Capturing the Cook

by Kirsten Osbourne

The problem was that James lived in California—and Ashleigh knew from Ernie that she and her cousins could never set foot there. Ashleigh felt there was so much pressure on her that she might burst.

  The door to Graham’s Grub swung open, and William hobbled in. It had been more than two weeks since his accident, but his ankle still pained him. Ashleigh knew he wouldn’t be ready to go to California any time soon.

  “Let’s go.” William nodded to Ashleigh, and Ashleigh met him at the front entrance. He pushed the door open for her, and Ashleigh took his arm.

  “How are you feeling today?” Ashleigh asked politely.

  William only grunted.

  They were mostly silent the entire way back to the boardinghouse. Before they entered the door, William pulled an envelope out of his coat pocket. “I nearly forgot—this arrived for you.”

  Dearest Ashleigh,

  I am sorry to hear of your cousin William’s injury. I hope he makes a quick and complete recovery, as each day your journey is delayed is another day I must wait until I see you at last. I anxiously await our meeting in person. I have so enjoyed getting to know you by letter. I have something to ask you, and I have prayed on it long and hard. I hope you will not be upset with me or think I am asking too much.

  Ashleigh, will you marry me?

  Yours,

  James Pendergrast

  Ashleigh gasped as the letter fluttered out of her hands and onto the ground.

  William bent down to pick it up, and Ashleigh saw him wince in pain.

  She knelt down and picked the letter back up. “I’m sorry, I just—”

  “What is it?” William asked, but he was focused on the door, opening it for Ashleigh and letting her walk into the boardinghouse first.

  Ashleigh couldn’t believe that James had proposed in his letter. Getting married and starting a family was all she had ever dreamed of since she was a small girl. Though she didn’t have siblings growing up, she knew that she’d have more than one child, so her children could have what her cousins had always had.

  But something didn’t feel right. For one thing, she had never met James in person. She didn’t know what he looked like or how he behaved. He wrote lovely letters, and they seemed to have common interests, but was it enough?

  The other, bigger problem, was that he lived in California. Marrying James would certainly necessitate moving to California as soon as possible. But Ernie had warned her that if that happened, awful things would happen to her cousins. She couldn’t allow that to happen.

  Ashleigh felt a wave of panic rising up in her chest. Tears welled up in her eyes.

  “Ashleigh, what’s wrong?” William asked, genuinely concerned.

  “James Pendergrast—he proposed to me in his letter!” Ashleigh exclaimed. She was still in shock. Knowing the man had proposed had told her all she needed to know. She didn’t want to marry him! She wanted to marry only Alexander.

  “We should leave for California at once then,” William declared.

  “Aren’t you surprised?” Ashleigh asked. William was acting like he had already read the letter.

  “Yes, of course I’m surprised!” William said after a brief hesitation.

  Ashleigh and William walked further into the boardinghouse. Philip and Gilbert sat at a table together, talking and laughing. When Gilbert saw them, he waved them over.

  “Settle a bet,” Gilbert announced as Ashleigh took a seat. “Who do you think will get a job faster in California, Philip or me?”

  Ashleigh smiled. “I hope you two aren’t actually betting! That doesn’t seem like you. And besides, I would never answer that question. All three of my cousins are equally capable of finding well-paying jobs, no matter where we live.”

  “Ashleigh’s had news from California,” William said in an exaggerated fashion.

  Ashleigh sighed and looked down at the floor. She knew she should be ecstatic that a wealthy lawyer had proposed marriage, but all she felt was confusion and fear.

  “What kind of news?” Philip asked stiffly. Gilbert looked away.

  William looked at Ashleigh. “Tell them, cousin.”

  “Mr. Pendergrast has proposed marriage to me,” Ashleigh said in a soft voice.

  “That’s wonderful,” Philip said, still sounding a bit unsure. “That means we should leave for California soon, doesn’t it? As soon as William’s leg is healed.”

  Ashleigh frowned. “That’s what William said, too. I’m not sure.”

  “What aren’t you sure about?” William asked, shocked. “We need to go there immediately. Who knows, if you wait too long, Mr. Pendergrast could change his mind.”

  Gilbert glared at William, but William only smiled. “We should celebrate!” William continued.

  “Celebrate?” Ned walked over to the Steepletons’ table. “What’s the occasion?”

  “Ashleigh’s engaged to a wealthy businessman from California!” William declared.

  Now it was Ashleigh’s turn to stare at William with disdain. She considered her correspondence with James a private, personal matter. Although she cared for Ned, she didn’t want all of the guests at the boardinghouse to know about James and his proposal. “I haven’t accepted yet,” Ashleigh said, but no one was paying attention.

  “You’re engaged? Oh, my goodness! I’ll have to bake a cake this evening to celebrate!” Becky rushed over, her baby crawling quickly after her. “Mrs. Franklin will be sorry she missed all this excitement when she returns.”

  “Oh, no, Becky, please, don’t go to any trouble!” Ashleigh pleaded. She hated the idea of others fussing over her. “I don’t need anything like that.”

  “Nonsense,” Becky replied. “I’m going to start baking right now!” Becky disappeared into the kitchen, scooping up the baby on her way out.

  Ashleigh noticed that Gilbert looked just as uncomfortable as she felt. She smiled at him, but Gilbert only looked away. Ashleigh wondered what was troubling him. Gilbert was usually so happy and carefree.

  Ned patted Ashleigh on the shoulder. “Congratulations, dear. I’ll miss you when you all go to California. We’ve gotten used to having you here.”

  “I’ll miss you, too, Ned,” Ashleigh said sadly. She really would miss him. He was such a sweet and thoughtful man.

  Ned smiled and wandered off to another table, sitting down with some of the other long-time boarders.

  Ashleigh turned to her cousins. “I don’t think we should go to California right away. I need a few more months in Colorado. I’d like to gain more experience working in the restaurant.” Ashleigh held her breath and waited for her cousins to respond. She was taking a chance, but she had thought about it and this seemed like the most logical explanation.

  William was not impressed. “Why would you need restaurant experience? You’ll have wifely duties and children. You won’t need to work.”

  “But the Grahams need me. There aren’t many young, unmarried women in town who are able to work in the kitchen. I want to give them enough notice that I’m leaving,” Ashleigh continued.

  “Then give them notice now,” William said. “I don’t understand, Ashleigh. Don’t you want to go to California?”

  Ashleigh sighed. “It’s hard to explain, William. But our family has been through so much. Too much change all at once can be detrimental. I want to make sure that we’re doing what’s right for all of us.”

  “But what about James Pendergrast?” William asked. “Do you not want to get married?”

  “Please, William, stop that,” Gilbert said sharply.

  Ashleigh was surprised at his tone of voice.

  “We don’t want to make you do something you’re uncomfortable with,” William told Ashleigh. “But we need to get on our way. If we wait too long, there won’t be any opportunities left there.”

  Ashleigh nodded. “I’ll think on it,” she promised, and she meant it. Suddenly, Ashleigh felt feverish and tired. “I’m going to go to my room and lie down before dinner,” she told her cousins. She quickl
y walked up the stairs and into her room.

  She didn’t know what had come over her. As she opened the door and stepped into the room, she saw Ernie sitting on her bed, one leg crossed over the other. Ashleigh shouted in surprise.

  “Don’t make such a commotion. The other guests will hear you!” Ernie scolded.

  “You startled me! You shouldn’t do that to a person,” Ashleigh fired back.

  Ernie smirked. “You’re in a bad mood today.”

  “That’s right, I am!” Ashleigh cried. “First, Alexander treats me like I’m an annoyance at work all day. Then, a man I’ve never met proposes marriage in a letter. Finally, the three people I love most in the world try to convince me to uproot my life and move to California, which you’ve told me will only lead to death and despair! Am I supposed to be in a good mood?”

  Ernie was taken aback by Ashleigh’s outburst. “I didn’t realize you were so upset.”

  Ashleigh tried to catch her breath. “I only want to be alone now. Why don’t you just leave?”

  “But I’m here to help you! That’s the whole point!” Ernie protested.

  “You don’t seem to be doing a very good job of that.” Ashleigh walked over to the bed and plopped down next to Ernie, crossing her arms. “Maybe I don’t need an angel. Maybe you should just leave me alone.”

  “Now, wait just a moment before you go insulting me,” Ernie said angrily. “You don’t know half the things I know!”

  “What is that supposed to mean?” Ashleigh huffed.

  “It means you should listen to me because I know a whole lot more than you do,” Ernie said crossly.

  “Unbelievable,” Ashleigh muttered.

  “What’s that?” Ernie asked.

  “How on earth did I manage to end up with the most crotchety, cranky guardian angel?” Ashleigh wailed, looking at the ceiling in despair. Weren’t angels supposed to be helpful?

  “I refuse to sit here and be insulted,” Ernie said hotly, standing up.

  “Then maybe you should leave,” Ashleigh said flatly.

  “You know, you’re no peach yourself, Ashleigh!” Ernie began. “Other people actually listen to their angels and pay attention to them. You’ve fought me at every twist and turn. You can’t blame me for your life not going perfectly!”

  “Last time I listened to you, Ernie, I ended up being attacked by the masked men!” Ashleigh cried.

  Ernie’s eyes widened. “That wasn’t my fault, Ashleigh! I had no way of knowing that would happen. It’s not fair for you to bring that up.”

  For a moment, Ashleigh almost felt sorry for Ernie because he looked genuinely stung by her words. But then she remembered how grumpy and argumentative he could be. She didn’t need him in her life. “You’ve only brought trouble to me, ever since I met you. I already have people who look out for me. I call them cousins!”

  “I won’t stay here and listen to you say bad things about me. But I will tell you this. You should spend some time listening to your beloved cousins and what they’re planning for you. I think you’ll be quite surprised,” Ernie said with his nose turned up in the air. As soon as he’d finished speaking, he disappeared.

  All alone in her room, Ashleigh began to cry. The tears started as a few drops, but quickly turned into wracking, heavy sobs. Why was everything going wrong all at once?

  Even if Ernie hadn’t warned her against it, she had never been truly excited about going to California. She liked her life in Creede. Leaving Stillwater had been hard enough. She didn’t want to leave her new job or the friendships she’d made. She also worried that her cousins would be caught up in greed if they went to California. It seemed like everyone she’d encountered who planned to go there cared only about money.

  Ashleigh’s parents had always worked hard to make sure she never had to want for anything. They had also taught her that there was a difference between earning money to support a family and wanting money simply to be able to spend or hoard it. They had never been interested in schemes to make more money than they needed, and Ashleigh wasn’t either.

  Ashleigh knew her cousins felt the same way, but she worried that California might change them somehow. She dreaded going there.

  She wondered what would happen if Ernie’s horrible predictions were to come true. Would James help her care for her cousins, or would he stop courting her immediately? Ashleigh thought the James who had written her such sweet letters surely wouldn’t abandon her in a time of need. Then again, she had never met him before. She didn’t know what kind of person he really was, and that terrified her. Were her cousins expecting her to leave everything behind to marry someone she didn’t even know?

  Ashleigh quieted, clutching the pillow against her chest. She wanted her mother, but her mother wasn’t coming. She would have to figure this out for herself. After she stopped crying, Ashleigh crept through the hallway, hoping to eat dinner and speak with her cousins about delaying their move again.

  Ashleigh paused at the top of the stairs as she overheard her name.

  “It’s not right!” Ashleigh heard Gilbert say. “It’s not fair to her. When we get there, how will you explain it?”

  “I don’t know, exactly! We’ll figure it out. We’ll say he changed his mind or something!” William retorted.

  “Changed his mind?” Gilbert demanded. “That makes no sense!”

  “These things happen all the time,” William snapped.

  “I see both of your points,” Philip said. “We have to come to an agreement on how to proceed.”

  “We have to tell her the truth.” Gilbert’s plea floated up the stairs.

  “We’ll tell her in due time,” William said. “First, we need to get to California.”

  “I don’t see the point if it’s under false pretenses,” Gilbert replied.

  “I only did what I had to do because of that chef,” William said.

  “I feel badly about that, too,” Gilbert bemoaned.

  “The letters did seem to get Ashleigh’s mind off Alexander and more open to the possibility of another man,” Philip admitted.

  “But we were dishonest! We lied! We pretended to be someone we’re not!” Gilbert protested.

  Ashleigh’s brow furrowed. What in the world were they talking about? She was scared hearing them talk about her like this. What were they deceiving her about?

  “You know,” Gilbert began, “Ashleigh will probably figure this all out on her own. She’s smart. I’m surprised she hasn’t confronted us about it yet.”

  “I went to great lengths to disguise my handwriting!” William said, sounding offended.

  Ashleigh gasped. Suddenly, what they were talking about all made sense.

  There was no James Pendergrast. Her cousins had lied to her.

  Ashleigh walked back into her room numbly and slammed the door shut behind her. Sobbing for the second time in less than an hour, she slipped under the covers and buried her head under her pillow.

  She had been through one tragedy after another in the past year, but this pain was unlike anything she’d ever experienced. Ashleigh cried and cried as the night wore on. Becky knocked on her door, asking her if she wanted dinner or any of the special cake Becky had made in her honor. Ashleigh couldn’t bear to answer.

  Becky went downstairs and told the Steepleton cousins about the sobs she’d heard from the hallway.

  Gilbert went upstairs first. He knocked on the door gently. “Ashleigh? May I come in?”

  Ashleigh took a few deep breaths, mustering up the courage to speak to him. “No!”

  “What’s wrong? Are you ill?” Gilbert called, concerned.

  “No, I’m not ill,” Ashleigh replied.

  “Then what’s wrong?” Gilbert asked.

  “I heard you, Gilbert!” Ashleigh collapsed in a wave of fresh sobs. “I heard you all talking about me. I know everything!”

  Gilbert drew a sharp breath. He had feared this would happen. “Ashleigh, please let me explain—”

  “I don�
��t want you to explain, Gilbert!” Ashleigh dabbed at her eyes with a handkerchief. The tears wouldn’t stop.

  “Please, Ashleigh, let me in and I’ll tell you everything,” Gilbert begged.

  “It’s too late, Gil,” Ashleigh called sadly.

  “I didn’t want to lie to you!” Gilbert exclaimed.

  “But you did, Gil. You did!” Ashleigh still couldn’t believe that Gilbert, her best friend in the entire world, would do something so cruel to her.

  “I thought I was helping you move on, Ashleigh,” Gilbert tried to explain.

  “Well, you didn’t!” Ashleigh couldn’t believe he was still outside her door.

  “Will you at least accept my apology?” Gilbert asked.

  “Just leave me alone,” Ashleigh called as she muffled her cries with her pillowcase. She didn’t want to talk to Gilbert or anyone else. She didn’t want to hear his excuses or apologies. She just wanted him to leave. Maybe she had let her cousins distract her with James, but the man in her mind had always had Alexander’s face.

  Outside Ashleigh’s door, Gilbert sighed and turned around. He walked down the stairs.

  “Any luck?” Philip asked.

  Gilbert shook his head. “She’s very upset with us. She didn’t even want to talk to me.”

  “She’ll get over it soon, I’m sure.” For once, William didn’t sound convinced.

  “Should I try to talk to her?” Philip asked, wanting to be helpful. He hated when his cousin was mad at any of the brothers, much less all of them.

  “Honestly, I’m not sure, Philip. She seemed like she didn’t want to talk. We might need to give her some time to work through her feelings,” Gilbert said truthfully.

  “Not too much time,” William muttered. “My ankle’s feeling better each day. We should leave next week for California and not a moment later.”

  “What if Ashleigh doesn’t want to come with us?” Gilbert pondered.

  William snorted. “That’s ridiculous. We’re all the family she has left. Of course she’ll want to come with us.”

  “I suppose we’ll find out next week,” Gilbert sighed. William was too confident and sure of himself to understand that Ashleigh was in real pain. Gilbert knew that William loved Ashleigh just as much as he did, but sometimes he didn’t understand her sensitivities.