"I ought to take both of you back to that school, let Miss Settle give you a good whipping, then put you back in your room with a lock on the door if necessary."
The girls looked horrified. "That's what Uncle Jeff wanted to do," Aurelia said.
"It seems we finally agree on something," Rose said. "I don't normally hold with spanking, but I won't tolerate this continued wild behavior."
"We tried to be good," Juliette said.
"We wanted to be lots worse," Aurelia said.
Rose couldn't repress a smile. "I'm sure you did. All you Randolphs have to struggle to behave like ordinary people."
"Lizzie and William Henry behave."
"I think they're Thorntons. Thorntons always do what they're told. That's why they make good soldiers."
"Why can't we be Thorntons?" Juliette asked.
"I don't know, but you're unmistakably Randolphs. You look like it, you act like it, and you think like it. But that's going to have to change."
"Why?"
"You can't grow up wild. It'll make you very unhappy. And you can't keep upsetting your father. We had to leave before he was through selling the herds. You've wasted a great deal of money by getting yourselves thrown out of school. It doesn't grow on trees. Your father has to work very hard to earn it. Now you have a choice. You can come home, or you can stay here."
"We want to go home," Aurelia said.
"No, we don't," Juliette contradicted.
"If you come home," Rose said, keenly aware of the unusual circumstance of the twins no being in instant agreement, "you will be confined to the house. You will not be able to ride your ponies, go to parties, or go on the roundup. I'll hire a private teacher for you. You'll spend your days doing your lessons, your evenings studying. I will personally supervise you."
The girls looked dumbfounded.
"What's the other choice?" Aurelia asked.
"If the Wolfe School will take you back--"
"Miss Settle said she didn't want to see us again."
"She might be persuaded to change her mind," Rose said. "Anyway, if they will take you back, I'll take away your allowance and your prettiest dresses. If you last a week without a single complaint against you, you can have your dresses back. If you last a month, you can have your allowance. Do you think you can do that?"
"I don't know," Aurelia said, dubiously.
"Well, you'll have this evening to think about it," Rose said. "I won't let you go back unless you give me your word you'll behave."
"But then we'll have to do it," Juliette protested.
"That's the good thing about being a Randolph," Rose said. "Once you give your word, even little Randolphs don't go back on it."
"Do we have any other choices?" Aurelia asked.
"No. And don't think you can wheedle your father into giving you one. He has agreed to let me handle this situation."
Rose relaxed her severe expression. "Now, tell me what has made you so unhappy. You're not normally this bad."
* * * * *
"It's the twins back again," Beth announced to Violet. "And their mother's with them."
"Back?" Violet questioned, startled. "I don't understand. Miss Settle dismissed them."
"Mrs. Randolph says Miss Settle has agreed to reconsider if you will."
Violet couldn't imagine her opinion would weigh with the headmistress. Ever since Jeff's stay, Violet had been aware of a coolness in Miss Settle's attitude toward her. Almost a distrust. She was certain it had to do with that kiss in front of the school. Miss Settle hadn't said anything, but people had to have seen it. Someone was bound to have told her.
Violet put aside the book she had been reading. She checked her image in the mirror. She was wearing a ruby red dress today. She wondered what Mrs. Randolph would think of such a bold gown.
"They're in the parlor," Beth said. "She says they have something to say to you."
Violet entered the parlor, prey to rampant curiosity.
In physical appearance, Rose Randolph didn't look a thing like Violet had expected. She was small of a statue, slim, attractive without being beautiful, and had dark brown hair beginning to show silver at the temples. The look in her eye, however, was everything she had expected of a woman how could control two such tempestuous children.
"Good afternoon, Miss Goodwin," Rose said, rising to her feet. "I'm so glad to meet you at last."
"I've been wanting to meet you, too," Violet said. She let her gaze slide to where the twins sat demurely. They didn't look downcast or even unhappy. Rather they looked determined. That made Violet uneasy. She never knew what to expect from them.
Both women took seats. Rose glanced at the twins before looking back at Violet. "I apologize for the trouble the girls have given you. We have had a long talk, and they have given me their word to behave for the rest of the term."
Violet glanced at the twins. They nodded their heads in agreement.
"I have also had a talk with Miss Settle. As long as you are in agreement, she will allow Aurelia and Juliette to return to school. If they get into any more trouble, they will be dismissed without any possibility of returning."
Violet liked the twins and was happy to welcome them back, but she had a feeling there was more to come.
"Things aren't that simple," Rose continued, "which is why everything depends upon your willingness to take personal charge of the twins once more. Girls," Rose said, turning to her daughters.
"We want to apologize for being so bad," Juliette began.
"We're not sorry about Betty Sue," Aurelia said, "but we didn't mean to get you in trouble."
"What else?" their mother prompted.
"Miss Settle says we have to ask you if we can go visit Aunt Fern every weekend to ride our horses."
Violet looked back at Rose.
"Miss Settle refuses to take responsibility for them once they leave the campus. Would you be willing to do that for me?"
"What about the rest of the girls, my duties here?" Violet asked.
"I've taken care of that for you," Rose said.
Violet was a little bewildered at the power this family seemed to wield. "Of course, I won't mind." It would give her some time to herself, some relief from the constant nature of her duties.
"The girls would also like to try to explain why they've been so bad. I leave it to you to see if you feel you can come up with any solution to the problem."
"Nobody likes us," Aurelia said, almost before her mother had finished speaking.
"They call us buffalo babies," Juliette said.
"Betty Sue said we're nothing but calico cow girls who couldn't be happy unless we were all dusty and dirty."
"She said we were--"
"I don't think Miss Goodwin needs to hear any more of that," Rose intervened. "If you could think of some way to help the older girls accept them, it would help a lot. I don't mean to excuse their behavior, but I remember what it was like being the daughter of a colonel in the Union army living in a Confederate town during the War. I'd have done just about anything to get back at the people for what they said, especially about my father."
Violet could understand that. She had listened to whispers about her own father for years. Knowing some of them were true made it all the more difficult to defend herself against those that weren't.
"It seems we need a way to make the girls more respectful of what it takes to be a rancher," Violet said. "I don't think most of them have ever seen a cow, or been on a horse more than once or twice."
"Betty Sue's afraid of horses," Aurelia said.
"I don't want you to mention Betty Sue again," Rose said. "We're trying to improve things, not dwell on what's done and can't be changed."
Violet realized it must be very difficult to be nine and be required to act grown up. A lot of adults couldn't manage it. Jeff Randolph immediately sprang to mind, but she reminded herself his problem was prejudice, not immaturity. But then wasn't prejudice a kind of immaturity. Or in Jeff's case, was it just
plain stubbornness? There seemed to be plenty of it in the family. The twins had a sizeable portion.
"It's a shame we can't invite all the girls to Texas with us," Rose said, "and let them watch us work cows."
"There must be ranches close to Denver," Violet said.
"We could ride our ponies," Aurora said.
"And William Henry could shoot targets," Juliette added. "He's a real drip, but he's a dead shot."
"What you need is a kind of rodeo," Violet said. "I saw one advertized when I reached Denver.”
"We could do it at Aunt Fern's," Juliette said, her eyes bright with excitement. "She's got lots of cows."
"And the space," Rose said, immediately thoughtful.
Rose laughed at her daughters' enthusiasm. "You realize you won't be able to keep Monty away, don't you?"
"Could you bring our ponies from Texas?" Aurelia asked.
"Uncle Monty will bring Nightmare. You know he will."
Rose turned to Violet. "Do you think the school would countenance such a thing?"
"I don't know," Violet said. "I know nothing about rodeos. I couldn't possibly organize one."
"We'll take care of that," Rose said. "All you need to do is get Miss Settle's approval for the girls to attend. We'll see to everything else."
"Do you think it will answer?" Violet asked.
"I don't know, but it'll go a long way toward making the twins more content. It'll give them a chance to take pride in being from Texas."
"We can practice when we go to Aunt Fern's," Aurelia said.
"Will Daddy help us?" Juliette asked.
"I'm sure he will. But I think you ought to invite James and Tazewell to participate."
"They're so little," Aurelia argued.
"They're not much younger than you. And since their mother is undoubtedly the best horsewoman in the family, I imagine they can hold their own. Besides, if you plan to hold your rodeo on their ranch, I don't see how you can do anything else."
"If you'll decide on a date, I'll talk to Miss Settle," Violet said. "I don't know about the day students, but all the borders will come."
"We'll make it a really festive occasion, something all the girls will want to attend," Rose said.
"Would you like to go tell the girls you're back?" Violet said. "You can tell them about the rodeo, too. I'm certain Miss Settle will approve."
The twins disappeared, anxious to spread the news.
"I appreciate your doing this for me," Rose said.
"I'm not doing anything," Violet protested. "You've cleared their return with Miss Settle, and you're going to take care of all arrangements for the rodeo. All I have to do is enjoy my afternoons off."
"I expect it will be more than that," Rose said, "but thank you for feeling that way."
"Have you talked to Jeff? I mean, he's the one who spent the most time with the twins recently." Jeff couldn't tell Rose anything other people hadn't, but Violet wanted to know where he was, what he was doing. She hadn't heard from him since that morning.
Rose laughed softly. "The girls told me he forced his way in here because he thought you were hiding from him. It sounds exactly like something Jeff would do. After putting up with him, I'm surprised you didn't flatly refuse to have anything else to do with our family."
"He wasn't that bad," Violet said, wondering if there was anybody in his family who liked Jeff. No wonder he was about as cheerful as a Puritan. It must be difficult knowing not even your own family wanted you around. "It was awkward at times, but we managed."
"Now I understand why you were so willing to take the twins back. Even they won't seem so terrible after Jeff."
Violet found it impossible to hold her tongue. She didn't know what had occurred between Rose and Jeff fourteen years ago, but she did feel it was time the family tried to treat him like a human being.
"The twins and Jeff are difficult people to deal with, but I've found it worth the effort," Violet said.
She hoped Rose's raised eyebrows indicated surprise rather than anger, but she really didn't care.
"I'm glad you like him," Rose said. "Jeff needs that. Most of the time he won't believe anyone can, even his family."
Violet was relieved by Rose's quick understanding. She was also glad of her willingness to go straight to the heart of the matter without beating around the bush. It allowed her to do the same.
"Then why does everyone say such cruel things to him?"
"The Randolphs are a strange family. I've been married to George for fourteen years, and I still don't understand why they're like they are. You can't have two of them in the same room for five minutes without a fight -- even Hen and Monty and they're twins -- but they'd travel around the world if any one of them was in trouble. Jeff has been more unforgiving than any of them, but he accepts their unkindness in return. Sometimes I think he feels it's all he deserves."
"But he's not really like that. I thought he was, but you should have seen him with Essie Brown. She's only eight, and the shyest child, but Jeff had her chattering like a magpie. She absolutely adores him."
"George says he was different before the war, that it destroyed something in him forever. I don't know. I've tried to like him, but he has never forgotten that my father was a colonel in the Union Army. As far as he's concerned, I might as well have enlisted myself."
"But he's not like that now. Oh, he says a lot of stuff, but it's out of habit. He doesn't believe it."
Rose's gaze narrowed. "What makes you say that?"
"I'm from Massachusetts, my brother fought in the war, Jeff was a prisoner in a town near where I was born, but he gave me two days in the Windsor Hotel after the quarantine was over. And after the twins ran away, he came back with me to make sure the headmistress didn't blame it on me."
"Maybe he has changed. I hadn't noticed, but I haven't seen much of him since he left Texas. George will be glad to hear it. He worries about Jeff."
Violet wanted to meet George. She liked him already.
Rose stood. "I've taken too much of your time. The girls are to give up their six most favorite dresses for a week. Make sure they don't pick out the worst of their wardrobe. If you need me to talk to Miss Settle about the rodeo, just let me know. And thank you again. You've been more than generous to all of us."
"I'm happy to do it. I've always liked Aurelia and Juliette."
"And you didn't find Jeff to be a trial?"
Violet didn't trust the way Rose was looking at her. She now understood why everyone was a little uncomfortable around her. You couldn't hide anything from Rose Randolph.
"When a man looks that handsome and can be charming when he tries, it's not too hard to put up with him for a few days. Besides, he was more scared of us than we were of him."
Rose smiled knowingly. "You're either a very courageous woman, or you have a liking for difficult people."
Violet laughed. "I think I like difficult people. Which is quite perverse of me since my family were so kind and gentle."
Violet remained in the parlor for several minutes after Rose left. She had to organize in her mind all she would have to do over the next few weeks. It wasn't going to mean a lot of work for her, but she would have to keep a lot of people working together, not the least of whom were the twins and Betty Sue. Everything depended on that.
Violet rose to her feet determined the girls would get along if she had to house them on separate floors for the rest of the term. As long as she was involved with the Randolph family, there was a chance she would see Jeff again. She didn't mean to let three capricious little girls rob her of that chance.
"I didn't think I'd live to see the day," Rose said to George when they had retired to their room for the night, "but after fourteen years, I think Jeff has found the woman for him."
"Who is she?" George asked, his glance skeptical.
"Promise you won't laugh."
"Why should I?"
"She's a Yankee housemother from Massachusetts."
"Do you mean th
at woman you went to see with afternoon about the twins, the one who got him locked up in the quarantine?"
"The very one."
"What's she like?"
"She's got brassy red hair, wears boldly colored gowns, has a liking for difficult people, speaks her mind, and thinks Jeff is miserably rude out of habit."
The description seemed to clinch it in George's mind. "He'll never marry anybody like that. He still thinks women ought to act like Ma. He wouldn't marry a Yankee in any case. He'd have to take back half of what he's said over the last twenty years, and he's too proud to do that."
"I'll bet you."
George regarded his wife indulgently. A slow grin spread across his face. "I'd never bet against you when you look like a cat at a bowl of cream ."
* * * * *
Violet hurried down the stairs. She couldn't imagine what Jeff was doing downstairs in the parlor, but Beth had sent up a note saying Mr. Randolph was waiting for her. She was wearing her emerald green gown. It was her favorite because it struck such a contrast with her eyes and hair.
She was brought up short when she entered the parlor to see Madison Randolph pacing rapidly around the room.
"He won't come," he said without preamble.
"I beg your pardon. Who won't come?" Violet asked, struggling hard to overcome her disappointment and to grasp hold of the conversation.
"Your doctor. He said he can't come all this way just for one appointment."
"I thought you were taking her to Boston."
"Her doctor says she's too weak, even for a train trip."
Violet was disappointed. Dr. Ulmstead was the only man she felt sure would know what was wrong with Fern.
"I'm sorry, but I don't know how I can help you."
"I want you to try to persuade him for me."
"I'll be happy to write any number of letters, but I don't think we have enough time."
"I don't mean letters. I mean the telegraph."
"I don't understand."
"He's going to be in Chicago in a week for a conference. I want you to talk him into coming to Denver after it's over."
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