“Thank you, Jack, it’s beautiful,” she managed to say and even managed to keep the flatness out of her tone.
He seemed to be struggling for words once again, but she had to hide her disappointment before he saw it.
“I... I should go help Mother,” she said, rising and quickly fleeing the room.
* * *
New Years’ Day had come and gone. In the early days of 1868, the Spinsters’ Club had met to plan what had come to be the annual winter taffy pull party. Usually they invited all the cowhands from neighboring ranches, for few bachelor candidates answered their advertisements in the winter. Now, at least, they had an additional male guest, Gil Chadwick. Polly Shackleford was already scheming to make sure she sat by the young minister.
This bachelor invitee and their friend Caroline, who had not attended the Spinsters’ Club meeting the previous night, were the subjects of a smaller, secret meeting held the next morning at Prissy Bishop’s house on Travis Street.
Milly Brookfield and Sarah Walker were in attendance, and they’d also invited Louisa Wheeler because she worked with Caroline at the school and genuinely cared about her.
Once tea and cookies had been served, Milly got right to the point. “Christmas has come and gone,” she said. “And Jack did not declare his feelings for our Caroline.”
“I’m worried about her,” Sarah said, unconsciously laying a hand over the place where her unborn baby kicked.
“And she’s starting to wear gray again,” put in Louisa. “I think she’s losing weight, too.”
“When I saw her at church, she said Jack came on the weekend after Christmas, and after New Year’s Day,” Milly said. “They talk about books and such after the girls go to bed, but never anything more important.”
“Is he still working on the house?” Sarah asked her sister.
Milly nodded. “Our men keep me up on its progress. But as far as I know, he’s never told her about it. Do you think the foolish man thinks he has to wait till it’s all done, and then make his feelings known?”
“Maybe we should tell her,” Prissy said.
The other ladies shook their heads. “What if it has nothing to do with her?” Louisa asked. “What if—Do you ladies suppose he’s courting someone else? Someone on a neighboring ranch, perhaps? Or in town?”
Prissy actually gasped at the thought. “It’s no one in town,” she said. Certainty rang in her voice. “I would have seen them, or Sam would have told me. He seems to spot everything that’s going on, what with the time he spends patrolling the town, and he knows how worried I am about the two of them.”
Milly shook her head, too. “There’s no one in our part of the county he would be courting, at least. And when would he do it, between watching over his herd and building that house for who knows what reason? Caroline told me he seems always to be just on the verge of saying something when they’re alone together, but he doesn’t.”
“Well, I think we have no choice but to put our plan into effect,” Prissy said.
Sarah shivered slightly and gathered her shawl more closely about her shoulders. “Are we sure this is a good idea, ladies? Maybe we should pray about it,” she said uncertainly.
“I’ve been praying about it,” Milly said.
“So have I,” Prissy said. “And I haven’t felt any conviction that taking action would be wrong. I vote we pay Gil Chadwick a visit this very morning. Who’s with me?”
Within minutes, they had put on their shawls and bonnets and were headed for the rectory.
“Gil’s next door in the church,” Reverend Chadwick told them, coming to the door. He held a soup spoon in his gnarled hand. “He’s doing the sermon next Sunday, so he said he wanted to go over there and work on it. The soup’ll be ready in about a half hour, though, and you ladies are welcome to share it.”
“Thanks, but we won’t keep him that long, Reverend,” Milly promised. “We just wanted to talk to him about something, and hand-deliver his invitation to the taffy pull.”
They trooped next door to the church and found the young preacher with his shirtsleeves rolled up to his elbows, earnestly discoursing to a brown tabby cat sitting in the front pew.
“Oh, hello, ladies,” he said when he noticed them coming up the aisle. “I was just trying my sermon out on Tiger, there.” He nodded to the cat, who had hopped down to twine himself around their ankles. “He’s not much of a critic, so I don’t get discouraged,” he added with a chuckle. “What can I do for you?”
“We came to invite you to the taffy pull that the Spinsters’ Club is having next Saturday night, Gil,” Sarah began.
“Well, I have a bit of a sweet tooth, so I’d be happy to come. Thank you.”
“And to speak to you about Caroline Wallace,” Milly said.
He’d been leaning on the pulpit, but now he straightened and eyed each of them in turn. “Perhaps we’d better sit down.” He gestured to the front pew and brought a chair from behind the pulpit and placed it so he could sit facing them.
“What about Miss Caroline?” he asked warily, once everyone was settled.
Sarah said, glancing at the others for support, “We know you like her...”
Gil nodded slowly. “Yes, I do. I’d like very much like to court her,” he admitted, then gave a shrug. “But she made it plain to me that she would not welcome it. I think her heart is given to Mr. Collier.”
“But nothing has come of it,” Milly said. “I know she was hoping for some sign at Christmas...but nothing happened. We know she loves him. What we would like to know from you, sir, is...” She hesitated and looked to Prissy with a silent plea.
“What we would like to know is if you care enough for Caroline’s happiness that you would be willing to approach her again,” Prissy said, “in an effort to force Jack Collier’s hand, so to speak? To get him to see that he must make an effort, or he will lose her?”
Gil Chadwick’s jaw dropped, and for a moment he seemed incapable of speech.
“Mrs. Bishop, are you suggesting that I try to make Mr. Collier jealous?” he asked at last.
Prissy laughed, but it was an uneasy laugh. She drew herself up in the pew. “Yes, we are,” she said at last.
“Does she know you’re here? She didn’t put you up to this, did she?” he asked.
“Oh, no! She has no idea we’re here talking to you like this,” Louisa said quickly.
“Is it awful of us to ask?” Prissy asked. “If you find the suggestion too disturbing, or do not feel you could participate in such a scheme, please forget we mentioned it.” The other ladies all nodded in agreement.
“We all just want Caroline to be happy,” Milly said. “And we sensed you wanted that, too.”
Gil rubbed the back of his neck, and then his chin. “I do want it, too,” he said. “And, no, I don’t think you’re awful, ladies. I think you’re loyal, caring friends, and everyone should be so fortunate to have such friends.”
A small smile curved the ends of Prissy’s lips. “Then you’ll do it?”
It seemed an eternity before Gil made his answer, and when at last he nodded, the ladies let out their collective breaths.
“I shouldn’t agree to do this, in all probability, but I’m willing to give it a try,” Gil said. “Only under certain conditions, however. You’re very sure she loves Collier?”
All of them nodded and made emphatic murmurs.
Prissy leaned forward. “And your conditions...?”
“I assume you want the lady in question to remain ignorant of this scheme?” Gil asked.
The ladies nodded in unison. “She would never consider such a ploy herself,” Milly said. “It’s not her way.”
“Very well. First of all, Miss Caroline must be willing to spend time with me,” Gil said. “I will not press my attentions on an unwilling lady.”
“Of course no
t,” Sarah said.
“Second, and perhaps most important, if this tactic doesn’t succeed in making Collier jealous after some time has passed, and Miss Caroline seems to like my company, I will consider myself free to court her for real.”
There was another long silence as Milly eyed Sarah, then Prissy, then Louisa. Finally Milly swallowed and said, “We agree. As we’ve said, we seek Caroline’s happiness. If Jack Collier sees he could lose her, and he isn’t willing to fight for her, then he isn’t worthy of her.”
“Well said, Milly!” Prissy cried.
Gil looked uneasy. “As long as you don’t mean literal fighting,” he said. “I’m no coward, but I am a preacher, after all.”
Milly assured him her meaning had been figurative, not literal.
“So we are all agreed?” Prissy asked the group.
“So say we all,” Milly announced, and everyone put in a hand.
“It’s like a scene from The Three Musketeers,” Louisa breathed. “A book I borrowed from Caroline by some Frenchman. Their motto was ‘All for one, and one for all.’”
“Ours should be ‘all for Caroline,’” Sarah said.
“Right,” Milly said. “Gil, here’s how I think you should begin...”
Chapter Twenty-One
As usual after church, everyone milled around and caught up on the news. If it hadn’t been for the fact that Milly had engaged her in conversation, however, Caroline would have fled for home long since with the excuse of starting Sunday dinner. Jack could gather up the twins from whatever corner of the church grounds they had disappeared to with Lizzie Halliday, and her parents and Dan would drift home when they were ready.
After dinner they would spend another endless afternoon. She and Jack would read or talk about books when they were not spending time with the children, and she would have to pretend she didn’t love him.
At times she positively longed for spring, when he would be gone—and yet as she watched the days of January ticking by, she dreaded the time when he and his men would depart with the herd. Not only would he be leaving, but then it would be just a matter of time before he’d be sending for the girls—or coming for them himself, in the company of some lady he’d made his bride. And then Caroline would lose all three of them forever.
It had been too painful sitting in the same pew with Jack during the service, after coming so close to a romance with him. So many of the townspeople assumed they were a couple.
“I said, what do you think of Faith Bennett’s new kid boots?” Milly said.
Caroline realized Milly had been speaking to her, and she had been looking in Faith’s direction—but only because Faith stood near the door Caroline longed to escape through.
She pretended to study them. “Oh, sorry,” she said. “Very fetching, I suppose....” It was odd, Caroline thought. Her friend had never seemed overly concerned with footwear before. Since Milly was an excellent seamstress, dresses were much more a subject of fascination to her.
Then suddenly Gil Chadwick joined them. Caroline had the suspicion that Milly had guessed her desire to sneak out and had kept her here with silly chatter until the young preacher could reach them.
“That was an excellent sermon, Reverend,” Caroline said, just to make conversation, but it was the truth. Gil Chadwick seemed to have a talent making an old Bible story seem new again. Whatever congregation eventually called him to their pulpit would be lucky to have him.
“Thank you, Miss Caroline,” he said, smiling down at her, his hazel eyes twinkling.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Jack had collared the twins and that the three of them were making their way toward her.
“I trust you’re planning to attend the taffy pull this Saturday night, Miss Caroline?” Gil asked. “I’ve been invited, but I was hoping you’d be there.”
The question, uttered just as Jack drew near, had her blinking with surprise. Had he heard it?
It seemed so, for Jack’s jaw hardened. “Come on, girls, let’s go back to the Wallaces,” he said and started past the group.
“You’re coming, too, aren’t you, Jack?” Milly asked, reaching out a hand to stop him. “To the taffy pull? It’s Saturday night at seven, at the church social hall.”
“I wanna come!” Abby cried.
“Me, too!” Amelia added. “I love taffy!”
Milly bent down to them and smiled. “Girls, this is a party for grown-ups,” she said, “But I promise, your papa and Aunt Caroline will bring lots of taffy home for you, won’t you?”
Caroline missed the meaningful look Milly then shot at Jack.
“Oh, I’ll probably send Raleigh and a couple other men,” Jack muttered. “The ones that like to flirt with the ladies,” he said and strode on, pulling the girls with him.
He left a shocked silence in his wake.
“Miss Caroline, I’d be proud to escort you there,” Gil said.
Caroline felt tears stinging her eyes, but she raised her chin. His friendly interest was balm to her soul. “That would be very nice, Gil,” she said. “Thank you. I accept.”
* * *
It was all Jack could do to hide his ill humor from his daughters on the short walk between the church and the Wallace home.
So the young preacher had asked Caroline to a social event, right underneath his nose! In fact, it almost seemed as if Gil Chadwick had timed his question and raised the volume of his voice, as if he’d wanted Jack to hear him ask it.
He didn’t doubt Caroline had accepted Chadwick’s invitation. After all, she’d been smiling up at the interloper when he’d approached them.
How ironic that he’d resolved only this morning to start trying to woo Caroline again. Jack had seen the misery she tried to hide every time their eyes met, and it had matched the ache inside his own heart. He had to try again, he had to! And when he’d seen the day was going to be sunny and mild for January, it had seemed like a sign.
He’d thought to take Amelia and Abby into his confidence about the house he’d been building and get them to agree not to beg to go along when he asked Caroline to pay a visit to the ranch with him in the afternoon. He’d planned to tell her he wanted her to see a “project” he and the men had been working on. There was still much to be done in the way of finishing the interior, but the outer part of the house was complete—windows from St. Louis, shiny tin roof and all. He’d show her the nearly-done ranch house and tell her he’d built it for her. He’d find a way to put everything right between them and return to Simpson Creek with her promise to marry him.
But his plans had come to nothing. Worse than nothing, because now it seemed the young preacher was dead set on courting Caroline—just as he’d suspected before. Was it extra sinful to want to pummel a man if he was a man of God?
He thought for a few moments, while he changed out of his good Sunday-go-to-meeting clothes, of taking Caroline aside and pouring out his feelings to her and begging her not to go to the taffy pull or anywhere with anyone but him. He could hear her in the kitchen now, talking to her mother, and the metal clank as something was stirred in a pot.
Just as clearly, he could hear his father saying, “Boy, if a man ain’t got his pride, he ain’t got nothin’.”
How could he have forgotten he was never the one chosen? It was always Pete, or Elnora, or one of his two disagreeable half sisters. So, too, it was with Caroline. She had picked someone else. First Pete, and now the genial, handsome young preacher.
Suddenly, the idea of spending the afternoon and evening under the same roof as Caroline seemed intolerable. He was almost grateful when he heard hoofbeats, then the sound of a horse skidding to a stop outside the house. A glance outside the window showed it was Raleigh.
That meant trouble. His ramrod would never have come all this way unless something was wrong.
Jack strode quickly to the door and led Master
son in. “Boss, I’m just on the way to notify the sheriff, but I figured I’d better stop here first and let you know. Afternoon, ma’am,” he added, with a nod toward Caroline, who’d gotten up from her chair, white-faced.
“Mr. Raleigh!” the twins cried, hearing the familiar voice and running out from the kitchen, where they’d been learning how to make pudding from Caroline’s mother.
“Howdy, girls,” he said, then turned back to Jack.
“What’s happened?”
“Boss, it looks like those no-good sidewinders’re back. We found a slaughtered steer out by the creek. Got there just in time to see those two hightailin’ off like the—like you-know-who was on their tails,” Raleigh said, after glancing at the children.
“They killed a steer in broad daylight?” Jack’s troubles of the heart were swamped in the anger that surged in the wake of this news.
“Bold as brass, ain’t they?”
“You go on to the sheriff, Raleigh, and make your report,” Jack said. “I’ll head out to the ranch now. Girls, I’ve got to go.” He leaned down and quickly embraced them. He avoided looking at Caroline, but he felt her worried gaze on him.
“Raleigh, I’ll take your horse, since he’s already saddled,” Jack went on, pulling his duster down from the hall peg, “and you get my roan from the livery. Miss Caroline, please make my excuses to your mother—”
“Boss, we might as well go together,” Raleigh protested. “Those two are long gone. It won’t take long to make my report. Could be they’re tryin’ to provoke you into coming back in a hurry alone....”
But Jack was already halfway out the door.
* * *
He sent a note back later through Cookie, when the older man came to town early the next week to pick up supplies at the mercantile, that they’d found no trace of the two drovers-turned-rustlers. The note was addressed to all of them, not just Caroline. He didn’t say when he’d be visiting again, though he did mention that he thought Sims and Adams had become aware of his pattern of visiting on Sundays and taken advantage of it, so in future he would make his visits to the children at less predictable times.
The Rancher's Courtship & Lone Wolf's Lady Page 21
