Melinda and the Wild West (14 page)

Melinda watched Gilbert as he took off his boots
and placed them next to the door. Then he unbuttoned his coat and
hung it on a hook. He turned and smiled at her. Gilbert’s smile set
her mind at ease and she knew that there was nothing to worry
about.

Melinda fell into a deep sleep once again.
Hypothermia had completely worn out her body and she needed all the
rest she could get. Gilbert had learned that some of the symptoms
to watch for in mild hypothermia were the stumbles, mumbles,
fumbles, and grumbles, along with uncontrollable shivering. So when
he noticed these symptoms in Melinda, he knew exactly what to
do.

As she slept, the blizzard continued its
fierce howling. The snowflakes whirled to the earth, some of them
as large as a quarter. The snowdrifts mounted in size and grew
taller against every home and barn in the valley. Gilbert cleaned
the kitchen while Jenny cleaned the living room. He had put a roast
beef in the oven and the aroma filled the room.

“Pa, how long do you think the blizzard will
last?”

“Don’t know, darlin’. It’s coming down
pretty hard. It’ll last all night, I’m sure. Sometimes blizzards
will last a couple days.”

“How about Miss Gamble, Pa?”

“The snow’s coming down too thick for anyone
to go out in. I had to push my way to the barn to milk and feed the
cows this morning. There’s no way I’m going out in this storm again
until we absolutely have to. The wind near blew me over, Jen.”

“Could the wind pick up a person, Pa?”

“Don’t know. All I know is that it can
certainly make a person struggle as you walk in it.”

After Jenny swept the floor and dusted the
living room, she put a tablecloth on the table. Gilbert pulled the
roast out of the oven and breathed in the delicious aroma.

Melinda began to stir and opened her eyes as
the smell of the roast beef wafted towards her. As she stretched,
she said, “O-o-oh, that smells good.”

Gilbert smiled. “It sure does. Jenny, only
set the table with two plates and one bowl. Melinda here can only
have beef broth.”

“What?” Melinda said in a disappointed tone.
“But that’s not fair.”

Gilbert became serious as he explained. “You
don’t seem to understand how lucky you were today, Melinda. If I
hadn’t come upon you, I hate to think what would have happened.
Only beef broth for you, dear lady.” Then he thought for a moment
and he smiled in a teasing manner. “And maybe a few little pieces
of roast beef.”

“Only a few pieces?” Melinda laughed. “Hey,
I’d better get dressed. I’ve got to head home.”

Gilbert slowly shook his head. “Not in this
weather, you don’t.”

“What do you mean?”

“Melinda, look out that window. You’ll have
to sleep in our guest room tonight.”

Melinda brushed a lose curl from her eyes,
stood, and then wrapped herself in her blanket as she slowly
waddled over to the window. She did not quite have the strength to
walk yet, but she needed to have a look at the weather. “Oh my!
It’s really coming down, isn’t it?”

As she watched the snow with amazement, it
seemed like a winter wonderland outside. She looked over at Gilbert
and asked, “Did you say guest room?”

“Yup, sure did. About six years ago I built
this place for Jenny and me. We have folks who live a distance
away, so I made an extra room for visitors. While you were asleep,
I made up the bed. If the storm subsides tomorrow, I’ll take you
home.”

Gilbert noticed Melinda fumbling to keep the
blanket around her shoulders and he smiled in amusement. “The guest
room is over there.” He waved a hand in the direction of the room.
“You can go check it out if you like.”

Melinda felt unsteady on her feet, but she wanted to
see the room. When she entered, she noticed the bed had a pretty
blue patchwork quilt on it and there was a washstand beside the bed
with a white china bowl and matching pitcher upon it. She found her
dress hanging in the wardrobe. She touched it to see if it was dry,
but it was slightly damp. Her petticoats were hanging next to them,
still damp, also. She had never had to worry about such freezing
weather in Boston except for the 1888 blizzard that had shocked
everyone. There was so much to learn out here in the West. She
pulled the blanket up around her neck. Then she walked over to the
window and pulled the blue-flowered drapes aside. As she stood
there watching the snowflakes, she thought it was almost
mesmerizing. How could something so beautiful be so dangerous?

There was a knock at the open door of the
bedroom and Melinda turned and saw Jenny. “Hi, Jenny. Come on
in.”

Jenny walked in. “Supper’s ready, Miss
Gamble.” She touched the wet dress that was hanging in the
wardrobe. “It’s still wet. Boy, did I struggle to get this thing
off you. There were so many buttons and ties and everything else.
And because it was wet, I couldn’t pull it off very easy. It was
covered with ice and snow. Well, at least I didn’t have to hang up
that heavy dress and them petticoats. Pa did it for me.”

Melinda felt uneasy that Gilbert had hung up
her clothes, yet she knew there had been no other alternative.

Jenny slowly shook her head. “That’s sure a
lot of petticoats and underwear, Miss Gamble. Is that what women
have to wear all the time?”

“I’m afraid so, sweetie.”

“Well, when I grow up I’m not going to wear
all that stuff.”

Melinda smiled at Jenny’s frankness and led
her toward the dinner table.

“When I grow up, I want to wear pants just like
Pa. None of them petticoats and stuff.”

Gilbert had been listening to the small talk
coming from the bedroom and he grinned. With a deep chuckle, he
said, “Oh, is that so, young lady? Well, we’ll see how you feel
about it after you grow up a bit.”

“Pa, I’m never changin’ my mind. Petticoats
and all that underwear are for ladies and I’m no lady. I’m a
rancher’s daughter. Did you see all those clothes, Pa?” She shook
her head vigorously. “No, not for me, Pa. Never.”

Gilbert laughed at his daughter’s determined
attitude, but Melinda merely blushed at the subject. She was not
used to discussing women’s clothing and undergarments in front of a
man.

Gilbert was amused by his daughter’s
openness but when he saw Melinda blush, he realized they had
embarrassed her. He quickly pulled out a chair for Jenny and then
one for Melinda so they could sit at the dinner table. Melinda sat
on one side of the table with Jenny on her left and Gilbert on her
right. After everyone settled down, Gilbert said a prayer over the
food.

As they sat, Melinda listened to the
discussions that Gilbert and Jenny were having. He was teaching his
daughter the tricks of cooking a roast so it was tender and would
fall apart with the touch of a fork.

“You see, Jenny, you cook it for about three
or four hours at a low temperature and make sure to constantly pour
water over it every hour. And make sure you have a lid on it, too.
That way, it will fall apart easily and remain moist.”

“Yes, Pa.”

“Do you remember when I said that I’m not
going out in this weather again until I have to?”

“Yes, Pa, I do.”

“Well, after we eat you can come out to the
barn with me to feed and water the horses. We can’t neglect them
because of cold weather, you know.”

Jenny nodded and then stuffed a piece of
roast in her mouth.

After Melinda sipped her broth, she asked,
“May I have some of that roast beef? I’d like to see how tender it
is.”

Gilbert smiled and handed her the plate.
After dishing a small portion for herself, Melinda stuck her fork
into the beef and it fell apart. She put a forkful in her mouth and
as she chewed, it seemed to melt in her mouth. It was so tender
that it did not take long to chew. It was lightly seasoned with
salt and a little pepper and the beef was not dry at all. It was
indescribably delicious.

Gilbert anxiously watched her eat her first
bite. “Well?”

Melinda looked up and her eyes brightened.
“Mmmm, delicious. The best I’ve ever tasted in my whole life. And
I’m not exaggerating, either. I suspect there’s a lot a teacher can
learn from a rancher.”

Gilbert chuckled. Melinda sure had a way
with words. He noticed a few strands of hair that had loosened and
fallen appealingly about Melinda’s face. Gilbert reached over and
gently moved a curl that had fallen next to her eyes. The touch of
his finger created a rosy glow on her face, which made Gilbert
grin. He had never seen anyone who blushed as easily as she
did.

After supper, Melinda and Jenny did the
dishes while Gilbert sat and read. Melinda turned to her and asked,
“What do you plan on doing after we’re done with the dishes,
Jenny?”

“After I take care of my horse, then we sit and
read. Sometimes Pa has me read to him. He says that books help us
learn and that’s important. Not only that, but we’re in a world of
our own, an imaginary world. He says if I want to be smart like
you, Miss Gamble, I need to read.”

Melinda smiled and looked
over at Gilbert reading comfortably in an overstuffed chair. After
she washed the last dish and dried her hands, she walked over to
him and saw that he was reading a book by Jules Verne,
In Search of the Castaways
.

“I’ve heard of this French author before,”
she said.

Gilbert looked up from his reading and
smiled. “You have? Have you read his books before?”

“No, I haven’t. But I’ve heard that he
writes sort of nonsensical stuff.”

Gilbert looked amused. “Oh? Is that what you
heard or is that your own opinion of his books? That they’re sort
of nonsensical!” He noticed that she had definite opinions and was
not afraid to admit them.

“Well, it’s my own opinion, but I haven’t
read his works. I guess I should at least read one of his books
before I make a judgment, huh?” Melinda sat down on the sofa and
leaned back.

Gilbert grinned. “Yes, I think so. What I like most
about Verne is his descriptions of the sights and sounds the
travelers see and hear. It helps me feel like I’m actually
there.”

When he saw how interested Melinda looked,
he continued, “Let me share a paragraph with you. Verne is
describing what it looks like at the tops of the Andes Mountains.”
Gilbert flipped through a few pages and then read, “‘Huge blocks of
glittering ice, of a bluish tint on some of the declivities, stood
up on all sides, reflecting the early light of morn.’” He looked up
from his book and said, “See what I mean?”

“That’s beautiful, Gilbert.”

Melinda saw a side of Gilbert that she had
never seen before and she was impressed. This man, whom she had
always referred to as a “rugged rancher,” had another side to him.
He loved to read and he could understand and enjoy the beautiful
descriptions in a book.

While Gilbert and Jenny were feeding their horses in
the barn, Melinda searched through the books on the bookshelf.
There were books on ranching and the care of children. He had more
books by Jules Verne and plenty of children’s books. When he told
Jenny that books were important, he definitely meant it. Melinda
thumbed through the children’s books and found
Black Beauty.
She pulled it out and searched through the pages. It looked new and
the pages were stiff. She could tell the book had not been read
yet.

Melinda sat down on the sofa and arranged
her robe around her legs so she was comfortable and modest. Then
she put the blanket on her lap. She listened to the fire crackle
and the warmth of it filled the house while the blizzard was
howling outside.

It was not long until Gilbert and Jenny
opened the door. They were stomping their feet on the porch and
laughing.

Jenny giggled, “Pa, next time we race to the
house, I’m sure to win. Just you wait.”

Melinda sat on the sofa and enjoyed the warm
laughter in the house. When Jenny looked her way, she said, “I
found one of my favorite books. How would you like me to read it to
you until it’s bedtime?”

Jenny walked over to Melinda with curiosity.
Looking at the book, she noticed a picture of a horse on the cover.
Her face brightened with interest as she said, “All right. How
about now?”

“First, let me tell you a little about it.
This book is about the life of a horse. In fact, it’s from the
viewpoint of a horse. Black Beauty is the narrator.”

Upon hearing this, Jenny became excited. Melinda
knew how much she loved horses. They were her life. Jenny had told
her about her duties such as brushing her horse down, and feeding
and watering her. Gilbert had taken special care to teach his
daughter the responsibilities of caring for her own horse.

Jenny cuddled next to Melinda and leaned her
head against her shoulder. Melinda opened the book and began to
read, “‘The first place that I can remember was a large pleasant
meadow with a pond of clear water in it. Some shady trees leaned
over it, and rushes and water lilies grew at the deep end…’”

Gilbert listened to the
sweet tones of Melinda’s voice as he washed up. After wiping his
hands dry, he quietly walked over to his overstuffed chair and
relaxed as he listened to
Black
Beauty
. He had recently purchased it for
his daughter, but they had not had the chance to read it yet.
Gilbert watched his daughter’s interest in the book and how sweetly
she cuddled up to Melinda.

He noticed the inflections of Melinda’s
voice as she read and how she would make the story interesting with
each emotion she conveyed. Gilbert’s heart warmed towards Melinda
as he realized how much he enjoyed being around her and how nice it
was to have a woman in the house.

Time passed and when he
looked at the clock and noticed it was 10:00, he ignored it. Both
he and Jenny had gotten hooked on
Black
Beauty
and he knew there would be no
school tomorrow because of the weather. He felt there would be no
harm in staying up late.