The Enchanted Land (27 page)

“I don’t know, Gordon. I really don’t know you. But what you say about there being too many memories here is correct. Let me think about it and give you an answer soon. Right now, I need to put my son to bed.”

She walked ahead as Gordon followed with the dozing Adam. “Do you know that I’ve loved your mother since she was twenty minutes old? I don’t care where your father is, because I plan to move heaven and earth to become your new daddy. Would you like that, son?” He kissed the dimpled cheek of the boy. “We’ll go to the ranch. And inside of a year, I’ll be your pa.”

It took Gordon two days to persuade Morgan to go with him to the Three Crowns. The major opposition came from Jake; he couldn’t stand the idea of Adam’s leaving.

“I have to, Jake. What if Seth returns? I can’t be here then. I don’t want to see him.”

Gordon could hardly control his elation as he loaded the wagon with Morgan’s and Adam’s clothes. “I’ll send a hand back to return the wagon, and he’ll let you know that we got there safely.”

The goodbyes were tearful. “Send us letters. Tell us about yourself and the boy. The house will be sad without you,” Lupita cried. Paul gave Adam two more carved wooden horses for his ranch house. Jake took it the worst, almost refusing to see them off.

Adam waved to them for a long time, enjoying the
unusual pleasure of riding in a wagon. By the time they reached Santa Fe, he was fretful and Morgan was glad to stop. She wanted to purchase fabric for some new clothes for him. The days were getting longer and the afternoons hotter. Gordon had told her it was much warmer farther down the mountains toward Albuquerque.

Gordon had taken Adam with him and promised to meet Morgan by the wagon in an hour. Morgan’s last stop took her to a new shop, one she’d never seen. It carried imported silks and velvets, handmade laces, as well as the sturdy cottons she needed for Adam. She didn’t hear the footsteps behind her.

“Well, Mrs. Colter, it is such a surprise to see you here again.”

“Miss Wilson.” Marilyn Wilson was the last person Morgan wanted to see. “How have you been? Is this your shop?”

“I’ve been quite well, thank you, and yes, my father bought this shop for me about six months ago. I hear you came back alone from San Francisco.”

Morgan clenched her hands into fists.

“Tell me, how is Joaquín Montoya? Wasn’t it strange how he and his sister packed up and left for Spain that way, just a few days after their party?”

Before Morgan could answer, Marilyn continued, “All of Santa Fe thought it was strange how you and Joaquín rode off together right in the middle of the party. Of course, as I mentioned to Seth, you two had spent a great deal of time together already.”

“You…”

Neither of the women heard the shop door open.

“Then, of course, all of Santa Fe knew Seth spent the winter alone on the Colter ranch.”

“Ahem.” Both women turned to see Gordon and Adam. Adam let go of Gordon’s hand and ran to his
mother to show her the little wooden trees Gordon had bought him.

Morgan picked her son up. “Pretty, aren’t they? They’ll go with the rest of your ranch. Oh—Miss Wilson”—Morgan acted as if she had just remembered the woman’s presence—“let me introduce my son to you. Adam, this is Miss Wilson.” Adam looked at the woman for only a second and then began jabbering to his mother about his trees. He smiled, showing dimples so like Seth’s.

Gordon took Adam. “I guess it’s time we left Santa Fe.” He didn’t like the lightning atmosphere between the two women.

As they got to the door, Morgan turned back. “I guess all of Santa Fe doesn’t know about my son. I think you’ll agree there’s no doubt who his father is. Goodbye, Miss Wilson.”

In the wagon, Morgan was quiet at first. Then, a few miles outside of Santa Fe, the tears began to flow. Gordon pulled the wagon over under some large cottonwoods. Without a word, he set Adam on the ground and then lifted Morgan from the wagon. He held her in his strong arms and let her cry. He sat under a tree and rocked her gently. Adam heard his mother and came to investigate. When he realized she was crying, he began to cry, too. Gordon tried to keep one arm around each of them, but the more one cried, the more the other cried.

It took him a few minutes to realize that Morgan was laughing. “What’s so blasted funny?”

“You. The look on your face. Two people crying in your arms and you trying to comfort both of them. I never saw such frustration.”

Gordon grinned at her. “I’ll have to remember the look for the next time you cry, so I can make you laugh. Anyway, it was worth it for a chance to hold you.”

Gordon’s seriousness made Morgan realize her position. She quickly moved from his lap and gathered Adam to her. Adam was happy again when he saw his mother smile, and ran to explore a nearby sound.

“You want to tell me about it?”

Morgan shook her head.

“Who was that woman, anyway? You seemed to know one another pretty well.”

“Know one another! I’ve only seen that … viper a few times in my life. And each time, she’s caused me problems. Her vicious tongue helped break up my marriage!”

“No. It was Seth’s temper and jealousy that caused the rift between you.”

Morgan looked at Gordon in puzzlement.

“Jake told me the whole story.”

“Jake told you! He had no right. Does he tell
everyone
he meets, or just overnight guests?”

“Calm down, Morgan. He thought I should know, and he’s right. He said it was Seth’s fault and that you had every right to be angry.”

“Angry! I believe I feel an emotion a little stronger than anger! I never want to see him again, not after the way he treated me. When we get to the ranch, I’m going to have my father’s lawyer arrange a divorce.”

Gordon felt like doing his best Comanche war yell at this news. “Morgan.” He lifted her chin and smiled at her, but her deep frown still remained. “Oh, no.”

“What is it?”

“That’s my best melt-the-girls smile, and it didn’t even make you lose your frown. I must be losing my touch.”

“Gordon,” Morgan smiled, “what would I do without you?”

“I hope you never find out.” His eyes betrayed his seriousness, and Morgan looked away, embarrassed.

They spent the night camping. It was the first time
Morgan had slept outdoors since she had been taken to San Francisco by Jacques.

“Warm enough, Morgan?”

“Yes, I am. Gordon, thank you for taking Adam and me back to the ranch. I needed a change, and you came at the right time.”

Gordon settled into his own bedroll. “Purely selfish, Morgan,” he whispered to himself.

“H
EY
, mister, watch where you’re goin’!” The man, one eye twitching, squinted up at Seth. “You sick or somethin’, mister?”

Seth stared at the man, unseeing. “What?”

“You hear about the gold out at Cypress Pass? From what I hear, it’s the biggest strike yet. You goin’?” He stared up at Seth. “You sure you’re not sick?”

“No, I’m fine. Where is this Cypress Pass?”

“No need to ask that, just follow all these people.” He put out one grimy hand and gestured to the confusion around them.

Seth looked at the people in the streets for the first time. Work. That’s what he wanted—work.

“These people are going to look for gold?”

“Boy, mister, where you been? Sure, that’s what’s goin’ on. The whole country knows about the gold and here you stand in the middle of it and… Listen, bud, just go over there to the general store and get some gear. The storekeep’ll know what you need.” He watched Seth turn toward the store. “And get some clothes. Those duds are too fancy for the gold fields… You sure get all kinds out here.” He muttered this last remark to himself.

As Seth walked toward the store, he turned back. Morgan, his brain screamed. I’ll go back to her, I can’t stand this. His mind raged at him and he saw her face, the tears running down her cheeks. He heard her say, “I
love you, Seth,” over and over. But after what he’d done, she’d never take him back. What about Montoya? What about this Shaw that she lived with?

He stopped walking. No, it was over. He and Morgan were finished. She’d chosen her life and it didn’t include him. He’d had his revenge on her and now he could go ahead with his life. He’d mourned enough last winter. He remembered Morgan’s sweet little body, her golden hair tangling between them, the eagerness of her kisses. And “I love you, Seth,” cried out in his mind again and again.

“No!” He clutched his hands over his ears. A man and woman turned to stare at him, then shrugged and continued walking.

It’s finished. He turned again to the store. Yes, he thought, I’ve had my revenge. But why isn’t it sweet?

The storekeeper barely looked up from his ledger. The sight of Seth, his impressive size, and the expensive suit he wore caused him to take a second look. “Help you, mister?”

“I need some things for panning gold.”

The clerk sighed. They were all alike, young and old. The gold fever hit everyone. He reached under the counter, never leaving his stool. He caught the neck of a burlap bag and slung it onto the counter beside him. It rattled and clanged as it hit. “Fifty dollars, cash.”

Seth counted out the money. “How do I find out how to use this stuff?”

The clerk returned his attention to his ledger. “Ask anybody at the site. Anybody over three years old can show you.”

“Thanks.”

The clerk watched the big man leave, shook his head, and looked back down at the ledger. He considered the panners fools. He’d made his own gold strike and had never had to break his back in the sun for months on end.

Seth went to the livery stable to get his horse. He
changed from the expensive suit to his sturdy cotton work clothes. Contemptuously, he tossed the suit into a corner of the stall. It had seen too many bad memories for him to want to keep it.

The moon was up and the way to the new gold strike was easy to find. By the time he reached Cypress Pass, the sun was just beginning to lighten the horizon. It took Seth very little time to find a place in the stream and to learn to use the gold pan.

After several hours of bending, his back hurt and his neck ached. His head throbbed and he felt the burned skin of his back through his shirt. The pain was good; he hoped it would block out his vivid memories of Morgan. He attacked the pan with new energy.

He didn’t really see the sun set, only noticed that he couldn’t see the pan any longer. He looked around and saw a man entering a tent, carrying a lantern. He walked toward the man.

“Twenty dollars for your lantern.”

The man looked up at Seth in surprise, then grinned. A front tooth was chipped and discolored. “Sure.”

Seth returned to the stream. The flecks of gold glinted in the lantern light. When the sun came up, he was still at it. The other gold panners paid little attention to the newcomer. They all knew how it was when the fever first hit.

By noon, Seth was beginning to collapse. His eyes blurred and his head was light and he had trouble holding the pan steady. Only vaguely did he feel the hand on his arm, see the hand that removed the pan from his grasp. In the back of his mind, something whispered, “Morgan,” but he knew it couldn’t be.

“Here, eat this.”

He sat down heavily. As the smell of stew reached him, he realized he hadn’t eaten for a long time. He took the plate and ate greedily. The pan was filled twice more before he felt he had eaten enough.

There were no more trees in the ugly little camp, so
he stretched out on his bedroll in the shade beside a tent. He was instantly asleep. The girl stared down at the big sleeping man and smiled. Although he was twice her size, something made her want to take care of him, like a little boy. She knelt down and caressed the hair at his temple. Then she started, and quickly looked to see if anyone had seen her. No one had. She went back to her parents’ tent.

The sun was just going down when Seth awoke, the horizon pink. His first waking thoughts were of Morgan. It seemed he never remembered how things actually stood between them in those first drowsy minutes. He always reached out, expecting to find her near him. Then he remembered.

“I brought you some more food.”

He looked up at the girl standing over him. Hair darker than Morgan’s, not nearly as pretty, and… Damn it, Colter, don’t compare every woman to Morgan.

Seth nodded his thanks to the girl and began to eat, slowly this time. “Did you bring me food earlier today?”

Shyly, she nodded, not looking up at him.

“I thank you. I’m afraid I lost track of time working out there. Another few hours and I might not have been worth saving.”

Her eyes flew to his. They betrayed her opinion of his worth. She lowered her lashes when she saw him staring at her. “We’re camped over there,” she pointed. “There’s Ma and Pa and Ben and me. Ben’s my big brother.” There was pride in her voice. “Ma and me cook for some of the men here, the ones who ain’t got wives.” She looked up at Seth questioningly.

“Well,” he smiled at her, “I guess you can cook for me.” The idea of a wife was too painful to Seth.

She smiled back at him. “I’m Lee Ann Coleman.”

“Seth… Seth Blake.”

She was beginning to lose her shyness. “Don’t you have a tent, Mr. Blake?”

“Seth. No, I don’t.”

She was quiet and seemed to be considering something. “I saw you working out there. You must be awful hungry to strike it rich, or else you’re trying to kill yourself.”

Seth was serious. “Maybe a little of both.”

“I got to be getting back now, Mr…. Seth. I’ll bring you breakfast in the morning. You better sleep now.”

Seth watched her go. The old dress was faded and patched, but clean. It fit her too tightly, showing her stocky little body. He remembered Morgan’s lush curves and he saw her again as she had looked in the bedroom at his ranch. Damn! he thought, will she ever get out of my mind?

Lee Ann was up early the next morning, heaping Seth’s plate with fried eggs and fried bread. As she went to get a steaming mug of coffee, her mother caught her. “Why can’t he come to the tent like the rest of the men? What’s so special about this one?”

“Oh, Ma, he’s…”

Corinne looked into her daughter’s eyes and then smiled. So that’s how it was. She’d been about Lee Ann’s age when she’d met Larry. “Go on then and take him his breakfast. But hurry back, ’cause I need your help.”

Corinne watched her daughter go. She knew Lee Ann would never be a beauty—her little face was too plain for that, and her sturdy little body would never be elegant—but she had a good heart. Sometimes when she looked up at you with those liquid brown eyes, she could melt your heart. Corinne had no doubt that this new man was in some kind of trouble. Not law trouble, more likely a broken heart. Lee Ann always loved the helpless ones. Corinne sighed. Too often, once Lee Ann had them on their feet again, they’d go running off. Lord, she prayed, let this one be different.

Seth was already working when Lee Ann got there.
He stopped when he saw her. “I’m glad to see you. I could eat these flakes of gold, I’m so hungry.”

Lee Ann sat beside the big man, her legs drawn up under her, and watched him eat. “I like to see a man eat. I just hate these puny little ones who eat three eggs for breakfast and call it a meal.”

Seth remembered how Morgan and Lupita had always plied him with food and more food. He looked at the meal of Lee Ann’s, the eggs and bread swimming in grease. It was a far cry from Morgan’s brioches and cheese-filled omelets.

“You from around here?”

“New Mexico.”

“We been through there once. Too dry for me. I like it better here.”

Seth looked around at the dirty, barren camp. There were many tents and a few haphazard shacks. The trees had long ago been used for firewood. Even the stream was discolored with dishwater, cooking grease, soap-suds, and the leavings from hundreds of slop jars. He remembered the clean, clear hills and arroyos on his ranch.

Seth quickly finished his meal and went back to work. The more he worked, the more tired he was, the less he was able to think. Yet at night, under the stars, he often lay awake for hours remembering Morgan, every word they’d ever spoken, every caress they’d shared.

A month passed. The days began to run together. The other people in the camp had tried to be friendly, but Seth’s sullenness made them withdraw. Only Lee Ann stayed by him, bringing his meals three times a day.

It was Lee Ann who got the tent for him. One of the diggers was giving up, selling out, going back east. She bought everything without even asking Seth. Seth told her to take what gold she needed from his ever-growing
hoard. She marveled that he trusted her so much, but also wanted to scold him for not hiding his gold like her pa did.

When Seth fell onto the hard cot at night, he hardly noticed the difference between it and the ground he had grown accustomed to. He was used to Lee Ann’s presence and took for granted that she kept his food hot until he was ready for it, kept his clothes washed, mended, and orderly.

One morning after Seth had been at Cypress Pass for two months, Lee Ann saw him packing his gear on his horse. His tent was already down and he was just rolling his blankets.

“Where you goin’?”

He missed the alarm in her voice. “This place is getting too crowded. Heard about a new place upriver and thought I’d try there for a while. The gold’s played out here.”

Lee Ann turned abruptly and started running back to her parents’ tent.

Seth looked after her. He’d planned to stop and say goodbye to Lee Ann, but as he watched her go, he just shrugged. He didn’t really care one way or another if he left the camp. He didn’t really seem to care about anything anymore.

Lee Ann ran to her mother, breathless. “He’s leavin’, Ma, and I’m goin’ with him.”

There was no need to tell who “he” was. Corinne knew her daughter had thought of nothing but Seth Blake for two months. Corinne opened her mouth to protest, but one look at Lee Ann’s eyes made her stop. She’d felt this way about Larry, too. There was no use trying to persuade Lee Ann to wait and get the man to marry her. Corinne and Larry hadn’t been married until after Ben was born.

“I have to, Ma,” she whispered.

The tears gathered in Corinne’s eyes. “I know.” She
hugged her daughter, a short fierce hug. “Well, let’s hurry and get your things together. You’ll have to take the mule.”

“Oh, Ma, I can’t. Pa needs him.”

“That’s all right. He needs his daughter, too. If he can spare one, he can spare the other. There, now, that’s everything.” They had hurriedly stuffed Lee Ann’s two other dresses into an old carpet bag.

“You’ll tell them for me, Ma?”

“I will. You be careful, now. And Lee Ann,” she called after her daughter, who was already climbing onto the mule, “if anything happens, you come back, you hear?”

Lee Ann nodded and headed the mule away from the tent.

She’s so young, Corinne thought, and so happy. Please, Lord, let it turn out as good for her as it did for me.

Lee Ann caught up with Seth about a mile out of the camp.

He smiled at her. “Goin’ into town?”

“No, I’m going with you.”

He stopped his horse. “You’re what? You can’t go with me.”

She smiled up at him. “I certainly can. You need me—to take care of you.”

“What about your parents? And I don’t need anyone.”

Lee Ann continued smiling. “Ma understands. She ran off with Pa, just like I’m goin’ with you.”

Seth’s eyes narrowed, his voice was stern. “
You
don’t understand. I said I don’t need anyone, and we’re not going to be like your ma and pa.”

Lee Ann’s smile of confidence didn’t dim.

“You have to go back. Don’t you understand? I have a wife!”

Only for a second did a shadow cross Lee Ann’s brown eyes. “If you have a wife, then why ain’t she here? You need someone here with you now, and that’s me.”

“My wife…” Seth began. He could see it was no use. There was a will of steel behind those soft eyes. “Don’t expect anything from me, Lee Ann, because there’s nothing left to give,” he said quietly before he turned his horse toward town again.

As Lee Ann kicked her mule to follow, she thought, at least it’ll be easier to fight a ghost than a flesh-and-blood wife. I’ll make him forget. She was happy as she smiled at Seth’s broad back, the bronzed muscles moving under the rough cotton shirt.

For months, Lee Ann and Seth traveled from one gold field to another. After the first few weeks, Lee Ann began to lose her natural happiness. Seth ignored all her attempts at any sort of a relationship. One night, when she had crawled onto his cot with him, he merely shrugged and turned away. In the morning, he had pulled her close to him and she was so happy she laughed aloud, the happiness spilling over her. The sound of her laughter made Seth look at her, shaking off the drowsiness of sleep. Abruptly, he pushed her from him.