The days sped by in a blur of busyness. Lucy had so much to learn she felt her head must surely explode with the knowledge she stuffed in. She and Nate were still wary around one another, but they were slowly learning about each other. They had begun evening devotions with the children, and he’d given her his mother’s journal to read.
Spring had finally come to Texas. Wildflowers brought welcome bits of color to the landscape, and the air was filled with the fragrance of new life. Lucy carted her washtub outside and scrubbed the clothes while Eileen occupied herself “planting” her own small garden, though the seeds were way too deep. Lucy would have to fix it when Eileen wasn’t looking.
Lucy rubbed at a spot on Nate’s dungarees. Her hands were red and chapped, but who would have thought she would find such satisfaction in caring for a man and his belongings? Nate’s prediction about the softness of her hands had proven true, but Lucy didn’t mind. Her rough hands were proof of the effort she was putting into this marriage.
She hung the clothes on the line Nate had put up for her and went to the house to start dinner. Nate had told her he would be in the south pasture all day and had asked her to bring the meal to him. Since that one missed meal, he had been conscientious about keeping her informed of his mealtime activities. She allowed herself a small grin at the tiny victory.
“Eileen, it’s time to come in.”
Lucy went inside and took the bread from the bread box. She cut thick slices and made egg sandwiches, then wrapped them in cloth and put them in a box. She added cheese and the pie she’d made earlier in the day.
She cocked her head and listened. Eileen still hadn’t answered her. She went to the back door. “Eileen, come in now!” There was still no answer, so Lucy stepped outside. She sighed when she saw no sign of her sister. Eileen was probably in the barn petting the calf.
Lucy hurried across the yard to the barn. They would have to hurry, or Nate would accuse her of ignoring his mealtime. She shoved open the door and stepped into the dimly lit barn. A shaft of sunlight illuminated the dust motes, and the straw made her sneeze.
“Eileen?”
The only answer she got was the snort of the horse in the far stall and the rustle as the calf shuffled in the hay. Beginning to be alarmed, Lucy turned and ran back to the front yard. “Eileen! Where are you?” She raced around the house several times before she could admit the obvious to herself.
Eileen was nowhere to be found.
Her heart was racing like a runaway train, and her mouth was dry with panic. Shading her eyes, she stared out at the horizon. Where could Eileen be? Lucy was torn between wandering out to find Eileen herself and going for help. Her heart screamed for her to find her sister now, but wisdom dictated finding Nate. He knew the area.
She threw the sidesaddle on Wanda and clambered atop the mare’s broad back. Digging her heels into Wanda’s sides, she clung desperately to the pommel as the horse broke into a canter. Within minutes she was in sight of the herd of longhorn and could make out Nate’s familiar broad shoulders.
At the sight of her husband, tears sprang from her eyes and she began to sob. “Nate!” she screamed. The sound that came out of her mouth was closer to a croak.
Nate’s head came up, and he kicked his horse into a run, with Jed right behind him. “What is it? What’s wrong?” His gaze darted past her. “Where’s Eileen?”
“She’s gone! I was doing laundry, and she was playing outside. When I called her for lunch, she was missing.” Aware she was beginning to babble, Lucy took a deep breath. “I didn’t know where to look.”
Nate turned and whistled. “Bridget, come here, girl!” The dog came bounding to him.
The dog. Lucy dared to hope. “Do you think Bridget can find her?”
“She loves Eileen. She’ll find her.”
They turned and rode back to the cabin. There was no sign of a small blond head anywhere. Lucy fought the tears that wanted to fall. “She’s still not here.”
“I’ll look around just to make sure,” Nate said. “Did you check the privy?”
“Yes, she’s not there. Let me check again.” Lucy rushed to the privy and threw open the door. Empty. Her shoulders drooping, she followed Nate as he strode around the yard and then checked the barn.
He knelt and took Bridget’s head in his hands. “Find Eileen, Bridget.” He released her. “Go, find Eileen!”
Bridget barked and began sniffing the ground. She circled the privy, then went around to the front. She paused at Eileen’s small garden plot and then tore off toward the north.
“Quick, get the horses, we’ll follow her!”
Lucy wanted to just run after her, but she’d never keep up with the dog. She grabbed Wanda’s reins and managed to mount by herself. Nate and Jed were already ahead of her. She bounced hard in the saddle as Wanda strove to catch them.
She could hear Bridget barking as she made her way toward a meadow by the river. Eileen loved water. Her heart in her mouth, Lucy bent low over Wanda’s neck and smacked her hand on the horse’s rump. “Eileen!”
Nate and Jed reached the grove of trees, and Lucy got there a moment later. Panting nearly as hard as Wanda, she looked around for her sister. Nothing.
“We’ll check the river. You check the area.” Nate’s voice was grim, and Lucy’s eyes filled with tears as she watched him and Jed stalk purposefully toward the river. She could hear the rushing water from here. The Red River could be deadly this time of year.
Then Bridget gave a joyful bark. The dog was leaping happily into the air. Lucy looked closer and saw the still form of her sister on the ground. She rushed to Eileen and reached her just as the little girl sat up and rubbed her eyes sleepily. Bridget licked her face, and Eileen began to cry.
Lucy scooped her into her arms and hugged her fiercely. “Here she is,” she shouted.
“Lucy, you’re hurting me.”
Lucy wanted to loosen her grip, but she couldn’t let go. “I thought I’d lost you,” she whispered. “Don’t ever do that again, Eileen. You know better than to go off without telling me.”
Jed and Nate came running. Jed’s face was streaked from tears, and Nate’s eyes were bright with relief. Jed took his sister from Lucy, and she wrapped her arms and legs around him.
“I looked for you, Jed, but you was hiding,” she said reproachfully. “I walked and walked, but you weren’t there.”
Nate held out his arms for Eileen, and she went to him. He set her on the ground and knelt beside her. “Eileen, what did I tell you about watching out for Lucy?”
She hung her head. “You said to stay close to her all the time, so’s I could see her.”
“That’s right. What did you do today?”
Eileen started to cry. “I just wanted to find you and Jed. I wanted Jed to see my flowers.”
“I know, sweetheart, but you disobeyed me. You know what that means, don’t you?” Nate’s voice was gentle but firm.
“I . . . have to be punished?” Eileen’s tears flowed in earnest now.
Nate nodded. “Afraid so.”
“Nate, no! I’m just glad to have her back safe and sound.”
He took Lucy’s hand and led her away from the children. “Eileen knew the rules, Lucy. If we let her get away with it this time, she might not remember how important this rule is the next time. The next time she could drown or Indians could find her first. I’m responsible for her now, and this is the way it has to be.”
Lucy’s eyes burned from all the tears she’d shed. “You’re right. I’ve never had to punish her before.”
He turned and went back to Eileen. He picked her up and went to his horse. “We’ll discuss what the punishment will be when we get home.”
Lucy mounted her horse and followed Jed and Nate home. She knew Nate was right, but that didn’t make it easier. It had always been hard for her to discipline Eileen, who was so small and engaging. But this had been willful disobedience. She knew she wasn’t to leave the yard.
They reached the cabin, and Jed took the horses to the barn. Nate carried Eileen inside while Lucy followed, her footsteps dragging. He sat on a chair and pulled Eileen onto his lap, then motioned for Lucy to be seated next to him.
“What do you have to say, Eileen?”
“I’s sorry,” she wept. “I shouldn’t have gone out of the yard. I knew I wasn’t s’posed to.”
“Lucy was very sad when she found you gone. And we didn’t make the rule to be mean. You remember when the mongrel wolf came?”
Eileen nodded. “Lucy shooted it with the gun.”
“Another wolf could have come when Lucy wasn’t there with the gun. There are Indians and snakes too. All kinds of things that could hurt you. We make a rule because we love you. And Jesus is sad when we disobey. Do you want to tell him you’re sorry too?”
Eileen nodded again and clasped her little hands together. “Jesus, I’s sorry,” she sobbed. “I didn’t want to make you sad, and I didn’t want to worry Lucy. Help me be a good girl next time. Amen.” She sniveled and wiped her nose with the back of her hand.
Tears burned Lucy’s eyes. Wasn’t that good enough?
“Am I going to be punished now?” Eileen’s voice was pitiful.
“Do you think you should be?” Nate stroked her hair.
Eileen hesitated. “You have to ’cause you said. I wouldn’t want God to think you was a liar.”
Lucy thought she saw a hint of moisture in Nate’s eyes. “No supper, then,” he said. “And you’ll have to stay on your bed the rest of the evening.”
“Nothing for supper?” Eileen asked. “Lucy fixed dumplings.”
“I don’t want to discipline you, Eileen. Just like God doesn’t like to discipline us. You can have bread and milk but no dumplings.”
Tears streaming down her face, Eileen rose. Nate looked at Lucy helplessly. She could see the toll this was taking on him.
He knelt beside Eileen and hugged her. “I love you, sweetheart. Let’s pray and promise God we’ll try to obey next time.”
Eileen wiped her eyes, then wound her arms around his neck and kissed him. “I love you, Nate. I’se glad you married us.”
“So am I,” Nate said, his gaze meeting Lucy’s.
SUNDAYS WERE ALWAYS spent at the big house, but as Lucy rode in the buggy toward the ranch after church, she wished she could prepare Sunday dinner on her own. Though the cabin was small, it was home now after two months. Maybe she would bring it up today.
Nate stopped the buggy in front of the house. “Someone’s here.” Nate helped her down from the seat.
Birds were singing from the bushes and trees as her shoes hit the mud. She eyed the other buggy. It had a cover and looked new. “Who is it?”
“I don’t recognize the horse.” He lifted Eileen from the seat and set her down beside Lucy. Jed vaulted over the side to join them.
Lucy took his offered arm and skirted the worst of the puddle from last night’s rain. The air smelled fresh and clean. After living in the cabin, the main house looked impossibly expansive and lavish. Nate held open the door.
Voices carried from the parlor, and she recognized her aunt’s voice. “It’s Aunt Sally!”
Lucy hurried across the polished wood floor to the first room on the right. Her aunt was sitting on the horsehair sofa with Fanny. She held out her arms for Eileen, and the child rushed to her lap. Lucy’s smile faded when she saw the man in the chair near Fanny. Rolf Watson. He must have been keeping company with Fanny since they met him last week. The smile he turned on Lucy was entirely too smug for her liking.
She nodded stiffly. “Mr. Watson.” Ignoring him, she hugged her aunt and cousin. “I didn’t expect to see you here.” Far from it. She’d had no idea they socialized with her father-in-law.
“Henry asked Rolf to dinner, and we tagged along.” Sally’s smile turned droll as she glanced at Henry.
Lucy finally dared to peek at him herself, but his expression betrayed no dismay. His smile was expansive as he gestured to the chairs. “We were just talking about you, Lucy. Your aunt would like to invite us all to Sunday dinner next week.”
Lucy wanted to accept immediately, but she glanced at Nate. He was studying the male visitor, and she thought she saw speculation in his eyes. She beckoned to her cousin. “Fanny, if you wouldn’t mind, we should see if Percy needs any help with dinner.”
Fanny rose, and the two women went to the kitchen where they found Percy heaping fried chicken on a platter. He eyed them. “Don’t need no help, ladies. Dinner’s about ready.”
“We just thought we’d check. We can set the table.” Lucy grabbed blue-and-white dishes, then handed her cousin the tableware caddy.
“You didn’t really need my help, did you, Lucy?” Fanny’s blue eyes held amusement as they began to arrange the dishes.
Lucy set down a plate. “No. What are you doing with Mr. Watson? Why did Henry invite him here?”
Fanny arranged cookies on a plate. “It appears Rolf is a private investigator. Henry has hired him for some reason and wanted an update.”
Lucy’s cheeks heated. “He was in town before I asked Henry . . .”
“You hired Rolf?”
“No.” Lucy didn’t want to say more. Not yet. While she trusted her cousin, she still didn’t trust Rolf. He was in town before Henry had known about the coins. So what was his real purpose? Could whoever was after the coins have hired him to track her down and Henry had blindly fallen into the man’s plans?
“Lucy?”
She shook herself out of her reverie. “How did Henry meet Rolf?”
“I believe Henry heard about him and requested him to come by. Rolf asked if he might bring me and Mama to dinner.”
“Rather brash,” Lucy said. “Especially considering the tension between our families.”
“Rolf didn’t know about that.”
Lucy wasn’t so sure. There was a lot going on behind the man’s handsome face. She feared for Fanny. “I’m sure it was innocent.” She picked up the tray and followed her cousin back to the parlor.
The men were hotly debating the results of the presidential election between Hayes and Tilden. Though Hayes had been inaugurated, Henry claimed it all illegal. They fell silent when the women stepped back into the room.
Henry rose. “I’ll leave you ladies to chat while I discuss business with Rolf and my son. I’m sure Percy will have dinner ready soon.”
“You never responded to my invitation for Sunday dinner,” Sally said.
Henry fell silent for a moment before nodding. “I have no quarrel with you, Mrs. Donnelly. I assume your brother will not be in attendance?”
Sally shook her head. “He will be out of town next week. Maybe next time.” Her voice held a bit of hope.
Henry didn’t answer that. “Nate, Rolf, Jed. In my office, please.”
Lucy glanced at Nate and he nodded at her. “We’d be delighted to come as well, Aunt Sally,” she said. “Can I bring dessert? I have pecans, and I can make some pies.”
“That would be lovely, my dear.”
When the men were gone, Lucy glanced at her cousin. “How much of Mr. Watson have you seen, Fanny?”
“He’s been to dinner twice a week.” Her dimples flashed. “What do you have against him, Lucy? Don’t bother to deny it. You’ve set your affections against him from the first moment.”
“Did you ever find out how he knew where you lived?”
“I didn’t ask him, but it’s a small town. There’s no reason for your distrust.”
Lucy wanted to believe Fanny. She wanted her sweet cousin to find happiness, but something about the man put her off. “I hope you’re right. What is your opinion, Aunt Sally?”
Her aunt smiled. “I want Fanny to be happy, of course. My preference would be for her to marry a man from our area so I could continue to see her, but I don’t want to be so selfish to deny her a chance at happiness just because I want her nearby. Rolf seems a good man. He’s quite polite and well spoken. He dresses well. I asked my brother to examine his background and see if he has the means to care for Fanny.”
“What did Uncle Drew find out?”
“He hasn’t gotten back to me yet, but I expect a report soon. In the meantime, Fanny has a handsome man to squire her about.”
“Have the two men met?”
“Of course. I arranged for them to meet at once. Fanny has no father to look out for her, and Drew fulfills that responsibility whenever I need him.”
“Did Rolf say why he came to town?”
“I didn’t ask.”
Lucy opened her mouth, then closed it again. What was there to say when all she had to go on were feelings?