Secrets and Trust (Mail-Order Brides 3)

by Annie Boone

  The big house, or manor as many called it, was a large white wood and adobe structure with maroon shutters. There was a tall sign with the name “Circle M” emblazoned on it at the head of the drive up to the dwelling. As she went into the kitchen with Consuela, she saw thick walls and wide windows. When she remarked on it, she was told the walls kept the house cool and the windows allowed fresh air to circulate when the dust wasn't so bad.

  Annabelle had her hands in the flour when Judd walked into the kitchen. He had obviously freshened up completely, his hair was still damp, and he wore gray trousers with a crisp white shirt. He was even more handsome than she had thought.

  “Well sir,” she exclaimed, “I fear I will come to the dinner table looking like the poor relation.”

  “Stuff and nonsense Miss Turlington,” Judd teased, “Why you could turn that flower sack there into a dress, and I would still think you lovely.”

  Annabelle blushed to the roots of her hair, such sweet words soothed her lonely spirit. Now if his actions proved as sweet, she would be happy indeed.

  “Judd,” she exclaimed, as she rolled the last of the tortillas, “Consuela told me about Red Deer, I am so sorry for your loss. If Mr. Hofner did this vile act, he should be arrested. I fear for Matthew's safety; this duel is wrong. Don’t you think that Hofner is as likely to shoot dirty as not?”

  “This matter will be settled in court, Miss Annabelle, I sent a telegram to the U.S Marshals a week ago. Now I must keep Matthew out of harm's way until a marshal arrives. The duel is set for a week hence, I expect Marshal Gunther to arrive in the next few days. If I can find evidence of Red Deer's death I can prove Hofner did it. My men and I have been searching the plains, and I truly believe we will find Red Deer,” he said, as he poured a cup of coffee.

  “Do you think we could talk after dinner,” Annabelle asked, while she washed her hands, “there are so many things happening, and I would like to discuss the wedding if that is fine by you.”

  “It will be my pleasure Annabelle,” Judd replied, as he realized they were calling each other by their Christian names. She was so comfortable to be with, a balm for his soul after his brother's angry moods.

  After dinner, Annabelle went to wait for Judd on the large patio behind the house, knowing her new Abuela was sitting as a chaperone in the great room, just a few feet away. She marveled at the tenacity of the Russian Sage growing along the sides of the patio, its graceful purple fronds a splash of color in the landscape. Judd had told her the plant could survive severe drought and heat. I want to be like that, Annabelle mused. Graceful on the outside, tough as nails on the inside.

  When the sun went down in a blaze of orange and red, Annabelle knew Judd wasn't coming. She hoped that things were well with him, but she couldn't stop the shiver of disappointment that ran through her bones. She tried not to be discouraged even though she had hoped for a smooth transition into the relationship with her husband-to-be.

  From the way Judd had written about the beauty of this land, far away from the horrors of war, Annabelle had known that in this place she could find the happiness that had eluded her all these years. And she prayed that with him she could finally have the family she longed for. If there was something wrong that could keep her from getting what she had come here for, she would be devastated to travel this far for nothing.

  “Come on, my little Annabelle,” Consuela urged, motioning to Annabelle as stepped out of the big house onto the smooth path that led to her snug home, “Judd must have been called away quickly, my Bambina, otherwise he would have let you know, don't be discouraged, he will explain all tomorrow.”

  “I’m sure you are right, Abuela,” Annabelle smiled, pushing thoughts of defeat behind her, “I hope things are well with Matthew as he did not dine with us, is that his usual practice?”

  “He was tending to a dispute with the vaqueros; it wasn't your presence that drove him away if that is what you're worrying about. Now come, when the sun goes down the air becomes chilly. It’s time for chamomile tea to warm us up and my chocolate cake to sweeten us up. This has been an eventful day for you Annabelle, let Abuela tend to you,” she said with a smile that crinkled her kind face.

  “Sounds lovely, Abuela,” Annabelle said, taking her hand. “Let us go forth for tea and cake, and hopefully a bath.”

  Chapter Three

  Much to Annabelle's disbelief two more days passed before she saw Judd again. She had gone out to the small pond behind the house to feed the ducks stale biscuits when she saw a most peculiar thing. Judd was dunking Matthew in the water. As Matthew struggled to twist away, Judd threw his arms around him and they both went in. Annabelle wasn't sure if Judd was trying to baptize Matthew or drown him. Just as she decided to get help, Mateo, Judd's ranch foreman and close friend, ran out of the big house with another cowboy called Slim Clem, and they both jumped in the water to separate the brothers.

  “Miss Annabelle,” Mateo called, “run and fetch some blankets, these fools are messing around in ice cold water. Tell Mrs. Connie to start coffee boiling. We gotta warm them up.”

  All day Annabelle heard the whispers from the servants, the brothers were frequenting billiard halls, and saloons in Cheyenne, drinking till the sun came up. Everyone knew Red Deer had been like a father to those boys. They were just grieving in the only way they knew, or that’s what the servants were saying. These boys weren't to the manor born. They had grown up with difficulties when they lost their parents to dysentery when they were barely out of short pants.

  “Why,” Amelia the housemaid told Annabelle, “the only reason they come up in the world was cause they ran eight hundred head of cattle from Fort Worth to Cheyenne. That's pert near fifteen hundred miles of hostile Indians and every discomfort you can imagine. Old man Rogers was so impressed he hired them to do it two more times. They both got hefty bonuses for those runs and went in together to build the Circle M. So you can see they ain't real gentlemen,” Amelia smirked, as she dusted some knickknacks on the coffee table.

  “That is where you are mistaken,” Annabelle said, as she snatched the girl's duster and shook it in her face. “A real gentleman isn't afraid of hard work, and it sounds to me like Judd and Matthew fit the bill,” and with that she went in search of Judd. It was time for some answers.

  Annabelle was determined to question every cowboy on the ranch to find out where Judd was and her first stop would be the barn. The huge double doors of the barn were thrown open, and she saw Judd right away. He was carrying a pail of apple cores in for the horses.

  “Miss Turlington,” he said formally. “What brings you out on such a fine day?”

  Annabelle knew something was wrong and she was bound to get down to brass tacks. Honesty was called for, and she was planning to settle for nothing less.

  “Judd, there have been strange things going on around here. There are quite a few questions that have been unanswered. If we are to be married, I desire honesty between us.”

  Judd set the pail down and took her hand, “What is it, Annabelle? Has someone hurt your feelings? Has anyone been rude?”

  “Yes,” she cried, pulling away and stomping over to a bale of hay. “You, Judd Dixon MacIntyre, have been rude and it is you who have hurt my feelings.”

  He looked at her with a surprised expression. This was the last thing he expected to hear. She continued with her little tantrum before he could even try to defend himself.

  “First, I wait for you to have the discussion we agreed to have, and you never came. I waited alone on the patio until the sun was gone, and it was time to retire. And then I find you trying to drown your brother in the freezing cold pond. I’ve never even heard one word of explanation for that. The servants are whispering about saloons and drinking until dawn. Losing Red Deer and this awful duel coming up between Matthew and Samuel Hofner must be worrying you. As much as you desire to keep your brother safe he is a grown man who should be capable of taking care of himself and making his ow
n decisions. That is if your behavior is driven by these worries.”

  “Let me explain,” Judd began, when Annabelle cut him off.

  “After my sister died I waited years for my parents to realize they still had a daughter that loved and needed them.” Annabelle started pacing back and forth in front of Judd. “They never did. I vowed to always be upfront and plainspoken with others after I left my parent's home. So tell me,” she said, throwing her hands up, “are you carousing in the saloons with your brother at night, is that the real reason I haven't seen you? My Papa drank to keep his demons away, but all it did for him was push his family away and make him a miserable man. And why does Matthew keep avoiding me? At first I believed the excuses, but not anymore. There are so many things I want to help you with Judd, if you'll only let me,” she finished, half out of breath from the thin air and her impassioned plea.

  “Would you like to ride the range with me today, Miss Annabelle,” Judd asked softly, “I believe I owe you some explanations. I'll ask Abuela to pack some provisions while you put your riding clothes on.”

  “In ten minutes I will return, Judd MacIntyre, and we shall have that talk while we ride,” Annabelle threw over her shoulder, as she took the short path that led to Consuela's home.

  “That's what I'm afraid of,” Judd mumbled to himself, dark gray eyes drinking in the sight of Annabelle in her flower sprigged dress, “you may not want to marry me when you hear the truth. I hope you don’t pack up and go back home.”

  Chapter Four

  Annabelle peeked at Judd from under the brim of her borrowed cowboy hat. She felt strangely shy since her outburst at the barn. Being honest with her emotions was something that still felt odd, yet she did feel lighter inside. Judd glanced at her and from the look in his haunted gray eyes she knew he was finally going to tell her the truth.

  Judd walked his gelding; a tough old hoss called Brute, closer to Annabelle. She was so pretty sitting on the little mare, with her deep blue blouse and split riding skirt and his old cowboy hat. Seeing her in his old hat stirred feelings deep inside him. He liked it that she had something that belonged to him keeping her face protected from the harsh sun. He felt protective of her already, and he liked how that felt. Thinking back on what she had said earlier about her family life, he imagined that things hadn't been easy for her in a long while. He prayed they could get past the calamities they were facing and into the life he pictured for them.

  “So,” he swept his hand out to indicate the plains stretching before them and the cattle placidly eating the grass, “this was always my dream, to have a ranch and be my own boss. Matt and I own five hundred acres and eight hundred head of cattle. With hard work and the Lord's help, we got our paradise. But I'm afraid I made plenty of mistakes along the way.”

  Annabelle shifted her mare, Blossom, closer to Judd, “Making mistakes is part of being human,” she said, tipping her head back so he could see her eyes. “Forgiving one another for those mistakes is the tricky part. Whatever happened, Judd, you can tell me.” She felt a twinge of guilt because she was still hiding her own secrets.

  Judd reined Brute up, stopping at a sparkling river. “We call this Red Deer's River because he showed this land to me and Matt. It's a tributary of the mighty Cheyenne River, means Good River by the Indians. Annabelle, he helped us fulfill our dreams and I can't even find his body,” Judd said. Leaning his head back in disgust, he took a deep breath as he looked up into the sky.

  He finally lowered his head and glanced over at Annabelle and then unbuckled the saddlebag containing their lunch. Annabelle slipped down from Blossom and went to Judd's side. The beauty of the prairie was finally revealed to her. In the valley spread out before her she saw the Laramie Mountains to the Northwest. A field of cone-shaped blue and yellow lupine still bloomed and tossed gently in the breeze. These peaks were rugged, craggy, nothing like the gently rounded mountains of north Georgia.

  Annabelle stood in awe at the sun-drenched beauty before her. Placing her hand on his shoulder, she said, “Let me be your friend Judd, friends confide in one another. They trust each other. They help each other.”

  Judd sat and began unpacking thick steak sandwiches, and containers of Consuela's potato salad and slaw onto a flat stone by the river.

  Finally he spoke, “My brother's betrothed died because of my pride. Elizabeth Hutchins lived in Cheyenne with her Paw. She was smart and kind. When Matthew started courting her, I told him she wouldn't be a good match cause her father was a groom at the livery.” Judd mopped his face with his handkerchief. “Sure is hot for September,” he muttered. “Well, the long and short of it was I told Matt I wouldn't give him his share of the bonus money unless he stopped seeing Elizabeth. He told me to go to Hades. Matt didn't know I gave Elizabeth's Paw money to keep them apart. All I wanted was for Matt and me to marry well. Real elegant ladies so people could see the MacIntyre’s weren't just poor white trash from Tennessee.”

  Annabelle said haltingly, “If that was what you wanted why in the world did you answer my advert, I am no society lady.”

  Judd gazed at the swiftly flowing river, the sun flashing brilliant sparks off the ripples, then he stood and extracted a wallet from the saddlebags, “I did a whirlwind of courting, and all the sweet doves turned out to be vapid magpies, uninterested in anything but clothes, hats, and their own idle chatter. Turns out what I really wanted was plain speaking and flashing green eyes.” He pulled a small square of paper out and began to read out loud. ‘Adequate cook, laundress, healthy, plainspoken, and in need of adventure, also middling attractive.’ I was taken aback, it made me laugh for the first time in a long while, and I knew I had to meet the woman who wrote it.”

  Annabelle giggled,” Well, the catalog charges per word, so I was being thrifty.” He laughed along with her until she said softly, “Will you tell me about Elizabeth now? How did she die?” Judd drew a deep breath and began the story.

  “Matt was riding to get her, leaving without one dime from his earnings, and since her Father wouldn't let him see her, they decided to elope. They were only seventeen, so young,” Judd groaned. “And when Elizabeth tried to climb out of her window to meet him, she fell to her death. Matthew saw her die, and I believe that’s why he accepted Hofner's challenge to a duel. When Elizabeth died three years ago, Matt lost the will to live. His grief is burning him up, and my guilt for my part of it is eating me alive.” Judd grabbed a handful of stones and began skipping them across the smooth surface of the river. He knew she would hate him now, and he couldn't bear to look into that beautiful heart shaped face and see pity and scorn.

  “When we were fifteen, my sister and I took our father's buggy to see Rosalie's beau. He had just returned from Gettysburg and had a monstrous wound in his back. Rosalie was frantic to see him. Normally my father wouldn't care if we took the buggy. But that day a huge thunderstorm was showering hail and throwing lightning bolts. We had barely made the muddy road to his house when lightning struck an oak tree near us and our horse bolted.” Annabelle paused to let the peace of the meadow soothe her ragged nerves. “I was the mature one, the level-headed twin. Rosalie was flighty and whimsical and, well, such a joy to be with. It was my responsibility to keep her safe. My parents, especially my father, blame me for her death. I have never been able to tell them it was Rosalie's idea to go. She begged me to go with her, and I couldn't refuse her. I felt it would stain her memory somehow. For the last five years, I have lived with their disdain, their remoteness. My Papa drowns his grief in whiskey, and my mother rarely leaves her room. When you sent the tickets for us, I was touched by your thoughtfulness and hopeful my parents would come. Now I accept that The One Greater than me will have to soften their hearts.”

  “My sweet Annabelle,” Judd exclaimed, tipping her chin up to look into her eyes, “what a mess it all seems, yet I feel thankful to have you by my side,” and he placed a gentle kiss on her lips.

  “Wait,” Annabelle squeaked, pulling away,
“Why were you trying to drown your brother, and where did you disappear to. If you've been drinking every night you must know now I can't abide that. I won’t put up with a husband – or a beau – who spends his free time in a saloon.”

  Judd removed his hat and smoothed his hair, “When Matthew pulls a bender I shadow him to make sure he doesn't hurt someone or himself. He got dunked because he was insufferable. I watch out for my little brother, but he was trying to pick fights with everyone. By the time I got him back to the Circle M, I'd had a bellyful of his insults. Please believe me. I only go to the saloons to take care of my brother. He needs a guardian, and I’m the only one who can do it.”

  “Please promise me from this day on, we talk about our troubles and our triumphs together. We may not be able to fix everything, but we will be stronger if we work together. Please understand Judd, we can delay the wedding until this is sorted out,” Annabelle said though inside she knew she would marry him in this meadow right now if they had a preacher. Patience, she advised herself, there are many people besides you are involved in this matter.” She walked to Judd and put her arms around him, right before her second kiss he whispered, “I promise,” with a sigh like a leaf falling to the ground.