The next time Emily awoke, it wasn’t to the sound of a shrill cry, but, rather, to the deep voice of the train attendant. He’d just announced that they train had crossed into Arizona and would be making its stop in Ruby, Arizona… within the quarter hour.
Emily was glad that she was roused in time to collect herself before arriving, and even more so that she didn’t sleep through her stop. She glanced in the window beside her and caught a portion of her reflection, then smoothed her hair down and patted her cheeks to make herself look more awake and lively.
“Tee-hee,” Emily heard someone giggle as she patted her cheeks again. She turned and saw the boy from earlier staring back at her. His mother and siblings were all still sleeping, but he was awake and watching her.
“My Mama does that too,” the boy said. “I tried it once, but it hurts.”
“Well, it’s not a thing for little boys to do,” Emily laughed.
“Then why do grown women do it?” the boy inquired.
“Good question,” Emily answered with another laugh. “It brings color to our cheeks, and color makes us look pretty.”
“I think you already look very pretty,” the child responded. His compliment made it unnecessary for Emily to pat her cheeks again, as she was now blushing.
“Pulling in to Ruby, Arizona, in a few minutes,” the attendant announced again, making his way through the car and moving on to the next. “All passengers headed for Ruby, Arizona, be on alert. Collect your things.”
Emily’s heart started racing in her chest, and she readied her suitcase in her hand.
“That’s where my husband-to-be is waiting for me,” she told the young boy.
“I’m sure he’ll think you’re very pretty too,” the boy smiled. Just then, his infant sibling started crying, and the boy went over to help his mother. Emily smiled at the sight of it and felt her heart swell. She hoped that, when the time came and she had her own children, they would be half as pleasant and kind as her tiny travel companion.
Just then, the train started to slow down, and Emily saw the platform taking shape around her. Her racing heart was moving so fast that she worried she might faint. But, luckily, she was up, on her feet, and steadied before that could happen.
Once the train came to a complete stop, Emily stepped off with several other passengers—and, no sooner than she did, she saw Clarence Porter standing some ways off in the distance. He looked exactly like in his photo, and Emily saw a few other women looking at him appreciatively.
Emily stood still and smiled at Clarence. He looked right at her, narrowed his eyes, and, then, after a moment’s pause, proceeded toward her.
“Emily?” he asked once he was in earshot.
Emily grinned from ear to ear and bobbed her head up and down.
Once her identity was confirmed, Clarence reached out and took her suitcase. Then, without another word, he gestured for her to follow him.
Dazed she followed Clarence for about two or three minutes, until they arrived at his carriage. It was the largest, most modern passenger carriage Emily had ever seen, and she had to forcefully hold her mouth shut to prevent her jaw from dropping.
Clarence loaded Emily’s bag onto the back of the carriage, then made his way around to the side of it to help her on. There was already another woman—a much older, much heavier redheaded lady—on the carriage, but Clarence said and did nothing to introduce them. Instead, he walked back around to the other side of the carriage, loaded himself onto it, and took hold of the reins.
Emily was a bit shocked by how uncommunicative Clarence was. But, she brushed it off, assuming he was riddled by nervousness and excitement, much like she was. She hadn’t said anything to the man either, and figured that such “down times” were a normal part of courting.
“I’m Shannon Carson,” her red-headed elder said once the carriage started moving. “I’m Victor’s nurse, and I’ll be your chaperone until you and Clarence are married and you are established in his home.”
Now, Emily felt as confused as the young boy on the train. She did not know who “Victor” was or why he would need a “nurse,” and she didn’t know why, if these things were so important, Clarence hadn’t mentioned them in his letters.
“Victor is my grandfather,” Clarence said, clearing up the confusion. His voice was calm and controlled, and, by most measures, uninspired and lackluster.
“He’s staying with me while I make some improvements on my ranch and expand my business,” Clarence went on. “But, he should be of no concern to you. Shannon takes care of him and tends to his needs.”
“Alright,” Emily replied. Her voice cracked as she spoke. She was still quit nervous.
“I’ve got the biggest ranch in all of Misty River,” Clarence continued a moment later, “maybe in all of Ruby. And, if it isn’t the biggest one in Ruby now, it will be once I get the m—… once I’m done with my improvements and expansion.”
Emily smiled. “Very impressive,” she said, looking out at the land as the carriage progressed to Misty River. She saw a few different large—very large—properties and couldn’t imagine how Clarence’s could be much bigger.
“That’s quite an accomplishment, having such a large, successful ranch at your age,” she added.
“Indeed it is,” Clarence said. For the first time since meeting Emily, he smiled. Yet, there was something “selfish” about his smile. He was smiling at the compliment itself, not the person who’d given it.
“It pays to have a good business mind,” he furthered.
Just then, Shannon smirked and said something under her breath. Emily couldn’t hear exactly what she said, but she distinctly heard the word “family.”
“I’m also a part-owner of the feed shop,” Clarence said, moving past Shannon’s comment. “I bought enough of my animals’ food there that I decided it’d be a wise to invest in it, that way I’d see a return on my own money.”
Emily had no mind for finances or figures, but she could understand how such an investment would make sense. “Yes, that is wise,” she affirmed.
“I also put money into the land, from time to time,” Clarence went on. “When people move away and sell their property, if I have the extra money, I buy it. Then, I improve the land and sell it for a profit.”
“That’s very wise, too,” Emily affirmed. She liked the fact that she was learning more about Clarence, though she was disturbed that the only things she was learning had to do with business and money.
Clarence steered the carriage around another corner, and, just then, another property came into view—and, Emily knew, without question, that it belonged to him. It was about three times as large as any other homestead or ranch she’d seen, and it was populated with numerous plump, healthy-looking animals.
“That’s it!” Clarence exclaimed, sounding much happier than he’d sounded during their entire voyage. “That’s Porter Ranch. And, if you take a gander just down the road, you’ll see the Matthews homestead—that’s the property I’m looking to buy for my expansion. So, if all goes well, it’ll be ours within no time.”
Emily’s heart palpitated when she heard the word “ours.” By it, she assumed Clarence meant his and hers. Though, it occurred to her, a split-second later, that he could have meant his and his grandfather’s (or his family’s in general). More than anything, she wanted to ask him what he meant. But, as the carriage pulled onto his property, she considered it moot.
Once the horses were steadied at their post, Clarence got down off of the carriage, collected Emily’s suitcase, and headed into his home without explanation—or invitation. Emily waited on the carriage for a moment longer, in the hopes that he’d be back out to help her down, invite her in, and properly show her his home. But, alas, after several seconds passed and Clarence did not return, Shannon tapped her on the arm and told her to get up and get going.
“If you’re looking for niceties, you won’t find them here,” the old marm said after she stepped off of the carriage. She
shook a cramp out of her leg and groaned as she twisted her torso. “At least you won’t get them from Clarence. In case you couldn’t tell, he’s a very curt fellow and aint’ none too amiable. He’s very much focused on his business and being successful, and that’s why—”
“Shannon!” Clarence shouted from the porch. “You’d better get in here. The old man needs you. He wasn’t expecting us back so soon, and wants you to help him ready him before he meets Emily.”
“Okay, okay,” Shannon griped, shaking her leg again.
“I’m coming.”
Emily watched at Shannon made her way to the door… and wished that she’d had the opportunity to complete her sentence.
EIGHT
“Wait here,” Clarence said, directing Emily to a seat at the dining room table. It was a large, polished piece of furniture appropriate for formal dining, and was like nothing she’d ever seen before.
“We’ll be having lunch shortly,” Clarence elaborated.
“Shannon will be in with my grandfather in a few minutes, and, then, I’ll bring the food out to the table.”
“Very well,” Emily said. She nodded and took a seat at the table. She hadn’t even been in the house for one minute when Clarence skirted her off in to the dining room, and she’d barely had the chance to take in her surroundings. But, now that Clarence was gone, she eagerly eyed the place.
Emily was never one to be ostentatious or care much for wealth or its measures. But, notwithstanding that, she was quite impressed by Clarence’s home. It was lavishly decorated and furnished—and big enough to house a large family, should they decide to have one of that size.
Emily’s eyes moved back and forth from one item to the next, until the stopped on a framed photograph that hung on the wall. It was some distance away but looked very interesting, so Emily got up to better view it.
The photo featured Clarence—in much younger form—alongside another man who was his splitting image, only a few years older. Good looks must run in the Porter family, Emily thought to herself as she looked at the photo.
Emily turned around to go back to the table, and, just as she did, she was met with the face of another man—and, he, too, looked like the splitting image of Clarence, only much, much older.
“Miss Crawford?” the elderly gentleman asked, reaching out his hand to accept hers. Emily nodded and placed her hand in his, and the old man bent down to kiss it. From a younger man, such a move would have been considered “fresh” and “forward,” but, from this man, it seemed quite sweet and endearing.
“I’m Victor Porter,” the old man said, limping over toward his seat at the head of the table, “and, I’m very pleased to meet you.”
Victor sat down and gestured for Emily to join him. At the same time, Shannon and Clarence walked into the room, each carrying serving dishes of food.
“I hope your travels went well,” Victor said as the food was placed on the table.
“Well enough,” Emily replied with a smile. Her stomach growled at the sight of the feast before her. There was roasted game fowl and vegetables; stewed beef with tomatoes; and a fresh salad of greens and field onions.
Victor bowed and said a prayer asking God to bless the meal they were about to receive. Then, he looked up and waited as Shannon loaded an ample, though not excessive, amount of food on his plate.
Once she was done serving Victor, Shannon handed the spoon to Clarence and he retrieved a variety of food items before passing it to Emily. Emily practiced a bit more restraint and put far less food on her plate than her male counterparts—and, once Shannon served herself as well and the four of them commenced to eating, she was glad that she did. As hungry as Emily was, the food didn’t particularly please her palate. It was a bit bland, and the vegetables were still hard and bitter.
No less, Emily ate her food with a smile. Food is food after all, and one must always display appreciation for it—as well as good manners.
Victor continued to make small talk as the meal progressed. He talked about his own travels, as a younger man, before the country was as big as it was now and the railways crossed it. He also talked of his former dealings as a cowboy and herder, and explained how he worked his way up from a desolate lifestyle to a one of leisure.
Somewhere in the middle of Victor’s monologue, Clarence reached his fork out and tried to spear the last thigh on the meat platter. But, before he could get his fork on it, Victor reached out and smacked his hand.
“Come, come, now, boy,” he said to his grandson. “Your plate still has meat on it. But, look at Miss Crawford’s. She didn’t take much when the spoon was passed to her. And, before you take any more, don’t you think it’d be nice to offer some to her? After all, you’ll want to thicken her up a bit, if she’s to carry and feed your children.”
Emily felt a warm heat spreading over her face, and she bowed her head to hide the fact that she was blushing.
“Don’t thicken her up too much just yet,” Shannon interjected with a chortle. “There aint’ that many wedding dresses in the shop in town—and, if she’s to fit in one in two days, you don’t wanna add too much food to her plate, or to her bones.”
“Two days?” Emily asked, nearly choking on the hunk of vegetable she’d just swallowed.
“Yes,” Victor replied, taking lead of the conversation.
“Hasn’t Clarence told you? Your wedding is scheduled for two days from now.”
Emily felt sick to her stomach, and it wasn’t just because of the unsavory food. In all her planning and daydreaming about this journey, she never expected that she’d be married so soon. She thought she’d at least have time to get to know the man she was to marry before she actually married him.
“I know it seems quick,” Clarence asserted, setting down his fork. “But, our minister only conducts wedding ceremonies on Sundays, after weekly services. And, he’s already got a wedding planned for next week. So, we either had to get married this Sunday—two days from now—or wait a fortnight. I figured sooner is better than later, right? The sooner we get married, the sooner I can get the m—… the sooner we can start living our life together.”
Shannon sighed and shoved a forkful of salad so as to remain quiet.
“I hope that’s alright with you, Miss Crawford,” Victor remarked.
Emily did not know quite how to answer. “I, I—,” she started. She brought her hand to her face, thought from a moment, and continued. “It’s alright with me. I mean, I guess… I think it is—so long as Clarence and I have some time to get to know each other first.”
Emily realized that she was stuttering and rambling, and her face flushed warm again.
“I’m sorry I’m so scatter-brained,” she admitted. “I just didn’t expect that we’d be married so soon. Clarence didn’t tell me in his letter. Nor did he say anything at the platform or in the carriage. It just caught me—”
“Hmm,” Victor purred. He leaned over the table and stared intently at his grandson. “What else haven’t you told her, Clarence?”
“That’s my business, not yours, old man,” Clarence barked back at his elder.
“Your business?” Victor asked in a demanding tone that quickly turned to sarcastic laughter. “It won’t be your business if you don’t tell this young lady all she needs to know before marrying you on Sunday.”
Emily was very confused. She looked at the men curiously, then looked to Shannon, who was still shoving forkful after forkful of greens into her mouth to keep it busy.
“What do I need to know?” Emily asked. Her voice sounded weak and frightened, which, as it turns out, was exactly how she felt.
“What’s going on here? Is there something you’re not telling me?”
Victor pushed his plate away from himself, toward the center of the table, then used the table for leverage to slowly rise to his feet.
“Shannon,” he said, looking at his nursemaid, “let’s go finish our plates in the kitchen and give these two some privacy to talk.”
/> With that Shannon stood up, still chewing on an onion, and grabbed her and Victor’s plates. A moment later, they were in the kitchen, and Emily and Clarence were alone in the dining room.
“What’s going on?” Emily repeated.
Clarence wrung his napkin in his hands, took a deep breath, and sighed.
“There is a great deal I have to explain to you, Emily,” he said. “Though, I doubt it’ll change matters much… But, nonetheless, the old man is right. You deserve an explanation.”
Clarence leaned back in his chair and weighed his words carefully before he continued. It was only a few seconds’ pause in the conversation, but it felt like an eternity to Emily.
“My grandfather bought this ranch five years ago,” Clarence said finally. “And, since that time, I have made massive improvements to it, mostly using my profits from the ranch, as well as from my other endeavors.
“But, now, I want to further expand. I want to buy the Matthews homestead, acquire more livestock, and purchase a newly invented machine that assists in the milking of cows. But, the sum of money needed to do those things is greater than the sum of money I have.
“I asked my grandfather to loan me the money. He, however, refused. Though, he said he’d give me an advance on my inheritance… but only under certain conditions.”
Emily leaned forward, and her sleeve dipped into the tomato broth on her plate. But, that simply didn’t matter. She was on the edge of her seat, waiting for Clarence to explain.
“He wants our family name to live on,” Clarence said, hedging around the issue. Emily tilted her head, like a puppy dog.
“He wants me to get married and have children,” Clarence clarified. “And he won’t give me the money unless I do.”
Emily felt her heart sink to the pit of her stomach. She had no way to express—or understand—what she was feeling.
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