The Debutante's Secret

by Peggy McKenzie

  “Of course. Set that one on that table over there by the window.” Roxanne did as instructed. Regina placed hers on the table near the front door, and when both vases were in place, Regina led her to the pair of high-backed floral chairs by the window. Sitting here had the added benefit of looking out onto Regina's gorgeous garden. It also afforded them privacy, as the garden was protected from public view by a large boxwood hedge growing tall against the wrought iron fence.

  “Now, tell me. What is going on? What is it you wished to talk about?” Regina asked.

  “Do you remember when I first arrived, I told you about the man at the train station?”

  “The one you nearly tripped over getting off the train?” Regina teased.

  “I didn't trip over him, but I did fall over him, and he was kind enough to catch me before I was seriously injured.”

  Regina smiled at her as if to say there was more to the story than she let on, but she encouraged Roxanne to continue.

  “I saw him today. He came to the school.”

  “The school? My care school? What on earth did he want?”

  “He wants a housekeeper, cook, and caretaker for his young daughter.”

  “His daughter? Where is the man's wife?” Regina asked.

  “I asked him that very question,” Roxanne assured her cousin.

  “And what did he say?”

  “He said she was no longer with them. Regina, the poor man is a widower with a young daughter to care for and a ranch to run. He needs help.”

  “I would say so. And he asked for your help in finding him someone?”

  “Yes, he did. Well, actually he asked me if I would be willing to be the one to work for him,” Roxanne admitted.

  “And why on earth would he assume you would even entertain the idea of working for a man you barely know.” Her cousin’s frown gave Roxi pause.

  “He saw me in the classroom and just assumed that I worked there.”

  “He assumed you were one of the school's employees and you didn’t correct that assumption? I have to ask why, Roxanne. That isn’t like you.”

  “No, I didn't correct him. And to be honest, I'm not certain why I didn't tell him the truth. Maybe because he seemed so lost and in desperate need of help.”

  “Or maybe because you are quite smitten with this mysterious cowboy. Did you happen to catch his name? I would prefer it if John asked around town about this man before I would feel comfortable that any of my staff accepted his position of employment.”

  “You mean before I accept his position, don’t you?” Roxi ask the pointed question of her cousin.

  “You? Roxi, you can’t be serious about working for the man. What would your parents think? And, I would never forgive myself if I allowed any harm to come to you while you were under my care. And I’m certain your parents and sister wouldn’t forgive me either,“ Regina declared with confidence.

  “First, I am not under your care. I'm under your roof until my visit comes to an end this fall. Second, I am fully capable of asking John to find out all he can about this man and his daughter. And third, yes, I will admit I'm quite taken with this cowboy. Perhaps the lure is because he doesn't know who I really am or what my net worth is. His only concern is finding a suitable caretaker for his daughter.”

  She could see the worry on Regina’s face. “But, Roxi—”

  “Regina, I’m so tired of trying to gauge whether a man's interest in me is because he likes me for myself or for my bank account.”

  Regina laughed at her comment. “You sound like our cousin, Abigail. She sends me letters often lamenting about the very same thing. And I will tell you what I tell her. Anyone that truly knows the kind of woman you are would be a fool not to love you for yourself.”

  Roxanne knew her cousin was right, but most men sought a wife to further their career, expand their social standing, and have children to pass their name on to. After that, they returned to their mistresses and whatever vices they came into the marriage with. It was one of the many reasons Roxanne refrained from committing herself to marriage.

  “Men only love themselves, Regina. Well, I will qualify that statement since your husband shows himself to be the exception to that rule. And, of course, my father is over the moon for my mother, but I have yet to find any other man who thinks of marriage as a partnership.”

  “And what about this widower with his small daughter?”

  “I came to Colorado for adventure and I think this job with Alex Harp caring for his daughter could be the opportunity I’ve been looking for. I promised my parents I would return to Boston in September and choose a husband. In the meantime, I intend to find as much adventure as I can before then.”

  “I hope you know what you are doing, Roxi. I would hate to see you hurt.”

  “I promise to be careful. In the meantime, I should be going. I promised I would give him an answer within the hour, and I need to find John to make certain he can vouch for the man's integrity.”

  “Vouch for who's integrity?” A familiar male voice spoke from the doorway.

  Startled, Roxanne and Regina both turned to see John in the doorway. And he wasn't alone. Standing beside him was the cowboy who wanted her help.

  “Alex,” she whispered. It was all she could manage to say. But was it in response to being caught talking about him or merely her surprise at seeing the man standing in her cousin’s house? She couldn’t say.

  Regina sent her a look of surprise and then rushed to greet her husband. “Hello, darling,” she exclaimed. Then turning to Roxi, her cousin asked, “You two know each other?”

  Embarrassment heated Roxanne’s cheeks with the knowledge that she had been overheard gossiping. “This is the man who is looking for a caretaker for his daughter. This is Alex Harp.”

  Alex's curiosity hitched up several notches when he walked into John and Regina's home and saw the teacher from the school. He should have guessed she would check with her employer before she gave him her answer.

  “Would you like something to drink, Alex?” Regina offered.

  “No, I don't have much time. I need to collect Grace and get back to the ranch before feeding time, so…” His voice trailed off because he wasn't sure how to ask the question he needed to ask. It was at that moment Grace ran into the room.

  “Papa, there you are. Look what I did? I helped Mrs. Kingston pick some flowers for you. I wish I could give them to Momma. She would have loved them, don't you think?”

  Alex's heart punched his chest at his daughter's words. “Yes, she would have loved them.” He was at a crossroads. He should tell John and Regina about his wife's betrayal and abandonment of both her husband and her daughter. The right thing to do was to tell them Kate wasn't dead, but instead very much alive. And yet, he didn't want to give Miss Sheffield any reason to doubt his word that her reputation would remain untarnished if she came to work for him. And a widower was a much safer employer than a jilted husband with a two-timing wife.

  “I'm happy to see you here, Miss Sheffield since it will make it easier for you to give me your answer. Grace and I have to get back to the ranch soon and I don't want to leave town without a firm commitment from you. That is if your employers have no objections to my offer. I apologize to my friends for stealing you out from under their noses, but I'm in desperate need of help. I hope you can understand my dilemma.”

  Alex directed that last comment to John and Regina. They had been nothing but good to him, and he didn't want to do anything that would make them think bad of him.

  John spoke first. “You want to hire Roxanne to come to your ranch? And do what, if you don't mind me asking?”

  “I need someone to cook for Grace and me. Keep the house. Wash the clothes. And teach Grace her schoolwork. Along with all the things a young girl would normally learn from her—” Alex stopped short. He didn't want to encourage more discussion about Kate, especially not in front of Grace.

  “I'm sure you can understand how much I need her help, Jo
hn. Regina. It has been almost impossible to get any work done while making sure Grace stays safe.”

  “But Papa, I like the horses. I can help you ride them.”

  He looked down at his daughter's eager expression. “I know you can, sweetheart. You are the best helper any papa could ever wish for, but breaking horses is dangerous work. Besides, I want you to learn how to be a proper young lady and Miss Roxanne can teach you all about that sort of thing.”

  Alex saw the look John gave Regina. Had he misjudged Roxanne's importance to his friends? He thought she was simply another employee to them, but if they were reluctant to let her go, what could he do? He wouldn't undermine them by taking her without their blessing. He would just have to convince them to let her go.

  “I realize this situation may cause you a temporary shortage of help, but I need Roxanne. I'm desperate. Please understand. Otherwise, I wouldn't be so insistent.”

  “It isn't that we don't understand your plight, Alex. We do. However, I'm not certain Roxanne is the right person to fill your position,” Regina voiced her objections.

  “I think she's the perfect person. She's a single woman, so she doesn't have a husband or children to care for at her own home. And she's fully capable of teaching my daughter how to be a young lady. And Grace needs someone to fill the void of her mother's absence.” He was careful to phrase his words just right so as not to give too much away. “Besides, if she wasn’t good with children, you wouldn’t let her teach your children at the school, now would you?”

  “Well, yes. I suppose that much is true enough,” Regina conceded. He saw her hesitate and look toward Roxanne. “Roxanne, I’m not certain this is the kind of position you should be considering. You have your reputation to think about.”

  Alex stepped closer. “I understand your concerns, Regina. I know people might talk under other circumstances, but I can assure both you and John that I have no interest whatsoever in pursuing anything of a romantic nature. Her reputation will remain unblemished. I plan to sleep in the barn and leave her and my daughter the use of the house.”

  Alex watched John frown at his wife. “Alex, how are you going to guarantee people won't talk. Unless you have a witness, there will be plenty of room for gossip that could ruin Roxanne's reputation.”

  “I have a hired hand who is with me nearly twenty-four hours a day. He lives over the hay barn. He is a reputable young man and he will be able to swear what goes on at my ranch is without reproach.”

  John appeared to be thinking about his declaration. “And who is this young man? Anyone I know?”

  “Yes, it is Jeremy Wetzel.”

  “Buford Wetzel’s son?”

  “Yes, Buford's son.” Alex drew in a deep breath at the understanding and satisfaction he saw on John's face.

  Regina turned to her husband. “You know this family?”

  “Yes, I know them well. Jeremy is a good boy from a good family.”

  Alex watched Regina and John look at each other. Then Regina turned to him again. “Alex, we appreciate your situation. We truly do. However, I do not think I can give you my blessing in this matter. After all, Roxanne is from a family of both high morals and high deportment. I’m certain they would not approve of her accepting this position. Besides, she’s only here for a few weeks this summer, and—”

  Roxanne interjected before Regina could finish. “And I have a mind of my own to decide whether I accept the position or not.”

  Alex saw the pointed look Roxanne gave to Regina and then to John before she turned back to him. “And I’ve decided that I’ll do it. I'll accept your position, Alex. When do I start?”

  The next morning after breakfast, Roxi sifted through the trunks she’d brought from Boston and sorted her clothes based on what she thought would be appropriate attire for her new position. Everything else, she returned to the armoires and drawers in her bedroom. No sense packing as he wouldn’t need just to unpack and repack for the trip back home to Boston.

  A light knock on her door announced a visitor two seconds before Regina joined her. “Looks like you are almost ready to go. John will be here soon to take you out to Alex's ranch. Are you certain you want to do this? It isn't too late to change your mind, you know.”

  Roxi smiled at her cousin and pulled her by the hand to sit beside her on the bed. “I appreciate your concern, Regina. I really do. But I don't want to change my mind. I think this job watching over Alex’s daughter is exactly what I need to do with my time here in town.

  “Roxi, I just hope you know what you are getting yourself into. You have already admitted you’re attracted to Mr. Harp. What will happen if you succumb to those feelings for him? Are you prepared to fall in love and then have to go back to Boston and marry someone else?”

  Roxanne thought about Regina's question before she answered. “I don't really know Alex, Regina. Any attraction I have to the man is strictly physical and I'm adult enough to know how to refrain from giving in to my baser desires. He isn't the first man that has caught my attention. I dare say, he won't be the last.

  “Besides, what on earth would I do with a cowboy in Boston?” She teased her cousin even though she was aware there was a tiny bit of truth to what Regina was saying. She was attracted to Alex, but she knew nothing could come of it. Their backgrounds were worlds apart. They had nothing in common.

  “Anyone up here?” Roxanne heard John's voice call from the hallway.

  “We’re in here, sweetheart,“ Regina answered.

  John entered the room, his gaze immediately finding his wife. Once again, Roxanne felt the pinch of envy at her cousin's good fortune. She couldn’t help but wish for that same kind of connection with her own husband one day. Thoughts of Max Banks surfaced and although she’d never met him, it was reported he was in his fifties. What on earth could her father be thinking.

  Regina greeted her husband, and they kissed briefly.

  John turned to her. “Are you about ready? The carriage is downstairs. I hope it’s big enough. Maybe I need to go back and get the freight wagon.”

  Roxanne knew he was teasing her, so she simply grinned at him and threw her hatbox at him. He nimbly caught it and grinned back.

  “I'm ready. Those two trunks are all I’m taking.” She pointed at the two trunks sitting packed and ready to go next to the door.

  John glanced around the room. “And everything else?”

  “Is staying right here until Roxanne returns at the end of August. Or sooner if she needs to,“ Regina replied and shot a pointed look in her direction.

  “I plan on remaining at the ranch until late August, but it isn't like you won't see me. I'll be coming into town with Grace and I'm certain there will be things I’ll need your advice on.”

  Regina’s gaze drifted back to her handsome husband. “Then I’ll just have to convince my husband to bring me out to visit from time to time. I would like to see this remarkable ranch I've heard so much about.”

  John wrapped his arm around Regina’s waist. “Sounds like it’s all decided then. Shall we go? I want to get you settled at the ranch and be back in town before dark.” John handed back her hatbox. “Here, you take this. I'll head on down and have the two men I hired come up and get your trunks.”

  “We'll be down shortly, John. There's something I want to say to Roxanne.”

  John kissed Regina again and left the room. Regina turned to her. “My dearest Roxi. I think the world of you and if you think this decision will be good for you, then I fully support you.”

  “Thank you, Regina.” It was all she could say. The unexpected emotions she felt at her cousin's understanding threatened to bring tears to her eyes.

  “But, if at any time things change and you no longer think this arrangement is in your best interest, send word and I will have John on your doorstep with a wagon within the hour. Promise me, you will not stay longer than prudent.”

  Roxanne was touched by her cousin's concern for her welfare, but it was unwarranted. She was perfectl
y capable of protecting herself and she had every intention of doing just that.

  “I promise,“ Roxanne vowed. “I will leave the moment I am no longer needed or if I feel my reputation is threatened, or if my attraction to Mr. Harp gets out of hand. I shall not stay a moment longer. Now, if I don't get downstairs, your husband may leave without me.”

  A knock on the door signaled the arrival of the men John had hired to help with her trunks.

  “Come in gentlemen. The trunks are there and there.” Roxanne pointed to the two she was taking to the ranch. “Everything else remains here.”

  The two men lifted the biggest trunk and exited her bedroom.

  “They will be back soon for the smaller trunk and I want to collect my pastels and books before we leave.” Roxanne pulled on her shawl and slung her reticule over her arm with her hatbox. She paused as she started out of the room and turned to Regina, “Now don’t forget, you promised to come for a visit.”

  “I won’t forget.” Regina pulled her into a tight hug. “I promise I will visit soon. Now go before your carriage leaves without you, Cinderella.”

  Roxanne laughed as images of a woman on her knees scrubbing floors came to mind. “Cinderella indeed,” she scoffed.

  Alex hurried around his house trying to clean and straightened from the three months he had neglected it. Well, that wasn't exactly true. He had attempted to clean up the place before Kate arrived. A lot of good that did him.

  “Papa, why are we cleaning the house if Miss Roxanne is coming to clean the house?” Grace asked, following in his frantic wake.

  He stopped short at her question. “That's a good question, Grace. I suppose it’s so we can give her a clean slate and she doesn't have to start on her first day with a dirty and disorderly house.”

  “We have a lot of dirty clothes. Are we gonna do those too?”

  Alex turned to his little girl and studied her inquisitive face. She looked so serious. And she had a point. He studied her a moment longer and something about her innocent question forced him to relax. He had nothing to prove to this woman. “No, sweetheart. We’re not. We are going to sit on the front porch and wait for Miss Roxanne to arrive. Do you like that idea?”