She yanked on his reigns, turning him back toward the stable and digging her heels into his sides once more. The horse sidestepped for a minute before complying with her commands and moving in the direction Ethel wanted.
“There you go! Hya!” Ethel continued to yell as she dug her heels into the animal’s side again. The horse began to pick up speed, reaching for the ground in long strides and keeping its neck extended to its fullest length. Ethel encouraged the animal to let go and run with as much force as it could, and the horse happily obliged.
The trees which lined both sides of the road leading to her father’s mansion passed in a blur, and Ethel dared not look at them lest her subtle movement cause the horse to veer off track and potentially throw her off.
“Easy there, that’s right. Slow down then!” Ethel pulled back on the horse’s reigns as they entered the gate to her father’s mansion. She knew her father preferred her to walk the horses along the path leading to the stables, but Ethel wasn’t about to get off the animal now. Adrenaline pumped through her veins and she almost felt like she and the animal were one being.
She rode Starboy around the side of the house and to the stable, only dismounting when Jonathan, the stable boy, grabbed the reigns from her.
“How was he today, Ma’am?” Jonathan asked and Ethel patted the horse’s sweaty neck.
“He fought me a little on the north end, but once he opened up for me it was a smooth ride – and fast!” Ethel twirled around the stable and Jonathan laughed. Other horses stepped forward, pushing against the doors of their stalls and begging for Ethel’s attention. She grabbed a handful of oats from an open feedbag and walked over to Maria, her father’s favorite mare.
As the horse eagerly ate the treat, Ethel stroked the animal’s long neck. She knew how to cool down and tend to a horse after a long ride, but Jonathan had already taken Starboy from her, and he was pulling off the saddle on the other side of the stable.
“Do you want some help there?” she called out to him.
“I appreciate the offer, but I do believe it’ll be quicker if I just do it myself. He likes the way I tend to his feet after a run.” Jonathan gave her a wink and Ethel smiled. She knew that Jonathan liked her, but he was a stable boy and she was the daughter of a respected horse breeder. She thought Jonathan a kind young man, but she knew that there would never be a romantic relationship between them.
Ethel walked over to Starboy once more, patting him on the neck and commending him on his afternoon run. He could smell the oats on her hand, and he did his best to lick them, but she laughed and hid them behind her back.
“Sorry boy, you can’t eat that soon after running, or you’ll make yourself ill. I’ll tell you what, when I come back tomorrow, I will bring you something special from the garden, would you like that?” She continued to move her hands away from the horse’s eager lips, and with a final pat on his neck, she turned and walked out of the stable, smoothing the front of her dress.
Ethel looked at the wrinkles in her skirt in dismay, then she shook her head. Mrs. Smith, her governess, would be disappointed when she saw the rumpled look of the gown, and Ethel knew the woman would immediately know how she’d gotten into such a state.
It wasn’t that Mrs. Smith disapproved of Ethel’s love for horses, but she did disapprove of Ethel riding them as she did. Mrs. Smith believed that if a woman was to go for a ride, she was to use a side saddle, she was to keep the horse at a leisurely pace, and she was to conduct herself with the highest degree of decorum.
Horseracing simply wasn’t an option for women, although it was racing that Ethel wished to do most. Of course, she knew that there was no way she would be allowed to compete in a real race, but it didn’t stop her from dreaming. She was small, and although she was a beautiful young woman, she didn’t possess the curves that many of the other girls her age had.
Ethel had always been a bit of a tomboy at heart; Mrs. Smith put it down to Esther’s mother having passed when Ethel was very young. Her father, hoping to turn her into a refined young woman, hired a governess to raise her properly and although Ethel did her best to please both her father and Mrs. Smith when she was in their presence, as soon as she had any time to herself she would return to her tomboyish ways.
She would ride a horse like a man, she would speak her mind without fear of what anyone would say about it, and she would speak of horseracing with as much knowledge as any of the men could.
Ethel opened the door to the kitchen and glanced around. If she could slip to her room unnoticed, she would not receive a lecture from Mrs. Smith. The woman could make sure she was a refined young lady on the outside, but on the inside, Ethel Miller was a racer through and through.
Chapter 2 – Unexpected News
“Sit up straight and pull your shoulders back. I’ve told you time and time again how to sit like a lady, and you continue to slouch!” Mrs. Smith shook her head at Ethel, and Ethel made a point of sitting as rigidly in the chair as she could. Mrs. Smith sighed.
“You hopeless girl! How do you suppose you are going to get a husband when you behave like a wild animal – and smell like one, too?” Mrs. Smith gave her a look of disgust and Ethel had to fight to keep herself from smiling. She liked smelling like a horse, although she knew it must now be obvious to Mrs. Smith what she had been doing all afternoon.
Mrs. Smith looked at her with disapproval and Ethel sensed a lecture was imminent, but they were interrupted by Mr. Miller.
“Father! I’ve missed you!” Ethel squealed. She was about to jump up from her seat next to the small tea table, but she suddenly remembered her manners and rose as gracefully as she could. She walked over and gave him a light hug and a kiss on the cheek, then she turned her attention back to the tea table.
“Would you care to join us?” she asked, pouring her father a cup of tea. He smiled and removed his hat, then sat where Ethel had placed his tea. Ethel smiled; her father had been away from Kentucky for nearly a month, traveling to other horse stables and making deals with other breeders. She was used to him traveling, but she was always thrilled when he came home.
“How was your trip, Father?” Ethel asked. He took a sip of his tea and gave her a light shake of his head.
“I have to admit, things could be going better,” he said grimly, and Ethel looked at him, her brow furrowing with curiosity.
“Whatever do you mean?” she asked, and he pulled out a piece of paper from his suit pocket.
“I mean there are going to be some changes going on around here, and I mean some big ones. I am spending money faster than I am making it, I’m afraid. I know this is all coming as a shock as I have not mentioned it to either of you before, but trust me, business is not as good as it used to be.” He looked down at the paper, and Ethel waited for him to continue.
“Mrs. Smith, I appreciate all you have done for my daughter, but I think the time has come for her to take the next step in life on her own.” He smiled at Mrs. Smith who cleared her throat.
“Am I to understand that you are letting me go?” she asked at last, and he nodded.
“I am afraid I have no choice. I know I’ve been in the horse business a long time. A long time.” He shook his head as he spoke, and Ethel felt her heart sink. She took another sip of her tea, trying to remain calm and let her father finish what he had to say.
“I think it’s time I sell my stock here, then travel abroad. I hear there is a wonderful market for sheep farmers in England right now, and I’ve handled sheep before. What do you say, Ethel? Shall we call it a day and move to England?” he winked at his daughter, but she couldn’t contain herself any longer.
Flying to her feet, Ethel put both her hands on the table in front of her. She ignored the look of horror Mrs. Smith gave her, and glared at her father.
“Father! What are you saying? We can’t sell the horses! Or the house! Am I to understand you wish for me to leave my life behind and start a new life as a sheep farmer? In England? This is the land of opport
unity, and those animals represent the freedom we have here – you can’t do this, Father! You simply cannot!” The longer she spoke, the more passion Ethel felt as she tried to convince her father to change his mind.
He looked at her with an odd smile, then reached forward and patted her hand.
“My Dear, you know you are the light of my life, and you are the very reason that I breathe. Ever since your mother passed you have been the absolute center of my world, and I hate to think that I am doing anything that would upset you. However, I need to do what is best for the family, and if we stay here it is only a matter of time before we are ruined completely.
“I’ve done what I can to ensure that you are happy and healthy, and I have even secured you a wonderful governess to teach you everything that I myself could not. But I need you to trust me on this, and when I say we are going to move to England, we are going to move to England.” He gave her hand another pat, then turned his attention back to the tea in front of him.
Mrs. Smith began asking him questions about what he planned to do next, but Ethel’s mind was spinning. She couldn’t keep up with her thoughts as they rushed through her brain.
How could her father be so casual about this? Why was he so insistent they ought to go to England? Most importantly of all, what would become of the horses?
Chapter 3 – Troublesome Changes
Ethel climbed out of bed slowly, resenting the overcast day. She didn’t usually hate rain, but now it only served to make her somber mood feel even worse. She walked over to her wardrobe and selected her dark maroon dress, slipping it on and pulling her stockings up over her knees.
She walked over to the mirror and pulled her long braid over her shoulder. She pulled the ribbon off the end, then began expertly unwinding the brain until her dirty blonde waves fell about her shoulders.
She looked into her own green eyes, and although she smiled at her reflection, she couldn’t hide the sadness, and that only made her feel even more sorry for herself than she had before. She grabbed the long locks hair that hung around her face and twisted them behind her head and secured them into place with a pin. She allowed the rest of her hair to hang down her back, perfectly complimenting her small frame.
After checking herself in the mirror once more, Ethel walked over to the door. She put her hand on the doorknob, suddenly realizing how odd it would be to walk downstairs and find that Mrs. Smith was not waiting for her.
But her father would be.
After counting in her head for a moment, a surge of resolution filled her heart and she threw the door open, walking through it confidently. Ethel’s shoes clicked on the hardwood floor as she walked down the stairs and into the dining room, where she expected her father would be waiting to speak with her over breakfast.
To her surprise, the dining room was empty. Of course, breakfast had been prepared and set out, but there was only a place set for her. Ethel looked around, feeling confused. It wasn’t like her father to miss breakfast, and it was always served at the same time every day, so he would certainly know that it would be waiting for him.
“Carrie, do you know where my father is?” she asked as a young maid brought in another plate of steaming biscuits. The girl paused for a moment, then she nodded.
“I saw him with another man this morning. He wanted his breakfast served early so he could meet with this man, though I don’t know who he was. Last I saw him they were both walking toward the stable.” She set down the biscuits but Ethel hurried to the window, her heart sinking with each step she took. She couldn’t see her father outside the window, but she could see that the door to the stable was open, and there was no sign of Jonathan anywhere.
Ethel’s stomach twisted, and she feared she was going to be sick. Turning back to Carrie, she smiled and hurried past her, excusing herself from the room.
“Aren’t you going to eat something, Ma’am?” Carrie called out after her, but Ethel didn’t answer. With each step she took, she felt more anger well up within her, and she feared she was going to burst. She hurried down the lane and to the stable as quickly as she could without breaking into a run, but terrified at what she was going to find when she got inside.
“Father? What is all this?” she asked as she stormed through the door. Her father was shaking hands with a man she had never seen before, and Jonathan stood at the other end of the stable with a troubled look on his face.
“Great news, Ethel! Mr. Jacobs here is going to take them all off our hands. I was worried that we were going to end up having to sell them off one by one, and you know how long that could have taken, but he’s a sharp businessman, he is, and they’ll be gone this afternoon.” He clapped his hand on the back of Mr. Jacobs, who had lit a cigar and was now puffing away.
“You sold them? All of them?” Ethel asked in horror. She could feel her chest heaving and she felt short of breath. Glancing back, she could see by the look on Jonathan’s face that it was true. Her father, who was also lighting a cigar, told her to go back inside the house, and to mind her manners as Mrs. Smith had carefully taught her to do.
“Is Starboy going, too?” she asked, unable to mask her fury. Her father looked up at her, and put his hands in the pockets of his jacket. He held the cigar in his lips, puffing away as he spoke.
“Yes, Starboy is the main reason Mr. Jacobs is here in the first place. You’ll have to excuse my daughter, Sir, she loves horses and this is all rather new to her.” He had turned to the man next to him, who waved off the matter with his hand.
“That’s how it always is with the women; you never do know what it is they really want, until you sell it to another man.” He laughed at his own joke, and to her horror, her father also laughed with him. She stood for a moment, trying to think of something to say that would change her father’s mind, but she knew it was too late. Her father had made the decision to leave, and he was now making swift efforts to make that happen.
He didn’t care that Starboy was her favorite horse, nor did he care that he wouldn’t get to keep Maria. All he cared about was getting his assets sold so he could be on the next ship headed across the sea. Ethel shook her head in disappointment, not caring how rude of her it was to do so.
She turned on her heel and stormed out of the stable, letting the door slam closed behind her. Ethel didn’t go back inside the house, however. Instead, she turned and began walking up the lane that led into the town.
She didn’t care what her father did. She was not moving to England.
Chapter 4 – Another Way
Ethel didn’t know where she was going, all she knew was that she didn’t want to be around her father, nor did she want to see him sell off all the things that mattered to her as though they were nothing. She had cared very deeply for Starboy, and she wasn’t going to be there when someone came by and simply took him away.
She loved all the horses in the stable, but he was going to be the one that she missed the most. With tears in her eyes, she continued to walk down the lane, avoiding looking at anyone who passed by. She could sense that many wondered what was wrong with her, but no one bothered stopping to ask her if she was okay, or if there was anything they might do for her.
Ethel walked past many of the stores in town when she suddenly stopped, realizing she was hungry. She hadn’t eaten since the night before, she had been so upset by the news of her father selling the horses. But the smells coming from the cafes and shops made her stomach rumble and she was suddenly starving.
Ethel glanced around the street; the bakery on the corner of the street was open, but she wasn’t hungry for anything that was sweet. Instead, she wanted something that was simple and she could enjoy on her way back to the mansion.
Once inside the general store, she once again avoided making eye contact with anyone. Some of the other customers gave her a second glance when they realized she had clearly been crying, but many of them respected her obviously wanting to be left alone.
Ethel grabbed an apple out of a bucket next to
the counter, then she patiently waited her turn to pay. She rolled her eyes as the customer in front of her took her time choosing which bolt of fabric she wanted, and Ethel marveled that the clerk didn’t leave her to choose and help Ethel pay.
As she waited, she looked down at the paper which lay on the counter. She sighed at the announcements about horseracing; there had been a time when she would only have been interested in that section. Not wanting to upset herself further, she flipped the page over, skimming the different news stories and ads that filled the pages.
Her eyes fell on something she had never seen before, and she paused, looking at the paper more closely. The back of the paper was filled with dozens of ads, but ads that were different to any she had seen before. Men all over the western part of the country had put ads in the paper, looking for brides.
As she skimmed over them, many of them sounded similar to each other. There were men looking for companionship, there were men who wanted a woman’s touch in their children’s lives, and there were men who wanted to find someone to fall in love with and build a family together. As she read through, she smiled to herself, wondering if there were any women out there who really were willing to do this.
An ad towards the bottom of the page stood out from the rest, and she couldn’t help but look at it closer.
Dear Ladies,
My name is Tom Buckley, and I am looking for a young woman to marry. I am a successful horse breeder with an eye for true racers, but it can be a lonely life, and I am hoping to find someone who would like to share it with me. I know you have likely heard rough stories of the West, but let me assure you, California has developed quickly and we are ready to bring in more of our civilized women folk.
I do not have children, as the horses take up so much of my time I have never had the pleasure of being married. Should you choose to come out this way, I promise I will treat you right, I will take care of you, and I will make sure all your needs are met.
The Thanksgiving Day Bride: Mail Order Bride Novels Page 49
