Chapter 13
Chapter Thirteen
The country Jane and Curt’s ranch sat in was very similar to the J Bar L Ranch.
Prairie and grazing land to the north, south and east with those majestic Rocky Mountains to the west. On this day the sky was bluer than ever, though the sun didn’t seem to be able to warm the air very much.
In the buggy their laps were covered with blankets and all three of them wore sheepskin coats with knitted scarves and hats to keep warm.
The carriage pulled into the yard of a house built of logs that were varnished or oiled. A large, wide porch boasted a swing on the left side, just like house on the J Bar L Ranch.
Of course, Jane had grown up in the house where Emily now lived, so she’d want some of the familiar touches in her own home.
“Ben!”
A woman in her late twenties with sable brown hair much like Ben’s, but without the streaks of gold from long days in the sun, ran down the steps to the gate in the white picket fence. She wore a blue shirtwaist and black skirt, with a full apron over both.
Ben came around the carriage and helped Emily down just before he was tackled by his sister.
“Jane.”
He enveloped her in his embrace.
Emily stood by, smiling at the siblings’ reunion.
“I haven’t seen you in months,” Jane chided him. “And now I see that you have a bride.”
She stepped toward Emily and held out her hand.
“I’m Jane. We don’t have any customs about not shaking hands. Out here, deals are made with just a handshake.”
Emily smiled, clasped the extended hand and shook. “I’m Emily. Glad to meet you.”
“You, too. I’m so glad that Ben finally got married and not to Melissa. The only thing she had going for her was she had money.”
“Was I the only one who liked Melissa?” asked Ben.
“Yes.” Jane looked over Emily’s head. “Hi Rory.”
Rory tipped his hat. “Jane.”
Jane grabbed Ben’s arm and walked with him up the steps, across the porch and toward the house, followed by Emily and Rory.
“Afraid so, big brother. The rest of us saw her for what she was. A harpy. She may have had money, but that didn’t make her any less a witch. She and Mother would make quite the pair.”
“I’m afraid they already did. They tried to kill Emily,” said Ben.
Jane stopped walking and leaned back from him. “What? Tell me everything.”
“Later.” He jutted his chin toward Rory. “Now I want you to meet our brother, Rory Schroder.”
“I already know Rory,” she paused. “Our brother? When did this happen?”
Ben’s eyes twinkled. “When he was born.”
Jane punched him in the arm. “You know what I mean. When did you find out he is our brother?”
“Just recently after he kidnapped Emily but Mother knew all along and wouldn’t allow Father to acknowledge him.”
Jane leaned into her brother’s side. “I don’t understand this information about Emily’s kidnapping.
Why would you bring Rory here if he kidnapped Emily?
And don’t be so hard on, Mother, about Rory.
As a mother myself, I can understand her reluctance to recognize another woman’s child.
I’m not sure I could forgive Curt if I found out he had a love child.
And every time I looked at the kid, I’d be reminded that Curt had strayed. It’s a hard decision to have to make.”
“Agreed. But now, I’m recognizing Rory. It’s time that Mother came to terms with the decision. All this time has been wasted.”
Jane looked over at Rory, cocked her head, straightened and then smiled.
“Welcome to the family, Rory.”
Rory grinned.
“Thanks, Jane. I plan on working very hard to not let you or Ben down.”
Jane waved her arm, shooing them inside the house.
“Come on in out of the cold, everyone.”
She led them into the parlor where a blond man sat with a brown-haired baby standing between his knees as he held the baby’s hands.
A little blonde girl was playing with her doll by the coffee table.
“This is my husband, Curt and our children, Jenny and Henry,” said Jane.
The little girl looked up and squealed.
“Uncle Ben.”
She ran and launched herself at him from a couple of feet away.
Ben easily caught her.”
“Hi there, Pumpkin.”
“Hi, Uncle Ben. Who’s all these people?”
“Well.” Ben stepped up to Emily. “This is your Aunt Emily. She’s my wife. That man is your Uncle Rory, and he’s our brother, your mother’s and mine.”
“Hi Jenny,” said Emily. “I’m very pleased to meet you.”
“Hi,” said Jenny and shoved her thumb into her mouth.
Ben carried his niece with him and walked over to shake hands with his brother-in-law.
“Emily this is Curt Samuels, Jane’s husband and the father of these two little people. Come here, Henry.”
Ben kissed Jenny, then set her down and picked up the baby. He lifted Henry in his arms, put him up over his head and jostled him.
Henry laughed and drooled on his uncle.
Ben held the baby straight out in front of him.
“Yuck. He’s still doing that?”
Curt laughed, and so did Emily and Jane.
“He’s teething,” said Curt.
Ben sighed and put down the baby. Then he took his handkerchief and wiped the drool from his face.
“Guess I better get used to that.”
“Why?” Jane looked back and forth between Ben and Emily.
“Oh, you’re expecting. How wonderful. When?”
“In about six months, which would make it mid June,” said Emily.
Jane took Ben’s coat from him.
“Everyone, give me your coats. I’ll put them on the sofa in Curt’s office. You all have a seat in the parlor. Dinner won’t be ready for an hour, so we can visit for a while.”
She gathered their coats and disappeared down the hall from the parlor.
Curt extended his hand to Emily.
“Come, sit. I’m pleased to meet you Emily.”
He nodded at Rory.
“Good to see you, Rory. Haven’t seen you lookin’ this good in years.”
“I’ve got a home and family now. I intend to pull my weight and be a full partner in this family, too.”
Curt cocked his head and smiled.
“I believe you will. Come in, everyone. Sit down.”
The parlor was not large, was in fact what Emily would call cozy.
A sofa and two overstuffed chairs sat in a semi-circle in front of the fireplace.
In front of the green floral damask sofa, was a coffee table made from a light colored wood.
The chairs were covered in the same sturdy green damask material as the sofa.
The wall opposite the door had a large window. The wall across from the fireplace held bookshelves.
Emily stood looking at Henry and smiled. He was trying to walk and did well holding his daddy’s hands.
“Would you like to hold him?” asked Ben.
“Oh, yes. I haven’t had a baby in my arms since Anne a couple of weeks ago and that is much too long.”
“What made you decide to become a mail-order bride?” asked Curt. The he held up a hand. “You better wait until Jane returns to answer that question.”
“I’m back, she can answer now.”
“I lost my job and my friend works for Maggie Black. She said I was just the person that Ben needed, that I had more patience than anyone she knew. But even I don’t have enough to deal with Doris. I’d need the patience of Job for that.”
Jane laughed. “I gave up caring what Mother did when she refused to allow me to marry Curt. As you can see I married him anyway. I was of legal age and didn’t need her permission. I was just trying to be nice and include her. Never again.”
“I gave up when she tried to kill me.”
“That’s right, Ben mentioned that on the way in. Tell me everything.”
“She went after Emily with a knife,” said Ben. “The situation is bad Jane. I can’t leave Emily and Mother alone together for fear Mother will try and kill her again. She’s gotten some fixation on me. Doesn’t want to share me with anyone else. I don’t know what to do about it.”
Jane frowned.
“Send her away. You can’t have her trying to kill your wife.”
“Rory or I have to be there all the time now, just to make sure she behaves.”
Jane sat on the sofa next to Emily and put her hand on Emily’s knee.
“I’m so very sorry you have to deal with her. I think she lost her mind some time ago. Even before Daddy died.”
Ben perched on the arm of the sofa, next to Emily.
“You never mentioned that.”
“I figured you saw the same thing I did. She was starting to go when we were kids. But when she found out about Ava, Rory’s mother, she fell completely apart. There was no dealing with her until after Dad died. Then she got better.”
“Why did you never mention this? I never really paid that much attention to Mother, I was always working, trying to keep the ranch going.”
Rory sat in one of the arm chairs on the same end of the sofa as Ben and Emily. Curt sat in the other arm chair.
Rory leaned forward and put his elbows on his knees, letting his hands dangle between them. “That’s when it got worse for Mom and me. But now at least I know why and I can understand how she must have felt.”
Ben looked over at Rory.
“Thank you for saying that. But I don’t forgive her for what she did. When the spring thaw comes, I’ll build her a house where she can be by herself, a place where she can’t harm anyone.”
“I think you’re making a mistake, Ben,” said Jane. “If she’s become homicidal she needs to be put in a facility that can deal with that kind of disorder.”
“There is no place in Colorado like that. I checked.”
“I’ve heard they have one in Illinois, just outside Chicago.”
“What? Why have you been looking for asylums?”
Jane tilted her head a little.
“Look, big brother. Mother has been…odd…for some time. This fixation she has on you and berating you into taking Melissa back, these are not the things a sane woman would do. And now trying to kill Emily, you have got to do something.”
He scrubbed his hands over his face. “You think I don’t know that? The separate house is the only solution possible at this time. But I’ll consider shipping her to that facility in Illinois.”
“What about sending her to live with Aunt Myrtle or Uncle Earl in Pueblo?”
Ben perked up a bit.
“Do you think they might take her? If she’s not around me, maybe her fixation would stop.”
“I think you’d better send a wire right away.”
“Right. First thing tomorrow. I knew coming here would be good.”
He put his arm around Emily’s shoulder.
“Jane has always had a good head on her shoulders.”
Curt grinned at those words.
“I should say so. She married me didn’t she?”
Everybody laughed.
Jane stood.
“I think dinner is probably ready. Shall we go eat?”
“Yes, ma’am,” said Ben. “I have quite the appetite, now that we have a plan to deal with Mother.”
Emily decided to say what was bothering her. “What if your aunt and uncle both refuse to take her? What then? We’re back to the separate house, but when will Ben have the time to build it? And who will watch Doris to make sure she stays inside it? You’ll have to hire a companion to manage her.”
No one said anything to those words, knowing she was right.