Taking the Reins (15 page)

“You're still too thin, Emma. That's why you get so cold and the wind knocks you over like a twig. You need some meat on your bones, like Katherine.”

Katherine?
Emma stopped. They were almost across the bridge where the wind's fury lessened. “I don't need anyone's help, thank you very much,” she snapped.

Edward's eyes crinkled with concern. “You're not crying,
Emma?”

“ ‘Course not. It's the rain and salt spray and nothing more!” She walked away, but Edward kept pace, his hand at her elbow.

“I'll thank you to take your hand away and leave me be.”

He let go.

Will you never learn, you foolish girl?
Emma chided herself as she continued toward the Douglas house alone. Her cheeks burned. Of course Edward didn't fancy her, not since that Katherine came along. Katherine, who rode a horse so perfectly well. Katherine, who looked so lovely and wasn't all skin and bone. When spring came round and it was time for Edward to leave Beckley Farm and go as hired hand with Tall Joe, Ned Turner, and herself to help get their farm started, Edward would change his mind, and that's for certain-sure. He would never want to leave his precious Katherine behind.

Emma let herself in as quietly as possible with the wind trying to fling the door from its hinges. She tiptoed up to her room. She didn't need any questions from Mrs. Douglas right now.

Katherine sat on her bed, seething with anger. By flickering candlelight she attempted to read
Oliver Twist,
one of the books Mr. Brett had lent her. But Charles Dickens exaggerated so – England was not half so bad as he made out. There were workhouses to care for homeless people, and no human being could be half so cruel as all those people were to poor Oliver. She put down the book and leaned back on her pillow.

What had Emma's life been like before coming here? If it were anywhere near as bad as Oliver's, then small wonder she chose not to talk about it. But of course it couldn't have been. Help was always there for poor children. Wasn't it?

A powerful gust howled around her window. Rain beat against the glass. Katherine shuddered. Her mother and Mrs. Morris must be talking up a storm of their own in the parlour below.

The longer she waited, the angrier she grew. How could they sit down there and blame an innocent girl for all the troubles that happened to her, as if Emma had brought them on herself? Katherine got up and strode to the door. She would march downstairs and give them her opinion, like it or not. Her hand was on the key when a knock on the door made her jump.

“Katherine! Let me in, I must talk to you!”

She unlocked the door.

Mother bustled in and shut the door behind her. “I've managed to settle things with Mrs. Morris,” she whispered. She ushered her daughter over to the bed and sat beside her. “She's very upset, of course. You should never have spoken to her that way.”

“But Mother, she was so rude!” Katherine's voice grew louder with each word. “And if you've met Mrs. Steeves, then you know she's a...”

Her mother's hand clapped over Katherine's mouth.

“Mrs. Steeves is a respected member of this community,” Mother said. “Children must never be rude to adults. It is inexcusable!”

“Even if the adults are wrong?” Katherine asked.

“Unquestionably.” Mother paused to think. “Katie, try to look at it this way. If you insult Mrs. Steeves, who is Mrs. Morris' good friend, then Mrs. Morris will naturally defend her, just as you defended Emma – in spite of everything.”

Katherine started to object, but her mother went on. “In any event, it took some doing, but I managed to persuade Mrs. Morris to let you remain for the school term. I suspect she does not want to give up her board money. However, there are two conditions.” She took a quick breath. “First, you must apologize,” Mother put up her hand to silence Katherine, “and second, you must not continue this friendship with Emma.”

“I can't do that,” Katherine said flatly. “Not either of those things.”

“I was afraid of that.” Mother pressed her knuckles against her lips, thinking. “All right then, listen carefully. As for the apology, if you could merely say you're sorry for speaking back to her – without mentioning that she deserved it – I'm certain that would suffice.”

Katherine didn't answer. How could she make her mother understand? She would never apologize after the way Mrs. Morris behaved.

“Could you do that, Katie? Otherwise you will need to return to Yale with me come Saturday.”

Yale.
A return to Yale now meant a return to the farm come spring. And Katherine was not ready to leave Victoria, not yet. By June, if she worked hard and with Mr. Brett's help, she would be ready to open a school for young students. And she couldn't bear to say goodbye to Nugget, not until she absolutely had to.

As for Emma? Katherine clung to the hope that her plan would work out for the best. That Mr. Roberts would want to sell his Yale properties to Father. In turn, if Father sold his farm to Mr. Bentley he should have enough money. Everyone would get what they wanted. Emma would live not too far away, and so would Nugget. Katherine eagerly awaited Mr. Roberts' reply to her letter – exactly how long would it take to reach Jamaica and for a reply to arrive in Victoria? She had no idea.

“Mother, I can apologize for talking back to Mrs. Morris, but how can I stop being friends with Emma?”

Mother placed her hand over Katherine's. “Katie dear, I'm not sure a brideship girl is suitable company for you. Can you not make friends with girls in your school?”

“No. Mother, I'm sorry, but those girls are as rude and pretentious as Mrs. Morris. And it's not Emma's fault there was no one in England to take care of her and she ended up on the
Tynemouth.”

“The girl has a father here.”

“Yes, but he left England before she was born! He didn't even know Emma when she arrived here, and then only because he recognized the ring on her finger. You see, it was the very ring he gave Emma's mother before he left. So it's Mr. Bentley's fault Emma is so alone in the world, not hers. Why should Emma take all the blame?”

“Katherine, I'm not so hard hearted as you think.”

Katherine made a noise in her throat.

“Believe it or not, I've had my eyes opened since moving to British Columbia. I understand now, how easily one can run into difficulty through no fault of one's own.”

“Then...”

“Katie, listen carefully. What Mrs. Morris and I agreed upon, specifically, is that you must not be seen in Victoria with Emma.”

Katherine let her mother's words sink in.

14

K
atherine hurried to Beckley Farm after school, planning exactly what she would say to Emma. First she would apologize for Mrs. Morris' inexcusable behavior. Then she would explain that it didn't matter to her, or her mother either, if Emma arrived here on the brideship. Katherine wanted to be Emma's friend and friends should never be afraid to tell each other the truth.

The warm, biting scent of hay and horses and manure welcomed her as she stepped into the barn. Neither horse was saddled, so Katherine set about getting them ready. Then she waited. She led Nugget outside, followed by Princess, and tied each horse to a fence rail. She waited some more.

The air was clear and crisp, the sky a cloudless blue. Katherine could hardly wait to set out; the days were short enough in January without getting a late start. She walked back through the barn and stood at the door looking out, expecting Emma to come limping into sight at any minute.

The shadows lengthened, Nugget stamped her feet and snorted, but still Emma did not show up. Something must have happened to delay her. If Katherine was going to ride at all today, she had to go now. She left Princess for Emma to ride and trotted off on Nugget.

Darkness had closed in when she returned and saw Princess still tied to the fence. Where was Emma? Katherine was grooming Nugget when she heard a soft footstep. At last! “Where have you been? You've missed today's ride altogether.”

There was no reply. Katherine turned to see Mr. Bentley scowling down at her. “I've come to see my daughter,” he said.

“Oh. Emma didn't show up for her ride today.”

“That's odd,” he scratched his beard, “because she told me only two days ago she would be here. I had planned to come watch her ride but got delayed.”

“I see.” That was it then. Emma must have suspected, and that was why she stayed away.

“Emma said she was learning to ride on Princess.”

A chill ran down Katherine's spine, her mind raced. “Yes.”

“And yet you have a man's saddle on the horse.”

“Yes. You see...when I realized Emma was not coming, I thought Edward would exercise Princess, since the horse hasn't been out for two days. But I expect Edward is busy with other chores, so I shall remove the saddle now.”

Mr. Bentley lifted up on his toes and back down. “All right then, I'll be over to the Douglas house and see that Emma is all right.”

Again, the following day, no one was there when Katherine arrived. Neither horse was saddled.

“Oh, Nugget,” Katherine whispered as she prepared for a ride, “I hope that awful incident with Mrs. Morris hasn't frightened Emma off. That girl is as touchy as they come.” She sighed. “I guess we'll go without her again today.” She led Nugget toward the barn door.

There was a soft footstep behind her. Katherine stopped and looked back. “Emma? Is that you? I was afraid you weren't coming.”

Emma lurked in the shadows, her head down, eyes fixed on Nugget's hind legs. “I didn't want to,” she admitted, her voice small. “I thought you wouldn't want to see me ever again. But Mrs. Douglas said I was wrong. She thinks I'm afraid and...” Emma looked up, “...could be she's right.”

“What are you afraid of, Emma?” When Emma didn't reply, Katherine added, “Surely not of me?”

“I thought you wouldn't want anything more to do with me now that you know the truth.”

“What truth? That you insulted Mrs. Steeves in some way? Believe me, I've met that woman and I'd insult her myself if I thought I could get away with it. Tell me, what happened?”

“I ran into those two, Mrs. Morris and Mrs. Steeves, one day and they called me a poor wretch from the
Tynemouth
.”

Katherine nodded. “Those two think they're better than anyone.”

“They do, but that isn't what got me so angry. It was when Mrs. Steeves insulted Mrs. Douglas and said the governor should have married a well-bred English lady that I called her a snob.”

“Well then, Mrs. Steeves deserved it, just as I said.”

Emma hadn't moved. She rubbed her hands together as if unsure what to do with them. “I never told you before, about how I arrived here. I didn't want you to know and now you've found out from Mrs. Morris, and your mother knows too.”

“Knows what? That you arrived here on a brideship? Why should I care about that, Emma? I only wish you had trusted me enough to tell me.”

“But...” Emma took a small step forward. “Katherine, don't you know how all the proper ladies turn their noses up on us brideship girls? Your mother will think I'm a bad influence and forbid you to be seen with me.”

Katherine opened her mouth to object. Snapped it shut again. Wasn't that exactly what her mother said? “Emma, my mother might have felt that way once, but she's changed with everything that's happened this past year. I really think she's embarrassed by the way Mrs. Morris and her friends behave. At any rate, Mother is learning to see the value in all sorts of folk. So let's go riding and forget what everyone else thinks.”

As January days lengthened into an unusually mild, dry February, Emma's riding ability improved steadily. She was ready to ride Nugget. They made the switch at the field, after the horse had released some of her energy with a good gallop.

“She's your horse now.” Katherine bit her lip and avoided Emma's eyes. “You've got to practice riding her.” She took a shaky breath. “And we had better start calling her by her new name too, so she can get used to it.” Katherine turned to the horse. “Liberty!” she said, or tried to, but her voice cracked. She couldn't speak.

For months, Emma had waited for this moment, the day she could call her horse by the name she chose, the name that had meaning for herself alone. But now she saw Katherine's face and her trying to look so brave, as if she didn't care one jot that the horse wasn't hers any more. Without stopping to think, scarcely aware even that she was about to speak, Emma mumbled, “Nugget's a good name.”

“What did you say?”

“I said, Nugget's a good name. It reminds me of the gold rose nugget you carry in honor of your sister.”

“Yes. I named her Nugget because it was Susan and her gold nugget that made the horse mine.” Katherine reached out and touched Emma's hand, the one with the ring. “Thank you,” she whispered.

“Nugget,” Emma said, patting the horse's neck. Yes, she thought, it was a perfectly good name and with a meaning of its own.

Weeks passed, with Emma practicing almost every day until she could canter and gallop and finally mastered trotting. The date was set. Next Sunday, almost a full week away. “Why not this week?” Tall Joe wanted to know.

“I am not quite ready,” Emma hedged. “A few more days of practice and I shall be ready for anything. According to Katherine at least.”

With each day, Emma dreaded the encounter to come. In her mind the scene played out in two very different ways. In the one, Tall Joe admired her skill and praised both girls for having the courage and good sense to choose a man's saddle. In the other, the one she dreaded, Tall Joe told her that no daughter of his would ride in such an unseemly fashion and if she refused to ride sidesaddle then she may as well stay in Victoria for the rest of her life.

As it turned out, she need not have worried. Neither event took place. On Wednesday evening, Tall Joe invited both Emma and Edward to dinner at the house he rented with his cousin and gold-mining partner, Ned Turner. When dinner was finished and the four sat around the little wooden table, Tall Joe sipped his coffee, glanced at his cousin, and announced that they had good news.

“Ned here heard of some land in the Nicola River Valley east of Cook's Ferry. We're headed up to see it.”

“That's just in time then,” Emma said. “Katherine says I'm ready for anything now. When are we leaving?”

Tall Joe avoided Emma's eyes and glanced uneasily from Ned to Edward. “We go tomorrow morning on the early boat.”

“Oh, but I can't leave so quickly! I have nothing packed and it wouldn't be fair to Mrs. Douglas. Why didn't you tell me sooner?”

“It's the three of us going, Emma,” Tall Joe explained. “If we pre-empt the property, I'll come back to fetch you.”

“Oh. I see. And I don't have a say in the matter?”

“We thought it best if you didn't come along until we are settled.”

“We?”

“It's rough country, Emma.” Ned spoke for the first time. “No place for a young girl.”

“I see,” she repeated, her voice cold as ice. She turned to Edward. “And you are in on this too?”

“Emma.” Edward's blue eyes pleaded with her to understand. “It's for the best. We need to look over the acreage to be sure it will make good farmland.”

She glanced from one face to the other. And suddenly they all looked the same, all of them turned against her as if there were something horribly wrong with her. “I see,” she said a final time and pushed back her chair. “An' what I might want counts for nothing.” She walked stiffly to the door, grabbed her cloak from the peg and disappeared into the night.

“Emma! Emma, wait, you don't understand!” called a voice, a man's voice, one of the three. She didn't know whose, or care either. For now they all sounded alike.

Emma held the news inside of her all that night and into the next day. Every time she thought of Tall Joe, she grew angry. She had been right all along; she never could trust him. And she didn't need him for a father. She could take care of her own-self. But as cross as she was at Tall Joe, her fury at Edward was even worse. How could he treat her this way? As if her opinion didn't matter one jot. Well, and she wouldn't be speaking to him again in her entire lifetime, and that's for certain-sure.

“Is something bothering you?” Mrs. Douglas asked.

Emma glanced across the kitchen table. She shook her head, too upset to speak.

Mrs. Douglas sipped her tea and waited. When it became clear Emma wasn't going to reply, she said only, “I'll need you to wash the kitchen floor and clean the stove before you go riding this afternoon.”

“If I go,” Emma said without thinking. But now that she'd said the words they made perfect sense to her. If she didn't want a father and would never speak to Edward again, she wouldn't be going off to British Columbia with them. And she wouldn't need a horse. She wouldn't need to see Katherine again either. Emma was surprised how empty that made her feel. Seemed like she would miss riding the horse and chatting with Katherine. What else did she have to look forward to? Washing a floor. Cleaning a stove. Helping prepare dinner for the family.

“Why wouldn't you go? Are you not feeling well?” Mrs. Douglas asked.

“I'm quite well, thank you.” Emma got to her feet. “And I'll get right to washing the floor as soon as I'm done with the lunch dishes.”

Later that afternoon, as she made her way to Beckley Farm, Emma was bursting to tell Katherine what happened and why she'd not be leaving Victoria after all. The first hint of doubt hit her the moment she stepped into the barn. Along with the scent of horse and hay came the fear that Katherine would not understand. She walked slowly through the barn to the paddock where Katherine waited with both horses ready to go.

“Oh good, you're here, Emma. It's such a beautiful day, shall we get started right away?”

Emma nodded and walked to the block where Nugget stood. Katherine took the lead on Princess and they walked the horses single file along the path without speaking again.

At the field, Emma stopped beside Katherine, who looked up at her from Princess. The old horse had perked up over the months of being exercised every day. Even so, she couldn't possibly keep up with Nugget. Emma felt bad looking down at Katherine, who never once complained. “Would you like to ride Nugget today?” she asked on impulse.