A Love Behind The Broken Mask (Western Historical Romance)

by Lydia Olson

  “Sorry, Will, but I’ve told this story several times today already. If I’m forced to go through the whole thing one more time, I’m worried I might unintentionally cause a scene,” she joked half-heartedly. “And we know how Maudie feels about people who cause scenes in her saloon!”

  “Right, right – didn't mean to pry,” Wilson insisted. “But I do hope everything is okay?”

  “I don’t know how to answer that, if I’m being honest,” she replied, sighing. “For the most part, I’m just worried about Daddy. He hasn’t been the same since we lost Edison.”

  “Edison?” Wilson said. “Did he leave town, too?”

  “Oh, no,” Eloise admitted, holding back tears. “That’s right – you wouldn’t have heard. Edison was taken from us by bandits about six months ago.”

  “Oh, my,” her friend sighed. “I am so sorry to hear it, and sorry for your loss, as well.”

  Wilson smiled compassionately and rested his hand on Eloise’s shoulder. She smiled back and brushed the tears from her eyes. She liked how it felt to be near Wilson. It made her feel safe, like everything was going to be okay.

  “What interest did bandits have in Edison, if you don’t mind me asking?” Wilson wondered when Eloise was calm enough to respond.

  “They were trying to force my daddy to give up his land, and Edison got in the middle of it,” she explained. “I can only guess they thought that getting rid of my brother would leave Daddy no choice but to give it up – he had no one to leave the land to if my brother was out of the picture.”

  “I’m so sorry,” Wilson said. “We may not have gotten along as well as you would have liked us to, but I was very fond of Edison.”

  “Were you?” Eloise said, putting her hands on her hips. “Because you both had a funny way of showing it if that’s true.”

  “I’ve thought about that a lot over the years, actually,” he told her. “I believe we butted heads because we were so different, but that doesn’t mean we didn’t like each other – it just meant we weren’t great at getting along. He was the eloquent, overprotective one, and I was the one always getting you into trouble. I think that was why he never approved of me... It was, after all, his actions that forced me to leave – not saying I blame him for it, just that it’s given me something to think about.”

  “Yeah, well, Daddy hasn’t gotten on well since. Some nights, he sits in the parlor all night, staring at Edison’s picture – and last night was one of the worse ones. I didn’t get much of any sleep, because I didn’t want him in there alone. I always worry he’s gonna make himself so sick that he won’t get better... that he’s gonna slip away in the night,” she confided.

  “It may take time, but I think he will get better,” Wilson said. “My father didn’t get better after my mother left, but he was nowhere near your father in strength. Maybe it’s my childish adoration of him, but I don’t think there is anything that can get that man down for good – your father.”

  “You and Daddy did get on well, didn’t you?” she recalled. “Oh, he was so upset when you left! Kept saying you’d be back once you had some time to cool off.”

  “Yes, well, I don’t think ‘cooling off’ was what I needed back then,” he said. “There was no resolving what happened between your brother and I in the moment. We were too young to know how. Although, I had wished to get the opportunity to do so now...”

  “You know something...? I don’t think anyone ever told me what he did to make you leave,” Eloise remarked.

  “Yes, your father did like to keep you in the dark about most things.” He chuckled. “Well, it wasn’t what he did as much as what he said. Do you remember my father?”

  “Of course, I remember that crazy, old man!” she said. “Who wouldn’t? He used to work with Daddy at the ranch, but Daddy said he was very sick, so that’s why you started having to come along. I never did learn what your daddy was sick with, but I assumed that was why you worked with us so much, and why he eventually stopped coming with.”

  “He told you my father was sick?” he said, laughing. “Well, I suppose it does resemble illness... in reality, my father was a drunkard – and a terrible one, at that. He’d make his life worse by drinking, and then he’d drink more to make himself forget. Eventually, I had to work in his place after he’d become too drunken to work... and your brother had things to say about it.

  “Your father was very kind to me during that time, but your brother understood my childish rebellion as a danger to you and the other workers. I don’t suppose he meant to scare me away – I realized as I thought about it more – but one day, in the mess hall, he told everybody that my father was a drunkard and that I was acting out because of it.

  “I was ashamed, I admit, but no boy will admit such a thing. I didn’t want anyone to know I felt ashamed, but I didn’t want to feel that shame anymore, either. And like I said – I hated being poor in the first place! I thought about it and decided leaving would be my best option. So I made the decision to follow the other men to California in search of riches, and I found them.”

  “You found gold?” Eloise asked, dumbfounded. “But the way I heard it, there really wasn’t much gold to be found. I heard all the men were leaving empty-handed.”

  “Well, some of that is true,” he told her. “As I’m sure you know, it would be impossible for everyone who traveled to California to find riches – and just the sheer numbers who traveled there should be enough to say most of them would leave empty-handed. I, on the other hand, worked out a formula for success before I traveled there. Add a bit of luck, and I was sure to find riches.”

  “What was the formula?” she asked.

  “You’re not gonna believe it, but I deduced that in order to find riches, I would have to have riches already,” he reasoned. “I noticed many of those who were leaving empty-handed were the same folks who believed it was enough just to go where they’d heard the gold was and work until they couldn’t work anymore. Many of them didn’t have a place to sleep, either.

  “I’d worked out several problems with this. First, when you go where you heard the gold is, don’t you think everyone else would go, too? Do you really think there’d be any gold left? And second, how can you expect to work long hours when you have no food or shelter? The only thing I did different was I drew the conclusion that so many others were failing to draw.

  “I’ll admit, my first big break was a gamble. I made money by winning it off of other people. Then, I used that money to provide enough for myself that I could work those long hours without having to take as many breaks as the men who weren’t eating or sleeping. I also worked in places where no other men had worked yet. And that’s when I found it.”

  “Wow. And was it... a lot of gold?” she wondered.

  “It was enough,” he confided. “What’s more is, no one knew I found it, because I wasn’t working near any other men. As I’m sure you know, it’s difficult to get the gold out once the others know you have it – that’s why I’ve kept up my act and made it seem as if I make all my money gambling.”

  Again, Wilson furrowed his brow as he noticed Miss Maudie lurking nearby. If she overheard him, she wasn’t giving it away. She acted as if she’d just come over to clean off the table beside where they sat, but they all knew that wasn’t the case.

  “Well, then, thank you for entrusting me with your deepest secret,” Eloise whispered, leaning in so Miss Maudie couldn’t hear. “And don’t worry, I won’t let you down. Your secret is safe with me.”

  “Somehow, I thought it would be,” he told her, smiling and staring into her eyes. “So much has changed about this place, but you’re still the same, loyal friend I remember.”

  “Well, I can’t say the same about you,” Eloise confessed. “You’re completely different than I remember. But I think Daddy will be happy to see you, with how much you’ve grown. What do you say, will you come back to the ranch with me?”

  “It would be my pleasure,” he agreed with a gracious smile
.

  Eloise waved goodbye to Miss Maudie, while Wilson smiled and nodded in her direction. Eloise couldn’t understand why, but Miss Maudie didn’t seem as taken with Wilson as everyone else was. It was rare, even when they were children, for anyone to dislike Wilson at first glance. Many were intimidated, but given the chance, his eyes drew everybody in and made them trust him.

  Miss Maudie, however, stared after them with prying eyes. Not only was her smile ingenuine, but the look on her face seemed to say she knew something about him which she wasn’t saying.

  It made Eloise nervous to see Maudie this way, particularly so after hearing her story about how she became successful with the saloon. If Miss Maudie was willing to give everyone a chance, what was it about Wilson that she didn’t seem to trust?

  Chapter Seven

  “Daddy!” Eloise yelled as she burst through the front door of their home. “You’ll never believe who’s come back to town! Daddy...?”

  Eloise walked into the parlor, and was surprised to find her father was not there. It was rare for him to leave the parlor at this time of night, which made Eloise smile. Perhaps Wilson had been right, and her father was finally getting better.

  “What is it?” Wilson asked, appearing in the doorway.

  “Oh, nothing – maybe he’s in the study,” she offered, grabbing his arm and dragging him behind her.

  “I’m not gonna get in trouble for going into the study anymore, am I?” Wilson worried.

  “Trouble?” she echoed. “We haven’t gotten in trouble for going in there since we were eight years old!”

  “That’s right, but trouble was trouble, and it scared me enough I never went in the study since,” Wilson said, playfully. “Who knows, maybe your father still thinks I’m eight years old!”

  “Now, who’s that I hear?” Dillion wondered, peeking out of the study.

  “Daddy!” Eloise called out. “Look who’s back!”

  Dillion squinted at Wilson curiously, but his expression changed to delight the moment his eyes met Wilson’s. Just as with Eloise, it was Wilson’s eyes that gave him away. Dillion squealed and laughed merrily, throwing his arms open wide.

  “Oh, my boy!” he said, patting Wilson on the back. “How long it’s been!”

  “Yes, it’s good to see you again,” Wilson agreed, smiling.

  “Well, now, you look like a true gentleman, now,” Dillion said, examining Wilson’s suit. “Much cleaner than I remember you – and a whole lot taller. Where have you been off to since we last met?”

  “I’ve been developing a business on the west coast,” Wilson explained. “And a successful one, at that.”

  “Oh...?” Dillion replied, beaming. “That’s quite the accomplishment. We all find our wealth in the least expected places these days, don’t we?”

  “That’s one way of viewing it,” Wilson said.

  “All I mean is, you’ve come a long way from being the dirty little ragamuffin tagging along to work with his father,” he clarified. “It’s good to see that you’ve found your way to bigger things and become a fine, strong man along the way! Oh, you will stay at the ranch with us, won’t you?”

  “Thank you, but I’ve already got a room reserved at the St. George,” Wilson told him. “Though I would love to stay for dinner.”

  “Dinner?” teased Dillion. “You truly are refined now, aren’t you – calling it dinner?”

  “Ah, that’s right – it’s still ‘supper’ in these parts, isn’t it?” Wilson amended.

  “Oh, no – that's what I like to see!” Dillion said. “It’s interesting to see the times change as they are, though it’s not always for the better, is it?!”

  “Yes, the advancements of this age have been intriguing to watch... For one, I’d heard the railroad had some unexpected consequences,” noted Wilson. “I was in California when it happened, so I saw much of the benefit of the ease of travel, but I hear it was not all good things in these parts.”

  “Oh, no, many of my men lost their jobs to the railroad,” Dillion said. “And I lost many of my men to it, as well. I would invite you to chat with the workers, but I think all of the men you knew have moved on to bigger places... even those who have been with me for years.”

  “Really?” Wilson exclaimed “You don’t mean to tell me Jay Dale’s gone, too?”

  “Oh, no, no, no – I think he’ll be here until the end of time,” Dillion confessed. “Speaking of which, I should probably let him know to prepare the dining room for three. This is a special occasion, after all.”

  “Good ol’ Jay Dale!” Wilson enthused. “It’ll be nice to see a familiar face.”

  “Yes, and in the meantime, shall we take this conversation into the parlor?” Dillion suggested, gesturing toward the front of the house. “It will be far more comfortable than standing in the hall.”

  “While you two chat, I think I’m gonna go freshen up – for dinner,” Eloise teased.

  “Oh, so we have two refined young people today, do we?” Dillion responded, widening his eyes.

  “Daddy, I've always been like this,” countered Eloise, raising an eyebrow.

  “Have you?” Dillion said, sarcastically. “I must have missed it. And I suppose next you’ll say that you always freshen up before ‘dinner,’ or that you always eat in the dining room?”

  “Stop it, Daddy – I can do ladylike things, if I want!” Eloise retorted.

  “Sure, as I’ve always asked you to,” Dillion agreed, seemingly unaware of Eloise’s frustration. “But need I remind you that you’ve been very persistent about eating in the mess hall with the men? And did you ever freshen up before ‘dinner’ then?”

  “Daddy, why couldn’t you just let it go?!” Eloise cried as she dashed away, tears streaming down her face.

  She ran out of the house, slamming the door behind her. Before she could make it much further, her legs crumpled beneath her and she fell to sit on the steps to the porch.

  Not only was she embarrassed by what her father had said, but she was embarrassed by her inability to control her reaction. She wanted Wilson to believe she was already ladylike, but her father had made it clear she wasn’t – and that made her more upset than she expected it to. Wilson surely would not be impressed by her behavior, she thought.

  As she sat on the stairs trying to think of an excuse to give for her uncharacteristic reaction, she was reminded that she couldn’t tell Wilson the full truth.

  She thought she must be more upset that her father was trying to force her into a marriage she didn’t want than she was about her father’s teasing, but she didn’t want Wilson to know about Ryan’s proposal or the land deed. If he knew, she feared he would back away from her, or encourage her to marry Ryan, too. Before she was able to come up with a suitable excuse, the door behind her creaked open.

  “Well, I thought I’d have to go a bit further to find you,” Wilson admitted, plopping down beside her.

  “S-sorry about that,” she mumbled. “I made myself look a fool, didn’t I?”

  “No more than usual,” Wilson said, playfully.

  “Hey, now!” cried Eloise, punching him on the shoulder. “That’s no way to talk to a lady.”

  “If I were talking to a lady, I might be worried about that,” he joked.

  “I... didn’t act very ladylike back there, did I?” she said, slouching down and staring at her hands.

  “No, you didn’t,” Wilson confirmed. “But that’s what I like about you – true to yourself, no matter what anyone else expects of you. Who needs a lady, when you’ve got a girl like you?”

  “Daddy doesn’t think so,” she said. “It’s strange; he used to be just fine with letting me be me, but since I turned eighteen, he’s been treating me more and more like who I am is.... wrong. He knows better than anyone that I don’t like being told what to do or how to be. I keep thinking maybe it’s because of what happened to Edison, but now, I just don’t know.”