by Mari Collier
The crowd clapped, and Martin took her arm and helped her down the steps. He handed the saddle back to August. “Here, put it up. I wouldn't want it to get ruined.”
He turned to Brigetta. “Uh, well, I guess that's it. Did y'all want to say more?”
Brigetta's eyes were still streaming, her heart overflowing. How could she have been so blind? It was Martin who loved her and she loved him, and for the second time that evening Brigetta knew what it was to feel desire.
Later that night Martin would mutter to himself, “I should have given her flowers years ago.”
Chapter 29: Love and Marriage
“Melissa, consider what will happen if you have children.”
“Y'all mean they might be like me or father?” Melissa's lips smiled, but her eyes never wavered.
“That's exactly what I mean. You can't marry Edward until you've told tell him.”
“Why is that, Uncle Daniel? Pawpaw didn't tell Mama until after I was born.”
Daniel and Melissa were in his office. His mustache had grayed over the years and blended into his lips that were tightened in a white line. He fought with his emotions to marshal his thoughts for an answer. Melissa's grey eyes were steady and her face bland. He'd known there would be trouble when Mrs. Montgomery had insisted the school board hire her friend from some woman's college back east and he heard the name Melissa MacDonald. Being right was bitter fruit right now. Melissa was intent on marrying his deputy, Edward Carson. Ed had taken one look at the slim, tall, elegantly clad young woman alighting from the railroad car and fallen in love.
The town fathers, school board members, ministers, and genteel ladies of the town had been shocked when Melissa refused to board with the selected family. Ignoring proprieties, Melissa had purchased a small home.
“Unmarried ladies do not live in their own house. It's scandalous!” Whispers spread, passions were heated, but it was too late to hire another teacher for the wilds of Wyoming and Mrs. Montgomery was adamant that Melissa MacDonald remain. Clive Montgomery was thirty years older than his wife and the biggest land owner around. Whatever Mrs. Montgomery wanted, Mr. Montgomery wanted. None defied him. White men and their woman were still a bafflement to Daniel.
That Ed should love Melissa, Daniel could understand. She was a taller version of Antoinette except for those damned grey eyes: grey eyes like his and Lorenz's. It was Melissa falling in love with Ed that surprised him. Ed wasn't rich or educated beyond the eighth grade, if that.
Before Daniel could answer, Melissa stood. “Uncle Daniel, I did not come here to argue with you. Pawpaw and Mama are arriving on the next train and you are invited to dine with us. I know that you oppose our wedding, but I do hope you will serve as Edward's best man. He thinks the world of you.” Daniel noticed she dropped her y'alls whenever she wished. “You will not need to speak with Pawpaw, but I do request that you remain civil.”
“Have you warned Ed how rich your parents are?”
“La, Uncle Daniel, he certainly knows by now.”
She was, thought Daniel, worse than Lorenz. In a way, Ed was the son he never dared to have. What if his children were like Lorenz? The wedding was in two days time, the rehearsal tomorrow afternoon. He had begged off dining with everyone at the Montgomery ranch afterward as someone needed to be here.
The whole town was talking about the amount money being spent. Expensive fabrics had been shipped in months ago for the wedding dress and trousseau, and a seamstress hired. A hotel room had been reserved for the Lutheran pastor coming with the MacDonald's, and several more for other guests. Daniel figured one would be for Margareatha and another for MacDonald. How would he disguise his age? Daniel did not wish to see either.
“Have you warned him about your Grandfather?”
“Why, of course. I've told him he was younger than grandmother, and the biggest man in size and heart he will ever meet.” She smiled sweetly at Daniel and whirled out the door as the train whistled the approach of the two o'clock arrival.
The town would think it strange that he did not greet his own brother, but Daniel refused to move. Edward would have the carriage there to take them to Melissa's house and transport any other passenger of the wedding party. He began to clean his revolver.
An hour later the tedium was broken as boot heels clicked over the opening and a shadow filled the room. Daniel looked up expecting to see Edward or one of the townspeople. Instead the man removing his hat was his mirror image without a mustache. He was clad in a suit rather than work denims and the sideburns were grey. He relaxed when he realized Lorenz was without his revolvers.
“I'm glad we won't need to argue about you removing your guns.”
Lorenz smiled, his whole face changing from grimness to one of genuine likeability. It was as though an aura appeared around his face, a warm glow that drew people to him. Daniel could remember MacDonald telling them how magnificent their mother looked whenever she smiled.
“Hello, big brother. Melissa said she had invited y'all for dinner tonight, and I wanted to make sure y'all knew we will be disappointed if y'all don't show up.”
“I'm sorry, but I've given Edward the evening off to be with you.” Daniel found his voice stiff and his eyes and lips unable to smile.
The smile disappeared from Lorenz's face and he shrugged. “Tomorrow then.” And the doorway was empty.
Daniel made it through the night and part of the morning before heading to Melissa's house. He knew Lorenz, MacDonald, and the pastor were out riding with Edward to see the country. The seamstress was at Melissa's house for the last of the fittings before the whole party left for the Montgomery ranch for the rehearsal, the wedding, and the celebration. He needed to ask Antoinette one question.
A Mexican woman clad in a grey dress opened the front door at his knock and then stood there open-mouthed looking at his mustache. Finally she blinked her eyes and remembered to say, “Si, senor?”
“Is Mrs. MacDonald in? Tell her it's Daniel Hunter.”
The door opened directly into the parlor, and he heard Antoinette's voice. “Conchita, let Mr. Hunter in and bring us some coffee, por favor.”
The maid opened the door wider. Daniel was desperate to talk with Antoinette and the idea of a servant annoyed him. He stepped inside to find Antoinette sitting on the sofa, a writing desk on her lap while she wrote.
“Daniel, what a pleasant surprise this is. Won't y'all have a seat? Y'all know, of course, that Lorenz and Father MacDonald are riding with Edward, or target practicing, or something similar to become better acquainted.” She was smiling, but not a “you are really welcome here” type of smile.
“Yes, but it's you I wish to speak with. I was hoping for something more private. Perhaps somewhere outside would be better as I have a question that needs answering.”
“No, Daniel, it wouldn't.” She smiled again. “I believe Conchita will be back soon with the coffee. She'll retire to the back where the last of the fittings are going on, and then we can talk.” Her head indicated the delicate chair by the fancy little table adorned with a floral blue and gold lamp.
How, Daniel wondered, was a man supposed to live in a house like this? Why hadn't Edward insisted they move into something smaller, or have Melissa share his room at the boarding house? He removed his hat and sat on the indicated chair. The cherry arms and legs were rounded and a blue floral crewel was on the upholstered seat. It was almost as fancy as chairs at the better bordellos. His hat he hung on his knee.
“I'm so glad you've decided to participate in the wedding ceremony. Edward seems to think of y'all as the father he doesn't have.”
Daniel scowled. He hadn't decided to participate. Antoinette's answer would decide that issue. Before he could respond, Conchita returned carrying a tray with two cups of coffee. First she offered one to him and then the other to Antoinette.
“That will be all, Conchita. Please, see if Miss MacDonald needs some extra help. Y'all have such a lovely way with clothes and hair.”
She turned back to Daniel. “Now, I believe y'all said y'all had a question.”
Daniel took a deep breath. “I need to know why you chose Lorenz.”
Antoinette stared at him and he plunged on. “Did he force you by going into your mind and you've been afraid to tell anyone all of these years.”
“Oh for heaven's sake, Daniel, where did y'all every come up with such a silly idea? Lorenz was hundreds of miles away and could not have been in my mind. His abilities aren't that far reaching.”
Daniel rose from the chair, his coffee untouched. The taste in his mouth was bitter enough.
“Then why, Antoinette? Why did you choose him? I was older, better able to protect you and earn a decent wage.”
Antoinette leaned back slightly, disbelief on her face. “Daniel, Lorenz was going to inherit the ranch.”
“You chose him instead of me because of a ranch?”
“Father MacDonald offered you the same terms. Y'all told me y'all turned it down. Y'all believed more in that pagan Comanche mumbo-jumbo than you ever did in Christ. What's more y'all rejected your own mother for Indians. As for your wages, y'all were a hired gunny. That meant I'd have to follow y'all from town to town. That certainly is not what I wanted: living like some poor, white trash.” The last words were practically spit out.
It was like a blow to his stomach. “Then all of those rides, those picnics, they were a farce?”
“Daniel, I was a wicked flirt. I do admit that, but we were young, and I was the same way with all the other young men.”
“You didn't go riding with them.” Daniel's voice sounded strangled even to his own ears.
“Well, of course not. Red would never have permitted it. Y'all were being paid to protect me, and y'all were certainly a lot more fun than those old men with bad breath and big stomachs. Red told me what his plans were for me and how he would ship me to a convent if I didn't marry one of them.”
Daniel began to breathe again. “I could have taken you out of there.”
“Where would we have gone that Red couldn't have found us and taken me back?”
“I was still on good terms with the Comanche. Not even Red…”
The horrified look on her face stopped his words. “I would never, never have considered going to an Indian village and living like some sort of squaw. I told both you and Lorenz that when I was sixteen. If you must know, I had accepted Lorenz while I was back East the year before we were wed.” The drawl was gone from her voice.
He took two steps toward her and stopped. “Why, Antoinette? Why Lorenz? I can't believe you didn't love me.”
Antoinette stood. “Daniel, y'all are being unreasonable. Y'all and Lorenz are still two of the most handsome men I have ever seen, but Lorenz offered me a future.”
“I don't see you objecting to Melissa marrying Ed because of their future.”
“Do y'all think we could really stop Melissa? I'm sure Edward will find another occupation or a higher office one day that will be more rewarding.” Her voice was cool, her eyes distant.
Daniel finally noticed the jeweled pendant, the rings on her fingers, and the elaborate watch pinned to her work dress. Her clothes, her hair, everything said money. For years he held the belief that Antoinette was a woman who followed the lead and desires of the man she loved. Instead, she was a woman who wanted all the trappings of the white man's world.
“Your worldly possessions mean more to you than being honest.” He turned on his heel and walked out of the door. All these years he'd been a fool dreaming of rescuing the woman he loved. Antoinette did not love either of them. Did Lorenz know? Then it hit him. Lorenz didn't care. Lorenz had what he wanted: Antoinette. Outside Daniel mounted and rode away.
Chapter 30: Death in a Frontier Town
Melissa waved to Eddie who was standing by the Constable's office before she entered Farren's Grocery Market. This was the town's newest store built across the street and kitty-cornered from the bank. “Plain dealing for plain folks,” Farren boasted.
Farren had left Kansas and headed north for the new cow country. He missed the trail crews and followers. The trail towns had withered without them, and farmers were a sober lot. Montana was still cow country and he felt a certain kinship for the rawness of the area. It was almost like Kansas once was. Farren, however, was a realist.
Like many people who lived through the drover era, Farren believed any town based on cattle economy would suffer violence. He kept two rifles, loaded and ready, one over the door entering from the street and another close to hand under the counter by the cash register.
Eddie had been unable to convince the man that in 1896, these precautions were no longer necessary. The fact that he was running for the newly created office of county sheriff when Constable Hunter moved on at the end of this year should have given weight to his argument. Farren would have none of it.
“I ain't but five-foot five and nearing 60. How else am I going to stop some drunken cowboy from taking all my hard-earned cash to squander on some fallen dove? Beg your pardon, ma'am.” He lowered his voice to avoid disturbing his customers.
“This conversation is over, Deputy. Now you can have Constable Hunter come talk to me, but that ain't going to work either. I've got customers that need my assistance.” He grabbed the hook and marched over to a lady looking up at the soap powders on a fourth level shelf.
Melissa smiled to herself as she remembered that conversation and nodded to Farren. He was busy helping some matron with her grocery list, neatly snagging the items off the shelf or sending the boy to the back to fetch the larger items.
She wandered over to the bolts of material and back. Mama always ordered the latest fashionable materials and shipped them to her. Eddie never knew the cost. He accepted the fact that her parents were rich Texas ranchers without realizing that the MacDonald family had settled ten thousand dollars on her in 1895; the year she turned twenty-one. Melissa instructed the family lawyer to purchase five thousand dollars worth of General Electric stock. A company that supplied lighting like that in the Golden One couldn't fail. She knew she had a knack for picking just the right investment. It was hard to keep track of things here though. If she were in New York, she'd have to hire a man to work at the exchange. Women weren't allowed on the floor. Melissa sighed. For now she would have to let things ride. Perhaps she and Eddie could go to New York after he'd served as County Sheriff. There was no doubt in her mind that Eddie would win the upcoming election. After he had served in that capacity for a few years, Eddie could run for the state congress and then the federal.
Farren was busy adding up the woman's purchases when Melissa heard yelling outside. Something was wrong. She felt her stomach tighten and she glanced up and down the street. Eddie was running towards the bank carrying his Winchester. Clyde Munson, the newspaperman, was following behind him, his pad and pencil in hand.
She was so intent on watching her husband, Melissa didn't see the three men run out of the bank, but she heard the gunshots. Eddie fell downward into the dust, blindly firing his rifle in the direction of the three men mounting their horses.
Melissa reached up and yanked the rifle down. Her Eddie was down and those men were still shooting at him and at anyone on the street. Rage filled her and her mind cleared of all other thoughts.
She set the rifle into her shoulder and stepped through the opened door unmindful of the bullets. The men had ridden past her and she shot: once, twice, thrice.
Two of the men tumbled from their saddles and the third clutched at his shoulder, unable to fire another shot. Melissa turned slightly to keep the horse and rider in her sights and fired again at the fleeing man. She knew he would die as he slumped completely over the front of the blindly running horse.
Melissa ran to her Eddie, knelt in the dust rutted street, and started to turn him over. Suddenly, Uncle Daniel was there beside her, trying to move her away and attend to Eddie. She glared at him.
“He's dead. He died doing your job.”
She could not bear to look at Eddie's opened eyes; nor would she permit herself to cry in front of these people. She was still so angry she wanted to kill and she had killed them all.
“Melissa, he was my friend.”
Daniel gave up trying to move her and stood. He motioned to one of the bystanders. “Fielding, go fetch the undertaker.”
He turned to the men gathered around. “I'm going after the one that rode off. He won't go far. I'll need at least one or two men. The pay is $1.00 a day. We'll probably be back by nightfall.”
Two of the younger men stepped forward. They were line riders from one of the ranches who were either laid off or between jobs. The dollar each would pay for a bed, a meal, and drinks.
Mrs. Gatson from the newspaper appeared. “What about your poor niece? I'll gladly see her home and sit with her.”
“Fine, if you can get her to move.” Daniel could barely contain his fury. Edward had been his friend, the son he never had, and somehow, someway, Lorenz in a direct line through Melissa stole his revenge. For the first time in years he wanted to kill.
Someone brought his horse and they rode out of town. They were back before twilight. The rider had clung to the horse with a dead man's grip and the horse was in no mood to stop with the smell of blood coming from its back.
Daniel did not wish to call on his niece, but knew he must if this town was going to give him a recommendation when he left. He was surprised when Melissa opened the door and no one was with her. Melissa's eyes were not red and she showed no signs of crying.
“Uncle Daniel, I'm so glad you came by. I said a cruel thing to you today. I'm sorry.” Her voice broke just a bit.
“Please, come in. Did you find that man?”
“Yes, he was dead.” Daniel's throat was tight and the words barely intelligible.
“Did y'all want some water or coffee? There's some kind of food sitting on the kitchen table that the neighbors brought. I can't eat anything.”
