As he drove, he thought about the gossip, and by the time he returned to the ranch he didn’t like it but he decided he couldn’t really blame people. He’d had his questions and doubts too.
He pulled up in front of his house and asked Willis to help him unload the wagon and then take the rest over to Georgie. Veronica’s eyes were so wide he thought maybe he had gone overboard with his purchases.
* * *
She’d never seen so many packages in her life, and that didn’t include the bountiful items of food. “Surely these can’t all be for me?”
His eyes danced as he grinned. “Yes, you needed a few things.”
“A few? Oh my. May I open one?” She bit her lip waiting for a response.
“Of course! In fact, open them all.”
They were all wrapped up in brown paper and string. She took the string off one package and pulled back the paper and gasped. A dress! A ready-made dress. Reaching out she touched the blue fabric. She pulled it out and looked at it, and she couldn’t contain her delight. “It looks like it’ll be a great fit!”
“Nancy Mathers owns a dress shop. She saw you at the wedding and guessed at your size. She usually has dresses already made in her shop. Go on, there are more to open.” He seemed to enjoy watching her open the packages.
She opened a few more dresses, each more lovely than the rest. And then she opened one and wanted to cry. It was a light rose-colored dress. “I’ve never seen anything so lovely in my entire life. This is not for the likes of me. I’d feel as though I’m putting on airs.” She touched the ruffles and the lace. She wanted the dress but it wouldn’t be practical.
“You could wear it to church or any gatherings.” He spoke quietly, with a hopeful tone. “I think it would look nice on you.”
“To church…” She felt as though her body glowed. Impulsively, she hugged Max. “Thank you.” She quickly put distance between them.
The nightgown was the softest she’d ever felt. Then she opened a package with fabric, yards and yards of material for making clothing, and most of it was cheerful calico in assorted colors. The buttons, lace, and ribbons brought tears to her eyes. She stopped when Bridey began to fuss.
To her surprise, Max picked the baby up and rocked her in his big strong arms. Something inside of her opened, and she felt so much emotion watching him.
“Open that one at the edge of the table.”
She looked to where he pointed and opened the package. Tears streamed down her face as she held the small doll. She smiled though her tears and brought the doll to Bridey. It was almost as big as she was but Bridey cooed at it.
“You sweet, sweet man. No one has ever given anything to her before. I often wondered what would become of her.”
Max flushed, and Veronica warmed inside.
“The last two are diaper material and soft white cloth for underthings and baby gowns.”
“I don’t know how I’ll ever be able to thank you. Next time buy some yard goods so I can make you some new clothing. Would you mind holding her while I put this blue dress on?”
He chuckled. “No, you go ahead.”
As soon as she closed the bedroom door tears poured down her face. Not a single person had been so good to her before. Everything was amazing, but the doll for Bridey touched her so deeply. She needed to tell him the truth, but how? When?
She washed her face and put the dress on. On a whim, she let her hair down and shyly left the bedroom. Max looked up at her and stared. “Is something wrong?”
He shook his head. “You’re beautiful. Your hair is glorious.”
She felt her face heat and gazed at the floor. It wasn’t true, but it was nice of him to say.
A knock on the door drew her attention, and she answered it. Parker gave her a quick smile. “I need to speak to Max. It’s important.”
Max handed Bridey to Veronica and walked out the door with Parker. It looked serious.
She got Bridey settled in her drawer and set about putting her treasures away. Imagine all this for one person. What would she do with the new dresses and ones she made? And lace? Her heart filled with gratefulness. After quickly putting her hair up, she changed back into her old dress and vowed that the first thing she sewed would be an apron.
She heard loud voices and looked out the front window. A group of men had gathered; many whom she recognized. It appeared to be trouble, and she’d hoped to have left trouble behind in Louisiana.
She listened to the men argue. It wasn’t eavesdropping since they were loud enough for anyone to hear.
Parker held his hand up signaling for silence. “We need to protect those who can’t protect themselves. The blasted Union Army refuses to get involved. If the North really wanted to help, they’d have found jobs and places for the former slaves to live. There are so many displaced soldiers and now the slaves. The South isn’t what it was and it’s up to men like us to help rebuild it without violence. I’m going to hire some of the freedmen to help with the ranch. If anyone has a problem working alongside them, please just leave. No judgment. I will not tolerate any type of bullying. We’ll also need to provide living quarters. I’d welcome suggestions. Many have families with nowhere to go. I’m going to ride out tomorrow and talk with a few of the leaders and see what they’d think would be a good plan.”
His words were met with shuffling feet and murmurs, but he held up his hand for silence.
“I fully expect to be spit upon by some of the townspeople, and we’ll have to be extra diligent about guard duty. A woman was pulled out of her house last night, abused and tortured then hanged. Her crime? She asked around for a job.” He swung his gaze over the crowd. “The old ways are gone, and we need to make Texas safe for all people. We have two babies on the ranch right now, and I’d hate to think of the future for them if we don’t step in. I won’t lie, it’s going to be dangerous. If you go to town, go in pairs or don’t go. You won’t have your guns on you and since the men who killed that women wore hoods over their heads, we don’t know who the enemy is.”
The murmur swelled again, a little louder this time, but once again, Parker brought the men under control with a sweep of his hand.
“Just so there aren’t any hard feelings, if you do decide to light out, you can take the horse you usually ride. That’s all. Give it some thought, and we’ll meet again after supper.” Parker turned and walked to his house.
Chills spread through her body. Perhaps she should have gone north. She couldn’t seem to stop shaking. She was here now, so she’d have to make sure the house had enough rifles in it to ward off whatever may come. Fear haunted her as she put her gifts from Max away. She wondered if any of the ranch men rode with the white hoods. That’s what caused more fear than anything. They could be anyone. A neighbor, a shopkeeper, a friend’s husband. There was just no way to know. Too many people harbored hate in their hearts.
Bridey fussed, and Veronica lifted her into her arms. At one time, she’d thought she wouldn’t be able to be a good mother to Bridey, but she loved her with all her heart. Children were innocents, and they shouldn’t have to carry the burden of their birth with them their whole lives.
The door opened and Max walked in looking rather worried. His hat was off and it looked as though he’d run his fingers through his hair more than a few times. It stuck on end in places.
“How many rifles are in the house?”
Max scowled at her question. “Why?”
“If there is trouble coming, I’m defending myself. I’ll not be caught unaware again.”
His shoulders sagged. “You heard.”
“Yes, I did, and this type of thing is just starting. It’s bound to get worse. That’s why I left my home and came here. I know you can protect us, but you’re not always here and I’m a good shot.”
“We’re having a meeting after supper. I’ll grab a few rifles and pistols for the house. I don’t want you to feel scared.” He opened his arms and she gladly walked into them with Bridey in her arm
s. He made her feel safe, and she sighed as she snuggled closer to him.
Suddenly she stiffened. No matter if Max made her feel protected, he was still a man. Maybe she was making the smallest steps toward him? If only she could be whole again. The world going crazy with hate wasn’t going to help matters.
“Veronica, you’re very pale. We all heard about the riots and killings in Louisiana, all over the south actually. You witnessed it didn’t you?” The caring reflected in his eyes touched her and her eyes filled with tears.
“I saw more than my share, I suppose. I just can’t talk about it. Maybe someday. Parker is an admirable man, but he’s going to bring down a war right here on the ranch. I can’t help but be afraid for you, for Bridey, and for me. If I could I’d go somewhere that people got along. Some place where color didn’t matter and men couldn’t take the law into their own hands. I don’t think such a place exists.”
Bridey started wriggling in her arms, and Max took the baby. Every time he showed Bridey love, Veronica felt a surge of love for him. He could have easily just walked away from her when she got off the stagecoach, but he hadn’t.
“Max, I just wanted you to know I feel horrible every time I pull away from you. I admire you greatly, and I feel blessed to have you as mine. I just can’t tell you why, yet. I’m afraid if I said it all out loud I’d break and there would be no putting me back together.” Swallowing hard she stared into his eyes.
“I know something happened to you. I can wait until you feel up to telling me.” He leaned forward and kissed her forehead. “It’s fine.”
She gave him a small smile. She knew it wasn’t fine but she just couldn’t. He wouldn’t want her anymore.
After supper, she left the dishes and hurried across the way to be with Georgie when the meeting took place. She was too nervous to stay inside listening.
The terror she saw on Georgie’s face echoed her own fear. They sat inside and talked about their children until shouting could be heard. The cradle was big enough to hold both babies and as soon as they got them settled they flew out to the porch. Both Parker and Max stared at them probably hoping they’d go back inside. Too bad, the two women sat down and watched.
Veronica clasped her hands together to keep them from shaking. She’d heard it all before. The men who thought they were over reacting and thought the rest to be fools. There were some who shot off their mouths with nothing useful to say, and there were the ones who felt it an obligation to stop the hooded men.
It didn’t matter in one way or another; everyone got tangled in such things. Unless the fact that Parker was a Captain of the Confederate Army made some type of impression on the troublemakers.
“What do you think about all this, Georgie? You grew up on a plantation, didn’t you?”
Georgie nodded. “I did. The problem is that people actually think it a fact that they are superior to the ex-slaves. They were brought up that way. They thought of them as property, not as people. The government telling them what to think isn’t going over well. It’s such a mess.” A sad look fell over her features, and she sighed. “My parents were convinced they were right but in the end their way of thinking got them killed. I was always getting in trouble for helping out the slaves where I lived. My kindness was paid back and then some. I’d be dead or raped if not for them. We worked together to survive the last year. Then the taxes were due and rather than money, the tax collector wanted favors of an unspeakable nature. I divided up anything of worth before I left. I wish I could have helped more, but I could barely manage to get myself out of Tennessee. I’m glad Parker plans to hire some of the men, but I’m not naive.” She shuddered and absently rubbed her arms as though chilled. “There will be trouble. Keep your doors locked and a gun near you from now on. I’m going to have Parker get me a gun belt to wear. You should do the same.”
About half a dozen men got on horses and left. Veronica didn’t know them but she felt bad all the same. People had very strong opinions about what should and shouldn’t be done.
“Now we have to take sides against Southerners. When will it all stop?” Veronica asked
“Surely the Union Army will put a stop to it all,” Georgie said.
“I don’t know about in Texas, but in a lot of the other states, the army didn’t think it was their worry. It’s crazy really.”
“I have a bad feeling about this.”
Veronica nodded feeling suddenly chilled. “Me too.”
Chapter Five
Veronica had just tucked Bridey in and was walking out of the bedroom when Max came into the house. He looked tired and worried but he grinned when he saw her.
“Would you like some coffee?” she asked.
He took off his hat and hung it on a peg near the door and then ran his fingers through his hair. “I would like some, thank you.” He sat at the table, and she could feel the warmth of his gaze on her.
She’d never felt the way Max made her feel. Usually a man’s gaze made her skin crawl but not Max’s. He intrigued her, and he made her world feel safer. After setting the cups on the table, she sat across from him.
“I saw six men ride out. Did more leave? How do you know those six won’t join the men with hoods?” She couldn’t seem to stop asking questions. “Does Parker have a plan to have men keep guard at night? What about the cattle? He needs to guard those too.”
“We could have used you in the Confederate Army. You think of everything.” He chuckled for a moment and then grew serious. “The bad part about being far from the town is we couldn’t nip this when it started. From what I’ve learned the men doing this are very tightlipped. Unless we catch them in the act we won’t know who the perpetrators are.” He paused, and his expression grew thoughtful. “Let’s see, no, no one else left tonight. Yes, the six who left are very likely to join in on the violence. Parker is coming up with a long-range plan, but we do have a temporary plan to guard the ranch in place. The cattle have always been guarded. Anything else, my strategic wife?” He took a sip of coffee, and his eyes twinkled at her over the rim of the cup.
“Strategic? I was always told my ideas were stupid and to be quiet. You would have thought I would learn to keep my mouth shut, but I couldn’t help myself. One time, my jaw got hit so hard I couldn’t open it to eat.” She widened her eyes as her heart dropped. “I didn’t mean to tell you that; the part about my jaw that is. Oh, now I’m just rambling.” She balled her hands on her lap, hidden by the table. He must think her an idiot.
“Veronica? You’re not stupid, and your ideas are sound. I’d be pleased if you shared them with me. I’m sorry people were violent with you.”
“It wasn’t just with me. It seemed most of the men in that part of the county I lived in thought it their duty to educate women with their fists. I didn’t suffer more than most.”
“But you’re afraid to have a man touch you.” His voice was soft and his eyes were tender.
The truth was always the right path, but she just couldn’t. “Aye, I am a bit skittish. High strung I guess.” She wrapped both hands around her cup and stared at them.
“Did you and your husband get on fine? Did you have many arguments while you were married?” He gentled his voice even more. “We’re you afraid with him?”
She took a deep breath and let it out very slowly. “I…we…” She glanced out the window before she fastened her gaze on him. “I never lived with my husband. We’d been pledged to each other by our parents when we were young. Harvey was leaving to go to war, and the night before his mother got hysterical and demanded we get married. She wanted an heir in case…” Veronica stood and checked on the fire in the cook stove. She banked it like Max taught her. Finally, she turned back around. “All the younger men were leaving, my pa included. And there was a great amount of merriment going on, and when I was sent to find my husband, he was, well it was obvious it wasn’t me he was interested in. I always knew Harvey was mine but he wasn’t mine. He was loving another when he should have been making me
his wife. I was too heartbroken to say a word. I left without being seen and spent the night in the woods. I couldn’t go home and I couldn’t go to his parents in case he never made it there. Which he didn’t until it was time for him to leave. He went into his house, grabbed his belongings, and left.”
“I’m so sorry.”
“I asked discreetly if he’d looked for me that morning but he hadn’t. I had to write to him. It was my duty but he never wrote back. I never really knew him. If I had I would have known about the girl he had. He’d promised to marry her. Harvey was killed a year into the war and the truth came out and I was blamed for not being woman enough to hold on to my man.” Memories came surging back, and the humiliation came with it. “I would have thought the girl he’d been with would have been the one to carry the shame of it all but they hung it all on me. I was told that no one wanted me and I’d spend my days as a lonely widow that no one wanted to be seen with.”
She took her cup to the sink and rinsed it out. “I’m so tired, Max. I’m going to bed. Bridey will be up for her feeding soon enough.” He knew her first fall from grace, and he hadn’t said much of anything. It didn’t bode well for when she told him about Bridey.
* * *
Max ran his hand over his face. What a mess! He’d bet anything that more than just that Harvey and the girl he was having relations with had known what was going on. Small communities seemed to have a way of knowing everyone’s business. Heck, her parents might have known. It sounded as if no one stuck up for Veronica. A married girl with a wedding night spent alone in the woods. There was nothing sadder. What happened to the girl who easily gave herself to Harvey? His jaw tightened. How humiliating it must have been for Veronica to have been blamed for Harvey stepping out on her.
Veronica was too young to carry such a burden. If only the war hadn’t happened. Then again in her situation, things might not have gone too differently for his wife. Wife. He’d never given having one much thought.
Shattered Trust: Mail Order Brides of Spring Water Book Two Page 4