by Etta Foster
“My friend Coralee was one of my few constant companions. She was basically a lady-in-waiting for me. She was one of the few people I could genuinely confide in, and we became the best of friends. Unfortunately, she contracted an illness and succumbed to it about a week ago. I promised her I would follow through on my letter and come here to start my new life with you. I wish she could see what a catch you are,” Coralee said, each word leaving a progressively worse taste in her mouth. I need to change the subject.
“Do you like horses?” Gavin gestured toward one of the larger brown mares that was grazing nearby. The creature seemed so much larger than the pictures of horses in books had led her to believe. “I can help you learn how to ride.”
“Could you really? My father had always promised me that I could learn one day, but there wasn’t any excitement in trying to learn in Boston. What could you learn trotting around on a horse in a tiny little enclosure? I figured I would be able to enjoy the sensation of learning how to ride here in a nice, wide open space. That would allow me to learn how the horse responds to different things,” Coralee eyed the brown mare that she’d first laid eyes on. The large beast had trotted up to the fence and was now drooping her head over the top of it.
“Sure. I can make that my priority over the next few days in between the chores,” Gavin replied instantly, his expression distant and distracted. “I’ll give you the liberty to sleep in as late as you’d like for these first few weeks. You’ll be no good to me half asleep, so it will be important for you to get good, meaningful rest. It will help you absorb your lessons more quickly, and that will aid us in the long run.”
“You make it sound like it will be such an ordeal,” Coralee laughed, tears coursing down her cheeks. If it was her exhaustion causing her strange behavior she couldn’t say, but she did know that Gavin's presence was doing a great job of putting her at ease.
“I don’t mean for it to,” he replied shyly, glancing over his shoulder at the sound of the dinner bell being rung in the distance.
The sun was just about to set as well, leaving the last layers of pink and gold in the sky as the two made their way back toward the house. “I hope you’ve worked up a good appetite. I’m sure Ma is going to have worked hard to outdo herself. She goes above and beyond. I’m sure your mother was the same way.”
“I think that is just how mothers are by default,” Coralee replied as her mind flashed back to memories of her own mother.
The maid had been one of the most trusted in the Caldwell household, and it was because of her reputation that Coralee had been given work when her mother had passed away. “I’ll look forward to it either way. I just hope I manage not to embarrass myself.”
“Beginners shouldn’t worry about getting embarrassed. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve made mistakes throughout my life. You can’t let that fear stop you from trying new things.
Life is not kind enough to let you go through it without also having a few bumps in the road now and then. You’ll trip and slip and occasionally make a fool of yourself. That’s just how it goes sometimes,” Gavin said, his hand moving to rest on her shoulder lightly. “I promise I won’t give you too hard a time about it.”
Coralee gave him a good-natured smirk, reaching over and giving him an affectionate smack on the arm. “I’d hate to think that I’d married a bully.”
“Not a bully,” Gavin replied, shaking his head. “I just have a sense of humor. I hope yours isn’t completely broken.”
“I should hope not,” Coralee scoffed, sticking her tongue out in Gavin’s direction. “I can still enjoy a bit of good-humored fun.”
“Then you should be just fine. We’ll use it as an excuse to get to know each other better and spend time together in these first few weeks,” Gavin glanced up in the direction of the house as he heard Viola’s voice ring out across the field. “Looks like dinner is ready ahead of time. I suppose we can get washed up and get in place. I don’t know if my Pop will be able to stay awake for the whole meal. He doesn’t have much energy these days.”
“I’ll be sure not to take your father’s poor health personally,” Coralee replied dryly, Gavin’s laughter ringing out across the field as they continued across the lush grassy fields toward the waiting farmhouse. “I doubt I’ll be good company either, given how I currently feel.”
“I hope I didn’t disturb any conversation the two of you might be having,” Viola called apologetically from the top of the stairs. “I just figured you would want to know the food was ready.”
“You thought right,” Coralee responded eagerly, her appetite having returned now that the sun was low in the sky. “I haven’t had anything to eat since this morning on the train.”
“You’re going to love this, then. It’s one of my husband’s favorites, and I know Gavin here has never complained when I’ve made it either,” Viola confessed proudly. “Enough talk, though. Why don’t you make your way to the dining room, and we can get the food served.”
“That’s the best thing I’ve heard all day,” Coralee replied eagerly.
Chapter 6
After freshening up a bit with a basin of warm water and a washcloth, Coralee felt a little better. Upon entering the dining room, she was greeted with the sight of Gavin sitting at the table across from Viola.
The two were smiling warmly at her, but the warmest smile in the room was worn by Gavin's father. The old man's eyes grew glassy for a moment, his smile never once leaving his face.
Gavin rose from his chair, moving around to pull out the chair next to him for her to sit. Coralee thanked him, blushing gently from the special treatment he was giving her.
It already felt strange not to have been the one to cook dinner tonight or to have done any cleaning, which had been her usual routine for the last six years. She felt that she may as well express her gratitude to all of them.
“I just want to thank you all for your warm reception. Making a home with someone is a luxury that I never thought I would live to experience, so it's all a bit surreal to me.
The events of the past few weeks have been particularly demanding on me, so forgive me if it takes a little time for me to get into the swing of things around here, so to speak,” she finished simply, not wanting to delve too deep into her past if it could be helped. The more she talked, the greater the chance she might let something slip.
“Well, Jessica, I hope you make yourself completely at home. I don't know how you and my son became acquainted, but frankly, it's none of my business. Just so long as the two of you can grow to love one another and make a home for each other here at the ranch, I'll have no regrets in the next life,” Isaac replied, his wrinkled hand moving to grip the glass of whiskey that sat before him. He raised it gently to his lips, taking a small sip.
“That is so kind of you to say, Mr. Woodworth. Thank you.” Gratitude was etched on Coralee’s face; she was beaming by now.
“Look at you, glowing brighter than the midafternoon sun after a couple of compliments.” Viola glanced over at Gavin, her expression turning stern for a moment. “You better not do anything to hurt this poor girl. She seems like she will make a good match for you.”
Now it was Coralee's turn to watch Gavin blush gently, and he cleared his throat while grabbing his glass of water. Coralee had observed enough people while serving the Caldwell family to know such mannerisms indicated that someone was uncomfortable with the current subject.
It seemed strange that he balked so much at the talk of marriage when that was the reason he had called her out here to begin with. His reasoning for doing so was still a mystery to her.
“Anyway, let's not let the dinner that your mother worked so hard to make get cold while we sit here flapping our gums. There will be time enough for talk later,” Isaac said, watching as Viola reached to start dishing out portions for everyone.
The smell of the food was heavenly, though Coralee didn't know what exactly she was looking at. It appeared to be a pie of some kind, the go
lden-brown crust concealing a creamy interior stuffed with meat and vegetables. She could recognize vegetables straight out of the garden, but the rest of it seemed a mystery to her. She didn't think she'd ever seen a pie like this before, but she was more than willing to sample it.
“Can I help you serve anything, Mrs. Woodworth?” Coralee's hands had already started moving toward some of the other dishes, wanting to be helpful.
“Don't trouble yourself, Jessica. I've been serving the meals around here for a while and I'm quite used to doing it alone. Thank you for asking, though. I can tell you’re the kind of person who tries to take care of the needs of others. Kindred spirits, you and me.” Viola winked and went about serving the food without further interruption from Coralee, whose attention now moved to focus on Isaac.
“Tell me a little about yourself, Jessica. Do you have any hobbies you like to do in your free time?” Isaac inquired after a period of silence, Viola having been helping him eat since his own hands were so unsteady and shaky.
“I guess you could say I'm not really used to free time, sir. Where I came from, my household was a very lively place. At least, back when my father Mr. Caldwell was still alive. Because he was a businessman, we dealt with all manner of people coming and going at all hours of the day. I was busy with studying or attending social gatherings, those sorts of things,” Coralee lied, trying her best to think of what it was Jessica used to do. She obviously couldn't speak for the things she hadn't been around to see.
“The joys of enterprise, I suppose,” Gavin replied stiffly, rolling his shoulders. “Never really a moment of rest when everything rides on your own shoulders.”
“Just the talk of it is giving me indigestion,” Isaac grumbled, to which the others laughed in reply.
Dinner went along well and Coralee was incredibly relieved to see how kind Gavin was to his parents. It said a great deal about his character. Jessica, you would have been so happy here with him. She felt a tear sliding down her face before she could stop it, waving away the looks of concern with a smile. “It just reminds me of my mother's cooking, that's all.”
“It's been a long day,” Viola suddenly exclaimed, hopping up and ushering Coralee toward the stairs. “You best go off and rest, Jessica. In the morning, Gavin can show you around the ranch some more and give you a grand tour. You'll have to go on horseback for that, but I'm sure Gavin will pick a fine steed to carry the two of you.”
“I'm sure he will,” Coralee replied drowsily, making a show of yawning before making her way toward her bedroom. “Well, goodnight everyone.”
***
Gavin awoke after a somewhat restless night. Part of him was excited; Jessica was turning out to be more and more of a gem with each passing moment. The problem was, his enthusiastic side was being repressed solidly by the spurned half.
The memory of Claudia and that no-good brother of mine are still quite fresh. It will take many a year before I forgive them for what they did to me.
“Gavin, can you tell me more about the ranch?” Coralee asked as they stood outside the front door. They had been preparing to make their way to the stables when they'd run into Harland as he made his way in. He let them take the horse he'd been riding, promising to take it back to the stable for them once they'd finished their ride.
“Well, we raise cattle here, for the most part. Not too many, we have roughly two hundred here at the ranch. We also have a few prize horses that we've bred over the years, roughly twenty in number. I say roughly because one of our mares is with foal right now, so we will soon be adding to that number.” Gavin beamed proudly, guiding the stallion beneath them toward the enclosure where the herd was currently grazing.
“There's so many of them,” Jessica breathed, her nose wrinkling slightly at the strong scents coming off the animals. “Not exactly the most pleasant smell they make, is it?”
“You eventually get used to it,” Gavin laughed as he gently dismounted from the horse, helping Coralee dismount shortly afterward. He steered her away from any places he thought might be too filthy for her while guiding her to the sturdy wooden bench that sat nearby.
They spent a good half an hour sitting on the bench while Gavin gave Coralee a brief rundown on how things operated. It turned out they had a few farm hands who came around to help tend to the herd, but for the most part, it was a family-run operation. Gavin explained how there was a growing market for beef, and how the Woodworths had decided they would raise cattle not only for their meat, but for the leather that could be made from their skin as well.
There had been talk that some rich Northerners were thinking about investing in the cattle industry, and he was hoping they would be able to get involved with such an individual.
“A deal like that would mean we could be sitting pretty for a while. However, it’s difficult to transport cattle. It's pricey to send them by train and the journey from here to market would put one in the path of any number of possible disasters. Not that I have much choice; the alternative is that I give up on the ranch and try to figure out some other life for myself. Between you and me, I've been doing this for so long I don't think there is anything else I could do,” Gavin admitted softly, his eyes growing distant for a moment.
They completed the rest of the tour around the property, with Gavin showing Coralee the sizable lake that sat at the far edge of their property.
She liked how it was out of the way, and how it felt like one could come out here and not have to worry about being bothered. “Seems like a good place to come and think,” she said, sounding remarkably cheerful about it.
“I've been known to come out here every now and then when I just want a few moments to myself. I love my parents dearly, but sometimes I need to be left alone with my own thoughts.” He found Coralee nodding in agreement. Gavin was smiling as he brought them back toward the stables. He decided to give the stallion a carrot as a treat.
When he dismounted and made his way into the stable, he stopped to offer a greeting to Caesar, one of his prized breeding stallions. Caesar had been around since Gavin was a young teenager.
The two hadn't been on the best of terms at first, but through a series of situations, they had formed a bond that was solid as steel. “Hey Caesar, how's it going to-”
He stopped mid-sentence, eyes widening in alarm as he realized that Caesar was lying unmoving in his stall. He let out an inarticulate cry and pushed open the stall, kneeling beside the large beast and pressing his head to its chest.
He could still feel a heartbeat, but it felt incredibly weak. He heard footsteps behind him, turning his head in time to see Coralee standing in the entryway of the stall.
“What's wrong with him?” Coralee’s voice was quivering with emotion, as though the sight of the animal's unwell state was causing her physical distress.
Gavin's eyes swept the room, coming to land on a half-eaten apricot that lay near the feeding trough. The center looked unusually dark, as if something had been added to it.
That kind of fruit doesn't grow around our land. Someone must have brought it here and fed it to Caesar under cover of darkness. I bet it was that bastard Arnold Stabler. Probably trying to get even with me for making him look a fool in front of his boys. “Jessica, you shouldn't be here for this. Please go back to the house at once. Tell Harland that I need him in the stables right away.”
The look on his face was likely wild, and fear flickered across her face as she nodded and spun on her heel. When the sound of her footsteps faded, Gavin let out a deep exhalation and shook his head.
Why did this have to happen right now? He didn't know who was responsible, but one thing was certain - he fully intended to find out who had done this to Caesar.
Chapter 7
The first day after the poisoned horse was discovered, Gavin didn't see Coralee at all. He had risen early and made the long ride into town to fetch a veterinarian. Dr. Malcom Hardwick was well known as a specialist in equine medicine and was one of the only specialists of his k
ind for miles around. When they'd returned to the ranch, the sun was already high in the sky.
Malcolm examined the horse’s eyes and mouth, gently checking its tongue. He clicked his teeth as he listened to the horse's heartbeat, nodding his head gently. “It definitely seems like your horse has taken ill. You said you found an unusual food item near his food trough last night?”
Gavin nodded his head from where he stood leaning against the wall. “That's right, Doc. I came in to check on him and he was lying on his side barely breathing. His mouth was frothing a bit as well, so that's why I think this isn't normal. There aren't any apricots native to this area, are there?”
“None that I'm aware of,” Malcolm admitted, clasping his bag shut after handing a small bottle of ground up herbs to Gavin. “I recommend feeding him these if you can get him to eat.
They will help lessen the effects of the toxin, but it will be touch and go for a bit. I’m thinking we caught it soon enough, so let’s hope he makes a full recovery.”
