UNCOVERED SECRETS
“Look at this!” Rebecca exclaimed, waving a sheet of paper at her husband.
Thomas looked up from his warmed bowl of oats and studied his wife’s agitated face before he took the paper from her. “It’s a note,” he remarked, “from Jasper. Saying he’s going away for a few days…on a mission. Do you know anything about this?” He looked accusingly at Jeremiah, who wished he could have escaped this moment.
“No,” Jeremiah lied. “But he will be fine, I’m sure.”
“He was lying in bed injured yesterday, and today he has gone away on a mysterious mission? What madness is this?” Rebecca ranted.
“I told you not to push him to get married,” Thomas said, giving his wife a significant look.
“Are you saying he has run away because a perfectly wonderful girl wants to marry him?”
“I’m not saying that at all,” Thomas replied. “But you have been pushing him. The girl you mention might want our Jasper as her husband, but does Jasper feel the same way about her?”
“By all accounts, yes!” Rebecca said, her nostrils flaring. “He was seen with her on the night of the ball…enjoying her company.”
Jeremiah looked down at his plate guiltily, just as Serena entered with a jug of milk.
“He just met her on the night of the ball,” Thomas remarked. “What did he do to lead you to believe he had anything more than a passing interest in the girl?” He shook his head in exasperation. “She is just a child. Jasper is a man who needs a woman. Someone more mature.”
Serena’s hands trembled as she placed a mug of warm milk on the table and began to walk away.
“Serena!” Rebecca called, and she turned around and came back to the table. “Is everything alright, dear? You don’t look too well.”
“I’m fine, thank you, Mrs. Riley,” Serena replied, forcing a smile.
“Good, because I want you to go ahead and begin planning the menu for Jasper’s wedding banquet.”
“Mother!” Jeremiah exclaimed, standing. “You can’t force Jasper’s hand like that!”
“I know what’s best for him, and Molly Wheeler is perfect.”
“Father and I know Jasper too,” Jeremiah argued, “perhaps you need to allow Jasper to make up his own mind.”
“Have you and your father been discussing this issue behind my back?” Rebecca asked indignantly.
“No,” Jeremiah replied. “But maybe we all should sit down and think about what Jasper needs right now. In my opinion, he needs some time to think about marriage before he is pushed into it.”
“Are you arguing your own case, son?” Rebecca asked him.
Jeremiah shook his head. “No, Mother. I’m genuinely concerned about Jasper.”
Serena escaped to the kitchen and busied herself cooking the next meal. Cooking always calmed her nerves, and she began to cut and chop vegetables with such concentration that she didn’t see Rebecca enter.
“Jasper is my eldest,” Rebecca said, and Serena looked up in surprise, her eyebrows arched enquiringly.
“Mrs. Riley,” Serena murmured. “I’m sorry; I didn’t see you come in. What can I do for you?”
“As I was saying, Jasper is my eldest, and I want the very best for him,” Rebecca said, giving Serena a pointed look.
“Naturally,” Serena replied, her voice just above a whisper.
“Obviously there are women out there who are attracted to him. Jasper is a very handsome man. But I’m not going to stand by and let any fortune hunting woman, however refined and talented, think she can seduce him.”
Serena’s eyes grew wide, and she fought for composure. “Of course, Mrs. Riley,” she responded, for want of anything better to say.
“It was me who saw Jasper – on the night of the ball. Perhaps I wasn’t the only one who did. I’m willing to forget what happened, and regard it as two people carried away by the excitement of the occasion, but I’m protective of my family, and I will not stand an intruder who has designs on my son…however nice she may be.”
The message came across loud and clear, but Serena did her best to feign ignorance of the person Rebecca was referring to.
“Now…I need you to concentrate on planning the finest menu for Jasper’s wedding feast. I will hire assistants for you, but you are good at what you do, so you will, of course, head the kitchen for the event,” Rebecca continued. “Jasper is a hot-blooded man. One cannot mistake what he did on the night of the ball as an action motivated by love.”
Serena looked up and met Rebecca’s eyes squarely. Suddenly, she was irate. Her eyes narrowed. Rebecca blinked and stepped back involuntarily, but held her ground. The moment passed and Serena smiled and nodded, but her eyes remained sad, confused, and angry at life.
“I must go and check on Nathan,” she said, and excused herself.
“Ah, your son. Of course, you must be looking for a father for him.”
“No,” Serena replied coldly. “I am, however, looking for his father – my husband Daniel, who left us three years ago to go gold prospecting in North Carolina. I pray every day that he will return.”
“Hmm…so I presume then that you think it is alright to amuse yourself in the meantime?”
Serena shook her head. “No, Mrs. Riley. I live only for my son. Since I lost my ranch…”
“Your ranch?”
“The man who attacked Jasper was a friend of my father. He was a threat to me. Rather than helping me run the ranch after my parents died and my husband failed to return, he cheated me out of it…and tried to harm me in the process.” Serena looked straight into Rebecca’s eyes. They were alone in the kitchen, so she could say what she should have said when she first came to Steephill Ranch.
“Mrs. Riley, my parents were Abe and Esther Andrews of Sweet Haven Ranch. I had to run away from my home because of Trent Dalton, a man so vile and hateful that he took everything from me. Nevertheless, I am no fortune hunter, and this job is very important to me. As for your son, I respect him and, like you, I want his happiness.”
“Abe and Esther’s daughter!” Rebecca exclaimed, studying Serena’s face. “So, I was right. You seemed far too refined to be a cook. But you said you were related to Angelica.”
“I said that with her permission to get this job, and right now, that’s what I am – a cook and nothing more, because Trent Dalton has taken everything from me.”
“I don’t know what to say, Serena.”
“Please…say nothing, Mrs. Riley. I’m sorry that I didn’t tell you sooner, and I feel bad that my being here placed Jasper’s life in danger yesterday…which is why I think it best that I leave…but as you have done so much for me, I will leave after preparing the wedding banquet for Jasper.”
“Thank you, Serena. And just as long as you understand what I want for my son, I think you can stay on even after the wedding.”
“There’s one other thing I have to tell you Mrs. Riley,” Serena said. “I think that Jasper has gone in search of my husband. He knows my predicament, you see, and after Trent appeared yesterday, Jasper wanted to help me by finding Daniel and bringing him back, so that I may reclaim my home… and so that Nathan will have his daddy back.”
“You let Jasper go off on a dangerous mission?” Rebecca asked, aghast.
“No, Mrs. Riley. I didn’t let him do anything. He insisted on going. He is a good, caring man. He wanted to help me. I asked him not to.” Serena shrugged. “God knows he is the only one who has cared enough to make such an offer since my parents died.”
“Do you know when he will be back?”
Serena bit her lip. “No, Mrs. Riley. In fact, I didn’t even know when he went…or that he had. I am merely assuming that he has gone in search of Daniel, because that is what he said he would do to help me.”
“This is most irregular, and confusing,” Rebecca replied.
Serena was saved from having to respond when Petula burst into the kitchen. “Mama!” she said excitedly, “Ralph Brown has asked us all to his ranch! For a picnic!”
“Jamie and Belle’s son Ralph? That’s wonderful, Petula!” Rebecca said. “Of course, we must all go. When is it?”
“This Sunday. After church.”
Rebecca smiled indulgently. “I could see he was quite taken with you, my dear.”
Petula blushed. “Ralph is very nice indeed,” she said.
“Serena,” Rebecca instructed, “you must make your delicious apple and blueberry pies to take with us on the picnic.”
“Yes, Mrs. Riley,” Serena replied.