An Unlikely Place for Love

by Ruth Ann Nordin

  “It’s a good thing you’re tall. These clothes fit you pretty well,” Olivia noted. She stood back to examine her work. “What do you think?” She motioned to the mirror.

  Kate took a good look at herself. “You do an excellent job, Olivia. I do look like a man.”

  She was pleased.

  “Just in case, you should take some skirts and shirts with you too,” Paul softly commented. “I don’t know what’s going on but the more disguises you can wear, the better your chances are of being safe. You don’t know if someone’s going to discover you’re really not a man.”

  She nodded. “Do you have any women clothes in my height?”

  Olivia thought for a moment. “There are a couple of costumes that I had used for the play about life on the prairie. They go well with the male costumes I gave you.”

  She breathed a sigh of relief as Olivia threw some female clothes into a suitcase for her.

  “Kate,” her brother began, “won’t you give me some idea of what you’re running from?”

  She closed her eyes and steadied her emotions so she wouldn’t start crying. “You will find out soon enough. It will become clear to you once you read tomorrow’s paper. I’m sorry, Paul, but I don’t have time to waste.”

  “Can you tell us where you’re going?” Olivia wondered as she put a couple of male clothes into the suitcase.

  “No, I can’t. I’m sorry. I can’t put your lives in danger.”

  They looked startled at her reply.

  “Is everything ready?” she asked Olivia.

  Olivia shut the suitcase and turned to her. “You need to talk like a man. Let me hear your male voice.”

  She lowered her voice and said, “Male voice.”

  “Don’t force it so much. You sound like you’re holding your breath. Take a deep breath and speak while you exhale.”

  She did as instructed. “Male voice.”

  “That will work.”

  “Will you be alright?” Paul asked.

  She smiled at his concern. “I think so. As long as I stay in disguise and keep a low profile, I should be fine. I have to go to the train station alone. I don’t want to risk either of you being seen with me.” She picked up the heavy suitcase. “In case I don’t see you again, I want you to know that I love both of you very much.”

  They looked as if they were ready to panic.

  She hugged them.

  “We love you too,” Olivia quietly replied, still shocked.

  Her brother nodded his agreement and hugged her back. “Here’s some money.” He handed some cash to her. “This should be sufficient for almost a year.”

  “I’ll find a job somewhere. I hope to return in a month,” she assured him.

  As she left the shop, she focused on the number of light posts lining the street so she wouldn’t start crying. She was terrified. She didn’t know where to go or how she would survive in an unfamiliar world. She reached the train station in good time and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that Derek and Dave were nowhere in sight. She wasn’t sure where she wanted to go. She walked over to the front desk and studied the map of the United States. The train went through the Dakota territory. She had been reading up on that area. She figured it was a good time to check it out. It certainly was far from Virginia. A person could easily hide out in one of the smaller towns. Derek and Dave will have a tough time finding me all the way out there. She picked a town at random and paid the fare to get there. As she boarded the train, she allowed herself to relax. She knew her trip would be long and tiring, but she could at least stay safe.

  The next afternoon, one of the train employees came by with newspapers. She bought one and noted that news of her parents’ murders were on the front page. It took her a good hour to read through the entire article since she had to keep looking out the window to settle her tears so that she wouldn’t cry. A man didn’t cry in public like a woman did. She had to stay in character.

  Senator Tanner and Wife Murdered

  Early this morning, Virginia Senator Murphy Tanner and his wife, Abigail, were found strangled in their home. A neighbor went to the police to report signs of a forced entry in through the side of a window. Upon inspection, the police discovered the Senator in the parlor and his wife in the upstairs hallway. Both were dead. The coroner estimates the time of death to be at 10:35pm. So far, there are no suspects to this crime though the police are holding investigations. Senator Tanner was well-known for his lumber factory and Abigail was a talented actress at the Victorian Playhouse. Senator Tanner had just proposed a bill to remove trees from the western section of Virginia to clear the way for land and building development. Virginia Senator Rich was a strong opponent to this bill, stating that the land needed to be protected in order to preserve the great Virginia heritage. The dispute between the two Senators divided Congress. With Tanner dead, however, the bill will most likely fail to pass through the Senate. Senator Tanner and his wife are survived by their three children, Kate, Bob, and Paul Tanner. The funeral is scheduled for Tuesday at 7pm at First Virginia Baptist Church on Washington Avenue.

  The article continued to describe her parents’ achievements. She tore out the article and saved it. She threw out the rest of the paper. She had watched Derek strangle her father. She had slipped into the house from the window in the den because she needed to find a picture of them for their surprise anniversary party which Bob was holding at his house. The party was scheduled for the next evening, but she wanted to get the picture that night since she had to spend her day writing down letters her father planned to narrate to her. These letters were to be mailed to the other Senators and it had to do with the Tree Removal Bill he was supporting, so she knew she wouldn’t have a chance to pick up the picture before the party.

  She slipped in through the window so that her parents wouldn’t discover the surprise party. She heard sounds of a struggle. Since the servants had the night off, she and her parents were the only people in the house. She quietly went to the closed door in the den and slowly opened it a crack. She gasped when she saw Derek strangling her father. Her mother, who had been asleep, came down to investigate the sounds and screamed. Dave peered around the corner and ran upstairs after her. Kate heard loud banging and screaming from upstairs. She knew she had to get the police. She turned to run to the window but tripped on the hem of her long dress. She fell to the floor. She anxiously stood up as she heard purposeful footsteps approach the den. She managed to reach the window by the time Derek opened the door and turned on the light.

  He scowled at her. She jumped out of the window and landed on the freshly manicured grass. She ran onto her horse and rode off. Derek followed her on his horse. She recognized both men. Derek Robin was the chief of police, and Dave Reinhart was a friend of her father’s. At least, her father thought he was a friend. Dave joined the pursuit but she finally lost them in the forest she rode her horse through. She sighed. She had feared her parents hadn’t survived the ordeal and reading the paper only confirmed those suspicions.

  And now she was stuck in the middle of nowhere. Alone and scared. When she had settled her emotions and she knew her eyes and nose were no longer red from crying, she returned to the barn. She noticed that Tim, Sam and Jeff had left for the day. She hadn’t realized that she had stayed at the river as long as she did. She returned Reliable to the stall and grabbed her supplies to bathe in the river. When she took her clothes off to bathe, she winced at the bruises and scratches on her soft and delicate white skin. Having grown up in a wealthy family, she hadn’t endured the effects of physical labor. She sat in the river and let the current soothe her sore body.

  She closed her eyes and thought of how her life used to be. She enjoyed going to dances, dinner parties and luncheons. Her great love was caring for the library she bought after Mr. Unger got tired of owning it. He was ready to tear it down or make it into a store, but she bought it so that she could keep the place open for people to have access to read literature. Not everyone coul
d afford to buy a lot of books, and she had hired a young woman to entertain the children and their mothers for a children’s story hour. She didn’t wish to simply cater to the wealthy citizens of the city. She also wanted to entertain those who had lesser incomes but worked just as hard as those in her economic circle did.

  Perhaps that was why she would even consider a courtship with Chad. He was a farmer, and he certainly was at a lower economic level than her. She had her offers of courtship from wealthy bachelors. She had accepted a couple of them, but none of them intrigued her enough to seriously consider for marriage. Her brother, Bob, often said that she should just settle for someone who enjoyed their wealthy lifestyle so she wouldn’t end up being so old that she would no longer be desirable for marriage. At thirty, she was rapidly approaching the age where she soon faced a possible life of spinsterhood. She wanted to get married and have children. She just wanted to love the man she wed. She also longed for him to love her instead of the fact that she was the Senator’s daughter.

  She sighed. Such concerns shouldn’t even be on her mind considering the seriousness of the situation she was in. She was hiding in order to protect herself. She couldn’t afford to go up to Chad and reveal the fact that she was a woman. It wasn’t the right time nor was it the right place to fall in love. Maybe I should find employment somewhere else. She considered it, but she did feel safe out here. And that safety was more important than the awareness that she was quickly losing her heart to a man who might not be the kind of person she thought he was.

  When she returned to the barn, she put up her newly washed clothes to dry on the clothesline. She didn’t feel like seeing Chad for the rest of the day, so she climbed the ladder to get to the loft and took off her wet wig. She let her hair fall down and took the male clothes off. It felt good to be naked and free from the constraints of her costume. She laid down on the pillow and pulled the blanket over her. She noted that the pillow and blankets were new and recently cleaned. She was surprised that Chad took the time to replace her linens for her.

  After the physically and emotionally exhausting day, it felt so good to lay down that she fell asleep within minutes. She heard someone calling Bob’s name in the middle of her sleep. At first she thought she was dreaming but the sound of someone climbing up the ladder quickly alerted her to action. She grabbed the dry wig and threw it on her head. She didn’t have time to put her beard on, so she shoved it under the blanket with her and pulled the blanket up to her nose so only her eyes were exposed.

  “I’m not decent,” she called out in her best male voice.

  Unfortunately, Chad had already made it to the top of the ladder and looked at her. “I yelled out your name a couple of times and you didn’t respond. Anyway, do you want to eat dinner or not?”

  “No.” Though she was hungry, she had no desire to spend any time with him at the moment.

  “Are you still sore about what happened in the field with the cow today?”

  “No,” she lied.

  “You’re hiding something. I know it.”

  “Can we discuss this later?” Like when I’m dressed as Billy?

  “There’s nothing to discuss. We’ve already figured out that you’re not meant to be a farmhand. It’s nothing to be ashamed of. Some men have more physical strength than others. I can find other work for you. You don’t have to worry that I’ll fire you.”

  “Alright.”

  “Don’t worry. I won’t tell the other men why you won’t be doing the more demanding tasks. I understand what it’s like to be the laughingstock of the town.”

  “Alright.”

  “Are you sure you don’t want anything to eat?”

  “No. I’m fine. I just want to go to sleep early tonight.”

  “It’s only six.”

  She rolled her eyes. Did they have to keep having a conversation when she was naked under a blanket? She could only hope it concealed her figure.

  “I get it. I’ll leave you alone,” he finally muttered as he climbed down the ladder.

  She breathed a sigh of relief.

  “Just so you know, men aren’t usually so sensitive about being seen naked. And other men don’t care. Now, if you were actually a woman, you’d have a need to worry.”

  “Why? Would you try something with me?” She meant it as a joke but he was too serious to notice her humored tone.

  “Yes. I probably would.”

  She peered over the edge of the loft, but he was already gone. The thought pleased her. She shook her head. Chad had no idea that she was a woman. He was merely making a comment. What would he do if he got to meet me as Kate?

  ***

  The next day, she practically inhaled her breakfast. She didn’t care much for grits, but she was so hungry that it tasted like a first class restaurant dinner. She spent some of the night listening to coyotes howl in the distance, and the haunting howls spooked her. She shook under her blankets and prayed through the night until she finally fell asleep, clutching the Bible close to her chest. She was relieved when the sun finally came out. After she ate, she put her bowl and spoon in the sink and washed them. She added her glass and washed it too.

  “Do you want more to eat?” Chad asked.

  She jerked. She hadn’t expected him to come into the house. She figured he had decided to leave her alone at mealtime. “No, I’m alright.”

  “Well, if you get hungry before lunch, here’s a sandwich you can eat. I know grits aren’t very filling and considering you didn’t have dinner last night, you might need something more substantial than breakfast to tide you until lunch.”

  She was surprised that he would do something as thoughtful as make her a snack.

  “Anyway, it’s right here.” He placed the covered plate in the corner of the counter. “When you’re done, I want to show you how to put up a shelf in the barn,” he said before he left.

  She quickly ate the sandwich, since she was still hungry. She joined him in the barn where he had a long wooden shelf, four smaller pieces of wood, some nails, a hammer, two screwdrivers and some screws on the ground.

  “The key is to make the shelf sturdy so it won’t fall if you put something on it,” he explained. “The smaller boards are going to provide the shelf with enough support so it can do the job.”

  She patiently watched as he screwed a smaller board to the end of the large board.

  He handed another small board to her and told her to screw it to the other end of the long board.

  She managed to get one screw in, though it was tough to force the screw through the wood. The second screw proved more difficult since her wrist and hand ached from the effort of doing the first one. She shook her wrist and flexed her hand to loosen her muscles. She hadn’t realized how much work went into doing such a simple task. I really should have appreciated my servants who did all of this hard work for me.

  Sam, Tim and Jeff showed up with their horses.

  “Good morning, Billy,” the men called out.

  “Howdy,” she replied, liking the western talk she had recently picked up.

  “Working on a shelf?” Sam asked.

  “Yep.”

  They unsaddled their horses and put them into the stalls.

  “Are you coming back into town this Saturday?” Tim wondered. “Nick Hanna wasn’t at the fairgrounds last weekend and wants a chance to race you. He says he’s the best horse rider in the area.”

  She grinned. She could never resist such a challenge. She glanced at Chad who was focused on his side of the board. “Can I borrow Reliable, boss?”

  “Go for it,” Chad replied, not taking his eyes off of the screw in front of him. He was almost done with his side.

  “I’ll be there,” she told Tim. “You tell him that he may be the best in the area, but I’m the best in the country.”

  Sam chuckled. “My money’s on you. There’s a lot of bets going around.”

  “I won’t disappoint anyone who bets on my side,” she assured him.

 
; “I don’t know,” Jeff argued. “Nick is good.”

  She shrugged. “That may be true but I’m the best.”

  Chad rolled his eyes but didn’t comment.

  He really hates it when people brag. He thinks a person’s actions should speak for him.

  She ignored the observation and focused on her work and her conversation with the other men. She didn’t care for them but wanted to fit in with the townspeople.

  “We might be able to gather some people together to play some fiddles and have a square dance after the race,” Sam added. “Have you ever square danced?”

  “Nope. Can’t say I have,” she responded. She loved to dance but it had all been ballroom dancing.

  “It’s a good way to dance with a lot of women since we frequently change partners. A lot of the women in town were impressed with you last weekend and want to talk to you.”

  She inwardly groaned. That wasn’t her idea of a good time, but she would play along in order to stay in character. After all, it would look weird if she didn’t pretend to be interested in women. “As long as they understand that no lady can hold me down, then there won’t be any broken hearts. I don’t want to get any of their hopes up since I have no intention of marrying for a long time.”

  “That’s what Frank Crane said before he met Elizabeth Baker. Now they’re engaged.”

  She forced her agitation not to show. Instead, she said, “I’m out of here before the summer is up. I won’t be taking any of the ladies with me.”

  “Who knows? Maybe you’ll like it here so much that you’ll want to stay,” Tim inserted.

  “It worked for Chad. He moved here to be with Georgia,” Jeff added.

  She saw Chad grit his teeth before he turned to her and asked, “Are you done with your side yet?”