by Janice Hanna
The cow let out a somber moo, and she reached over the side of the corral to pat her on the side. “Don’t worry, old girl. You’ll be in Texas soon, served up as a steak on some cowboy’s table. All of this will just be a distant memory.”
Another moo came from the cow.
“I know, I know. Well, look on the bright side—Texas is much warmer in the winter than Colorado. And who knows, maybe I’ll end up going with you.”
Yes, a trip to Texas sounded mighty good right about now. Mighty good. In Texas, no one suspected her of being a woman of ill repute. No, in Texas, folks were kind and courteous to strangers, unlike the ladies from the Estes Park Women’s League.
Then again, if she went to Texas, she wouldn’t be able to kiss Gilbert Parker. Well, that settled it. She would stay in Estes Park.
“Guess I’d better be going, Pa.”
“Keep a stiff upper lip, Lottie,” he said and then turned back to his work.
She gave the cow one last glance, a niggling fear setting in. Even in a field with dozens of cows milling about, something about this one tugged at her heart. After a moment of pondering, she realized why.
“Oh, no!” She turned to her father and pointed at the cow, horrified by her revelation. “Pa? Is that…?”
He nodded. “Yes, sweet stuff, it is. But I paid a fair price for her, and Jeb really sounded like he needed the money. I wanted to help him out.”
“Oh, Pa!” Lottie didn’t try to stop the flow of tears. With her heart in her throat, she ran all the way back to Parker Lodge.
THIRTEEN
FOILED AGAIN
Folks, we decided to offer a primer on the melodrama, for those who are unfamiliar with its components. A good theatrical has a story line with several twists and turns meant to leave the audience members on the edges of their seats. As for the characters, you will find a strong hero—charming and handsome, of course, but slightly flawed. The story’s heroine will discover her strengths through the many trials she faces. And the villain? Well, like all villains, he/she threatens to destroy the hopes and dreams of the other characters. When does this villain appear? We’re learning that adversaries abound even before the curtain rises. To find out more, you will have to purchase a ticket. They will be available for purchase starting the first week in July. —Your friends at Parker Lodge
WHEN LOTTIE ARRIVED BACK at Parker Lodge, she found the ladies finishing up their breakfast. Her heart skipped to her throat when she saw Gilbert seated next to Cornelia, who gushed over him as he shared the plan of action about the pie parlor. Cornelia, in typical fashion, hung on his every word, her eyelashes batting with abandon.
Lottie tried to get Gil’s attention. She wanted to talk with him about Jeb and Katie Sue, but clearly now was not the time. Maybe she could catch him later in the day.
Flossie approached with a let’s-get-down-to-business expression on her face. “Lottie, we’ve sent Grace to town to shop for fabrics for costumes. She should be back in an hour or so, and I’d like to take advantage of the time to show you some sketches she’s done. Costume sketches, I mean. She’s quite good, and we’re lucky to have her.”
“Costumes? Already?”
“Well, of course. I’ve learned the hard way that waiting until the last minute for costumes is always a bad idea. The actors and actresses need to become familiar with their props and costumes long before opening night. Doing so will make them more comfortable. So, I figured we might as well get a start on the sewing.”
Lottie’s mouth gaped. “But the money…I mean, we don’t have a budget for costumes just yet.”
“Never you mind that.” Flossie waved her hand. “I took out a line of credit at the general store. Figured we’d have the money to pay for the fabrics and other essentials by the time the bill came due.”
A wave of nausea passed over Lottie. She pinched her eyes shut and counted to three. When she opened them, Flossie still stared at her.
“So what do you say? How are your sewing skills?”
“Oh, you know…” She fought to find the words. Terrible. The worst in the county. She said nothing, of course. No point in alarming Flossie any more than necessary.
And so, with Gil and Cornelia chatting merrily about the pie parlor, Lottie shifted her attentions to costumes. In fact, as Cornelia’s giggles resonated across the room, she thanked the good Lord above that she had something else to think about.
“What do you think of this costume for Justin Credible?” Fanny laid a sketch in front of Lottie.
“I think it’s amazing.” She picked up the paper and stared at the costume. “Do you really think we can make this?”
“Of course. We’ve learned quite a few tricks of the trade over the years, so I feel sure we can pull it off.” Flossie shuffled through the pages until she came up with one that featured a gorgeous green gown. “And what about this one? We envision this to be the dress Patricia wears in a scene near the beginning of the show. Do you like it?”
Lottie gasped. “Oh, it’s the prettiest dress I’ve ever seen.” Her heart quickened as she stared at the picture. What would it feel like, to wear a dress like that?
Grace arrived in short order, loaded down with fabrics wrapped in paper and tied up with string. One by one she revealed the colorful pieces, giggling the whole time. She held up a piece of dark blue fabric and smiled. “I thought this color would look good on Chauncy.” Her cheeks turned pink. “I think he’ll make a nice dance partner for the square-dancing scene. He’s not the most graceful fella I’ve ever met, but he’s quite handsome, if you think about it.”
“Honey, if you have to think about it, he’s not handsome.” Fanny chuckled. “But I think I see what you mean.”
Lottie got a kick out of that one. Her thoughts traveled back to Gil, of course. Wasn’t he the handsomest man in Estes Park? And didn’t he have the softest lips? She did her best not to giggle as she relived the morning’s kiss once again.
“With some of these men, you have to look past a few things— whiskery faces, hair in need of trimming, rugged clothes and boots. But I think I’m learning that some things are worth looking past.” Grace smiled. “Does that make sense?”
“Yes, of course. Sounds like that’s just a fancy way of saying you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover.” Fanny winked. “Sometimes the story inside is really lovely, if you take the time to read it.”
“Oh, I’m taking the time to read it.” Grace’s hand went to her mouth as if to cover up the words she’d just spoken. A giggle followed as she pulled her hand away. “Well, you know what I mean. And I can honestly say that the cover is looking more and more handsome with each passing day, as well.”
Lottie reached over to pat her on the arm. “I suspected as much.”
“I’ve asked him to come early so that we can rehearse that big dance number. It’s been giving him a little trouble.” Her cheeks turned the prettiest crimson color. “He seemed happy to oblige.”
“No doubt.” Lottie wanted to say so much more. She wanted to tell Grace that love was grand, that heroes really did exist, whiskery faces or not. Every time she started to open her mouth to share her thoughts, however, she remembered the expression in Gil’s eyes when he gazed at Cornelia. That stopped her cold.
Flossie headed off to the kitchen to fix a cup of tea, and Fanny gave the ladies a concerned look. “I do wonder if all this talk about love is bothering my sister.”
“Why would it?” Grace asked.
“Oh, honey, Flossie was in love once. You’ve heard me refer to a production we did back in ’03, no doubt. It was really more of a vaudeville act. We traveled with several other actors, of course. One of them was a handsome fella named Gene Westin. Let me tell you, that man was something special to look at.”
“Really?”
“Oh yes. He had the prettiest eyes I’ve ever seen on a fella, and his perfect mustache looked like something out of a picture book. In one of the little skits we did, he played the part of a general
in the War between the States. Flossie fell head over heels for the fella. I’ve never seen her so happy.”
Lottie could hardly believe it. Flossie…in love? “So what happened?”
Fanny sighed. “The show ended and she never worked up the courage to share her feelings with him. I think everyone knew they were meant for each other, but no one piped up and said anything. We ended up getting hired by the traveling show while he went off and did his own one-man show. At first we thought we’d be separated from Gene for a few weeks. But weeks turned into months, and months turned into years. We found out some time later that he had married one of the girls in the chorus line. Honestly, I think it broke Flossie’s heart, though she never speaks of it.”
“How sad.” Grace’s lips turned down in a pout.
“Sadder still to live your whole life locked up by pain when the true source of your problem is the unwillingness to let go of what might’ve been.” Fanny’s eyes filled with tears. “You don’t know how many times I’ve wanted to tell her that living in the present is for the best. I truly think she’s still pining away for that man.”
Ironic. Hadn’t Gilbert wasted precious time, pining away for Winifred?
“We don’t always get a second chance to say what should’ve been said the first time around. That’s why I believe we should share our feelings while we have the chance.” Fanny gave everyone a nod then got back to work.
Flossie returned shortly, and Prudy joined them minutes later. The ladies spent the next hour working hard. With Grace’s help, they cut out paper patterns for the various costumes and got busy pinning them to the fabrics. The work distracted Lottie and kept her from thinking about Gil. Mostly.
Around eleven o’clock, a yummy aroma permeated the room.
Fanny glanced up from her work and sniffed the air. “Mmm. Do you smell that?”
Lottie paused and drew in a breath. “Yum. Mrs. Parker and Hannah have already started making pies. Smells like coconut.”
“And something fruity,” Grace added. “Maybe lemon?”
“I love lemon meringue pie.” Flossie rubbed her stomach. “Hope we’re able to keep on working with pies baking in the next room.”
“Me too.” Fanny looked worried. “I might just have to run in there and grab a slice.”
“I have a feeling we’re going to get used to the smell of pies baking after a while,” Lottie said.
Grace nodded. “Yes, I heard Hannah say that she wanted to try her hand at a couple of new recipes. I can hardly wait.”
Mrs. Parker came into the room minutes later, all abuzz with excitement. “Ladies, I hope you don’t mind sandwiches again. I know we had them for lunch yesterday.”
“And at our midnight supper club,” Fanny whispered and then gave Lottie a playful wink.
“Hannah and I are just so busy with this pie-parlor idea that I haven’t had time to cook anything,” Mrs. Parker added. “But there’s good news! Gilbert has reached Jeb Otis, and he will be cooking your dinner tonight. In fact, he’ll be making all of your meals from this point on while I focus on pies.”
Fanny let out a quiet, “Praise the Lord!” which Mrs. Parker appeared not to hear. Lottie concentrated on the fabrics, not wanting to give anything away with her expression.
“Anyway, I do apologize for the sandwiches,” Mrs. Parker said. “But I understand Jeb will be roasting chickens for dinner and making his famous Southwestern beans.” She turned on her heel and headed back to the kitchen.
Fanny sighed. “I always did love a man who could cook.”
Hearing the words “man” and “love” caused Lottie to think about Gilbert once again, of course. In spite of her attempts not to dwell on him, she’d thought of little else all morning. Still, he was conspicuously absent from their little sewing party, no doubt busy elsewhere. Strange, that Cornelia hadn’t offered to help with the sewing, either. Lottie tried to push aside the feelings of jealousy that wrapped themselves like tendrils around her heart every time she thought of the way Cornelia gazed at Gilbert.
Oh well. Soon enough everyone would know that Lottie and Gil were a couple. She hoped so, anyway.
The ladies took a break for lunch at noon, though Gil seemed to be avoiding Lottie. She couldn’t quite make sense of it. Was he trying to keep their relationship a secret, perhaps? Likely. She wanted to take the seat next to him at the lunch table but found it occupied by Cornelia. Naturally.
Grace invited Lottie to join her at another table, and before long they were in an intense conversation about costumes once again. Flossie shared her plans to sew Gilbert’s Justin Credible costume right away, explaining that the more they could get done before tonight’s rehearsal, the better.
True to form, after swallowing down a bit of food, she got right back to work. Fanny and Grace seemed anxious to get back to it too. Lottie joined them for a while but eventually headed off to the cabins to perform her usual afternoon chores.
She kept a watchful eye on the clock as the hours ticked by and wondered what time Jeb would show up to cook dinner. He came whistling across the property around three thirty. Lottie managed to catch up with him before he entered the lodge.
“Jeb.”
He turned and flashed a smile. “Hi, Lottie. Wasn’t sure I’d see you till tonight at dinner.”
“Yes, I’ve been here all day. Well, mostly. I had to run home this morning to fetch my script.” She paused. “And that’s what I want to talk to you about. When I went home, I…well…something happened. Or, rather, I saw something. Something of yours.”
He gave her a curious look.
“Tell me what happened with Katie Sue, Jeb,” she said after a moment.
“Katie Sue?” Jeb’s eyes glistened. “What brought her up?”
“Jeb, I—”
He put up his hand and kept walking toward the lodge. “I don’t want to talk about it. Let’s just say she’s moved on to higher pastures.”
“Jeb, I know all about it. I saw her just this morning. My pa was…” She decided not to finish the sentence. If he knew Katie Sue was headed off to Texas to become some rich man’s steak, it would probably be the end of him.
“What were you saying, Lottie?” he asked.
“Oh, well, I was saying that Katie Sue looked like she fit right in with the other cows.” Lottie offered a strained smile.
He stopped walking and turned her way. “Breaks my heart to let her go. It really does. But what can I do? I needed the money for all of this…” He gestured at the lodge. “To help cover the costs of the ladies being here. I don’t have extra money like some of the fellas, so I have to do what I can to get by.”
Lottie placed her hand on his arm. “I can’t imagine you without Katie Sue, Jeb. She’s your most valuable possession.”
He shrugged. “Not the most valuable. My friendships are more valuable.”
“Still…” She followed him inside and watched as he went to work cooking the evening meal. Jeb never stopped talking, mostly about Katie Sue. He grew quite somber when the conversation shifted and he ended up talking about the losses he’d faced in his personal life—losing his wife and a young daughter to influenza many years ago. Lottie’s heart grew heavy. No wonder he’d been so attached to Katie Sue. She really was all he had left. Hearing his testimony— as he called it—put everything in perspective.
At five thirty, Lottie headed out to the dining hall to help Flossie, Grace, and Fanny clean up the mess they’d made cutting out and sewing costumes, and at six o’clock, all the ladies gathered in the dining hall for their first real home-cooked meal.
“Anyone hungry?” Jeb stood before them with a platter full of roasted chicken.
“Are we ever!” Fanny sat at the table, her fork in one hand and her knife in the other. “Bring it on, Mr. Otis!”
Lottie had the strangest feeling that Fanny’s words had some sort of double meaning. Based on the crooked smile on Jeb’s face, the two had some sort of secret.
Not that Jeb’s cook
ing skills were any secret. Why, the chicken practically melted in her mouth.
After the meal, Hannah and Mrs. Parker handed out giant slices of pie—some chocolate, some coconut, and some apple. Then, just about the time Lottie wished she could curl up for a long nap, it was time for rehearsal to begin. She helped Mrs. Parker and Jeb clear the dishes then called the room to attention by clapping her hands.
The cast members gathered around her, ready to begin. Still, one person was conspicuously absent. Lottie glanced around, confused. “Where’s Gil?”
“He’s in the other room, changing into that Justin Credible costume we’ve been sewing all day,” Fanny said. “Grace wants to hem the pants so we can focus on the green dress tomorrow.”
“I see.” Lottie clapped her hands again. “Okay, everyone. We’ve got a lot to do tonight. We’re going to block the first couple of scenes.”
“What does ‘block’ mean, Lottie?” one of the local boys asked.
“It means I’m going to show you exactly where to stand on the stage and when to move. You want to do what comes most naturally to you, of course. That means you can’t just stand there. You’ve got to match your movements to the character’s personality and motives, if that makes sense.”
Lottie spent the next few minutes talking about the various characters. Just about the time she got the actors onto the stage for the opening scene, a stirring at the door on the opposite side of the dining hall distracted her. Her heart gravitated to her throat when she saw a familiar young woman standing there with tears streaming down her face.
Springing from her seat, Lottie sprinted to the door. “Winnie?” She stared at her older sister, thinking for a moment she’d seen an apparition.
Winnie threw herself into Lottie’s arms. “Don’t ask me any questions, Lottie! And whatever you do, don’t let Mama hear that I’ve been crying. She can’t know that…” Her words faded away. “Anyway, she can’t know anything’s wrong. I want her to think I’ve come home for a little visit, that’s all.”