Dark Journey Home (44 page)

“All right, all right.”  Beckford laughed.  “I see I
am in over my head.  I will graciously accept your new position, Maria, and no
arguments.  Now, let’s enjoy our breakfast, after which I have an announcement
to make.”

“Uncle Claude, what is that?”  Olivia asked.

“Later, my dear, later.”  He answered. 

“I wish to see more of the Triple-B Ranch, so I am
going horseback riding after breakfast, and Logan has graciously offered to
ride with me, however, we can postpone the ride until after your
announcement.”  She said.

“Riding?”  Amelia queried, “H’mph, just don’t you be
riding too far from this ranch, young lady.”  She ordered.  “There may be
savage Indians lurking in those hills.  Also there are other kinds of dangers
out there too.”  And she gave Logan a hard look that said more than mere words
possibly could. 

Maria gave Amelia a look which said that Amelia was
possibly going too far with her act.   Amelia only smiled, then looked down at
her plate and began eating. 

Olivia, looking puzzled, answered, “But I won’t be
alone.  I will have protection.” 

“And who’ll protect you from that protection?”  Amelia
glared in Logan’s direction and added, “I have heard that some folks in this
western territory have brought forced marriages onto themselves with their
carelessness.”   

“Oh, Amelia, really.”  Olivia flustered.  “You are
being absurd.  Force a marriage on me?  Nonsense!”  Flushing, she began
stirring sugar into her cup of hot tea, vigorously.     

Logan
grinned, while
Lord Beckford began busily pouring molasses onto his flapjacks, though his
white eyebrows were raised, as he glanced over at Amelia, who was doing her
best to hold back a giggle.

After breakfast was finished, Consuelo refilled coffee
cups as Claude and Ricardo lit up fresh cigars. 

“Alright, Uncle Claude, out with it.  What is this
great secret announcement of yours?”  Olivia asked.  She hadn’t expected the
answer he gave. 

“Well, Niece, and others here at the table.  The
announcement is actually both of ours.”  And he glanced at Amelia. 

“Both?”  Olivia was confused.  “What do you mean
both?” 

“Amelia’s and mine.  To get to the point, she, after
years of procrastinating, has finally consented to become my wife.”

Olivia was ecstatic.  “Oh my, Uncle, and
Amelia……..congratulations!  I can only say that it’s about time you two
admitted your feelings for each other.” 

Maria shook her head of thick dark hair, and said,
“Congratulations to you both.  Though poor Lulu will be devastated.  I suppose
I could console her with a few more of my Spanish recipes.”

Olivia laughed, “Maria, really, please no more
recipes.  Besides, after Lulu’s recent experience with Mr. Henry Adams, I
believe she has pulled herself out of circulation, for the time anyway.” 
Olivia then jumped up and gave Amelia and her uncle both big hugs.  Logan and
Ricardo shook hands, all the way around, with congratulations. 

Amelia caught her breath long enough to state firmly,
“Well, there’s no fool like an old fool, so I may as well take this one out of
circulation.  Now you two ladies can tell your friend, Lulu, that this ‘old
fool’ is taken.”  Everyone laughed at Amelia’s statement. 

“Oh, Amelia,” Olivia exclaimed, “you two have never
fooled anyone.  Even all the employees at the Manor knew about the both of
you.  It was written all over your faces.  They were even making bets about how
long you could keep up the charade, but I will say I didn’t expect this
announcement today.  I thought it had to do with the ranch.  I’m happy for you
both.  Now, what I want to know is when is this wedding supposed to take
place?  Another ten years from now?”  She queried. 

Claude spoke, “All the employees at the Manor, huh? 
Well, we thought we hid it so well.”  He chuckled, then, “As far as when we
will marry, let’s say, just as soon as we can get to Coyote Springs, if travel
after that rain last night is permissible.  We’ll look up that Methodist
preacher at the church, that is, before Amelia can change her mind.” 

“I’m not changing my mind, Lord Beckford.  Not on your
life.”  Amelia announced firmly, then added, “After the ceremony, I intend to
go shopping……at the Mercantile.”  She looked at Claude, and asked, “Do you
still have that ring, you purchased for me ten years ago?” 

“My love, you can bet your life I do.”  He answered,
with a tender smile.

<><><> 

A young stable hand had saddled the Pinto horse for
Olivia, and Logan was glad that Trudy Perkins hadn’t taken it upon herself to
take the young horse down to the Perkins place.  He had begun saddling his own
sturdy roan gelding, as Olivia walked into the stable.  She was wearing a pale
blue split riding skirt of denim material, and a plain white blouse, with only
a small embroidered decoration on back of both sleeves.  Her wavy long golden hair
was tied up in a blue ribbon, on the back of her neck. 

Logan
thought she
looked adorable though he only cleared his throat, nodded a good morning, and then
turned back to saddling his horse.  He wore jeans and a dark green plaid flannel
shirt with his black Stetson shoved back on his dark head.  His skin was well
tanned from being out in the Texas sun and Olivia almost held her breath as she
watched him saddle the horse. 

As they led the horses out of the stable, Olivia held
out a small package, wrapped in brown paper and tied with twine, and said,
“Maria packed some beef sandwiches, in case we aren’t back in time for lunch. 
I believe Consuelo has already left so Maria has quickly taken over the
kitchen.”

“Thanks, Olivia.  Good thinking on Maria’s part.  I’ll
put the package in my saddle bags.  We do have quite a ride ahead of us and
should be gone most of the day.”  He offered.  “I had Luke, the boy in the stable,
fill both canteens with fresh water, so we’ll be fine.”  He thought to himself,
‘If I can keep my hands off of you, that is.’

He walked over, intending to help Olivia into the
saddle, but she surprised him by leaping into the saddle, taking off across the
ranch yard, her golden ponytail flying out behind her.  Then she raced across
the open field, before he had even walked to his own horse.  He laughed, as he
quickly stepped into his own saddle and took off after her, catching up just as
she neared the edge of the Aspen trees, across the clearing.

“Show off!”  He shouted to her, as he ran his horse
next to hers. 

“Ha!”  She said, laughing, “Along with being a
cowpoke, you are also a slowpoke.” 

“If I didn’t think you’d fall off that Pinto, I’d show
you just how much of a slowpoke I am.”  He laughed.  “Seriously though, let’s
head north, there’s a turnoff up ahead.  The mountains are really something
after a good rain.  I think you’ll like it up there, much higher altitude
though, but refreshing.  The smell of pines will come to you as soon as we ride
higher, though first you’ll see a lot of scrub oak and more Aspen trees before
we get into the pines.  This ranch does take in several miles of country.  Some
of the Triple-B cattle wander up into these hills too, though they’ll be
brought down during the roundup.” 

“I guess I should have brought a light jacket.”  She
said, offhand.  “But I didn’t think.” 

“Don’t worry, Olivia.”  He grinned, and looked over at
her, with an amused green-eyed gaze, and added, “If you get cold, then I will
just have to keep you warm.” 

Giving him a toss of her head, she urged the Pinto
into a gallop, and then raced down the trail, towards the turnoff. 

“You must be in a hurry to be cold.”  He shouted
laughingly, as he again raced after her.

When Logan and Olivia reached the pine forest, they
reined in and Olivia took a deep breath.  “Oh my, this is glorious.”  She
exclaimed, her silvery blue eyes sparkling happily.  “I never knew such a world
as this existed.  Uncle Claude should have brought me to the Triple-B years
ago.” 

“Yes, and I would probably have never met either of
you folks then.”  He ventured. 

“From some of the books I’ve read, I learned that if
people are destined to meet, it happens.”  Olivia contradicted. 

“You’ve read a lot of books, I take it?”

“Oh yes.  We have hundreds at the Manor.” 

“I noticed quite a few on the shelves in your uncle’s
study here at the ranch too, and you had said you were going to go through
those.”  Logan reminded her. 

“Yes, and I intend to.”  She agreed. 

They rode on, through the pines, watching as small
animals scurried to be out of the way of the horses’ hooves.  Birds chirped
their greetings. 

Logan
looked over at
her, as they rode, and said, “Do you miss it?  The Manor, I mean.” 

“Oh……actually, not really, but a few of my things back
there can never be replaced.”  She answered seriously. 

“Such as?”

“Oh, my spinet, for one.  Then there are my favorite
horses.  But this little Pinto is priceless.  She almost makes me forget the
others back in England.” 

“The Pinto, yes, quite a sturdy little horse.  I broke
her to saddle, you know.”  Logan offered, smiling over at Olivia. 

“Really?  You did?  She seems so tame; I could never
believe her being wild.”

“Actually, she was the easiest to break to saddle and
I wondered, at the time, if she had belonged to some ranch then got mixed up
with a wild bunch.  Maybe that’s why she was easy to tame.”  Logan said, then
asked.  “You said you miss your spinet.  Do you play then?” 

“Oh yes.”  Olivia answered.  “I had taken lessons,
when I was very small.  Then when our parents died, and we went to live with
Uncle Claude, he had a music teacher come to the manor twice a week to tutor
me.  Teachers also came to give us lessons in other subjects so Garth and
I…….well, we never went back to a public learning institution, after  moving to
the Manor.  It was a good life, although we missed our parents.” 

“What happened to your parents, Olivia?  Do you mind
telling me?”  Logan asked. 

“No, of course not.  They both became ill, with
cholera.  Garth and I were taken in by neighbors temporarily until Uncle Claude
came to take us to the manor.  He had never had to deal with children, so I
guess we led him on a merry chase when we first went to live with him.  But as much
as Uncle loved us, he was determined to raise us right.  He tried being strict
at first but being an active boy, Garth rebelled often.  I guess I did too. 
Uncle finally let up on us to the point that we became even harder to manage. 
Maybe that’s why Amelia gets a bit grouchy at times.  She has taken care of me
since I was ten years old.  She was strict with Garth but she was the only one
he would listen to.  Maybe he respected her authority.  I had always been quite
stubborn back when I was younger, and gave Amelia a hard time, but let me tell
you, that woman gave me a hard time right back.  She would not put up with
nearly as much as Uncle Claude did.  Some say we were the cause of Uncle’s hair
turning white, but I hope that was not the cause.” 

Olivia paused and then continued, “Eventually Uncle
Claude sent Garth to military school, but that didn’t last long as they
promptly sent Garth home.  He was still so very young, so Uncle had him doing
work around the manor, taking care of some of the horses until he got older. 
Eventually Garth left the home to ‘seek his fortune’, as the saying goes.  I
spent my days reading, sewing, playing my spinet, and riding horses.  What Uncle
didn’t know was that I spent a lot of time in the kitchen too, cooking and
baking, which I really enjoy.  I don’t think he even knows that I can cook.” 

“I wouldn’t be so sure, Olivia.  That Uncle of yours
doesn’t miss a thing, though he does hide it well.”  Logan laughed, then he
mentioned, “There’s a small lake just up ahead on the right, past that next dip
in the trail, if you want to stop there and rest the horses a bit.  It is a
right pretty spot.”