Edith and the Mysterious Stranger Read online

  “Yes, Pa?”

  “I’ve been talking with your mother and we both feel that since you just turned sixteen you shouldn’t go out on roundups any longer.”

  Jenny’s face fell and her eyes widened. “What?”

  “Well, you’re now a young lady and it’s about time that you…” Gilbert hesitated. “Well, acted like one. Young ladies don’t go on roundups and trail drives.”

  Jenny became defensive and her voice was firm. “Pa, I’ve done this every year since I was eight. You have taken me on every roundup. This just isn’t fair.”

  “Fair or not, you’re now sixteen.”

  “Pa, listen to me. Just let me go this last time for old time’s sake and then I’ll be a lady. Please? You can’t do this to me. I’ve been looking forward to it all year. If this is what being a woman is all about, then I don’t like it one bit. Do women have to fight for everything we get?”

  Melinda walked in at that moment, and with a touch of tenderness said, “Jenny, we just want the best for you. You shouldn’t be in that sort of atmosphere any longer. These are rough and rugged men, and it’s not what your father and I want for you. When you were younger, you needed your father desperately, and we both thought it was best. But now we want you to act like a young lady. That’s why we chose this decision together.”

  Jenny walked up to her mother with begging eyes and said, “Please, Mama? Just one last time? Let’s compromise.”

  Melinda smiled. “What do you think about a compromise, Gilbert?”

  He had a look of concern as he said, “I want her to be a lady, Melinda.”

  Jenny jumped in quickly. “Pa, I promise I won’t beg to go after this year. Let this be my last time. Mama’s been teaching me a lot about being a lady and I don’t think there’s going to be a problem.”

  Jenny and her father were always able to talk things through. He tried to listen and understand her point of view many times, but for some reason he was being a little more stubborn than usual. Was acting like a lady that important to him?

  Just then David knocked on the screen door, interrupting their discussion.

  Gilbert called out, “Come in, David.”

  When he opened the door and poked his head in, Gilbert gestured to the sofa. “Come in and sit down. We’re just having a family discussion. Maybe we can get your opinion on the subject.”

  “I’d be glad to.”

  David closed the door behind him. Then he meandered over to the sofa, sat down, and watched the family.

  “Melinda, this is my new helper, David. He’ll be staying on until September.”

  Melinda nodded. “Glad to meet you, David.”

  He smiled and then turned to Gilbert. “So, what’s up?”

  “Is it all right if I ask his opinion, Jen?”

  “Sure, Pa.”

  “All right. David, what’s your opinion about a woman going on a cattle drive?”

  David was amused by the subject and chuckled. “Well, I haven’t heard of it before. But it’s not very ladylike if you ask me. It’s ridiculous.”

  Jenny glared at David, giving him a look that could kill. Gilbert chuckled. Melinda did not say a word. And David was quite uncomfortable by the look Jenny was giving him. Feeling uneasy, he adjusted himself on the sofa and listened.

  Gilbert gloated. “You see, Jen?”

  Noticing that Jenny was feeling defeated, Melinda instantly came to her rescue. “Being outnumbered isn’t very fun, is it, Jen?” She turned toward Gilbert and said, “Personally, I’ve noticed that Jenny has been quite the lady recently. She’s been so helpful, even more patient to her brother. I think that if Jenny promises to continue such behavior, then going on a cattle drive doesn’t hurt one bit. She’s done it for years. Perhaps this can be her last one and we can celebrate it by giving her the best experience on this drive, one that she’ll never forget. What do you say?”

  Jenny jerked her head around and stared at her mother. “Really, Mama?”

  Melinda nodded.

  Jenny turned to her father with begging eyes. “Please, Pa?”

  Gilbert shook his head in dismay and said, “All right, you win. You can go on this cattle drive. But remember, it’ll be the last one. Deal?”

  Jenny’s eyes widened with joy as she strode over to her father and wrapped her arms around him, hugging him tightly. “Thanks, Pa. I really appreciate it. And it’s a deal.” Then she whirled around to face her mother and said, “Thanks, Mama.”

  Jenny was elated…ecstatic…overjoyed. They had worked it all out. But when she looked at David, she was surprised at his expression. He had turned pale and was staring at Jenny in disbelief. He was speechless or in shock.

  David quickly turned toward Gilbert and asked, “Do you think that’s wise, sir?”

  Gilbert smiled. “She’s gone with me for the past eight years. She knows what she’s doing.”

  “But, sir…”

  David’s voice had a touch of concern and his eyes were wide. What was happening here, he thought to himself. This can’t be.

  This was unexpected. It would not be safe for a young girl to go on this drive, especially with what was being planned by the Tall Texan. She could get hurt. Did her mother say, “One that she’ll never forget?”

  He had to discourage her. When he looked at Gilbert, he realized that he might alert him and he could become suspicious. David cleared his throat and quickly changed the subject.

  “Whoa, am I starved! Do you need any help?”

  Jenny looked into David’s eyes as if she could see something, but David tried to hide it by being cheerful and soon the subject was changed to food and questions about the ranch and where David was from.

  Chapter 4

  The Challenge

  That evening, a twinkle came into Melinda’s eyes as she smiled. She covered her legs with a lap blanket and leaned back on the sofa. Looking at Gilbert seated in his overstuffed chair and reading contentedly, she commented with a nonchalant air, “You know what? I think I’d like to introduce Edith to Henry. They would make a lovely couple.”

  Gilbert looked up from his book with a look of surprise. “How did you come to that conclusion?”

  “She’s an educated woman with a degree, and she sings professionally, to boot.”

  “What does that have to do with anything?”

  “Well, Henry’s educated, too. He’s the superintendent of schools in this whole county.”

  “You mean to tell me that an educated woman would not be interested in someone like…say Joseph? He’s a successful farmer and works part-time for me as a ranch hand.”

  Joseph was Gilbert’s dear friend. He was dependable and realized their situation, so he volunteered to help out whenever possible. He was one in a million.

  Melinda’s brow creased as she thought for a moment. “Joseph? I don’t believe so. Besides that, she’s an accomplished musician.”

  “So is Joseph. He plays the guitar.”

  Melinda snickered. “That’s not the same thing, Gilbert.”

  “But how about me? I didn’t go to college and I don’t know one thing about music, and you married me. And you had a degree as a teacher.”

  “But that’s different.”

  “How?”

  Gilbert grinned. Closing his book and laying it aside, he wondered how she was going to get out of this one. He had her, and she knew it.

  Jenny was seated on the sofa beside her stepmother, writing in her journal when she heard this little bit of banter. She grinned as she listened to their discussion, wondering how her stepmother was going to answer her father’s question.

  Melinda was trying to think of some good reasons why Gilbert was different from other men, but her mind had gone blank. She could not think of one reason he was so different. There was something special about Gilbert. But how could she put it into words?

  “Well? How is it different?” Gilbert persisted.

  Melinda’s eyes lit up and she held up her hand triumphant
ly and began naming five fingers worth of reasons. They were lame reasons, but they were reasons, nonetheless.

  “You were very intelligent…and read many books…and so smart financially that you had your own ranch…you were self-educated…” She hesitated and then grinned with amusement. “And muscular.”

  Gilbert burst into laughter. Was that the best she could do? After settling down, he said curiously, “Muscular? Now let’s not change the subject here. We’re talking about educated versus uneducated. Remember?”

  “All right. So I was infatuated with your build. I couldn’t help it.”

  Gilbert grinned with a look of satisfaction.

  “All right, Gilbert. Uneducated men seem to feel insecure with a woman who has too much education or experience behind her. That’s what I think.”

  Gilbert chuckled in a warm, deep voice. He loved a challenge, and Melinda always invited competition to fulfill that need. So he sobered a bit and said softly, “Melinda, I didn’t feel that way about you. In fact, that intrigued me. I liked what you were and what you represented.”

  “Well, you were different.”

  “Now, there’s that word again: different. I’m not much different from other men.”

  “Sorry, but the fact still remains that you were self-educated.”

  “All right, I’ll accept that. Now, how do you know if Joe is or not? You don’t know him well enough.”

  “But, Gilbert, he doesn’t seem like her type.”

  Gilbert chuckled again and it brought a smile to her lips.

  “Well, he doesn’t, Gilbert.”

  “What is her type, if I may ask?”

  Melinda hesitated. “I’m not sure.”

  “All right, Melinda. How about this? We both introduce Edith to a man we feel is perfect and see what happens. What do you think?”

  Melinda’s eyes widened with excitement. This would be quite interesting, not to mention fun. She didn’t even have to think about her answer.

  “Agreed.”

  “But, Melinda, there’s one stipulation. You can’t help her make a choice. You can’t influence her at all. All right?”

  “Influence her? There’s no problem there. I already know who she’ll choose.”

  Gilbert laughed once again as he combed his fingers through his hair. “Oh, you do? How do you know?”

  “I know how a woman thinks.”

  Gilbert slowly shook his head. That was one thing he could never figure out. How a woman thinks was one of the great challenges of life, he thought. Women were a great puzzlement to men, and Gilbert was still surprised at the things Melinda said and did, even after seven years of marriage.

  Chapter 5

  Edith’s Spunk

  Edith looked out the window of the train. As it rapidly passed miles and miles of open plains, she noticed the tall mountains that surrounded this lush green valley on every side.

  Bear Lake Valley was situated in the tops of the Rocky Mountains with pine trees and white quaking aspen covering the mountainside. This mountainous region was full of jagged cliffs, steep terrain, rolling hills, and rapid flowing rivers cascading over the rocks.

  The wispy clouds formed lacy designs in the sky and made Edith yearn to be in an open field, feeling the breeze sift through her hair and across her cheeks once again. It was a hot summer day, and she could see the freshly cut alfalfa and the golden wheat gently waving in the breeze.

  As she stared out the window at the beloved land she knew so well, she saw herds of cattle roaming about in pasture after pasture. How she loved this place! Southern Idaho was where she grew up and she had many wonderful memories of times gone by. And now she was home again. The memories came flooding back as she saw her homeland come into view, making her heart pick up speed and causing an aching feeling in her chest.

  As the train began to slow down, she leaned forward and pressed her nose to the window so she could see if her parents were there, waiting for her. As the train came to a stop, she quickly got to her feet, grabbed her bag, and headed for the entrance of the train.

  Edith stood at the steps of the train, lifted her fluffy dark blue skirts that were lined with petticoats, and carefully stepped down to the ground and looked around. She put her hand on her hip and shaded her eyes from the sun as she searched. Her parents were nowhere in sight.

  This surprised her. They had to be as excited about her arrival as she was. After all, it had been a while since she had been home and every letter she had received from her mother was begging her to come home for a visit.

  The train conductor walked toward her and she handed him her ticket so he could get her luggage. When she heard her name called out, Edith snapped her head around and there was her mother, running toward her.

  Martha was a small-boned attractive woman of medium height. Her silver-gray hair was placed attractively on her head in a loose bun. Martha’s high cheekbones were flushed from running and she had a broad smile on her face. Martha held her skirts with one hand as she ran and waved the other high above her head.

  “Edith!” came the loving voice of her mother once again. “Here I am, Edith.”

  Edith dropped her bag and ran into her mother’s arms. As they held one another in a loving embrace, tears welled up in her eyes, and her heart was throbbing like no other. It felt so good to be in her mother’s arms once again.

  After a few seconds, she wiped her eyes with her sleeve and looked around. “Where’s Papa?”

  “He’s been feeling a little under the weather, lately. I put him in bed and told him our favorite nurse would be home to take care of him personally. He was none too happy about being left home in bed.”

  Edith smiled. She knew her father, and he would be waiting impatiently for her return. “Then let’s go, Mama.”

  When a couple baggage men dropped two large trunks beside Edith’s bag, Martha pointed toward them. “Are those yours?”

  Edith nodded. “They’re nice, aren’t they? I got them for this trip since I would be staying here for a few months. I’ll get a porter to help us load them up.”

  As she turned to leave, Martha took her arm and said, “I’ve already got someone. I wouldn’t dare come all this way without someone to help out.”

  Edith looked into her mother’s face and saw a twinkle in her eyes and a sly grin on her lips. She wondered if her mother was up to her old tricks again. Martha was a romantic. Therefore, she was a matchmaker. She was known throughout the community as the local cupid and no one was safe with Martha around.

  “Here he comes now, Edith.”

  Her voice had a lightness and excitement about it. Martha’s enthusiasm had given her away, and now Edith knew for sure what was on her mother’s mind. She remembered how Martha had invited Gilbert over time and time again so Melinda would become interested. Her delicious Sunday meals each week helped her cousin get acquainted with Gilbert much better.

  Edith rolled her eyes, and quickly decided to meet this man and get it all over with in a hurry. Martha pointed to a lean gentleman briskly walking toward them. He looked about her age, was a tall, good-looking man with dark blond hair and blue eyes. He had a broad smile on his face and a sparkle in his eyes. After he came to a halt, Martha put her hand on his shoulder and introduced them.

  “Henry, this is my daughter, Edith.” Looking at her daughter and patting the man’s shoulder affectionately, she continued. “Henry knew your father was sick and so he volunteered to help me. He’s the superintendent of schools in our county and has come to love our little community.”

  Edith extended her hand for a handshake. But instead of shaking her hand, Henry bowed slightly at the waist, squeezed her fingers tenderly, and gave her hand a kiss. This kind of greeting startled her greatly, and she pulled her hand free, feeling self-conscious. She knew this sort of greeting was done, but she had never been comfortable with it, not one bit.

  Henry looked at Martha with teasing eyes and winked. Then he smiled flirtatiously and said, “I’m glad to mee
t you at last, Miss Edith. I’ve heard a lot about you. All your mother ever talks about is her daughter and how talented she is and how many lives she has saved. But I must say that she was not all together truthful in her description of you. She left out how absolutely lovely you are, my dear.”

  Edith was taken aback by his flirtatious compliment, not to mention the kiss on her hand. And did he just say, my dear? She was not used to such boldness. And from a stranger, no less!

  Henry pointed toward the luggage and asked, “Are those your trunks?”

  She felt like a suffragette, fighting for her rights, as she retorted, “I must disagree with you, sir. My mother is always truthful, and flattery will get you nowhere.” She turned toward her luggage and grabbed her bag. “And yes, these are my trunks.”

  When Edith looked at her mother, she noticed that she was aghast at her daughter’s conduct. Disapproval was written all over her face. Her mother never liked how blunt she was. In fact, Martha had taught her to be polite to others at all times.

  When Edith turned toward Henry to see his disapproval, what she saw surprised her greatly. Henry was grinning from ear to ear at her retort. He was amused by her feistiness.

  Henry rubbed his chin thoughtfully and then replied with eloquence, “But, Miss Edith, I couldn’t lie about how I felt when I first saw you. It would be totally unfair to limit my feelings. Personally, I was not flattering you. I meant what I said. You’re a stunning woman, and it’s the truth, not flattery.”

  Edith was surprised by his frank reply. “Do you dish out compliments so freely to every woman you meet?”

  “Only the ones I’m impressed with,” he said with a grin. “And your mother has talked about you so lavishly, that after having seen you, I was quite impressed.”

  Henry grabbed a trunk and carried it toward the buggy. Edith looked at her mother and could see her mother’s disapproval. She had gone a little too far with her spunk. This was something that her mother had always talked to her about, and she had not learned to curb her tongue. Martha had always told her that she was too feisty for her own good. She wanted to immediately defend herself but could see the look in her mother’s eyes. It was a look that meant, “We’ll talk later.”