“Uncle Oliver, I wonder if I might have a word with Amanda.” Lizzy’s words were curt.
“But of course, my dear.”
Amanda smirked. “Do you like my new outfit? We purchased it yesterday, and it’s the very latest fashion from Paris.” She let go of Oliver’s arm and gave a whirl. The emerald fabric flared out around her. “I think it’s just divine.”
Lizzy fixed Amanda with a stern look. “I see you have time to shop and stroll about with my uncle. I’m wondering if you’ve taken care of Annie and Melba’s costumes?”
Amanda returned Lizzy’s stare with indifference. “There was nothing wrong with their costumes. I looked them over.”
“The problem isn’t in a tear or other flaw, it’s in what needs to be done to allow them more give during their performances.”
“If they drop a few pounds, they’ll have room enough.” Amanda elbowed Oliver. “Isn’t that right, dearest?”
Lizzy scowled. “You aren’t paid to make those kind of judgments, but to accommodate the performers when they have needs. I told the girls you would adjust the costumes, and you will.”
Instead of protesting, as Ella had presumed Amanda might do, the older woman turned to Oliver and pouted. “Do you hear how she talks to me, darling? I try to be civil, but she’s always yelling at me.”
“I haven’t raised my voice at all,” Lizzy countered.
“Well, she’s ruining our celebration.” Amanda slipped her arm from Oliver’s. “I’m going to have a bottle of champagne sent up to our room while you straighten her out. She’s much too mean to me, and I simply cannot bear it.”
She stalked off with a dramatic flair.
Lizzy looked at Ella and then back to her uncle. “What is she talking about? Celebrations and champagne? You know you can’t drink, Uncle Oliver. The doctor said it would kill you.”
He waved his arms as if trying to stuff something into a box. “Now, Lizzy, you mustn’t be so cross. I only had trouble with alcohol because I was lonely. I’m not lonely anymore. Amanda has come into my life and changed all of that.”
“What are you saying?”
He smiled. “I’ve asked her to marry me, and she’s said yes.”
Ella was just as surprised as Lizzy. She couldn’t imagine anyone wanting to deal with Amanda’s ill temper on such an intimate level.
“You scarcely know her,” Lizzy protested. “She’s not even doing her job.”
“And that’s my fault.”
“No, it’s not. It’s her own fault. If she had any pride in herself, she’d see to her work first and then worry about chasing after you.”
Oliver laughed. “I’ve never had anyone chase after me. It feels good, and I don’t intend to let this misunderstanding ruin it for us. You hired that new woman, Mara, to help with sewing. Amanda isn’t going to want to work once we’re wed, so we’ll make Mara head of costumes and sewing.”
Lizzy’s mouth dropped open. “And when do you plan to marry?”
He shrugged. “Not exactly sure. Amanda needs time to plan it. We might even do it as part of one of the performances. That’s been so popular since we featured your own engagement.”
“But you’re planning to have Mary and Chris’s wedding. You don’t need to have one of your own. You need to think this through.”
He smiled and patted Lizzy’s hand. “Stop fretting. I’ve given it a lot of thought.”
“She’s only been with the show a few weeks. It couldn’t have been that much thought.”
He shrugged. “Sometimes a fella doesn’t need a lot of time to know what’s right. Now, you stop worrying about everything. God will get us through this.”
He walked away, and Lizzy appeared too stunned to say or do anything to stop him.
“I’m sorry, Lizzy,” Ella said, touching her arm.
“That woman doesn’t care a fig about my uncle. She’s just using him. She wants his money. I’ve seen women like her before on other tours. She thinks she can woo and sweet-talk him and get whatever she wants.”
“Well, it appears she’s managed to get a wedding proposal, so you seem to be right about that much.”
Lizzy shook her head. “This is madness.”
Ella was relieved to see Wesley approaching. Perhaps he’d have some words of wisdom to calm Lizzy’s fretful heart.
From the frown on his face, Wesley already realized there was a problem. He approached Ella and Lizzy, looking from one to the other. “What’s wrong?”
“Uncle Oliver has proposed to Amanda. He plans to marry her, Wes!”
Wes shrugged. “What’s wrong with that?”
Lizzy gave an exasperated sigh. “Everything. In fact, there’s nothing right about it. I can’t believe you asked that question.”
“If he’s happy—”
“But he’s not!” Lizzy interrupted. “At least, not in the right way.”
This made Wes smile. “Now, who are you to say what the right way is for someone else to be happy? If Oliver loves Amanda, then you need to accept that and welcome her into the family.”
“No! She doesn’t care about him. She’s after his money. I know that’s all it is. She doesn’t even care that he’s not supposed to drink. She was arranging for champagne. She knows Uncle Oliver can’t have it, because I’ve told her. I told her quite clearly, in fact, that alcohol will kill him.”
Wes shook his head. “I’m sorry, Lizzy. I don’t know what to say.”
“You need to have a talk with him.”
“No. I won’t interfere with another man’s romance.”
“Then I will.”
She started to leave, but Wes caught her and spun her around.
“You need to stay out of it. This isn’t one of those times when interfering will help. If a man has his heart set on a woman, he isn’t going to listen to his niece or her husband tell him he’s wrong. Why don’t you pray about it instead? Ask God to show him the truth.”
Lizzy seemed to calm at this. She considered his words for a moment and nodded. “I suppose you’re right. I just saw red. I can’t believe that after a few short weeks, my uncle would lose all his common sense.”
Wes chuckled. “Love has a way of doing that to a fella. Now, if this crisis is resolved, I need to get back to work.” He leaned down and kissed his wife’s forehead. “Love you, Lizzy.”
She gave a hint of a smile. “I know you do, and I love you.”
Ella envied their love. It was so apparent that they belonged together. She thought of Phillip and how deeply she cared for him. If her love for him could make his past disappear and his longing for alcohol abate, he’d never have to worry about anything ever again.
“Are you finished here?” Lizzy asked.
Ella nodded. “I’m heading back to the hotel for some lunch and a bath.” She smiled. “You’re welcome to join me. Well, for lunch, anyway.” She chuckled. “I have something to tell you. Something my brother discussed with me.”
Lizzy glanced around and then nodded. “I suppose there’s nothing else for me to do here. I need to figure out how to help Annie and Melba.”
“Mara will know how to adjust the costumes.” Ella looped her arm through Lizzy’s. “Come on.”
“And then Robert said Father declared that he and Jefferson have a new breed of horse. A secret herd he’s keeping at Jefferson’s estate.”
“A secret breed of horses?” Lizzy shook her head. “Surely if he was selling them, they wouldn’t be secret for long. Besides, it’s hard to hide an entire herd.”
Ella had already considered all of this. She picked up the second half of her sandwich. “I wish I knew what was going on. Robert says that things aren’t good. My father is so upset that he can’t keep his own affairs in order. That isn’t like him.”
“I’m betting Spiby is behind it,” Lizzy said.
“Me too,” Mara agreed. She had joined the girls for lunch. “That man always be up to sumptin’.”
“I don’t know what Jefferson has
on him, but it’s apparent Father is completely obligated to him. Maybe it has to do with this new bunch of horses, but whatever it is . . . it isn’t right.”
Ella took a bite of her chicken salad sandwich and considered all that had happened over the last couple of years. Her family had always had its share of secrets mingled in with business. Her father was very protective of new horses and breeding stock. He was also very selective about who he allowed to come to the show room. He never advertised. He didn’t have to. His reputation preceded him, and people came from all over the country to purchase Fleming Morgans.
Still, even if there was a new breed of horse, how could that equate to so much trouble? Why would business as usual suddenly weigh so heavily on her father that he needed Robert’s help? He’d never let Robert do much when it came to the breeding and sales. He always kept Robert busy elsewhere, sending him off to deliver horses or to handle other parts of the farm’s business.
“And I was sure you could help,” Lizzy said.
Ella realized she hadn’t been paying attention, but Mara was nodding.
“I’s sure I can, Miz Lizzy. You can count on me.”
“I’m not sure how soon we’ll change things officially to put you in charge, but the sooner I can arrange it, the better.”
Mara grinned. “I ain’t never been in charge of anything before.”
Lizzy smiled. “Well, you’re very talented, and Ella assures me you can handle the job. We’ll get someone in to be your assistant. There’s also the laundry to consider. We have two girls who help with that, but if it’s too much, let me know, and we’ll bring in another girl.”
“It seems so funny to go from Jason’s streamlined troupe to Henry’s very generous one.” Ella took a sip of her iced tea.
“I agree,” Lizzy declared. “However, it does my heart good. It’s more the way my father wanted to see it. He always wanted a huge show like Buffalo Bill’s, where there were hundreds of people and animals. Buffalo Bill hired Indians as well as whites and reenacted wars and attacks. My father thought it some of the most marvelous showmanship to be found. I thought so too.” She smiled at the memory. “It was quite the life, and now I see this show taking on some of those elements. Henry was even talking about having an act with diving horses.”
“Diving?” Ella asked.
“Yes. There are people who take their mounts up onto a high platform and then jump them into a huge tank of water. I’ve never seen it, but it sounds intriguing.”
“And dangerous. I can’t imagine a horse wanting to jump off a platform into a tank of water. How high up do they go?”
Lizzy shrugged. “Henry mentioned something in the neighborhood of forty to fifty feet being normal.”
“On horseback?” Mara asked, her eyes widening. “I wouldn’t be jumpin’ off somethin’ that high even without the horse.”
“Me either,” Ella admitted. “You won’t catch me being talked into that.”
“Well, I’m sure if Henry wants to have it as part of the show, then that’s what will happen.” Lizzy shook her head. “I think it would be amazing to see, but I wouldn’t want to perform the stunt. Still, it might be a great thing for the show. Sometimes I wish I could go on being a part of it, and other times I’m glad those days are nearly done.”
“So you will miss it?” Ella asked.
“Of course I’ll miss it. It’s been a part of my life since I was a child. But I enjoy life back on the ranch too. I know once I’m there and Wes and I start having a family, I’ll be more than content. I love the ranch—it’s home.”
Ella frowned. “I wish home meant to me what it means to you. I don’t even feel like I really have one anymore.”
“You and Mara will both have a home with us so long as you need one,” Lizzy countered. “No matter what, you can count on that.”
“I ’preciate that, Miz Lizzy. Ain’t never felt quite so misplaced as I do now. I grew up on Fleming Farm. That’s all I ever knew.” Mara wiped a tear from her eye. “Still, it wasn’t the same without my mama.”
“No, it wasn’t. Lucille kept us both on the straight and narrow.” Ella smiled. “I miss her so much. She was more of a mother to me than my own. I suppose that’s why I don’t understand all this nonsense about people of different colors. Did you ever wish you could be white, Mara?”
Mara shook her head. “Ain’t like bein’ black is something to fix. It’s not the skin, but the heart and head what need to be fixed. Folks need to see that all folks belong to God no matter how they appear.”
“Very wise words,” Lizzy declared. “I couldn’t agree more.”
“Sadly, I don’t think some people will ever see it that way.” Ella shook her head. “I knew people my age who thought my friendship with Mara was completely uncalled for. They called me all sorts of terrible names. I couldn’t believe anyone could be so heartless. I remember we even had a lynching nearby when I was a child. A young black man who was walking home from town. Some white boys decided to beat him up, and then they hanged him.”
“I ’member that too,” Mara said, and again there were tears. “My mama told me to stay close to her even when we went to church. We knew better than to be out alone. It was terrifying, and I ’spect it’s gonna get worse. Some folks are just full of hate. Scared me plenty when I was little and don’t make me feel much better now that I’m grown.”
Ella shook her head. “Why didn’t you ever tell me how you felt? We used to tell each other everything.”
Mara shrugged. “I guess there were just some things a black girl couldn’t tell a white one. Especially one she was workin’ for.”
The thought made Ella sad. Here she had believed she and Mara could tell each other anything. They would seek each other out when they were afraid. Well . . . at least Ella sought out Mara. She thought back on their youth and realized that Mara never came to her. She always went to Mara. Ella could still remember dragging the poor girl from her cot in the middle of the night to come to her bed because she had been afraid. Mara never complained, and by morning Lucille had always seen them back in their proper places.
“Do you ever think we’ll see a day when people just see people instead of their skin color?” Lizzy questioned.
Ella met Mara’s gaze. She could feel a sense of sadness between them. “I hope so,” she said, praying that it might be. “I hope so.”
six
Ladies and gentlemen! Boys and girls!” Oliver Brookstone announced. “I’m sure you’ve been quite amazed by our bow shooter, Alice Hopkins. Let’s give her another round of applause.”
The audience went wild with enthusiastic clapping. Brookstone smiled as he waved his black top hat back and forth to encourage their cheers. After a time, he lowered the hat to his head, and the crowd calmed.
“Now I will give you one of the most impressive shows you will ever see. Our Mary Reichert has been shooting since she was a little girl and is rivaled only by Annie Oakley. Help me in giving Mary a warm Denver welcome.”
Mary stepped out from behind a stack of boxes, dressed in her dark buckskin skirt and red calico blouse. She wore her custom-made red Stetson atop her head, and dark brown knee boots rounded out her costume. At her hip, a leather holster held her favorite five-shot Smith & Wesson .38.
She gave a wave to the audience as she made her way to the area where the crew had set up her targets. Oliver began speaking again, and the crowd went silent. He explained the first of many tricks.
“Our Mary will show her precision by shooting dimes out of the air. Our crewman will toss these high, and Mary will shoot them through the center.”
Phillip came out with a small bag of coins and held it up for the viewers to see. Next he opened the bag and let some of the dimes spill into his hand. After this he glanced to Mary, who gave him a nod, and then he began tossing them into the air.
Mary shot five in a row with her pistol, then reloaded while Phillip collected the dimes and tossed them to members of the audience. She didn’
t have to look to know she’d hit all five.
After that, she went to the table where her Stevens Crack Shot rifle waited. She picked it up and turned to the audience. They seemed to sense that she was about to do something important and quieted. She strolled over to Oliver Brookstone as she had done in every show.
“Well, this is it,” Oliver whispered. “I don’t think anyone is expecting a thing.”
“Maybe not expecting, but definitely anticipating.” She smiled at him. “At least if Henry has done his advertising correctly.”
Oliver turned back to the audience. “Miss Mary needs a volunteer. The man in question will have to be brave and of a strong heart. The tricks performed here are both highly dangerous and unpredictable.”
The hands of hundreds of men went up all over the arena, but Mary zeroed in on Christopher Williams, sitting just three rows up from the floor. She walked toward him, looking all around at the ocean of people. When she finally let her gaze settle on him, she couldn’t help but smile. How handsome he was in his brown tweed suit. His sandy-colored hair had just been trimmed the day before, and his blue eyes were intense as they returned her gaze. When he winked, Mary thought her heart would burst with joy. He loved her, and it made her so happy.
She went to Chris and took his hand, much to the disappointment of the crowd. There were audible moans from those who’d not been chosen.
“Take me instead,” the man beside Chris begged.
Mary ignored his plea and pulled Chris back to the performing area, then set him up with a lit stub of a candle in his mouth. The candle wasn’t but two inches long, and though Mary had performed this trick many a time, she couldn’t help being just a bit hesitant. After all, this was the man she loved, and she would never be able to forgive herself if anything happened to him.
The audience quieted once again as she took aim at the wick of the candle. She steadied her grip, took a deep breath, and then let it out and squeezed the trigger. The sound of the rifle wasn’t all that loud, but the bullet did its job and extinguished the flame without harming Chris in the least.
The crowd again broke into wild cheers and clapping. After this, Mary did a series of tricks with Chris holding various things. She ended the display by having him stand sideways and hold a very small feather between his teeth.
What Comes My Way Page 5
