Authors: Peggy Ann Craig
“Where are you going, Wade? We haven’t had a chance to dance all evening.” He hadn’t seen Josephine sitting in a chair on his way out, so intent was he on his destination.
He sighed heavily and looked down at the frustrating woman. “My apologies. I believe you are correct. Indeed, it is customary for the gentleman to ask the female for a dance.”
Her face lit up and she waited earnestly for him to ask. Wade raised his hand and politely removed her from his arm and left her standing there, her mouth gaping open with insult. With no other interruptions, he reached the front entrance and slipped outside. There was no one on the porch. The night was cold and he thought how foolish to have left without his coat. For that matter, he hadn’t seen Anna slip one on either.
He walked around the side of the house and saw her standing there, staring out over the ranch to where Mount Louis loomed beyond. The night was too dark to actually see the mountain, but nevertheless its powerful presence was still there. She heard him and turned around, startled.
He held up his hands. “It’s all right. I just came to see if everything was okay?”
She stared at him, but he felt like she was looking at a stranger. He frowned and watched as she slowly nodded. Her eyes looked sad and Wade wondered, if ever, the sorrow in their depths would be lifted. He suddenly wanted to be the one to remove her suffering.
“Anna, I didn’t think about how you must be feeling,” he quietly spoke and came closer. He noticed her shiver and wanted to reach out to draw her into his warmth. “You must miss your family. I’m sorry they’re not here to celebrate with you.”
Her shivers suddenly stopped and instead her eyes went cold. He had an uncomfortable feeling she was blocking out his words. Perhaps the memories were still too painful. “I’m sorry, perhaps I spoke out of turn.”
She did not reply in any form so he turned his attention to their surroundings. It was a full moon, but thick clouds drifted every so often across it and dampened the otherwise bright glow. The lights in the bunkhouse were dimmed as all the ranch hands had left for their respective destinations for the holiday. Only a faint silhouette of the ranch buildings were visible in the dark night. He looked up into the black sky and suddenly smiled.
“It’s beginning to snow.”
She looked and saw the first drops of snowflakes as they drifted softly to earth. Hell, Wade thought, it had been cold enough, it was about time. One small hand reached out as she tried to capture a handful of snowflakes. He watched silently as she leaned against the porch railing and stretched her upturned hands far out to capture the falling snow. The sadness from her eyes had lifted and was replaced instead with a glowing shimmer of wonderment. With the moon’s reflection on her pale face, he thought he had never seen a more beautiful woman.
From inside, he heard the band start up with a new song and recognized the melody of “Auld Lang Syne”. The guests in the party began singing along to the words meant to ring in the New Year and bid farewell to the old. He was sure Kathleen would be looking for him soon. Oddly, from all the company he had shared that evening he was enjoying Anna’s silent presence most and was in no rush to go back inside. He shuddered as a chilly breeze passed and noticed Anna wrap her arms around herself from the same breeze.
“Would you like to dance?” His breath created an icy fog when he spoke.
She looked as startled as he felt. Wade wasn’t sure where the unexpected question came from. But there was no denying it was there, and he suddenly needed to know how it would feel to have her in his arms. Anna looked so innocent, her eyes darting everywhere but his face. And if he wasn’t mistaken in the dim lighting, her cheeks had gone a crimson pink. He would have smiled, but his cheeks were beginning to grow slightly numb.
“Not in there.” He read her disbelief. “Right here.”
Her eyes narrowed and she looked unsure as what to do, so Wade reached out and gently drew her close to him. She was extraordinarily stiff as he slid his arms around her small body. He was well aware of the proper dance moves, but felt at that moment, they were irrelevant.
Very slowly, he moved them in circles along the wooden porch in soft swaying motions. She was much smaller than him and he thought he could probably wrap his arms around her twice, but she felt pleasing and comfortable to his touch. He closed his eyes and listened to the distant band as it played out a melancholy tune and knew Kathleen’s party was coming to an end, and so too, the evening.
As the last chord of music faded, he stepped back and looked down at her. She still looked very uncomfortable, and it struck him that he hoped she enjoyed their dance as much as he did. From the look on her face, he knew she hadn’t. He sighed and dropped his arms from around her body.
“You best go inside and see what needs to be done.”
She nodded and practically ran back inside the house. When she was completely out of sight, he turned to the porch railing and looked out over his countryside and wondered why the hell he frightened her so much.
Anna felt uneasy as she stood next to Wade. The partygoers were leaving and both he and his sister were bidding their guests farewell. Anna was assigned the task of fetching the coats or shawls. Wordlessly, she handed each guest their garment. She was certainly glad she was not required to speak, for her mind was certainly far from her task. It kept drifting back outside to the porch and the dance she shared with Wade.
She had never been held by a man before in her life, except of course her father when she was a young child. It was both frightening and exhilarating at the same time. Admittedly, she had dreamed for a very long time of him holding her. Except the man who took her into his arms tonight, was a stranger. But he didn’t feel like a stranger once she was in his embrace. It felt as if she had come home.
A group of jolly guests were approaching and Anna recognized the woman who had been hassling her all night. It seemed no matter what the issue, Anna was to blame. She was very loud and it was obvious to Anna she was already doing her utmost to get Wade’s attention, when she suddenly broke out in a huge burst of laughter.
“Goodness, Wade, you’ve been trying all night to avoid being snared under the mistletoe and it looks like you’ve finally got caught.” She pointed above his head and holding her stomach, peeled with even louder laughter. “With the servant boy.”
Beside her, Wade looked up and Anna frowned hard wondering what on earth the woman was talking about. The group the woman was with also broke out in full bouts of laughter and Anna frowned even harder. She had no idea what was so funny. Glancing up at Wade, she caught him staring down at her with an odd look. He looked almost troubled. The frown between her brows deepened.
“Don’t be ridiculous, Josephine.” Kathleen spoke with a calm voice as if trying to settle the rowdy group. The woman, however, did not appear to hear her, though the robust man with the plump face reddened with laughter did. Anna assumed the man was the woman’s father. They shared the same odd sense of humor.
“That’s right, Josie. It’s well known that our old cowboy here dislikes kissing as much as a bull likes having his hind branded.”
Kathleen shot an apologetic glance at her brother while Anna digested the man’s words. How did kissing enter into the topic?
“Mr. Wilkins,” Kathleen scolded but sounded partly shocked.
“Forgive me, Mrs. Rideout.” He bowed to his hostess. “But it’s no wonder he hasn’t taken a wife. You’ll have to kiss a few fillies before you can snare one old man.”
It was obvious Mr. Wilkins felt free to speak his mind or believed his words were harmless. “If you don’t mind yourself, you’ll grow into a crotchety old man, like feeble Chuck Rhodes.”
The girls behind him snickered and Anna felt a heat of anger flush her cheeks. She looked at Wade again and noticed he too was suppressing his temper, but continued to stand silently next to her.
Kathleen had heard enough. Stepping forward, she took the robust man’s arm in her hands and steered him toward the exit. “There’s no fear of that, Mr. Wilkins, as there is absolutely nothing feeble about my brother.”
Anna watched Wade’s face and searched for any signs that his feelings may have been hurt. But his expression remained stone-faced as he offered his farewell to the next guest with as much mannerism as was expected. He stayed in that disposition until the door shut behind the last couple, whereupon he released a heavy sigh and headed for the great room. Kathleen and John followed him as well as Prescott and Elizabeth, whom she had been told would be staying the night in one of the guest bedrooms.
Inside the great room, Wade and Prescott started stacking chairs and lining them up against a far wall. Kathleen and Elizabeth took a seat in front of the large fireplace and Anna hesitated, unsure as to what was expected of her next. Turning toward a nearby table, she began collecting empty wine glasses.
“Would you mind setting the kettle on for coffee?” Wade interrupted her actions and she gave a nod in response before hastily departing to the kitchen.
Filling a tray with five mugs she waited for the kettle to boil, then emptied the contents into a china pot. Balancing the heavy tray she made her way into the great room and found all five occupants sitting comfortably around the enormous spruce tree while a cozy fire crackled in the fireplace. Anna squelched the longing she felt at the homey sight. Placing the tray on the table between, them she took a step back and would have left if Prescott did not stop her.
“No need to rush off, Anna, why don’t you sit for a while.”
Her eyes flew to Elizabeth’s face to see her reaction to Prescott’s slip of the tongue. As far as she knew, the woman believed she was still Peter. The others must have thought the same thing as their concerned faces looked toward Anna. But Elizabeth smiled gently and offered her an apologetic look.
“I’m afraid I knew of Anna’s identity the first time when we met in my parlor.” Her eyes searched Anna’s. “I did not know her by name at that time, but I had seen her come into town several times long before that. She was often accompanied by her mother and sisters. There was a boy as well, but Anna was not him. I wasn’t certain if the brothers were aware of her identity, and therefore did not say anything.”
“She was a patron at your restaurant?” Kathleen innocently asked, and Anna looked away humiliated. She too had remembered seeing Elizabeth during one of her visits into town, but from a distance. She actually never had the courage to mingle with the residents of Lantern. It was true some of those visits were with her mother and younger siblings while they purchased a meager supply of provisions from the general store. They exchanged very few words with the shopkeeper and Anna wondered now if perhaps her mother had been too ashamed.
Most often her visits into town were sitting behind a tree and watching the comings and goings of the townsfolk while her brother, Edmund, slipped quietly into a nearby shop to pilfer some much needed food for their family. Looking back, Anna felt guilt come over her and a pitiful shame for a family forced to such extremes. If never before, she felt the differences in the two worlds.
At the least, Anna was grateful when Elizabeth simply shook her head in response. With her chin downcast Anna turned to leave, refusing to look at Wade from whom she could feel his steely gaze.
“Anna, do sit down and join us.” Kathleen’s kind voice urged. “I have a present for you that I would so dearly love for you to open now while the children are asleep.”
This time she did look at Wade, but he was staring intently into the fireplace. Feeling awkward, she approached his sister and took the seat next to her while Kathleen produced a large wrapped box from under the tree. There were several presents all decorated with elaborate paper and bright bows, a far cry from the Christmas’s she spent back home.
“Open it.” Kathleen urged the parcel onto her lap and again Anna shot a skeptical glance at Wade. His attention was drawn to the present, refusing to make eye contact. Very careful as not to damage the expensive wrapping, she removed it from a cardboard box within. Feeling five sets of eyes upon her, she nervously opened the lid and felt her chin drop. Tears stung the back of her eyes.
“Do you like it?” Kathleen inquired.
Anna nodded and very carefully reached out and touched the rich lilac fabric of the dress folded neatly in the box. Its cloth was weaved from the finest material Anna had ever seen, while the collar was trimmed in fine lace and intertwined with small touches of soft baby’s breath and delicate ribbons. Even the box had a floral scent. Anna had never owned a proper dress in her life. She had seen many fine-looking women walking the streets of Lantern in such beautiful attire, whereas her one and only dress was made of a heavy cotton twill.
“Would you like to try it on?”
Her chin lifted to the kindhearted woman and she felt a tug of emotions. She would love dearly to slip on the exquisite garment and feel its soft material caress her body, however, practicality reared its objection.
It must have been obvious in her eyes, as Kathleen stated, “The children are asleep and there isn’t anyone else here. All the ranch hands have gone for the holidays except Kim, but I’m sure he has already fallen fast asleep as he looked completely exhausted by the end of the evening.”
Anna still wasn’t sure. The immunity of her male disguise was hard to relinquish.
“It’s all right, Anna,” Wade spoke softly. “There’s no one here to see you, other than us. You can take it off before bed and never have to look at it again, unless of course you want to.”
With all the confirmation she needed, she turned to Kathleen and nodded her head. The woman gave her a bright smile. “Come, I’ll help you. Elizabeth, would you care to join us?”
Anna would have slipped quietly into her own room, but Kathleen steered her toward the magnificent staircase that led to the upper bedrooms. She was led to a room occupied by Wade’s sister and her husband, while the children slept separately in the room next door. Anna had been in the room before, to prepare it for Kathleen’s visit and was just as impressed now as she was then at the striking mahogany furnishings. The bed in itself was a masterpiece. Both a headboard and footboard with elaborate carvings adorned the huge bed. Anna found herself wondering what it would feel like to sleep in such elegant surroundings.
“I have just the touch that dress needs,” Elizabeth stated, and hurried off to her own guestroom.
“I had quite the time finding a dress small enough to fit your petite frame.” Kathleen was saying as she removed the garment from its box. “I had my seamstress take in a few minor details, but otherwise, I think it will fit perfectly.”
As she held it out toward her, Anna couldn’t stop herself from hesitating. The moment almost felt surreal. With deliberate movements, she slowly removed the servant’s clothing she wore that night, careful not to soil or tear them. When she had placed the last piece gently on Kathleen’s bed, she turned to the woman and felt slightly bashful. Standing nearly naked in front of another was something she was not accustomed to.
Kathleen stepped forward and helped slide the dress over her head. She felt its soft material cascade down her body and Anna couldn’t resist running a hand over the wonderful material. The last button was just being fastened when Elizabeth returned.
“You look beautiful, Anna.”
She smiled shyly in return.
“May I?” She held a small sprig of baby’s breath fastened with a hair clip.
Nodding, she allowed Elizabeth to slip the accessory into her hair and stood while the two women admired her appearance.
“You are beautiful,” Kathleen gushed. “Just like I always thought.”
She led Anna over to a floor length mirror and was dumbfounded to see the woman staring back. The dress itself was remarkable, however, on Anna it was breathtaking. An urge to cry overcame her once again. Biting her bottom lip, she allowed the ladies to lead her out of the bedroom and back down to the great room.
As the trio neared, however, Anna was struck by an attack of butterflies in the pit of her stomach. She worried momentarily that she might be sick all over the beautiful gown. John was the first to notice her and immediately got to his feet. Anna didn’t have long to be stunned by the gentleman act when Prescott followed suit and got to his feet. Wade was the last to respond, as his back was to her when she entered. But it was his reaction she waited on breathlessly.
He looked over his shoulder, perhaps to see his sister or Elizabeth, but instead he saw Anna as she stood in the entrance. An unidentified look lit his eyes before he slowly got to his feet. She worried horribly if he was displeased.
“You look absolutely stunning, Anna.” Prescott declared and stepped forward to admire her.
She smiled, forcing her eyes away from Wade.
“A wonderful choice, my dear,” John stated to his wife with approval.
Kathleen beamed then looked across the room to her eldest brother. “What do you think, Wade? Does she make a better girl or boy?”
He studied her deliberately. His eyes drifted from the hem of her dress up to the sprinkle of baby’s breath in her hair. “You look very pretty, Anna.”
She couldn’t meet his eyes and so quickly looked away feeling flushed. Wade turned away as well to say to the group, “How about a Christmas drink?”
The group disbursed into the great room to their individual seats except Wade who headed for the cabinet where the ale was kept. Anna looked around and felt a warmth fill her heart. She couldn’t have been luckier to have found such a wonderful group of people to celebrate the holiday. An image of her family crossed her mind and she tried to brush it aside. But earlier, when she had thought of her brother, it was the first time she had referred to him by name since that horrible night over a month ago. With Anna being the oldest child in the family, he was closest to her in age by two years her junior.
An image formed involuntarily in Anna’s mind. The presence of Kathleen’s children in Wade’s home had triggered memories she was too frightened to explore. Now, however, she allowed the memory of children’s laughter filling a small shelter echo in her head. Or the flutter of cotton dresses as they flowed between the spring tulips that grew on the mountainside as the children danced amongst nature’s garden. She raised her hand and stroked her cheek, remembering the softness of a child’s touch as they reached out with tiny fingers.