by Rye Hart
All I could do was smile back. It took me a few minutes to compose myself. He was as I remembered, tall and handsome with eyes that twinkled when he smiled.
“Fancy running into you here,” he offered.
I finally regained my composure and answered him. “Yes, quite the irony isn’t it?” I wasn’t sure if I should tip my hand and let him know that I knew about his conversation with Clara but I decided to play coy and let him make a move.
“Clara told me you’d be stopping by, she’s expecting you,” I said and waved my hand toward her office..”
“Thank you,” he said as he walked to the door, gently knocked, and went in.
It was all I could do to keep from putting my ear to the door to listen to what was being said. Luckily, a prospective client walked in and I busied myself with helping her navigate the questionnaire.
It was nearing lunchtime and Clara and Clayton were still holed up in Clara’s office discussing who knows what. I had promised to meet Rose in town to pick out fabric for curtains for the nursery so I left a note for Clara that I would be back later and turned the sign to ‘closed.’
It was late afternoon when I got back to Clara’s Place and I found
Clara at my desk. I noticed, with some disappointment, that Clayton was nowhere to be found.
“Where is Clayton?” I asked, trying to feign nonchalance.
Clara smiled up at me, a mischievous twinkle in her eye. “He’s back in my room at the hotel resting from his trip,” she said. “Why don’t you join us for dinner tonight?” she asked.
I wasn’t quite sure I could sit through a dinner with Clayton without turning bright red at his every look but I hated to be rude to Clara.
“Yes, that would be very nice,” I said.
“Well, I don’t think we will be seeing much more action here today,” Clara said. “Why don’t we close up and get on home?”
I set about closing the place up for the night, making sure curtains were closed and the door locked. I walked with Clara to the hotel and hailed myself a coach back to Rose’s.
“I’ll see you tonight dear, seven o’clock sharp,” Clara said, patting my arm.
I climbed into the coach and groaned out loud. What had I gotten myself into?
When I arrived at Rose’s house, I nearly tripped up the front steps in my effort to get inside.
“Good Lord, Eden. What on Earth is wrong with you?” she asked, taking one look at my red face.
I sat down heavily at the table and Rose gestured for Martha to bring me a glass of water. I gulped the cold liquid and set the glass down a little harder than I had intended, startling even myself.
“He’s here,” I finally managed to say. “He’s here and I have to have dinner with him tonight.”
“Wait, who’s here?” Rose asked
“Clayton Reeves, Clara’s nephew,” I sputtered.
Rose sat back and smiled. “Ah, the handsome gentleman you spoke of in your journal. The one with the ‘dreamy eyes,'” she said.
I nearly died of embarrassment right then. “I can’t believe you read my journal!” I said loudly.
“Well you left it out in the open,” Rose said defensively.
“Oh Rose, what am I going to do? I think Clara is trying to get us together,” I said, starting to panic.
“And what is so wrong with that?” Rose wanted to know.
“Oh Rose, he’d never want a girl like me. He comes from a wealthy family and surely wants a girl who is refined. I froze when looking at the menu at Clara’s hotel!” I said, mortified. “I can’t go, I just can’t. I’ll make a fool of myself,” I whined.
“Now you stop right there Eden O’Bannon. Any man would be lucky to have you on his arm,” Rose scolded. “So what if you don’t know exactly which fork to use for which course? A man worthy of you will love you for who you are, not for your table manners.”
With that, Rose ushered me upstairs where she helped me wash and set my hair and rouge my cheeks. She lent me a gown in a beautiful deep purple and helped me to fasten the buttons.
Once I was dressed and my hair was fastened away from my face with a pair of pearl barrettes, Rose stood back and looked me over.
“Oh Eden, you are so lovely,” she whispered.
We went downstairs and Jason, who was waiting to escort me to the hotel, let out a low whistle.
“It’s a good think Clara is going to be there to chaperone you two,” he said with a wink.
I walked into the dining room and spotted Clara and Clayton sitting at a table near the window. Clayton’s eyes found me and he stopped in mid-sentence, his mouth hanging open as he stared. Suddenly I felt claustrophobic and had to fight the urge to run from the room. Clara said something to Clayton that broke the spell and he rose at once, coming to escort me to the table.
“Miss Eden, you look absolutely stunning,” he said, taking my hand and leading me across the room.
Clara rose to give me a peck on the cheek as we approached the table. “My dear, you are a sight!” she exclaimed gleefully.
I noticed Clara look between Clayton and I with a knowing smile but ignored it. All could focus on right now was not embarrassing myself in front of these two who had much more experience with fine dining and etiquette.
“So Eden, how are you liking Colorado Springs so far?” Clayton asked once we were all settled in our seats.
“I am loving it here,” I admitted. “The sunsets are spectacular and the people are very friendly.”
“Yes, Aunt Clara has told me some stories of the people you’ve met at her agency. Some of them have very interesting backgrounds.”
“Yes, that is very true,” I replied.
“And what about you?” Clayton asked. “Have you given any thought to filling out one of Aunt Clara’s questionnaires?”
“Good Heavens, no!” I exclaimed, blushing hotly. “I mean, I pass no judgement on those who do but it’s just not for me,” I quickly explained, not wanting to insult my employer and friend.
Clayton nodded thoughtfully. “Well if you were to fill one out, what would it say?” he asked curiously.
I picked up my water glass and took a long drink to quench my parched throat. Good Lord this man and his questions made me nervous. I wondered where he was going with this line of questioning but thought to myself that he was just trying to make small talk and I didn’t want to seem rude. I cleared my throat.
“Well I guess I would say that I am looking for someone to share my life with, to be a true partner. Someone who is educated and likes to read,” I said.
“And what about travel?” Clara asked.
“Well yes, that would be nice as well. My trip to Colorado has piqued my interest in what else there is to see in the world,” I answered.
“What about looks?” she asked.
“What about them?” I replied.
“Well do you like tall men?”
“Yes.”
“Blonde hair or dark?”
“Blonde I suppose.”
“Blue eyes or brown?”
“Blue-“ I stopped speaking and my cheeks flushed a deep red as I looked to Clayton who was staring at me with a dazzling smile. I quickly looked away from him and swung my eyes in Clara’s direction. She looked like the cat that ate the canary, with a smile as bright as the sun. I was mortified to realize that I had just described Clayton Reeves to a tee.
“Um, excuse me, I think I need some air,” I said, rising from the table. I gathered up my skirts and all but ran out of the dining room and out onto the patio. I took large gulps of fresh night air and jumped slightly when I felt Clayton’s hand on my elbow.
“Eden are you alright?” he asked, sounding worried.
I swallowed and nodded, willing my heart to slow to its normal rhythm. Clayton guided me over to a chair and helped me to sit. He perched on the chair next to me and took my hand in his.
“Do you know what my questionnaire would say?” he asked softly.
I sho
ok my head, unable to speak.
“It would say that I am looking for a spirited woman who loves her family so much that she would travel across the country by herself to be with them. A woman who befriends old ladies and helps them start a business. I would say that I’m looking for a woman who writes about her journey but is too modest to thing anyone else would be interested in her story. I would say that I want you, Eden,” Clayton finished, bringing my hand to his lips.
“Oh Clayton, I don’t know what to say,” I gushed, my cheeks burning bright.
“Say you’ll come back inside and finish dinner before Aunt Clara sends out a search party,” he chuckled.
I nodded my head and allowed Clayton to lead me back into the dining room.
The next several days were spent getting to know Clayton better. Clara declared herself able to handle the agency alone for a few afternoons, allowing Clayton and I to stroll through the streets of the city. We visited a few shops where I picked out some fabric for clothes for Rose’s baby, as well as shops where Clayton bought me sweets and flowers.
What our courtship lacked in length, it made up for in intensity. After just one weeks’ time, Clayton and I knew without a doubt that we wanted to be together forever. Clara, Rose, and Jason were all thrilled for us and Clara and Rose couldn’t wait to start planning the wedding.
There was just one obstacle left to overcome.
Chapter Six
For the next two weeks Clayton was in upstate New York convincing papa and mama that he would make me a good husband. Papa was reluctant to let his baby girl go, and so far away, but mama reminded him of what his stubbornness had done to their relationship with Rose. Papa finally agreed to give Clayton my hand and when I received that word, Rose and I danced for joy. Well, I danced, Rose waddled.
Clayton needed to be in Boston for a few months to take care of the publishing company and I missed him terribly but we wrote to one another regularly. The days were growing shorter and the air took on a distinct chill. Winter was approaching, and with that, Rose’s due date. Things at the agency had slowed while everyone was getting their crops and cattle ready for the approaching cold so I was able to stay close to home with Rose.
November third at four in the morning Bannon Saunders was born. He had his mother’s red hair and a pair of lungs that would wake up the neighborhood. I looked at my beautiful sister with her husband and child and I felt truly happy. I pictured that one day, Rose would be the one at the foot of the bed looking on at me with Clayton and our child. There was so much to be hopeful for now.
With Rose recovered from having Bannon I felt it was time I headed back home. I said my goodbyes to them all and climbed in the coach to start my long journey home. I sat by the window and watched the landscape in reverse. I let my mind wander to Clayton, wondering what he was doing and if he was still as excited about marrying me as he had been nearly six months ago now. I closed my eyes and dozed, only to wake moments later with the feeling that I was being watched. Before I could even open my eyes and look up, I heard a voice that I knew so well.
“Excuse me ma’am is this seat taken?”
I smiled at up at him, “well I was saving it for a handsome gentleman, but I suppose you’ll do just fine,” I said, teasing.
“Do you travel much?” he said, settling down beside me.
“Not really,” I said. “I am just returning from visiting my sister in Colorado.”
“Colorado is a beautiful state. I was there for a bit myself,” he said.
“Oh? And how was your stay?” I asked.
“It was perfect really. I went to visit my aunt and ended up falling hopelessly in love with a beautiful girl. I think I want to marry her,” he said.
It took everything in me not to jump out of my seat. “Oh?” I said coyly. “And do you think she wants to marry you?”
Clayton reached into his pocket and pulled out a yellow diamond ring with rubies on each side. “Well what do you think? Do you think she’ll say yes to this?” he asked.
“Oh Clayton it’s beautiful!” I exclaimed.
“So you’ll marry me then? Please say yes, Eden. You’ll make me the happiest man in the world,” Clayton said.
Tears sprung to my eyes and I threw my arms around his neck. “Yes, Clayton, yes I will marry you,” I said as he slipped the ring onto my finger.
Mama and papa were at the station when we arrived and we were married two months later. Rose, Jason, and Bannon were there for the wedding and even Clara made the trip. Papa was excited, both his girls were married and happy. He made a toast at our reception and said he would like to have a few more grandchildren like Bannon.
Rose spoke first. “Well Eden, you heard the man!”
With that, everyone clinked their glasses and toasted our future.
THE END
Sara
Chapter One
My name is Sara Blanche and to say that I grew up a spoiled brat would be a bit of an understatement. I grew up in the upper crust of New York society. It wasn’t uncommon for my father to be invited to the mayor’s house for dinner or for him to meet dignitaries of foreign countries. We were a very wealthy and well-known family.
My father made his fortune in the investment industry before me or my sisters were born. He was a brilliant investor and had an eye for what kind goods and services were going to take off; it was one of his many skills. My father was a brilliant man and the apple didn’t fall far from the tree.
I was always interested in his business dealings. I watched him with a keen eye as I grew up, taking in the world of business, despite the fact that it was considered unladylike for women to meddle in these affairs. Business and money had no place in a woman’s mind. If I was interested in money, it should only be for shopping.
As a young girl, this mindset would upset me. I would beg father to take me to his office but he would just kiss me on the head and usher me back into the room where mother would sit and silently work on her needlepoint. 1866 was not the best time to be a woman, but I made it through. Well, not so much made it through, as I conformed to what was expected of me.
I grew into a young woman and I left my interest in father’s business behind. I even managed to convince myself that I wasn’t ever interested at all. I suppressed everything inside of me that went against the narrow definition of ‘ladylike’. Just like my mother and sisters, I took up needlepoint and exchanged my knowledge of accounting ledgers for knowledge of what the newest spring fashions were.
I put on the dresses, fancy hats, and all the trimmings of proper society, and soon the parents of young men began to notice me. I was young when they first started to look at me, but that’s how things were. Parents would more or less scout young women before they were of marrying age and start to plead their sons’ cases, trying to convince the fathers that their sons were worthy.
My sisters and I were prime candidates for marriage. We were beautiful, talented, and we came from one of the highest regarded families in New York. Everyone knew our names and our faces. I knew that as soon as my eighteenth birthday came around, I would be married off to the highest bidder. When I was young, this idea used to break my heart into pieces. The fact that I would eventually be sold off like cattle used to dig into my soul and squeeze my heart until I couldn’t breathe anymore.
I hated the way I felt when I considered the fact that one day I would be thrown to the wolves. I knew that I should have been looking forward to the day when a man would choose me to be his wife. I should have welcomed the idea of having children and caring for my husband’s home. These things should have made me happy, but when my sisters talked about them and giggled excitedly, all I could offer was a weak smile.
I had given up on the idea that one day I might be able to work with my father, but I hadn’t yet given up the idea of being an independent woman. Things were changing every day and I saw women taking control of their lives. I longed to be one of those women.
Women were moving out of their
little farming towns and coming to cities like New York where they got jobs as seamstresses or started working in the mills. Mother considered this to be horrendous and she thought of the women as poor souls who’d had no other choice. In her mind, only poor women worked and only poor women wanted to work. The fact that they were looking for these jobs at all meant to her that they were unwed and destitute.
Mother considered them ‘poor souls’, but I considered them lucky; these women were free. I’m sure most of them would have considered me lucky, but if we were being honest, I would have killed for their lives. Sometimes I imagined what it would be like switching places with them. I dreamed of taking their place and exploring the city on my own without a chaperone. It all seemed so wonderful, but I knew that it would never happen; I was going to be married off.
The reality of it all started to set in when my eldest sister was married to a banker in the city. He was twice her age and looked at her like she was a slab of meat. It made my skin crawl and it terrified me. When I looked at them, I saw my own fate and it scared me more than I could possibly express.
Soon after Margret was married, Chloe turned eighteen and a man took interest in her as well. Soon I was the only one left in the house and my eighteenth birthday was looming over my head like a storm cloud. I wasn’t ready to give up my life yet. I still had so much I wanted to do.
On the outside, I was a prissy princess wearing the fanciest clothes. My cheeks were rouged and my lips painted a light pink hue. I flirted and fluttered my eyelashes and did everything that was expected of me. On the outside I was a perfect woman, but on the inside I was screaming. In the months that led up to my birthday I began to be a bit petulant. I threw fits and started wearing older dresses, doing anything that might make a man look down on me and turn his nose up.
Soon enough, however, I wouldn’t even have to try to dissuade their interest.
Chapter Two
The Bad Deal. We called it that. Whenever we referred to the deal that brought my family to their knees we just said ‘The Bad Deal’. Everyone in the family knew exactly what we were talking about. My father’s business relied on investments and new inventions. He was always putting money into new machines and technologies that were designed to make life better. This was obviously a risky thing to do, but it had worked out for him so far.
