Pa’s case of the ague was temporary, but her attraction to Ty was incurable. There was no denying it. When had her feelings changed so dramatically?
She had often heard there was a fine line between love and hate. Now she knew it was true. No longer did she consider him competition. He was part of her goal. Fountainhead was her legacy, Tyler Bishop, her dream. She closed her eyes for a moment and pictured herself back in his arms.
“Ain’t that right, Ellie?”
Jerked from her reverie, Ellie’s eyes flew open and she felt her face flush. “What? I’m sorry, I wasn’t listening.”
Ty glanced over at her. His eyes sparkled and his head tilted just enough to showcase his angular jaw. “I said, if your pa is feeling up to snuff, we’d still like to go to that dance on Friday.”
She nodded. “Oh yes, that’s right. I do so want to go…if that’s all right with you, Pa.”
Ben’s face blossomed into a broad smile. “Nothing would make me happier than to see you dressed up like a lady. Just the thought has improved my health already.”
“Oh, Pa,” Ellie clucked. “You talk like I’ve never acted like a girl.”
He lowered his chin, peering out at her from under his arched brows, and smiled. “Well!”
She stood and curtsied. “Point taken, but you just wait until tomorrow evening then. My new dress will take away any doubts you might have as to my feminine charm.”
Ellie left the men to their discussion and went out on the veranda. She stood, enjoying the lingering smell of rain left behind by the brief storm that had just passed through. The cicadas, quiet for a while, had resumed their melodious serenade and shared their love song with her.
The pallet of pinks and purples left behind when the sun slipped below the western horizon provided barely enough light to see the expanse of greenery beyond the barn.
Any minute, the bunkhouse would go dark as the men went to bed, but right now an occasional shadow passed by the window, highlighted by the blazing kerosene lamps.
Ellie pictured the chickens roosting in their coop and the pigs retired from a day of rolling in the mud. The slight shuffling in the barn ceased and the horses quieted for the night. Ellie sighed.
Everything about Fountainhead was so beautiful: the land, the locale, and the house.
Pa had worked hard to build the single-story ranch home of Ma’s dreams, or so Ellie had been told, right down to the last details about the large kitchen, spacious bedrooms, and oak plank flooring Pa had special-ordered from the west. The porch offered him respite and provided a beautiful place to sit and admire his life’s accomplishments.
Ellie often shared it with him.
The expanse of trees around the yard, now mostly bare of their leaves, provided shady protection from the summer sun.
The biggest Beech used to be her favorite childhood place to perch. Those were the days, carefree and without worry about anything more serious than stepping on a burr if you ran through the yard barefoot. She warmed as memories overwhelmed her.
All of a sudden, Ellie felt complete. Like whatever had been missing from her life was now found, although she couldn’t name it. Could it have been something as simple as a sharing one kiss with Tyler Bishop? If she’d known it would make such a difference, she would have kissed him a lot sooner. Thank goodness the dance wasn’t far off. She could barely wait.
Chapter Thirteen
Ellie rolled over and stretched her arms high over her head. With the realization it was morning, a smile blossomed across her face. Tonight was the Fall Festival, at long last. She clasped her arms around her body and imagined Ty held her. It wouldn’t be long until he actually did. Her heart fluttered with excitement.
Scrambling out from under the covers, she straightened them and plumped the pillows, placing them neatly against the mahogany headboard. If she had learned anything from Cook during all these years, it was the importance of making one’s bed upon rising.
Ellie folded the extra quilt, draped it across the foot and made one last brushing motion to smooth any remaining wrinkles.
Satisfied, she donned her wrapper, scurried to her armoire and removed her new dress.
She held the garment against her body and stood on her tiptoes to see as much of herself in the mirror as possible. How nice it would be if she had Ma’s standing oval mirror, but for sentimental reasons, Pa didn’t want to disturb anything in the room they had shared.
Ellie’s developing fondness for Ty made Pa’s reasoning a little clearer.
Not wanting to risk an early reveal, Ellie decided to wait until later for a full-length look.
The smile reflecting back at her caused a sparkle in her eyes that matched her emerald-green dress exactly.
She draped the flowing brocade gown across her bed, spreading out the fullness of the skirt, and stood back to admire her choice. She’d been lucky to find something so elegant on a ready-made rack.
The lace-trimmed bosom dipped low enough in front to maintain propriety, but would still reveal enough of her to prove her maturity to Ty.
She placed her hands on her breasts and wondered what it would feel like to have Ty caress them.
Ashamed at her thoughts, she dropped her arms to her sides and released a long breath. She wasn’t at all surprised when she glanced at the looking glass and noticed red cheeks.
Her gaze moved from her flushed face to her long curls, and she gasped. Her naughty musings of Ty faded. What would she do with her hair?
She hurriedly pulled a box from the armoire shelf and searched through the wad of ribbons inside. Her fingers locked on a perfectly-matching green one, and she struggled to untangle it from the rest. Realizing there was only one, a frown creased her brow. It would have to do.
From the bottom of the box, beneath the ribbons and other personal treasures, Ellie withdrew a folded piece of cotton. Years ago she had tucked her mother’s treasured cameo and chain inside the cloth for safekeeping.
Ellie held it up and admired the small intricate piece that provided the finishing touch she needed on this special night. She strategically placed the locket on the bed, right above the dress, next to her hair ribbon.
The smell of breakfast wafted into the room. Ellie splashed some water on her face, donned her denims and shirt and pulled on her boots. Securing her thick hair with a strip of rawhide, she wandered down the hallway. She glanced inside Pa’s door as she passed. His bed was empty.
In the kitchen, men’s booming voices rang out, among them, Pa’s. He sat in his usual place at the head of the table and looked fit as a fiddle. Ellie paused in the hallway for a moment and beamed at the sight of him, back to normal and obviously enjoying a hearty breakfast. His heaped plate held bacon, eggs and biscuits and he shoveled in mouthfuls while exchanging banter with Ty. A few days ago that sight would probably have irked her, but now it brought her joy.
She lingered long enough to admire the handsome man who’d be her escort to the dance. Ty chewed and nodded while seeming totally engrossed in whatever Pa talked about, and she couldn’t help but notice the way his tanned face highlighted the blueness of his eyes. For once, she could admire his dark wavy hair without that infernal hat he always wore. Of course she loved the rakish tilt to his Stetson, but it was nice to see all of his face for a change.
What she wouldn’t give to push back that one stray curl dangling on his forehead right now. She chuckled, when, as if reading her mind, he put down his coffee cup and ran his fingers through his hair, combing the errant strand back into place.
“Good morning, everyone,” she announced as she entered.
“Mornin’, Miz Ellie,” was the rumbled choir response.
She paused at the stove and poured a cup of coffee, bussed Cook’s cheek with a kiss then went to the table. Ty leapt to his feet and pulled her chair out for her.
“Thank you, sir,” she purred as she sat, batting her lashes a few extra times, then feeling a tad ridiculous for doing it.
“My pleasu
re, ma’am.” The timbre of his voice brought back her earlier pondering about his hands on her body. Did he have to mention pleasure?
She purposely diverted her eyes from him and turned her attention to her father. Hopefully, she’d quell another blush. “I’m happy to see you up and around this morning, Pa.”
“I told you the thought of seeing you actually dress up and go to a social function would cure me.” His hearty laughter proved his renewed strength.
Ellie’s jaw tensed as she filled her breakfast plate. She wondered why Pa took such delight in revealing so much to the hired help, especially when it concerned her.
* * * * *
“God, could time pass any slower.” Ellie grumbled to Chessie as she hung the feedbag on the animal’s head for a second time. Her boots crunched in the spilled oats on the barn floor. She found nervous fingers hard to work.
Thoughts of the dance dimmed all the unpleasant events of late and were the only thing on Ellie’s mind. The morning had dragged on endlessly as she went about her chores.
She’d dusted the parlor, hung four lines of laundry out to dry, mucked three stalls, and finished feeding the stock in the barn. Ty was out on the south forty checking for problems, so his absence made the anticipation of tonight even more special.
Ellie left Chessie to her meal and waltzed across the barn, holding out an invisible skirt and bowing low to a shovel she pretended was Ty.
She had mentally planned her entrance a thousand times, wanting to leave both him and Pa speechless. Her mind replayed the latest version but a muffled whinny interrupted her thoughts and let her know Chessie was done. Ellie removed the feedbag and stroked the mare’s nose. With one more chore completed, the time for the dance drew closer and Ellie’s glee grew.
She’d killed all the time she could. Now was the perfect time to go inside, take a bath and start getting ready.
The dance started at sundown and the trip into town would take a little longer by buggy, but she still had plenty of time to devote to her appearance.
Ellie two-stepped across the compound and into the house, her heart providing the rhythm.
She walked straight through the kitchen, where dinner simmered on the stove, to the end of the hallway and knocked on Cook’s door. “It’s me, Ellie.”
“Come in, child.” The woman looked up from the worn Bible resting on her lap and smiled. “So, tonight’s the big night.”
“Yes, and I’m so nervous. I feel like a calf about to be branded.”
Cook laughed and set her chair to rocking. “I’m so ancient I can barely remember what it feels like to be courted for the first time. It’s been a lot of years since my mister has even been alive.” A mist of tears clouded the older woman’s eyes, and her voice cracked ever so slightly. “Hold these times dear to your heart, Ellie. The good Lord brings them into your life to warm your heart as you grow old. Good memories are treasures to cherish.”
Cook’s display of rich emotion numbered few in all the years Ellie’d known her. The woman had a compassionate side, but never shared much about her personal life.
Ellie grimaced. Here before her sat a good woman, reading the Bible, and praising the Lord for her memories, and all day Ellie’s thoughts had been lustful and anything but religious. She should hang her head, but strangely, she wasn’t ashamed. Rather than consider herself ill-behaved, she found solace in her belief that God knew the difference between immoral thoughts and those based on love. If she was wrong, she was certain to be hell-bound.
Ellie quickly changed the subject. “Cook, I wonder if you might help me do something special with my hair tonight. I want everything to be perfect and I’m afraid I only know two ways to manage this mane, pulled back like this or hanging down.” Ellie held out a thick swatch of curls and let them fall back on her shoulders.
“I’d be delighted.” Cook agreed. “You have such beautiful locks. Supper’s almost done, so give a holler when you’re ready. The men can wait for once. You’re much more important.” She chuckled and went back to reading.
Ellie went into the “toilette” room, as Pa called it. It was something he designed to make bathing in style a comfort for the women in his life. Ellie occasionally used the big claw-footed tub housed in a small closet between her room and Pa’s, but since water still had to be drawn from the pump, toted in and heated on the stove, it was quite often more work than it was worth. Tonight was a special occasion, and Ellie planned to languish in a bath of hot water and lather herself with the special honeysuckle soap that once belonged to her mother. Ellie had found it in the cedar chest along with the deed.
As she went to fetch the first bucket, she pondered the strange piece of paper she’d discovered. What exactly did Pa own? She couldn’t wait to find out…well maybe she could. Thoughts of the dance filled her mind and she didn’t have time to dwell on it.
* * * * *
Ty stood in sock-clad feet and clean long johns and labored in front of a shard of mirrored glass hanging on the bunkhouse wall.
His lathered cheek protruded from the force of his tongue against the inside of his mouth, making his straight-razor strokes smooth and nick free. His store-bought suit lay spread across his bunk, complete with white shirt and bolo tie.
Rusty, one of the ranch hands, sat on his own bed and worked to bring a shine to Ty’s cowboy boots.
“Make sure you can see yourself in the toes of those. Tonight has to be perfect.”
“You sure got it bad for Mr. Fountain’s daughter, don’t ya?” Rusty chided.
“I’m just the lucky one who gets to take her to the dance. I’m pretty sure any one of you fellas would love to be in my boots…especially when you get done with them.”
Ty wiped the remaining soap from his face and examined his reflection. “Guess I didn’t do too bad. I still have my nose.” He laughed.
“Here ya go, Ty.” Rusty held up the boots for inspection.
“They look pretty good. Thanks. Now I only need one more thing from you.”
“What’s that, boss?”
“Could you hitch up the buggy for me? I’m running a little behind and I don’t want to disappoint the lady.”
With a nod, Rusty headed for the barn.
Ty dried his face and hands then finished dressing. As he buttoned his shirt and tucked it into his pants, his thoughts turned to Ellie. He’d waited for tonight for a long time, and he wanted to make it special in every way possible.
It appeared as though Ellie had turned into a full-grown woman overnight, kind of like the newborn foals in the spring. One minute they were awkward and gangly and the next they had filled out and turned into something spirited and beautiful.
Oh, Ellie wasn’t a horse, but she did have spirit, and she certainly was a beauty. The thought of all those curves in the right places and the memory of her luscious lips awakened a distinct part of his body. He tugged at the crotch of his trousers and moved back to the mirror to put on his tie.
If luck was on his side, in a few hours he’d be holding her in his arms, and maybe on the way home, he’d steal another kiss or two.
With that in mind, Ty went outside, stopping at the flowerbed next to the porch. It was only fitting he give his lady something special, but only a few late bloomers remained. Luckily one stood out among the wilted. Carefully, Ty plucked a pale pink rose to give to Ellie in celebration of the occasion.
* * * * *
It was still too early to make her grand entrance, so Ellie lingered in her room, pacing and anxiously wringing her hands. She wondered how long it took a body to get used to wearing a corset.
Cook had pulled the laces so tight, Ellie could barely breathe…and all these petticoats. She paused in front of the small wall mirror and took another glimpse at her reflection, marveling at Cook’s work. She’d brushed Ellie’s hair back and secured it with the green ribbon, leaving wispy ringlets framing her face and larger ones hanging down to the collar of her dress.
For an added touch, Cook had
used her own ivory combs to secure the sides right above Ellie’s ears, a perfect accentuation to her mother’s cameo necklace.
Ellie felt like an elegant lady.
She held out the skirt of her dress and waltzed around in a circle, just as she had earlier in the barn, but this time it was for real. She looked every part the woman she pretended to be.
In a short while, she’d enjoy the comfort of two strong arms, and a very handsome face to go with them. She stopped dancing when someone rapped on her door.
“Ellie, dear, I believe Ty is here for you.” Cook’s voice sounded.
Ellie opened the door. Cook, who hadn’t seen her fully dressed, clasped her hands together and beamed. “Oh my goodness, don’t you look beautiful.”
“Only because you did such a fine job with my hair.” Ellie patted one of the elegant combs. “Thank you so much.”
“You’re a natural beauty, my dear, but if I helped, I’m glad.” Cook held out the rose. “Your beau sent you this.”
Ellie melted. No one had ever given her a flower. She held to her nose and inhaled deeply of its fragrance. “My beau,” Ellie whispered. “Doesn’t that sound perfect?”
“You best hurry,” Cook admonished. “Ty just pulled the buggy up to the back porch and your Pa is sittin’ outside in his rocker. I can’t wait to see the look on their faces.”
“Me either,” Ellie said, grabbing her ivory-colored woolen wrap from the bed. She adjusted her petticoats and took one last hitch at the unfamiliar corset. “Let’s go.”
She followed the woman out of the room, but made a quick stop at the full-length mirror. Even she had to gasp in surprise at her reflection. Was that really her? Maybe Pa had a point about being a lady.
Cook walked out onto the porch, but Ellie paused for a moment in the kitchen to take a deep breath. This was it. She exhaled and stepped outside, hoping she looked as captivating as she felt.
“Lord a mercy,” Ben exclaimed, slapping his knee. His mouth gaped then spread into a broad smile.
Ellie's Legacy Page 12
