by Paige Powers
Lizbeth, Bryan and Cassie loaded back into the wagon. Bryan happily showed them the general store, the hospital, and the saloon where one could often find a good meal. They rode past the sheriff's office and the telegraph's office and then the market.
It was nice to see the townspeople buzzing about. The activity made everything look lively – like the kind of place where people settled and raised families.
Owen's Bluff still was not Lizbeth's ideal town to settle in. She had yet to see a dress shop that looked like it sold any designs that would be becoming to her own style. As a matter of fact, she had not seen one woman who looked like she had a modicum of flair in the time she had been here. She made a mental note to ask Lily where she could find all the latest in fashion.
"Is there any way we can stop for refreshments?" When Lizbeth spoke, it came out whiny.
"Yes, dear. We can go by the saloon and get a little something. How does that sound?"
Lizbeth continued to fan herself with the fan she held in one hand and held the parasol with the other.
Bryan tilted his hat to the passersby as they approached the saloon.
"Here we are. Maybe we can get a bite to eat as well."
"That sounds wonderful. I am pretty hungry if I do say so myself," Cassie remarked.
Lizbeth just smiled as they entered the establishment.
It was loud, full of ruckus, and crowded, even though it was still pretty early.
"All of this before noon?"
Bryan caught the look of confusion and discomfort on his fiancée's face. He took her by the hand, trying his best to make her feel comfortable.
"Right over here. There is an empty table."
"That will be just fine."
Lizbeth and Cassie took a seat and tried their best to relax until Bryan returned after ordering their food. The food looked just fine when it arrived.
"I hope that it meets your standards, my dear. Cassie."
"This is just fine, Mr. Abbott."
Cassie looked to Lizbeth, with an expression that begged her not to complain.
"Yes, this will do just fine. Let's eat."
"So what do you think thus far about Owen's Bluff?"
When Lizbeth did not answer Bryan, Cassie chimed in. "I think it is a nice town. It really looks like a decent place to settle in."
Lizbeth cut her eyes at Cassie before she herself answered. "It has a certain charm. Not at all what I'm used to, but it will do for now."
"Well, that's more than I would have expected you to say. I'm glad you see the potential. I just want you to feel comfortable here. You too, Cassie."
"My dear Bryan. I understand how you want me to love this place as much as you do. I will try my best, but don't expect any miracles."
Bryan laughed. "I know you pretty well. Not expecting any miracles here. I'll take what I can get."
* * *
By the time they returned back to their home, Bryan had endured a ride of silence. Nothing but the clip-clop of the horse hooves and the wheels of the wagon rolling over rocks in the dirt road.
"I'm absolutely exhausted. This heat is going to positively drain the very life out of me before I know it."
Lizbeth practically hopped down off of the wagon before Bryan had a chance to help her. She breezed past him and walked right into the house.
"If you don't mind, I'm going to take a small nap." She turned and looked him directly in the eye.
"That's fine. I need to put the horses up anyway. Have a restful nap, my dear." Bryan kissed his fiancée on the cheek.
Lizbeth shuffled off to her room before Bryan could say anything else to her. Instead he walked outside and went to tend to the horses.
"I'm so sorry, Cassie. I did not realize you were still out here. Is there anything I can help you with?"
"No. I’m fine." When Cassie spoke, she practically stuttered over her words. It was as if she could not figure out what she was about to say.
"Really? You can ask me anything. Come on." Bryan tried to seem as friendly as possible.
"Alright. I love horses. And I have not been riding in such a long time. I wondered if you would let me take one of the horses for a ride."
"Is that all?"
Cassie eyed him curiously.
"Of course. As a matter of fact, I would love to go with you if you would like."
Happiness showed on Cassie's face. "Really, Mr. Abbott, this is such a pleasure. I appreciate it."
"Please, for the very last time, call me Bryan."
Cassie simply smiled in response.
"Where to?" she asked.
Bryan pulled the saddles out of the back of the wagon.
"There is plenty of open range. I've been wanting to explore it for a while. Would you like to start there?'
"Sounds perfect."
He saddled them up and they were off.
Even though the sun was at its height, Cassie and Bryan seemed to find comfort in the saddle. Bryan had shared one of his large-brimmed hats with her, protecting her from the sun.
"This land is beautiful. It just seems to go on forever and ever."
Bryan looked out at the expanse of the land as Cassie spoke. "I agree. It's one of the things I fell in love with when I came out here to visit my brother – the land. Everything here is so open and so free. Not as stuffy as it is back in Carolina. People are much more laid back here and not so worried about their status in life and who has the most money or anything like that."
They stopped riding just as a clearing came up that led to a shaded area surrounded by a bubbling brook. Cooling trees hung overhead.
"This looks like a perfect place to stop and let the horses drink."
"I agree."
Bryan dismounted and helped Cassie do the same. They allowed the horses to drink freely from the rolling brook as they both strolled near the banks of the stream.
"Do you think you can make yourself comfortable here in Owen's Bluff?"
Cassie smoothed her dress and sat down on the cool grass. "If you asked me that a few months ago, the answer would have been “No”. I was in no way, shape or form looking to move away from home. And if I did, I would have not thought it would be with Lizbeth."
Her gaze was downcast for a moment. She then looked up to continue. "I think it's time for me to find my own way. I'm just not so sure that Ms. Abbott feels the same. If it was up to her, I would be her lady's maid indefinitely."
"What is it that you want to do with yourself, Cassie?'
"I don't believe anyone has ever asked me that before."
Bryan took her by the hand. "Well then, I'll ask it again. What do you want to do with yourself, Cassie?"
For the first time that day, and actually, for the first time ever, Bryan realized how lovely Cassie was. That blonde hair the color of straw, the hazel blue eyes and the dimple in the chin made her the natural beauty that she was.
"I've never really thought about it. I would like to go to university or get some type of schooling at some point. But maybe that is way too ambitious. Lord knows, men don't want a woman that has any education."
"Really? University? What could you possibly want to learn in school?"
The look on Cassie's face showed a feeling of frustration.
"I'm so sorry, Cassie. I did not mean to hurt your feelings."
She shook her head. "It didn't hurt my feelings."
"Would you tell me if it did?"
Cassie looked away. "Probably not."
They both laughed and Bryan was glad that it broke the tension that had formed between them.
"If you had told me this morning that you and I would be out sitting on the bank of this stream, casually having a conversation, I would not have believed you."
"I would not have believed it either," replied Cassie.
"Owen's Bluff is not that bad," he offered.
"I can tell. It seems like a nice place to settle in. And it seems there is a lot more here in store than I anticipated."
Br
yan wondered what she meant by her comment, but he thought it best not to ask.
"What do you say we get back home? I'm sure that Liz is waking up soon and I have to check in with Mr. Bates on my workloads for tomorrow."
Cassie rose from the place where she was seated on the ground. She smoothed her dress. "This place is beautiful. I thank you for this trek because I have found a place here in Owen's Bluff where it is peaceful and quiet. A place I can come to think and relax – my own special little hideaway."
Bryan nodded with a smile. "Beauty is all around this place. And sometimes in the most unexpected places."
They rode back to the house in silence, each of them taking in the sights and sounds of the town, and absorbing what had happened between them that day.
Each of them content to keep their little secret away from Lizbeth.
Chapter 4
Waking up that morning in Owen's Bluff made her life seem all too real. Moving was not exactly what she’d wanted to do, but she had done it and she was not sure exactly why.
Bryan was going to be her husband. He was the man that she chose to marry. He was the man that she agreed to spend the rest of her life with. So why was it that she was having such a hard time accepting the fact that she was going to be away from her friends and family and living in Owen's Bluff?
The way Lizbeth had envisioned her life, she would have the luxury of her father's money, her mother's social status, and life as she knew it would lie at her feet. Bryan was supposed to want to be a part of that life. He was supposed to be enamored by the lifestyle that her family money could offer them.
He was supposed to want to fit into her world. It was not supposed to be the other way around.
She had no desire to fit into his. He came from meager, but respectable beginnings. Why would he not want to step foot into her world?
Lizbeth kept thinking that Bryan would come around and change his mind, but it did not seem like that would be happening any time soon. Not only had he found a job, but he’d found them a house. That meant he was ready to settle and that he wanted her to plan to do so as well. It meant that he was serious about living in Texas and even more serious about not going back to South Carolina.
The home he chose for them was quite cozy. She would be able to add a bit of her own style and flair to it and they could be comfortable. Comfortable was not how she envisioned her life. She deserved more than comfortable. She deserved tailored dresses, perfectly coiffed hairdos, the finest in jewelry, and the finest in everything. It was all she had ever known and all she ever wanted to know.
Bryan would have to drag her kicking and screaming into this mediocre existence. And it was a shame, because she loved him. She wanted him to simply understand that it made no sense for her to live life on his spectrum. Why would anyone want to go from a life of opulence to a life of uncertainty and moderate living? To her, it made absolutely no sense.
Her fiancé was a good man. It was more than she could say for some of the men that her parents proposed she court. Those men were often cold and uncaring. They came from money and had status and that was what they cared about first. They were not concerned about love or the sanctity of marriage. Those men were only concerned with having the proper wife who would manage their social calendar and bear heirs.
That was the downfall to the life she wanted. She wanted the luxury, but not the dark side of it all. And there did not seem to be any middle ground. That was where her idea of introducing Bryan to her world came in.
But he was not going to entertain her ideas. He was not willing to take part in her world.
Instead, he had taken it upon himself to create what he thought should be their own world in Owen's Bluff, Texas.
Lizbeth decided she would deal with it for the moment, and in the interim, until she got her way, life would just be a bit difficult and uncomfortable for the both of them.
* * *
There was a knock at the door. Lizbeth was not expecting company. Cassie had gone out to the garden, leaving her in the house reading a book. The last thing that she wanted was company.
She trudged to the door, half hoping that before she got there, Cassie would appear and open it for her.
When it did not happen, she went ahead and opened the door.
"Hello."
"Hello, Lizbeth?"
Two women were standing at the door.
"Yes. How can I help you?"
"I'm Sarah and this is Lily. We hope that we are not intruding."
"No. I was just reading a book. Why don't you come on in?"
Lizbeth stepped to the side to let the women in. The woman who introduced herself as Sarah was a middle-aged pretty woman. She had a soft face and a calming voice. The woman who was introduced as Lily wore her sable-colored hair in a long braid. She was naturally beautiful and her smile was infectious.
"Thank you." The women entered the home, Lily holding a baby and with a young boy in tow. Lizbeth was never much for children. She was a bit uncomfortable with children as she did not ever feel that she knew how to care for them.
"Please have a seat. Can I get you something cool to drink?"
"That would be lovely," replied Sarah. "We also brought you some tea cakes." She offered Lizbeth the basket.
"This is wonderful. I will set some out now."
It was refreshing to have some company. Lizbeth was always happy to host an event and when she thought about it, it was nice to have some company to entertain other than Cassie and Bryan.
She set about fixing some tea to go with the cakes and brought in a fresh pitcher of lemonade.
Lily rocked the sleeping baby and quieted the small boy while Lizbeth poured the refreshments.
"Lily, it's so nice to finally meet you. When Bryan brought us by yesterday, you had already gone to market."
"Yes, it was too bad that we missed you."
Sarah sat at the edge of her seat and sipped her lemonade. "We wanted to make sure that you felt welcomed in Owen's Bluff. It is a beautiful place. We love it here and hope that you will as well."
Lizbeth tried to remain as neutral as possible. "I have not really gotten a chance to enjoy all that it has to offer, so I can't quite judge yet."
Sarah and Lily glanced at each other.
"Well, I'm sure you will have plenty of time to enjoy it," Lily replied.
"So, how were your travels?" Sarah asked.
"Luckily I had a companion. My lady's maid Cassie made the trip with me. She was such a sweetheart. She kept me occupied the entire time and I was ever so grateful."
A pleasant smile spread across Sarah's lips. "That's so nice."
The baby began to whimper as Lily tried to soothe her.
"Your little one is so precious. And I see that my husband's nephew looks just like him and his brothers."
"Adam is a joy," Lily replied with a smile. "And this little one here, she keeps me busier than I ever imagined."
Lizbeth bit into the tea cake. She wanted to make sure her guests were happy and content in her home.
"These tea cakes are wonderful. Who made them?"
"Oh, that was Miss Sarah. She is a wonderful cook."
Lizbeth thanked Sarah for her hospitality. "I understand that Bryan and I are invited to dinner at your house this evening, Sarah. If these tea cakes are any indication of what to expect for dinner, we are in for quite a treat."
"What a compliment. Our home is always open. When Brent came to Owen's Bluff, he was not only an employee of the sheriff's office, but we took him into our home as if he was a son. When he met and fell in love with Lily, we were so happy for him. It seemed like she was his completion. And now with Bryan moving here, we would like to extend the same invitation to you and him both.
"Sam is a native and I myself remember what it was like to move to a new home. My family came here from North Carolina, ready to settle out West and find a new life. I practically grew up here. I know how different the West can be from living in the Carolinas."
"Well, I see that we have a lot in common."
"Miss Sarah was so kind to Brent and she has opened her home to me as well. She helps us with little Adam here and well, she and the sheriff have helped my family out in more ways than one."
Sarah gently placed her hand on Lily's. "Like I said, around here, we are a pretty tight-knit community. We care for one another and look after one another."
"I thank you for that, ladies." Lizbeth set her glass down, folded her hands in her lap, and waited for the other ladies to catch her signal.
"Lily, I think we have taken up enough of Lizbeth's time. We will see you tonight at six o'clock for dinner?"
"Most certainly. We will be there."
Lizbeth saw the ladies out and bid them farewell.
She was happy with her first opportunity to entertain. Of course it was nothing like the extravagant affairs she had hosted back home, but one had to start somewhere.
* * *
A stroll in the garden was in order. She had not really taken the time to come outside much because the stifling heat created an aversion for her. Cassie raved about how beautiful the space was, so there was no better time to find out if it lived up to what Cassie said about it.
Besides that, she was trying her hardest to find something redeeming about living here in Owen's Bluff. So far, despite having her own home, a fiancé that adored her, and potential friends that were welcoming, she still had not found the thing that would make her want to stay in Owen's Bluff.
The air was refreshing, but still a bit heavy as she stepped outside. She raised her parasol and began her stroll. She spotted Cassie over near the roses.
"So, I see you have found a spot that you enjoy."
Cassie looked up at her. "It's gorgeous out here. Things are well tended to."
Lizbeth took a moment to admire her surroundings. The colors were amazing and the layout was immaculate. Besides that, it was quiet and absolutely lovely.
"We have dinner this evening with Bryan's brother. Would you like to go with us?"
"No. I think I will stay behind and get a bit of rest. You and Bryan need to be able to spend a bit of time together alone as a couple. I hope you enjoy yourself."