Ellie’s heart had pounded so hard against her chest, she’d been sure it would crack one of her ribs. She hadn’t been brave enough to ask if his words meant he had intentions of marriage, but his love was clearly written in his eyes. Surely, he wouldn’t wait too long before he asked her. He seemed to have finally won Aunt Fiona over, but her father might be an even bigger obstacle.
Ellie had wrapped her arms around his neck and brought her mouth to his. She’d never tire of being held by him. The wetness from his clothes had soaked into her dress, but it hadn’t mattered. In his kiss, she was truly alive, she was loved for who she was, and her handicap didn’t matter.
“Eleanor. We’re going to be late.”
Ellie blinked, taking her eyes off the mirror at her aunt’s insistent call. Her fingers lingered on her lips, smiling at the memory of the last time Lance had kissed her.
She sighed. There was no use delaying the inevitable. She couldn’t back out or make excuses for not going with her relatives, even though her old insecurities came back to haunt her. She'd rather be anywhere but going to a social, having to mingle with people and being unable to communicate. Her aunt had assured her repeatedly that there would be many nice people at the event and it would be a good opportunity for her to meet more of the neighbors.
She’d almost gone to the barns to find Lance and ask him if he’d go with her to this social, but he probably would have declined. This was an event for the ranchers in the area, not their employees. Besides, she hadn’t seen him all morning. If he came calling after his workday was finished, he would probably wonder where she’d gone.
With a determined lift of her chin, Ellie opened her bedroom door and headed down the stairs to her waiting aunt. One of these days, she wouldn’t dread these kinds of get-togethers. Not if Lance was the one to accompany her. All of her fears disappeared in his company.
She smiled. If he could win over Aunt Fiona, there was no doubt he would one day earn the respect of everyone around him, and he’d no longer have to worry about being judged unfairly because of his mixed heritage.
To appear composed, Ellie plastered a smile on her face, while her insides were a jumbled mess. She’d had the jitters before when going to functions with her father, but those socials had been attended by people she’d come to know over the years. She’d known what to expect from them, and for the most part, they’d been polite because she was the daughter of the commanding officer at Fort Peck. Other than being cordial, however, they’d never drawn her into any of their conversations. This time, she would be among complete strangers.
She clutched her notebook in her hands, holding it against her chest while Uncle John helped her aunt from the buggy. Laughter came from inside the large ranch house, and a delicious smell of meat cooking hung in the air.
The Red Cliff Ranch was certainly striking. The barns that stood apart from the house were large and impressive, and the grounds were immaculate. The entire ranch sat in a prime location of the Deer Lodge Valley. Miles of fields and pasturelands dotted with horses stretched along the base of the same mountain range that Ellie had admired from her bedroom window at the Circle P.
“It doesn’t appear as if we’re the last ones to arrive,” Aunt Fiona whispered, glancing around to survey several buggies that were parked near the closest barn.
A young man came trotting up the path at that moment. “I’ll take your wagon and unhitch your horses, sir. They’ll be well-taken care of while you enjoy the festivities.”
Uncle John nodded. “Much obliged.”
When the buggy drove off to where the others were parked, Uncle John led his wife up the porch steps of the large house. Ellie followed close behind. A couple of young boys, probably a bit older than ten, came running around the house, and slowed to a walk.
“Sure don’t want to miss the barbeque, Andy. My Pa said the pig was almost done.”
The other boy laughed. “I sure hope we don’t have to sit with the little kids. We’re old enough to sit with the grown-ups. Rose can sit with them. She likes to be the mother hen to all the little ones. She’s so bossy all the time.”
Ellie glanced from one boy to the other. The one who had spoken first had black hair and skin a shade darker than most. She stared. There was no doubt he was part Indian. Her thoughts instantly went to Lance, and his worry about not being accepted in white society even though he’d been brought up to live as a white man.
This boy, although definitely of mixed blood, didn’t appear to be concerned about that fact at all. He and the other boy were clearly close friends.
If only Lance could be here to see this
Her attention drew away from the boys when the door to the house opened, and a smiling woman with a protruding belly greeted her aunt and uncle. She held her hand on her stomach as she stepped aside to welcome them in.
“Fiona. John. So good to see you. I’m glad you could make it after that dreadful weather we’ve had. I hope the drive through the valley wasn’t too muddy. Levi and Grace got stuck once on their way over.”
“Thank you, Sally.” Fiona greeted the younger woman with a quick hug. Her eyes went to the woman’s stomach. “It’s almost time for your little one to be born, isn’t it?”
The woman named Sally smiled. “Any day now. He or she is taking their time. It was the same with my last one, too, which has Ethan convinced that we’re having another boy. “
“Well, I’m sure he’ll be glad if you have a girl this time, since you’ve already got two boys.”
“As long as it’s healthy, that’s all that matters.” Sally shook Uncle John’s hand and pointed to something inside the house. “You’ll find the men in Trace’s study, John. I’m sure you don’t want to linger with us women, talking about babies.”
John nodded before disappearing into the house and down the hall. Fiona stepped through the door into a large entry, then turned to Ellie and held a hand to Ellie’s lower back to nudge her forward.
“Sally, I’d like you to meet my niece, Eleanor Benton. She’s come to stay with us for a while.” To Ellie, she said, “This is Sally Mallory. She’s Trace Hawley’s sister. He and his wife, Katherine are our hosts today.”
Sally held out her hand. Ellie shook it.
“Trace has told me a lot about you. He said he met you the last time he was at the Circle P. I’m excited to finally meet you, Eleanor.”
Ellie stared at the woman. Sally Mallory’s smile was warm, friendly, and infectious. Surely her brother had mentioned that she couldn’t talk, but there was no hint of curiosity on her face like what she’d encountered so often from people who knew about her inability to speak.
“Alma is here, too, Fiona. She’s helping set out the plates for when we eat in a while.” She leaned in closer and whispered conspiratorially, “She’s been busy chatting it up with Laney Monroe about the latest fashions.”
The two women giggled. Sally straightened and directed her attention on Ellie. “It’s common knowledge that Laney Monroe wears britches when she’s at home on her ranch in Bozeman, Eleanor, and cares little about talk of fashion. She’s always dressed in the latest styles when she’s out socializing, and can outdo Alma Wilkins any day, but she’d rather talk about horses.”
“Direct me where to go, Sally, and I’ll make myself useful, too.” Fiona reached for Ellie’s arm and gave it a squeeze. “I’ll introduce you to the others, and then you can mingle with the younger women while I join Alma and Laney.”
Ellie nodded. Her apprehension had lessened since meeting Sally, but her heart rate increased again at the prospect of being introduced to even more people.
Sally led them down the hall in the opposite direction that Uncle John had gone, and into a large kitchen. The sweet smell of pies and other dishes blended with the smell of meat cooking over an open fire outside. Despite her nervousness – or perhaps because of it – Ellie’s stomach grumbled.
Two small children ran from the kitchen, a little boy chasing a girl who held what app
eared to be a piece of licorice. She squealed loudly as the boy grabbed for it.
“Where are Jonah and Andy?” one of the women called. “They’re supposed to be helping Rose keep these kids out of the kitchen.”
The woman who had spoken hobbled toward the window holding a crutch in one hand, and a hand on her stomach. Clearly, she was also in the family way, but not as far along as Sally Mallory.
“Look who’s arrived,” Sally called, and the three women in the kitchen turned to face them.
“Well you’d better tell me, or are you going to make me stand here and guess?” A petite woman with honey-blonde hair swept up on top of her head called out. Everyone else chuckled.
The dark-haired woman standing next to her beamed a bright smile. She walked toward Fiona and Ellie, her hands held out in greeting. Her head turned slightly, revealing a long scar that ran from the side of her head down her neck and disappeared beneath the fabric of her dress. Ellie blinked to stop from staring. The scar wasn’t the most startling part. The woman was missing most of her ear, almost as if it had been melted off.
“Fiona, so good to see you,” she said, clasping Aunt Fiona’s hands. “This must be Eleanor.” She held out her hand to Ellie. “We’ve heard so much about you, Eleanor. I’m Laura Kincaid.” She turned slightly, still clasping Ellie’s hand, then nodded toward the woman leaning on her crutch. “That’s Grace Colter over there by the window, and Katie Hawley, our hostess. She can’t see you.”
Ellie nodded to each of the women Laura Kincaid introduced. She made eye contact with Katie Hawley, but the woman didn’t seem to look directly at her, although she raised her hand in greeting. She couldn’t see?
“You’ll have to forgive my sister-in-law,” Sally chimed in. She reached for Ellie’s hand and nearly dragged her to stand in front of Katie, then placed her hand into the outstretched one of her hostess. “We tend to forget that Katie is blind.”
“It’s nice to meet you Eleanor. Trace mentioned that your father is in Kentucky right now. It seems we have something in common, since we have kin in Kentucky who just happen to know your father’s sister. Small world, isn’t it?”
Ellie nodded, then blinked. If this woman couldn’t see, how was she going to communicate with her? She stared more than she should. Katie Hawley didn’t appear to be concerned about her handicap. At the counter behind her, she’d clearly been working on food preparations. How was that possible?
“Just squeeze my hand once for yes, and twice for no. We’ll have to make up our own language so we can talk to each other, won’t we?” Katie leaned forward, and added in a whisper, “It might be fun, too. Then we can keep secrets from everyone else.”
Beside her, Sally laughed. “We can all share in the secret code, can’t we? It’ll be just like when we were kids, teasing the boys. The men won’t know what to think when we suddenly stop talking and start speaking in sign, or something.”
Laughter and giggles erupted from everyone except Aunt Fiona. She smiled uncomfortably, then cleared her throat. “It seems like you’ll be in good hands here, Eleanor. I’m going to go and find Alma and a few of the other ladies, if you don’t mind.”
Ellie shook her head. Her eyes roamed the kitchen, meeting the eyes of the four women who hadn’t even brought up the fact that she couldn’t talk. No one seemed to care, as if it was completely normal.
“If you want to help, Grace is cutting up the vegetables that will need to go in the pot soon. If you’d rather just sit and observe, that’s fine also, but the more the merrier.” Laura Kincaid went back to kneading some dough on the large kitchen table.
“My little sister, Rose, usually helps when we have these get-togethers, but she’s been appointed overseer of the children today so we can all get some work done.” Grace Colter hobbled to the counter, and reached for a potato from a wooden bowl.
Ellie squeezed Katie’s hand once, making the other woman smile.
“Eleanor said she’d be happy to help,” Katie announced. She released Ellie’s hand.
Ellie joined Grace at the counter. She set her notebook aside and stuck her hand in the bowl. Sally was loudest as she chatted with Katie.
“If you need anything, just tap me on the shoulder or point,” Grace said, handing her a paring knife. Her eyes fell on Ellie’s notebook. “Unless you prefer to write out a note?”
Ellie nodded. She opened her notebook and began to scribble.
Please call me Ellie.
Grace smiled. “It’s good to have you here, Ellie.”
A light-hearted feeling came over her as everyone went back to work. Ellie peeled the potato in her hand and followed Grace’s example of placing it in the bowl filled with water. For the first time in her life, she was treated like everyone around her. The only other person who made her feel this way was Lance. If only he could be here to share in her joy.
Chapter Seventeen
Lance adjusted the cinch on his gelding’s saddle one final time, then glanced around the clearing. His camp looked nearly deserted. He’d spent much of the morning clearing out his blankets and belongings from under his lean-to. Some of the items had gotten wet and muddy during the rains. To someone passing by, it would appear as if the place had been abandoned.
He’d packed up his few pots and pans, and washed everything. He’d then hung the items from a tree several hundred yards from camp in a sunny spot to dry. He’d had problems with bears raiding his camp recently, and the last thing he needed was to lose his meager belongings.
His hand went to the necktie that threatened to cut off his breathing, and loosened it slightly. What was he thinking, getting all dressed up and going to some fancy get-together with wealthy people he didn’t know? He was a wrangler, nothing more, and he belonged in the barns with the horses.
“You’re gonna do just fine, but you gotta have somethin’ else to wear besides those dusty britches and tattered old shirt.”
Stubbs had beamed a bright smile at him earlier and slapped him on the back, then presented him with a clean set of clothes that included a new pair of britches, shirt, and the necktie that was now strung around his neck like a hangman’s noose.
When Lance had hesitated to take the clothes, Stubbs had shoved them at his chest.
“You can’t go to Trace Hawley’s place lookin’ like you spent all day in a barn.”
“But that’s exactly where I’ve spent my day,” Lance had grumbled.
Stubbs had rambled on, clearly choosing to ignore his remark. “I advise you to take some soap and wash up at the creek, too.” He’d tilted his head and narrowed his eyes, running his thumb and index fingers along his bearded jaw as if he were deep in thought. “A shave might do you some good, too.”
Frowning, Lance had accepted the parcel of clothes. He hadn’t bothered to ask where they’d come from, but somehow they had fit. “What am I doing, Stubbs? I can’t go to this thing.”
“Nonsense, Taggart.” Stubbs had chuckled, reaching up to put his arm around Lance’s shoulders. “Trace Hawley invited you. That fella, Tyler Monroe, must think quite highly of you. Still can’t figure out why you left the Double M to come work for Patterson in the first place. We’re a small outfit compared to what you left behind at Tyler Monroe’s place.” He’d chuckled. “But I’m glad you’re here. So’s Patterson. I bet he’s scared Trace Hawley might make you a better offer to come work for him. No doubt Hawley would offer you a job quicker’n you can spit, too.”
“I told you before. I’m not much for staying in one place.”
Recently, however, the urge to move from place to place had quickly been replaced with a need to set down roots. Ellie’s smile, and her pretty brown eyes, flashed in his mind. Just thinking about her brought an inner peace to his soul that he’d previously only felt with the horses he gentled or when he’d been alone in the woods.
Lance had looked at the foreman, who’d become a good friend in a short amount of time. His life seemed to be falling into place in recent weeks, in ways
he could have never imagined. While there were people who would always look down on him, he had a girl who loved him, and he was ready to make plans for a future with her.
If Stubbs knew that Lance was courting Ellie, he hadn’t let on. No doubt it hadn’t escaped his notice that Lance spent a lot of time at the house, visiting with Ellie on the Pattersons’ porch, but for all he knew, Lance was simply teaching her sign talk. The fact that John Patterson was usually present most likely gave the appearance that he wasn’t really courting her.
Not that it mattered. He hadn’t even taken her for a buggy ride or to a social, or whatever else courting couples might do. The corners of his lips rose in a smile. No, he and Ellie seemed to have skipped all that and gone straight to embraces and passionate kisses.
It had crossed his mind on more than one occasion to ask her to go with him to the Red Cliff Ranch. Then why hadn’t he asked? The idea that she wanted to be with him, and didn’t care what others thought, was still too new to fully wrap his head around. She undoubtedly would have accepted his invitation, even though being in social situations where she needed to interact with other people made her as uncomfortable as it made him.
“We could have been uncomfortable together.” Lance grinned and dropped his gaze to Mahto, who sat patiently a few paces away, watching. The dog’s tail began to wag and he panted as Lance spoke to him. “She’ll be grateful I didn’t ask her to go.”
Mahto let out a bark, as if he agreed. He padded up to Lance and rubbed his head against his leg.
“Careful, I gotta keep these clothes clean, at least for a little while, and you still need a bath.”
Lance ran his hand through his freshly-washed hair a final time and put on his hat, then stepped up to his horse. He couldn’t delay it any longer. He’d much rather spend time with Ellie on her uncle’s porch than feel out of place and mingle with wealthy ranchers. He hadn’t even told her he wouldn’t see her this evening.
In His Kiss: Blemished Brides, Book 4 Page 14
