Clarissa leaned forward. “Don’t start thinking bad thoughts. We need to enjoy this time together. If we lived in the boardinghouse and Lowell and Ollie were courting us, I wonder how long it would take them to ask us to marry them.”
Mari leaned her chin on her knees. “Maybe they would do it at almost the same time. We could have a double wedding.”
Clarissa sighed. “We’ve never really been to a wedding. It’s silly for us to make up these stories.”
“Oh, Clari, I would just die if I didn’t have a little hope!”
Nine
Because Ollie and Lowell were used to doing all the work around the horse farm, they had no trouble continuing after their father died. Their problems were mostly confined to their personal relationship.
They worked well together, but when they arrived back at the house in the evenings, they maintained a shaky peace at best. Every conversation led to things they disagreed about. Their differing opinions about Rissa Le Blanc affected many other things they discussed. Neither one could understand his brother’s position, so discussions were short and tense. Ollie realized he was as much to blame as his brother.
The situation affected Mother too. Ollie knew it broke her heart. In addition to the grief she felt at the loss of Father, this was too much. She tried to hide how it hurt her, but Ollie recognized the signs of her pain. And he was sure his brother did too. That’s why they had almost stopped talking to each other once they returned to the house after work.
One evening, Ollie asked Lowell to accompany him out to the barn when they finished dinner. He used the pretense of wanting to show him how one of the colts was progressing, but he figured Lowell had guessed he wanted to talk to him about something else. As long as he could remember, his brother had been able to read him like a book.
“Why did you ask me to come out here?” Lowell didn’t lose any time getting right to the point.
His belligerent stance alerted Ollie to the fact that the discussion might not go as he had hoped. He walked over to the closest stall and leaned his arms on the top rail, his back to his brother. It was often easier to talk to Lowell if he wasn’t looking at him.
“Moder.”
Lowell was quiet so long Ollie finally turned to look at him.
“What about Moder?” Lowell asked.
“I’m sure you know how much our estrangement affects her.”
Lowell nodded and rubbed the back of his neck. Then he dropped his hands to his sides. “Do you have any idea how we can overcome this? If we start talking about Rissa Le Blanc, we only argue. You think she is not what she seems, and I want to help her.”
“I know.” Ollie looked at the floor. He scuffed an oval in the dirt with the toe of his boot. Then he erased it. “We work together well, though.”
“In the evenings, when we should be enjoying conversation, we are so careful about what we say to each other. I think about Rissa a lot. Maybe you do too. So I want to talk about her, but we’re back to the problem.” Lowell crossed his arms over his chest, tucking his hands under his arms. “How are we going to get past that?” He rocked up on the balls of his feet, then down again.
Ollie pushed his hands into his hip pockets, something Lowell usually did. Maybe he was more like his brother than he had thought. “How about if I let you have the house?”
“What?” Lowell looked confused. “Have the house? What are you talking about? Where would you live?”
“I’ve figured that out. I could build a house on another part of the property.” Lowell opened his mouth, but Ollie held up his hand to stop him. “Let me finish. We’ll both want to marry someday. When we do, we’ll have separate homes. I don’t think either one of us plans to sell his part of the horse farm. There is no reason we can’t run it together.”
Lowell seemed to be mulling over this information. “That’s right. Do you have a spot in mind?”
“I think so. When I was out riding yesterday, I noticed it again. I was reminded that when I was younger I used to ride out there. It was my favorite spot on the farm. Tomorrow maybe we could go over there and look it over. If you agree I can use the land, I’ll start building as soon as I can.”
Lowell scratched his head. “I’m not sure how that would help, but it’s okay with me.”
Ollie looked his brother in the eyes. “Mother can live with you in the main house. It’s been her home for so long. Maybe we could even eat meals together as we do now. That would make the transition of my living in another house easier on her.”
Lowell didn’t take his gaze from his brother’s. “That should work, and she could see both of us in the evenings as she does now. Maybe it could help ease the tension too.”
The only thing that will ease the tension will be for us to work out the problem about Rissa Le Blanc. Ollie knew that wouldn’t happen anytime soon. His brother was interested in her—very interested. If she were the woman Ollie knew a few weeks ago, he would be interested in her too, but evidently, she had changed. That’s why he didn’t trust her. But his brother wouldn’t hear any talk against her.
❧
When Lowell awoke the next morning, it was later than usual. He could hear the sounds of his mother in the kitchen. The aroma of bacon and biscuits that usually met him when he returned from milking the cows wafted up the stairs. It was no wonder he slept so late, because it had taken him a long time to get to sleep. His mind wouldn’t let go of what he and Ollie discussed in the barn. Intermingled with those thoughts were musings about Rissa Le Blanc and pain over losing his father. He wished Father were here so he could talk to him. Maybe he could make some sense of what was happening. Lowell’s thoughts had been so jumbled that he couldn’t settle down. He took off his boots so he wouldn’t make any noise and paced the floor of his room for hours after they all retired.
If Rissa hadn’t come into their lives, he and Ollie might never have disagreed the way they did now. Thoughts of the woman warmed Lowell’s heart. The memory of her soft voice and the enticing fragrance that enveloped her haunted him night and day. He wanted to get to know her better. Thoughts of having her in his life forever never left him, but Ollie’s opinion of her intruded on those ideas.
Lowell hurried to don his clothes; then he took the stairs two at a time. When he arrived in the kitchen, Ollie was bringing in two buckets of warm milk. Lowell stopped short in the doorway and looked at his brother.
“You didn’t have to do the milking for me.”
A slow smile covered Ollie’s face. “I wanted us to get an early start on our ride.”
Lowell could see their friendly conversation pleased their mother. She beamed, and the twinkle had returned to her eyes.
After a hearty breakfast, the brothers set off. Since they both enjoyed a good gallop, Lowell followed Ollie’s lead as they let the horses stretch their abilities to the limit. Soon Ollie slowed down. Lowell did too.
When Ollie turned his horse toward a hill, Lowell followed him. On the top of the hill, a grove of trees stood sentinel over a bluff. The small stream that flowed through the farm ran along the base of the cliff. Ollie dismounted his horse, then tied him to one of the trees. When Lowell had finished tying his horse, he went to stand beside Ollie, who was looking out over the valley surrounding the stream. The vista was beautiful and familiar. A small lake on the near horizon glistened in the bright sunshine. Since it was morning, birds flitted from branch to branch above them, and a gentle breeze whispered through the trees, cooling both the men and the horses. This site was the perfect place to build a house. The trees would serve as a windbreak in the storms of winter. Because the hill was the highest spot around, no one could sneak up on it. It was thirty years since the war, and the country was tamer now, but outlaws occasionally still roamed outlying areas.
“I think you’ve chosen wisely.” Lowell turned toward Ollie. “I hope a house here will make you happy.”
Ollie looked surprised. “You really mean that, don’t you?”
Lowell nodd
ed and threw his arm across Ollie’s shoulder as they walked back to where the horses were waiting.
❧
That evening, Ollie completed drawing plans for the house he had already been working on. He tried not to think about Rissa, but he could picture her in each of the rooms. He knew he needed to forget the woman. She was bad news for him and his brother. No woman who changed that much in only a couple of weeks would be a good wife, but he couldn’t help wondering what life with her would be like—if she were the woman he remembered.
Ollie planned to build a two-story house. It would be almost as large as the main house because he wanted several children. He needed plenty of room for the family God would give him and his wife. He could imagine Rissa descending the stairs toward him with an eager smile lighting her blue eyes. He would hold out his arms, and she would slip into his embrace, her dark curls tumbling over his arms. Ollie stopped staring into space and shook his head. He had to stop this nonsense.
The next day, Ollie made a trip into town to order materials for the house. When he was finished, he sauntered into the Dress Emporium to see Anna.
After they had visited for a few minutes, Anna asked, “Have you heard about the Le Blancs?”
Ollie shook his head. “What about them?”
“August said Mrs. Olson told them Pierre and his daughter were out of town for a few days, but they said they were coming back in a week or two.”
Ollie wished he didn’t care, but he was glad he might see Rissa again soon. He hoped she would once more be his lively companion, for a while anyway.
Because he had telegraphed the order, the supplies arrived by train a couple of days later. About fifty men from the church—including Johan Braxton as well as August, Gustaf, and Bennel Nilsson—came to help build the outside walls and put the roof on. They put in most of the studs on both the lower floor and the upper story in a few days. Ollie wanted to finish out the inside of the house by himself. He could come over most evenings after dinner. While it was still summer, he would have enough light to work several hours. It was a good way to relieve his frustrations.
❧
Lowell worked hard to finish the chores. He even repaired some of the tack they had let go for awhile.
Ollie returned from town, and Lowell stepped out of the barn to meet him. “I want to ask you something.”
Ollie dismounted and led his horse into the stable. Lowell followed him.
“Ask away, Brother.” Ollie started to remove his horse’s saddle.
Lowell leaned against the tack room doorframe. “I want to go on a hunting trip—if that’s all right with you.”
Ollie turned around, still holding the saddle. “Why wouldn’t it be all right with me?”
“Well, you would have to do all the chores, and you want to work on your house.”
Ollie glanced around. “It looks as if you have things under control, so it won’t be too much more work.” He took the saddle into the tack room and put it up. “How long will you be gone?”
Lowell moved away from the doorframe. “I don’t know. I have a lot to think about. You know I like to be alone to work things out in my mind.”
The next morning long before dawn, Lowell loaded a pack animal with the provisions he would need on a hunt. Besides food, he packed ammunition for his rifle and a tarp in case it rained. It had been a dry summer, but one never knew when a summer storm would blow across the plains. At least he wouldn’t need a tent. It was warm enough to sleep under the stars. Lowell always enjoyed lying on his back, looking up at the indigo canopy filled with tiny lights that winked and glowed above him. When he did, he felt closer to God than at any other time. A God who could create that vast expanse had to be powerful enough to help him with any difficulty. He hoped that by the time he came home, God would help him overcome his problems.
After the provisions were loaded, he saddled his horse. He walked the two horses slowly by the house, because he didn’t want to wake either his mother or Ollie. When he was far enough away that the sound wouldn’t disturb them, he mounted his horse and headed toward the northwest. It had been a long time since he had ventured in that direction. Because the land had a wilder, untamed feel to it, he usually hunted in other places. But today he wanted to get as far from civilization as he could. He just hoped he wouldn’t encounter a gang of outlaws.
Lowell rode across the plains until he came to an area that was pocked with canyons and gullies. The sun was coming up, and he stopped to eat some cold biscuits and bacon his mother had cooked for him last night when he told her he was going hunting. He stopped beside a small, clear stream that tumbled over rocks. He dipped up some of the cold water with a tin cup. If he had wanted to take the time, coffee would have tasted good with the biscuits, but he was in a hurry to move farther into the wilderness.
After watering his horse, Lowell mounted and started down a gully. He was surprised to see signs of recent wagon tracks. They were faint because of the rocky soil, but here and there a distinct impression caused by the rim of a wagon wheel led deeper into the gully. Slowly, he followed the trail. Sometimes it disappeared altogether when solid rock lined the gully. Eventually, he would pick up the trail again farther on. He had never heard of anyone taking a wagon into this country. Usually travelers kept to the south where the undulating plains were easier to traverse. He wondered if a new band of outlaws he hadn’t heard about yet was operating there. He would be careful—just in case.
Lowell followed the trail deeper and deeper into the wilderness where scrub brush grew from tiny patches of soil that clung to the rocks. He entered a valley surrounded by cliffs. The floor of the valley contained a dense forest. One time, when he was about twelve years old, his father had brought Ollie and him here. Lowell remembered a clearing in the forest where scattered clumps of trees created shelter good for camping. They had spent several days exploring the area. A stream entered the valley from the north ridge of the canyon and tumbled over rock formations until a waterfall, about fifteen feet tall, emptied into a pool of clear water. He and his brother had played in that pool when they got hot.
After that summer, Father didn’t take them on any camping trips so far from home. He had decided to start raising horses, and all three of them worked too hard to be gone so long.
Lowell made his way through the thick trees that surrounded the valley. The dense undergrowth would be a good hiding place for bandits. He hoped he wasn’t making a mistake coming here. If he could find the waterfall, he wanted to camp near it if it was safe. The tranquility of the glade might help him sort out his thoughts. Maybe God would even give him a solution to the dilemma.
Before Lowell reached the clearing, he heard faint voices. Someone was in the valley. He almost turned back, but what if it wasn’t outlaws? What if someone else had found this place of refuge? The valley was large. It would be easy to camp out of sight from the others. They didn’t have to have any contact, but he did want to check them out first.
He found a place where the undergrowth was thinner. After taking some rope from his pack, he tied both horses to trees, leaving enough slack so they could graze on a patch of grass. He slowly made his way around the valley, staying in the protective cover of the trees and underbrush. Occasionally, he stopped and studied the glade, trying to see where the voices were coming from. Soon he spotted a caravan wagon sitting under a spreading maple tree. All around it were other indications of human habitation—clothing hung on bushes to dry, a campfire that had burned down to a few coals, and a horse staked near the wagon. Lowell was glad he was good at tracking and keeping quiet or the horse would have already announced his presence.
If he remembered right, and he was sure he did, the waterfall was on the other side of the tree where the wagon sat, just through some underbrush. He glanced in that direction and saw two figures coming through the trees. They were talking and laughing, but he couldn’t see them very well. He couldn’t understand anything they were saying, either, but they had to be young
, because their voices weren’t deep yet. They were dressed in shirts and trousers, and their dark hair made their faces stand out. If only he were close enough to see their features, but they were a light blur in the shadows.
When the two emerged into the sunlight, Lowell could tell they were women. Evidently, they had been in the pool or under the waterfall, because their long black hair glistened with water as it hung down their backs. They walked over to the bushes where the clothes had been spread. One of the women removed what was there while the other woman began to spread more to dry.
Lowell felt like an invader. He wondered if any men were with the women, but he doubted it. They were dressed in shirts and trousers themselves. If they were traveling alone, they probably tried to pass themselves off as young men to protect themselves from unwanted attention. Lowell wondered what their story was. He tried to decide whether to approach them or find another place to camp. Just then, one of the women danced across the clearing with her hands raised to the sky. His attention was drawn to the other one, who stood quietly watching her.
When he looked back at the exuberant one, he was shocked. If he didn’t know better, Lowell would have thought she was Rissa Le Blanc. Drying tendrils of curly hair danced in the air around her head. She was close enough for him to see her face clearly. He shrank back deeper into the shadows and slipped completely behind a large tree trunk. He took a deep breath and peeked again.
“Marissa, the sun feels so good after the cool water.” She whirled to look back at the other woman. “Come join me. We can walk instead of dance if you want to.”
Lowell felt as if he had been kicked in the chest by his horse. Marissa. Rissa could be short for that. But she had called the other woman Marissa. Was this her sister? How could they look so much alike? Unless they were twins.
He leaned against the tree with his hands on his knees. What was going on here? Should he approach these women? And where was Le Blanc?
Double Deception Page 8
