CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Blake found himself in front of room number three listening to undecipherable murmurs coming from within. Without giving himself time to decide what to say, he lifted his hand and rapped his knuckles on the wood. The low hum of conversation stopped.
Mavis opened the door, still dressed as she’d been earlier.
“Evenin’, Mavis,” he said, a little unsure of what to do with his hands since his hat still hung on the hat rack downstairs. “How’s Katie tonight?”
Mavis opened the door wider so he could see Katie, Emma, and Lavinia sitting on the bed. Belle was in one of the chairs by the window. Belle watched him intently.
Suddenly feeling shy, he dipped his chin and smiled. “Ladies.”
Still in her riding clothes, Belle stood and came over to the door. “Would you like to come in, Blake? I can get a chair from the other room. You’re welcome to join us.”
“I was actually wondering if you might have a moment to speak with me in private, outside. You know, with the roundup tomorrow, I just wanted to get a few things organized.” Well, that was a stupid thing to say. What on earth would she need to help with? “You’re a partner in the Five Sisters.” He jerked his gaze up to look at the rest of the girls. “You all are.”
Belle lowered one shoulder and looked back at her sisters. “Katie, you’ll be okay if I go out for a minute or two?”
Katie sniffed. “Of course. I’m not a child.”
Her smile looked like a scared little girl’s. Blake didn’t miss her red, puffy eyes. The direness of the situation had probably hit her after she was alone with her sisters. He didn’t blame her in the least.
Belle looked up at him. “All right, let me grab my shawl.”
At the dresser, she draped a feminine garment over her shoulders. “This is going to look silly with my pants and boots, but it’s the best I can do at the moment.”
“We’ll get you a real jacket tomorrow,” Blake said.
If you decide to stay.
Feeling like a square peg in a round hole, he followed Belle down the hall to the stairway, then descended into the hotel lobby. The café was quiet, most of the diners gone. Henry sat alone, a small smile on his face. Belle saw him and hesitated, but Blake directed her toward the door. He plucked his hat from the hat rack and donned it as they proceeded out into the night.
She gazed up at him, bringing a strange rush into his head. “Would you rather sit inside?” she asked. “The place looks pretty empty, so we’d have our privacy.”
“I’ve been sitting in there for the last two hours. I need some fresh air.”
She glanced up. “I thought you would be gone by now, on your way back to the ranch. Can the horses see in the dark?”
“They do fine, especially when they’re familiar with the way. I’ll head back to the ranch as soon as we talk.”
She stopped. “This sounds serious.”
“It is. We’re worried about Katie. And the rest of you.”
“We?”
“Me and Henry.”
“He sent you to find out?”
Blake shook his head. “Nope, not at all. I’ve been pondering the situation for hours and couldn’t stay away any longer. Are the five of you headed back to Philadelphia?” he asked straight-out. Beating around the bush never was his style. He was a straight shooter and always would be. He motioned to the bench in front of the hotel wall. They’d have a little privacy there. “Would you like to sit?”
Belle nodded and sat on the hard pine seat. She pulled her shawl more firmly around her shoulders.
Leaning forward, he rested his forearms on his thighs, knitting his fingers together in an attempt to calm his nerves. His sun-weathered hands looked dry, lined. He wouldn’t win any beauty contests. The glow from two lanterns hanging on a nail nestled into the corner posts gave off plenty of light for him to see Belle.
He turned his head and looked at her. “Well, don’t keep me in suspense.”
“I don’t deny that Katie wants to go home. The sooner the better.”
“What about the rest of you?”
“I’m surprised to say Lavinia wants to stay, at least for the six months. While she was searching the town for Katie, she discovered the orphanage. She hasn’t stopped talking about it since. I can tell she’s anxious to get involved, which would be wonderful for the orphans—and also for her. She’s always loved children and dreams of one day having a houseful of her own. If we do end up staying in Eden, I doubt we’ll see much of her out at the ranch.”
He nodded. One to go, and one to stay.
“To each his own. What about Emma? How’s she feel?”
“She waffles back and forth, agreeing with whoever’s talking, but leans more on the side of returning. She has a job in a knitting shop.”
She glanced at his face, and he noticed her chapped lips. She needs to wear her hat while she’s ranching.
“Don’t laugh. I know that sounds silly, but she’s worked there since she got out of school and loves the owners. They’ve been very caring and are more like parents to her than our detestable guardians ever were. The woman never had a daughter of her own, so she’s taken Emma under her wing and taught her all she knows about wool, and the business. I think she fancies Emma marrying one of her sons. Emma’s rather an expert on sheep and the different types of wool they produce. You should speak with her about her favorite subject sometime. I’m not surprised Praig heard her talking about sheep. She’s written the owners faithfully every day, so if a vote were cast tonight, I believe she’d choose to return.”
Woolies! Not my favorite subject at all!
“When and if we go back, we’d need to find a new place to live since we’ve learned the truth about the Crowdaires.”
Belle shivered, and Blake wondered if she even realized she had.
She went on. “But that shouldn’t be too difficult with the funds we’d have from Father’s will.” She gave a small laugh. “Since I know your next question will be about Mavis, I’ll save you the effort. She’s sympathetic to Katie’s fear and Emma’s homesickness, but she has hurtful memories of Philadelphia. Darvid’s death, for one. I think she’s willing to begin afresh. Take on a new life—here in Eden.”
Two to go, one to stay, one undecided. What about you, Belle? How do you feel about Eden? About me?
“I know Katie wants to be a teacher,” Blake said. “She’d have a chance if she stayed on because Eden’s schoolmaster is about a hundred years old. Maybe that’s not enough to sway her. I’ve never heard what you do in Philadelphia. I’m assuming you had a job too. You’ve never said what that is.”
“That’s because I’m shockingly bad at it. It’s just a means to an end.”
“I hardly believe that.”
She sent him an incredulous stare. “I work for a caterer. Four nights a week.”
Belle? A waitress? He couldn’t picture that in the least after seeing her ride and ranch. “And your vote?”
“You already know how I feel. I’m promised to Lesley. You’ve met him yourself.” The smile on her lips didn’t reach her eyes. “He’s waiting for me. And he wasn’t all that pleased I’d committed to stay for the six months. So, until then, unless we go home early, I’m just biding my time.”
Home? This is your home, Belle. You just don’t remember that yet.
He pushed his spine to the wall, feeling it bite into his back and ground his wandering thoughts. “Yeah, that’s what I figured.” Rolling his shoulders, he sucked in a breath of fresh air. “So we begin the roundup tomorrow. That’s what I really wanted to discuss,” he said, changing the subject. “If all goes well, we’ll be finished bringing them in, in about a week or two.”
“Is that usual? Sounds like a long time.”
“Pretty much. I’m factoring in our shortage of help. But we’ll get the job done, the calves branded, the six-month-old bulls castrated, and the heifers checked for disease. It’ll be a lot different without John. I still can’t believe he’s gone.”
He blinked out into the darkness of the street. After the girls leave, the town will feel so much lonelier than before they arrived. At least back then, everyone was hoping they’d return. Now that they’re here, everyone would be sorry to see ’em go. Me included.