t get a handle on it, I was on the way to becoming a drunk. Can’t have that.”
“Good for you.”
A silence stretched, the log in the stove snapping and popping, the heat feeling good as the night had turned chilly. McHenry looked around the room. “Pretty plain for a home. Needs a woman’s touch.”
“They did a good job, all of them. Made you curtains, that rag rug in front of the fire. Wasn’t there a quilt for your bed too? And that chair you’re sitting in—that’s a real work of art.”
“I know. Carl is a fine furniture maker.” Jeremiah tossed the dregs of his cup into the fireplace to sizzle on the burning log. “I’ve been writing to Miss O’Shaunasy.”
“That’s a start.”
“She’s busy there. She and Mrs. Grant are getting some business going, making soaps and lotions. They’re working with a woman in Fargo too.”
“As Opal said, Amethyst isn’t a city person.”
“Then why’d she leave?”
“Because she was invited? How would I know?”
McHenry stood, one arm resting on the mantel above the fireplace, staring into the fire. “You got any advice?”
“Go get her.”
“What if I get all the way there and she won’t come back with me?”
“Well, do I have to tell you everything? Surely you know how to court a good woman.”
“I don’t know if I do.”
“It’s just like planning a campaign.”
“How so?”
“I don’t know.” Rand laughed. “But it sure sounded good.” He stood and set his cup on the table. “I need to get on home. This being out late makes Ruby a bit nervous. Afraid something might happen to me.”
“Thanks, Rand.”
“You’re welcome. Come on by the house and talk to Ruby, if it would help. She’d have some good ideas for courting Miss O’Shaunasy.”
“What if she turns me down?”
“Ruby?”
“No—Miss O’Shaunasy.”
“Then you plan a new campaign. That’s how you caught Geronimo, wasn’t it? Same thing.”
Jeremiah walked Rand to the door. “That harvest moon ought to light your way home.”
“True, and Ruby will have a lamp in the window for a welcome.”
Two days later Jeremiah McHenry boarded the train heading east.
Ten days later he stepped off the train back home—alone.
“What happened?” Rand asked when Jeremiah rode up to the ranch house on his way home.
“You know how you said to plan a campaign?”
Rand nodded.
“I did. The frontal assault didn’t work.”
“You’re not giving up, are you?”
“No. Just planning a new strategy.”
September 14, 1887
Dear Miss O’Shaunasy,
The train ride home was uneventful, the best way for any traveling. I’ve had many rides that were not uneventful. Thank you for attending the opera with me. What a fortunate man I am to have two such lovely women to show me about. How different it would be to live on a lake like Michigan, especially for me after my years in the desert. The wind sure can blow there.
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