Hannah's Dream (27 page)

Saturdays were quiet on the ranch.  The family went to town while Tom, who felt he deserved two days off a week, spent his Saturday with a bottle of whiskey and some good chewing tobacco.

Since Grady was the youngest hand, he had to stay on the ranch while the other hands went to town on Saturday night.  It was six o'clock and the others had already left when Grady counted the cows behind the pen.  He came up one short and went to see Tom.

"One's missin,' " Grady said.

"You counted them twice?"

"Yup, sir, I did."

"Then get out there and look for her."

Tom spit into the half-filled spittoon by his chair.

"Can I have some?" Grady said.

"Some what?"

"Some chaw!"

"Too young, go find that cow."

"Too young, my eye," Grady said under his breath.

He got on his horse and went to the pasture near the hill where Hannah painted her pictures.  He didn't see the cow and wandered through the woods to the next pasture that bordered an old abandoned sheep farm.

The former owner, a sheep farmer, was a stubborn man who, despite the warning he'd received from the cattlemen in the area not to bring his herd to Colorado, led his sheep into Colorado and bought the land bordering James' ranch from a widow woman who didn't care about what everyone called "the Sheep Wars."  One night, two cowboys got drunk and, angered over the farmer's arrogance, rode to his farm from High Bend and shot him.  They then drove his sheep over the cliff that separated the farm from a large wooded area.

The chasm was twenty yards wide at the center, but near one end, the end nearest the woods, it was only six feet wide, close enough that with a good running start, a man could jump across it to the other side.  The cowboys thought they could jump across the chasm  there, but they were so drunk they missed the edge and fell to their deaths.

The cause of the dispute was grazing rights.  Sheep would overgraze, rendering the land useless for grazing for months afterward.  They polluted water.  The farmers would put up fences on land the cattlemen used to drive their herds to pasture.  Cattle ranchers and sheep farmers had fought for years over grazing rights.  Violent attacks by both cattlemen and sheep herders ended in multiple deaths and lost stock.  James Hughes preferred negotiation and had offered the farmer more than he had paid for the land, but the man had refused to sell.  Once the land was vacant, James bought it before another farmer could move in.  The farmhouse still stood, but it hadn't been lived in for over a year.

As Grady emerged from the woods, he saw smoke coming from the chimney.  He wondered if James had rented out the house, but he knew if he asked Tom about it, the old codger would say what he always said -- "It's none of your dang business."

He looked across the field and didn't see the cow.  There was one more place to look, and he turned his horse around and headed back the way he came.

He found the cow eating leaves from a low-hanging branch of a tree bordering the big pasture on the other side of the ranch.  It was Betsy.  She was always going off by herself.  She didn't seem to like the other cows.

"Betsy, doggone it, come on, get on home."

He rounded up old Betsy and drove her back to the ranch.  Now that the cows were secure, Grady didn't see any point to staying on the ranch.  Old Tom was there, and all the animals were taken care of.  Besides, the other men got to go.  He worked just as hard as they did.  Most of them spent the night at the Half-Moon Saloon where two bits bought them a night with a pretty girl.  Why, they wouldn't even notice him.

He peeked into Tom's room before leaving.  The old man was dozing in his chair, so Grady left him alone.  He remembered the smoking chimney when he was halfway down the road to High Bend and cursed because he'd wanted to tell Tom about it.  It would have to wait until first thing tomorrow morning.

Chapter 47

It was warm in church and Hannah felt perspiration trickle down her forehead.  Owen had joined the family and was sitting next to her.  She hoped he didn't see the beads of sweat, and she didn't want to draw attention to them by wiping them away.  She turned her head toward Marian and put her forehead on her mother's shoulder.  Marian thought it was a sweet gesture and smiled.

Marian liked Owen.  He had a nice smile and was attentive to Hannah, but not too attentive.  She was glad James had invited him for Sunday dinner.

Becky wasn't happy with the invitation, though.  She had her meal planned a week in advance and having another person at the table would mean they all would have less.

Her frustration, though, had not been created by the addition of Owen at their table, but by the social.  She wanted James to ask her to go.  She knew her desire was irrational, but she couldn't help her feelings.  Being so close to him for so long had rekindled her passion for him to the point where she had begun to think she couldn't stay on the ranch anymore, but if she told Marian she was leaving, she would have to say why, and she could never confess her love for James to his sister.

Another factor causing her distress was her birthday.  It fell on the same day as the dance and she wondered if Marian would remember.  She had always given Becky a small token of her affection on her birthday, but with the excitement of the event and Hannah's budding relationship with Owen occupying Marian's thoughts, Becky believed she'd be forgotten.

The preacher's sermon was coming to a close and the organist was getting ready to play.  Hannah had been so preoccupied with Owen's presence that she didn't hear a word the preacher said.  She was glad when the organ began to play and they all stood.  Owen went first and waited for Hannah and the rest of the family to exit the pew before following them outside.  The preacher stood with his wife at the door, shook their hands, and asked how they were adjusting to their new lives in Colorado.  Hannah's impatience grew.  She was eager to get home and spend some time with Owen.

As they all climbed into the carriage, Owen asked Marian if he could escort Hannah home.  She said yes, and he helped Hannah into his buggy.  His medical bag sat on the seat between them.

"I guess you have to be ready if someone gets sick," she said.

"I keep it with me just in case someone needs help."

"Do you like High Bend?" she asked.

"It's a nice town.  I've had some resistance from the older people.  They liked old Dr. Crane."

"He was gone when we arrived.  I heard he was a good doctor, but old-fashioned."

"The older people liked that about him.  They don't like being told what to do by a whippersnapper."

Hannah laughed.  In her head, she could hear Tom Beasley say that.  They rode in front of the family carriage because Owen liked to travel fast and arrived at the ranch before the others.  She and Owen sat on the porch to await the family's arrival.

James brought Marian and Becky to the front door.  He then took the carriage to the stable.  Marian and Becky climbed the stairs and Marian sat on the porch while Becky hurried to the kitchen to heat up their dinner.

"I'll go in and help her," Hannah said.

When she had gone, Marian turned to Owen.

"Are you happy here in High Bend?" she asked.

Owen nodded his head.  "It's a nice town."

Marian sat in the rocker beside his.

"Where do you come from, Dr. Wallace?"

"Please call me Owen," he said.  "I come from New York."

"What part of New York?"

"The city.  My father is an industrialist with several companies.  He wasn't happy when I chose to be a doctor.  He thought I should join the firm, but I wanted something more."

"My father also owned several companies.  We lived in Philadelphia.  They were sold when he died."

"Mr. Dawes wasn't interested in running them?"

"My brother loves this ranch.  He didn't want them twenty years ago and nothing has changed.  I think his decision hurt my father, but sons have to make their own way."

"What about Hannah's father?" he said.

"We were well off, but it seems a long time ago.  My late husband came from old money."

"As did mine.  I'm surprised we haven't crossed paths before."

"My husband's family didn't acknowledge our marriage."

"Why is that?"

"They considered us beneath them."

Owen was surprised by Marian's confession.

"Surely you jest?" he said.  "You seem so refined."

"I know the rules of society, Dr. Wallace.  My parents spared no expense in preparing me for marriage to a wealthy man.  But my family was considered nouveau riche.  My mother-in-law refused to attend our wedding."

"Truly?  I'd never have known."

"What?  That we were considered undesirable?"

Marian felt she should stop talking, but something made her go on.

"Yes, we were undesirable, Dr. Wallace, but Randall Dawes was a prince.  You asked about Hannah's father.  Well, I'll tell you about him.  He enjoyed a life of privilege and died in an alleyway in Atlantic City.  He was stabbed to death and they never found his assailant.  He fathered a child with a woman of questionable character who brought her child to me and abandoned him.  Yes, old money.  He was so desirable."

She stood and began pacing the floor.  Owen was dumbstruck by her rant.

"Yes, all you men of the upper classes," she said, shaking her head.  "Another man from old money, a lawyer named Ross, lost all the money Randall left me to bad investments.  He came to my house to tell me about my husband's money.  He was well-mannered, though, as he told me there was nothing left.  He gave me money he'd saved, a pittance, to assuage his conscience.  Then he left me to tell my children their whole world had been destroyed."

She saw Adam walking toward the house.

"See that young man?" she said.  "He has more integrity than anyone I've ever met from the so-called upper classes.  He works with his hands and is covered in dirt most of the time, but if I gave him all my money and told him to hold it for me, I'd get back every dime."

"I understand your anger, Mrs. Dawes, but when it comes to marriage, one has to consider a person's background.  While you might admire a man like him, he lacks breeding.  He will never be anything but a ranch hand."

Marian turned to face Owen.

"So, are you interested in Hannah because she is a wonderful, charming, young woman, or because of her
breeding
?  What's more important to you,
Doctor
, her happiness or her blood lines?"

"Mrs. Dawes, I meant no offense, but you have to admit there is merit to that system."  Owen stood.

"No, I don't agree."

"Are you a suffragette?"

Marian's eyes grew wide.

"Because those women would have us believe that all people, men and women, rich and poor, are equal.  Is that what you're saying?  You have to admit it's a ridiculous notion."

"Then I believe I am a suffragette, Dr. Wallace."

"Does Hannah feel the same way?"

"I don't speak for my daughter.  I let her make those decisions for herself."

"Then you've answered my question.  I think I should leave.  Please give Hannah my regrets."

James passed Owen as the doctor headed for his buggy.  He raised his eyebrows and Marian shrugged.  They watched as the buggy disappeared down the road, and they both saw a rider heading toward the ranch.

"Were you expecting someone?" Marian asked.

"No," James said.

"I'm going in.  I have to tell Hannah he's not dining with us."

Marian went inside and James waited for the rider to reach the porch.  When he did, James noted the circles under his eyes and the stubble on his chin.

"Afternoon," James said.  "What brings you out here?"

The man got off his horse and came to the porch.  He climbed the stairs and extended his hand to James, who shook it.  Then the man handed him a letter of introduction from Louise Weise.

"Evan Morgan, well, any friend of Louise's is a friend of mine.  We're just about to eat dinner.  Do you have a bag?"

"I left it at the hotel.  I wanted to be sure this was all right with you before bringing it out here."

"Then we'll get it after dinner."

Evan put out his hand and held onto James arm.

"I need to show you something," Evan said.  "I need you to come with me."

Chapter 48

When Evan Morgan arrived in Denver, he got Old Mike from the stock car and took him to a livery.  He didn't trust leaving Old Mike alone on the streets of a big city like Denver, and he wanted to stay the night and canvas the shops to ask if anyone had seen Pierre.  Evan still carried the newspaper photo of Pierre and Louise and would show it to shopkeepers.  So far, no one recalled seeing Pierre.

After arranging a night's stay for Old Mike, he went to a modest hotel and rented a room for the night.  After the clerk handed him his room key, he went to his room, put his bag on the bed, and locked the door when he left.

The hotel clerk told him to go to 16th Avenue.  There were shops on each side and Evan went up the left side first.  Then he crossed the street and began going down the right side.  He almost passed the ladies shop because he didn't think the Frenchman would have a reason to go in there, but his gut began to contract when he looked at the name on the window -- Yvette.

The shop was empty.  Evan could see a lovely blond-haired woman sitting at a small table in the corner of the store.  She had a rose-patterned teapot in front of her and she was sipping tea from a matching teacup.  She smiled when he entered and after putting her cup down, she stood and walked over to him.

"Welcome,
monsieur
," she said.  "May I help you?"

Evan found her accent charming and took off his hat.

"I'm a sheriff from New Jersey.  I'm looking for a man named Pierre Rousseau.  I think he's in Denver."

He pulled out his wallet and removed the folded newspaper.  He handed it to Yvette and she opened it and looked at the picture.  The picture was grainy and the corners smudged.  Evan looked at her face as she looked at the picture.  He recognized the spark of recognition and knew she had seen him.