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There was a soft jolt, then a series of tiny quakes before the depression was quite near her. The feeling that someone was watching her was dawning upon Sophie as she opened her bleary eyelids, feeling stiff and unrested.
“You’re still all dressed up. Didn’t you bring a nighty?” asked the small figure in a curious voice her head cocked to one side as she stared at Sophie, one eyebrow raised as if she was scolding her.
Sophie sat up glancing down, she was still in the stiff red silk dress. But how? What? where?
Things started flashing slowly back.
The little girl before her was May, she had been rocking her to sleep...when she must have fallen asleep. A blush warmed her neck and cheeks. Faint memories tickled her memory, the feeling of someone’s strong arms gathering her up, a familiar masculine voice whispering in her ear.
“You’re brilliant Sophie, thank you.”
Then a soft kiss on her cheek as someone tucked her in, Sophie was feeling as red as her dress as she glanced back at little May.
“I am afraid I fell asleep when you did last night.”
May giggled, and bounced closer to Sophie, curling up like a small kitten, resting her head on Sophie’s lap. She let out a low content sigh and closed her eyes.
Reaching down Sophie pulled the quilt up and tucked it around May so she wouldn’t catch a chill in the morning air.
“Do you miss your Mamma?” May asked in a soft whisper.
Sophie took in a deep breath, “All the time, every day.”
“Does it make your heart hurt?” she said placing her hands on her little chest.
Sophie found tears coming to her eyes. “Yes, May it does. Eventually it doesn’t hurt as much but, it still aches and you never really stop missing her.”
May nodded and let out another long sigh. Sophie ran her fingers through May’s black ringlets careful not to tangle her fingers in the thick tresses.
“Did you ever get a new Mamma?”
“No, my father never married again. My aunt came to live with us instead.”
“Is she nice?”
For a long moment, Sophie didn’t know how to answer. She and Aunt Martha had never been close, but on this trip, she had found herself more than once wishing she could ask the woman for advice or was even standing in her kitchen being scolded. She took a deep breath trying to grasp for an answer as words seemed to elude her grip. May continued on.
“I don’t have an aunt. Pappa says he’s getting married again.”
“Oh, to who?” asked Sophie looking down at her wondering who he was attached to. He certainly hadn’t acted like an attached man last night. May opened her dark eyes and looked into Sophie’s face with a pleading earnestness.
“Will you be my new Mamma?”
Sophie was at a loss for words, she stuttered searching for something...anything to say. In a moment May’s winsome arms were around her neck looking her in the eye pleadingly.
“Please, please Miss Morgan, I’ll be ever so good if you’ll be my Mamma.”
The sudden desire to laugh seized her unexpectedly, this whole situation was ridiculous! A moment later though she felt like crying, and she wrapped her arms around May, she knew that little girl aching in her heart, that hollow place that only a mother could fill. She wrapped her arms around May and pulled her close, kissing her round little pink cheek.
“I am afraid your father must ask, I don’t think he wants to marry a girl like me May. I can always be your friend. Okay?”
May nodded and snuggled down to her shoulder, pulling the quilt about them both.
“Can you tell me a story? Please.”
“Of course,” Sophie whispered tightening her arms around May, wishing that she could take away her heartbreak. “What do you want your story to be about?”
“A princess, a princess in a castle!”
“Uh hu...hmm. Well once upon a time there was a little princess, and her name was May.”
“That’s my name,” May squealed.
“It is, well one day Princess May and her knight in shining armor went out into the forest, for an adventure, they had found a map in an old book, and they wanted to find out where it led. And you know what they found?”
“What?”
“A treasure...”
“Treasure!” May squealed, delighted at the prospect.
JESSE LEANED AGAINST the wall outside of Sophie’s door listening to his “sister” as she talked to May. His heart winced at May’s loneliness and Sophie’s replies. He smiled at the story, full of adventure, treasure, bandits, kidnapping, rescue...then, of course, the happily ever after.
May was giggling, and begging for another story. He hated to disturb them but, there were things to be done, and he needed to talk to Sophie about somethings, besides it would never do to be caught outside listening to his sister tell a story to May, a brother wouldn’t care and would have burst in long ago.
He wrapped gently on the door, their talking ceased for a moment, then he heard May’s little voice.
“Oh, no, it’s Nanny. Hide me!”
“Shh. Who’s there?”
“It’s not Nanny,” said Jesse opening the door and peeking his head in.
May took a giggling sigh of relief and snuggled back against Sophie.
Taking the disconcerted look on Sophie’s face as his welcome, Jesse stepped into the room, talking to May.
“Now what are you doing here little Miss Carlson?”
“Miss Morgan’s telling me stories, you want to hear one?”
“I’d love to hear one,” he said flopping down in a chair near the bed looking expectantly at Sophie who had yet to say a word since his entrance pleased or otherwise.
“Oh, I don’t know, I don’t think any of the stories I would tell could even interest Jesse.”
“Of course they would. Come on tell the kid a story.”
Sophie stumbled for words, seeming to search for a proper beginning.
He prodded her with his eyes, her brow knit together, then an idea seemed to strike her as she relaxed and looked at May, the hint of a smile pulling at her mouth.
“Once upon a time there was a girl named Sally. She lived in a very small town with her father and brother.”
“She didn’t have a mother?”
Sophie shook her head and continued “And one day a man came into the town, and poor Sally thought he was hurt, so she went to help him. At first, the man seemed nice, but then he kidnapped her and took Sally far far away from anyone she had ever known. Sally tried to fight the man but he was very powerful, so Sally thought she’d wait to find a time to escape. Meanwhile, the man told her of a treasure. A rare, rare ruby...”
May’s eye’s widened at the word ruby, and she seemed to hang on every word Sophie uttered.
“So, the man said if she’d help him find the ruby, he’d let her go. Sally saw that this was the best thing to do, so she followed him to a castle guarded with a very handsome King and his daughter the princess. The bad man thought that the King and the Princess could help them, but the princess most of all...” Sophie was looking at him in a most pointed way.
It hadn’t taken him long to figure out that Sophie was trying to get back at him, disguising him as the “bad man.” The words hurt. But why did her word hurt him? He’s only known this little deputy for he thought back, Can it really be just three days? The evening she arrested me, the night I had rescued her, and last night. Yes, just three days, somehow it feels like three lifetimes. Why should I even care?
He realized that Sophie hadn’t continued the story, and looked back at her and May.
“How does the story end?” asked May, pressing closer to Sophie.
“I don’t know, I think you have to ask Jesse how it ends.”
May turned on him, “How does it end Mr. Morgan, tell me, oh tell me, please? Is Sally safe?”
His mouth twitched, as he thought, he’d have to think of a happy ending to this story, and fast. Couldn’t he just turn the bad man into a Prince in disguise who had been enchanted by the evil ruby keeper, and sweep the girl who helped him off her feet and marry her making her a princess?
Yes, it was perfect. Jesse watched Sophie’s face in delight as he turned the tables on her, she had been trying to make a point. He’d make his too.
“...and the Prince and his new princess lived happily ever after. The end. “
May squealed and clapped her hands in appreciation.
“May! MAY! Where are you child? COME HERE RIGHT NOW!” the harsh voice of the Nanny shattered the air of happiness that he had just created. Little Ruby’s eyes widened, and she slunk off the bed, “I have to go,” she whispered and pattered out of the room on her fast little feet.
Jesse watched her go, something inside of him aching for her. His heart never used to hurt like this...no it had, but he’d turned it off for so long he hardly knew how to deal with it once again.
Sophie was slipping out of bed and coming to stand before him.
“How does the story really end Jesse?”
He took a deep breath and moved to his feet, he needed some sort of leverage, even if it was just height. Looking down into her earnest eyes, he glanced away and shook his head, half wishing the end he made up could be true but of course; that would never be. Did she know how beautiful she was standing there? The morning light made her dark hair look as if she wore a halo even if it was half tumbled and wisped about her face.
He tore his thoughts away. This morning he had half intended to congratulate her on helping them stay. Now...
“Next time you intend on falling asleep in the middle of a dinner party rocking a kid to sleep, please let me know okay?”
Sophie scowled at him. “I am sorry, but I was tired, and it was entirely unplanned.”
As she has every right to be any doctor would order you to bed after what happened with the bandits, but I had to drag you out here didn’t I.
“Well we’ve been invited to stay out here for a little while at least since May’s taken a fancy to you, and since you don’t seem to mind her. Your trunk’ll be here shortly so you can get out of the mess you made of that dress.”
With a toss of her head, Sophie stamped her foot, “I wouldn’t have made a mess of it if you would have woken me up.”
“I tried waking you Sophie Morgan, I would have had better luck raising Lazarus from the grave.”
She colored and looked away. “I am sorry,” came out through gritted teeth.
“Sure, you are.”
There was a thump on the door.
“Who’s there?” asked Jesse and Sophie at the same moment. She glared up at him.
“I gotta trunk for Miss Morgan.”
“Bring it in,” Jesse ordered.
She rolled her eyes and looked away from him, he shrugged his shoulders, he wasn’t going to care.
“There you go Miss Morgan,” said two ranch hands putting down the trunk with a thud.
“Heavy boys?”
They nodded.
“She packed the whole east coast in that trunk of hers, thanks for dragging it all the way up here.”
In a moment they were gone, and he turned to Sophie who was shaking her head at him.
“Get dressed in something decent and come down for breakfast,” he said coldly.
“Why do you even care?” She asked him.
“You’re my sister, why shouldn’t I?”
She took a deep breath turned away.
“I’ll see you downstairs.”
“Fine.”