Shadow of Shame: Book 1 of the Shadow series (8 page)

One of the women in our church has three little girls, all of them older than four. I’ll ask her if she has anything to donate to a worthy cause. I can’t wait to tell my father what a wonderful man we have living among us.”

Jonas looked to Ivy as though he were speechless. She thought his behavior typical of a generous man, shy about receiving praise.

Jonas looked thoughtful, and said, “I need just one more favor.”

“Name it,” Ivy said. She looked into those beautiful brown eyes—how could she refuse him? She’d thought him wonderful before, but now she was totally smitten, and she had to have this man. No other man would do. Not only was he handsome and charming, but now he was a philanthropist as well.

“You're going to the barn dance with Boyd tonight, right?”

“I couldn’t think of an excuse to say no fast enough—”

“My favor is to be very careful. Watch out for him—I’m serious, don’t let him get too…” Jonas fumbled for words.

“Familiar?” she asked.

“Yes, exactly. My friend, Quinn, will be there, should you need help.”

How bad was Boyd? She didn’t care much for him, but had no idea she needed to be warned about him. “Help? Now you’re scaring me. Just how bad is he?”

“I’m not sure.” He grimaced. “He’s just used to hanging around a different type of woman, and that worries me. I can only
hope
he knows how to behave with a decent woman.”

Was there no end to this man’s benevolence? Since he was worried about her, it must mean he cared about her, too, which gave her some encouragement.

“I promise,” she said. “But now
I
need another favor.”

Jonas laughed. “We’ll be trading favors forever.”

Ivy was tempted to say, “I hope so,” but she knew that would be too obvious.

“What’s the favor?” he asked with a twinkle in his eye, and a smile that Ivy found irresistible.

“I’d like to come out and see the little girl.”

Jonas didn’t know how to answer Ivy. “Well, I’m just getting her settled—”

“Oh, I don’t mean today, or anything,” Ivy said. “I would like to eventually meet her, and make her feel welcome. I love children. I teach a Sunday School class for five-year-olds.”

Jonas jumped at the chance to change the subject. “You have a Sunday School at your church? Mine is thinking of starting one.”

“What church do you go to?”

“I drive to Trinity Church.”

“Why do you go that far when Grace is just a few minutes away?”

“It’s only a few miles. I direct the music there.”

“I wish you would come to our church; my father would love it. We don’t have a choir director—we don’t even have a choir yet. Our piano player's about to retire, and we don’t know who we’ll get when he does.”

“I went there years ago when it was still in the old building. I’m quite comfortable at Trinity, but I'm disappointed that there's no Sunday School for Zoe.”

“Her name's Zoe?”

He nodded.

“I would love it if I could take her to our Sunday School.”

Jonas took a few minutes to think about how he should answer. He would naturally like for Zoe to attend, but he didn’t know how advanced she was for a four-year-old. He did know she’d be five in a few months, though, and it would help him seeing Ivy regularly, as well. He wondered if she'd be put off by Zoe’s race. Some people still weren't accepting of people who were different. Indians in the area were still treated harshly in town. He thought it sad.

“I like the idea, at least until my church decides to start one. They seem to be dragging their feet on this, and I don’t know why. I think it’s causing families with children to switch over to other churches, and no church wants to lose its people.”

“I’ll need to see how advanced she is,” Ivy said. “I’ve no way of knowing how much she knows because of the conditions you’ve described.” They stopped talking when they noticed people nearby.

“Can we talk more about this after you pay for the clothes?” Ivy asked.

“Sure,” he said.

She smiled. “I’ll wait outside for you.”

They strolled the boardwalk toward Jonas’s buggy. The salesman had given him a crate to carry the clothing in. He was thankful he had the foresight to bring the buggy instead of riding his horse.

He put the box on the floor of the buggy, and then turned to her. “Do you want to sit with me for a few minutes and talk?” He held his breath that he hadn’t been too forward in asking her into his buggy.

“I’d like that,” she said.

He helped her into the buggy and jumped in beside her. His new buggy was a red two-seater with a black canopy.

“I love your buggy,” she said. She ran her hands along the upholstery. “It’s beautiful.”

“Thank you. It’s fairly new. I like it because it’s small, and only needs one horse to pull it.” He was struck by how beautiful she looked in his carriage.

“So, about the Sunday School,” he said. “I’m going to take you up on that offer, but as I said, I’m not even sure if she can talk. I haven’t had a chance to see much of her, and she was pretty quiet on the ride home. My housekeeper bathed her, and then she fell asleep. She slept in one of my shirts.” He chuckled after he said that.

“How darling! Can you tell me anything about her life so far?” she asked.

“I don’t know much. She was supposed to be living with her grandmother, but we stopped in for a visit today and found her in deplorable conditions—I mean, health risk deplorable—it was a pigsty, really. I can’t even describe it. I just found a comforter, wrapped her up in it, and put her into Caleb’s buggy.”

“Oh dear! How horrible!” Jonas read sympathy in her eyes and expression. “If you allow me to visit her—at your convenience, of course—I could assess her abilities for you. I’d also like for her to get to know me…if I’m to take her from you for Sunday School.”

“That’s a good idea. I hadn’t thought of that. Stop by any time—tomorrow, the next day, or whenever you can. I’m always on the ranch somewhere, and Thelma can ring the bell for me.”

“Have you a nanny for her, or is your housekeeper going to care for her?” Ivy asked.

“We found her a nanny today. Ingrid Smith. Do you know her?”

“No, I don’t. I’m still quite new to the area, and I don’t know many people,” she said.

Jonas was enjoying her being beside him in the buggy. He wished he could prolong her company, but he had to get the clothes to Zoe, as the poor child needed them. “I guess I should get these clothes home,” he said finally. “Can I drop you anywhere?”

“That would be lovely. I’m going to the hardware store to pick up my sister. She’s visiting with a friend there,” Ivy said.

“It’s right on my way,” he said, and he moved the buggy forward.

Ingrid had Zoe upstairs, dressing her and putting away her clothes, when Quinn stopped by. As usual, Jonas had heard him ride up, answered the door, and invited him in.

Jonas always listened for guests, due to the expensive horses he housed in the stables. Each year he added more. His father wanted him to get a watchdog, but he’d kept putting it off. Now he decided he should probably look into it, since with a child in the house, he might miss hearing a rider approach.

Jonas invited Quinn into the sitting room.

“I can’t stay, Jonas. I have to pick Mary Beth up. I just wanted to try to talk you into coming tonight. I’m seriously begging you.”

“Why? So you can laugh at me holding hands with women, and skipping around to fiddle music?” he said with a chuckle.

“I know.” Quinn also chuckled. “It’s silly, but women love it. You do what you have to sometimes.”

“Sounds like you have a hook in your jaw, Quinn.”

“I might. I just might.” Quinn sobered. “C’mon Jonas. Come with us.”

“Seriously, Quinn, why do you want me there so badly?”

“I’m worried about Boyd with Ivy,” he said.

“You weren’t when you set her up with him to pick out a horse,” Jonas said.

“I know, but Phil Monroe just told me Boyd’s been at the Silver Slipper most of the afternoon, drinking, and who knows what else. So now I’m worried—I’ll be busy with Beth and won't be able to keep a sharp eye on him. I admit it’s all my fault, which makes me feel even worse about it and worry all the more.”

Jonas felt a little uneasy about it now, too. He thought about Boyd being inebriated while he was with Ivy, and his blood began to boil. “What time does this thing start?”

“Around seven,” Quinn said.

“I can’t go with you now—I have a man coming to pick up a horse—but I’ll be there as soon as I can,” he said. “But I’m
not
dancing.”

After the man picked up his horse, Jonas asked his foreman if he’d mind staying a bit later to watch the place while he was gone. He wasn’t used to leaving the ranch at night, and he felt uneasy about it. It was easy to get a worker to watch the place, since they all liked the overtime.

He looked at his pocket watch; it was six-thirty, and he hadn't washed up or changed his clothes yet.

Ivy watched Boyd rein in at the front of the Jeffries' home in a buggy as fancy as Jonas’s. Ivy invited him into the foyer when he came to the door, and introduced him to her parents, who were seated in the sitting room off the foyer. They were courteous, but not overly friendly. They didn’t like dances, and were a bit upset that Ivy was going to one. Ivy’d had a bit of a discussion at dinner with them about it, and they'd communicated to her how they felt. They told her that if she wanted to go, she certainly could, but they still did
not
approve.

Ivy felt that sometimes her parents were a bit too strict, and followed the Bible a bit too literally. Times change, she thought.

Ivy and Boyd made a hasty retreat.

Boyd assisted Ivy into the buggy, and then he lighted the lanterns on the sides of his buggy, because it had grown too dark to see the road. He headed the buggy toward the Hanleys' barn dance.

As they approached the Hanleys', the sight nearly took Ivy’s breath away. The oversized barn had its doors thrown wide open, and the ground had been strewn haphazardly with straw. People danced, not only in the barn, but also in the yard in front of the barn. Lanterns were strung around the entire area, painting a festive atmosphere. She could hear the fiddles and people laughing as they had danced, and she couldn’t wait to get out of the buggy to see things first hand.

Boyd rode around to the side of the barn where the buggies and horses were parked. As soon as he stopped, she started to jump down.

“Wait!” he called, “not so fast. I need to talk to you a minute.”

Ivy slid back into place and waited. He leaned closer. When he spoke, it was close to her face. “I just wanted to tell you how lovely you look tonight, and that I’m happy you agreed to come with me.” He patted her hand.

She smelled alcohol on his breath, which shocked her, and she wasn’t sure what to do about it. Was he drunk, or had he just had a drink before he'd picked her up? She'd never been in this situation before, and she didn’t know quite how to handle it. Instinctively, she backed away.

“No problem. Can we go now? I’m anxious to see my first barn dance up close.” She slid out without waiting for his answer, and began walking toward the front of the barn.

“Hey, wait for me!" he called after her. "I want everyone to see who I’m with tonight.”

He caught up with her, and put his arm around her, but she shrugged it off. “Don’t, Boyd. We’re just friends—we're not a couple.”

“What?” he pulled on her arm, halting her progress.

“Let me go, Boyd!”

Boyd held his hands up in the air, as if to say, 'no harm, no foul.' “All right, all right. Don’t get excited. I’m just in a great mood tonight, that's all.” He laughed. “Just call me Mr. E. All the ladies do.” He belched loudly and the smell of whiskey permeated the air.

“You’ve been drinking! You’re drunk!” she said.

“I've had one or two today.”

Ivy shook her head. “I’m sorry, Boyd. I can’t be with you. I don’t approve of drinking. I’ll have Quinn take me home.” She started walking toward the barn when he grabbed her by the arm again.

“C’mon, loosen up. We’ll have fun. I know all about ministers’ daughters. I was seeing one when I lived in Salina. She was one hot number.” He rolled his eyes.

Ivy began to panic. It was dark on their side of the barn, and she was alone with him. He had her by the arm and wouldn’t let her go. She didn’t know what to do. She thought she’d try to be nice about it, and try to throw him off his guard.

“Boyd, l don’t think you really want to do this. My father will be very upset with you if I go home and tell him—”

“Okay, okay. Just give me one little kiss, and then I’ll let you go, I promise.” Boyd pulled her closer. “I told you to call me Mr. E,” he laughed, then puckered up and leaned close to her face. The whiskey on his breath gagged her.

Ivy tried to kick him, but he held his lower body too far away, and stretched his upper body closer.

“
Let. Me. Go!”
she said firmly, and when he didn’t, she screamed as loud as she could. She became frightened, alone in the dark with a drunken man, and she screamed a second time.

Boyd put his hand over her mouth, and with the other, grabbed her tighter. “C’mon, just one little—” mid-sentence, Boyd flew into the air, and was thrown, hard, against someone’s carriage. “What the—”

Jonas began to punch him in the face and upper body.

Quinn appeared then, and yelled to Jonas, “Take it easy, Jonas! You’ll kill him!” Quinn struggled to pull Jonas off of Boyd. “Easy…let him go. I have him.”

Jonas slowly released his grip on Boyd. Quinn held Boyd by his shoulders in order to keep him from swinging back at Jonas.

Boyd swore at Jonas, and said, “Why should
you
of all people care what
I
do with a woman?
You
never did.”

“Enough, Boyd,” Quinn said. He tried to direct Boyd toward his buggy, but Boyd broke free.