Mickey.”
“Don’t you?”
“Of course not! In the time that I’ve been home, have you ever seen me so much as smile at that bullheaded wretch?”
“No, but from what Mickey said, I assumed you did a lot more than smile.”
“What? When was he talking about me?”
“Every time he goes for supplies to the settlement or visits the Dugout Saloon up north.”
Is that why Hunter is so scornful of me ? Elyssa asked silently. Has he heard all the talk ?
The answer was obvious. Hunter had heard the gossip. And he had believed it.
“Mickey has no right to talk about me,” Elyssa said, her face pale. “I can’t help what his lusts are. I want no part of them, or of him.”
Penny looked over at the girl, caught by the emotion in Elyssa’s voice.
“Don’t worry,” Penny said gently. “There used to be a lot of talk about your mother, too. Just talk. It didn’t hurt her.”
“She was married to the man she loved,” Elyssa pointed out. “What if she had been single and a man who interested her wouldn’t come close because he wanted nothing to do with a little flirt?”
Penny looked into the oven and pulled the biscuits out to cool.
“Is that why you’re wearing silk and lace?” Penny asked. “To catch the new man’s eye, even though he’s rude?”
“I beg your pardon?”
“That dress makes you look like an angel freshly fallen from heaven.”
“Bother.” Elyssa’s cheeks flushed. “I’ve been wearing my foolish English clothes because I don’t fit into the clothes I left behind and there’s no money for more sensible clothes.”
Penny smiled, then laughed softly, not quite believing Elyssa’s denial. Penny’s smile was like the woman herself, generous and warm, bringing light to even the darkest corner of life.
Elyssa peeked at the other woman over her shoulder and began smiling too.
“Every time I see you smile,” Elyssa said, “I know all over again why my mother grabbed you off the street in Saint Louis and brought you west. ‘Nine years old and a smile like Christmas,’ she always said. You should smile more, Penny.”
“Not much to smile about lately, I’m afraid. It’s not like the past.”
“I miss my mother, too.” Elyssa sighed. “And I miss Father, though not as much. He was always off after gold somewhere. It’s Bill I remember teaching me how to ride and shoot and hunt and work cattle.”
Penny’s expression became even more unhappy. She, too, had been taught many wonderful things by Bill. As a young girl she had worshipped the ground beneath his big feet. She still did.
“Maybe we should get together, grab Bill, and bring him back here,” Elyssa said. “Hunter has forbidden any alcohol on the Ladder S. In a few days we would haveour old Bill back. He certainly never used to drink so hard.”
A sad smile was Penny’s only answer. She looked at the headstrong girl who was like a sister to her. Elyssa reminded Penny so much of the equally headstrong woman who had rescued a nine-year-old from cruel city streets and headed west with her for a better life.
And for a time, life indeed had been better.
“You should have sold out to Bill when he offered,” Penny said.
“Why?”
“You could have gone back to England and lived quite well.”
“I hated England,” Elyssa said.
“What about New York or Boston or Los Angeles or San Francisco?”
“I don’t care much for cities. The sky is the color of coal smoke and the streets smell of sewage.”
Rather savagely, Penny forked cooked bacon out of the frying pan. She sliced more bacon, wielding the big knife as though killing snakes.
Elyssa watched her with sideways glances, wondering why Penny was so upset.
“What about Bill?” Penny asked abruptly. “You care for him, don’t you?”
“You know I do.”
“Then sell him the Ladder S! Maybe having a real ranch to run would make him drink less. And maybe if he didn’t see your pale hair and fine eyes, he would be able to forget the
“Don’t you?”
“Of course not! In the time that I’ve been home, have you ever seen me so much as smile at that bullheaded wretch?”
“No, but from what Mickey said, I assumed you did a lot more than smile.”
“What? When was he talking about me?”
“Every time he goes for supplies to the settlement or visits the Dugout Saloon up north.”
Is that why Hunter is so scornful of me ? Elyssa asked silently. Has he heard all the talk ?
The answer was obvious. Hunter had heard the gossip. And he had believed it.
“Mickey has no right to talk about me,” Elyssa said, her face pale. “I can’t help what his lusts are. I want no part of them, or of him.”
Penny looked over at the girl, caught by the emotion in Elyssa’s voice.
“Don’t worry,” Penny said gently. “There used to be a lot of talk about your mother, too. Just talk. It didn’t hurt her.”
“She was married to the man she loved,” Elyssa pointed out. “What if she had been single and a man who interested her wouldn’t come close because he wanted nothing to do with a little flirt?”
Penny looked into the oven and pulled the biscuits out to cool.
“Is that why you’re wearing silk and lace?” Penny asked. “To catch the new man’s eye, even though he’s rude?”
“I beg your pardon?”
“That dress makes you look like an angel freshly fallen from heaven.”
“Bother.” Elyssa’s cheeks flushed. “I’ve been wearing my foolish English clothes because I don’t fit into the clothes I left behind and there’s no money for more sensible clothes.”
Penny smiled, then laughed softly, not quite believing Elyssa’s denial. Penny’s smile was like the woman herself, generous and warm, bringing light to even the darkest corner of life.
Elyssa peeked at the other woman over her shoulder and began smiling too.
“Every time I see you smile,” Elyssa said, “I know all over again why my mother grabbed you off the street in Saint Louis and brought you west. ‘Nine years old and a smile like Christmas,’ she always said. You should smile more, Penny.”
“Not much to smile about lately, I’m afraid. It’s not like the past.”
“I miss my mother, too.” Elyssa sighed. “And I miss Father, though not as much. He was always off after gold somewhere. It’s Bill I remember teaching me how to ride and shoot and hunt and work cattle.”
Penny’s expression became even more unhappy. She, too, had been taught many wonderful things by Bill. As a young girl she had worshipped the ground beneath his big feet. She still did.
“Maybe we should get together, grab Bill, and bring him back here,” Elyssa said. “Hunter has forbidden any alcohol on the Ladder S. In a few days we would haveour old Bill back. He certainly never used to drink so hard.”
A sad smile was Penny’s only answer. She looked at the headstrong girl who was like a sister to her. Elyssa reminded Penny so much of the equally headstrong woman who had rescued a nine-year-old from cruel city streets and headed west with her for a better life.
And for a time, life indeed had been better.
“You should have sold out to Bill when he offered,” Penny said.
“Why?”
“You could have gone back to England and lived quite well.”
“I hated England,” Elyssa said.
“What about New York or Boston or Los Angeles or San Francisco?”
“I don’t care much for cities. The sky is the color of coal smoke and the streets smell of sewage.”
Rather savagely, Penny forked cooked bacon out of the frying pan. She sliced more bacon, wielding the big knife as though killing snakes.
Elyssa watched her with sideways glances, wondering why Penny was so upset.
“What about Bill?” Penny asked abruptly. “You care for him, don’t you?”
“You know I do.”
“Then sell him the Ladder S! Maybe having a real ranch to run would make him drink less. And maybe if he didn’t see your pale hair and fine eyes, he would be able to forget the
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