Chapter 7
The next few days passed in a whirlwind of activity at the ranch. Wally returned, having hired three more experienced cowhands who’d worked at the Circle A before—Merl Simpson, Lou Davis, and Junior Harp. They would arrive in two weeks, having had to give their current boss a two-week notice.
Skipper Logan and Bert Dagmar, from the Wright Ranch, arrived yesterday and had taken on a lot of Wally’s chores. While waiting for the cattle to come in, they were working on repairing the bunkhouse and downed fences. Aaron had been repairing the fences and would continue to help the new hired hands so the pastures would hold the new cows.
Things were looking up for Aunt Liddy, too. By Sunday, she was able to stay up several hours at a time. Gieselle finally felt comfortable leaving her while she accompanied Aaron to church services.
She’d taken Aunt Liddy outside twice since Doctor Gracie brought the wheelchair. They sat in the backyard watching the men plowing and tilling the kitchen garden. The fresh air and sunshine did her aunt a world of good.
After an early breakfast, Gieselle rushed to her bedroom to prepare for church services. She stood in front of the cheval glass, tugging and twisting, as she tried to get dressed without a maid’s help. She probably should have worn one of the new calico dresses she’d bought at the mercantile in Rattlesnake Ridge, but this was one of her favorite spring dresses. It wasn’t a rich dress by any means, just a green sprigged muslin with an overskirt edged with wide white lace. The skirt was pulled tightly across the front and draped into a soft bustle in back.
As hard as the dress was to manage, her hair was more difficult. She’d braided it and rolled it on top of her head where she perched a frilly hat of lace and ostrich feathers.
A knock came at the door, followed by Aaron’s muffled voice. “It’s time to go, Gieselle.”
“Be right out,” she called, stabbing in the last few hat pins and giving herself a final critical look. Wetting her finger, she wrapped the loose tendrils on either side of her face around her finger and released each limp curl. She wished she could make her appearance more attractive to Aaron. His approval had become important to her. She liked him—enjoyed talking to him, enjoyed listening to him. Enjoyed looking at him—too much.
Laughter bubbled up. She could just hear Maydell admonishing her, “Miss Gieselle, you being bad.”
Lord, if I’m being bad, please forgive me, but I like to spend time with Aaron and I want him to like me. But for now, help me focus on Your Word as it’s preached in church and fellowship with Your people.
She grabbed the reticule that matched the dress and her white lace gloves, tugging them on as she hastened to the door.
“Wow, don’t you look like a picture? You’re going to turn some heads at church today.”
“Well, I shouldn’t. People should keep their focus on the Lord at church, don’t you think?”
“I do think that, but knowing what you should do and doing it are often two different things.”
She playfully bopped him on the arm and got ahead of him as she glided down the hall.
Aunt Liddy looked up from the Bible she had laid out on her lap. Wally sat beside her bed. He stood when Gieselle and Aaron came into the room and gave Aunt Liddy a tender glance. “I’ll bring you a fresh cup of coffee after helping with the buggy,” he said, then followed Aaron out the door.
A shadow passed over Aunt Liddy’s face as she stared at the closed door. Unless Gieselle missed her guess, Wally was in love with her aunt and she him, but something held her back from encouraging the relationship. Maybe Gieselle could help bring these two together before she returned to New Orleans.
“I hate leaving you behind, Aunt Liddy.”
Aunt Liddy waved her hand in dismissal. “Oh, think nothing of it. I’ll be fine.”
Despite that reassurance, a niggle of guilt bothered Gieselle. Aunt Liddy looked so forlorn sunk into her pillows. She ought to stay with her, especially since she’d be gone most of the day. “I might be too late to cook dinner, but I baked a loaf of bread yesterday and there’s cheese to tide you and Wally over until I return.” She bit her lower lip. “But, I guess Wally is going to have to cook anyway—for the new men.”
“Yes, Wally will be cooking. What are you going to do for lunch?”
“Aaron invited me to dine with him at that little café that serves wild game.”
Aunt Liddy smothered a chuckle. “You’re going to eat wild game?”
“I’ll have you know I eat crawfish and alligator back home.” She fussed with her bodice, unable to meet Aunt Liddy’s stare.
But Aunt Liddy wasn’t up to teasing her. “You like Aaron, don’t you? A lot?”
Gieselle dropped her hands and glared at her aunt. “Of course I like him. I like his company. Are you insinuating more?”
Aunt Liddy dropped her head back and lifted both brows. “Yes, I am insinuating more. Don’t get me wrong, Gieselle. I think Aaron is a fine gentleman…but, have you written to your mama about him? She doesn’t like being surprised.”
Actually, she hadn’t written to Mama at all, but she should soon. “I’ll tell Mama all about Aaron, I promise.”
Wally came back in with a cup of coffee. “Miss Gieselle, Aaron is ready to go.” He set the cup on the bedside table and plumped up Aunt Liddy’s pillows.
That man was in love with Aunt Liddy. Why couldn’t she see it? Or maybe she did. “It will probably be near dark before we return. I want to talk to Reverend Brown and his wife after church. That’ll take up some time.” She’d meant to be going out the door before mentioning this to Aunt Liddy.
“Now Gieselle, don’t go stirring up trouble.”
“How could talking to the preacher possibly stir up trouble? I’m new in town, so I’m sure he and his wife would expect a little visit.”
“You know exactly what I mean,” Aunt Liddy said, her eyes narrowed and her mouth drawn into a tight line.
Gieselle hugged her aunt. “I promise not to stir up any trouble.” Not in church anyway, but after church, maybe.
In the back of her mind she could hear Mama saying, “Don’t meddle.” But Mama wasn’t here to see how things were. Gieselle simply couldn’t watch Aunt Liddy keep herself away from people—keep herself from the love of a good man—because of a misunderstanding. She hoped it was a misunderstanding.
“Aren’t any of the new men going to church?” she asked Aaron after he’d gotten the horses on their way. There would be plenty of room in this four-seater buggy.
“I asked, but they wanted to relax in the bunkhouse today and play poker.”
“Does Aunt Liddy approve of poker playing?” Did she even know?
A chuckle rumbled in Aaron’s throat. “It’s penny-ante poker. Just for fun today, although they might be practicing for when they go into town and sit down to a real game.” He turned his head and met her gaze. “They’re good men—or I should say—they have enough sense to stay out of trouble.”
She grinned. “I suppose that’s all we can demand of them.”
“I should warn you about Skipper Logan, though,” Aaron said. “He fancies himself a lady’s man, and although I’ve told him you have a fiancé back in Louisiana, he’ll still give you the eye.”
The man had taken leave of his senses. “Why would you think I have a fiancé back in Louisiana? I don’t have a fiancé anywhere.”
He pulled back on the reins and turned a startled look on her. “You’re not engaged? Miss Liddy led me to believe you were.”
Gieselle started to deny that. She’d told Aunt Liddy about Sam Grimes’s duplicity. Or maybe she hadn’t. With everything that happened, Gieselle hadn’t given Sam a thought since arriving.
“A man who used to be a family friend thought I’d agreed to marry him and he’d coerced my father into agreeing. To please my father, I agreed to wait until Sam had returned from college. But recently I learned that he was merely waiting until I’d received an inheritance from my godmother.”
She watched disbelief play over his features and then a smile spread across his handsome face, and it occurred to her he’d not made any overtures to her because he thought she was taken.
“As a matter of fact, my mother urged me to come see about Aunt Liddy just to get me away from Mr. Grimes. So, no, he isn’t my fiancé, and in truth, I never really considered him as such.”
“So you’re not engaged?”
“Emphatically no.” She bopped him on the shoulder. “That’s for thinking I’d be the type of woman who’d flirt with you when I was engaged with another.”
“You’ve been flirting with me?” The smile grew wider.
She swatted his arm again. “Let’s get going. We’ll be late for church.”
As it happened, they were just in time for church but the seats were almost full by the time they found a place in the back.
Gieselle didn’t know what to expect in this western church, but she was pleasantly surprised by the fellowship of the congregation and the moving sermon. She’d been waffling with the idea of speaking to Reverend Brown, but after prayerful consideration, she decided she must. After the service, she waited until the last congregant spoke to the reverend.
Aaron was off to the side, speaking to the rancher, Mr. Wright, so she waited for a break in the conversation. “Excuse me, gentlemen. Will you wait for me in the buggy, Aaron?”
His eyes asked a question, but he merely nodded. “Of course, Gieselle. Take your time.”
Reverend Brown had turned and was making his way around the church building when she called to him. “Could I have a private word with you, Reverend Brown? It shouldn’t take much time.”
“Certainly, Miss Dubois. Come with me to our kitchen. I’d like for you to meet my wife. She had to leave the services early to finish a meal we were taking to a sick parishioner.”
“How very kind of both of you,” Gieselle said, falling into step with the minister. She struck up small talk as they walked to the parsonage and entered from a side door.
A tall woman with brown hair, wearing a flowered apron over a navy skirt and tan blouse, stood beside the stove. “Adeline, my dear, this is Liddy Ames’s niece, Miss Gieselle Dubois.”
Mrs. Brown smiled warmly and offered her hand. “Pleased to meet you, Miss Dubois. How is your aunt? We’ve been praying for her since her dreadful accident.”
“She’s much improved since Doctor Gracie brought her a wheelchair. I’ve taken her out in the garden a couple of times, and I think that alone has improved her health.”
“Please have a seat and I’ll get you a cup of tea.”
Gieselle knew Aaron waited for her, and truth to tell, she preferred coffee, but she couldn’t appear inhospitable to the lady. “I don’t want to hold you up for long, but a cup of tea sounds lovely.”
Mrs. Brown set cups before both Gieselle and her husband and poured out the tea. She set a creamer and sugar bowl on the table before taking her seat beside her husband.
Gieselle stirred a teaspoon of sugar in her tea. “Since I know you have plans, I’ll get down to the reason I asked to speak with Reverend Brown. I’m concerned about Aunt Liddy’s…well, her relationship with the townspeople. I know the Circle A is located some distance away, and it’s understandable people couldn’t get out there much, but I haven’t seen anyone visit since I arrived nearly a month ago.” She lifted her cup and glanced at first Reverend Brown and then Mrs. Brown. “Aunt Liddy changes the subject every time I asked about the people of Rattlesnake Ridge. She acts…uncomfortable, even hurt. Since I can’t get anything out of her, I thought I’d ask you what the problem might be.”
Reverend Brown sighed deeply. “Before Mr. Ames passed away, he and your aunt came to church at least once a month and every time they came to town to buy supplies, they’d take time to visit.”
“Even after Mr. Ames’s passing, Liddy came to town with her hired man, Wally Stillman, at least once a month, and she’d visit her friends while he took care of ranch business.” Mrs. Brown set her spoon aside and gave her husband a pointed look. “I’d have to say it was about six months after Mr. Ames’s passing, something happened.”
“Do you know what happened?”
A pained look passed over Reverend Brown’s face. “I’m afraid gossip found its way to Liddy’s hearing. Yes, I’d say she was hurt.”
Gieselle set her cup back on the saucer. She might as well confide her worst fears. This was probably nothing this couple didn’t already know. “I believe Wally, Mr. Stillman, is in love with Aunt Liddy, but she’s holding her feelings for him back because she fears to do so would give credence to the gossip. Am I right?”
“I couldn’t say. She hasn’t sought my counsel,” the minister said.
“Miss Dubois, the situation might be worse than you realize,” Mrs. Brown said. “I’m afraid you are also a topic for the gossips—through no fault of your own, I’m sure.”
“Me? For what?”
“It is not Christian to repeat gossip, my dear, but suffice it say, you and Mr. Bainbridge are also living under the same roof.”
Shock ran through Gieselle like a wildfire, but she held her composure. She chided herself for not thinking of this before, especially since she and Aaron had been seen together in town several times.
“Thank you for telling me that. It’s something I never would have considered, that Mr. Bainbridge or I would have our reputation besmirched, and anyone who knows Aunt Liddy knows she’d do nothing untoward.”
“I believe you. It’s obvious you didn’t think of how things appeared,” Reverend Brown said, “but the Bible does say we are to avoid even the appearance of evil.”
That was true. Maybe they could do something about the living arrangements, but she wasn’t sure what. She couldn’t imagine Aaron sleeping out in the bunkhouse, and there was no reason for either him or Wally to house with the cowhands when there were six empty bedrooms in the house.
She drank the last of her tea and rose to her feet. “Thank you both for listening to me. I believe I understand the situation better now, and I really enjoyed your sermon, Reverend Brown.”
The reverend and his wife stood. “Any time, Miss Dubois,” Reverend Brown said. “Please tell Liddy we’re praying for her and look forward to her returning to church soon.” He went before her to open the door.
Before stepping outside, Gieselle turned to face them. “Would you be able to join us for supper sometimes this coming week? I know it’s a long trip, but I’ll try to make it worth your while.” She added a smile to her invitation, like putting a cherry on top of a dish of ice cream.
The couple looked at each other and Mrs. Brown said, “We’d be delighted to come out to the Circle A. It’s been a long time…too long. I’ll bring a couple of apple pies. What day would you like to have us?”
“Thursday, let’s make it Thursday about five o’clock.” That would give Gieselle four days to break the news to Aunt Liddy.