Shrugging, she went on up to her room, where she retrieved a clean set of clothing, her next best dress again. With her clothing in her arms, she tried to get into the upstairs bathing room.
“Who is it?” Elvina’s voice called.
“Oh,” Ellie answered. “It’s only me. I’ll use the room downstairs.”
“You may have to wait for more hot water, Ellie,” Elvina called back. “I just finished filling the tub.”
“All right.”
Musing that Elvina hadn’t even thought to ask why she was in off the range so early, Ellie turned headed for the back stairwell, which led down into the kitchen. Her stepmother didn’t give a diddly darn how Ellie spent her days.
All the way down the rear stairwell, Ellie smelled something cooking. Surprised, since the room had been empty a few minutes ago, she emerged into the kitchen to find Withers and Fatima sitting at the table over cool glasses of lemonade. Fatima giggled girlishly at something Withers said, then looked up at her.
“Ellie! Ellie, dear, are you feeling all right? You’re home early.”
The concern in Fatima’s voice filled Ellie’s eyes with tears. Once in a while Darlene worried about her, but her was the only other person on earth who did that.
Even her parents hadn’t wanted her.
Ellie sniffed back that thought before it took hold and dissolved her into a sobbing heap. Lordy, she was emotional today.
“We had a hard morning, and this afternoon one of the cows gave us quite a problem,” she explained. “I decided to come in early.”
Fatima stood. “Well, you go on into the bathing room and have a nice, hot soak in the tub. While you’re relaxing in there, I’ll bring you a cold glass of lemonade and a couple of the fudge brownies I made.”
“Elvina just used all the hot water,” Ellie said longingly. “I’ll have to re-light the boiler and wait for more to heat.”
“Oh, the fuddle you will. Here.” Fatima picked up her magic wand, which Ellie hadn’t noticed lying on the table, and pointed it at the bathing room door. Gold sparkles flew from the end, and Ellie stared at Withers in horror.
“Fatima!” she said. “Withers—”
“Pooh. Withers knows who I am,” Fatima told her, with a nonchalant wave at the valet. “We’ve been having the most marvelous time getting to know one another better. I used magic to clean the house and do all the chores, then we had a nice walk. We were just talking about maybe going into town tonight after dinner to see what we can find to do. I read in the local paper that there’s a little stage show going on.”
Closing her mouth, which was open so far in stunned amazement her jaws ached, Ellie looked from Fatima to Withers. Indeed, the valet merely sipped his lemonade and winked at Ellie when he caught her eye.
“In case you’re wondering,” Fatima said with a fond glance at him, “he does see my true appearance. And it seems to please him.”
“Very much so, my dear,” Withers said.
Fatima sighed with pleasure, then picked up her wand again and pointed it at the door. The door opened, a floral scent wafting into the kitchen from the bathing room.
“Go, Ellie,” Fatima ordered. “I’ve put some nice shampoos for your hair and lotions for your skin on the counter in there. Take your time and pamper yourself.”
Drawn by the wonderful scent, Ellie wandered into the bathing room. The scent was stronger here, of course, a wonderful mix that somehow reminded her of every Texas wildflower she had ever smelled. Bluebonnets and Indian paintbrushes. Black-eyed Susans and wild roses. Others she recognized, but her eyes found the array of bottles on the vanity top and rounded in wonder.
She examined them; took off their tops one by one and smelled them. Heavenly. There were creams for her face, and creams for her feet. Elbow cream and knee cream. Body cream. Oh! Breast cream. Oh, my!
Two more bottles sat by the tub. She bent down to check them. One was shampoo for her hair. One was actually a rinse for after the shampoo! Good lordy, did women elsewhere really use all this? No wonder some of the women she read about in the books she loved took hours and a maid’s assistance to dress each day. Let alone how long it took them to prepare for an evening ball!
Fatima had conjured all this up with one wave of that magic wand out there. And here Ellie was, eyeing the decadent tub of floral-scented water and the various lotions as greedily as the chickens Cookie kept behind the bunkhouse eyed him when he came out with the meal scraps. Eying them as though they hadn’t come from magic—or, worse, as though she believed that the woman out there could truly perform magic.
That Ellie herself wasn’t slowly becoming totally unbalanced.
Not only was she falling straight into love with a man who was the absolute opposite of a man she could ever hope might love her with a forever kind of love in return, she was adding more assurances that the gap between them could never be bridged. If by some wild stretch of the imagination, Shane might overlook her being an orphan with no idea of her background, he could never accept a woman he might have to put in an asylum some day.
But right now, a tub of very real looking, steaming water beckoned. Magic or not, she couldn’t find the willpower to deny herself this pleasant interlude. She took off her clothing.
By the time she settled into the steaming water, not the least bit unpleasant on such a hot day, Fatima was tapping on the door. At Ellie’s agreement for her to enter, Fatima carried in a tray holding a pitcher of lemonade, ice cubes clinking, and a plate of chocolate brownies, looking absolutely sinful with a full half-inch of chocolate frosting slathered on their tops. Moisture gathered in her mouth, and Ellie sighed in anticipation.
Fatima conjured up a little table beside the bathing tub and Ellie didn’t even blink at that bit of magic. The fairy lady set the tray down, then turned and glared at Ellie’s worn dress. Before Ellie could protest, Fatima tapped the dress with her wand, and a different dress appeared. Then new underthings and a nice pair of soft leather walking shoes.
“Oh, you can’t!” Ellie said. “Elvina will wonder where I got them.”
“I thought of that, and it’s not a fancy dress, Ellie. Look, it’s just a blue and white checked gingham, which will look nice with your hair and eyes. Knowing how much attention Elvina pays to you, she won’t even notice what you’re wearing. If she does ask, just change the subject.”
Ellie stared longingly at the gingham dress. Maybe it wasn’t fancy, but it was every bit as nice as her one good dress for church. Nicer, even. It had been a long, long time since she’d had a new dress. Not since the old ones grew too tight around her blossoming bosoms.
And Shane would be joining them for supper—
“Thank you, Fatima. By the way, what was that delicious smell on the stove?”
“My special beef stew. And I’ll make some biscuits, and we’ll have some nice fresh-sliced tomatoes. I made a chocolate cake, too, with chocolate frosting.”
Ellie laid her head back on the tub. “How did you figure out that chocolate is my favorite? I hardly ever get any.”
“I know lots about you, Ellie,” Fatima said softly.
When Ellie turned her head toward the fairy woman, she only saw a closed door. Then she heard a well-recognized voice rumble in the kitchen. Shane had made it in off the range. She closed her eyes, recalling the moments by the creek when he had held and kissed her senseless. Remembering how she had kissed him back.
Remembering her fear when the brindle quit chasing her and whirled to race back to her calf. How her laughter after they were both safe was as much hysterical relief as the recollection of Shane’s uncertain, panicky face as he watched the cow charge, holding the calf in his arms.
Smiling, she let the sound of his voice wash over her, fluttering her hands in the water to make some waves, which lapped over her breasts in accompaniment. The combination of the warm, scented water on her skin and his deep, sensual tones stirred the most luxurious feeling she had ever experienced.
* * * *
“Ellie, I’d like to speak to you after dinner.”
Elvina issued the order as a command, not a request. Ellie pushed another beef chunk to the far side of her plate, hoping Fatima would think she had eaten a little something. Somehow she choked down half a biscuit, washing it down her throat with swallows of cold milk.
“Ellie?”
Her head jerked up. “Yes, Elvina, I heard you. I’ll wait for you in the study after dinner.”
Satisfied, Elvina returned to her meal. She babbled now and then for the rest of the time about how wonderful the food was; how much better than Birdie’s. Hadn’t it been fortuitous rather than disastrous having Birdie quit right when Fatima was available and seeking employment?
Ellie murmured brief acknowledgements or denials at the appropriate points while her thoughts wandered down other paths. She and Elvina were alone at the huge, formal dining room table, where Elvina always insisted on having the evening meal. Shane had gone into Fort Worth, escorting Darlene to see Rockford, since he claimed to have a meeting with Darlene’s beau.
All the care Ellie had taken with her appearance was for naught. Elvina, as Fatima had thought, didn’t notice whether Ellie came to dinner properly dressed or with mud from the hog pen on her shoes.
A crash sounded in the kitchen, but Elvina didn’t seem to notice. Picking up the tiny silver bell by her plate, she rang it, signaling for Elvina to bring in dessert.
Ellie pushed her chair back. “Excuse me. I don’t feel like dessert this evening. I’ll see you after while.”
Elvina nodded regally, dismissing her, just as Fatima came through the door from the kitchen. Ellie took one look at Fatima’s angry face and frowned, but Elvina didn’t pay any attention to the fairy woman’s glower. Leaning back in her chair, Elvina merely waited for Fatima to remove the dinner plates and pour her cup full of coffee again, then set a piece of chocolate cake in front of her.
Not having a taste for finding out what Fatima’s problem was, Ellie escaped to the study. She had at least a half hour before Elvina would appear; her stepmother lingered forever over dessert, whether or not she had company.
Elvina had been at the books again, although Ellie had no idea whether or not she understood anything. She hoped for once that Elvina did. Knowing of her stepmother’s continuing examination, Ellie left a list of upcoming expenses and the funds available to pay them prior to the fall roundup inside the most current ledger. It showed barely enough money remaining from the working loan they took out at the beginning of every year to meet payroll and other expenses, like the loan payments. In the second column on the page, Ellie listed the expenses which would go unpaid until after the roundup, such as the general store bill. George had always made sure everyone got paid after roundup, and the various suppliers extended the same courtesy to Ellie.
She hoped she could continue to maintain their outstanding credit reputation. Another drought like last year would strap them, especially if the cattle prices fell again due to the poor quality of the beef raised on a water-starved range.
Elvina swept in, and Ellie reflexively got up and gave her the large chair behind the desk, standing beside her. Elvina sat and pulled the ledger closer.
“I know Mr. Morgan has told you that I asked him if he would be interested in buying the ranch, Ellie.”
“Darlene,” she murmured.
“Darlene?”
“Darlene told me,” Ellie said. “So yes, I’m aware of why Shane is here.”
“Well, I want you to know that whatever happens, I’ll always make sure you are taken care of, Ellie. I took on a responsibility the day George brought you home, and I won’t ever shirk it.”
A responsibility, Ellie mused. Not another daughter to love. Nothing new there in Elvina’s words.
“Now,” Elvina continued, “I’d like you to show me what...what are they called? Oh, yes. What assets we have. You’ll have to be the one to set the price for the ranch, since you’re the only one I would trust to do something that important. You’re so smart in that area.”
Elvina sighed a sigh that Ellie had come to know well. “I surely wish you had grown into a great beauty like Darlene, but we’ll have to accept that your brain is your better attribute. Maybe someday there will be a man who can appreciate that in you, dear. But if not, as I said, I’ll ensure you are provided for.”
Chapter 13
Ellie tossed and turned until well after midnight. Near that witching hour, Shane and Darlene rode into the ranch yard. Her sister surreptitiously slipped into Ellie’s room on her way to bed, whispering heartfelt entreaties for Ellie to wake, but Ellie feigned sleep. Shoot, no, she wasn’t going to listen to Darlene’s excitement, while her own life crept toward the hole beneath one of the outdoor privies they used before George put in indoor facilities.
She woke the next morning determined to pull herself out of the self-pity pit. And the only way to maintain her resolution to not let her unhappiness overshadow her life was to stay busy. She slid out of bed, dressed, and went through the main house instead of the kitchen, ignoring the tantalizing smells coming from Fatima’s cooking. After taking the long way around to the barn, she saddled Cinder. She stopped by the bunkhouse, but only long enough to drink a cup of coffee and grab two of Cookie’s biscuits to take with her. She ate on Cinder’s back, riding out to check on the brindle’s calf.
She escaped until noon, just after the men left to go to the line shack for lunch. Not hungry, she decided check the fence around the poisoned waterhole, although Shorty said he checked it the day before and found it fine.
Shane was waiting there.
“Hi!” he greeted, as friendly as before. As though he hadn’t spent the evening with Darlene yesterday. “I was wondering when you’d get here.”
Ellie leaned on her saddlehorn instead of dismounting. “How did you know I’d be here?”
“Fatima told me,” he said with a shrug. “I assumed you let her know what your plans were for the day. She sent out food, like she did yesterday.”
Ellie clenched her jaws at the thought of Fatima using her magic to keep track of her, but then her mutinous stomach growled.
Shane heard the sound. No use to lie and say she had already eaten now.
The tablecloth already waited in the meager shade cast by a couple tall mesquite bushes, food spread out temptingly. Ellie refused to look directly at it for nearly ten seconds by pretending to study the fence around the waterhole. She finally realized there could be a ten-foot gap in the fence and she wouldn’t see it.
Sighing in defeat, she dismounted and started to remove Cinder’s saddle.
“Here, I’ll get that,” said Shane from right beside her.
“I can take care of my own danged horse,” she growled through still clenched jaws.
A quick glance at Shane confirmed that a puzzled look crossed his face, but at least he stepped back and gave her some room. Tucking his fingers in his back pockets in that so-incredibly-appealing stance, he waited for her to care for Cinder to her satisfaction.
She finally moved over to the tablecloth, but instead of sitting, she took bread and cheese and ate them on her feet. Shane grasped her standoffishness, remaining where he was instead of joining her, steadily watching her. She poured lemonade from the canteen into a tin cup, drank, then picked up two apples and a fried pie. Sticking the pie in her shirt pocket, she bit into one of the apples and turned to see where Cinder had gotten to.
The gelding cropped grass almost exactly where she left him. She strolled over and fed him the apple, then gave him the rest of hers. A few seconds later, she had her saddle cinched back in place and was mounted again.
Shane still stood in the same spot, the same position. Ellie swallowed bitter disappointment he hadn’t tried harder to talk to her.
Lordy, lordy what was wrong with her? She made no bones about wanting him to keep his distance, and then grew irritated because he did!
Pulling her hat brim down over her forehead,
she neck reined Cinder in the opposite direction of where Shane stood. With an indifferent wave over her shoulder, the casualness of it taking every bit of effort she could dredge up, she nudged Cinder with her heels.
“Thanks for bringing out my lunch,” she called as the gelding loped away. She smiled grimly, satisfied her tone of voice was the same as she would use to speak to one of her ranch hands—maybe even more dismissive.
Fatima met a similar cold shoulder from Ellie when the fairy woman confronted Ellie in the bathing room that evening. Ellie tuned her out, although she did take advantage of the lotions still sitting on the vanity. Wrapped in her dressing gown after her bath, she went through the kitchen and fixed herself a plate of food. Carrying it with her, she climbed the rear stairwell to her room.
She locked her door, something she never did, and when Darlene knocked later, Ellie claimed a headache. As soon as Darlene gave up, Ellie picked up the book on her stomach and tried to read again.
A second later, she caught her breath and pulled her bottom lip in to chew on it when she heard Darlene speaking, still in the hallway.
“She says she has a headache, Mother.”
“She’s had a lot of those lately, but then, let her sleep it off,” Elvina’s voice replied. “That’s about all you can do for a headache. Have you seen my riding gloves? I can’t find them in my drawer.”
“I think I noticed them down on the little table inside the front door.”
“Wonder why Fatima didn’t pick them up and put them back where they belong?” Elvina mused. “But let’s don’t say anything to her. For the most part, that woman is worth her weight in gold, especially her delicious meals. Just because she has one little lapse doesn’t mean she needs chastisement.”
“Why do you need your gloves anyway, Mother? It’s too late to go riding this evening.”
“Of course it is. But I’m going out in the morning with Mr. Morgan to look over the ranch.”
Ellie’s heart dropped, and she nearly drew blood on her lip before the pain forced her to turn it loose.
Southern Charms Page 13
