Blair leaned forward a bit. “My name is Blair Wilde,” he said. “And this is Miss Susannah Smythe.”
The man smiled. “I’m Bruce Long. Drive forward and come and have drinks and cake with us.”
More cake? That was acceptable, Susannah thought, but she mustn’t eat too much or she would put on weight. They drove forward and a lady walked to the door holding a toddler in her arms.
Bruce made the introductions and they all went into the house which appeared even more sizeable once inside and with what looked like an apartment adjacent to and attached to it. Hazel set the infant on the floor and he tried to walk though with not much success.
“This is Amos,” Hazel said. “Our two older children, Larry and Tony, are at school.”
“Dan and Becky have met them,” Blair said.
“Oh?”
“We were outside the mercantile yesterday when we arrived and they came up to speak to them. When we took them to the school just now Larry suggested Dan sit near him and that made Dan happy to stay.”
“Then Becky saw Bertha who evidently came from the same orphanage and that made her feel at home,” Susannah said.
“Orphanage?”
“Yes. Blair adopted the children but now we’ve discovered their mother is probably alive. We’re going to see if we can find her. The reason we’ve come to see you is to ask if you could rent me your house. I’ll probably have the children with me though we haven’t asked them yet with whom they would like to be.”
“We’ve just rented the house to someone else,” Bruce said. “But we have an apartment attached to this house. If the children stay with you, Miss Smythe, it will be nice for them and our two boys.”
“Susannah. That would be good but I don’t want Dan and Becky to be a nuisance. They’ll probably want to come to you quite often.”
“That won’t worry us,” Hazel said.
“And it won’t worry me if your children come to me, your baby included. He’s cute, isn’t he?”
Hazel smiled. “We definitely think so. After we’ve had our drinks and cake we’ll show you the apartment.” She looked at Bruce. “Do you want to show Mr. Wilde around the ranch?”
“Blair,” Blair said.
“And we’re Bruce and Hazel. The children will like it here with all the animals, which includes cats and dogs. You’ll like it here, Susannah, if you decide to stay."
“I do like it here,” Susannah said.
“So do I. I came from New York so it’s quite a difference.”
“That’s my home too. Where were you?”
“I moved around a lot. Would you like to stay for the midday meal? We’ll be serving it very soon.”
“That’s rather an imposition.”
“No imposition at all. We have plenty of food because the ranch hands eat at this time too and we provide the food. We have a kitchen which we have built near the barn and a cook. I’ll introduce you to her just now.”
“I’ll show Blair a bit of the ranch,” Bruce said, bending to kiss Hazel. “I’ll take Amos.”
The men left and Hazel led Susannah into the living room which was huge though not quite as big as her parents’ one. Susannah sat and Hazel walked back into the kitchen to emerge a few minutes later with a couple of cups of tea and some cake.
“Our boys love school,” she said. “I’m sure your two will also.””
“Yes. I was a bit worried because Dam and Becky are rather unsettled. They weren’t at the orphanage very long and their father isn’t alive. However, Dan told us their mother is alive. I may have to go to Los Angeles to look into it but I don’t want to leave just yet because it will unsettle them. We weren’t sure which of us they should stay with but we’re going to ask them.”
“If you have to go we could look after them,” Hazel said. “That is, once they get to know us. Larry and Tony are friendly little souls and love being with other children so they’ll make them feel at home, and then there’s the animals. That is always a draw.”
“Everyone is very friendly and helpful here,” Susannah replied.
“I have found that. It’s a wonderful community to live in and the church is good. You’ll like the Barnsleys when you meet them.”
“Somebody said the university and seminary building has been delayed a bit.” Susannah wasn’t sure how early she could broach such a subject but she felt she had to start on what she had come for. Even the smallest snippets of information would be helpful.
“Yes. There’s some dispute about land rights which we hope will be ironed out soon. We’re looking into it.”
“We?”
“I’m a newly qualified lawyer.”
“Oh.” That would make life awkward if they were going to be in opposing camps.
“And you are a detective in the employ of the man who is making a claim on the land.” Hazel smiled as Susannah looked at her. “Like I said, I’m a lawyer and lawyers delve.”
“I’m not a lawyer,” Susannah said.
“I know, but to get where you’ve got takes brains. The reason I’m telling you I know who you are is because it’s better to get it into the open. I rather suspect you didn’t come here to marry Blair but I’m not going to be nosey about that. We are in opposing camps where work is concerned but not where anything else is concerned.”
“I’m here to find out the truth,” Susannah said.
“And I think you will which will save me work.”
Susannah smiled. “I think I like this community. Lady lawyers. Lady surgeons.”
“And now a lady detective. Have you met our surgeon yet?”
“No, but I’m looking forward to doing so.”
“She is brilliant at her work. One thing I can do for you is let you see the documents associated with the purchase of the land.”
“That would be helpful. Was the land the hospital is on separate?”
“Yes. It’s not too far from the land which is being disputed but the plots were sold by two different bodies. Well, three really because the seminary is a Christian university and the university secular. However, both buildings are being funded by a Christian organisation with help from other bodies.”
“Are people in opposite camps supposed to help each other?”
Hazel smiled. “You’re not a lawyer so it doesn’t matter.”
“That’s good because it will be helpful if I see the papers. May I ask you a favour where that is concerned?”
“What is that?”
“Don’t tell Blair what we’re doing?”
“He’s a detective too, isn’t he?”
“From Los Angeles.”
“And he went overboard on building up an identity by adopting two children and saying he’s a widower. You don’t have to answer that and I won’t mention it to him. I also won’t tell anyone who you are and not even Bruce.”
“Thank you. What made you come to live here?”
Susannah listened in fascination as Hazel told her how she came to live in Lower Pine and felt she was making a real friend. The men returned and the meal was a leisurely one, after which Blair and Susannah went to visit Colin and Priscilla Bletchley.
Who also were nice people, Susannah found, and she was looking forward to meeting everyone at church on Sunday. It would be a relatively new experience because she rarely attended in New York but then a lot was new nowadays. When the children came out of school, and after they told them rather excitedly what they had been doing, they asked with whom they would like to live though they did not say where Susannah would be.
Susannah, they said without even stopping to deliberate the question, and when they heard they would be going to the ranch they were more than excited. Becky looked up at Blair where he stood in the kitchen just before they left for the Longs’ ranch.
“You’re not bad,” she said. “But men aren’t so good at looking after children.”
“Pardon?”
“Grandma said.” Her eyes were rather soulful as she continued. “Gra
ndma and grandpa went away too. I want them to come here.”
“We’ll find them,” Susannah said.
Dan looked at Blair, a frown creasing his forehead. “But you adopted us.”
“I didn’t know you had a ma,” he said.
“She’s mama.”
“Sorry. You don’t have to stay with me and we’ll find your mama.”
“She could come and live here. I like school.”
“Me too,” Becky said.
“Then let’s go to the new apartment. Take a bag each.”
Susannah lifted one while Blair picked up her luggage and they made their way to the wagon.
Chapter 9
Susannah went to the door at a knock. Blair maybe? She hadn’t seen him since the previous day when they agreed that he would visit though they made no time. But it was Hazel and she had a box under one arm and was holding Amos on her other.
Susannah stood back. “Come in. It’s nice to see you.”
“I brought the papers. There are a lot of them.”
“Does Mr. Miles know who is acting for the seminary and university?”
“No. It’s unofficial, anyway.”
“Which means you’re not charging them.” The words were a statement and not a question.
Hazel smiled. “They are paying me. If it was for the church that would be different but it isn’t. We have decided not to make anything too official at the moment, that’s all.”
“Can you stay for a drink?” Susannah asked.
“I’m going to a ladies get together at the church. I wondered if you’d like to come and meet people there. It’s not just ladies because some men attend, but we tend to call it that.”
“I’d love to come,” Susannah said.
“Good. Rachel, the surgeon at the hospital, is coming to talk to us about aseptic techniques and cleanliness, also to demonstrate a few medical things. She says if any of us want to do our husbands an injury she’ll treat them while we’re there.”
Susannah laughed. “Are you going to take Bruce?”
“I suggested it at breakfast and he declined. We do sometimes get injuries on the ranch but rarely. One young man gashed his leg when he tried to ride on a bull’s back and Rachel dealt with it very skilfully. I would say she’s the best surgeon in the country and that isn’t because I’m biased.”
“I’m looking forward to meeting her. Blair said he would call in so can I leave a message with someone to tell him to come to the church? I won’t mention the ladies bit.”
“Probably a good idea. Bruce was going to take me but if you hold Amos I can drive the cart or carriage or whatever one I take.”
“If Amos is happy for me to hold him that will be good. If he’s not I can drive.”
“I’ll knock when we’re ready to go.”
Hazel made for the door and Blair was just driving in. She smiled at him, he leapt off the front of the wagon and made his way to the door where Susannah stood.
“I’m going to the church,” she said. “Do you want to come?”
“The church? Why?”
“They have a get together on Tuesday mornings. I thought it would be a good time to meet some people. We need to get to know everyone we can.”
“Ladies, you mean,” he said.
“And men.”
“It will be a ring of gossips.”
“Which is what we want though men probably gossip more than women. My mother told me that and she’s always right.”
“And what did your father say?”
“That he wouldn’t dare to disagree. What else?”
“Marital bliss which I have narrowly and thankfully avoided.”
“It was going to be a fake marriage. Are you coming? If you are you can drive us there.”
“Alright, I’ll come, but I’m leaving if I’m the only man.”
Susannah smiled and went to tell Hazel they could go with Blair. Even better, Hazel said, because they could relax in the back. After a few minutes they left and it wasn’t long before they reached the church.
There was a buzz of conversation when they walked in, with ladies standing round chatting and toddlers and babies on the floor which was covered with clean blankets. Three men, which included Zedekiah, were at a table setting out drinks and various things to eat, while another man was helping a woman who had the same colour auburn hair as Zedekiah’s wife Elise, put items on another table.
Zedekiah looked over to smile at them. “No Bruce?” he asked. “I thought he was coming.”
“Bruce?” asked Hazel.
“He and Joel have gone to get something,” said a dark haired young lady. “It’s meant to be a surprise. Trust a man to spoil it.”
Hazel put her hand in Susannah’s. “This is Susannah Smythe,” she said.
“My mail order bride,” Blair added.
“And this is Blair,” Susannah said. “I WAS his mail order bride but I changed my mind.”
“The minute you set eyes on him?” The young lady giggled. “I’m Samantha and I didn’t marry the man I came to marry.” She looked at Blair and giggled again. “Sorry. That’s a joke. Well, not the bit about not marrying the man I came to marry.”
“Elise married the man she came to marry.” Zedekiah’s voice was unknowingly rather triumphant.
“I did,” Elise said. “And so have a lot of ladies who are happy. You’ll meet someone else, Blair.”
“Don’t torture the man,” said another young lady who had hair with a hint of auburn. The teacher at the school with two tiny children near her. She put out her hand. “I’m Vivien Black. I think you met my parents in New York. That gorgeous man over there.” She pointed to a tall, dark haired man. “Is my husband, Michael, and these two are our twins, Deborah and Lucas. Welcome to the community.”
“Thank you.”
“Did Hazel tell you what’s happening today?”
“You’re all going to injure your husbands so they can be patched up.”
Everyone laughed and Rachel turned. “Not patched up, made better. I don’t do shoddy work.”
“She doesn’t,” said the man with her. “And not only does she heal bodies, she also heals minds and anything else that needs healing.”
Her husband obviously and they were all so nice. Rachel moved across to fetch a cold drink and some cake and they all sat in a circle.
“I have a list of what you’ve told me you want to talk about,” Rachel said. “Does anyone want to add to it?”
“My foot is beginning to go misshapen,” Priscilla said. “And the big toe is shifting towards the middle.”
“That can improve with exercises. If you come to the hospital one day I can show you, or else I can come to your house.”
“Maybe you and Jude could come to us and have a meal.”
“That will be good.”
“”My foot is doing that too,” another lady said and the conversation while they ate and drank Susannah found stimulating, as well as what followed as Rachel demonstrated aseptic techniques, told them how to sterilise dressings and other essentials for dealing with wounds and spoke of how important cleanliness was.
By this time Bruce had arrived and the women had a lot of fun bandaging the men then having them bandage them while the children played with bandages. Bruce hobbled over and sat on a chair.
“I twisted my ankle,” he said. “Well, I hope it’s only a twist.”
“Very convincing,” Hazel smiled.
“I actually did.” He pulled up his jeans leg and Hazel fell on her knees beside him as she saw his swollen ankle.
“Darling? What happened?”
“It was my fault for not filling in that hole. I forgot it and went in it.”
Rachel knelt in front of him and took his foot in her hands. “This kind of thing you must have checked up,” she said. “Sometimes it can be a break.”
She moved her hands round his foot, rotated it to different angles and his face screwed. Hazel took his hand and held it tightly.
>
“I’m okay,” he said, bending to kiss the top of her head.
“You’re not alright. I’ll fill the hole in when we get home.”
“It’s already being dealt with. Is it broken, Rachel?”
“No, but I’ll bandage it and I want you to keep your weight off it.”
“I have crutches he can use,” said an older lady.
“Thank you, Esmé, and use them, Bruce.”
“I will. It’s a good chance to not work and Hazel can wait on me.” He kissed Hazel again. “Can’t you, darling.”
She stood and ruffled his hair. “I can, darling. Well, I would if this was genuine.”
“It’s swollen and red.” His tone was hot.
She pushed her finger into the skin and there was a dent. “It’s reasonably convincing. Did Michael do this?”
“As if I would,” Michael said, grinning.
“As if. Whose idea was it, yours or Rachel’s?”
“You’re too astute,” Rachel said.
“I thought of it,” Bruce said. “And I insist on getting some credit.”
“He did.” Rachel stood. “And actually it was pretty convincing.” She looked round. “Would you like me to show you how I know it isn’t a fracture?”
They all murmured their assent and afterwards settled to have a short Bible study.
“I didn’t bring my Bible,” Susannah whispered to Hazel who was sitting next to her.
“I’ll get you one.”
Hazel returned with two Bibles and Jude, Susannah discovered, was to lead them. He opened his Bible and leafed through the pages.
“I’ve been a Christian for only a short time,” he said. Short time? Weren’t all Americans Christians? “So you’ll have to excuse me if I get anything wrong. Really what we’ll do is discuss what we’ve read so it can let me off a bit and not show my ignorance. Can you all turn to Acts nine, please?”
Acts nine? Where was that? Susannah watched surreptitiously while everyone turned pages and noted the thickness on either side of when they finally reached the place. Not a bad deduction, she thought when she saw Acts. Her detective skills were paying off.
The Detective Bride Page 10