A Moment in Time (15 page)

Carissa seemed to regain her thoughts. “Of course our family will be there. Then there’s the Palmers, the Kirbys, and the Armstrongs. Yes, eight ranches in total.”

“Speaking of the Armstrongs.” Marty paused and looked to Alice. “Mrs. Atherton’s oldest daughter married the Armstrongs’ youngest son, Elliot.” She returned her gaze to Carissa. “How is Gloria doing? Are they still in North Dakota?”

“No, they were reassigned last year to Fort Assiniboine,” Carissa said. “It’s located way to the north in Montana. It
just so happens that the black Tenth Cavalry was also moved north from its duties west of here. We just had a letter telling us all about it. Elliot was promoted to captain and has very much enjoyed getting to know some of the buffalo soldiers and hearing their stories. Gloria finds life there to be quite taxing, but she has her friends.”

“And what about children?” Marty asked.

Carissa shook her head. “She lost two and I think she’d just as soon not have any more, at least for the time. It’s such a hard life there. I honestly don’t know how she bears it.”

Hannah looked to Marty and smiled. “Are you going to share your news?”

Alice saw Marty blush as she nodded. “I’m going to have a baby. It’s due in August or perhaps July.”

“Oh, that’s wonderful news,” Carissa said. “I was just telling Jess that we needed some little ones around here. All the children are grown.”

“I know just what you mean,” Hannah agreed. “I keep trying to convince my daughter Sarah that she and her family should move here. Goodness, I try to talk my brother, Andy, into it, as well. I suppose we shall just have to wait to spoil Marty’s baby.”

“What of your younger daughter?” Carissa asked.

Hannah shrugged. “Ellie will probably never marry, or if she does, her husband will have to be a very strong man. Ellie is far too caught up in women’s rights. She wants education and the ability to vote for every woman. I admire her passion, but I’d just as soon have a houseful of grandchildren.” A soft laugh escaped her lips. “I think babies make a house more cheerful.”

The topic of babies quickly overtook the conversation, and Alice sat patiently listening as the women planned and
plotted regarding Marty’s summer delivery. She lost track of the conversation and reflected once again on her letter. If Simon were alive he’d be ten.

I wonder what kind of
boy you are. Are you sweet and scholarly? Are you
strong and well-mannered?
Visions of her brother at the age of five flickered through her mind for just a moment and then were gone. She could barely remember how he looked.

The memory of Robert’s face came to mind. Alice loved his strong jaw and full lips. She wanted very much to reach out and touch his cheek and feel the stubble of his beard, the warmth of his skin. Was it possible to fall in love with a man based purely on his appearance? And if one did, was there any sense in it?

I don’t
even know him. He could be a lazy good-for
-
nothing
. The thought made her smile. Of course he was neither of those things. His family had raised him to be God-fearing and responsible. He was kind and gentle in his nature and very generous with his time.

Otherwise
he would never have offered to take me riding
.

The Athertons left before lunch, despite Hannah’s encouraging them to stay. It seemed Jessica had a dress fitting or some other appointment in town, and they needed to push on. Alice put aside her reflections on the handsome Robert Barnett. She had just begun to help with the cleanup when Marty posed a question Alice hadn’t expected. A question that left her feeling sick.

“So, Hannah, when do Robert and Jessica plan to marry?”

“Are you comfortable?” Robert asked, looking up into Alice’s pale, anxious face.

“It seems awfully high up here,” she replied from the horse’s back.

He chuckled. “I suppose it would, since you aren’t used to ridin’.” He handed her the reins. “Now take these and hold them firm in your left hand but not tight. Your hand will cramp up on you if you clench the reins.”

She took the straps in her gloved hands, as if she were handling a rattlesnake. Robert knew she was terrified and longed to find a way to reassure her. He knew the only way for her to get comfortable, however, was to actually ride the animal, so he quickly mounted his own horse.

“Betsey, there, is a good old gal. She won’t go runnin’ off with you, so try to relax.” He motioned toward the open range. “Let’s go up this way and let you get a feel for the saddle.”

Alice said nothing. The set of her jaw and her stiff posture
told Robert she was focusing completely on her position. No doubt she was terrified of falling off and equally certain that Betsey could feel her tension. This might require a little more work than he’d originally thought. Reaching out, he took hold of the bridle. “Come on, Betsey. Let’s show her how it’s done.”

The horses moved forward and Alice reached for the horn with her right hand. Robert smiled but said nothing. She still held on to the reins, so he didn’t want to discourage her.

“I know a lot of gals ride sidesaddle, but Ma suggested I train you on the regular saddle instead. Riding astride isn’t always looked favorably upon for women, but I think it offers you more security, and out here with the snakes and holes and such, I think you need that extra help. This way if something spooks your horse and she rears, you have the added advantage of holding on with your . . . uh . . . legs.”

“I’m sure you know better than I would,” Alice replied in a tight, clipped tone.

Robert let go of Betsey’s bridle and allowed Rojoe to fall back even with the mare. “The important thing is to keep yourself balanced and centered. The horse will do the work if you just keep a few things like that in mind. A horse needs to know who’s in charge, for one.”

“He is,” Alice said. “Or, I should say, she is.”

Robert chuckled. “No. You are. You need to establish that with the animal as soon as you make contact. Betsey, here, has been a good horse to train children on, so I have the utmost confidence she’ll be easy for you.”

Alice gave a hint of a smile. “I don’t think any part of this will be easy.”

“Remember what I told you about holdin’ your legs tight. If you tighten up too much you’re gonna wear both of you out.” He thought Alice relaxed the tiniest bit. “Now I’m
gonna show you how to stop her. I want you to gently pull back on the reins.”

Alice did so, but as her right hand was still firmly on the horn, she pulled with her left, and Betsey veered toward the left and headed straight into Rojoe.

Robert corrected his mount. “No, you need to pull them straight back toward your waist. You pulled left, so Betsey thought you wanted to turn. Straighten up and loosen the reins again.” He watched and waited. “Now, pull straight back and say, ‘Whoa.’ ”

“Whoa!” Alice called out a little too enthusiastically.

Robert smiled. She was such a petite thing, and her nervousness on the back of the fourteen-hand-high mare made him want to just pull her over onto his lap and comfort her like he might a child. Of course, he wasn’t thinking about Alice as a child. She was a beautiful young woman, and he had meant what he’d said about her maturity and old spirit. Compared to Jessica Atherton, Alice was far more astute and sensitive. She showed genuine concern for the people around her, and despite her fears and ordeals in life, she had the gumption to get up and try again.

“There now,” Robert said, looking at Alice’s tight hold, “ease up on the reins a little but keep control.”

He heard Alice let out a heavy breath. She looked at him as if to question what was next. He smiled. “All right, now you get us started again.”

“Me? I don’t know what to do.”

“Remember what I told you. Give her a little nudge with your heels. Keep your feet in the stirrups and mostly squeeze with your legs. I’m sorry if this sounds too forward talkin’ about legs and such,” he said, realizing he was speaking in a most familiar manner with a woman he hardly knew. “If
you’re too uncomfortable I could just have Aunt Marty or my mother teach you.”

“No, I’m not offended.”

“But you are very tense. Relax, and don’t forget to draw a good deep breath. Sometimes folks forget to breathe while riding and faint off the back of the horse.”

Alice grimaced. “I certainly wouldn’t want to fall off Betsey. It’s a long ways down.”

Robert chuckled. “Now, just squeeze with your legs and give a little click with your tongue. She’s leg trained so she’ll respond to the pressure, but the clicking just lets her know you mean business.”

Alice did as he instructed and the mare began to move. “Oh my,” Alice said, again going rigid in the saddle.

“Relax. You’re gonna be sore when we get done if you don’t learn to ease into it.”

He had to give her credit. She was trying hard not to be afraid. Alice obeyed his every order and after half an hour, Robert decided she’d had enough.

“Let’s walk ’em back. It’s not that far. Stop your horse.”

Alice pulled back on the reins. “Whoa!” Betsey halted instantly.

“Good. You learn quick.” He jumped off Rojoe’s back in an effortless manner. Having been riding since before he could walk, Robert felt as if the horse was a mere extension of his own limbs.

Still holding on to the reins of his horse, he went to Alice. Rojoe seemed more interested in the new spring grass than his master, but he quickly complied and followed.

“Now you are going to dismount,” Robert told Alice. “It’s not all that difficult. Coming down is always easier than getting up there.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of,” she said, looking down.

“Don’t be afraid, Alice. I have you.”

She frowned and looked back at the neck of her mount. “What do I need to do?”

“Keep the reins in your left hand and slip your boots out of the stirrups,” he instructed. She did as he said, looking only a little bit frightened. “Now lean forward, and with your right hand you can grip the saddle or the horn. While you do this, I want you to swing your right leg back over the horse. You’re gonna lean against her and then push off to slide down Betsey’s side.”

He heard Alice’s heavy sigh and stood ready to help in case she lost her balance. To the surprise of both of them, however, she managed a perfect dismount the first time.

Robert grinned and patted her on the back. “See? You’re a natural.”

She shivered. “I wouldn’t go so far as to say that.”

“Let’s walk. It’ll warm you up and get your nerves untangled.”

He showed her how to lead Betsey, and the two began to move back down the trail toward home. Robert couldn’t help but admire the young woman at his side. He wanted more than anything to know everything about her. He wanted her to talk about her mother and brother, to tell him about the night she was knifed. Instead, he said the first thing that came to mind.

“I hear you’re gonna help with the roundup cookin’.”

Alice didn’t look at him but nodded. “I want to be useful. I don’t know anything about roundups, but I’m willing to learn.”

“This will probably be our last open-range roundup,” Robert said, feeling a certain sorrow. “Everyone is fencing these days. Farmers say the open range causes their crops
to be ruined and thieves will drive off portions of the herd if you don’t keep them under watch. Times are especially hard for folks, so stealing seems like an acceptable way to feed the family.”

“Do you lose a lot of your stock?”

“No. We’re in a pretty good position. We have good neighbors and we work together. We’ve always helped one another at roundup, but I know the time is coming when we’ll be handlin’ these things separately.” He shrugged. “’Course that doesn’t mean we won’t still help one another. I know Pa will always be willing to lend a hand to anyone who needs it, and so will I.”

“So you plan to remain in the area?”

Robert grinned. “I do. I have land Pa deeded me when I turned twenty-one. Five hundred acres. I have my own cattle, too. I guess now all I need is a wife and children to make my life complete.”

“I understand you are engaged to Jessica Atherton.”

It was Robert’s turn to be uncomfortable. He hadn’t wanted to talk about Jessica. “Not exactly. Folks around here think we ought to be engaged. They’ve expected us to marry for the last ten years, but there’s never been a formal agreement.”

“Ten years? But I thought Miss Atherton was my age.”

“She is. She’s been followin’ me around like a puppy since she was little. I think it had to do with her brothers never havin’ time for her. They were only a few years older than Jessica, while I was almost ten years her senior. And . . . well . . . I was nice to her.”

“Well, you are fortunate to have someone who cares about you,” Alice murmured.

For several minutes she said nothing, and Robert was hard-pressed as to how he should respond. Before he could speak, however, Alice continued. “I wrote to my mother. Marty was
going to have the letter posted for me today, along with her letter back to the orphanage in Denver.”

“I’m glad you decided to write to her,” Robert said, feeling much easier about this subject. “I don’t think you’ll be sorry.”

“I hope not. I find myself completely at odds with the decision. I pray in time God will make all things clear.”

“He’s good to do that. My ma always told me that when I found things were too hard to figure out, I could probably bet that I hadn’t prayed on it first.”

Alice nodded but said nothing more. They were nearly back to the pens, so Robert decided not to press her further. He reached out and took Betsey’s reins. “I’ll put her away for you, but next time you’re gonna learn to saddle and unsaddle her yourself.” He threw her a wink. “I know you’ll be just as good at that as you were riding.”

The weeks passed, pushing the calendar into the first of March, and with it came roundup. Alice learned there was a great deal that happened at such times. She had figured it would primarily be the job of the men, since they would be the ones roping and riding. It seemed, however, that the ranch wives and daughters had just as much to do in order for the event to be successful. Alice found herself cooking and baking days in advance of the actual roundup. There wouldn’t be time for lengthy processes while seeing to the cattle, so some foods were prepared and stored ahead of time to make the workload more manageable. When the time arrived to move everything to the Atherton ranch, Alice found herself busy with toting and fetching alongside the other women. Later, she was assigned to cooking beans and helping with the washing up afterwards.

The work was arduous. The men had rounded up cattle from every point of their open ranges. They had a process for what they called mothering-up the calves. This allowed the men to separate out the pairs from the non-producing cows. The cows that were barren would be sold to the feedlot. After the animals were separated, the cowboys would start the process of dividing them up again—this time by brands.

They’d hired extra men to help with the additional tasks of branding, castrating, and treating injuries and diseases, as well as separating out those animals that would be taken to market. Alice had never seen anything like it in all her days. Having grown up in a city, her knowledge of such affairs was completely void. Meat was something to be purchased at the butcher’s, and she’d never given thought to exactly what had happened to get it there.

Cooking and cleaning, however, were things Alice was well acquainted with. She found herself amazed at the fast pace of the day. She rose early in the morning, before it was light, and helped Hannah and some of the other women prepare breakfast for the cattlemen and wranglers. The menu was simple but filling. Biscuits and ham steaks, with gallons and gallons of hot, strong coffee to wash them down. The noon meal was usually ham and beans, corn bread, and some kind of sweet treat—cookies, cake, or cobbler. The evening meal was a little more relaxed and spread out. It was during the evening that the men were able to settle in and discuss the day.

Alice liked the suppertime gatherings. There were usually a few of the men who came together and played music. Some of the fellas sang, and on occasion one or two of the wives would join in, as well. Evening meals were the only time Hannah allowed Marty to join them. One of the older
hands who’d been left to oversee the Barnett ranch would drive Marty over in the buggy.

Jake always seemed happy to see her, and the two would usually slip off to a spot where they’d share supper alone. Alice was delighted that they were growing closer together. Their start had been rough—there was no doubt about it. Being a mail-order couple was never an easy situation, but they had made good on their commitment, and Alice could only esteem them for it. The key to it all had been their willingness to look to God for help.

“I almost forgot,” Marty said, approaching Alice that evening. “This came for you.”