Golden Chances

by Rebecca Hagan Lee

  “Well, what’s wrong with her?” Charlie wanted to know. “Should I send somebody for Dr. Kevin?”

  Reese shook his head. “No, it’s…” He looked around at Sam, Joe, and the ranch hands. He cleared his throat. “I…um…overreacted. It’s her…woman’s…complaint.” He practically whispered the words.

  The men seated at the table shifted uncomfortably in their chairs, their faces stained with embarrassment.

  “Well,” Charlie said, “if that’s all it is, we can fix it.” He spoke to Sarah in Cherokee. She nodded in agreement and left the kitchen.

  “What’s the remedy?” Reese couldn’t contain his curiosity.

  “You’ll see.” Charlie smiled, “I’m an old hand at this. I have two women of my own.” He looked fondly at his daughter, Mary, and wife, Sarah, who returned to the kitchen carrying Reese’s decanter of French brandy.

  She poured a half a pot of tea, added a generous helping of honey, then topped off the pot with brandy. Sarah placed it on a tray with a plate of fried bread and handed to Mary.

  “She’ll sleep like a baby,” Charlie predicted, “and feel much better when she wakes up.”

  The other men seated at the table took careful note of the remedy.

  It was the last time Faith needed it. She didn’t miss another breakfast.

  Chapter Twenty

  The pace of the ranch was slow in winter, the weather, unpredictable. The days were short, and the nights long. But there was still work to be done. Reese spent long hours at his desk tending to the working of the ranch and his other business interests. There was much to be done before spring, when much of his time would be spent in rounding up the herd of Texas longhorns roaming the open range.

  Faith spent her time tending to the hundred little distractions and details Reese was too busy to tackle. The rest of her time was devoted to Joy, and to her lessons. Her nights belonged to Reese.

  It was an arrangement that worked well. Neither, Reese nor Faith questioned the duration. It was too easy to pretend their time together would never come to an end.

  * * *

  Trail T Ranch

  Cheyenne, Wyoming Territory

  March, 1870

  Dear Aunt Tempy, Aunt Virt, Hannah and Agnes,

  Joy and I are well. Wyoming is beautiful, though the weather is unpredictable. One moment the sun is shining and warm, and in the next, there is snowfall, of blizzard proportions. Cheyenne, the largest town nearby is small and new. A real Western boomtown. Not at all like Richmond.

  Joy is the proud owner of a Shetland pony named Brutus. She is learning to ride and enjoys it very much, though I fear she’ll never have a proper seat. We ride together when weather permits, but only on the ranch grounds. The countryside is lovely, but there are all sorts of dangers. I’ve enrolled her in the school here on the ranch. Mr. Alexander’s sister, Mary Alexander, is the teacher. She excels in teaching languages. Joy and I are learning French and Spanish.

  Everyone living here on the ranch is family, except Joy and myself. They are all very nice people. Sarah is quite a cook. Hannah would like her. And Mary and I sew together.

  My work is very easy, even enjoyable. I enjoy taking care of the children and supervising the staff. In addition to Joy, and my charge, there are two other children on the ranch. Taking care of them is very simple.

  The year is passing very quickly. I will be home before you know it. I enclose drawings of the ranch and its inhabitants from Joy.

  Most of the sketches are of Brutus. We send our love and we hope everything is going well. How is the new roof? Take care of yourselves.

  My best to all,

  Faith.

  Faith quickly sealed the letter, hiding the half-truths and vague descriptions. She wanted to write the complete truth, but evasions were necessary. She couldn’t bear to describe Reese or her feelings for him in a letter that would be read by the Richmond Ladies Sewing Circle and repeated by Aunt Virt to gossips like Lydia Abbott. She didn’t dare breathe the true nature of their relationship. Aunt Tempy knew the truth. That was enough.

  Thinking of Tempy, Faith pulled out another sheet of paper.

  She wrote a brief note meant only for Tempy’s eyes: It’s done. I’ll keep you informed as time progresses. Love to you, Faith.

  She folded the note into an envelope and addressed it to Temperance, then placed it with the other for mailing.

  * * *

  March drifted into April, the days passing, one much like the other until the morning of the second week. Faith awakened in Reese’s arms, sat up in bed, and barely made it to the basin in time.

  Reese was one step behind her, holding her head, wiping her face, when the spasms ended. “Better?”

  She nodded, reaching for her toothbrush and tooth powder.

  “I was hoping we were going to miss this stage.” Reese murmured, smoothing back her tangled hair, kissing her ear. He poured a glass of water from the pitcher and handed it to her.

  Faith rinsed her mouth. “What stage?”

  “The morning sickness.” Reese told her. “Sweetheart,”—the endearment had become second nature to Reese—“you and I are going to have a baby.”

  “How long have you known?” she asked.

  “Just as long as you have.” He scooped her up in his arms and carried her back to bed. “Your body has changed. Your breasts are tender. Your waist a bit thicker.”

  Faith frowned at him, her hands going to her waist.

  Reese smiled, “It’s a subtle change,” he assured her. “One only a thorough and extremely ardent lover would notice. Were you hoping to keep it a secret?” He wouldn’t blame her if she’d contemplated it. It had been a relief not to have to think about the contract for a while. But the brief respite was over. Faith was pregnant.

  “No,” she answered, softly, “I wasn’t trying to keep it a secret. I just needed a little time to get used to the idea.” She glanced up at him, hoping she hadn’t upset him. It had been such a relief not to think about her reason for being in his bed.

  Reese simply nodded, understanding. He needed time to adjust as well.

  “Do you think anyone else knows?” Faith asked.

  “Sarah might suspect, but I don’t think anyone else knows for sure.” Reese lowered himself to the edge of the bed, leaned over, and brushed her forehead with his lips. “Would you feel better if we kept this to ourselves a little longer?”

  Faith nodded.

  “Then that’s what we’ll do.” Reese promised. He got up from the bed and began to dress. A sudden realization took him by surprise. “Except for David. Faith, we have to tell David.” Reese cringed at the thought of her reaction.

  “Yes, I suppose we do.” she agreed. “It is part of the contract.” Her voice quivered a little when she answered.

  The sound of the tremor bothered Reese. He rushed to reassure her. “But we won’t tell anyone else. Not yet, okay?”

  “Okay.” Faith managed a smile.

  “Do you feel up to breakfast?” Reese asked, “I worked up quite an appetite last night.” he teased.

  “I think I can manage.” Faith told him. Her face had regained most of its color. She looked much better. She rolled out of bed, and reached for a dress.

  Reese handed her a dressing gown. “No need to get completely dressed. You can come down to breakfast in your robe this morning.”

  “I’m not going down to breakfast in my dressing gown.”

  Ignoring her protests, Reese swept her off her feet and into his arms.

  “And you certainly aren’t going to carry me down!”

  Her words turned out to be prophetic.

  The smell of fried steak and eggs hit her nostrils before Reese was halfway down the stairs. The blood drained from her face. She swallowed, hard, muttered a strangled, “Reese!” then clamped her jaws firmly shut.

  Reese bolted back up the stairs. Once, again, she barely made it to the basin.

  “I guess breakfast is out.” Reese
murmured, as he tucked her back into bed.

  “You go,” she urged, burrowing into the covers.

  “If you’re sure?”

  “Go.” Faith managed the one word.

  Reese leaned over and touched her cheek. “Sleep. I’ll send up some tea and toast, later.”

  Faith groaned.

  The other members of the family were already seated when Reese entered the dining room.

  “What was all the ruckus?” Charlie asked, “We heard you run up the stairs. Where’s Faith?”

  “Faith isn’t feeling well this morning.” Reese announced.

  The men seated at the table looked at one another, then at Sarah. She nodded, meaningfully. Charlie smiled, walked over to Reese, and slapped him on the back. “Congratulations!”

  Reese started to protest, but his grandfather’s actions stopped him. Duncan pushed back his chair and raised his coffee cup, “I think we might have a wee nip of Scots whisky with our coffee.” He looked to his wife, Elizabeth, for approval. She nodded. “This is a day of celebration. Soon, we’ll be welcoming another member of this family into the world.” A noticeable burr accented his words. “We must plan the formal celebration!”

  Faith was oblivious to the excitement downstairs. She curled up and slept, believing her secret safe for a little while longer.

  Chapter Twenty-one

  It seemed that everyone living on the Trail T threw themselves into the preparations for the upcoming celebration. Although, she wasn’t involved in the actual planning of the party, Faith had been twice as busy as usual seeing to Reese’s comfort and overseeing the household details. Everything had to be perfect for Faith’s introduction to Reese’s friends and associates, many of whom were traveling great distances to attend.

  The celebration at the Trail T Ranch would be the highlight of the Wyoming social season. And although she wasn’t really looking forward to it, Faith knew Reese was, and she thought it a shame David would miss it. He sent his congratulations and apologies, but business in Washington had detained him.

  The night of the party was clear and cool, a beautiful, early spring evening. The lamps sent a pool of golden light spilling out of every window in the main house. A fire roared in the stone fireplace to chase the chill away. The carpets had been rolled up in the dining room and in the main parlor and the connecting doors opened, to allow room for dancing. A small orchestra, brought in from Chicago for the occasion, sat at one end of the room. A buffet table, groaning under the weight of the food and drink, lined the far wall.

  Reese escorted Faith to the landing at the top of the stairs. He paused so Faith could get a bird’s eye view of the illustrious gathering. She was nervous. He could feel her cold hands through her dyed kid gloves.

  “It’s all right,” he murmured, his gaze slowly caressing her. “You look beautiful.”

  “I do?”

  He grinned, allowing her to read his face, the smoldering desire lighting his brown eyes. Reese nodded. “I do like that dress.”

  “I thought you must,” Faith told him, her gray eyes shimmering, “when you asked me to wear it.”

  She wore the same burgundy silk dress she’d had worn to Senator Darcy’s New Year’s Eve reception. It fit her perfectly once Madame LeClerc’s earlier seam adjustments were carefully snipped, allowing an extra inch on each side for her expanding waist and bust. Reese had even laced her into her corset himself, to prevent someone else from lacing her too tightly.

  She sneaked a peek at him from beneath the cover of her long lashes, “And I had my heart set on making a grand entrance wearing something new and daring.”

  “Believe me, sweetheart,” Reese teased, “In that dress, your entrance can’t be anything but grand. And daring. You do fill it out quite nicely.” He ogled the display of her creamy white breasts from his enviable vantage point above her. The dark crevice separating them beckoned to him. His tongue tingled from the need to test its depths. He felt his body tighten in response to the view.

  Reese forced himself to think of his guests and the party. He lifted one of Faith’s gloved hands to his lips and kissed it. “Let’s make that grand entrance.”

  Faith took a deep, calming, breath, then allowed Reese to lead her down the stairs. “I don’t understand why we had to have such a large party,” she whispered. “Wouldn’t a private family celebration have been enough?”

  “Afraid not, Faith,” Reese said. “I didn’t want to risk snubbing any one right now. I have a lot of business interests in the territory and a lot of money at stake. Politics being what they are in Washington right now, I don’t need new enemies.” There was a major push to build Wyoming population, to expand the business interests there and Reese was one of its largest businessmen and main supporters of statehood.

  Reese introduced Faith to the guests. “Ladies, and gentlemen, may I introduce my…” he hesitated, “my cherished helpmate, companion, and mother of my child, Faith Collins…Jordan.”

  Faith stared up at him. She barely heard the clamor of congratulations or the scattered applause when he led her onto the dance floor. Her attention was solely focused on the man beside her.

  He had called her his cherished helpmate. She wanted it to be reality. Her most fervent hope, was to have him ask her to stand beside him in a church. She hated the half-truths she wrote in her letters home and allowed his family to believe, and she knew Reese hated them even more.

  She hated the gold ring she wore on her left hand. It wasn’t hers. It belonged to someone else. She hated that everyone believed Reese had slipped it on her finger. But most of all, Faith hated the contract. Hated her signature at the bottom, hated everything it stood for. Sometimes, she even wished she hadn’t conceived. It hurt too much to live a lie.

  The party progressed at a normal rate, but to Faith it seemed to drag on for days, even weeks. The pleasure she found in Reese’s words faded with each private introduction, each dance. Faith wondered each time she shook someone’s hand, or smiled into their face, what they would think when she abandoned her husband and child. What would they say about her then? What malicious gossip would they spread?

  What would Reese tell them about her? She wished with all her heart Reese hadn’t insisted on having this party. She didn’t want to know these people or remember their kindnesses. She pulled away from him, stumbling in her haste to leave the dance floor.

  “Faith, what is it?” He gazed down at her, alarmed by the sudden pallor of her face. “Are you sick?” She hadn’t been eating well. The bouts of nausea persisted. He had noticed that she hadn’t eaten a thing tonight.

  “No,” She shook her head, panting for breath. Bright spots began to dance before her eyes. She panicked. “I c-can’t…breathe…”

  Reese caught her as she slipped toward the floor. He swung Faith up into his arms. “Somebody find Kevin! He’s here somewhere!” Reese shouted as he headed up the stairs.

  * * *

  Faith opened her eyes. She was in bed. She pushed herself up against the pillows, glancing around, automatically searching for Reese.

  “Here I am.” Reese spoke from a straight-backed chair next to the head of the bed. Her burgundy dress was draped over the back of the chair. Reese was leaning against it, crushing the silk.

  “What happened?” Faith asked.

  “You fainted.” He held up her frilly, white corset. The laces, neatly sliced in two. “I suspect this had something to do with it. I knew better than to let you wear it.”

  Faith smiled, “I had to wear it. I couldn’t fasten your favorite dress if I didn’t.”

  Reese’s face darkened a bit. He was the one who had asked her to wear the damned dress. “Well, since you won’t be wearing this…” He tossed the corset aside, “anytime soon, I’ll just have to order you another burgundy dress in a larger size.”

  “Maybe, even two or three.” Dr. Kevin McMurphy leaned against the doorway smiling at the couple. He walked to the bed and sat down on the edge. He lifted Faith’s
wrist and looked down at his pocket watch, counting heartbeats. When he finished, he looked at Faith. “It must have been a boring party. I understand you fainted to get out of staying to the end. I hear you gave Reese an excuse to leave as well. Sorry I missed it. But I was called out to treat a gunshot wound.” This time the doctor lifted Faith’s hand to his mouth and kissed it. “I’m Kevin McMurphy. Dr. Kevin to friends and patients.”

  “Damn it, Kevin, quit flirting.” Reese ordered. “She’s not impressed.”

  The doctor looked so wounded at Reese’s remark that Faith giggled.

  “That’s better.” Kevin pronounced, “Nothing like a little laughter to stain a lass’s cheeks.” His voice was a musical Irish lilt. “Now, lass, what happened?”

  “She fainted.” Reese replied, shortly.

  Doctor McMurphy shot Reese an annoyed look. He turned back to Faith and addressed his questions to her. “Were you lightheaded? Seeing spots? Having trouble catching your breath?”

  “Yes.” Reese said anxiously, looking at the doctor. “What’s wrong with her?”

  Kevin smiled. He was a devilishly handsome man. He had black hair, lightly sprinkled with gray. His face was sun-bronzed, his dazzling, dark blue eyes framed by a web of lines. Black Irish, Faith thought, conjuring the phrase from the depths of her memory.

  His blue eyes were sparkling with merriment as he looked at Reese. “If the rumors I’m hearing are true, I’d guess she’s expecting a baby.”

  Reese stopped, “That’s why she fainted?”

  “Could be. I’ll know more if you’ll be quiet and let me examine her.” He told Reese, “You always were an impatient cuss. Go wait outside in the hall, if you please.”

  “I don’t please.” Reese said bluntly.

  “Then keep quiet while I examine her.” Doctor McMurphy questioned Faith as he worked. He asked about her eating and sleeping habits, daily routine, morning sickness, and her routine prior to the party. Faith answered as truthfully as possible.

  “How old are you?” Kevin asked Faith.

  She didn’t answer.

  “Twenty-three.” Reese answered for her.

  “You’re thirty-one.” Kevin told Reese. “I know how old you are. I’m asking your wife. Pipe down.” He studied Faith’s downcast eyes. “This is no time for vanity. Are you twenty-three?”