CHAPTER TEN
Early the next morning, Belle took special care with her toilette in preparation for breakfast with Lesley. He wasn’t going to like what she had to say. If there was any other way to settle the two opposing matters at hand, she wished an idea would present itself.
Belle arrived in the hotel café ten minutes early. She asked for the small table in the front corner, a nook, the last of a long row along the wall. The booths were elevated a foot off the floor by a wide step that ran the length of the room. She lifted her skirt and stepped up. The sky-blue curtains on either side of the alcove gave the tables a cozy feel. She was surprised by the quaintness and uniqueness of the establishment.
Another diamond in the rough for Eden.
She settled herself and smoothed her skirt, wishing she could do the same with the butterflies in her tummy. She glanced around, wondering if she’d get a chance to meet the woman she’d seen getting off the stagecoach, but she didn’t see her in the few diners about. Although the Eden Hotel and Café was rustic, the building held a charm of its own. When she’d left her room, Mavis was reading. The room across the hall, where her three younger sisters were, was still quiet—as was the rest of the hotel.
A middle-aged woman came forward. Belle recognized her as the same waitress who’d been working the night before, when she and her sisters had returned from dinner with Mr. Glass and Mr. Harding, and the day before, when they’d arrived.
Did she ever take a day off?
She was average height, with brown hair drawn up at the back of her neck and twisted into a bun. Her pretty yellow dress looked freshly pressed. She was a spot of spring.
“Good morning, Miss Brinkman,” she said pleasantly. “May I get you something to eat?”
“Yes, please,” Belle replied. “For now, I’ll have a cup of tea while I wait for my friend Mr. Atkins. He’ll be joining me any moment,” she added, feeling shy about being out alone so early in the morning. “Oh, and I wonder, would you have any honey to sweeten my tea?”
“Yes, we do. Collected from Eden’s own beekeeper and made from high-mountain clover,” she said with pride. “I’ll get that for you right now.”
As she moved away, Belle noticed that even the waitress’s apron bow was neatly tied at the back of her skirt, presenting a nicely put-together picture. Belle wondered about her history.
Is she married, and if not, why? Had she been friends with Father?
If they were to remain in Eden, it would behoove her and her sisters to make some female friends.
Lesley appeared in the foyer, pulling his shirt cuffs out from his coat sleeves as if he’d just dressed. Spotting her, he hurried over, causing a new round of butterflies to hatch. Not because the sight of him set her pulse racing, but because of the difficult conversation ahead. She wished there was an alternative way to settle the situation—like cutting herself in half. One half could stay in Eden for six months with her sisters, the other half could go back to Philadelphia with Lesley.
He scooted through the tied-back curtains. As usual, not a strand of his nicely combed hair was out of place, and his face appeared as soft as a baby’s derriere. His aftershave floated over and made her nose twitch. He took pride in his appearance, and this morning was no exception. As soon as he was settled, he picked up her hand. “How did you sleep?”
His overt expressions of affection always caused her a bit of discomfort.
“As well as I could after what we learned yesterday.”
“Such a shock. I wish I could protect you from the turmoil. But at least your father didn’t leave you penniless. That is a nice surprise.”
She swallowed. How on earth will I find the courage to say the things I must?
“Coming from Philadelphia, everything in this tiny town must almost feel like a nightmare to you, Belle. I’m sure you’re as eager to return as I am.”
She gently pulled her hand away and set it in her lap. “Actually, I was born in Eden. This is where I’m from.”
“Yes, well . . .” His nose wrinkled. “I’m keen for you to conclude your business so we can depart. I long to shower you with the love you deserve.”
Why do his words feel so cumbersome today? “I’m impatient to have this sorted out as well, Lesley. I can promise you that.”
Nerves skittered up her spine. His gaze was so direct, she felt as if he could read her mind. But he only smiled and said, “Will you girls get your bank drafts today? If yes, I can make arrangements for our journey back to Philadelphia on the Saturday stage. Or if you’d like to spend a few more days, actually see the ranch before you go, that might be the prudent thing to do. I doubt any of you will make this trip again.”
Why is he writing off Eden so quickly? It’s not so bad. Out of loyalty to her father, she felt compelled to defend the town. “Actually, Lesley . . . Mavis and I were discussing things last night. After we talked, we went and woke the others. We’re not going to take the bank drafts Mr. Glass offered. We’re going to stay in Eden for six months, as our father wished. After that, we can decide whether to sell the ranch or not. Of the two options, this is the better investment. Mr. Glass stressed that point many times.”
Lesley’s already pale skin turned chalk white. A moment of pity washed over her.
“Surely you’re joking, Belle.” He chuckled and shook his head. “Your sense of humor is a bit off.”
“I wasn’t . . .”
The look of amusement left his face. “You’re not staying in this countrified place. It has absolutely nothing to offer a woman like you.”
“We are. We’ll make a lot more money this way,” she hurried to state. Businessmen were always concerned with the bottom line, period, and Lesley’s family was no different. They had made plenty of money in construction. Surely he’d understand that reasoning. “There’s no better investment than land. I’ve heard your father say so many times. Six months is nothing compared to the money we’ll make by selling to another buyer. The time will go by in the blink of an eye.”
His face had lost all traces of pleasantness. “I hardly think so.”
The waitress was back with a tray. She set out a small white porcelain pot along with a white teacup and saucer, both painted with purple pansies. She added a small crock of honey and a miniature pitcher of cream to the table. “I didn’t ask if you took cream, miss, so I brought some anyway. Fresh this morning.” She looked at Lesley. “What can I get you, sir? Coffee or tea?”
He just sat there.
“He’ll have the same as me, please,” Belle said quickly. She forced a smile, trying not to let the tension get the best of her.
The waitress nodded and walked away.
“Lesley, please. Say something,” she whispered. “You’re making me nervous.”
The muscle in his jaw clenched several times, and he looked away, probably counting to ten. When his gaze came back to her, she could tell he was more than angry. If she had to guess, she’d say he was furious.
“What do you want me to say, Belle? What am I supposed to tell my parents when I return without you? Do you have any idea how awkward this is going to be? They’ll never understand.”
She didn’t have the answers. “I can’t. But you must know, must understand. I never expected this to happen. Not in a million years. None of us did. This was just as much of a shock to us as our wanting to stay is to you. It’s not like I had this planned to hurt you.”
She felt the hairs on her neck tingle in a funny way, and she looked up. Mr. Harding stood in the doorway, watching them. She forced herself not to look away for three seconds longer than was comfortable, then squeezed Lesley’s hands. “I’m sorry.” When she looked up again, Mr. Harding was gone.
“That’s easy to say. They’re just words.”
He was right. Distress and culpability washed through her. Then she thought of her father and all he’d tried to do for his children. Maybe she wasn’t being as self-centered as she’d thought. Her scattered emotions went to her sisters, and then finally to Mr. Harding and the way his gaze had just negatively assessed her actions.
Darn him. I should be focused on Lesley, not Mr. Harding.
The waitress appeared again with Lesley’s tea. As if feeling the tension at the table, she set it down quickly. When she was finished, she looked at Belle. “Can I get you anything else, Miss Brinkman?” Her gaze shifted to a moody-looking Lesley and then back to Belle, her brow arched slightly in solidarity.
Belle shook her head, but when the woman turned to walk away, she felt compelled to say something more—if only to delay responding to Lesley. “Excuse me. May I ask your name?”
The waitress turned back. “Of course. I’m Karen Forester. Been working here at the hotel for seven years, and I know all about you and your sisters. The whole town is delighted you’ve finally come home.” She hugged the round tray to her chest. “I always knew you would. You’re all more beautiful than I ever imagined. John was a lucky man. Every New Year’s, he’d tell me this was the year you’d return. He’d say, ‘When they arrive, Karen, we’re going to throw a party the likes this town has never seen. Mark my words.’” Her kind smile faded away, and she gave a small dip of her head. “You let me know if I can be of assistance in any way, Miss Brinkman.”
Heat rushed to Belle’s face. She hadn’t expected to hear that she and her sisters were celebrities. It magnified the whole tragic mess. Her father sounded like the finest man ever born.
“I’m sorry,” Karen said. “I didn’t mean to embarrass you. Or remind you of how much you’ve lost.” She dipped her chin once more and hurried back to the kitchen.
After she’d disappeared, Lesley reached across the table and touched her arm, his anger gone. His mollifying expression maddening. “There you have it. The crux of the matter. Here you’re all prominent figures in a small pond. Imagine that. The Five Sisters is said to be the most prosperous ranch in West Colorado.”
“One of the most,” she corrected, not enjoying his tone.
He went on as if he’d not heard. “Who knows? Perhaps I’d want to stay on too, if I were in your shoes. I don’t understand Mavis, though. How she condones this action. And Emma, Lavinia, and Katie? I’m sure you’re the one to lead the charge, as usual. You’re rather impulsive, you know.”
“I told you it was Mavis. Not me.”
He shrugged. “It’s clear you’re determined to have your way. Today I’ll book passage for tomorrow’s stage.”
“Would you like to accompany us to see the ranch today?”
He shook his head. “I’ve no need to, like the five of you. And I’m anxious to get home. Barring any complications, I’ll be home by next week.”
Relief coursed through her. Then a thought struck her. “Does that mean . . . ?”
Lesley smiled a benevolent smile just as Belle saw her sisters entering the lobby. “Yes, I’ll wait. Then, when you’re home, we’ll remedy the fact that I haven’t yet asked you to become Mrs. Lesley Atkins. You’ll be pleased, I promise. And we’ll have a beautiful wedding.”
Reaching over the table, he lifted her hand and kissed her fingers.