by Merry Farmer
“Enough.” Elspeth scooped up the last of the toys from the floor and moved to arrange them on the other shelf. “I think they want to come home, though. Of course they do.”
Before he could answer, there was a short cranking noise, followed by the tinkling strains of a music box. A wash of glittering memories swept through Athos. He stood and turned to find Elspeth smiling at blue, lacquered box.
“I haven’t heard that song in ages,” he said, shoulders relaxing.
“It’s lovely.” Elspeth gave the music box a few more winds. “We used to dance to this tune in London.”
“I remember dancing to it too when I was young.” The floor was completely clear for a change, so he crossed over to where Elspeth was smiling at the box. “Would you care to have this dance?” he asked with a short bow.
Elspeth glanced up, a look of pure delight coming to her bright eyes. She gave the music box a few more winds, then set it on the top of the shelf. “Why yes, sir, I would.” She executed a perfect curtsy.
Deep, old joy and dazzling new happiness pulsed through Athos as he took Elspeth in his arms the way he had many a dance partner in his much younger years. He glided easily into the steps of a waltz, whisking Elspeth around the decluttered room.
“I haven’t danced in years,” he sighed, holding her closer.
“You’re very good at it,” she answered, surprise in her voice and expression.
He laughed. “You didn’t think a tired, old stationmaster like me had it in him, did you?”
“I didn’t say that.” Her answering grin was both bashful and pleased.
“I used to love dancing.” The statement swelled up through him with an unmanly burst of emotion. “Some of my friends scoffed that it was a stupid waste of time, but I used to argue that it was the perfect way to spend an evening with the ladies.”
She laughed. “So you were a lady’s man when you were young, were you?”
“No.” He chuckled, stepping her through a turn. “Well, I suppose I would have been if I was one of those tall, handsome, dandy sorts.”
“Who said you weren’t?” She blinked, seeming genuinely surprised.
“It’s obvious, isn’t it?” Modesty urged him to lower his head, but a deeper sort of longing kept his shoulders squared and his eyes fixed on her beautiful smile.
“Not at all,” she argued. “And if I had been a young lady at those long-ago balls, I would have scandalized every meddling mama in the room by standing up with you as many times as I could get away with.”
He beamed from ear to ear at the thought. “We didn’t have rules about how many times a couple could dance together back in those days. Then again, I always felt responsible for making sure the women that other men snubbed got at least one dance.”
Her expression transformed before him from simply smiling to nearly weeping. And yet, her eyes shone with happiness.
“What? Did I say something wrong?”
“You danced with the wallflowers.” Her voice was soft enough to be a whisper.
“They were more interesting anyhow.” He shrugged. Her arms shifted as their waltz continued, embracing him more closely. Their steps became smaller and they turned in a tighter circle. His heart beat faster, but he wasn’t sure why. “I…I always thought that that’s what a musketeer would do,” he said, intending to tease himself. “A hero should always show as much nobility of character to the less sought-after girls as to the popular ones, because every woman has the heart of a heroine beating inside of her.”
“Oh, Athos!” She stopped dancing. The music had stopped playing. He thought maybe it had stopped playing several minutes ago and neither of them had noticed. “Athos, you are the most wonderful, heroic man I’ve ever met.”
Her words surprised him, but not as much as the kiss that followed. She circled her arms fully around him, pulling him close so that she could press her lips to his. She didn’t seem satisfied with just that. Her lips parted against his and her tongue brushed against the seam of his closed mouth. It didn’t stay closed for long, though, and he didn’t remain a passive partner in the kiss. Desire surged through him and he opened his mouth to take charge of their kiss. He sighed with longing, pressing her against him.
“Elspeth,” he panted as he forced himself to stop kissing her long enough to think. “I was wrong when I said that I don’t ever think about the sorts of things that go in in the marriage bed.”
She sucked in a breath, her eyes alight with excitement. He studied her carefully, wanting to be sure he wouldn’t hurt her sensibilities or say something he couldn’t take back.
“I…I don’t want a marriage on paper only,” he continued, pouring his soul into the words.
“I don’t want that either.” She was quick to reassure him.
“Really?” He blinked in surprise.
She giggled, squeezing her arms more tightly around him. “Really. Why are you so surprised?”
“Because…because you’re beautiful and smart and good.”
“That doesn’t mean I don’t want…” She paused, blushing, eyes downcast as though she was thinking of the right way to say it. At last, she took a breath and brought her gaze up to meet his. “That doesn’t mean I don’t want you.”
He laughed. “But I’m not much.”
She blinked, surprised…no, shocked. “Athos, you’re everything. You’re a good father and a wonderful husband.”
“You haven’t been married to me for long enough to know that.” He shook his head.
She shook hers harder, placing a hand over his thumping heart. “I see the way you care for your family, the lengths you’ve gone to. I hear it in the way you read to them, in the way you pray for them. You are a good, worthy man, Athos Strong, and I…” Her eyelashes fluttered down and her cheeks pinked even more. “And I want to be your wife. In every way.”
She lifted her gaze to meet his once more. A thousand emotions, each more beautiful than the last, filled him. He wanted to be the man she thought he was. He wanted to be the man that he’d lost all those years ago. He’d lost so much in the last few years, but now he could get it back. One look at Elspeth and he knew he could get it back.
“I want to be your husband,” he declared from his heart. “In every way.”
“Oh, Athos.”
“And tonight,” he promised her. “Once we set the house in order and pray for the children to be returned to us, I’ll be your husband and you’ll be my wife. In every way.”
She smiled, the glitter in his eyes almost enough to convince him to skip their duties and cut right to the chase.
“I…” She paused, words balanced on her lips. “I want that,” she finished.
He had the feeling she had been about to say more. So much more. But those words would do. They would definitely do for now.
Chapter 11
Once upon a time, he had dreamed of being a hero. Wide-eyed, dreamy Athos would grow up to be Athos the Musketeer, Athos the rescuer of damsels in distress, Athos the noble warrior. How could he have forgotten those dreams? How could he have lost sight of the man he’d wanted to be, the man he was?
The next morning, he awoke smiling, confident that he could become the man he’d wanted to be this time, right now, today. His heart had never felt so light as he got out of bed and washed and dressed for the day, even though the children were away at the Bonneville ranch. Maybe this was some sort of unwitting wedding present that the Bonnevilles were giving him and Elspeth. Time alone with her had reminded him of who he was. He wouldn’t have had that time in a house crawling with children. His heart wouldn’t have had this time to realize all the things it had in the last few days. Foremost of those things was the certainty that, with God’s help, he was on the right track at last. As he tugged on his trousers he was filled with absolute confidence that the judge would see exactly where the children belonged once he heard all sides of the story. How could it be any other way?
“I’m going to do the rest of that laundry
today,” Elspeth informed him as they shared a filling breakfast at the kitchen table. “Then I’m going to start scrubbing floors upstairs. And I’m going to weed that garden this afternoon if it’s the last thing I ever do. I want this house looking spectacular when that judge gets here.”
Athos smiled, heart warmed that she shared his thoughts about things in so many ways. That too was a new, wonderful feeling. It was so bolstering that before he could give it much thought, he said, “And I’m going to march straight over to Howard Haskell’s office at the town hall before work this morning and ask that he give me a raise and hire an assistant for the station.”
Elspeth stopped, a bite of eggs halfway to her mouth. “You are?” Her whole face lit with admiration.
“Yes.” He nodded, planting his hands on the side of the table, then rising to his feet. “It’s about time I said something. The station just keeps getting busier and busier as Haskell grows and more trains stop here. It’s no longer good enough for me to take all the work on my own shoulders. It’s time I did the responsible thing and ask for help.”
Elspeth rose and skipped around the table to hug him. “Bravo, musketeer,” she exclaimed, then kissed him square on the lips. “How could anyone deny you anything?”
Of all the questions that had been running through his head for the past several hours, that one was the most unexpected, but as he kissed Elspeth back, it reverberated in his gut. How could they? How could Howard and how could Judge Andrew Moss?
He helped Elspeth tidy up the breakfast things, then plunked his stationmaster hat on his head, kissed her one more time, then marched out the door, ready to take on Haskell, the Territory of Wyoming, and the world. It was no surprise to him that more than a few of his neighbors stopped and did a double-take as he walked past on his way to the town hall.
“What’s gotten into him?” Jim Plover muttered to Silas Purdue as Athos walked past the foundry across from The Cattleman Hotel.
Athos ignored them, even when Silas snorted and said, “With a look like that, it’s probably what he’s gotten into, if you know what I mean.”
“Good morning, Athos,” Theophilus Gunn called from the top of the hotel’s stairs, sending a scolding look across to Jim and Silas to show he’d heard their disrespect. “How are Elspeth and the children?”
“Elspeth is wonderful,” he replied. “And I intend to send Solomon out to the Bonneville ranch as my agent to make sure that the children are safe and happy.” That came as a surprise to him when he heard himself speak, but it too was a brilliant idea. Rex Bonneville hates Solomon, but even he had to let a reputable agent check up on the children on his and Elspeth’s behalf.
“A fine idea,” Gunn seconded with a nod.
By the time Athos reached the town hall, he was brimming with energy and ideas. Howard kept office hours on Wednesday, and as usual, he left the door to his office open while he was there. It was early and few people were at the town hall, so Athos was able to walk straight in and up to Howard’s desk.
“Ah! Athos! How are you on this fine morning?” Howard boomed in typical Howard style. He rose from his great, leather chair—something he was intensely proud of—and circled around his desk to pump Athos’s hand in greeting.
It dawned on Athos that Howard Haskell was exactly the kind of man he’d always thought he would be: fearless, visionary, and always willing to help his neighbors in any way possible. Men like that wanted to see the same boldness in others, so Athos wouldn’t disappoint him.
“I’m as well as I can be without my children,” he began, taking off his hat and shaking Howard’s hand firmly, “and possibly a bit happier than I should be.”
“You just married one of those brides from Hurst Home, didn’t you?” Howard winked.
“I did, and she is perfect in every way.”
Howard laughed from deep in his belly and walked back to take a seat behind his desk, gesturing for Athos to sit in the chair across from him. “There’s nothing like a beautiful, loving wife to make a man feel like a king.”
“Or a musketeer.” Athos sat.
Howard’s brow flew up for a minute. “Oh, right. Your name. I always wondered about that.” He grinned and leaned back in his chair. “It suits you. So what can I do for you today, my musketeer friend?”
“You can ask the railroad to give me a raise.” Athos jumped straight to the issue at hand.
Howard barked out a laugh. “I like a man who cuts right to the point.” He pinched his face in thought for a moment, then said. “Done!”
Athos blinked, his new swagger dropping to old disbelief and shock. “Done? You’ll see about getting me a raise, just like that?”
“I’m surprised you haven’t asked for one sooner, to be honest.”
Athos shook his head. “I would have asked much sooner, but with work being so busy and all, I’ve been putting it off. I wouldn’t want you to think I was complaining or that I’m not on top of things, and I wouldn’t have presumed. I…I mean, you know how to run the town’s business dealings. The railroad answers to you, and the station falls under your prevue.”
“I only have so many eyes to keep track of things and hands to get things done,” Howard explained with a shrug. “There’s no question that you do an excellent job down there at the station. Truly top-notch. I’m sure I’ve told myself a hundred times in the last few years to review your yearly salary and make a recommendation to the railroad to add to it, but with one thing or another…”
“I should have said something,” Athos said, half to himself. “I shouldn’t have tried to shoulder the whole load myself all this time.” He should have believed in himself more too, but after years of struggling to raise children and keep a wife who didn’t love him happy…
He pushed the unhappy thought aside and sat straighter. “Which brings me to another point. I also want you to hire an assistant for the station,” he went on.
“An assistant?” Howard tilted his head, expression turning thoughtful.
“There are more trains arriving in Haskell than ever before.” Athos scooted to the edge of his chair to make the point. “The job has grown since I first took it, and…and so have I.”
Howard raised his brows but said nothing.
Athos went on. “I have a large family, sir, and a new wife who I…” He let out a breath, a sudden swell of emotion overwhelming him. “I love her, sir. I know that we’ve only been married for days and it was all arranged by someone else, but God was looking out for both of us when he put Elspeth and I together. I knew almost from the start that we were a good partnership, but in these last few days, with the children taken away…well, it’s just been the two of us. And they’ve been intense days of soul-searching. Elspeth has given me back something that I didn’t even know I’d lost, and frankly, sir, I owe it to her to be able to spend as much time as possible with her and with my children, as soon as I get them back. I want us to be a family, and families need to spend time with each other to grow and thrive. I want you to hire an assistant for me so that I can give as much of myself to my family as I’ve given to my job and to this town for the last ten years.”
He finished and took a breath, shocked that he’d poured out so much in one go. Howard steepled his fingers and watched him, a grin growing on his mischievous, old face.
“Athos Strong, do you know why I hired you above all the other applicants who applied for the position of stationmaster?” he asked.
“I…” Athos frowned. “I thought it was the railroad’s decision to send me here.”
“I told them I wanted to pick my stationmaster, so they sent me files on ten different men, complete with their service records. I picked you because your file contained glowing endorsement after glowing endorsement from supervisors who stated that you were conscientious, outgoing, and that you always went above and beyond what was required of you.”
“I… Thank you?” He wasn’t sure who to thank or how to thank them.
“Being married and raisi
ng children is hard. I’ve watched you do it for ten years now. I watched when Natalie died, and as your children grew older without a mother.” Howard punctuated his remark with a compassionate smile. “You’ve risen to more challenges than you know, young man. And you’re rising to them now.”
“I…I’m only doing what my family needs me to do.”
“Which is a whole lot more than some men would do.” Howard shifted out of his contemplative posture and rapped the top of his desk. “You’ll have your assistant. I’ll ask the railroad for recommendations and let you look over them with me to choose someone.”
“Thank you, sir.” Athos sank back in his chair, overwhelmed.
“And you’ll get your raise too. The railroad can pay you what they want, but I’ll add my own bonus on top of that.”
“Wow.” Athos blew out a breath, running a hand through his hair. “Thank you, sir.”
“And don’t you worry about this mess with your children,” Howard went on. “With God’s help, I know you’ll prevail.”
Scrubbing floors with muscles sore from almost a week of heavy cleaning was not as easy as Elspeth anticipated. Washing laundry and hanging it on the line wasn’t either. By the time afternoon rolled around and she knelt with gardening gloves and a trowel in the front garden, pulling up weeds, she was in enough pain to severely curtail the blissful mood she’d awoken in.
It helped to hear the piercing notes of a train whistle growing closer. Hearing that made her think of Athos, made her imagine all the things he was doing down at the station to get ready to greet the new arrival. Thinking of him made her smile through her nagging soreness.
“The garden is looking nice.”
Elspeth straightened with a wince and turned to see her neighbor, Josephine, walking past on the other side of the picket fence, returning home from an errand, a full basket over her shoulder. A few of her other new neighbors looked as though they had been out shopping as well, Mrs. Plover and Mrs. Abernathy, wife of one of Haskell’s two doctors.
