Chapter 19
NINETEEN
Robert took the publishing contract to the office. He scrutinized every line, reading it multiple times, but he found no glitches that could work against Tia selling her stories to the publisher. The J. B. Lippincott & Company was a legitimate company. They were known for publishing magazines and books, and the income she would earn was more than acceptable.
Responding to a knock on the office door, Robert raised his voice. “Come in.”
Barton opened the door. “Are you busy?”
“It’s nothing that I can’t set aside,” Robert said, sliding the contracts into the desk drawer.
“Hank said your wranglers were breaking horses today.”
“They have been all week. I’ll bet you’re going stir-crazy without something to do,” Robert guessed.
Barton shrugged and grinned. “I’m used to being busy.”
“It’s no problem,” Robert said. “Has Tia taken Mother to see the new house?”
“Yeah, they left a little while ago.”
“Good, while they’re gone, we can watch the wranglers and then take a trip to the Harris property. That’s more to your liking. He raises cattle.”
“He?” Barton questioned. “I thought you bought the place.”
“I did,” Robert said. “But George Harris will be the manager for a couple more years, with my help. George needed to sell the property because he owed back taxes. We made a deal, and I settled his tax problems and bought the ranch. The thing is, George is getting older, but he’s not ready to retire yet!”
“Little brother, you must be doing well if you’re hiring men to do what you can do yourself,” Barton grumbled.
“I won’t deny it,” Robert said. “But, I’m still being frugal with my earnings. I sold the house in Austin for a ridiculous profit. Three times as much as I paid for it! The proceeds are building a new house for my family and repairing the neglected ranch buildings. The ranch pays for itself and makes a profit, but that doesn’t belong to me. It belongs to Tia and Sammy. I’m the manager until she gets used to handling the money end of things. The Harris property belongs to both of us.”
“As her husband...”
Robert shook his head. “I know Texas law better than you do, big brother, and I know it’s not fair to women. The Kingston ranch belongs to my wife and Sammy, although we will change the name. We haven’t got around to it yet.”
Barton was still frowning. “You must have done well in your lawyering.”
“I did,” Robert said without any further explanation. “Quit growling at me. I know what I’m doing. Come on, I’ll give you a tour of the rest of the ranch.”
Tia pulled the buggy to a stop in front of the new house and jumped down.
One of the carpenters came down from the porch and offered his hand to Eleanore to help her down from the buggy. He tipped his hat to Tia.“Ma’am, I’ll tell Jim you’re here!”
“It’s going to be huge and fancy,” Eleanore exclaimed, looking at the front facade.
Jim Hawthorn came outside with a hammer still in his hand and nodded to Tia. “How are you feeling, ma’am? Can I help you?”
“I’m fine,” Tia said, making the introductions. “This is Robert’s mother, Mrs. Grayson,” “I wanted to show her what you are building and see it for myself. I haven’t been able to come over for a while.”
“You can walk around the first floor safely, but the second and attic floors are off-limits. Don’t go on the back porch, either. Only my men are allowed in those areas. Be careful around the tools.”
“How much longer is it going to take?” Tia asked.
“I’m aiming for ten weeks, weather permitting,” Jim said, tipping his hat and returning inside.
The women climbed the porch stairs to an expansive wrap-around porch and entered the house into a large foyer. In front of them was a massive curving staircase. There were stairs but no banisters.”
Tia moved to a room to her right. “This is going to be the parlor,” she said, noting everything in the room looked finished except for paint and wallpaper.
“My goodness,” Eleanore exclaimed as they wandered from room to room while listening to the sounds of hammers and saws. “I raised eight children in a house half the size of just a couple of these rooms!”
Tia nodded. “We have discussed and argued about the size. Although I have yet to see them, termites are eating away the foundation of the current house. We’ve been told the wrong wood was used to build the house. Cheap wood that invites termites. They were also discovered in one of the outbuildings, but it has since been burned down and rebuilt with the right kind of lumber, and they haven’t spread any further. When the new house is finished, the few pieces of furniture we will keep will be sulfur-smoked for several weeks before being brought here. The house we’re living in will be burned down.”
“Does that upset you?” Eleanore asked.
“No, not at all,” Tia replied honestly. “The house holds very few memories of good times, especially after my mother died. Robert and I see this new house as a symbol of a new beginning that we are building together for our family. I don’t know when the Kingston house was built. I don’t know if Hayward bought it or had it built. The town of Stone Falls didn’t exist then. Robert and I are building a piece of history that we hope will be a source of pride for our children.”
“My husband’s father did the same,” Eleanore said. “Robert takes after his father and grandfather, although he probably doesn’t remember them.”
When they had viewed the new construction, Tia turned to her mother-in-law. “Would you like to go riding or go to town?”
“Neither,” Eleanore said. “I want to return to the house and play with my grandchildren if you don’t mind.”
Understanding that her mother-in-law had accepted their adopted children, Tia smiled. “Thank you. I was afraid that you wanted Robert to go back with you.”
“I did,” Eleanore admitted honestly. “But, I have accepted that my son has made his choice, and I think it’s right for him. I’m delighted that he has a wife and children. Mine are all adults now.” Eleanore shook her head. “Some of my grandchildren are adults and old enough to make their own decisions. Getting old means your children don’t need your advice, especially if they don’t ask for it.”
“Getting older also means that you have a lot of experience and knowledge that shouldn’t be ignored or underrated,” Tia said. Then she grinned at her mother-in-law. “It’s hard sometimes to be a woman. We have our own opinions, but men seem to forget it.”
Eleanore laughed. “So spoken by a woman who married my most independent child!”
* * *
The grandfather clock chimed midnight, but Tia sat in Robert’s lap while he read the B. J. Lippincott & Company contract aloud. She yawned, and he gave her a little bounce with his knee. “Don’t fall asleep on me,” he said.
“You’ve read the contract. You’ve memorized several parts of it. Just tell me if you think it’s legitimate.”
“It’s real. Francine sent your stories to her friend, who works as an editor, and asked her if they were good enough to enter the contest. Her friend entered one of your stories, and it won first place. B. J. Lippincott & Company also read the other stories Francine sent them. You call them stories, they call them novels, and they want to publish your work. You said you write for fun, but this could make you a fair amount of income,” Robert said. “The question is, do you want to be a published writer?”
“I never gave it a thought,” Tia admitted. “I started writing my stories because we couldn’t afford to purchase books to read. It was something I could do on my own. The only person who knew was Francine. We’ve been friends, almost sisters, since we were little girls. Her mother worked here before Mrs. Putney.”
“This decision is yours to make,” Robert said.
“Would you accept the contract?”
Robert was silent for a long minute. “No, not without having a face-to-face with whoever controls the company. Dealing with long-term contracts can be tricky, and there are a few conditions in the contract that I would question.”
“Then you should question them,” Tia said. “You’re my husband and my lawyer.”
“As the contest winner, they want you to come to Austin to accept the award in September.”
“That’s a deal breaker,” Tia said. “We have too much to complete in the next few months, and Sammy will be back in school. I ride him hard, but keeping him in school is a chore.”
“I’ll take care of that when school resumes,” Robert said. He held up the contract and slid it into the desk drawer. “Give me a few days to think this through. Let’s call it a night.”
Walking upstairs side-by-side, they peered into the children’s rooms and told Sammy it was time for him to put out his lamp and go to sleep. Then, they retired to their bedroom.
Robert kissed Tia and pulled her to him, admiring her figure that she kept hidden most of the time. She trusted him to see her, and he took his time removing her clothing and admiring her trim body. Accepting that she was his, his lips roamed over her mouth and neck. A light tug on a camisole exposed small, soft breasts that he teased with his tongue.
Tia felt her body pulsating in response to Robert’s caresses. When she was naked, she was led to their bed. His fingers found her womanhood, and he stroked and entered her body. Then he started rubbing her secret place, circling his thumb on it, and thrusting his fingers into her body deeper.
She looked down and saw his manhood growing in size and stiff from need. Removing his fingers, Robert aligned his body with hers and joined them to become one.
Tia’s response was violent as she shuddered and moaned.
“Easy, sweetheart,” Robert crooned. “I am so glad you are a sensual woman. It’s a constant delight. I can’t imagine my life without you.” He kissed her again, treating her not so gently but at the same time exciting her body again and bringing their bodies to the conclusion they both wanted and needed. Much later, they fell asleep, comfortable in each other arms.
In the morning, Robert wrote and posted a letter to J. B. Lippincott & Company, thanking them for choosing her entry to the contest as the winner and expressing Tia’s interest in publishing her books but identifying a few concerns in the contract. The letter was written on his business stationary so the publishing company would know they weren’t dealing with someone who could be taken advantage of.
After visiting for two weeks, Robert and Tia began to wonder how long his family members would be staying. Although they spoke of the situation privately, asking would have been rude.
The date for the Higgins’ auction was approaching. Robert and Tia needed to go but didn’t want to wrangle with three children. They were surprised when Eleanore offered to stay home with the little ones. Sammy declared that he was going fishing.
A large tent had been set up on the yard of the Higgins house. There were a lot of small items pre-priced that could be purchased outright before the auction started. Robert had volunteered Barton as muscle to help carry the sold items out of the house and lifted into the buyers’ wagons.
Tia entered the house ahead of the crowds and helped Francine set up a table in the kitchen where she would collect the money. Rainer stepped on a large crate at precisely ten o’clock to get the customers’ attention.
“Excuse me!” he shouted. “Please, quiet down. Our auctioneer, Bill Lawrence, sent word that he won’t be here today. In his absence, I will be the auctioneer. I may not talk as fast as Bill, but I intend to get decent prices for these goods. The proceeds are going to the Stone Falls school. Our schooling is free, but teachers can’t teach without aids for the children. Our school is in dire need of books and supplies. Remember that when you bid. We want the children of Stone Falls to get the best education we can give them. If we can’t raise the money we need, that awful word... taxes will be heard.”
There were groans from the audience.
Rainer raised his hand and shook his head. “I don’t like that word either, but remember it when you refuse to up the price! We have volunteers to help remove and carry your larger items to your wagons. Our former teacher, Miss Mason, is in the kitchen and will collect the purchase money. Trust me, she knows her arithmetic, and I.O.U’s are not accepted!”
Those words drew grins and laughter, but Rainer raised his hands again.
“I’ll tell you upfront that before it was decided that I would be the auctioneer, there were some items that I was planning on bidding on. The town council has agreed that I could still participate in the auction by bidding earlier. My bids are in the envelopes taped on those pieces. I cannot bid any higher.
“Oh, and I forgot to tell you. As you win an item, Tia Grayson will tag the pieces with your last names after they are paid for so they can be carried to your wagons.” Rainer looked over the heads of the buyers. “I don’t think I’ve forgotten anything, so let’s get started.”
“Do you see anything you want?” Robert asked suddenly, standing behind Tia.
“I like the breakfront bookcase in the library,” Tia whispered. “But, if we bought it, it would be a constant reminder of the Higginses.”
“I have two bookcases very similar in my library in Austin,” Robert whispered. “I think we need to take a trip to Austin. I need to finalize the sale of my house, and we need to talk to the you know who . You’ll get to pick out what you want for the new house, and we can have it shipped here.”
“We can’t abandon your mother and brother here,” Tia hissed.
“Sure we can,” Robert whispered. “You have no idea how many times I’ve had to babysit my nieces and nephews. They owe me! Our being gone a couple days isn’t going to hurt anyone. If you see something you want, bid for it.”
“I went through some boxes of books in the tent and bought them outright. They’re not school books, but reading books. Francine has already gone through them and set aside what might interest a child to read.
“I think Martha Higgins was stealing books that were supposed to be bought for the school. Francine flagged those boxes to go to the school.”
“That’s another thing we can do in Austin. We can box and ship my library here. I’m going to look around, but I’ll come and get you if I find something worth bidding on,” Robert said. “Otherwise, Barton and I will be doing a lot of heavy lifting.”
Several hours later, the rooms were emptied except for a few pieces of tagged furniture, and Rainer was the highest bidder. Sometimes, he lost a piece of furniture, and sometimes he won. The auction continued, and the rooms were being cleared piece by piece. At the same time, Rainer’s voice was sounding rough.
When Rainer finally declared the auction was over, he went to the kitchen to help Francine. She was counting the proceeds of the day.
Tia followed him, but they didn’t need her help, and she wandered outside. Behind the house was a small carriage house with the doors open. Tia wandered inside. It was empty, as the Higginses had left town in their fancy fringed buggy and taken their two horses. When Tia heard male voices, she ducked into a stall and out of sight. She didn’t recognize the men. They looked rough, unshaven, and dirty. They wandered around, cussed, and left.
Tia had ducked behind a stack of hay bales and noticed a door she hadn’t seen before. She dragged the heavy bales out of the way and opened the door to find it was a tack room. Checking over the saddles and leather tack, the gear was in good condition. She closed the door and went looking for her husband.
“Why did the Higginses have this tack?” Tia asked when she found Robert and asked him to follow her. “I never saw either of them ride a single mount. If they went anywhere, it was in that buggy with the fancy red fringe, flaunting it in people’s faces.”
“I wouldn’t know,” Robert agreed as he inspected the tack. “Why wasn’t this listed on the auction sheets?”
“That’s a question for Rainer. He, Francine, and the school board members organized the auction.”
The Higgins house still had several large pieces of furniture left in it. The auction-goers were mainly homesteaders and didn’t need large and fancy items. Rainer was in the kitchen with Francine. He was drinking coffee while Francine was organizing stacks of bills and putting them into different bags.
“You didn’t buy much,” Rainer said in a hoarse voice.
“We don’t know what we want for the new house yet,” Robert said. “Has anyone topped your bid for this place?”
“You’re bidding for the house?” Francine asked, sounding surprised.
“That was supposed to be a secret,” Rainer croaked, his voice barely more than a whisper. He frowned at Robert. “When we discovered Bill Lawrence wasn’t coming, I was voted to replace him. That created a problem for me because I was planning on buying some of the nicer furniture pieces.
“The town council and our temporary mayor here agreed this morning that I could bid for the furniture as long as my bids were blind, and if someone outbid me, I couldn’t bid higher. They also decided I could participate in the house bids, but everyone had to bid using the same rules. Top bid buys it.”
“When will you know?” Francine asked.
“Three weeks from now,” Robert interrupted.
“I’m playing by the rules,” Rainer said.
“What about the tack in the carriage house?” Tia asked.
“What tack?” Rainer asked. “We checked the outbuildings, and we didn’t find anything but hay. We’d already given the chickens to some of our poorer folk.”
“Tia discovered a tack room. It was hidden by bales of hay,” Robert said.
Rainer put down his coffee cup. “I’d better look into this.” He stepped outside, looked around, and then turned to his friends. “Would someone shout for Silas? He might not be able to hear me.”
“Sheriff Kent!” Robert shouted.
Silas came to the door. “Do you need an escort to the bank?” he asked Rainer.
“That’s not a bad idea,” Rainer managed to say, barely loud enough to be heard. “I’ve got to check on something in the carriage house. Will you stand guard over the proceeds with Francine?”
“No problem,” the sheriff agreed with a nod. “Maybe you should go see the Doc.”
Tia, Robert, and Rainer walked to the carriage house, and Robert showed him the hidden door.
“How did we miss this?” Rainer croaked.
“The tack is in good shape,” Robert said.
“How much is it worth secondhand?” Rainer asked.
“A new saddle is at least sixty dollars,” Tia said. “The workmanship on these is good. Secondhand, they’d probably be worth thirty dollars. Plus, the bridals, blankets, brushes, and everything a horse owner would need.”
“Most of the house items were sold for about a third of what they would sell for new,” Rainer said, repeating his words twice as he kept losing his voice. “I’m too tired to deal with this. I see five saddles, and I’ll sell the lot to you for a hundred dollars.”
Tia looked at Robert.
“You’re cheating the school fund,” Robert said. “We’ll take the lot for a hundred and fifty.”
“My friend, you are going about this auction business backward,” Rainer whispered. “Sold!”
“It’s for a good cause,” Robert said, slapping his friend on the shoulder. “And, it’s a good deal for the ranch. We’ll pull our wagon around here to load it. Go home and get some rest! Quit talking for a few days!”
Rainer nodded in agreement.
Sheriff Kent agreed to escort Rainer and Francine to the bank, where Rainer lived in rooms above. Then to Francine’s mother’s house.
Robert took the keys to the Higgins house and waved off his friend, who looked exhausted. He and Barton had carried the boxes of books and the other items to the wagon earlier and taken down the tent. A few things were left in the tent and had to be carried back inside the house. They walked through the nearly empty house, guessing that the leftover furniture probably hadn’t sold or belonged to Rainer. His old buddy was getting closer to asking Francine to marry him. He’d always been a man who planned for the future, and bidding on the Higgins house was a step in the right direction.
According to Francine, the auction had made enough money to fill the empty school funds even after buying the supplies and new books for the upcoming year. A teacher had been hired, and the school would reopen on schedule. Under Francine’s direction, the school board was different, and the new teacher’s contract was rewritten.
Robert talked to his mother and Barton about staying with the children while he and Tia went to Austin on business. He explained that they needed eight to ten days to travel to Austin and finalize the sale of his house. Eleanore agreed immediately, but Barton was ready to return home. He’d received a letter from his wife, Nancy, stating that her parents had decided to return to Maryland. He wanted to go home but agreed to stay until Robert and Tia returned.
Robert spent several hours writing letters to the friend buying his house and to the publishing house. He sent them out with the next stage and hoped for fast replies. He didn’t want to detain his brother any longer than necessary.