by Mary May
I sit there with what I’m sure is a dumbfounded look on my face. “So, what would happen if there wasn’t a Spencer-Mitchell union that produced a child?”
Eddie looks up at me with a hushed whisper. He answers, “They apparently gave them some time to make this happen, but if it didn’t happen in two generations then the third generation would be the one to feel the curse.”
“So what is the curse?” I ask.
He stops walking, looking up at me then all around like he is afraid someone will overhear him, before whispering. “The oldest son of the third generation would go insane!”
I’m pretty much shocked silent. I mean, to find out that Jesse may not have been responsible for driving Robert insane is pretty major news! I listen to Eddie chatter as we continue on to Jesse’s place. We haven’t gone too far when I hear voices in the woods.
“It’s Jesse and Eli! Eddie, stop!” I call out for the guys and within moments they are running toward us. I slide down off Mabel and I’m immediately engulfed in Eli’s arms. “Shelby! Thank God! I have been worried sick! Where have you been? What happened to you?”
I quickly explain that Martha and Jesse are not the only stowaways on our trip. Looking meaningfully at Eddie, I mouth the name Robert. Both Eli and Jesse look at me.
“You are joking. Tell me you are joking,” Jesse whispers.
I shake my head. “No, he showed up, kidnapped me and threw me in a hole to die. I promise I’m not joking!”
Jesse turned to Eddie. “Where is this hole? Show me where you found her.”
“Hold on! I’ve been in that hole for days, it feels like. I am starving and thirsty; can this wait just a little while?”
“I’m sorry. Of course, we can wait. Let’s get you fed and a hot bath. I know that will make you feel better.” He picks me up, placing me back on Mabel. We travel on, making small talk. We have to be careful not to say too much in front of Eddie. As the ride progresses, I start feeling weaker and weaker. When I nearly fall off Mabel, Jesse helps Eli up to ride behind me, holding me securely in his arms. I’m pretty sure I must have fallen asleep because one second we are deep in the woods and the next I feel myself being handed down into Jesse’s arms. I try to open my eyes but I feel so weak! I settle on just listening to what is happening. I hear a woman’s voice asking what has happened. I’m guessing it’s Jesse’s mom. He explains that I’m a friend that had gotten lost in the woods. I guess that’s close enough to the truth. I hear the sound of his footsteps on the hardwood floor. I feel the coolness of the interior of the house. Next I’m being placed on a soft mattress. That motivates me enough to open my eyes. I know I have to be filthy!
“Please…I’m so dirty. I will mess up your bed.” I see a woman in her early fifties, her dark hair sprinkled with gray.
“It’s ok, honey. I have already washed you up and put you in a fresh nightgown. You’re not messing up the bed. You have actually been asleep for a good while. I’m Mora Barrows, Jesse’s mother. Do you think you can eat something?”
Just the mention of food has my stomach growling like an enraged grizzly. I know she heard it by her smile.
“I guess you are ready to eat. I will be right back.”
I gaze around the room that I am in. It is a typical room for the era, at least judging from the few I’ve been in. Bed, washstand, a tall cabinet for clothing. Jesse’s mom has hung pretty white curtains with blue trim and put some framed pictures on the walls. I sit up and a wave of dizziness washes over me. Ugh…I feel like poo. Fortunately, I hear Jesse’s mom coming back up the stairs. I smell the food before she even opens the door. Holding a tray, she smiles at me as she sets it on the bedside table. “I hope you like beef stew, and I made fresh cornbread this morning.”
“It smells wonderful. Thank you.” I take the tray, setting it on my lap. I crumble some cornbread into the stew then take a bite…It is so good! I can tell that Mora is very curious about me. I keep eating, hoping she won’t start asking me questions. No such luck.
“So, Jesse tells me that you and your brother are traveling through on your way to your uncle’s. Is that right?” Since I have just shoved a bite in my mouth all I can do is nod. “I’m sorry to hear about your parents. That’s such a tragic thing to endure for one so young. At least you have your brother and uncle. Is that the only family you have? No grandparents?” I pause with the spoon lifted halfway to my mouth, trying to remember if we have a story about any grandparents. I don’t know… I can’t remember. Sighing, I set the spoon back in the bowl.
“No, ma’am. No grandparents. Just my brother and myself. I don’t really know my uncle, so I can’t tell you anything about him.” I wait to see if she has any more questions, but she just smiles, pats my shoulder then gathers up the dishes and leaves. I let out a huge sigh of relief. I hate lying! I really hope God won’t hold all these whoppers against me. I mean, I have extenuating circumstances. Surely heaven has an extenuating circumstances clause, right? There is a light tap at the door; then Jesse and Eli come in.
“Hey, are you feeling better? You look better.”
“Yes, amazing what food and about two gallons of water can do for a girl.” I look at Jesse. “Your mom was asking questions about us. I kept to the story, but then she asked about grandparents. I couldn’t remember if we had a story about grandparents.” I direct the last question at Eli.
“No, we didn’t talk about that. What did you tell her?”
“I told her we don’t have any grandparents and I don’t really know our uncle, so I couldn’t tell her anything about him.”
Smiling, Eli gives me a thumbs up. “You did good. Now I really need you to tell us about Robert. You really couldn’t say much earlier.”
I go over everything about my ordeal with dead Robert. “So, what happened with living Robert? Was Jesse able to get him to the spot?”
“Yeah, he got him there and Bruce put on a heck of a show.”
Then he stops. I look at him, waiting for him to go on. When he doesn’t, I raise my hands. “Well? What happened then? Did it work? Did he change?”
Eli shook his head. “It’s hard to say. He didn’t hang around long enough to be able to tell.”
Then another thought occurs to me. “What day is it?”
Jesse grins. “It’s Tuesday. You were taken Friday, found Sunday and slept until this morning.”
I swing my feet over the side of the bed and sit up. I can’t believe that I have been out of it for over two days. “I’m so sorry. I don’t even know what to say.”
“Hey, this wasn’t you fault.”
For whatever reason, that reminded me that I have something else to tell them. “I think I found out why Robert went insane.” I repeat everything that Eddie told me about the curse.
Eli frowns. “That doesn’t add up because Robert did marry Martha and there were children. So, the curse should have been broken. Shaking my head, I sit back down on the bed. “The first child born was Jackson. He didn’t belong to Robert, so I’m guessing that’s what kept the requirements of the curse from being met. Remember Martha said that it wasn’t until Jackson grew older and started resembling Jesse that Robert’s mind started to go. It’s my guess that he realized then that Martha was already pregnant when they married.”
“So Robert, being the mean son of a gun that he is, why didn’t he call Martha out on it? I’m surprised he didn’t kick her out or something.”
Jesse spoke up to answer my question. “I can answer that. It would be a matter of pride. Everyone would have assumed that the boy was Robert’s, or even possible that Robert knew Martha was with child and married her to give the child a name. It would look bad on him to toss her out or act like he didn’t know and that she got one over on him. The only way he could save face was to act like nothing was wrong.” I have to give it to Jesse. He is catching on real quick to speak of events that haven’t happened yet in past tense. It has to be super hard, not to mention confusing. “Okay, do you think that Jesse and M
artha actually need to get married for all of this to be over with?” I direct that question to Eli.
“Your guess is as good as mine on that one. But what’s to keep Robert from coming after Jesse later? He still has a curse hanging over his head and Martha is his only escape.” I pinch the bridge of my nose. I feel another headache coming on. (I’m nearly to the point of finding the nearest willow tree and chewing on some bark. Isn’t that what they make aspirin from?) Just about the time I think we get things figured out, leave it to Eli to think of an angle that we haven’t thought of yet!
Jesse starts pacing the floor and I see a look of concentration on his face. After a minute he stops pacing. “The curse was placed on the land because it was stolen from the Spencer’s by the Mitchells. What if they returned it? Wouldn’t that solve the problem?”
Eli cocks his head, giving him a look. “Do you really see Robert Mitchell or his mother, for that matter, just handing over hundreds of acres of land? They would be financially ruined and lose everything they have. I wouldn’t count on that happening.”
I have to agree. I don’t see that happening either. “So, now what? If Jesse and Martha getting married won’t protect him from Robert, then what will? I never thought I would say anything in defense of that man, but he is only trying to save his life from a curse that was in place long before he was born.”
We all grow silent as we try to think of a way to help Robert that doesn’t involve Jesse or Martha. “Are there any other Spencer females? Does Martha have a sister or a cousin maybe?” I ask.
Jesse’s head pops up like someone has punched him under the chin at my question. “A cousin! It would be her pa’s niece. They live maybe ten miles west of here.”
Eli and I exchange hopeful looks. “How old is she? Old enough to marry?”
Jesse nods and grins. “I would put her right about Robert’s age, maybe just a little bit younger.”
“So, I’m assuming she isn’t married? If she isn’t, it begs the question, why not? From what I have seen, girls get married at a pretty young age. If she is close to Robert’s age, that would put her in her mid to late twenties. Is she not very pretty or something?”
Scratching his head, he thinks about it for a minute. “No, now the last I heard she wasn’t married or even seeing anyone. Anna is a school teacher and there isn’t nothing wrong with her looks. I think she is a nice-looking woman; she has a nice shape and real pretty dark hair with blue eyes. I don’t know why she isn’t married. Maybe she just hasn’t met the right man.”
Smiling, I look at the guys. “Well, maybe we need to invite her to the Spring Dance and introduce her.”
Over the next couple of days, I get to know Jesse’s family a little bit. They are really wonderful people. They insist that Eli and I stay with them until we move on to our “uncle’s.” Being close to Jesse and Martha makes making plans a lot easier; however, it makes it harder to see the ghostly Jesse and Martha. Luckily we haven’t seen ghostly Robert anymore, which makes me nervous. I know he isn’t finished with us. I do wonder what will become of him if living Robert actually finds a way to break the curse. Will his ghost still be here but not be insane? It can really make you crazy thinking about stuff like this. I can’t wait to get home and not think of anything weird ever again!
CHAPTER 13
Martha walks into the barn where Eli, Jesse and I are talking about the dance. “Hi, I have wonderful news! Anna has accepted our invitation to come to the dance! She will arrive tomorrow and spend the night.” Martha is all smiles.
I can’t help a twinge of guilt. The poor woman is being set up.
“Now we just have to make sure that Robert meets her and likes her enough to take your place.”
I cross my arms, giving him my side-eye look. “Sure, Eli, how hard can that be…I mean really?” That earns me a hard look. I don’t care because I really am feeling major pains for this woman. What if she is as sweet and nice as Martha? I feel a soft hand on my arm.
“Shelby, Anna won’t be forced into anything. All we are doing is presenting her with an opportunity to meet someone. Who knows? Maybe they are made for each other and will be happy.”
“I doubt it will be that easy; nothing else has been,” I mutter.
“Have faith, Shelby. God didn’t send you all the way back to fail.”
The next afternoon Anna Spencer rolls into town on the stage. Martha and I, along with Martha’s mother Sally, are waiting for her. Since she is the only one riding, it isn’t hard to guess who she is when she steps out. Jesse was right about her being attractive. She isn’t drop-dead beautiful like Martha, but she is pretty and has a sweet smile with intelligent blue eyes that seem to take in everything around her.
“Anna! It’s so wonderful to see you!” Sally hugs the other woman warmly, as does Martha. They turn, introducing her to me. I smile and say hello. I want to tell her to climb back on the stage and run, but I clamp my lips shut and follow along behind them as they chat with each other.
Anna is just as sweet as Martha, but something about the way she watches everyone tells me she isn’t one to meekly follow orders. Although soft-spoken, she still speaks firmly and with confidence. As we get dressed for the dance, she helps me with my hair.
“You have lovely hair, Shelby. It’s so thick and shiny. What do you wash it with?” I stammer, trying to come up with an answer. Since being back in this era, all I have done is wash it with creek water. It is a wonder it doesn’t smell like fish!
“I loaned her some of my rose water mixture that I use. I like it much better than lye soap. Plus, it smells heavenly.” I smile at Martha for saving me.
“Alright, dear, tell me what you think.” I turn, facing the mirror. I can’t believe what I am seeing! Anna has twirled and twisted some pieces and then braided some tiny sections. It is all looped and intertwined high on my head. I usually keep my bangs loose but she has pulled all them back. I look quite a bit older. At least twenty, maybe twenty -one! The gown that I borrowed from Martha is a deep green. The bodice bares the tops of my shoulders, showing off my collar bones. As I am checking myself out, Martha comes up behind me, slipping a green velvet ribbon around my neck. She has added a beautiful cameo on the ribbon that hangs just below my throat. It is so pretty!
“There! Now you look perfect! That gown fits you so much better than it does me. I never had the curves that you have.” She almost sounds envious.
Martha is too pretty in her butter yellow gown with white trim along the square- cut neckline. Keeping her hair simple, she has pulled it off her face with a yellow ribbon, leaving her blonde curls tumbling down her back. The pure, innocent look really suits her. Anna is wearing a dark blue gown with a high collar. The blue brings out her eyes. Wearing her hair swept up in a loose knot, she looks very nice and hopefully will catch the eye of one Robert Mitchell!
The guys are all waiting for us downstairs. I feel like I am going to prom or something. All eyes are on us as we walk down the stairs. The guys all look very handsome. Jesse is wearing a white shirt with a black string tie. The white actually looks very nice against his dark good looks. Eli is wearing a dark gray shirt with dark slacks. I feel my cheeks warm up when he looks at me. There is a warmth in his gaze that makes my tummy flutter.
“You look beautiful,” he whispers once I’m standing at his side. My blush erupts full force.
“So do you…I mean you look very handsome,” I laugh nervously.
“Ladies, you all look very lovely. We will have to beat the other guys off with a stick!” Jesse offers his left arm to Martha and his right to Anna. “We better get going or we will be late.”
On the short trip into town, I ask Eli if Jesse got word to Bruce about the new plan. He nods. Anna was too close for us to talk about it much. I can’t help but have conflicting feelings about what we are trying to do. True, Anna isn’t being forced into anything, and who knows -- it might be love at first sight. I just know how Robert treated Martha and I don’t wish that upo
n anyone, but I also don’t know of another way to keep Jesse out of Robert’s sights. So, I hope and pray this works out well for everyone.
We pull up at the dance that is located on one end of town. A large platform has been built for a dance floor and the band is already playing. Several couples are waltzing (I think they are waltzing anyway) and more are stepping up to join them. I have already explained to Eli that under no circumstances is he to ask me to dance. I have enough to worry about without the added stress of my two left feet. I feel my stomach start to cramp when I see the Mitchell buggy pull in. Robert gets out and then turns to help his mother out. I watch as his eyes settle on Martha and Jesse who are already taking a spin around the dance floor.
“So, how do we arrange this meeting without it looking pre-arranged?” I whisper to Eli.
“We just wait and watch; the opportunity will present itself.” I wish I had Eli’s confidence, although it turns out he was right. Maybe thirty minutes after we arrived, Bruce comes up and asks Anna for a dance and within minutes Robert has to see just who Bruce is showing interest in. They are too far away for us to hear the conversation when Robert walks up, but according to their body language, Robert asks who Anna is and then Bruce makes the introductions. Robert then asks Anna for a dance, which she refuses. What? Wait…that’s not how this is supposed to go! We watch as Anna smiles up at Bruce with a smitten look on her face. Oh, crapola…this is really not part of the plan! Anna is falling for the wrong brother! I should have known she couldn’t resist all of the charm that oozes from Bruce’s pores! Couldn’t he rein it in for one flipping night?
