His father turned to give him a hard look. "We came to see our son. It's been going on how many years now, Sam, two and a half, nearly three? I wanted you to know that our deal is complete"
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean my words to sound like I'm not happy to see my family. I am. I've missed you too"
Rising from the chair, he looked out over the town. "And I'm glad our deal is done"
"So now you can get on with your life."
Isn't that what he wanted all along, to have his own life? He should feel relieved that he could move on, free from the guilt of leaving his family behind. And yet, a part of him wished it could have turned out differently for his father.
"I've got to get back to work"
"It was nice having this chat with you, Samuel."
"You too." He left his father relaxing on the verandah.
Letting the curtain fall from her hand, Maggie turned to face Mrs. Clay. She assumed when Samuel left the verandah that he was still upset with his father. Maggie would have liked nothing more than to follow him, giving him a piece of her mind. When she made a movement to leave, however, Mrs. Clay stopped her.
"Maggie, sometimes it's best to let a man stew in his own juices for a while." Patting the spot next to her on the sofa, she bade, "Come and tell me about this dance hall you and my son are running."
Her voice was so soft and quiet that Maggie couldn't imagine her ever raising it in anger or otherwise. It was too bad Samuel hadn't inherited this trait. Sitting next to the woman, Maggie studied her.
"Samuel looks so different." With a wistful glance, Mrs. Clay continued to engage her in conversation.
"I don't know what he looked like before I met him, so I'm afraid I've nothing to compare him to" Maggie could well imagine him, though, in little cotton overalls with dirt smudges on the knees.
Taking a handkerchief from her silk purse, his mother dabbed at the corners of her eyes. Feeling sorry for the woman, Maggie placed a comforting hand over hers.
"He was always so restless-wanting more out of life, never content with his lot. I'm afraid my eldest did not like growing up on a farm." Smiling ruefully, she added, "Of course he'd no choice in the matter, not when he was just a boy. But as he grew to manhood, it was clear to me he would leave us."
"I'm sorry he did that"
"Please don't be. He wouldn't have been happy on the farm. The way he dresses now, I hardly recognize the man he's become"
Grinning at her observation, Maggie replied, "He is a bit flashy with his attire. I told him he looks like a riverboat captain."
Thoughtful for a moment, Mrs. Clay looked at Maggie. "He's so handsome. Is he happy here?"
Taken aback by the question and more so by the fact that she thought Maggie would know the answer to the question, she fussed with the tea service on the sofa table, gathering her thoughts.
"Yes, I suppose he's happy" Maggie knew his being here made her happier. She realized with a start that her world seemed brighter when he was around. "He certainly has quite the knack for running the hall"
"As soon as we're settled I'd love to go see the place. It's not too difficult to imagine Samuel running such an establishment."
"He enjoys his job, Mrs. Clay" She meant what she said. Samuel may be outspoken and a complete buffoon where Maggie was concerned, but he did like what he was doing with his life now.
Shifting on the sofa, she found Maggie's hand and said, "I think he enjoys his job because of you"
Flustered by her comment, Maggie quickly rose and made a great show of stacking the dirty teacups and saucers on the silver serving tray. She wasn't so sure about that. With the way Samuel was goading her one minute and then flirting with her the next, it was hard to tell sometimes if he liked her or not.
From behind her Mrs. Clay said, "Trust me. A mother knows these things about her son. If you'll excuse me, I think I'll go join my husband on the porch"
Picking up the tray, Maggie made her way back to the kitchen thinking that she and Samuel had a lot to discuss.
Three days had passed since his family had arrived. Three days of self-imposed asylum. In that time he quickly adopted Maggie's habit of slamming things around. Of course, slamming glasses on the counter did little to alleviate his frustration. And if the number of broken glasses was any indication, he would be better off finding another way to vent his frustration.
Sam was in the middle of sweeping up the shards of glass when Maggie walked into the hall. Dust motes rode in on beams of sunshine as she threw open the window shutters. Then, pushing back the curtains, she raised the sashes, letting in a dusty breeze.
"You might be better off leaving those closed. Can't you see I'm trying to sweep up the dust?" he grumbled at her.
Turning, she faced him with her hands on her hips. "I see your mood hasn't improved since I last saw you"
He snorted. "I don't have much to be happy about"
Sighing loudly, she started taking the chairs down from the table tops where they'd been placed after closing last night. When they were all down and set around the tables, she went to the stack of freshly laundered linens and set about snapping a square of fabric over each table.
The tension stretched, straining the air around them until Sam thought he might suffocate from wanting it to break. He wasn't as good as she was at playing this game. She knew that.
Finally, he said, "I've done something I'm not very proud of, Maggie."
"I assume you're speaking of your family?"
Nodding, he stood the broom against the back wall behind the counter. "I suppose I should have told you this sooner."
"Go on" Without breaking her stride, she continued to set up the room.
"As you know, I didn't like farming. But what you don't know is that before I left, my father and I made a deal. If I could prove to him that I could make it on my own in three years, then I wouldn't have to return to the farm."
"I see"
Coming around in front of her, he took the napkins from her and held on to her hands. They trembled in his. "I don't think you do. Please, I'm begging you, don't let this change what's between us"
He saw the tears forming in her eyes and felt horrible.
"I have feelings for you, Samuel. Deep feelings and I'm trying very hard not to let this color my opinion of you. But I must ask-how could you have put your father in such a position? Forcing him to let you go, perhaps even forcing him to sell the land which he loved."
"It wasn't like that. We came to an amicable agreement. He understood why I was leaving."
Resting her hand alongside his cheek, Maggie looked into his eyes. "I'm so sorry for you. You spoke to your father about this?"
"We did at Miss Margaret's. He told me he was all right with the decision. The man from New York City gave them a great deal of money. More than any of us has ever seen. This matter isn't about us. My life is here and I wouldn't barter it away for any reason"
Leaning in toward him, she kissed him lightly on the mouth. "Somehow, I can't picture you as a farmer. Didn't you miss them at all when you left?" She wanted to understand Samuel.
"I missed them, but not their way of life."
"Your mother knew you were leaving."
He'd missed her the most. She was the one who'd understood how he'd felt about the land from the very beginning. Still, she hadn't sided with either him or his father. Instead she had just let them sort it out on their own.
"Samuel, make your peace with this." Maggie was standing in front of him now, balancing a pile of bright yellow napkins in her arms.
"I will. Maggie, do you think there is a future for the two of us?"
Her reply froze on her lips when Lydia came running into the hall.
"Come quickly! It's Abigail!"
4' What's wrong with her?" Maggie asked.
"She's fainted." Lydia raced on down the street with Maggie and Samuel following close at her heels. "We were talking in her office when suddenly she just keeled over. Her face hit the desktop l
anding smack on a pile of wanted posters"
By the time they reached the sheriff's office, Cole and Alexander were assisting Abigail to one of the jail cell bunks. Maggie could see the ghostly whiteness of her face and feared there was something seriously wrong with her cousin.
"Oh my," she breathed, "she looks terrible."
"Has she eaten anything today?" Sam asked the obvious question.
"She's been having trouble keeping food down for the past week"
Silence greeted Cole's answer.
Lydia looked at Maggie while both women squealed, "She's pregnant!"
"Oh my gosh, Abigail, you're going to be a mother! This is wonderful. Have you told Aunt Margaret?" Lydia asked.
"I haven't even told my husband." Moaning softly from her resting place, Abigail struggled to sit up. "Darling, we're going to have a baby"
Cole sank to the mattress, his mouth hanging open in shock. "Are you sure about this, Abby?"
"I am as sure as a woman can be about something like this." Flinging her arms around his neck, she hugged her husband close. "We're going to be a family."
Tears welled up in her eyes as Maggie's heart sang for joy. Knowing how important family was to both Abigail and Cole, she was deliriously happy for them.
"Maybe we should leave them alone." Taking hold of Lydia's elbow, Alexander led them from the jail.
Waving over her shoulder, Maggie warned good-naturedly, "You'd best go up to the house. You know how news travels in this town. Aunt Margaret is going to want to hear this from you."
"I know. Come on, Papa, let's go share our news." With the help of her husband, Abigail got up.
A pang struck Maggie as she watched the blissfully happy couple walk down Main Street. She didn't begrudge them their happiness. Seeing them made her realize that what she wanted could be right there in front of her.
"Are you all right?" Samuel fell into step beside her.
Forcing a smile, she answered, "I'm perfectly fine. And overjoyed for Abigail and Cole"
"Then why do you look like you're going to cry?"
Maggie turned to him. "I didn't get a chance to answer your question earlier. Yes, we do have a future together because I'm falling in love with you, Samuel Clay."
He was dumbfounded. She was in love with him? "Maggie, are you sure about this?"
"Oh, Samuel, of course I'm sure"
"Then you should know I feel the same way about you" Pulling her into his arms, he breathed in the fresh scent of her. "I love you, Maggie," he whispered in her ear.
Throwing her arms around his neck, she held him tightly. "How did this happen?"
"I don't know. I've been asking myself that question for a few days"
"I think this calls for a celebration!"
Letting go of him, Maggie hurried down the street ahead of him.
Calling after her, he shouted, "Hey, where are you off to?"
"You'll see"
For a very long time she'd been content with last year's castoffs. Being in love made her feel like a different person and now she wanted to look different on the outside too. She could count on one hand the number of dresses she'd purchased over the past two years. She knew it was deplorable, but she'd never considered fashion her strong suit.
Having been more focused on being a selfmade independent woman, fashion trends were the last thing on her life's list of things to accomplish. Being sharp about running a business, even if it was just a small town dance hall, had become a priority.
As loathe as she was to admit it, the day Samuel Clay came into her life all of those beliefs had begun to change. Oh, she still wanted to be a successful businesswoman. The only dif ference now was that she didn't want to do it alone.
By the time Maggie arrived at the house, the family had gathered around Abigail and Cole. Maggie had never seen Aunt Margaret looking as happy as she did right now. It was as if the news of the baby had breathed new life into her.
"Maggie!" she called to her from the front parlor where they had assembled. "Isn't this wonderful news? Just think, by next year this time we'll have another member of the Monroe family."
Trying to hide her blissful state from her family was going to be hard, but she wanted to tell them in her own way about her and Samuel.
Lydia was looking at her in a funny way. Crossing the room she came to join Maggie by their aunt's side. "Is everything all right?"
Nodding, Maggie worked at putting a frown on her face. "I'm fine. It's just all this excitement must be getting to me"
"I don't think it's the excitement at all, Maggie. I think Samuel Clay is getting under your skin."
Her head snapped up and she met her cousin's penetrating stare. "This isn't about him," she lied, a little white lie. "Lydia, it's about me"
Lydia's mouth formed an "oh" and Maggie saw the realization hit her. "I see. Well, is there anything I can do to help?"
"No, I can deal with this problem on my own" Gazing at the sheriff and her husband, Maggie had to smile. They were so happy.
Turning back to Lydia, she said, "I'm going to my room for a little while."
"Are you sick?" Her voice laced with concern, Lydia rested her hand on Maggie's arm.
Hugging her, Maggie replied, "I'm not sick, just a little weary." When Lydia pulled back and frowned at her, Maggie added, "Really, there's nothing to worry about."
Gathering her skirts, she headed up the stairs to her room. Upon entering, the first thing she did was open up every dresser drawer. Throwing open the doors to the wardrobe, she began an inventory.
This was the beginning of the end. Out with the old and in with the new. Oh, she could spend the rest of the day coming up with simple little sayings, but the fact of the matter was, it was about time she had a make over.
Starting with her dresser, she emptied out every last drawer on top of the bed. Then sorting through all the scarves, stockings, and undergarments, she tossed anything that was more than a year old into a heap on the floor.
Once that was finished, she started on the wardrobe. Black dresses and brown ones too soon joined the pile. When the wardrobe was finally empty she turned, placing her hands on her hips to survey the mess. And what a mess it was. Thank goodness her family was distracted by Abigail's news, thought Maggie.
What her cousins would make of this Maggie could only imagine. Truth be told, though, she was glad she didn't have to explain her actions to them because at the moment she wasn't sure herself what she was doing. A light knocking on the bedroom door brought her out of her reverie.
She opened the door just far enough to see who was on the other side. If it were either one of her cousins she would most certainly not be admitted. Surprisingly, it wasn't Abigail or Lydia standing out in the hallway.
"Mrs. Clay. How are you?" Bracing the door against the toe of her shoe, Maggie stood fast.
"Maggie, I'm sorry to be a bother, but might I have a word with you?"
Maggie started to sneak out the door, but when she was about to step out into the hallway, Mrs. Clay stopped her.
"Please, might we speak in your room?"
Glancing over her shoulder at the mess, Maggie winced. "You'll have to excuse the mess." Pulling the door open, she stepped aside, allowing Samuel's mother to enter.
The woman emitted a small gasp before quickly recovering. "I see I've caught you in the middle of something. If this isn't a good time I can come back"
"This is as good a time as any. Here, let me clear some of these things off the bed so you can sit down" Scooping up a pile of lacy petticoats and stockings, she tossed them unceremoniously on the floor.
Frowning at her, Mrs. Clay sat gingerly on the edge of the mattress. "Are you sure I'm not intruding?"
Pushing the remaining undergarments aside, Maggie made some more room, sitting next to her. "You are not bothering me. I was just going through my wardrobe. You know, a sort of late spring cleaning."
Looking at the clothing strewn about, the woman smiled. "I've been doing a l
ittle of that myself. It's one of the reasons I came to see you. I find that I'm in need of some fashion advice."
It was all she could do not to burst out laughing. This was so ludicrous, Mrs. Clay coming to her for fashion advice when she didn't have any idea on where to begin herself.
Sucking in a deep breath, she exhaled, saying, "Mrs. Clay, I don't think there's much I can give you in the way of advice." Sweeping her arm in front of them, she added, "As you can see, I appear to be in as much of a quandary about clothing styles as you are. I'm sorry"
"Don't be sorry, Maggie." A pixyish smile played around the corners of her mouth. "Would you like to accompany me to Albany? I'm going shopping."
Hesitating, Maggie wondered at the woman's courage. Here she was, fresh off the farm and wanting to improve herself, while Maggie, who grew up in the arms of relative comfort, didn't have a clue where to begin with her own changes.
"I've already checked the train schedule and asked about accommodations. If you can be ready in an hour's time, we could leave this afternoon."
What was she waiting for? Her clothing was tossed about, much like her life felt at this moment. A few days away could be just what she needed. Laying her hand over Mrs. Clay's, she said, "I can be ready"
Samuel's mother embraced her. "We're going to have so much fun!"
Maggie didn't know about having fun. Like every other challenge she tackled in her life, her mind was already busy making lists.
The first item was telling Samuel that she would be going to Albany with his mother. Deciding she wasn't up to facing him or all the questions, Maggie went to the desk and hastily scribbled a note to him. She would ask his brother to deliver it.
Walter delivered the note to his brother as he was instructed to do-after the train left Surprise. Right now Walter was facing his older brother who looked angrier than a disrupted hornets' nest.
WOMEN OF SURPRISE 03: Making Over Maggie Page 9
