“This place is being sold anyway. We are all being evicted this week.”
His eyes were sympathetic. “I see. Well, good luck to you, Miss Marsh. I wish I could be of more help.”
Lucy shut the door behind him and leaned her forehead against the cool wood. What was she going to do? She had a way to get to Texas, but it meant selling herself. Was it worth it? Her gaze went to Eileen sleeping in Lucy’s cot. She’d been frightened by the commotion and had insisted on crawling into Lucy’s bed. She and Jed were everything to Lucy. If she could get to Texas, maybe she could find her uncle. Maybe he would take pity on Jed and Eileen and see to their future.
And Catherine could show up anytime. Lucy knelt beside the bed and pleaded with God for a way out of the mess she was in. She sensed no permission from the Lord to turn down this offer. If she said no to this man, what would become of her and her siblings? God had promised that he would provide. What if this was his provision? God was in the business of bringing blessings out of unexpected circumstances, but Lucy didn’t want this twist to her life. The very thought of marrying a man she didn’t know seemed ridiculous, but didn’t God ask the seemingly impossible at times? And if it assured the future for Jed and Eileen . . .
She finally sat up and put her head in her hands. “Okay, Lord. Whatever you tell me.” She lit a candle and took her Bible in hand. If she remembered correctly, the story of Abraham was in Genesis 12.
Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee: and I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing.
The words imprinted on her heart as though God had spoken them to her. A blessing. She could be a blessing. Warmth that had nothing to do with the pitiful bit of coal in the fireplace enveloped her. God was behind this. It had to be so. Marriage was an honorable thing. And this had come at a time when she saw no way to support the children and herself. Marriage was something God had ordained, and Mr. Stanton said his son was a Christian. She closed her Bible.
Holding the lantern aloft, she went down the rickety basement stairs. They creaked under her bare feet. The leather-strapped trunk was shoved under the stairwell. She set the lantern on the floor and tugged the trunk out. Jed would have to help her carry it up. Picking up the lantern again, she glanced around the space to see if there was anything down here she needed to bring with her. A rough wooden shelf held empty canning jars and the canner. She picked one up, then realized a rancher would own such equipment.
She turned back to the trunk and opened it. All it contained was a blue dress. According to her father, her mother had been married in this dress. Lucy ran her fingers across the silky material. It was much fancier and more lavish than anything Lucy owned. She wished her mother were here to instruct her on what to do. How was she to be a wife when she had no role model? She’d been an infant when her mother died. She clasped the locket again. What would her mother have advised?
She lifted the dress into the light and examined it. It had a high collar and voluminous skirt. The sleeves were ruffled. It was heavy too. Draping it over her arm, she took up the lantern and mounted the steps. She would wear the dress when she met Nate. It would give her courage to face whatever the future brought.
NATE LEANED BACK in the saddle and surveyed the ramshackle house that stood on a barren hillside swept by the north Texas wind. He heard a horse whinny from inside the barn, so he knew someone was here. Larson only had one horse, an old paint he’d ridden into town two years before. Nate dismounted and tied the reins to the hitching post before stepping onto the rickety porch. The wind drowned out the sound of his boots on the old boards.
Before his fist could fall on the door, it opened and Larson’s form filled the doorway. Nate dropped his hand to his side. “I need to talk to you.”
“I got nothing to say.” The man started to shut the door.
Nate put his boot against the doorjamb and glanced at Larson’s belt. No gun. “Well, I do.” Past Larson’s shoulders he could see the one-room cabin. It appeared to be empty. “Where’s your henchman?”
Larson’s eyes narrowed. “What henchman?”
“The man you hired to burn down my barn.”
Larson smirked. “You have a mishap, son?”
“I’m not your son. I tracked the guy, you know. I saw you meet him.”
Larson brushed past Nate to stand on the porch. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Nate turned to face him. “I saw you, Larson.” He jabbed his forefinger against the man’s red-checked shirt. “I’m here to warn you to let it go. My pa didn’t do anything wrong.”
Red rose up Larson’s neck and lodged in his face. “He took advantage of my father. He’s got no right to my land.”
Nate was tired of the old argument. “Where’d you get the money to hire that guy?”
Larson took a step back. “You can’t prove I hired him.”
“The sheriff will be keeping his eye on him. You might as well send him packing.”
“It’s your word against mine.”
Nate managed to keep his rising temper in check. “I saw you with that guy, Larson.”
Larson shrugged and turned to his still-open door. “It’s not against the law to talk to a fellow. Sounds to me like you got an enemy, Stanton.”
“I’m going to see that those men are run out of town. The money you paid them is going to be lost.”
Larson faced Nate. “You think you own this town, but you don’t. Larson blood built this county. My ma was killed by a Comanche arrow.”
Something inside responded to the pain in the man’s words. “I’m sorry about your ma, Larson. But this argument is going nowhere.”
Larson flashed him a glare, then turned and stomped through the door. It slammed behind him, and Nate made no move to go after him. Maybe the sheriff would listen. He mounted his horse and rode to town.
DELICIOUS AROMAS FILLED the air as Lucy sat in the dining car. The train vibrated along the track, but the experience of seeing the train station fade in the distance exhilarated her. The white linen tablecloth was finer than anything she’d ever seen. She took a spoonful of consommé and the flavor brightened her spirits. The children had already eaten and were tucked into their cots in the luxurious accommodations Mr. Stanton had purchased for all of them.
She smiled at the woman across from her, Mr. Stanton’s cousin, whom he had brought along as a chaperone. Mrs. Walker was in her fifties yet still trim. Her blond hair held a few strands of gray but was lustrous and thick.
Lucy took another spoonful. “It’s quite delicious, Mrs. Walker. Thank you for choosing for me.”
“You’re quite welcome, my dear. Are you feeling better?”
The woman had discovered Lucy weeping in her berth and had been quick to comfort her. Lucy managed a smile. “Much better, thank you. At least until I meet Nate.” She stared down at the simple gold band on her left hand. Standing in front of a justice of the peace with her husband’s father hadn’t been the way she’d dreamed of marrying. “What if he’s cruel or physically repulsive?”
Mrs. Walker smiled. “Oh, my dear, you have no need to worry. Nate is quite handsome. All the young ladies in town would give anything for him to pay attention to them.”
“Why was he unable to find a woman on his own, then?”
“Nate only has one goal in mind—to make the Stars Above Ranch known in all of Texas. He works much too hard and is too exhausted to spark any young lady. He seldom attends church socials or town dances.” The woman’s eyes were gray but not as shrewd and determined as her brother’s.
“Stars Above Ranch? I like that.”
“Nate’s mother, God rest her soul, named it when Henry brought her to the original cabin. They arrived at night and she said she’d never seen so many stars.”
It sounded so romantic. The name alone eased Lucy’s fears. �
��Did your cousin tell you h-how we met?”
Mrs. Walker inclined her head. “He did.”
Lucy put down her spoon. “I’m encumbered with the responsibility of raising my brother and sister. That’s quite a challenge for a new husband when Mr. Stanton could have found a carefree young woman.”
“Henry prides himself on being a good judge of people. He believed he’d found his Rebekah for Nate.”
Lucy liked the sound of that. “I desire to belong somewhere.”
“What happened to your parents, dear girl?”
“My mother died when I was an infant. Father was killed in an accident three months ago.”
“What did your father do?”
“He owned a pawn shop.”
The woman’s eyes were kind. “And there was nothing of value left for you to use to raise your siblings?”
Lucy hesitated, then shook her head. “Father’s shop was broken into just before he died, and his most valuable merchandise was stolen. We were fine, though, because I had a good position as a seamstress. Then my employer was forced to let me go yesterday.”
“So Henry said. He has sung your praises since he met you.” Mrs. Walker reached across the pristine tablecloth to pat Lucy’s hand. “And I quite concur. You’ll make our Nate a superb wife.” Her gray eyes studied Lucy’s face. “I haven’t known you long, but I can see you are the sort of person who quickly takes charge of things. While I heartily endorse such courage, you can fall into the trap of thinking you are in control. Do not forget that God does with us as he wills.”
“Of course I know that,” Lucy said quickly.
The woman smiled. “You’re a God-fearing young woman. But in Texas you will need more than courage—you’ll need wisdom. Listen to God, Lucy.”
“Yes, ma’am. I always do.” But her conscience stirred. Did she really? Or did she tend to rush into things and then ask God to bless her decisions?
She ate her dinner and said good night, then made her way through the car to her sleeping quarters. She first peeked in on her brother and sister. Jed’s red hair fell across his forehead, and his freckles stood out on his pale skin. A wave of love for him choked her. He’d had a rough year. He and Papa had been so close. The trauma of seeing their father die in a runaway buggy had scarred him. He’d been in the buggy as well but had been thrown clear before the horses plunged with their father into a swollen river. In one crushing blow, they’d been orphaned. Papa’s body hadn’t been recovered for three days. Jed hadn’t been the same since.
She dropped the curtain back into place and entered her own compartment. A lingering scent of hair tonic hung in the air. Lucy had smelled it before. It was the same scent she’d noticed on the intruder last night. She froze and stared at the berth. Hadn’t the covers been straight and taut when she was last in here? Now the blanket had been pulled back.
She pulled her valise from under the berth. She was sure it had been rifled through. Who would search her belongings? She sniffed the cologne again and wished she could talk to the kind policeman again. It was surely a common hair tonic and she was jumping to conclusions.
She exited the compartment and peered in on Jed and Eileen. They still slept. She couldn’t tell if anything had been disturbed and she didn’t smell the cologne. She rubbed her head and tried to puzzle it out. She went back to her compartment and gathered her pillow and a blanket, then settled on the floor by Jed and Eileen. If anyone came, she intended to stop him from harming her siblings.
FOUR
Nate pushed his broad-rimmed Stetson away from his forehead and leaned back in his saddle. He’d lost ten head of cattle from the frigid cold in the past twenty-four hours. He couldn’t remember ever enduring cold like this, not even in February. And snow. The most they usually got was an inch or two that quickly melted away, not six inches like that covering the ground now.
He squinted toward town. Pa should have been home two days ago. A dart of worry kept Nate on edge. He hoped this sudden and unusual snowstorm hadn’t trapped Pa somewhere. Turning Whisper’s head, he plodded toward the house. Smoke curled from the chimney, and his mouth watered at the aroma of steak that blew in with the smoke. It had been a long time since breakfast. He would be glad when Pa got home. Their cook, Percy, didn’t talk much. Nate rode into the barn and curried his horse before heading to the house.
Not for the first time, he wondered what it would be like to come home to a wife and family. Someone strong and knowledgeable who would discuss cattle and ranching with him. Maybe someone like Margaret O’Brien. She was almost as tall as Nate was himself and could rope a calf nearly as well too. She was attractive enough, but she was more like a sister than a lover.
He bounded up the steps and had his hand on the door when he heard the rattle and clank of a wagon coming across the snow-covered meadow. He turned and shaded his eyes with one hand while he studied the approaching convoy. Three wagons. It had to be Pa with provisions. His spirits lifted.
As the wagons neared, he recognized his father’s gray head. Nate lifted a hand in greeting and went to meet him. Then he saw the young woman clinging desperately to the wagon seat beside his father. Her youth and beauty seemed to bring sudden color to a blank landscape. She peeked at him from under her bonnet, then stared down at her hands.
He stared harder. What had Pa done? Nate remembered his father’s ramblings about the place needing a woman’s touch. “One of us needs to get married.” That was one of the things Pa had gone on and on about. He wouldn’t have. Would he? But this woman was young enough to be his daughter.
Nate eyed her. Could he have hired a housekeeper? Studying the tiny woman, Nate couldn’t see it. Pa wouldn’t have hired someone so puny. Nate gritted his teeth. The little wench probably took one look at Pa and saw him for a rich sucker. And if that fancy blue dress was any indication, she’d expect him to lavish pretty dresses and fripperies on her. Well, if she thought she was getting any money out of this ranch, she was sadly mistaken.
Nate waited for his father to step down from the wagon and explain. Maybe he hadn’t married her yet. Maybe there would be a chance to talk him out of such a fool notion. His thoughts were interrupted when his father enveloped him in a bear hug. Nate tried to return the embrace, but his agitation kept his shoulders stiff.
His pa released him. “Boy, you did good while I was gone. We passed the south pasture and saw the herd there. They look fat and sassy.” He jabbed a thumb back toward the wagon. “Help Lucy down while I get her luggage.”
He didn’t wait for an answer, but then, he never did. Nate suppressed a sigh and offered his hand to the young woman. Lucy, his father called her. She was a cute little thing. Tiny, barely five feet if he had to hazard a guess, with huge blue eyes. A wisp of fine blond hair had escaped her bonnet and lay across the delicate pink of her cheek.
She took his arm and nearly fell when she tried to step down. He caught her in his arms, and the contact sent a shock of awareness through him. He hastily set her on her feet and backed away. “Miss Lucy.” He tipped his hat.
She stared at him with those enormous blue eyes. He’d never seen eyes so big and blue. A man could get lost in those eyes. No wonder she’d snared his pa.
He heard an excited shout and turned to look at the last wagon. A boy of about twelve, his cheeks red from the cold, came bounding through the snow. His amazingly red hair stood up on end, and he carried a little girl who looked like a tiny version of Lucy.
“Did you see how big everything looks out here, Lucy?” He turned his gaze on Nate. “How far’s the nearest neighbors, Mr. Stanton?”
Nate softened a bit at the lad’s exuberance. “Nearest would be the O’Briens, about ten miles away.”
Lucy gave a timid smile. “Uh, Mr. Stanton, this is my brother, Jed, and my sister, Eileen.”
Nate shook the boy’s hand brusquely and nodded to the little girl, then turned to lead the way to the house. That boy might be her brother, but he’d bet the little girl was her own daug
hter. Percy and Rusty, the foreman, had come to help with the provisions and the luggage, and he followed them into the house. Lucy had a bit of difficulty walking through the heavy snowdrifts. What had Pa been thinking? If he wanted a wife, why hadn’t he picked one who had some gumption? This pale lily wouldn’t last long out here.
He took her elbow and helped her along near the house where the drift went clear up on the porch. She shot him a grateful look from those amazing eyes again, but he was much too cautious to be caught in her little web of deceit.
In the parlor, Lucy sighed and sank into the rocker near the fire. She held out her arms for Eileen and took off the little girl’s coat, then spread it out in front of the fireplace. Lucy set Eileen on her feet, then stood to take off her own cloak, bonnet, and mittens. When she pulled her small, white hands from the mittens, his heart sank when he saw the plain gold band on her left hand.
She’ d gotten Pa to marry her.
Nate’s eyes met hers, and he saw the fear in them again. He stared her down with a contemptuous curl to his lips. She paled and looked away.
His father came into the room, rubbing his hands. “I’m famished. We haven’t eaten anything since breakfast. Let’s eat while it’s hot.”
“Aren’t you going to introduce me properly?” Nate asked. “Is Miss Lucy your new housekeeper?”
“There’s time for all that after lunch.” His father avoided Nate’s gaze. “After we eat, we’ll have some coffee here in the parlor by the fire, and I’ll explain everything.”
Lunch was a stilted affair. Nate saw the glances Jed kept tossing his way. Lucy grew more strained and silent. Her knuckles were white from gripping her fork, and she kept her eyes trained on her plate throughout the entire meal. His father tried to draw her into the discussion several times, but she wouldn’t look at him and answered in the briefest of words.
Finally, his father pushed back his chair and gave a satisfied sigh. “I missed that good grub of yours, Percy. Now how about some of your famous coffee? They just don’t know how to make the stuff in the city. Bring it to the parlor when it’s ready.” He stood and led the way down the hall.
Blue Moon Promise Page 3
