Roderick had to talk himself out of tearing past Lou into the house. “What? Is she ill? Is she hurt?”
Lou shook her head quickly and reached out to touch his arm. “No, it’s nothing like that. She is perfectly well. It’s just…”
“What?” Roderick asked, hearing the desperation in his voice. “What in God’s name is going on?”
“She doesn’t want to see you.” Lou’s words tumbled out quickly.
The revelation hit him like a punch in the stomach, knocking out all the air from his lungs. When he found his voice, he said, “I don’t understand.”
“Neither do we,” Lou responded.
Timothy appeared next to his wife in the doorway. Neither made an offer to allow Roderick entrance. They seemed wary of him, Timothy even more so than Lou. “She won’t tell us why,” Timothy said. “Only that she no longer wishes to marry you. She asked me to give you this.” He opened his palm, which contained the diamond engagement ring.
Roderick barely glanced at it. “I won’t accept that ring back, and I won’t accept the end of this courtship without hearing why from her,” he said, his voice rising in volume. “I insist on speaking with her.”
Lou and Timothy exchanged glances.
“Betsy!” Roderick called past them. He couldn’t even begin to guess why this was happening. All he knew was that he felt like his entire world was upside down and didn’t make sense. He needed to see his girl.
Betsy came into his view, which gave him a measure of relief until he saw her face. Roderick frowned with concern. She looked in his direction, but it was as though she was looking through him, not at him. “It’s all right,” she told her parents. “I’ll talk to him.” Her pa gave her shoulder a squeeze before he and Lou moved so that Betsy could join Roderick outside. A moment later the door was closed and Betsy and Roderick were alone.
It was all Roderick could do not to take her into his arms and hold her tight, but her demeanor was such that she didn’t welcome his presence, let alone his embrace. “Tell me what happened, Betsy. I’m so confused.”
Betsy set her jaw and stared at him, her eyes cold. When she spoke, it was without emotion. “I’ve decided I do not wish to marry you, Roderick.”
Even though he’d been told this already by Timothy, hearing the words from Betsy caused a new wave of shock and pain. “But why? What changed your mind? I love you more than anything, and I know you love me too!”
“I don’t love you, Roderick,” she said evenly. “I thought I did, but while you were gone I realized we are not meant to be together. I’m better suited for a man from around here. Please forgive me for leading you on for so long.”
“Hogwash!” Roderick exclaimed. “That makes absolutely no sense. Only a few short weeks ago you stood on the train platform with tears in your eyes, grateful to me for seeing about this job nearby so that we could be together. You accepted my proposal. We… we were intimate. And now I’m supposed to believe you don’t love me? Something must have happened, and I must know what it was.”
“Nothing happened,” she insisted coldly. “Remember before you left for Sacramento, you told me that anything I wished for, you would grant. I’m asking you now to move back to New York and forget about me. That is my only wish now.”
Roderick studied her eyes, glancing back and forth between each cold depth, searching to find a reason for her words. He looked for some crack in her expression, some sign that she still cared about him. He studied her lips for trembling, the same lips that had previously kissed him so passionately. Was all of their love a lie?
No, their love was not a lie. He was sure of it. What she was doing now, whatever the cause, that had to be the lie. Clearing his throat, he said softly, “If it’s truly your wish for me to leave you and return to New York, then I will. But I’m not yet convinced that’s what you want, and I aim to find out what took place while I was gone.” His voice cracked with emotion.
When his voice wavered, he witnessed a flash of sorrow and compassion in Betsy’s gaze. It was subtle, and it happened so fast that if Roderick hadn’t been staring into her eyes at that exact moment, he would have missed it entirely. That was what he’d been trying to find, and it gave him hope. She cared that he was in pain.
Cowboy up, he told himself. Figure out what’s going on.
Straightening, he scrubbed a hand around his face. He was in need of a bath, a shave, and a good night’s sleep. “I’ll be on my way, Betsy. Good night.” He gave her a quick bow and turned to walk back to town. He half-expected her to stop him, but she said nothing. When he glanced over his shoulder after he’d walked a minute or so, she wasn’t there. His heart constricted painfully. Not only did she not try to stop him from leaving, she hadn’t watched his retreat. All signs pointed to being serious about no longer wanting to be with him. It was only that brief flash of compassion in her eyes that gave him hope. That was what he would cling to until he solved the mystery of her change of heart.
***
The next evening, Roderick set out for the Harringtons’ cabin. If Betsy and her parents couldn’t give him answers, his next best bet was Adam and Susannah. He brought with him a bottle of Beam whiskey, which he knew was Adam’s favorite.
He arrived around eight o’clock, which was near the children’s bedtime. Susannah answered the door. “Hello, Roderick,” she said, not sounding surprised at seeing him. “Please come in.” Her voice was sad, which told him that she knew about Betsy’s decision, but she was warm toward him. He appreciated that she didn’t treat him as the enemy, which was the feeling he’d gotten from Timothy. It was natural for Betsy’s father to be wary of him after his daughter’s strange change of heart, but his coldness had stung Roderick regardless.
“Forgive me for calling on you so late,” Roderick said. “I’m hoping to get some answers about Betsy, and I thought it would be best to discuss the matter with you and Mr. Harrington after the children were in bed.” He handed her the whiskey.
“There’s no need to apologize. You’re welcome here anytime. Come with me and I’ll pour the three of us some of this. Then we can talk in the sitting room.” She led the way to the kitchen.
Caleb and Mini were still awake, sitting at the small table and drinking warm milk. After they greeted Roderick politely at Susannah’s prompting, she said, “You two get yourselves to bed after you’re done with the milk. Your pa and I need to talk to Mr. Mason. Caleb, help Mini with washing her face. Mini, don’t give your brother any trouble.”
“I’ll be good, Mama!” she said cheerfully.
Handing Roderick his glass of whiskey, Susannah motioned for him to follow her to the sitting room. Adam was sitting in his armchair reading a paper from New York. When he saw Roderick, he set it aside and stood. “Roderick, good to see you.” He held out his hand. Like his wife’s demeanor, his was sympathetic and welcoming.
Roderick sat on the sofa and drew a deep breath. Susannah handed Adam his whiskey before sitting in her rocking chair close to the fire with her own glass. She stared into the flames licking over the wood and sipped her drink, appearing a bit removed from the men to allow them to speak with her there as a silent listener.
“I appreciate you two taking the time to talk to me and for being so welcoming,” Roderick said. The sadness he felt was suffocating, but he knew it would be even worse if he had no friends. He fished into his pocket for his pipe. “Do you mind?” he asked Susannah.
She shook her head. “No, please make yourself comfortable.”
Roderick nodded his thanks. He struck a match and lit the tobacco.
Adam drank some of the whiskey from his glass and then twirled the liquid around. “I’m sure you want answers about Betsy’s decision, but I’m afraid we won’t be of much use to you. Believe me when I say Susannah and I have tried to figure out her reasoning, but we can’t understand it at all.”
“It’s makes no sense,” Roderick said, shaking his head. “When I stood on the train’s platform and said goodb
ye to her, I’d never been surer of anything than I was of Betsy’s love. I don’t know what could have happened in a few short weeks to change it.”
“It’s a mystery, all right,” Adam said, leaning back. “Mostly I heard about this situation from Timothy, but I did ask her directly about it yesterday.”
Roderick was impatient to know every word that passed between Adam and Betsy. At that moment, however, Mini burst into the room, followed by Caleb, who appeared to be trying to stop her. She headed straight for Roderick and sat down next to him on the sofa, obviously excited about having company and unwilling to miss out on anything by sleeping.
“Mini, I told you to go to bed,” Susannah said sharply. She frowned at Caleb, who held up his hands.
“I tried to stop her, Ma, but she ran out here quick as a fox.”
“Go to bed, kids,” Adam said mildly, and returned his attention to Roderick. “When I asked Betsy what happened, the only thing she said was that it would be better for everyone if you left.”
That explanation only baffled him further. “Better for everyone how? What could that possibly mean? It’s like she’s a different person! Before I left, she was one way, and now she has completely changed.”
Caleb piped up. “Yeah, she went batty after that man came here and talked to her.”
The room went silent. All three adults turned and stared at the boy for a moment before Adam cleared his throat and spoke. “Who, son? What man?”
The boy shrugged. “I don’t know his name. But when Betsy was here with me and Mini while you and Ma were in town, I saw a man talking to her over by the barn. When the man left and she came inside, she didn’t hardly speak for the rest of the time. Just stared at the wall. Wouldn’t even answer my questions about homework.”
Adam’s eyebrows headed north. He turned and looked at Roderick, who was experiencing a strange mixture of hope and rage. Swallowing it down, he addressed Caleb. “Did you see what the man looked like, son?”
Caleb looked up, accessing his memory, before saying, “He was tall and he had hair like mine. Light in color.”
Roderick’s hands clenched into fists. The man described could be a number of people, but it almost certainly was Johnny. “I thought we took care of that problem,” Roderick growled.
Adam nodded solemnly. “I thought we did too.”
“I’ll kill the bastard,” Roderick spat, and then felt badly at having cursed. “Forgive me, I forgot myself in front of the children,” he said to Susannah, who only smiled at him with understanding.
Adam set his glass of whiskey on the table with a thud. “Mini shouldn’t be here to begin with.” He frowned at his daughter. “Get yourself to bed, young lady. Right now.”
“But Pa, I’m thirsty,” Mini whined.
Roderick had to admire the little girl. If he’d heard Adam’s barked command as a child, he imagined he would have rushed to obey. Mini seemed in no hurry to do so.
Adam’s eyebrows drew together. “I’m not going to say it again, Mini, and if I have to get up and take you to bed instead of you getting there on your own two legs, you’re going to be in a heap of trouble. Understand?”
That warning seemed to be motivation enough for her to obey, though not quickly by any means. She slid down from the sofa slower than molasses on a February morning and flashed Adam a put-upon frown as though he’d asked her to do something very unfair.
His expression remained stern. He crooked his finger at her, indicating she was to go to him, and she obeyed, dragging her feet. She seemed to know she was in for a talking-to because she stared down when she reached him.
“When your ma tells you to go to bed, what are you supposed to do?” he scolded.
“Go to bed,” she said in a small voice.
“And when I tell you to go to bed, what are you supposed to do?”
She hesitated for a moment. “Give you a hug and kiss and then go to bed.”
In spite of the serious mood in the room, Roderick had to stifle a laugh. The youngest Harrington was a tiny little thing, but she was smart as a whip. She knew just what to say to soften Adam’s heart and get herself out of trouble. Susannah snickered in the background.
Adam groaned. He tilted his head back and looked to the heavens. “God help me, I don’t think I’ll survive this child.” He shook his head and pulled Mini into his arms for a quick hug, gave her a kiss on the top of her head, and turned her in the direction of the door. “Get to bed, little lady, and get a wiggle on. I’d better not see you ‘til the sun comes up.” He gave her bottom a smack to send her on her way. A moment later, Mini disappeared out the door.
Adam ran a hand over his face. “I’ve always been too lenient with her, and I admit after the hornet scare I’m spoiling her more.”
“We all are,” Susannah said. “Even Caleb has put himself at that child’s beck and call.”
The boy nodded. “I never want to see her cry again. It was just awful.” He turned to leave, but Adam stopped him.
“Son, come sit down, please.”
Caleb walked to the sofa where Mini had been sitting previously and took a seat. Roderick addressed him. “So you say Betsy acted strangely after seeing this man, son?”
“Yeah, it was like she was scared, but not in the normal way, like when you come across a rattler. She didn’t run or scream. She just sat at the table and stared at the wall.”
“Sounds like she was in shock,” Adam said, shaking his head.
Susannah drank the last sip of her whiskey. “Poor Betsy. Johnny must have put the fear of God into her somehow.”
Roderick bit back another oath. He recalled the strange look of fear that had appeared on Betsy’s face the night of the barn dance, and he reckoned that was the expression Caleb referred to.
“I wonder what he said to her,” Susannah mused.
“There’s no use speculating,” Adam said. “We’ll ask her to come to supper tomorrow and get to the bottom of it.”
Roderick took a long drag from his pipe, thinking about how the conversation between Betsy and the rest of them might go. “Sounds like a good idea, but I suppose you shouldn’t mention that I’ll be here when you invite her. She said she doesn’t want to see me again.” Saying the words pained him, but there was no avoiding the truth of what he’d been told.
Adam nodded at Caleb. “You can get to bed now. Thank you for telling us about this, son, and I also want to thank you for being such a good brother to Mini. You’re turning into a man before my very eyes.”
Caleb beamed as he stood, clearly pleased about his father’s praise.
“Yes, I’m grateful to you too,” Roderick seconded. “Now we have some idea about how to proceed with Betsy.”
“It wasn’t anything, Mr. Mason,” Caleb said with a shy shrug. He walked to Adam. “Since I’m so grown up, can I have some whiskey, Pa?”
Adam raised a brow. After a moment’s consideration, he picked up his glass from the table and handed it to him. “One sip.”
Caleb drank the liquor and made a face as soon as he swallowed it, which made Adam chuckle as he took back the glass. “It’s an acquired taste. One I hope you don’t acquire for some time yet.”
He shook his head. “Don’t think I ever will.”
“That’s just fine if you don’t,” he said with a wink.
Caleb said goodnight to everyone and left the room. Roderick took a final puff from his pipe and stood to leave as well. “I’ve taken up enough of your time. Sure do appreciate you all.”
Adam and Susannah stood to walk him to the door. “We’re your friends, Roderick, no matter what happens,” Susannah said.
Chapter Twelve
Betsy stumbled through the activities of the day, feeling as though she was wading upstream in a high-current river. Everything was a chore that brought her no pleasure. Before she saw Roderick, she’d been sad about what she had to do. After seeing him and witnessing the hurt on his face, she felt so devastated she could hardly breathe.
She’d known it would be hard to reject him, despite it being the right thing to do. She did not know, however, just how truly difficult it would be. Upon seeing him standing in front of her cabin, disheveled and heartbroken, it had taken everything in her power not to wrap her arms around him. The look in his eye was close to panic, but there was nothing she could do to alleviate his pain or hers. People’s lives depended on Roderick returning to New York.
Susannah stopped by while Betsy fed the horses, slowly tossing hay into their stalls at a pace half her usual speed. Her older friend walked straight up to her and wrapped her arms around her in a tight hug. “Hello, sweetheart.”
Her greeting was so kind that Betsy nearly burst into tears. She swallowed and returned the hug. Susannah, like everyone else, didn’t know the great secret Betsy kept, but her compassion felt like a temporary salve to her wounds.
Releasing her, Susannah said, “You’re coming to supper at our house tonight. I’m baking a new kind of bread, raisin cinnamon, and I want your honest opinion on it.”
It was an order, not an invitation, but it didn’t matter one way or the other to Betsy. Whether she ate with the Harringtons or ate with her parents, it was all the same to her. “Sure, Mrs. Harrington. Thank you.” Her voice sounded weary to her own ears, and she hoped Susannah wouldn’t think her rude. She didn’t have the will to muster up any enthusiasm.
Her friend didn’t seem offended. “Excellent!” she responded cheerfully. “Come by about six-o’clock. I’ll see you then.”
For the next few hours, Betsy continued her chores. She frequently swiped at a tear that would escape, but after some time she felt too sad and tired even to cry. She’d never known a loss such as this, and she didn’t know how to find relief. She knew plenty of people who cared about her, but since no one could know what troubled her, no one could effectively comfort her.
Betsy obediently trudged to the Harringtons’ at six-o’clock. She’d changed into a clean dress, but she hadn’t brushed her hair or washed her face after the day’s labor. She knew she appeared a fright, but she couldn’t find it in herself to care.
Catching Betsy (Mail-Order Grooms Book 2) Page 11
