Authors: Peggy Ann Craig
She felt utterly miserable at Kathleen’s announcement. “So soon?”
Kathleen nodded. “I’ve been gone far too long.”
Anna thought frantically for a reason not to go. “You don’t need to do this. I can find work in town.”
She smiled, leaned forward and touched Anna’s hand. “You won’t ever have to work again, Anna. Your days of being a servant are over.”
But she felt less than enthusiastic. “I’ll work harder, I promise. I’ll learn when not to speak or what silverware to put out. I’ll do better.”
Kathleen chuckled softly. “You don’t need to work harder. We’re going to find you a nice young man and you’ll become a gentleman’s wife. You’ll have servants.”
Anna felt her face drop. “Wife?”
“Yes. New Westminster is full of proper gentleman. John and I already have a list of suitable candidates.”
The blood drained from Anna’s face. “Wade approved this?”
A slight flickering of her brows was the only indication that Anna’s question puzzled Kathleen. “Of course.”
She took a deep, unsteady breath and turned her back to Kathleen. Closing her eyes, she felt an overwhelming urge to cry. If ever there was proof that he did not love her, it certainly was now.
“Anna?”
“I’m sorry,” she whispered, fearful her voice would fail her. “I’m sure you’re right. This is very generous of you.”
She heard Kathleen get up and approach her back. Then she felt her hands lay gently on Anna’s arms. “Anna?”
She turned and looked into his sister’s eyes. The pain she felt was clearly written all over her face, but Anna was not good at hiding her emotions. The woman sighed. “Are you in love with my brother?”
Her chin dropped and Anna wished wholeheartedly that she wasn’t. Next to the death of her family, this was the most painful thing she had to endure. “Yes.”
“Oh Anna.” Kathleen rubbed her arms in a reassuring manner.
“I know I’m stupid.” She closed her eyes in agony. “He doesn’t love me. Nor will he ever. I’ve heard everyone say that he’ll never marry, but I would be happy just to stay here and work for him for the rest of my life.”
“It’s not stupid.” She tugged on Anna’s arms and led her back to the sofa from which they had left. “And don’t listen to everything you hear. Rumors are dreadful and only cause pain. Wade very much has the ability to love. He loves me, doesn’t he?”
“You’re his sister.” She pointed out the obvious.
“And he’ll love the right woman when she comes into his life. He just hasn’t met her.” She reached up and brushed a strand of Anna’s hair aside. “Until now.”
Anna raised startled eyes. “That’s not true.”
“I told you Wade agreed you should return to the city with me.” Kathleen smiled. “He just wasn’t happy about it.”
A flicker of hope lit her eyes. “But he still agreed.”
“I’m very obstinate. That’s the one thing about being the only female sibling. No matter what I wanted, I always got my way.”
Anna tempted a smile but said, “If he cared, why wouldn’t he have told me?”
Kathleen’s brows lifted. “He has. You just haven’t been listening.”
This time Anna frowned hard. She had been listening, and watching, but Wade most definitely did not give her any signals. If anything, it was the complete opposite. An image of him withdrawing anytime they may have gotten too affectionate, came to mind. She hated telling his sister that she was wrong about her own brother, but in this case Anna felt she was right.
“Kathleen, I think Wade might have feelings for me as a little sister. But I’m not young enough not to know the difference.”
She smiled suddenly and got to her feet. “Trust me, Anna, as a little sister speaking, that is not sisterly love.”
Anna frowned again and reminded his sister, “He’s sending me away.”
Kathleen shook her head. “Change of plans. It’s time someone shook up that brother of mine’s life. It’s far too routine. He needs a little jolt back to reality. And we’re just the women to do it.”
The frown between Anna’s brows deepened. Kathleen may be willing to play with fire where Wade was concerned, but Anna was not. “I don’t know. Wade knows what he wants in life, and I’m not included.”
Kathleen reached for her arm and pulled her to her feet. “Sometimes Wade is too bright for his own good. What he has needed in the past twenty-four years is a good wake-up call. He has carried the burden of responsibility for so many people on his shoulders far too long. It’s about time he learns he doesn’t need to carry it alone. Some of us will do it for him. Now, come on. Tomorrow is going to be a big day. We need to start planning.”
Alarm filled Anna’s eyes, but she allowed the woman to drag her off to the reading room where she proceeded to sit down at the desk with pen and paper. As the woman spoke, Anna couldn’t help but feel intensely worried. If Wade had felt anything before, he certainly wouldn’t after tomorrow.
* * *
At the breakfast table the following morning, Wade avoided eye contact with Anna as she served him and his sibling’s breakfast. He felt horrible about sending her away and had contemplated several times telling his sister he had changed his mind. But he couldn’t let his own feelings jeopardize Anna’s chance at happiness.
“Wade, would you mind going into Lantern this morning?” Kathleen asked across the table. “Anna requires a veil for the road to keep the dust off her face. She may borrow my hat, but unfortunately I only have the one veil.”
He didn’t like the idea of him being gone for several hours’ right before she left. Wade would have wanted to spend the time with Anna instead. He frowned and pushed his plate aside untouched. He was suddenly not very hungry. “I’ll bring her along and she can pick out which one she prefers.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.” Kathleen brushed his offer aside. “They are all the same. Besides, I want her to stay and help me pack.”
His eyes locked on his coffee mug. “Fine.”
“Good, that’s settled.” She got up and headed for the kitchen.
Wade sat there stiffly and only realized then that Prescott sat quietly across from him watching. He looked up and noticed an odd look cross his features. “Well?”
“I hear Anna’s leaving.”
Wade silently cursed his brother, he hated being reminded. “Kathleen made a valid point. She can offer so much more than I—the Circle H can.”
Prescott did not reply immediately, then said, “It did all right for the three of us.”
His eyes shot up and narrowed in on his brother. The man was far too smart. He also had a bad habit of looking at things too deeply. Wade envied him at that moment, because he would have given anything to understand these turmoil emotions he had been feeling ever since her arrival.
After breakfast, he saddled up Sty and headed into Lantern. A part of him wanted to glance back and see if she was watching from the porch, but he refused to allow himself to look. Instead he rode hard through the valley until eventually he pulled his horse in front of the general store. Dismounting, he walked briskly into the shop and spotted Marion at the same time she spotted him.
“Well, hello there lover.” She said in her usual seductive manner.
Wade tilted his cowboy hat at her. “Afternoon, Ms. Walsh.”
Her brows shot up. “My, how formal.”
He simply gave her a polite nod in response.
“Heard about that boy of yours. Turned out to actually be a girl.” She smirked suddenly. “Bet you feel like the biggest fool.”
Wade’s mouth set in a grim line. “Wasn’t one of my initial responses.”
Marion feigned shock and ran a hand up and down his arm. “Turned you on did she with her flat little boy’s figure?”
He snatched her wrist in a tight grasp. “I have an errand to run, so if you’ll excuse me.”
She arched one brow theatrically. “There was a time when you couldn’t get enough of my company.”
He held her gaze with a blank expression, then dropped her wrist. “Good day, Marion.”
The saloon woman looked at him one more time, then brushed him off and left the shop with a sarcastic chuckle echoing throughout the store. Wade looked around and noticed they had created an audience. He cleared his throat and approached the storekeeper. “I’m looking for a veil.”
The man looked slightly surprised, but led him over to a bunch of fabric. Wade frowned as he looked down at all the different kinds. Kathleen had said there was only the one to choose from. “Are you sure these are veils?”
The man grinned and pulled the closest fabric towards Wade. “This one in particular is lovely. Very soft to the touch.”
Wade studied the cloth, then looked back at the others. There was one in particular that jumped out at him. It was one in a soft lilac color and reminded him of the dress Kathleen had given Anna at Christmas. “I’ll take that one.”
The shopkeeper smiled and nodded his approval. “Two yards plenty?”
Wade paused, not having a single clue, but the shopkeeper was clearly one step ahead. “Is this for the young lady from the mountain?”
He sighed awkwardly and shoved his hands deep in his pockets. “That’s right.”
“Then two yards will be plenty.” He grinned and his plump cheeks puffed out. “I have a lovely pair of gloves in the same lilac shade. Perhaps the miss would like them as well?”
Wade stared hard at the man. “Fine.”
The man went over to the counter with the purple veil and placed it gently on the counter. Wade looked around uncomfortably. A few older ladies were in the shop watching his every move. He tipped his hat at them, then turned back to the clerk. He was unlocking a cabinet from which he retrieved a pair of gloves.
Wade frowned. “They’re in a locked cabinet? How expensive are they?”
The man grinned once again. “I had them on display with a diamond brooch.”
While he rang up Wade’s purchase, he wandered over to the cabinet and looked at the brooch sparkling in the glass case. It certainly was beautiful. “How much?”
“Well,” he started, and put his pen down to come over and look. “It is a rather exquisite piece. I ordered it from the Victoria catalog at Christmas, but unfortunately it never sold. I suppose I could make a reasonable deal.”
He took it from the shopkeeper for a closer examination, as he was quoted a price.
“Is it for the young lady?”
Without even moving his head, his eyes shifted to the shopkeeper than back to the brooch. “My sister.”
“Yes, of course. Well deserving.”
Wade handed it back. “I’ll take it. You’ll have to add it to my account as I only brought enough money for the veil.”
“Certainly Mr. Haddock.” The man locked the cabinet up once again. “Would you like it wrapped?”
“Yes, thank you.”
He waited near the counter as the shopkeeper placed the brooch in a velvet box then wrapped it in colored paper. “I remember the miss coming into town with her mother and siblings.”
Wade looked at the man and knew he was only being polite and making conversation, but he just wasn’t sure he wanted to talk about Anna publicly.
“Very sweet young girl. Didn’t say much, though. I believe she was a little on the shy side.”
Wade made no comment.
“Funny how I didn’t recognize her as a boy.” The man looked up and shot Wade a smile. “But I suppose she fooled a lot of people.”
“I believe that was her intention.” He muttered and wished the man would hurry up.
“Real shame though what happened to her family and the rest of those folks up there.” He took his time wrapping and Wade felt himself grow impatient. “Is it true the constable was involved?”
“Yes,” he stated matter-of-fact then pointed to the gift. “Just about done?”
“Nearly there.” A huge grin spread across his face again. “Can’t rush things like this. Need to take it nice and slow. Something this fragile needs to be treated with tenderness and a whole lot of patience. Don’t matter if I dress it up in the prettiest and most expensive wrapping, if it’s all broken inside.”
Wade’s eyes darted to the man, but he continued with his task. Frowning, he studied him closer and wondered if there was a hidden message or whether Wade had simply imagined it. He was already feeling guilty about sending her away when she was hurting so bad.
Ten minutes later, he was back on the road and heading through the mountain pass toward the Circle H. He felt a sense of bleakness come over him and a deep depression he was unable to shake. No amount of convincing himself that he was doing only what was right, could ease the hollowness in his chest. Wade reached down and gave Sty a rub on the neck and a memory of Anna with Lucy came to mind. She had been remarkable in training the animal. Not a method he would have used, but the filly grew very fond of Anna and obeyed her every command.
He chuckled to himself as he recalled the first time she mounted the horse. At the time, it was no laughing matter and had been the second time her small frame had come in contact with his. His body had reacted immediately and he could remember feeling confused and horrified at himself for having such a reaction toward a boy. A boy he had bonded with just as much as Lucy did. He hated admitting it to himself, but he had bonded with the girl as well. A girl he knew will be difficult to say good-bye to.