Revealed (Intrigue Under Western Skies Book 3) Page 3

  Charley waved from a good distance, but the way she was riding, they’d reach the ranch house about the same time. He lifted his hand in an answering wave.

  She wore her curly, blonde hair in her working style today. Clasped at each side just below the ears with bits of ribbon to cascade in two tails over her shoulders. Wild and free. Like Charley.

  A plaid shirt filled out her shapely curves, and a rope cinched the waist of her jeans. “Howdy,” she said, spinning the show horse around to a flourishing stop.

  “Howdy yourself.”

  “What’cha doing out here at Sollano?” She darted him a saucy grin.

  They dismounted. “I was wondering the same about you.”

  “I’ve got to see Carianne about making up the posters for our next show. I came out here yesterday, and she was in town. The day before she was busy with the baby. How can she be busy with the baby? She has a nursemaid, for goodness sakes, but she’s always got to tend the baby.”

  He chuckled. “She just likes to spend time with the baby. She’s a new mother.”

  “No, I think she’s jealous the baby will like Mrs. Elder more on account of her feeding him.” She shrugged one shoulder. “How silly is that? That baby won’t remember Mrs. Elder when he grows up. You’d think anyone as smart as Carianne would know that.”

  Charley wasn’t known for her womanly nature, nor did she have time for babies, but he wished she’d be more understanding of Carianne’s feelings. Then again, Carianne hadn’t shown much interest in babies until she had one of her own.

  “I’m afraid you’re out of luck again. Carianne isn’t at home. She and Rhyan just left on the train going to Charleston.”

  “Charleston? Are they going to promote the show?”

  “No, a family matter. I don’t expect they’ll be back for a week at least.”

  Charley stamped her booted foot. “Ain’t that peachy. A whole week wasted. I guess I can work with Si and Hayes on the shooting. I’m going to shoot a tin can off the head of one of them—whichever one has the most nerve.”

  “Woah, now. I don’t think you’d better do that without getting Carianne’s permission, and I doubt she’ll agree to something that dangerous.”

  “It ain’t dangerous. Don’t I always hit the mark? Hayes is willing, I think, and it’s his head.”

  “Well, I know Carianne rather well, and I’m pretty sure she wouldn’t like it.”

  Charley let her head fall back, revealing the alluring slope of her neck, and popping the top button on her shirt to boot. “This is so aggravating. I did a lot more dangerous stuff in the circus. She might just lose us if she doesn’t pay more attention to our act, you know. I told Rhyan that.”

  “What did he say?”

  She huffed. “What do you think? He said I’d have to discuss it with Carianne. Honestly, I don’t know how this place is going to manage a whole week without Carianne.”

  He couldn’t help but laugh. “It’ll do fine, and the show will too. Carianne always comes through in the end. Trust me. You just have to have a little patience.”

  “Guess I have no choice, do I? We’ll keep practicing, huh.” She elbowed him in the ribs. “You been practicing your dancing?”

  She caught him off guard. “Dancing?”

  “You are taking me to the barn dance, right? First Saturday of the month. And you’re not going to play the guitar. You’re going to dance every time with me.”

  Charley demanded attention in or out of the show. A knot of nerves made him laugh. “I can’t do that. You know the other fellows will want their turn.” It wasn’t like she didn’t have a right to demand his attention. They’d been courting since January.

  She tilted her head, a smile fixed on her lovely features, knowing she was making him uncomfortable. “I’ll give a turn to Jake and Clay, but nobody else, except you.” She poked him in the chest with her finger to emphasize her point. “And you’ll take me to preaching on Sunday?”

  “For sure.” He and Ma had picked Charley up on their way to church every Sunday, and she’d joined them for dinner at the boardinghouse. They had to go home right after Church this coming Sunday. Would Charley expect to be invited to dinner at the ranch house? Probably not. She’d take that for granted.

  They hadn’t set a date yet. It had been so long, people had stopped asking, and he couldn’t help but wonder at times if Charley really wanted a husband or just a man to escort her around town.

  He wasn’t in much of a hurry either—even promising her he’d wait two years. A long courtship was fine with him. They had to get to know each other a lot better, and he’d made it clear he couldn’t have his wife performing in public. Being gawked at by all sorts of men.

  Besides, a rancher’s wife would have her hands full with other duties.

  Yes, Carianne could manage a business and her role as wife and mother, but Carianne had servants. And she was more than likely to hire a manager for the Western Gates now the baby had come.

  Charley had to understand his wife wouldn’t have servants.

  Chapter 3

  Katherine beat a path from Mama’s room to the front door. Over and over, her feet pounded the worn floorboards, moving at a brisk pace, although there were less than a dozen paces to take. Rhyan’s telegram said they’d arrive at two o’clock that afternoon. She was not to meet their train. They would come directly to the house.

  It was after three now. Was the train late arriving? Did they have trouble finding the place? Had they decided they didn’t want to get involved and wouldn’t come at all?

  Of course not. Nerves churned her stomach. Giddy anticipation warred with fear of what Mama would do. She wished she hadn’t told Mama, and she hadn’t until this morning.

  Mama hadn’t spoken a word, answering Katherine’s many questions with the barest movement of the head. She refused to eat or get out of bed. What would Rhyan think if she remained in this catatonic state?

  Please Lord, soften Mama’s heart a little bit.

  If they would only get here. But when they did, what should she say?

  Was that a spot of dust she’d missed? She’d scrubbed the whole house. Twice. And did the best she could to make the shabby furnishings sparkle. With the rag she’d been twisting in her hands, she rubbed the dusty spot on the peeling doorframe, and only made it worse as flecks of paint rained to the floor.

  After cleaning the splintered floor, she made her way toward Mama’s room again.

  Mama couldn’t still be asleep. Likely, she just had her eyes closed to avoid conversation. She did that a lot.

  Her hand hovered over the bedroom doorknob when a knock sounded at the front door. She froze, her heart skipping a beat. That had to be them.

  Swallowing that pesky knot of nerves down her throat, she sped across the room. Another rap prompted her to unlock the door and pull it open.

  She’d seen photographs of Rhyan and read descriptions of him, but his appearance surprised her. She hadn’t expected him to be so tall or to look as much like Mama as he did.

  “Katherine?” The woman’s soft voice drew her attention. Carianne’s pretty face smiled at her.

  “Yes, please come in.” Katherine stepped back to let them enter.

  Carianne’s royal blue traveling gown was the height of fashion, and her feathered hat dipped on one side at just the right angle. It made Katherine brush her own worn muslin dress. All Mama’s and her best dresses had been sold to the consignment shop.

  Before she realized it, she was swept into a hug, first by Carianne, then Rhyan. His manly smell engulfed her, reminding her of Papa and making her stiffen.

  He must have noticed. After kissing her cheek, he placed his hands on her shoulders and moved back a pace to study her. “I’ve always wanted a little sister to boss,” he said. She didn’t know quite how to take that, and he smiled, adding, “I can’t boss Carianne. She hits.”

  As if to prove him right, Carianne punched him on the arm. He rubbed the place like he’d really b
een injured. “See what I mean.”

  Her nerves finally relaxed, and she laughed despite herself. “Please, come have a seat. You must be tired after that long journey.” She started for the sofa.

  “Where is your mother?” Rhyan’s question stopped her in her tracks. Your mother, not our mother. Did that mean he wouldn’t forgive her? That he’d take umbrage against her? That he came to take his revenge instead of help them?

  All those nerves she’d taken control of sprang back to life. “She’s been sick…she is sick…and hasn’t been out of bed today.”

  Rhyan gave her a look that revealed nothing. He gestured toward the hall. “Is she back there?”

  “Y…yes, the door on the left.”

  He crossed the room with such wide strides, she had to run to catch up. But Carianne followed behind and caught her by the arm. “Why don’t we give them some privacy while you and I get to know each other?” She laid a gentle hand on Katherine’s shoulder and nudged her toward the sofa.

  Katherine cast a worried backward glance, not knowing what Mama would do. For that matter, she didn’t know what Rhyan would do. For awhile the need to protect her mother warred with the need to trust her brother.

  Then she glanced down to find Carianne, already seated, studying her intently. She sank onto the place beside this genial sister-in-law and fiddled with the buttons of her shirtwaist, her mind still back in the bedroom with Mama and Rhyan.

  “What did your father do, Katherine?”

  The question brought her around. “He…he was a lawyer.” She watched Carianne’s gaze travel around the room. “Oh, we didn’t live here.” Now she must defend her father. Did Carianne think Papa had left them in such dire straits? “We had a large home in—” She started to name the district, but it would mean nothing to Carianne. “In one of the better neighborhoods near Papa’s office.”

  “I think in your letter, you said your father passed away suddenly a little over a year ago. That must have been a horrible shock.”

  Katherine nodded, meeting Carianne’s sympathetic eyes. “His apoplexy did come on suddenly. I was at Glenhaven’s finishing school when the news came.” She felt tears long since hidden gush forth. “He died a month later, and...never recognized me…or Mama. Then Mama got sick. And…and.” Their world had fallen apart.

  Carianne pulled her into her arms. “You poor dear. You’ve never had a chance to grieve.”

  Katherine wept until she realized she’d soaked Carianne’s beautiful jacket. She lifted her head, rubbing the fabric. “I’m sorry. I’ll clean that.”

  “You will not. The Sollano cleaners will take care of it. They’re used to it, I assure you. And they’ll clean your clothes, too.” Carianne produced a monogrammed handkerchief of linen, edged with finest lace.

  Katherine hesitated to take such a work of art until Carianne tilted her chin with her fingertips and used the handkerchief to mop Katherine’s face, then pressed it into her hand.

  Did Carianne just say the Sollano cleaners would do her laundry? That meant they intended to take her and Mama back to Sollano with them.

  If Mama would go.

  She wadded the handkerchief, her mind churning with hope and anxiety.

  “How old are you, Katherine?”

  “I’ll be eighteen next month.” Her mouth worked as fresh tears threatened. “I was supposed to have a ball on my birthday to introduce me to society.”

  “And so you shall have a ball, but at Sollano instead of here.” Carianne leaned in to whisper. “Did you know there are more men than women out west? You’ll have more beaus than you know what to do with.”

  She stared at Carianne’s smiling face. Beaus? How could she find time for a beau when she had to nurse Mama?

  That might be a non-issue if Mama wouldn’t leave, because she couldn’t leave Mama.

  Her confusion must have shown. With a couple of twists, Carianne scooted to the edge of the sofa and took her by both shoulders as Rhyan had earlier. “You’ve been carrying this burden all by yourself on your young shoulders for too long, Katherine. Rhyan and I will help you so you can enjoy being the beautiful young lady you are.”

  Beautiful? Katherine almost laughed. Her beautiful? She glanced down at her chaffed hands.

  Carianne withdrew her touch but stayed perched on the sofa’s edge. A good idea, since sitting back was like sinking into a hole. If it hadn’t been for the support of her ample bustle she wouldn’t have been able to get up without help. “Have you packed?”

  “No, I had no idea we’d be leaving.” Leaving with them anyway. Yes, they’d have to vacate the house, but there wasn’t much to pack so it hadn’t crossed Katherine’s mind until now. “And, as I mentioned in my letter, I don’t think Mama will be willing to go out west.”

  “I can understand not wanting to leave Charleston. It’s a beautiful place. But you’ll both learn to love the plains, as I have.” Carianne’s smile wilted, and she poked out her lower lip. “I have to warn you, Katherine, Rhyan is determined that the two of you will return with us tonight. He’s secured a private railcar, so it shouldn’t be too arduous a journey for your mother.”

  Katherine shot another anxious look toward Mama’s room. What was taking so long in there?

  “Don’t worry. Rhyan is very persuasive.”

  Katherine shook her head, letting a derisive laugh escape. “You don’t know my mother.”

  “No, but I do know Rhyan, and he’s very persistent. He’s searched for Arabella for years. Now that he’s found her—and you—he isn’t going to leave without both of you.”

  He’d searched for them? That was something Katherine was sure hadn’t crossed Mama’s mind. But why hadn’t it? That was a question she’d have to explore later. Now Carianne was still looking at her intently, expecting her to—what?

  “I hate to rush you, dear, but our train leaves at seven-thirty, and it’s—” She turned her lapel to reveal a watch. “After five now.”

  Knowing Carianne would follow, Katherine rose and made her way to a curtained corner of the room which served as her wardrobe closet. Carianne would see how little she had to pack.

  She pushed the curtain aside and waved a hand. “These are all the dresses I have left, and the trunk—” She gave a light kick to the steamer trunk with the toe of her shoe. “It contains all my worldly possessions.” She squatted beside the trunk, and with a little grunt, opened the lid, and looked up at her sister-in-law. “The same is true for my mother. So you can see there is little to…pack.”

  “So there is. This makes it very easy.” Carianne got down on her knees and poured over the ribbons and lace at the bottom of the trunk. Things Katherine had taken from other garments in hopes they could be used again.

  Carianne’s ever-present smile gave nothing away. She held onto Katherine’s shoulder to wiggle upright and began pulling dresses from the hooks. “We’ll just lay these across the top of your other things. They may get crushed, but the laundry women at Sollano will press them when we arrive.”

  It took all of thirty seconds to get that task done.

  Katherine rose and almost toppled. She pressed one hand to her stomach and grabbed Carianne’s arm for support. It wasn’t unusual for her to feel faint upon rising, but something else bothered her.

  Like an encroaching fog, doubts threatened to swallow her. That Carianne expected her to be someone she wasn’t. That she wouldn’t fit in. That she wouldn’t measure up. In truth, ever since Papa died, she’d begun to doubt who she really was. This last year had drained all the hope out of her, leaving her as worn and limp as the dresses lying in her trunk.

  Carianne studied her with worried eyes. “Are you all right? Can I get you some water?”

  Katherine forced a smile and dropped both hands. “No, I’m fine, really. Thank you for helping me pack.”

  Carianne’s features still held a shadow of concern. “Since your ball is to take place next month, I think a new wardrobe is in order. We’ll have fun shopping for n
ew dresses and accessories.” She pressed a palm to her cheek. “Oh, and I have a friend who’s a wonderful dress-maker. I’ll send her your measurements and order your evening gown.”

  “I don’t want to be a bother. I’m rather handy with a needle, and if we can find suitable fabric, I could sew a new dress or two.”

  The light returned to Carianne’s eyes. “As soon as you get settled, we’ll have a sewing bee. That way, you can meet all the ladies of Westerfield.” She winked. “Be forewarned. We have some characters in the bunch.”

  Katherine quelled at that thought. She’d never made friends easily. What would these ladies think of her and Mama showing up after all these years? There was no good explanation.

  She found it hard to take in everything that might change for her. Carianne probably expected her to act excited over the prospect of new clothes and new friends, but all she could do was wring her hands. She didn’t think Mama would go anywhere, and if Mama didn’t leave, neither could she. “I wish I could offer you some tea, but…there is none to offer.”

  “That’s all right. We’ll have dinner on the train. Train food isn’t nearly as bad as people make out. We’ll be served in our private car since Arabella will probably not feel up to going to the dining car.”

  Arabella. The sound of her mother’s name still jolted her. She hadn’t heard it spoken since her father’s death. She managed a half-hearted smile. “That will be nice.”

  “You know, Katherine, we have much in common.”

  Katherine lifted her head, her eyes narrowed in a sharp glance. How could she possibly have anything in common with this elegant, self-assured woman?

  “We both have known poverty, though in reverse.”

  Katherine cocked a brow and Carianne laughed. “You were about sixteen when you lost your father and your comfortable situation, am I right?”

  “Sixteen and a half to be exact.”

  “I lost my father in the war before I was born and lived in poverty for the first sixteen years of my life. Then I became a ward and heir of my wealthy grandmother, who lavished me with all I could imagine and more.”