New Beginnings Spring 20 Book Box Set

by Hope Sinclair

  “Please don’t tell me you gave Leonard some reason to dismiss, or leave, you,” Mrs. Wallace barked, rolling her eyes as she stood up and followed her daughter. “This is your shot to help our family make it big. I hope you didn’t blow it.”

  Emily chose not to respond and, instead, threw herself down on her bed and buried her head in her pillow. It had been two weeks since Leonard Latimer’s “Welcome Home” party, and, in that time, with Emily’s parents’ blessing—and great enthusiasm—they’d begun courting. They’d been on one public “date” already and, earlier this evening, had gone out on their second.

  “You better sit up and tell me what happened,” Mrs. Wallace went on. “I demand an explanation.”

  “I don’t want to talk about it,” Emily replied. Her mother hadn’t even noticed—or expressed concerned over the fact—that she was crying.

  “I don’t care what you do or don’t want,” Mrs. Wallace spat back. “You will tell me what happened… Your courtship with Leonard Latimer is very important to this family. He is a very wealthy, very well-respected young man, and—”

  “Well, Mother,” Emily hissed, springing up into an upright position, “that very wealthy, very well-respected young man is nothing but a scoundrel. We were in his sitting room this evening, and the chaperone stepped out for a moment. No sooner than she did, Leonard put his hand on my knee and tried to kiss me.”

  “Oh dear,” Mrs. Wallace said under her breath. Her eyes widened, and she took a seat on the foot of her daughter’s bed.

  “I pulled back and stood up,” Emily went on to explain. “And, I told him that he was not to touch me like that, try to kiss me, or advance on me in any other fashion.”

  Mrs. Wallace took a deep breath and stared down at the blanket on Emily’s bed. That blanket had cost more than the kitchen table she had in her old house, and it reminded her of all the “finer things” and “luxuries” she hoped to acquire.

  “And you won’t believe what he said to me after that,” Emily continued. “He told me that our families were very different from each other, and not just in terms of the amount of money we had to our names—but, also in terms of class and standing. He said that his family was a pillar of New York, nay United States, society, while ours was nothing but a mall patch of moss upon it.

  “He said that, if a girl like me ever expected to marry a man like him, I’d have turn a blind eye to some of the precepts of convention and virtue. If a girl like me expected to marry a man like him, I’d have to let up a little, so that he could test the waters and see what benefits he was getting from the bargain—which, he said, meant that I’d have to let him touch my knee… and more, if he wanted.”

  “Hmmm,” Mrs. Wallace hummed, hawing. She continued to stare down at Emily’s blanket. “So, he did mention the possibility of marriage?” she inquired.

  Emily found herself speechless. She was at a loss for words. She couldn’t believe her mother had just asked that question, let alone begin to answer it.

  “So long as he is interested I getting married,” Mrs. Wallace further, running her hand over the smooth blanket, “I see no problem in allowing him to express his affection. A man like him has his choice of any bride. So, if he’s decided to show you interest, perhaps you should do what is necessary to maintain it.”

  “Mother!” Emily gasped. “You’re not suggesting that I allow Leonard to—”

  “Emily,” Mrs. Wallace interrupted, looking up at Emily, “you’re 22 years old. You are quite beautiful. But, you’re not getting any younger. Use your time—and your beauty—wisely. Reel this one in, before he gets away.”

  Emily hadn’t been fishing in over a decade, but she recalled enough of the activity to understand her mother’s reference. She knew exactly what her mother was getting at, and, needless to say, it disturbed her.

  Mrs. Wallace stood up from the bed and walked toward the door. “You must make this right,” she said, with her back to her daughter. “You’ll go to Leonard tomorrow evening and apologize for your insensitivity and lack of understanding—and, by God, I hope that he forgives you… And, if he does, you’ll continued your courtship with him, and be more liberal in your encounters.”

  Emily’s head was spinning, and she felt a dozen different emotions churning inside of her. She felt sad, scared, and angry. She felt upset and hurt, for she’d been objectified like her mother, turned into a piece of meat sold off to the highest bidder. She felt unloved and unclean. Her heart was broken.

  Mrs. Wallace walked out of the room without another word, and Emily sat there in silence. All this considered. She knew what she had to do. Alas, she had no other option. She decided that, indeed, she would turn a blind eye to convention and virtue… just not in the ways her mother not-so-subtly asked and expected.

  THREE

  Emily awoke startled. Her body had just been involuntarily shifted, and her head smacked against a hard surface.

  Emily took a moment to appraise her surroundings. Apparently, the train had just gone over another bump in the tracks, and this one had been a doosie. It had caught several other passengers off guard, like Emily, and had caused several suitcases and other pieces of luggage to topple over.

  Emily had been on the train for nearly two weeks. So, by now, she was used to these types of occasional upheavals. But, this one had come during the middle of the night and woken Emily from a deep sleep—so, she was rather shaken up by it. While many of the other passengers collected themselves and tried to fall back asleep, she remained awake, riddled with emotion.

  It wasn’t just this bump in the journey that haunted Emily. It was also this journey itself. Emily was still very worried and unsure about it, and she didn’t need any other reason to be anxious.

  The day after Emily’s mother told her to go to Leonard’s house and resuscitate their courtship, Emily took quick and decisive action. And, when she left her house that night, she told her parents she was going to Leonard’s. But, really, she went behind the house, grabbed the suitcase she had packed earlier, and ran off to the train station, where she boarded the midnight train several hours later.

  Emily’s parents thought nothing of the fact that their daughter hadn’t returned home according to the standard curfew that evening. In fact, they were quite pleased by it. Mrs. Wallace took it as a sign that Emily had taken her suggestions to heart, and was putting her plan into action. She went to bed that night thinking her daughter was out there earning the wings she needed to carry her family to the next social level.

  But, when Mrs. Wallace awoke the next morning, she wasn’t so pleased anymore. She discovered the note Emily had left for her on her bed and realized that he daughter had ran away. And, by that time, there was nothing she should do about it, as Emily was already on the train… bound for her Lampasas County, Texas.

  Four years ago, before Mr. Wallace inherited his fortune, Emily’s older sister, Amanda, had run off t0 Lampasas County to marry a rancher she’d met through a mail-order bride periodical. Once upon a time, she and Emily had been very close. But, when Amanda left, she left rather abruptly, without giving Emily or her parents much of an explanation—and, as a result, Emily resented her for it. She felt as though Amanda had betrayed and abandoned her, and she went on to live life as though she’d never even had a sister, ignoring multiple letters from Amanda in the process.

  But, now, years later, Emily final understood why Amanda had left so abruptly. And, sure enough, she found herself doing the same thing. Only Emily wasn’t running off to get married. She was running off to reunite with her sister. She needed help and didn’t have anyone else to turn to, and, for the last two weeks or so, all she could do is pray that, once she showed up in Lampasas County, unexpected and unannounced, her sister would forgive and accept her.

  Still, even if Amanda didn’t forgive and accept Emily—even if she refused to help her younger sister—Emily had decided that starting life anew, from scratch, was a far better option that staying in her parents’ hom
e, where all that mattered was money and she was considered nothing more than a bargaining asset. Her parents had tried to set her up with wealthy, successful men before. But, her mother’s most recent suggestion had crossed a line, and Emily feared what her mother would expect, or demand, from her next. Enough was enough. Emily wanted more out of life than to be chattel, even if it meant humbling herself, or struggling on her own, to get it.

  FOUR

  When the train finally pulled in to the station at Lampasas County, Emily felt a welcome sense of relief. Her travels had been very trying in many ways, and she couldn’t wait to get off of the train.

  But, as soon as she did get off of the train, Emily’s feelings of relief were quickly replaced with feelings of concern. She was in a foreign place, after all, and was not expected. So, naturally, there was no one there to meet her, or even point her in the right direction.

  As Emily watched the other passengers veer off and meet up with their families and/or escorts, she took a deep breath and looked around for someone who would help her. She was looking mainly for someone in uniform, be it a train station attendant or member of local law enforcement.

  But, before she could see any such person, Emily noticed a small group of men near one of the cargo cars, loading cattle onto it. One man, in particular, caught Emily’s eyes. He was tall, thick-built, and very handsome. His dirty-blonde, golden hair was shoulder length and hung in loose ringlets that he had pulled into a ponytail at the back of his head, and he wore a beard, of the same color, that was well-kept and trimmed.

  Emily continued to stare at the man, admiring his stall, thick stature, until, all of a sudden, he looked at her directly. He’d noticed her looking at him, and, when his emerald green eyes met hers, Emily turned her head bashfully and looked in the other direction.

  Luckily, when Emily looked the other way, she saw a train station attendant. She picked up her things and went over to him.

  “Excuse me sir,” she said politely. “Do you happen to know how I can get to the settlement of Copper Rock?”

  The attendant, a much older man, smiled at Emily kindly. “Sorry, honey,” he answered, shaking his head. “But, I’m not from around here. I ride the rails as my way of life, and lay my head in no particular area. I’m just as much a stranger to this place as you are… But, I wish you luck in finding your destination.”

  The attendant tipped his hat at Emily and walked away. Emily was just about to walk away as well. But, she was interrupted before she could.

  “Did you say Copper Rock?” a strong, smooth voice asked from behind her.

  Emily spun around, and there he was—the man she been spying on. He looks even better up close, Emily thought to herself, trying as hard as she could not to blush like a school girl.

  “Yes,” Emily replied reluctantly. “My sister lives there. I’ve come to see her and her husband.”

  The man looked Emily over, and he was very pleased with what he saw. “Then why aren’t they here to meet you?” he asked, arching his eyebrows at her.

  “My visit is a surprise,” Emily replied, being truthful but speaking with reservation.

  “Then the surprise is on you,” the man chuckled. “Copper Rock is a considerable distance from this station. If you intend to walk, I reckon it’d take you well over four hours.”

  “Oh,” Emily said, bowing her head. Back in New York, life had been so centralized, and most people lived within reasonable walking distance from the city. She’d never even considered the possibility that things could be that much different in Texas.

  “Very well then,” Emily added. “I guess I have quite the boot set out for me… Can you point me in the right direction?”

  “I can do better than that,” the man smiled. “I can give you a ride on my carriage. I’m headed there as well, and I wouldn’t—”

  “No thank you,” Emily interjected without letting the man finish his sentence or even considering his offer. Yes, the man was very good-looking. But, he was a stranger. And, on top of that, he was a cowboy—and, from what Emily had heard of cowboys out west they could sometimes be unruly and tended toward the “wild life” of gambling, drinking whiskey, and chasing women. So, Emily didn’t wanted to take her chances and put herself in any danger. Plus, given how Leonard had treated her so lasciviously, she’d become somewhat wary of men in general.

  “What?” the man asked, shocked. “You’d rather walk than ride on my carriage? That’s absurd! I could save you half the time and all of the energy. Surely you—”

  “No thank you,” Emily repeated.

  “Alright,” the man replied. “Have it your way.” He took a deep breath, then pointed off to his left. “The town is that way,” he went on. “It’s about a half-hour walk to get there. And, once you’re there, you’ll want to walk east, passed the sheriff’s station and church. When you’ve reached the outskirts of town, stay on the widest road and follow it for the next three hours or so, until you see a fork in the road. Then, take the road farthest on the right for a short while, until you see a sign on a post that reads ‘Copper Rock.’”

  Emily paid careful attention to the man’s directions. Though, truth be told, she was quite confused. Nonetheless, she nodded, thanked the man, and headed off in the direction he’d indicated.

  Approximately 30 or 40 minutes later, Emily arrived in town. The storefronts and other buildings were a sight for her sore eyes, and she craved the many things the local businesses offered. She was exhausted, hungry, thirsty, and overheated, and she wanted nothing more than to sit down for a hearty meal in the restaurant; enjoy a cookie from the bakery; or buy fresh, clean clothing from the clothing store.

  But, as tempted as she was to do these things, Emily ignored her cravings. She knew that she still had a few hours of walking ahead of her, and it was already after noon. She certainly didn’t want to be walking on an unfamiliar road, headed toward an unfamiliar destination, when nighttime came. So, rather than catering to her wants and needs, Emily pressed on.

  As Emily neared the landmarks the cowboy back at the train station had told her about, her heart began to flutter—in both fear and excitement. Just past the church, a carriage was hitched to a post, and a man sat in the back of it, leaned back against a bale of hay, eating an apple.

  It’s him again, Emily noted, looking into the eyes of the cowboy. He smiled back at her through his closed mouth as he chewed.

  “I hope you’re not following me,” Emily said defensively, once she was close enough for him to hear her.

  “Not following you,” the cowboy answered, wiping his sleeve against his chin to sop up the apple’s sweet juices. “Just following up… At the station, I was so surprised you didn’t want a ride with me that I forgot to tell you something.”

  Emily looked at the cowboy expectantly. “What?” she asked after a moment of silence.

  “There are folks here in town who provide carriage transportation to travelers for a fee,” the cowboy explained. “It is their line of business… So, if you don’t want to make the walk, and don’t want to travel with me, you can commission one of them.”

  Emily weighed what the cowboy had told her. She knew that there was a chance he could be setting her up from something sinister, but she figured that that chance was slim. In New York, there were people who engaged in such business as well—so, it didn’t seem that far of a stretch to assume there were such people here in Texas as well. And, if there were, indeed, Emily wanted their services.

  “There are two such men in town at this very moment,” the cowboy went on. “Both of their carriages are right over there, in front of the post office.”

  The cowboy gestured to his right, and Emily looked to her left. Lo and behold, there were two carriages in front of the post office, and each had a sign that read “Commissionable Carriage.”

  “Thank you,” Emily replied with a smile with made the cowboy’s smile even bigger.

  “You’re quite welcome,” the cowboy replied. “I hope to s
ee you around Copper Rock sometime.”

  Emily turned and walked toward the post office without replying to the cowboy’s last comment. In all honesty, she didn’t know what to say to him. Part of her longed to see him again and wanted to tell him as much. But, another part of her was still wary about men and suspicious of him—and, it was that part that propelled her forward.

  It took Emily only a few minutes to arrange for a ride with one of the men. But, it took much longer for that man to ride her to Copper Rock. Sure enough, the journey took nearly two hours.

  Once they arrived at Copper Rock, Emily was sure they man would request a hefty fee for his service. But, she figured whatever he asked was well worth it. She’d saved up a lot of money over the past two years, and had every penny of it with her, and she didn’t mind spending some of it on this type of convenience.

  “How much do I owe you?” Emily asked, stepping off of the man’s carriage.

  “Nothing,” the man replied. “Your fare has already been paid for.”

  “By who?” Emily asked curiously.

  “Sawyer,” the man answered.

  Emily shrugged her shoulders and shook her head, still curious.

  “The young man you were talking to outside of the church,” her driver clarified.

  “He paid for my carriage ride?” Emily asked, startled. “But why? And… how? There were two of you back at the post office—two drivers. How did he know which of you I would select to take me?”

  “He didn’t,” the man answered with a snort of laughter. “He paid both of us.”

  Emily’s mouth inadvertently curled into a smile, though she tried to hide it, both from the man and from herself.

  “Well, thank you very much for the ride,” Emily said, picking up her suitcase. She nodded at the man and turned to leave.