Chapter Four

Three weeks later, Travis Sullivan dropped by the house. He came by to apologize for his brother’s rudeness and to say they’d caught the wolf that was killing the sheep.

“Funny, that wolf looked nothing like Chance,” Travis said. “Anyway, I’m sorry on behalf of my brother.”

Mama and Papa accepted the apology, but I still had my reservations about it. I did thank him for coming, and he did seem interested in Chance. He even walked up to her and kneeled down to pet her. Chance seemed to like him.

“She’s beautiful. I’m glad Cal took her to you. Ethan would have killed her for sure.”

“I know, and he still wants to kill her,” I said.

He leaned down and looked into her eyes. “I can see why you want to keep her alive.”

“Thank you. Look, I’m sorry if Cal got in trouble bringing her to me. I guess he really wanted Chance to be alive, too.”

“Can’t say I blame him. We all knew if we left her there, Ethan would kill her. I don’t know, but it’s like Ethan gets enjoyment from killing things sometimes. Now Cal, he’s completely different. He has this thing about animals. He wants to save them all.”

“He’s a very sweet boy and doing well at school,” I said, smiling. “I was just reading his essay. Would you like to read it?”

He blushed and looked down at Chance. “Truth is, ma’am, I ain’t never learned to read that good. I know most of the good book. My mama read it to me, and I remembered most of the passages.”

“But Travis, I remember we were in school together. I know your mama was so proud that her boys were able to read and write.”

“Well, she taught us the good book, like I said. I know some of it, but that paper you have in your hand? I can’t read it. Heck, Miss Annie, you know that when the war started out, we all were needed on the farm with Ethan and the others gone.”

“Yes, I know, but if you like, I can teach you, Travis.”

“Miss Annie, I’m too old to learn.”

“That’s not true. Why, I have a few people that I teach three days a week after dinner. They come to the school in private, and no one has to know. I would love to help you.”

“I don’t think so, but thank you for offering.” He went outside, got up on his horse, and tipped his hat to me.

“If you ever change your mind, the offer is still there,” I said.

He gave me one last smile and rode off. Somehow, I felt I had embarrassed him, though I truly hadn’t meant to.

The next time I saw Travis Sullivan was at the church social. He was standing with his brother Abel. They were the only unmarried Sullivan boys in the family. Travis did look a bit out of place. Dressing up was not something he seemed to enjoy even though he looked handsome in his proper clothes.

I gave him a polite smile, and he returned it. Mayor Fitzgerald walked up to me and asked me to dance. Being polite, I took his hand and walked to the dance floor with him. I watched as Mama and Papa started to dance, too. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Travis looking my way.

I found Travis more handsome every time I looked at him, especially his intriguing green eyes. I couldn’t help turning my head and looking at him directly. Yes, with his wheat-colored hair, strong jawline, and perfectly formed mouth, he was the most handsome man at the party.

Mama later told me she had seen me gaze toward Travis. Mama never was one to miss anything even when she was dancing across the room. How she was able to enjoy dancing with Papa and still keep an eye on her unmarried daughter was beyond me.

Throughout the night, I danced with quite a few gentlemen, but not once did Travis Sullivan come across the room and ask me for a dance, to my disappointment.

When the night was over, and everyone was leaving, Ethan Sullivan’s wife, Sarah, came up to Mama and Papa.

“Mr. and Mrs. Lochlan, thank you for being so considerate about my husband’s allegations. I heard from Mr. Henry what he said about Annie. He really had no right to say those things about your daughter. She’s a lovely young woman. So many of the children are thrilled to have her as their teacher, including my Cal.”

Mama smiled at her. “Mrs. Sullivan, there is no need. I’m just glad no one was hurt.”

“No, just Ethan’s pride, and that can heal. Sometimes pride can be a terrible thing, Mrs. Lochlan.”

Sarah smiled as I walked toward her. “Miss Annie, my Cal speaks mighty highly of you, and I thank you for helping him with his learning. I thank you for giving him his dreams of being better than just a poor farmer. Before you came to teach, I never saw Cal look at a book. He’s now reading and enjoying it.”

“Well, Mrs. Sullivan, I can’t take all the credit. Cal is a bright boy, and I feel he will go very far in school.”

“For sure, Miss Annie? It would be a dream come true if all my youngins would know how to read and write—to do something more in life than me and his pa.”

“I can promise you I will help him.”

“Thank you, and God bless you.”

She turned to leave. Her husband was waiting for her, standing at the door. His eyes met mine, and the look in them sent shivers down my spine.

I knew the man didn’t want his family anywhere near town folk. He didn’t want his son to have an education because he didn’t have one. He knew enough to get by, and he could write his name, but that was it. In that respect, he was a lot like his father.

I’d met the late Mr. Sullivan only once in all the times I was in their home. I’d heard him yelling at Mrs. Sullivan. I had feared that if I hadn’t been there, he would have hit her. Like Ethan, he claimed that as long as his sons knew how to farm, that was all the education they needed.

Agatha Sullivan had tried to teach the younger ones how to read and write. But with Ethan and the older ones, it was too late, and they had no interest in school anyhow.

My theory was that children imitated their parents. Since the Sullivan boys saw their father abusing their mother, they might have felt that behavior was acceptable. Perhaps some of them even thought that it was right. I watched Ethan grab his wife’s arm and drag her out of the hall.

Our drive home was relatively quiet except for Mama and Papa teasing each other about their dancing. I just kept thinking of Sarah Sullivan and what Ethan would do to her.

“Now, Abby, I know I’ve caught you leading me more than once,” Papa teased.

“Ryan, how could you say that? That’s not true.” She turned to me. “Annie, you’re very quiet. That was a lovely compliment Mrs. Sullivan gave you. She is really excited about how well her son is doing in school.”

“I wish I could get her to come to the adult classes.”

“Oh, I doubt Ethan would let that happen. He’s a stubborn man.”

“He’s a tyrant—that’s what he is. It’s like he’s keeping them in the Middle Ages.”

Papa gave me a stern look. “Annie, I have discussed with you a few times about your outbursts. I know you have an opinion on many things, but you have a way of saying them at the wrong time. Ethan Sullivan has his own way of dealing with his family, and in all these years, the Sullivans have kept to themselves. It’s not going to change because you want them all to learn.”

“But Papa, it’s not just him. I offered to teach his brother Travis how to read, and he ran off like I was carrying the plague.”

Papa did have to laugh at that one, and so did Mama, but I didn’t see what was so funny. Before I could ask Papa, his face turned cold.

We were nearing the front of our house.

“Ryan, the door!” Mama cried.

The door was open.

“I see it,” Pa said. He stopped the wagon a few yards from the house and got out. “Abby, you and Annie stay here. I’ll check it out.”

I handed him the rifle from the back of the wagon. “Here ya go, Papa.”

“Thanks.”

When Pa left, I suddenly realized Chance was in the house. I had left her upstairs in the bedroom.

“Where are you going?” Mama asked.

“To the back. What if she got out? If someone were in the house, she would be barking. I want to know if Chance is safe.”

“But you know what your Pa said.”

“I won’t go inside the house. I don’t hear Chance. She must be in the back. I’ll go check and bring her back.”

Before Mama could say another word, I got out of the wagon and crept toward the back of the house. When I got close, I collided with someone who was running out. The last thing I was conscious of was falling to the cold ground.