Belle of the Ball: A Historic Western Time Travel Romance (An Oregon Trail Time Travel Romance Book 2)

by Susan Leigh Carlton

  “You’re quite welcome, and may I say one more time, you were spectacular. I was proud to be with you. Goodnight, Anna.”

  The next morning…

  “How was your evening?” Brett asked his brother.

  “It was good. We talked all through dinner and barely made the opening curtain. I enjoyed it.”

  “What did she wear?” Emma asked.

  “You wouldn’t believe the dress she wore. I really can’t describe it, but it was pale yellow and had little flowers on it. Lace around the neck and the sleeves. Oh yeah, the sleeves were kind of a pinkish color. The most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”

  “Her or the dress?” Brett asked.

  “Both.”

  “Did you tell her that?” she asked.

  “I did. It embarrassed her.”

  “Are you going to see her again?”

  “I asked her that. She kinda dodged the question. She said I would see her if I came to church today.”

  “It sounds like you had a good time,” Emma said.

  “I did. I hated for it to end.”

  “We’d better get going on the chores if we’re going to make it to church on time,” Brett said.

  “I’ll be ready,” Bart told him.

  Later…

  “Are you saving this place for anyone?” he asked.

  She was totally unaware of the captivating picture she made. She moved over to make room.

  Her voice was soft and silky. “Good morning. I’m glad you made it. You must have had a short night.”

  “When you consider we’re up at dawn, I guess you could say that.”

  “Even on Sunday you can’t sleep in?”

  “The stock doesn’t. They have to be fed, and watered. At least I don’t have to milk. Where’s my little girl?”

  “She’ll be here. Letty had to change her dress at the last minute.”

  “I enjoyed last night,” he said.

  “So did I.”

  “When can I see you again?”

  “Oh I… Here they are.”

  Letty came down the aisle with Carrie in tow. “Good morning, Bart. Good to see you again so soon.”

  “I had to come see my girl,” he answered.

  Anna blushed, and said, “I’m not…”

  “Are you going to sit with me this morning?” he asked Carrie.

  In response, she held her arms out to be picked up. He took her into his lap. Letty smiled and patted him on the shoulder, turned and headed for the piano.

  When they stood for the opening hymn, Carrie stood on the seat. Anna was holding a hymnal. When Bart took one corner of the book, their hands touched. She quickly moved, breaking the contact.

  After the services, Brett said, “Emma wants to have lunch in town.”

  “I’m going on back to the ranch. I’ll be gone when you get home. I’m going up to the claim for a few days.

  “Emma, don’t send him after me this time. I don’t know how long I’m going to be gone, so don’t worry.”

  “Anything wrong?” Brett asked.

  “I caught a chill from a cold shoulder,” Bart replied. “I’ll see you in a couple of weeks.”

  “What’s wrong with him?” Emma asked.

  “I don’t know, but it has to do with Anna.”

  “I thought he had a good time last night,” she said.

  “I thought so too, but something must have happened this morning.”

  “Or didn’t happen,” Emma said. “He sat with her.”

  “I saw that, but maybe she just isn’t interested.”

  “That’s too bad, I know he was.”

  The following Sunday…

  “Wonder why Bart didn’t come today?” Letty asked Anna.

  “I don’t know. He didn’t say anything about not being here,” Anna replied.

  “You didn’t have a disagreement or anything?”

  “No, in fact, after the play, he asked when he could see me again, and I told him I’d be in church. Then, before services started he asked again, but I don’t remember what I said.”

  “Strange, maybe he had some things that had to be done today.”

  “Brett was here,” Anna said. “Oh, now I remember. I didn’t answer because that was when you brought Carrie in.”

  When Bart missed the third Sunday in a row, Letty asked Brett if he was okay. “He’s away on business,” Brett told her.

  “Oh, we thought maybe he was sick or something like that.”

  “He should be home in the next few days,” Brett told her.

  Bart returned after being at the claim for three weeks. “I was beginning to worry,” Brett said.

  “It was going so well, I decided to stay another week.”

  “Do we make another trip to Denver?”

  “No, I took it into Spring Hill, converted it and deposited it into the Wells Fargo there. It’s a lot more than we have in the account here. We have more money than we ever dreamed about.

  “What’s been going on around here?”

  “I picked up some letters for you. They’re on your bed. They were asking about you in town.”

  “They who?”

  “Letty. You haven’t been to church in a month.”

  “Yeah, well, I don’t know when I’ll get around to going again. I’m going to get cleaned up and read these letters.”

  Later…

  “Emma, do we have any writing paper?”

  “I’ll get it for you. Are you going to write someone?”

  “I’m going to answer a couple of these letters.”

  “I thought you were interested in Anna.”

  “I was, but it didn’t go both ways.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I asked her twice when I could see her again. She dodged it the first time, and didn’t even bother to answer the second time. You don’t have to hit me over the head with a frying pan more than twice to get your point across.”

  “That’s strange, I didn’t get that feeling at all,” she said.

  “Did you ask her to go anywhere?” he asked.

  “No, silly.”

  “There you go,” he said.

  Sunday…

  “You’d better hurry,” Brett said. “We’ll be ready to leave in a few minutes.”

  “I’m not going, but would you drop these with Silas for me.”

  “Why aren’t you going?”

  “I just don’t want to. There are some things I want to get done around here.”

  “You need to come with us,” Brett told him.

  “Let it go, Brett. I’m not going.” He turned on his heel and was in the barn when Brett and Emma left.

  Chapter fourteen

  Invite Us Out

  “So what’s the excuse this week?” Letty asked.

  “He got back Tuesday,” Brett told her, “but didn’t want to come today.”

  “He told me what happened,” Emma said, and told her about the conversation she’d had with Bart. “He gave us a couple of letters to mail while we’re in town.”

  “What we have here is a monumental misunderstanding,” Letty said, and conveyed Anna’s puzzlement over the missing Bart. “I don’t want you to lie, but could you forget to mail those letters for a few days? Could you also invite us out for a visit?”

  “I like your style,” Emma said, a mischievous grin creeping across the corners of her mouth. “We would like to have you come visit us at the ranch. I don’t think you’ve been there since I got here. Would you be available next Saturday?”

  “I think we’ll be free then,” Letty said. “What time?”

  “Why don’t you plan to get there mid-morning, then we’ll have time to chat before lunch.”

  “We’ll just do that. It’s very kind of you to have us,” Letty said. “You know, this matchmaking gets to be work at times.”

  Friday morning…

  “Anna, we have an invitation for lunch tomorrow, and you’re included. I’d like for you to go with us if you don�
�t mind,” Letty said.

  “What time would you like to leave?”

  “Nine-thirty or ten. We’ll be gone most of the day.”

  “I’ll cancel all of my meetings, and make sure I’m ready,” Anna said.

  The next day…

  Emma came to the front porch when the carriage stopped in front. “Welcome to the Flying W. Come on in. Brett and Bart are out and about somewhere. I’ll ring the bell to let them know to come in. Have a seat, and I’ll be right back.”

  Shortly after she left the room, they heard a bell. “Their father put a bell by the back door as a sort of alarm or call to dinner system,” Emma explained when she returned. “When I ring it, they know dinner is ready or I need them for something.”

  “Is anything wrong?” Brett called as he came into the kitchen.

  “Nothing’s wrong, we have guests,” Emma said. “We’re in the living room.”

  “Well, this is a pleasant surprise. Emma didn’t tell me you were coming.” He shook hands with Jack, and hugged Emma. “Anna welcome to our home.”

  “Thank you,” she replied.

  “Where’s Bart?” Emma asked.

  “He was right behind me. He should be here in a minute.

  “It’s been a while since we’ve had company.”

  The sound of feet stamping on the porch floated in. “I cleaned my boots,” they heard him say to Mrs. Crump.

  “They’re in the living room,” Mrs. Crump told him.

  “Is everything all right?” he asked.

  “We have guests,” Emma told him.

  “Well, hello,” he said to Letty and Jack, “Miss Anna. Come to find out why this sinner has been skipping church I guess?”

  “Emma invited us, but now that you mention it, what’s your excuse?” the forthright Letty asked.

  “I’ve been busy lately,” he said lamely.

  “Right.”

  “Jack, you need to school her in the social graces,” Bart said.

  “I gave that notion up the second week of our marriage,” Jack told him.

  Bart knelt. “How’s my girlfriend?” he asked Carrie.

  She turned her head away and toward Anna.

  “Are you mad at me too?” he asked Anna.

  “I’m not mad. I have missed having your help on Sundays.”

  “I’m sure you can handle her without any help.”

  Emma sensed it was not going the way she hoped. “Would anyone like something to drink? We have coffee, tea, milk, and I’m sure Mrs. Crump has the makings for lemonade.”

  She was joined by Letty in the kitchen. “Is this awkward or what?” she asked Letty.

  “It is a little.”

  “He asked about the letters, so I had to mail them. It’s too soon for him to hear anything yet,” Emma said.

  They returned to the living room. “Anna, have you been to a ranch before?” Brett asked.

  “Not since I was a little girl,” she said.

  “Bart, why don’t you show Anna what living on a ranch is all about?”

  “Sure, Anna, come on, I’ll rescue you from these matchmakers.”

  “Why we’re doing nothing of the sort,” Letty protested.

  “Letty Owens, you should be ashamed of yourself,” Bart scolded.

  He held out his hand, his grin infectious. Anna matched it and took the offered hand. When they went outside, she said, “You don’t have to do this if it is making you uncomfortable.”

  “Why would it make me uncomfortable? I told you I enjoyed your company. I even asked for more of it.”

  “I know,” she said, “and I didn’t give you the courtesy of an answer. I apologize for that. It was rude of me.”

  “Not at all,” he said. “If you weren’t interested, all you had to do was say so. I would have been disappointed, but my world wouldn’t have ended.”

  “That wasn’t my intention at all. I didn’t know where I was going or what I was going to do. I still don’t as far as that goes.

  “You don’t owe me an explanation,” he said.

  “I want to explain, but I’d like you to promise me something.”

  “What kind of promise?”

  “I want to tell you about me, but I would like to have you promise not to tell anyone what I’m about to tell you. The only people that know this are Letty, Jack, Doctor and Mrs. Palmer.”

  “Anna, this isn’t necessary,” he said.

  “I want to. Do you promise?”

  “I promise, and I want you to know, I’m a cowboy, and cowboys don’t lie.” His eyes held the same inviting smile as his face.

  “Is there some place where we can sit?”

  “There’s a nice shady place on the hill,” he said. He led the way up a worn path to the top of a hill to an area that was obviously well-cared for. A weather worn bench was at the foot of two graves, marked by granite headstones.

  “Your parents?” she asked.

  “Yes they died of pneumonia two weeks apart. Brett and I put them here so they could keep watch over the ranch and us.”

  “It’s pretty up here,” she said.

  “It’s my favorite spot on the ranch. When my time comes, I want to be here too.” He took a bandana from his pocket and dusted the bench.

  Chapter fifteen

  Anna’s Story

  “This is going to be pretty unbelievable,” she told Bart. “I am almost twenty-three years old, and I was born in St. Peter’s hospital in Helena.”

  “There’s no St. Peter’s Hospital, but there’s a new one being built, named Saint John’s.”

  “Just hear me out. I’ll explain it all.”

  “Okay, sorry.”

  “When I was seventeen, I was in a school bus collision with a train. It killed three of my classmates and the driver. I had guilt feelings over it, and was under a doctor’s care for several years.” She sensed he was about to say something, and held up her hand to stop him.

  “I finished college, and was living with my parents. I was invited to a themed costume party by a former classmate. It was held at the country club. I wore the same yellow dress I wore to the play with you. An earthquake struck while I was there. I was in the ladies restroom when it hit. A fire broke out, and a falling ceiling blocked the way I had come in. A woman appeared and led me down a long hallway and left me at a door, and returned to help others. When I opened the door and looked around, I fainted. I was found in the street and taken to Dr. Palmer’s office.

  “That’s not the hard part; I was born in 1992, what I just told you happened in 2015. This is 1870.”

  “That’s impossible,” Bart said.

  “I told you it was hard to believe. Dr. Palmer sent for Letty to make me more comfortable. Letty and Jack believe it was an angel that led me out of the building.”

  “That’s also hard to believe.”

  She opened her purse, and took out a small wallet. “This is my driver’s license, issued by the State of Montana. Look at the issue date and my date of birth. It will verify what I’ve said. This is plastic. It hasn’t been invented yet. The process is called lamination. It hasn’t been invented yet either.

  “The driver’s license says I am duly authorized to drive an automobile, which is a vehicle powered by a gasoline engine. It can go over a hundred miles an hour, but it isn’t not safe to do so. They will be invented sometime around 1910. There are airplanes that fly from New York to San Francisco in about six hours.”

  She pointed toward the sky. “People will walk on the moon in the 1960s. I know you probably think I’m out of my mind, but I’ll match wits with anyone.

  “I’ve held out hope I could return to my time, but I’ve just about given up on it. My parents were at the country club. I don’t know whether they lived or died. That’s my story. You can believe it or not, but it is true. Just remember you promised not to tell anyone. If you like, you can ask Jack or Letty. They know everything I told you, but they haven’t seen the driver’s license. Here’s a couple of other things the
y haven’t seen.”

  She took out some bills. This is the way currency looks in 2015. A lot of people don’t carry money around. Instead, they use credit or debit cards, and pay at the end of the month. This is my Wells Fargo Debit Card. Same Wells Fargo you have here, just a century and a half later.”

  “I’m dumbfounded. I don’t know what to say. It sounds impossible, but somehow… I don’t know.”

  “That’s why I didn’t answer your questions. I want to go home, but probably will never do so. When they found me on the street, all I had was what I was wearing and my purse. I don’t want to live off the charity of others. I think I’m qualified to teach school, but don’t know how I could ever prove it. I’m ready to go back inside if you are. You know my story. There’s nothing else I can tell you.”

  “Let’s sit here for a while,” he said. “They’ll ring the bell when lunch is ready. Would you go back if you could?”

  “Yes. I have nothing here. I can’t support myself the way things are now. In my time, if my parents survived, I would have a nice place to live. If they didn’t, it would be traumatic, but my father had a thriving business, a nice house, and I’m the only heir. In addition, my education would be beneficial, since I graduated at the top of my class with a business major.”

  “Would you still want to go back if you had a good reason to stay?” he asked.

  “That’s a hard question. Life was so much easier in that time. The houses all had power that gave you lights, heat and a lot of conveniences such as hot and cold running water. You could shower for thirty minutes and not run out of hot water, or you could fill the tub and just soak.”

  The image of her soaking in a tub flashed through his mind and caused him to feel warm. He ran two fingers around his suddenly tight collar.

  “There was so much more to do. I guess it would be a downside, but it’s much more hectic, everyone’s always in a hurry. There were over twenty thousand people in Helena at the time.”

  “You don’t think there’s a chance of it happening though, do you?”

  Her voice was resigned and shaky. “My going home? No, I don’t.”

  “Then you need to find your happiness here and now. I’m going to ask a favor. I would like to see more of you. The favor is, if you’re not interested, tell me and I won’t bother you again.”