Love Inspired Historical July 2015 Box Set: The Marriage AgreementCowgirl for KeepsThe Lawman's RedemptionCaptive on the High Seas

by Renee Ryan

  Before Garrick could contradict his unfounded praise, Percy dashed out, leaving him less distressed than he expected, but entirely pensive. How could he have been so wrong? Not only about Percy’s life but about Rosamond’s affections for him and Tolley’s involvement in the fire? What an arrogant, self-serving, contemptible blighter he’d been. The time had come for some serious soul-searching. He followed Percy out of the house and made his way toward the church, praying he’d find Reverend Thomas.

  He knocked on the parsonage door and breathed a sigh of relief when the minister called out, “Come on in.”

  How quickly he’d become accustomed to entering a house without a butler admitting him. How quickly he’d felt free to call this minister a friend.

  Reverend Thomas greeted him at the kitchen door and invited him to share some cake one of the church ladies sent over. “They take good care of me.” He chuckled. “I have to be careful not to overeat.”

  “I understand. Mrs. Foster has an ongoing campaign to fatten me up.” Sitting at the table, Garrick once again considered the differences between here and home. Kitchens had become his favorite place to eat. Not only were they filled with the aromas of mouth-watering foods, but they were places of easy camaraderie and agreeable conversation such as he’d never enjoyed dining formally with his friends in England.

  After exchanging pleasantries, the minister gazed at Garrick with pastoral concern. “How can I help you?”

  He required nothing more than that simple question to throw open the floodgates. He told Reverend Thomas everything from his reluctance to come to America because he considered the country and its people inferior, to his realization that he actually admired these American ranchers and cowboys. “None of them have been held back by an accident of birth, as one is in England…and most of Europe. Here, those with ambition and energy can make their own successes.” He gazed out the kitchen window at the church next door, so unlike the ancient cathedrals of Europe, yet so beautiful in its simplicity.

  Inhaling a deep breath for courage, he explained how his admiration and love for Rosamond had grown, despite their early disagreements. “I found myself willing to grant her every wish for the hotel, every wish for her life.”

  At last he related the story of his disastrous proposal, adding his suspicions about Tolley and how wrong he’d been about that, about everything. “Somehow I’ve misplaced all of my former certainties. I see things differently now. But it’s too late. I’ve destroyed every chance for happiness with the only woman I’ve ever loved.”

  Reverend Thomas sat back and regarded him pensively. “How many holidays have you taken from your labors at the hotel?”

  The question surprised Garrick. Mr. Schmidt had also mentioned a holiday. “Only your Independence Day and every Sunday since I arrived. Why?”

  “Everyone needs a holiday from time to time. Why don’t you and I explore some of our beautiful San Luis Valley before the cold weather sets in?” He leaned forward, just as he did in the pulpit when urging his parishioners to some good deed, only this time his eyes held a hint of excitement. “I’m an experienced camper and promise not to get us lost.”

  Garrick had expected to be admonished, even scolded by the minister. Instead, he’d offered Garrick a respite. “That sounds grand. But what of your church services this Sunday?”

  “I’ll send a note out to Nate Northam. He’s filled in for me before.” Reverend Thomas laughed. “Even a minister needs a holiday from time to time.”

  “Ah, very good.” Garrick would write his own note, one to Rosamond asking her forgiveness for his misjudgments about Tolley…and Beryl. He wouldn’t expect an answer, but at least his heart could rest easy for having done the right thing.

  Though he doubted his heart would ever truly rest easy without Rosamond.

  Chapter Fourteen

  On Saturday afternoon, Rosamond waited in Susanna’s pretty parlor while her sister-in-law put the children down for a nap. How blessed she and Nate were. The children were well. Nate was well. All was right in their world. As happy as Rosamond was for her two older brothers and their loving families, she couldn’t help but feel a tiny bit jealous. Seeing such devotion in a loved one’s eyes must be wonderful.

  In truth, she had seen such devotion. Mr. Wakefield obviously and very mistakenly adored her. Or he had until she’d given him what for yesterday at the hotel. She exhaled a long, painful sigh. No telling what he thought of her now. But why should she care?

  “There.” Susanna entered the room and sat in the rocking chair, releasing a long sigh. “The children went right to sleep, so we can visit without interruption.”

  “Is there anything I can help you with?” Rosamond sipped the tea she’d prepared while Susanna tended the little ones.

  “No. I’m caught up enough for now.” Susanna’s dimples always gave her a sweet, innocent look. “It’s nice just to rest awhile.” As she picked up her teacup, her gaze fell on Rosamond. “You seem sad, sugar. What’s the matter?”

  The gentleness in her voice broke something loose in Rosamond’s chest, and before she realized it, she was crying. Susanna set aside her tea and hurried to kneel beside her.

  “Oh, my dear, I’m so sorry. Please tell me everything.”

  In a rush of words, Rosamond told her about Mr. Wakefield: how he’d been so kind and generous to Adam but had destroyed Beryl’s and Tolley’s lives. Then there was his outrageous, insulting proposal. By the time she’d finished her tale, she’d dried her tears and fortified herself with indignation. She looked at Susanna, expecting support.

  “Oh, my, my.” Susanna stood. “I’ll be right back.” She hurried from the room and returned with a wrinkled sheet of paper. “This is a letter from my brother. He sent it to my father shortly after you left for Boston three years ago.” Her eyes glistened, and Rosamond’s heart lurched.

  Five years ago, when Susanna and her father, Mr. MacAndrews, had been robbed and her father left for dead, Nate had rescued them and took them to the big house to recover. There Nate and Susanna fell in love. Mr. MacAndrews had also fallen in love with the Northams’ cook, Angela, and they had married once he was back on his feet. They now lived just north of Esperanza. Because they were Southerners, the old gentleman had expressed concern about how his friends and neighbors back home in Georgia would react to his marriage to a Mexican lady.

  “Tell me what he said.” Rosamond didn’t really need to ask. Pain was written all over Susanna’s sweet face. “Never mind. Just let me read it.” She reached out.

  “Well…” Susanna hugged the missive to her chest and sniffed back tears. “I’d let you, but his language is unfit for a lady’s eyes. I’m ashamed of my brother for writing it.” She choked out a little laugh. “Actually, Daddy wouldn’t let me read it, but I found it crumpled in the trash at his house. I’m sure Miss Angela doesn’t know what evil things he wrote. Suffice it to say Edward Jr. disowned Daddy and me. Imagine that. Disowned his father and sister. He sent Daddy some money to pay for his part in their business and said we were never to try to visit them, for we wouldn’t be received. In fact, he planned to announce to all of our friends that he’d gotten word of our untimely deaths, for we were surely dead to him.”

  “Dear Susanna.” Rosamond dabbed her eyes on a handkerchief. “How cruel. If only your brother could know Angela. She helped to raise me, and she’s a wonderful Christian lady. I know your family suffered during the war.” To his later regret, Father, as a Union officer, had been responsible for burning their plantation house and stealing some of their belongings. Yet he and Susanna’s father had reconciled and had actually become friends over the years. “But how can your brother be so unforgiving?”

  “That’s why I’m telling you about Edward’s letter.” Susanna pinned her with her bright, blue-eyed stare. “Forgiveness. I know Garrick’s hurt you, but I also know you fell in love with him about two seconds after you met him. Everybody could see it. Your mama, Marybeth and I agreed you’d make a fine
couple.” She tilted her head in her sweet way. “Why don’t you forgive him, sugar? Don’t give anger a place. Give Garrick another chance.”

  Rosamond stood and embraced her sister-in-law. “I don’t know if I can. What about his interference with Beryl and Percy’s romance? His accusation that Tolley started the hotel fire? If he hadn’t been so cruel to Tolley at the shooting match, Tolley wouldn’t have started the fight at the dance and Father never would have sent my brother away. He never wanted to go to Boston.”

  “I can understand your anger.” Susanna glanced down at the letter. “I have a hard time forgiving Edward Jr. But I’ve come to realize that letting myself become bitter will only hurt me and, ultimately, Nate and the children. I’m not saying it’s easy, but it is important.” She offered a tender smile. “Just think of all that our Lord Jesus has forgiven us. Our loved ones’ offenses pale in comparison.”

  Rosamond considered Susanna’s words as she rode home and turned down Four Stones Lane. As she passed the house on the way to the barn, she noticed two horses tied to the hitching post out front. One looked like Beryl’s mare, a welcome sight. She quickly accepted Pete’s offer to tend her horse.

  “Let me take care of her, Miss Rosamond.” The old cowboy was always eager to make himself useful. “Say, when’s that Englishman coming back out here? He wanted me to teach him some more ‘cowboy lessons,’ as he called them.” Pete’s leathery face turned pale. “Uh-oh. I done spoke out of turn.”

  Rosamond approached the wiry little man. “What cowboy lessons?”

  Pete ducked his head and blew out a breath, clearly put out with himself. “I wasn’t supposed to tell anybody, especially you, miss. But the cat’s out of the bag now, so’s I might as well tell you the rest. While he was staying out here that first week, he’d get up with the chickens and come out to the barn so’s I could teach him all about being a cowboy.” He chuckled. “With everybody saying what a sissy he was after that cow-branding mess, I could see he was trying to impress you, so’s I planned to teach him everything I know.” He shook his head. “Sure did have a good time with that boy. If he ever wants to come back, tell him I’m here.”

  Mr. Wakefield had tried to impress her? As Rosamond made her way across the barnyard to the house, she couldn’t quite reconcile Pete’s story with the fussy aristocrat Mr. Wakefield had been when he arrived. But with visitors to greet, she’d have to think about it later.

  As expected, she found Mother in the parlor visiting with Beryl…and Percy! Beryl dashed across the room and flung her arms around Rosamond.

  “Oh, Rosamond, I have the best news. Percy and I are engaged!” She held out her hand to reveal a lovely gold-and-pearl ring.

  Rosamond squeezed her friend tightly before examining the ring. “It’s beautiful!” She hurried to give Percy a hug and a kiss. “I’m so happy for you.” A thread of suspicion wove through her mind. What did Mr. Wakefield think of this? Had Percy finally rebelled against his cousin? “Tell me everything.”

  Beryl gave Percy an expectant look.

  His fair, sun-burned complexion grew redder than usual. “It was Garrick who urged me to propose. He’s always had my best interests at heart, even with all of his responsibilities.”

  “Garrick?” Unable to fully grasp the idea, Rosamond glanced at Mother, who gave her a knowing look. Susanna had said Mother approved of Mr. Wakefield. Although they hadn’t discussed it, surely Mother knew about their falling out. Maybe she didn’t want to interfere. “It’s a good thing his responsibilities at the hotel are almost finished.”

  “Yes, well.” Percy took Beryl’s hand and led her back to the settee, where they’d been sitting. “Then of course, there’s Helena.”

  A shocking streak of jealousy coursed through Rosamond. “Helena?” Her voice squeaked as she spoke the name. She lowered herself into a chair to receive the next bit of news. Was Mr. Wakefield already engaged?

  “Yes, his sister. He feels responsible for providing her dowry. Of course, I’ve told him I’d be delighted to provide a dowry for my much-beloved and only female cousin, but I think his pride won’t let him accept.”

  His pride. How like the man. And yet, relief swept through Rosamond that this Helena was the sister for whom Mr. Wakefield had bought a gift at the July Fourth fair. But why? Rosamond had no claim on him. Had, in fact, rejected her opportunity to claim him as her own. Was that a terrible mistake? No, his insults toward her loved ones still reverberated through her mind and made her heart ache. In that moment, she wished she’d never met him.

  “Are you truly pleased with our engagement, Rosamond?” Beryl’s blue eyes begged for approval. “What about our school? How will you do without me?”

  “I’ll just have to find another teacher. We were planning to hire more anyway, weren’t we?” Her eyes stung as she realized her good friend would likely move to England once she and Percy married. “I’ve a suspicion you only took part in my plans to please me. No, don’t deny it. But I’ve always wanted you to be happy.” Indeed, from the first, she’d only wanted Beryl to heal from her wounds, both physical and emotional. Now, with the bank robbery far behind her and a future with Percy right before her, she glowed with happiness.

  “We can stay until your school is well established.” Percy gripped Beryl’s hand. “That is, if it’s all right with you, my dear.”

  “Oh, yes.” Beryl leaned into his shoulder. “We’ll start advertising for teachers right away and won’t leave until we’ve hired only the best.”

  “We owe our happiness to Garrick, of course.” Percy gazed at his fiancée with devotion beaming from his blue eyes. “If he hadn’t insisted I come along on this venture of his, we’d never have met.”

  In spite of her own pain, Rosamond had been hasty to wish she’d never met Mr. Wakefield. Seeing her friend so happy made up for her own unhappiness. It was a small sacrifice. Truly, it was.

  At supper that evening, Mother regaled Father with the news of Beryl’s engagement, giving a glowing account of the visit.

  “Good, good.” Father’s eyes twinkled. “Poor George Eberly, with five daughters to marry off. Two are taken care of. Only three more to go.” He gave Rosamond the teasing look she’d always loved…until now. “Mother, what must we do to get shed of our only daughter?”

  “Why, I have no idea, Frank.” Mother blinked innocently. “Seems you did all you could when you put her together with that handsome young Englishman.” She exhaled a dramatic sigh. “I suppose she’ll just be a spinster teacher after all.”

  Rosamond could hardly keep from storming out of the room. Her parents had no idea what had happened yesterday, nor did they know how Mr. Wakefield had hurt Beryl and Tolley. Although Beryl’s situation had worked out, Tolley remained banished because of that “handsome young Englishman.”

  Unable to stay quiet any longer, she burst out, “Father, why did you send Tolley away?”

  “What?” He sat back and regarded her, his thick dark eyebrows bent into a frown, but one more of confusion than anger. “I didn’t send him ‘away.’ We, your mother and I, sent him to school, just as we did you.” He leaned forward again, his gaze troubled. “What’s this all about?”

  Inhaling a deep breath for courage, Rosamond gathered her wits. She’d never challenged Father because she’d never needed to. But in this case, he was wrong, and she meant to prove it.

  “From the moment Garrick Wakefield arrived here, you’ve favored him over your own son. Tolley’s always craved your attention, yet sometimes you acted as if he weren’t even here. Why? Don’t you see how you’ve hurt him?”

  Father glanced at Mother, who gave him a sympathetic nod. Didn’t she see how her youngest son had been wounded?

  “Daughter, I love each of my children equally. But just as I couldn’t deal with all of my soldiers in the same way, your mother and I couldn’t rear you and your brothers alike.” He huffed out a breath that was half laugh and half exasperation. “If you think I was hard on Tolley, just ask Nate
what it’s like to be the oldest son on a ranch.”

  Rosamond had never seen her father so vulnerable, but she couldn’t relent. “That doesn’t explain why you sent Tolley away.”

  “As I said—” Father scowled. “I didn’t send him away. I sent him to school.”

  “But he never wanted to go. He loves being a rancher.”

  “Well, then, he can come back in a couple of years and be a rancher.” A sharp edge entered Father’s voice. “If that’s what he still wants.” Another sigh, and his voice gentled. “Daughter, you’ll just have to trust me on this. Do you remember the Fourth of July race?”

  “Of course.”

  “You remember the watchers along the race?”

  She nodded.

  “One of them, I won’t say who, saw Tolley strike Garrick with his crop as they rode past him.”

  “No!”

  “Yes. Not only that, but Nate told me about that nonsense during branding. Here’s a young man from a foreign country, trying to fit in, trying to help out when he wasn’t obligated to, and on his first day here, Tolley deliberately made a nasty mess of him. And that business at the dance? Did you know Tolley tripped Garrick with a rope? Nearly broke his skull when he fell.” Father snorted out his disgust. “That was the last straw for me. I’d always planned to send Tolley to Harvard to be a lawyer. That’s what our town needs, and I believe that’s a good job for him. But he’s a self-centered boy, and the time’s come for him to learn to think about other people. If Garrick hadn’t been the target of his jealousy, someone else would have been.”

  Rosamond felt as if she’d been crying all day, yet she couldn’t stop the tears. So Tolley wasn’t as innocent as she’d always believed. Yet Mr. Wakefield—Garrick—had never accused him. He’d only defended himself. No wonder he thought so little of her brother.

  As she struggled to go to sleep that night, she still believed Father could have given Tolley more attention. But now she knew there was more to the situation. And Garrick. After that first day’s humiliation, he’d gone to Pete to learn how to fit in…for her sake. She was beginning to see a better picture of the man. No matter how antiquated the custom in Rosamond’s thinking, he felt responsible for providing a dowry for his sister so she could make a good marriage. Then there was Adam and his family. Garrick had saved them and sent Percy to find Mr. Starling, all without boasting or even wanting others to know about his good works.