by Susan Fox
As he’d known from the beginning, if Allison’s loyalty was ever put to the test, he’d always be her second choice. His brief effort to begin to separate her and her aunt on their wedding day had fallen flat that night when she’d let him know how much she thought of her aunt. He’d had to back off.
While he knew Pet couldn’t help the predicament she was in, he began to resent the fact that she’d spent the last two days in bed. He couldn’t understand why she would behave that way, why she would put everyone out and make them worry, but those thoughts made him feel mean and hard-hearted.
He’d had Allison to himself for such a short time. Though he didn’t love her, he was forced to admit he missed her terribly. Which angered him because she’d gone nowhere and still slept with him every night.
Friday morning, when he knew Allison had gone to Bible School and Martha had gone with Edward to pick up a few more things at Aunt Pet’s house, he walked back to the house. Except for his cook and housekeeper, Pet was alone.
The time had come for someone to do something. He didn’t let himself waver as he entered the house and strode across the kitchen. Remembering to remove his hat, he hung it on a wall peg near the back stairs, then pounded up the steps to the second floor.
Blue stopped at the bedroom across from his and tapped on the door. His low, “Miz Pet? I need to have a word with you,” sounded as if he meant business.
He heard a quiet, “Just a moment, dear,” then felt a peculiar sensation in his chest at the endearment. But Petula regularly called everyone “dear.” It meant nothing special in his case, so he made himself ignore it.
He heard footsteps, then the sound of the knob turning. Pet opened her door a few inches and peered out at him.
Her cheek was an ugly yellow, the cut still prominent on her fine skin, but it was healing nicely. Her light hair was uncombed, she wore no makeup and she was still in her robe.
Feeling a bit impatient that at ten a.m. she wasn’t up and dressed and ready for the day, and knowing he couldn’t carry on a conversation with her from the hall, he gave her as stern a look as he figured he needed to.
“I can’t talk to you till you get dressed. I’ll meet you downstairs in the den in twenty minutes.”
His no-nonsense tone caused Pet’s blue eyes to widen. He’d spooked her and now he felt as abusive as Charles. Nevertheless, they had to talk. Pet had been coddled for two days and nothing had changed. However much money she had, if she divorced Charles she’d have to buck up and make her own way in the world. Someone had to toughen her up, or she’d never be any good, for herself or anyone else.
Blue turned and walked back the way he’d come. He went quickly downstairs to the kitchen, pausing only long enough to ask Mrs. Burns to bring him a coffee tray with two cups, before he went to the den at the front of the big house to wait.
Almost exactly twenty minutes later, Pet appeared in the open door of the den. Her hair was styled the way she usually wore it, she was dressed in a nice blouse and slacks and she’d made up her face so well the bruise hardly showed. She was wearing jewelry and looked right as rain to him.
He stood briefly because it was proper, then motioned her toward the wing chair opposite the one he sat down in. When she saw the coffee tray on the low table between them, she automatically poured coffee for them both, handed his over and took the other cup and saucer for her own.
“I imagine you’ve grown quite tired of me, haven’t you, Mr. Sumner?”
Her statement caught him off guard. It was as if she’d read his mind. He took a sip of coffee while he studied her face.
“I don’t understand how a woman who’s done so much for people, who’s helped so many others through their hard times, can suddenly take to her bed when something happens to her.”
His blunt words fell hard between them, though he’d tried to say them kindly. Because Pet seemed to be able to take it, he went on. “Your niece has been worried sick over you, and Martha would probably like to visit the daughter and new grandbaby she’s got in San Antone.”
Pet looked surprised, then distressed. “New grandbaby? Martha didn’t mention—”
“Martha’s been worried over you,” he went on without mercy, “how you’re keepin’ to yourself. She didn’t want any of us to mention the baby to you, ’cause she knew you’d make her go. She said there was no way she could leave until you felt better.”
Petula stared over at him in horror then set her cup down. “I didn’t realize…”
“Well, now you do.”
The silence in the room pounded Blue’s conscience. He was trying to jar Pet out of her self-pity, but what did he know about fragile aristocrats? If she was as fragile as she looked right now, his stern talk would probably put her in the hospital.
He remembered how much she liked to ride horses and gave her a searching look. “Can you ride in those clothes?”
Pet clearly hadn’t recovered from his first little assault. It took her a moment to follow the change of subject. She glanced down at herself a moment as if she’d not been able to recall what she was wearing. She looked up at him.
“No, but…Martha packed something for me to ride in, and my boots.”
His tough, “Go get ’em,” made her flinch. He made himself ignore her reaction. “A ride’ll do you good. I need to check the stock. You might as well come along.”
Blue held his breath. Petula looked shocked. Just when he wondered if she was going to faint or holler or run upstairs and lock herself in her room, she seemed to recover.
“Yes, I believe a ride would be good,” she said then. “I’ll just go upstairs and change.”
Though she got up with the same regal grace that was also second nature to Allison, Pet made it to the door before she suddenly broke into an unladylike rush toward the front stairs. Blue sat listening to her run up the steps.
After a few minutes, he got up and walked out into the entry hall to move unhurriedly through the house to the back door. He got his hat on the way, put it on, then tugged it down snugly.
God knew if he’d ever see Allison’s aunt again.
CHAPTER TEN
ALLISON rushed home to eat lunch and see how Pet was before she went back to town for an afternoon at the hospital. When she stepped in the back door, she discovered an uproar in the kitchen.
Edward and Martha had squared off and Mrs. Burns and Miss Tilly were looking on worriedly.
“Mr. Blue don’t know nothin’ about Miz Pet,” Martha was saying.
Edward stood stiffly, one brow raised as he looked down at the much shorter Martha, who glared up at him.
“Mr. Sumner is not known for mistreating others, madam. If he took Miss Pet on a horseback ride, you may be certain that she’s being properly looked after.”
Martha shook her head adamantly. “Miz Pet was in no state to be chased outta her bed and run over half of Texas!”
Edward appeared unruffled. “Nevertheless, madam, Mr. Sumner is in charge, and I suspect he’s acted on nothing less than the very best intentions toward Miss Pet. I assure you she could be in no better hands.”
Martha’s face flushed as she continued to argue. “Miz Pet’s afraid of Mr. Blue.”
Both of Edward’s brows arched high. “Then perhaps once she’s spent a bit of time with him, she’ll understand that she has nothing to fear.”
Martha took a deep breath that seemed to puff her up. Allison chose that moment to make her presence known. The level of conflict in the kitchen had been too intense for anyone to notice her arrival.
“I’m certain Edward is right, Martha.”
All eyes turned in her direction. Martha immediately rushed over to plead her side of the argument.
“Mr. Blue waited till you were gone and Edward and I went to the house in town before he made Miz Pet leave her room and go out riding. You saw her this mornin’ yourself. She wasn’t ready for anything that would strain her, much less to be dragged over this ranch on a horse.”
Allison took Martha’s hand. Though she suddenly had her own doubts about what Blue had done, she couldn’t bring herself to think he meant ill against her aunt.
“I’m certain Blue is taking good care of her. Some time outdoors in the fresh air might be just what she needs to lift her spirits.”
The quiet confidence Allison hoped to exude seemed to affect Martha, though she wasn’t entirely convinced.
“I mean no offense to you, Miz Allison, but I can’t help but wonder what he’s thinking of, to bother her like that.”
“Me, too, Martha, but let’s wait before we get too upset.” Allison gave her a soft smile.
Martha finally began to calm. Because she was normally a very sensible woman, and fair-minded, she turned back to Edward.
“I been lookin’ out for Miz Pet a lotta years,” she said gruffly. “Might be I jumped to some conclusions—but Mr. Blue oughtta of talked it over with somebody else before he took this notion.”
Edward gave a reserved nod. “Perhaps, madam, but I believe we can rely on him to treat Miss Pet with care.”
Martha made a sound to let everyone know that she was reserving judgment, but she subsided. She glanced toward Allison. “We brung back some more of Miz Pet’s things, including some boxes of keepsakes and family things that were up in the attic. No sense lettin’ ol’ Charles get at those. I’ll go take care of them till Miz Pet gets back.” She glanced at them all. “Ain’t got an appetite for lunch anyway.”
“Thank you, Martha.” Allison kept her smile in place until she was certain Martha was too far down the hall to the front entry to hear. She turned to Edward.
“I do wish Blue had discussed it with me first.”
Edward gave her a kind look. “Mr. Sumner is quite unused to discussing things with others, though I’m certain that will change as he adjusts to married life. Perhaps he discovered that your aunt seemed improved and was prompted to offer a horseback ride. She did seem to quite enjoy being out-of-doors Sunday last.”
Allison relaxed. “Yes, she loves to ride. I’m sorry Martha reacted so strongly. She’s been with my aunt for years now.”
“Yes,” Edward agreed pleasantly. “Loyalty is quite a fine character trait. I do understand Miss Martha’s protectiveness, in light of the recent incident, though I don’t agree that it was necessary in this case. I’m certain when Miss Petula returns, everyone will see how beneficial her outing has been.”
“I’m sure you’re right,” she murmured, but she suddenly had no appetite herself. She did try to eat something. And though it was hard, she had to force herself to get back to town and the hospital. Because Petula hadn’t returned to the house by the time she left, Allison almost didn’t go. But there were people at the hospital who were counting on her. She’d just have to trust that Blue was taking care of her aunt, however long they were absent from the main house.
When Allison got back home at five o’clock, Aunt Petula still hadn’t returned. Though he’d already informed Martha, who stood nearby with Mrs. Burns and Miss Tilly, Edward calmly reported to Allison that he’d managed to have contact with Blue via a cell phone that one of the ranch hands had taken out to him.
Aunt Pet had worked with a haying crew that morning, eaten lunch at the cookhouse with the ranch hands, but had gone to another part of the ranch to help Blue check water tanks and the handful of windmills that pumped water into the tanks.
Allison was stunned by the report. Even Edward had grown solemn. Aunt Pet was unused to hard labor of any sort, and it sounded as if everything she’d been exposed to that day was far beyond the kind of activity she was used to.
Moments after Edward gave her his report, the back door opened and Aunt Pet stepped into the kitchen.
Petula walked as if she’d aged forty years. Her overlarge hat was askew, her blond hair hung in tired strands from beneath the hat and she was covered with a layer of Texas dust. She had a tear on one sleeve, a stray straw of hay stuck to her shoulder and a smear of cow manure on the knee of her jeans. She’d sweated off most of her makeup and her blue eyes were dazed with exhaustion.
Allison was horrified. When Pet reached up to remove her hat, Allison saw the dark grease stains on her hands and that her normally well-tended finger-nails were filthy and pared short.
When Pet realized that everyone at the house was standing in the kitchen, staring at her in shock, she gave them all a lovely smile.
“There’re quite a lot of interesting things to do on a ranch,” she declared. Her smile brightened. “I even got to fix one of the windmills!” As if she found the sight of the grim faces around her amusing, she laughed. “Do I look that bad?
“I am quite done in,” she said as she made a wry face, “but I assure you all that I feel better after a day of ranch work—if you could call my small contribution work—than I’ve felt in years.”
Petula started stiffly toward the back stairs, then grimaced and immediately halted. “Though I doubt I’ll make it up the steps with any sort of grace…”
Allison was at her side in a moment, as was Martha. They each took one of Pet’s arms to assist her, but Pet gave a soft gasp.
Edward heard and promptly rushed over to offer his assistance. “If I may, Miss Petula,” he began stiffly, “might I suggest that someone carry you up the stairs?”
When the three of them glanced up at him in surprise, he blushed. “Of course, with Miss Allison and Miss Martha to supervise.”
Petula beamed him a smile. “Why, Edward, what a thoughtful suggestion. I would very much appreciate it if you would carry me up the stairs.” Petula’s gaze wavered to meet Allison’s rounded eyes and give her a quick wink.
The wink startled a giggle out of Allison, but Martha, who had followed it all, made a grumpy sound. Allison instantly made her face go sober, but her heart was soaring.
It was reassuring to see Aunt Pet in a lighthearted mood. Whatever had happened that day with Blue, however “done in” her aunt was now, Pet seemed happy and playful—more than restored.
Edward leaned down and carefully eased Petula into his arms. Petula’s arms found their way around his neck. Edward tried not to look into the twinkling glimmer in Petula’s eyes, but his eyes were twinkling just as happily. He strode toward the back stairs and started up them at a steady pace.
Martha and Allison followed along, though Martha was the only one who truly “supervised.” When they reached the upstairs hall, Martha caught her arm and held her back just long enough to whisper harshly, “Now I wonder what that one’s up to.”
Allison shrugged. At the moment, she didn’t care. Though she was exhausted, Petula Wallace now seemed genuinely happy. The crisis had passed, and for the first time, Allison sensed that things would go well for her. Pet had some difficult decisions ahead, but she now seemed equal to them.
By the time Allison left Martha to help Pet with her shower, Edward had gone downstairs. Blue hadn’t come in from the range yet and Allison was eager to see him.
After she’d brought Pet and Martha to the ranch, they’d barely had time to be alone, much less to talk to each other. Blue, perhaps out of consideration, had made no demands in bed at night.
Now that Pet had recovered, Allison realized how focused she’d been on Pet’s troubles. Apparently Blue wasn’t the only one who needed to adjust to married life.
Remembering her earlier upset, because Blue hadn’t discussed taking Petula out of the house for the day, Allison was reminded of the things she hadn’t discussed with him.
Charles’s paternity case and her use of the pill had completely slipped her mind these past days. And the longer she delayed telling Blue about them, the more seriously he might take her silence.
Allison changed clothes for dinner, then was frustrated when she was the only one at the table. Edward had taken a tray upstairs for Petula and Martha, but Blue hadn’t come to the house yet.
She ate because she was suddenly starving. Afterward, she changed into outdoor clothing and was about to go
off in search of Blue when Edward caught her and passed along a message.
“Mr. Sumner sent word that he won’t be home until late.”
Allison thanked Edward for the message, but she was disappointed. Was Blue worried that she’d be angry about today? Or was this another case of Blue preferring his first love—his ranch—to his wife?
She doubted very much if Blue worried about riling her. If she’d been a more volatile kind of woman, perhaps he would have. But Blue probably did prefer the ranch he loved to the wife whom he didn’t. The fact depressed her, but she wasn’t ready to give up on him.
Since it was Friday night, Allison treated herself to a long bubble bath, then did some reading before she finally became too tired to keep her eyes open. Though she’d tried to wait up for Blue, she didn’t make it past eleven p.m.
According to Edward, who always made it a point to stay up until he was in for the night, forcing Pet out of the house into the fresh air for a day of exhausting activity had been considered a “rousing success by all.”
When he’d asked Edward how everyone had taken it, prior to seeing the result, Edward tactfully glossed over Martha’s reaction. But Blue had figured on Martha taking it bad. It pleased him when Edward reported that his bride had not only given his actions the benefit of the doubt, but that she’d defended him.
Blue hadn’t expected that, and the news sent such a shaft of sunlight across his heart that he felt the sweet warmth of it spread clear through him.
And Pet seemed to have lost her fear of him. She’d stuck with him the whole day, until he’d had to make her go to the house for the night. She been a willing little helper, and game for anything, even when he’d had her climb up a windmill with him to replace a couple of parts. He hadn’t expected that, either, but it made him feel good.
Allison was asleep when he got upstairs. He showered and shaved, then grabbed his discarded towel off the counter to drop it down the laundry chute. Too late, he realized he’d managed to drag Allison’s handbag off the counter with the towel. The contents of the bag dumped and spilled all over the floor. He’d leaned down to pick everything up, when he spied a round, flat disk.
