by Linda Ford
Dolly ate neatly but with enough vigor that Beatrice knew she was extremely hungry and wondered how long the child had been lost and alone.
Her heart went out to the child. As an adult, being alone and lost in her new world was frightening enough. She couldn’t imagine what it felt like as a child.
By the time Dolly had eaten enough that she refused any more, the water was ready and Dolly allowed Beatrice to help her out of her soiled clothes and into the tub of water. Beatrice scrubbed her from top to bottom.
Dolly giggled as Beatrice cleaned between her toes. “That tickles,” she whispered.
“It does, does it? You mean this?” She tickled the little girl’s feet, enjoying the muted giggles as Dolly pressed her hands to her mouth as if to drown out the sound.
“There, you are all clean.” She lifted the child from the water and dried her off. With no clothes to wear, she wrapped her in a dry towel. “Now let’s get your hair pretty for when your mama and papa come.”
Again a look of fear and sadness and guilt crossed through Dolly’s eyes.
Beatrice turned Dolly to face her. “Why does doing your hair make you afraid?”
“Not my hair,” she whispered.
“Then what?”
“He’ll never find them.”
Beatrice understood that she meant she didn’t think Levi would find her parents. “Why do you say that?” She brushed Dolly’s hair as they talked. Long, baby-fine and so fair.
“’Cause they’s gone.”
Gone? Had they abandoned the child? She rebraided the hair and hung the long braids in loops on either side of Dolly’s head. The child was beautiful. Why would anyone want to abandon her? “Where are they gone?”
Tears filled her eyes but Dolly blinked them away and didn’t answer.
Smokey, who had watched the entire proceedings from beside the stove, where she enjoyed a dish of milk, had turned to grooming herself. Dolly scooped her up and held her close. “Smoky is all I got now.”
A shiver crossed Beatrice’s shoulders at the finality of Dolly’s words. Lord God, the One who sees and knows, please guide Levi to this child’s parents that they might be reunited.
The minutes ticked away. Several times Beatrice went to look out the window but there was no sign of Levi returning. Darkness descended. She found a lamp and lit it. She washed the little garments in the bathwater and hung them behind the stove to dry, then carried the water out to Maisie’s plants, though with the rain of earlier and the dishwater later, it seemed they might have had enough to drink. Instead, she poured the water around the pink rosebush and paused to smell the evening scent of the flowers before she returned inside.
Poor little Dolly’s head fell to her chest and she jerked awake just in time to avoid falling off the chair.
“Do you want to go to sleep in my bed?”
Again, that look of fear.
“Maybe in this nice big armchair.” She indicated the one Maisie had Levi bring from the other room.
“You’re going to stay here?”
“Until Levi gets back.”
“Okay.” Wrapped in a big towel, Dolly curled up in the chair and fell asleep.
Giving up any attempt to be calm about Levi’s absence, she stood at the window watching and praying.
* * *
Levi rode up to the barn. It was late. Likely past midnight.
He’d found Dolly’s parents. He only wished he could have found them alive.
He unsaddled Buck but before he tended to feeding him, he examined every corner of the barn. The troublemakers would have had plenty of time to do their mischief with Levi gone long past dark. He discovered nothing amiss. Charlie’s horse stood in the stall where Levi had left him. His cousin must be sleeping in the bunkhouse. Perhaps his presence had been a deterrent to those responsible for so many things in the last few days. He’d have a good look around outside before he went to the house.
His throat tightened at the news he had to relay to Dolly. The poor child. She’d likely been with her parents when they passed on. What an awful thing for such a young one to deal with.
He lit a lantern and circled the ranch buildings. The gates were all up, the breeding stock content in the pen. He could find nothing to cause him concern so returned to the barn and finished taking care of Buck before he made his weary way to the house.
A lamp still glowed in the kitchen window. Had Beatrice stayed up or had she left the lamp burning to welcome him home?
He paused at the door, hating to take this information to the child. A surge of gratitude filled him knowing Beatrice would be there when he did.
As quietly as possible he opened the door and slipped in. At the sight before him, he paused and smiled. Dolly curled up like an overgrown kitten in the chair Maisie had previously occupied, her little kitten beside her.
Beatrice sat at the table, her head cradled in her arms on the well-worn wooden tabletop. All three of them—woman, child, cat—were sound asleep.
A sense of rightness stirred his senses. A feeling that this was the way his life should be. Coming home to a pretty young woman and a contented child.
His jaw muscles clenched. Helen had ruined that possibility for him with her judgmental ways. Not that she was entirely to blame. It’s just that he had allowed himself to think she saw him differently.
But for just one moment he let himself think of a wife and family. Then with a quiet sigh he pushed his thoughts back to where they belonged and tiptoed to the table. He touched Beatrice’s shoulder.
She jerked awake, looking confused, and then recognition dawned. “You’re back.” She smiled.
Her smile was not one of welcome for him. At least that’s what Levi told himself as he tamped down a matching response. “Shh.” He indicated the sleeping child. “Come outside. I’ll tell you everything.”
Together they tiptoed to the door. He snagged a jacket from the nearby hook and draped it over her shoulders as they stepped outside. The night was cool and damp and filled with the scent of roses. Or was that Beatrice’s unique scent? It must have been because he couldn’t remember ever being so aware of the roses filling the air with their perfume before.
She turned to him, her features barely visible in the dark. He shifted so the glow from the window allowed him to see her face.
“Did you find them?” Her question jolted him back to reality.
He sought to find the right words. But how else could he say it but just say it? “I found the wagon a few miles away.” He drew in a deep breath. “A man and a woman were dead inside.”
She gasped. Her eyes widened.
Fearing she would faint again, he caught her shoulders and steadied her.
“She’s an orphan? How awful. She tried to tell me.” The truth of the situation flooded her eyes with horror. “She was with them? How long have they been gone?”
He told her everything he knew. “It looks like they died of the influenza. The sheriff agreed. I took the wagon to town, where he arranged for a quick burial. He examined the contents of the wagon. Dolly is Dorothy Knott. The sheriff discovered information that she has an aunt Martha in Ohio and will send a telegram in the morning. The aunt will take care of Dolly once she can make arrangements.”
Beatrice shuddered. “The poor child. I keep thinking of her watching her parents die, being so alone and not knowing what to do. Oh, Levi, it’s too awful to think about.”
At her agonized wail, he gripped her arms and she squeezed his. They held each other. He found comfort in her arms and hoped she found the same in his. Two people who barely knew each other united in their concern for an orphaned child.
“What’s to become of her in the meantime?” Beatrice’s voice was muffled.
“The sheriff suggested someone in town could care for her u
ntil her aunt arrives, but it didn’t take him long to realize everyone was dealing with either illness or death. He asked if she could stay here for now.”
“You said yes?”
He inhaled the scent of roses, letting the smell soothe his senses. “I said it wasn’t up to me.”
She drew back and looked into his face. “Who is it up to?” Her eyes searched his for the answer.
He didn’t say anything but she must have read the answer in his face.
“Me? Why is it up to me?”
“You’ll be the one responsible for her. You already have Maisie to care for and the house to run.”
She stepped back. “And you don’t think I can manage Dolly, as well?”
The thought had crossed his mind. She admittedly lacked experience. “Are you familiar with caring for a child so young?”
Her shoulders rose and fell as if she drew in a deep breath. “I have not looked after any children. Just as I have not run a household or cared for a wound such as Maisie’s, but I don’t intend to let my lack of experience be a deterrent. I will gladly look after Dolly until her aunt comes or sends for her or whatever she decides to do.”
“You’re sure?”
She presented him with a tilted chin. “Do you doubt I can do it?”
He grinned. “I would not be so foolish as to even suggest it. In fact, I hoped you’d agree, but you won’t have to do it alone. I will help you in every way I can.”
“That’s good to know.” Her shoulders sank. “Poor little Dolly.”
They stayed outside for some time, discussing the situation. He suspected she needed to talk about it as much as he did, as if they could somehow make sense of it. “Why would God let a little child’s parents die?”
Beatrice tipped her head back and studied him, her gaze intense. He wished it was light enough he could hope to guess what she was thinking. “Weren’t you Dolly’s age when your mother died?”
“Five. Yes, I was. I hadn’t thought about that.”
“Perhaps that’s why Dolly ended up here—you should be able to understand what she’s going through.”
“I haven’t thought about it in years. But I remember the lonely ache that tore at my innards every night. Not until Maisie came to the ranch to help with me and my two older brothers did the ache abate.” He chuckled softly, bringing her questioning gaze to him. They no longer held each other’s arms, but he was close enough he could watch her changing expression.
“Poor Dolly,” he said, remembering the confusion and pain of those first days after his ma died. “How will she understand her parents going to sleep and not waking up?”
Beatrice took his hand. “I don’t suppose there is any way she can, but we must do our best to make her feel safe until her aunt can make arrangements.”
He clung to her touch, resisting an urge to crush her hand to his chest. “Pa must have understood how hard it was for me. He brought us a pup. Shep slept on my bed from the time he came and I fell asleep knowing he’d be there when I woke up.”
“Dolly has her kitten. She doesn’t let it far from her sight.”
“I hope it comforts her.”
Beatrice smiled gently. “I believe it will and I believe God brought her here so we could help.”
They stood hand in hand looking at the house. He couldn’t say what Beatrice thought, but he wished there was some way he could ease the pain little Dolly would have to face. “Pa did his best to take care of us boys. He took us with him on whatever job he had to do. Tanner and Johnny reveled in being allowed to ride along with Big Sam, but I often wished I could stay home and play quietly with my toys.”
“Dolly will stay with me. I’ll do my best to see she gets what she needs.” Beatrice faced him squarely. “But I believe you will understand her needs far better than I can so I’m holding you to your promise to help with her.”
For a moment he faltered. He had to find the men who were bothering the place. He had chores to look after. He had Charlie to keep an eye on. And she had Maisie to take care of.
Were they doing the right thing in keeping Dolly? Though the sheriff had left them little alternative.
Even in the dim light he could see the challenge in her eyes. He would not let her down. “We’re in this together.”
Chapter Five
His promise felt like so much more than concern over an orphaned child. For the first time ever, she felt as if she and a man were united in one purpose, together for more than personal gain. Her heart swelled with the idea.
Then she told herself to think sanely. She would accept his help with Dolly. Likely both she and the little girl would need it. But she would not allow dreams of anything more to cloud her judgment.
Standing close to him, holding his hand in the moonlight, surely proved how close she was to forgetting her words of caution and she slipped her hand to her side. “I better get Dolly into bed.”
He sprang away. “I brought her things. You’ll be needing them.”
They hurried to the door, where Levi picked up a basket of little-girl things. “I’ll take it to one of the bedrooms.” He ground to a halt inside the door and they watched Dolly sleeping with Smokey pressed to her chest.
Levi turned to Beatrice and commented, “She’s a beautiful child. So fair.” He had taken off his hat and hung it on a hook and rubbed a hand over his head.
Beatrice wondered if he made a comparison between the child’s fairness and his own dark skin and hair. From some of his earlier comments she understood him to be keenly aware of his half-breed status. But she could think of nothing to say that wouldn’t sound like being a half-breed meant more to her than it did.
With a start she realized that over the hours of this very long day she’d drawn a firm conclusion. It wasn’t the outside of a man that she cared about, it was how he conducted himself and how he treated others. So far, she’d seen nothing but kindness and concern from Levi.
She took the basket from Levi and began to search through the garments. “I’ll find her nightwear.”
“Should I put her things in Johnny’s room?”
She straightened and regarded him. “Would you have liked to sleep alone when you were five and had lost your mother?”
“No.”
“I doubt she does, either. Put her things in my room. She can sleep with me.”
While Levi did so, she slipped the nightgown over Dolly’s head. The child barely stirred. How long had she been alone? Lost and frightened? It made Beatrice want to cradle her in her arms and sing lullabies to her. Instead, she hummed as she lifted Dolly and made her way to the bedroom she’d been given.
Levi waited at the doorway until she’d settled the child. Beatrice glanced up, wondering at his bemused expression as he watched the child.
He shifted and tipped his head toward Maisie’s room. “Did Ma waken at all?”
“I haven’t heard a sound.”
“She took some drops for her pain. They’ll make her sleep soundly.”
He seemed reluctant to leave. She wished he didn’t have to go, knowing the minute she closed the door and he walked away she would have to confront the enormity of what she had agreed to do. Care for an injured woman, run a ranch house and now see to a young child.
“Will your ma mind having Dolly here?” she whispered.
“She’ll love it.” His gaze sought the child and a smile softened his features. “I bid you good night.” He closed the door and his footsteps sounded as he crossed the floor to his own room.
Mindful of the sleeping child, she turned the lamp low and quietly prepared for bed. She’d prayed for a chance to prove herself capable and earn her independence. She smiled to herself. God certainly meant to answer that prayer.
She sobered. So long as she didn’t fail.
Rather than get her own Bible out and risk disturbing Dolly, she took the one on the bedside table and opened it to a bookmark. Surprisingly it was the book of Ruth. She read the verses with fresh eyes. Like Ruth she had come to a strange country with unfamiliar customs. Like Ruth, she would do her best to fit in. Though she did not expect to find a man like Boaz, who would care about her needs. Not that her needs meant a thing in comparison to Dolly’s. Lord, help us comfort her and make her feel safe.
She crawled in beside Dolly. The child sighed and snuggled close.
A strange, long ache tugged at Beatrice’s arms.
* * *
Beatrice woke the next morning to something tickling her nose and someone giggling. It took but seconds to remember where she was and realize the giggle came from Dolly and the tickling from the kitten who was perched under Beatrice’s chin.
“Good morning to you both,” she said and turned to meet the dark brown intense gaze of a little girl who had grown suddenly sober.
“He didn’t find them, did he?” Dolly whispered.
Beatrice shifted the kitten to the bed so she could pull Dolly closer. “He found the wagon. Your mama and papa are dead. Were they sick a long time?”
Dolly nodded and answered in another whisper. “Mama said I had to be quiet so Papa could get better. I tried to be quiet.”
Beatrice closed her eyes against the pain that accompanied the realization that Dolly thought she was responsible in any way for her papa’s death. How was she to make the child understand it wasn’t her fault? God, please guide my words. She had not even finished praying when she heard Levi and Maisie talking and understood he was helping her from her room.
She sprang from the bed. “I have to hurry. Can you find something to wear? Levi brought your clothes.” She pulled on a dress and quickly brushed her hair into place, then tied it at the back of her neck. There was no time to fuss with it what with breakfast to prepare, and who knew what else?