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  Seth smiled and nipped at her nose. “But we weren’t able to finish our kiss.” He leaned in to take her lips again.

  Tom groaned. They broke apart, with Samantha looking a bit flustered. She quickly excused herself and went back to the stove to grab the bread. Seth chuckled to himself and took a spoon to his meal. Tom echoed his movements. “You seem happy.”

  Seth looked up from his bowl, grinning, “You could say that.”

  They both went back their meal, as Samantha joined them again with the bread. She sat between them at the long table. “I went into town the other day with Seth. I visited with Misty for a bit.” As she said this, she gave Tom a knowing smile. Since Misty came to this town, Samantha was not-so-subtly trying to turn Tom’s head in Misty’s direction.

  Misty was a cute girl and if she wasn’t Samantha’s former maid maybe Tom would think about starting something with her; but it was nothing serious and Tom knew this would not sit well with Samantha on any level. He could tell that Samantha cared about Misty in a sisterly way. “Was the Sheriff there too? Old man Higgins keeps calling him in because of her mouth, but he can’t do anything about it.” Tom smirked, tearing a huge piece from the loaf of bread Samantha set on the table.

  This was reason number two as to why Misty was off limits. “The sheriff?” Samantha inclined, looking over to her husband. “Why would the sheriff be there?”

  Under her icy stare, Seth choked on his food. He reached over and grabbed a glass of ale set next to his bowl. A few minutes passed until Seth spoke. “Yes, it seems Misty has quite the temper and has been fighting with Old Man Higgins, the customers, whomever, all the time. So, the Sheriff has to come down to the hotel to try to broker peace between the two.”

  Tom sat his spoon down and leaned back in his seat. “If you ask me, I think there’s more to that.”

  “Why would you say that?” Samantha asked, taking the bait. Tom could see Seth shaking his head to stop him from continuing to talk, while Samantha's eyes narrowed in Tom’s direction. But this was the perfect opportunity for Tom to try and deter Samantha from playing matchmaker.

  “Well, for one, the Sheriff seems to be the only one who can really pacify her. But I wouldn’t say in a dominant way. He can calm her down. Even so, they still have these heated arguments. He looks at her in a way that is not friendly. Either it’s a look of murder because she’s so infuriating or it looks almost like he wants to throw her down on a bed.” He could see Samantha gasp at his choice of words, but he continued. “I’m always telling Seth he’s either going to have to arrest her or kiss her. If you ask me? It’s going to be the latter.”

  Judging from Samantha’s swift movement to eye Seth, this was not privy knowledge between the husband and wife, even though this was an ongoing topic of conversation between himself and Seth during some long days spent on the farm. Seth gave Tom a stony stare and let out an exasperated breath. “And I keep telling Tom we should mind our own business.” Reaching over to grab a piece of bread, he quickly changed the subject. “The next train in should have some more building supplies, according to what I’ve heard around the town. We should be able to get everything we need by next week to finish up the addition.”

  This seemed to lighten Samantha’s mood, though Tom knew Seth would be hearing it later. With their growing family, Seth and Samantha were adding another room to the house. Samantha was excited about the new addition; she was always subtly complaining about the way the house was built. Because of her east coast upbringing, she had become accustomed to a certain type of lifestyle. The house didn’t necessarily fit that ideal; but Tom could appreciate how she didn’t let it consume her life. “How wonderful!” she clasped her hands together. “I’m so excited to start decorating!”

  Tom laughed as he heard Seth groan. Samantha didn’t seem to notice. “Does this mean you will also be completing the work on the shack?”

  Tom shook his head. “No. I’ve invested in a new set of cattle.”

  “Why do you keep adding cattle? We have money for that. You should be concentrating on fixing up your own house.” She turned her head towards her husband and motioned for him to agree. Tom wished he could see the look on her face, especially with the way Seth was nodding along.

  Before Seth could interject, Tom answered. “Yes, I know, but I want to contribute as much as I can.”

  “You shouldn’t feel that way. You contribute enough in just the workload alone. The inheritance money is there to help.”

  Samantha had inherited a nice amount of money from her first husband and her father and a few weeks ago, the accounts were finally released to her. She had been putting most of it back into their land, buying more cattle or seeds for their fields. Seth and Samantha had always told Tom her money was the farm’s money and he needn’t worry about taking the odd jobs in town anymore. And if he wanted to continue with the work, he should use that money for his own home. But Tom had always refused. He didn’t want to feel like a burden in their lives.

  Tom knew there was another argument brewing, so he pushed his chair back. “It’s getting a bit late. I think I’ll be going.”

  Samantha looked crestfallen. She stood up and walked over to him. “Really? You don’t want to stay? I baked a pie.”

  Tom cringed a bit. He remembered the last pie Samantha had tried to make. It smelled like burnt logs and tasted like dirt. “As enticing as that invitation is, I really should get going.”

  Feeling his wife’s apprehension, Seth added, “If you want, you can stay here the night. It’s been getting cold. We could make a bed for you right here.” He pointed to a small space at the far end of the room.

  Tom knew they were coming from a good place, but Tom didn’t want to cause too much trouble for them. “No, this is fine. In fact, you don’t even have to worry about me staying in the house. Mr. Smith has asked me to work on the roof of the general store. He’s going to pay me twice the usual pay. I couldn’t really pass it up. So, I’m going to go into town and stay at the hotel for the night.” He was also looking forward to having a lady warming his bed tonight, but he wasn’t about to tell this to Samantha. “I should be back a few days. Don’t miss me too much,” he added, with a wink.

  Seth, reading Tom’s mind, went over to stand next to his wife, setting his hand on her shoulder. “I think we can handle ourselves for a few days. But, be sure to save this money. We honestly don’t need another cow,” he said, adding a small laugh at the end.

  Samantha smiled weakly. “Yes, make sure you use this money for sprucing up your shack. One day, when you bring your new bride home, you’ll thank me.”

  Tom wanted to roll his eyes but instead, leaned into Samantha for a hug. There wouldn’t be a new bride for him, at least, not anytime soon. Tom was very confident there was no woman out there who would make him want to settle down.

  Chapter 3

  Elizabeth walked from the post office with a smile on her face. She had received a few letters from her bride inquiries the past few days, but nothing as promising as the letter she was holding in her hands. The man in question was Carl Gaines, a restaurant owner from Black Hills, Illinois. He wrote her a letter a few weeks back, commenting on her beauty and complimenting her current employment. He offered many comforting words and described the life she would have as his wife. There was also a job for her; the town needed a new school mistress and she would be perfect for the job.

  She was already smitten with his written words. She wrote back to him, agreeing to his offer of engagement. The letter she received this morning included money for her trip out west and confirmation for when she would be out there. She was elated. As she was walking down the street, she spotted Mary carrying a large basket overflowing with blankets. Suspicious, she ran over to the poor girl as she struggled to walk forward. “Dear Mary, what are you doing with so many blankets?”

  The young girl looked around the pile. Elizabeth saw her doe eyes staring back at her. She immediately dropped the basket and hugged her. �
�Oh, Elizabeth! I thought today was your day off?”

  Elizabeth dropped back on her heels, grabbing the girl’s shoulders to draw her away. She wasn’t expecting such a greeting. “Yes, it is. I had to pick up a few things from town and am now on my way to visit with my sister.”

  The girl’s face fell. “Oh, so you aren’t on your way back to the Grayson house?”

  Mary removed her arms from Elizabeth’s waist and rubbed her hands over her forearms, giving room for Elizabeth to smooth out the wrinkles in her dress. “No, I hadn’t planned on it anytime soon.” Staring down at the poor girl, she felt a twinge of sympathy. “Why are you asking?”

  Mary curled her lips and looked away for a moment. “It’s nothing really,” she started, avoiding eye contact until Elizabeth let out an exasperated grunt, bringing her attention back. She stared up into Elizabeth’s eyes. “Well, the Mistress wants to mend these blankets, and I have to pick up some items from the store. She gave me a list of directions, and it seems I have misplaced it.” She looked around the ground, as if to reiterate it was missing in the wind. “I don’t really know where I am going.”

  Elizabeth let out a frustrated sigh. The girl looked so helpless standing there with her large brown eyes. And now that she was going to leave her governess job, she needed to give Mary as much help as she could. “It seems I can spare an hour or two before I’m due at my sister’s. Would you like my assistance?”

  Mary’s eyes got even bigger and she clasped her hands together. “Really, you’d do that?”

  Elizabeth hadn’t finished nodding before Mary had thrown her arms around her. “Elizabeth, thank you so much!”

  As she tried to subtly push the girl away, Elizabeth hoped that these errands wouldn’t take up the rest of her day.

  Hours later, Mary and Elizabeth were making their way back to the Mistress’ house. Mary’s basket was lighter, and all her errands were done, but Elizabeth was still rather saddened she couldn’t visit with her sister. She had wanted to tell her the news of her impending engagement. She could feel the letter still tucked into her corset for safe keeping. Mary was babbling away beside her; Elizabeth wasn’t paying attention, as her mind was elsewhere.

  As Elizabeth was staring ahead of her, walking at a brisk pace, she felt a tug at her side. She turned to see Mary grasping at her sleeve. “Mary, what’s wrong?”

  “I was going to ask the same of you. You’ve been walking in a daze since we left the store. Is everything all right?”

  Elizabeth debated whether to say what she really felt. She wanted to lie and say nothing was wrong, but the girl seemed so earnest. She had considered Mary to be her friend, so maybe it was time to tell someone her news. “Well, I’m a little disappointed I wasn’t able to drop by my sister’s. I have some news I wanted to share with her, about a letter I have received today.”

  Mary hung her head a little lower. “I’m sorry. It’s all my fault. If I wasn’t such a disappointment and didn’t lose the directions, you wouldn’t have had to change your plans.”

  Elizabeth tried to discourage the girl from her feelings of self-loathing. “No, it’s quite alright…”

  “No, it isn’t. You keep helping me, and I have done nothing in return. I’m such an awful maid. I don’t know why the Mistress keeps me. You can tell in her eyes she wants to send me away every day. If it wasn’t for my need of this job, I think I would leave myself, as to not suffer her disappointing stare.” She clasped onto Elizabeth’s hand, squeezing it in affection. “If it wasn’t for you, I don’t know what I would do. You help me so much Elizabeth, I don’t know how I can ever thank you.”

  Elizabeth was beside herself. She had never had this much gratitude from anyone, not even from the Mistress herself. And it was this statement that made what she was to say next all the more heartbreaking. “Thank you, Mary. Your kind words are better than any repayment you could give me. But I must tell you something, something I found out today.”

  Mary stood rapt at attention, like a puppy waiting for a treat. Elizabeth nervously shuffled from side to side. She scolded herself to say it now, or there would never be another chance. “I’ve received a marriage proposal, from out west. And I’ve decided to take it. That is why I wanted to see my sister today, to tell her the news.”

  A few minutes passed, as Elizabeth searched Mary’s eyes. When a reaction didn’t happen at first, Elizabeth was scared she had shocked Mary into silence. She contemplated hitting the girl to bring her to, until the young girl let out a squeal. She rushed into Elizabeth, for another hug. Elizabeth stepped back from the sheer force of the connection. “That’s such great news!” Mary exclaimed into Elizabeth’s chest. She looked up into Elizabeth’s face. “How exciting! I’m so happy for you!”

  Elizabeth was rather shocked by the turn of events. She had very much expected Mary to be a little bit more reserved, even hurt by the news. She had gone through those reactions in her head many times in the few seconds she had decided to tell her. This reaction was not what she was expecting nor did she honestly know how to properly act to. “You aren’t sad?” she asked, hesitantly.

  Mary broke apart from her, her basket swinging at her side. “Why would I be sad? This is splendid news!”

  “Yes, of course. But, this means I will be taking my leave from the house. It means, I won’t be around to help you anymore.”

  The euphoria on Mary’s face faltered at Elizabeth’s statement. She looked at the ground and then back up at Elizabeth. “Oh, I never thought about that.” Grasping the ends of her apron, she bit her lip and sighed. “It would be selfish of me to ask you to stay, on my behalf. You aren’t leaving right away, are you?”

  Elizabeth hadn’t thought about it much, before Mary had asked the question. She paused, carefully contemplating her answer. “No, not right away. I want to stay long enough to get the children settled with a new governess and so I can be here for my cousin’s birth. So possibly in a few months?”

  Mary smiled again and clapped her hands. “Then that leaves us plenty of time for you to show me all your tricks! Soon, I’ll be just as good as you!”

  Elizabeth laughed at Mary’s spunk. She didn’t know what she could teach the young girl, but it did give her a bit of peace to know she would be doing all she could to help the girl function without her.

  Mary looked around at the sky. “It’s not too late, is it? Maybe we can stop by your aunt’s house. I’m sure you’re still bursting to give her the news.”

  Elizabeth looked around herself. The sun was still out and was probably not going to fall for an hour or two. And her aunt’s house was only a short detour to the Mistress’ house. It wouldn’t take long at all just to drop by and give her the good news.

  “Well, if you don’t mind taking the extra stop, yes, I’d love to go to my aunt’s house.”

  Mary jumped up in delight and took Elizabeth by the arm, so they could walk to the house together. Elizabeth felt lighter than ever. Hopefully her Aunt Anne would feel the same way.

  As they approached the house, she heard Mary gasp beside her. “Your aunt lives here?” she exclaimed, looking at the house from bottom to top.

  Elizabeth looked at the house quizzically herself, not noticing what Mary was fixating on. “Yes. I used to live here too, back when I was just a child. Why? Is there something wrong with it?”

  “No, of course not! It’s just, I never imagined the house to be so grand. It’s even bigger than the Mistress’.”

  Elizabeth would disagree with that statement, as there was no house grander than the Grayson house, but she didn’t want to argue with Mary. All she wanted to do was climb up the porch and ring her aunt.

  They went through the gate and up the porch, where Elizabeth went to knock on the door, as she always did. Anne had asked her, repeatedly, not to be so formal and to just walk in, but Elizabeth felt foreign doing such a thing. She didn’t consider it hers now anymore; she probably stopped considering it her home once Harold moved in, as she thought about
the situation more closely.

  Mary stood to her side, whispering about how she couldn’t believe Elizabeth had grown up in this estate and if those were real apple trees on the side of the house. Elizabeth tried to pay attention to Mary as she made the motion to knock, but she noticed that the door was slightly ajar. Which was strange; why would the door be open? Instead of knocking, Elizabeth pushed open the door, where it creaked in the empty foyer.

  She walked into the silent and empty room, taking in the pristine features she had come to know. “Hello? Aunt Anne? Is anyone home?” she asked, as she walked further into the hallway, with Mary at her heels. She looked around the room, seeing no sign of anyone. She was about halfway in when she heard the yelling, which seemed to be coming from upstairs.

  “What is going on?” Elizabeth asked, as she went to step up the stairs to see what the commotion was. Before she could get too far up, there was a swift tug to her arm and she was dragged down the steps. She turned to see it was one of the maids, a newer one whom she couldn’t name.

  The maid put a finger to her lips, and dragged both Elizabeth and Mary into the kitchen, where a few other maids were waiting and whispering. When the door closed behind them, Elizabeth looked at the girls and spoke. “What is happening? Where is my Aunt Anne?”

  “Mi’lady,” spoke the one who dragged her from the stairs, “I’m sorry I had to bring you here, like this. But it’s safer here than out there.”

  She turned her head to the side, eyeing the girl suspiciously. “What do you mean by that?” she asked, still frustrated that none of them had answered her question of her aunt’s whereabouts.

  “Harold and Mistress Anne are fighting at the moment,” said one of the other maids, who was flush against the kitchen table. She looked older than Elizabeth, with a sizable berth to her.