Shadow of Deceit (Shadow #2) (7 page)

No, I don’t think that.  It’s one of the risks you take when doing this mail order business—I mean people can lie about themselves.  Until you meet them, you are sort of leaving yourself to luck, basically.”

“Which is why I’ve always shied away from it.  Maybe we shouldn’t post that letter to Martha.” Caleb said after further thought.

“No, I think we should mail it and find out more about her, but I wouldn’t send her a ticket to Abilene until you were fairly sure of her.”

“All right,” Caleb said.  “This could take months.”

“It could,” Violet patted his hand.  “But you’re young, and there is no rush.”

They’d just finished lunch when there was a knock on the kitchen door. 

Caleb got up and opened the door.  “Miles!” he said.

“Can I come in?  I need to speak with you,” he said.

“This really isn’t a good time—”

Miles peered around Caleb and caught sight of Violet sitting at the table.

“So!  You now have Violet all to yourself.  What did you tell her about me?”

Caleb was speechless.  Before he could come up with something to say in response, Violet stepped to the door.

“That’s ridiculous!” Violet exclaimed. “You knew Caleb and I were close and almost related.  Of course I came for a visit, but I don’t have to explain myself to you.”  She touched Caleb’s arm.  “I’ll post the letter for you, I’m going into town.  I’ll see you Sunday.” 

She edged out the door, and around Miles who watched her walk to her horse, mount, and then ride away.  She did give him a parting look of irritation before she trotted off.

Caleb sighed, “You might as well come in.” He opened the door wider so the man could enter.

Elsie was clearing away the lunch dishes, and Caleb quickly introduced Miles, and led him to the parlor.  He scooped up the letters and writing materials and threw them on his desk. 

“What can I do for you, Miles?” Caleb said in a way that showed his displeasure with the situation.

“I didn’t know she was here, and it surprised me,” Miles said. “I jumped to conclusions.  I love her and she won’t even talk to me.  I came here to ask what you told her to make her so angry with me.”

“I didn’t tell her anything, just the facts of the plot against me.  She’s a smart woman, so she knew it had to be you.  I didn’t tell her.”  Caleb rested his elbows on his knees.  “I think the world of Violet, and I don’t want her hurt.  What she does is her business.  I won’t interfere, but I don’t think you have a chance with her, so if I were you I’d try to get over her, and find someone else.”

“I love only her.  I’ve courted a few other women, but there’s no one like Violet,” he said. “I just can’t accept that she won’t forgive me.”

“I think it’s more than forgiving, it’s the fact that she feels she can no longer trust you,” Caleb said.  “And I’d feel the same about Julia if she returned.  I’d forgive her, but never trust her again.  God tells us to forgive, but forgetting and trusting again, as far as I know, He doesn’t mention that.”

“I wanted to go to Reverend Jeffries, but I can’t since I’d be talking about his daughter,” Miles said.

“You could go to him for advice and not mention who the woman is, I suppose, but then again, he knows the whole story, so maybe not.”

“What can I do?” he pleaded.  “I don’t want anyone else.”

Caleb shrugged.  “I don’t know.  Prayer is a good start.”

After Miles left, he went back out to his work in the craft building.  No sooner had he started sanding the toy for Zoe, than a buggy pulled up to the house.  He stuck his head out of the door and didn’t recognize the strange woman driving.  He thought perhaps she had the wrong house and wanted the ranch down the road.  He wiped his hands and went out to the buggy.

“Good Afternoon,” he said to the young woman with dark brown hair, and brown eyes.

“Good Afternoon,” she said with a southern accent that Caleb found pleasing to the ear.

“Might you be Caleb Armstrong?” she asked.

“I might be, but who are you?” he asked.

“Martha Rankin—um—I wrote to you?”

Caleb was shocked.  Since he hadn’t read her letter until just about an hour ago—he was truly baffled.  Why was she here?  He had so many questions, but remembered his manners.

Caleb led Martha into the sitting room, and was thankful he’d put the letters away. 

“Please have a seat,” Caleb said.

Martha sat on the sofa, and Caleb took a seat on the other end of the sofa. 

“I supposed you’re wondering why I’m here and not in Missouri awaiting your reply?” she asked.

“Yes, I certainly didn’t expect to see you here.”

“My money was running low and I had to leave the boarding house.  I had no place to go.  I couldn’t return to Virginia because I’d sold the family home. There were problems with settling the estate of my late father, and my siblings and I are no longer on the best of terms,” she said. “I figured if I came here and found you, even if things didn’t work for us, you could at least point me in the direction of someone to assist me.  I didn’t know where else to go.”  She took out her handkerchief and wiped away tears that streamed down her face.

“Don’t worry, Martha.  I belong to a church that does nothing but help people,” he said with sympathy.  “Not another tear.  I promise to get you a place to stay.”

She pocketed her handkerchief and smiled.  “Thank you.  I didn’t know who else to turn to.  I stopped at the post office and got directions here.  However, I accidently stopped at the house down the road, and it was your brother who redirected me.  He looks a lot like you.”

“I bet he was curious,” Caleb chuckled.  “That’s Jonas.”

“Where do we start?” Martha asked.

“I have a confession to make,” Caleb said.  “I answered your letter, but not until today.  You see I became betrothed to a local woman right after I answered the ad so I didn’t read your letter until recently.  However, the betrothal didn’t work out, so I answered your letter just this morning.  So it was a real shock to see you here.  Had you come a week earlier, I’d not even have recognized your name. I’d like to know more about you so that I can try and find you a temporary home.  Do you mind answering some questions?”

“No, not at all,” she said.

“Have you ever been married?”

“No, but like you I was betrothed and it didn’t work out,” she folded her hands on her lap. “I lived with my father, and I cared for him during his illness.  None of the other siblings could be bothered.  My former fiancé wanted me to leave my father.  I couldn’t leave him alone in his condition.  So I broke it off and he married someone else. Unknown to me my father changed his will and left everything to me.  When my father died my siblings flocked in like vultures.  When they learned he’d changed the will, they accused me of manipulating him while he was feverish.”  She shook her head.  “I didn’t.”

“Anyway, “ she continued.  “The small home wasn’t worth all that much, and he had very little of value.  I don’t know what my four sisters and two brothers thought he had.  But it was their resentment that pressured me into accepting the Missouri invitation so quickly. I’m afraid.  It was a bad choice. 

“The man was drunk when I got off the train.   He yanked me to the hotel, was rude and abusive to the staff, got me a room, and then tried to—well, he tried to get personal, and I cracked him over the head with my umbrella.  That made him angrier, and hit me across the face, so I screamed and staff came, and removed him.

“I still had some money, so I stayed at the hotel until the kind woman from the church offered me a room for half what I was paying at the hotel.  But I had to do something. I saw your letter in my suitcase, and I had no choice but to come here.  Yours was the only letter I took with me to Missouri, and to be honest, it was only because I wrote down the drunk man’s name and address on the back of your envelope that I did take it with me to Missouri.

“I thought perhaps it was a sign, maybe from God, that I should come here and seek your help,” she said with finality in her voice.

Caleb shook his head.  “You covered all my questions except one.  Are you a Christian?  A real Bible-carrying Christian?  Are you saved?”

“I am,” she said.  “I was baptized in the James River when I was twelve.”

“I know of several families that will assist you.  The first is my father and his wife.  They’ll take you in until someone else from church can.  That is, if they can’t make it long term.  We’ll see.” Caleb stood. 

“I’d like you to stay here until I return.  I’ll have Elsie bring you some tea, while I go and talk with my father.  Is that all right?”

She nodded. “Thank you, so much Caleb.  I appreciate it.”

Caleb had Barney get his buggy ready.  With his bad leg, he couldn’t quite manage getting on and off a horse, although Jonas had tried several times to show him he could. 

Once his buggy was ready, he set off for his father’s house, about two miles away.  He hadn’t had such an exciting day in a long time.  So much happened, his mind whirled.  Violet came for a visit, and helped with the letters.  He was thankful now that she had, or he’d really be befuddled by Martha’s appearance. 

Then Miles’ visit, which was somewhat upsetting.  And then Martha’s showing up.  He had doubts about whether or not he had been too naive, because he fell for Julia’s sad story and now he fell for Martha’s.  He believed her, but he’d need help from his friends and family this time.  He’d not make any decisions on his own when it came to a sympathy story, because he was like putty when a woman cried.

She was attractive.  Not as beautiful as Julia, or Violet, but pretty in a simpler way.  She’d had her hair pulled back in a hairstyle he associated with old women, and her clothes were plain.  Her face was pleasant, and he thought with a little help she could be more attractive.

Once seated in the Armstrong sitting room with Phoebe and his father, he felt more confident about whether or not he was being taken for a fool, again.  They’d know.  He couldn’t trust his own judgment anymore.

He relayed to them her whole story.  He could see sympathy on Phoebe’s face, but concern in his father’s expression. 

“How old would you guess her to be?” George Armstrong asked.

“I’d say a about the same age as Jonas, maybe twenty four or five.”

“So, you need a place for her to stay until she gets sorted out?” George asked.

“Yes.  She can’t stay with me,” Caleb said.

George looked at Phoebe.  “What do you think, honey?”

“I don’t see why not.  It will give us a chance to really assess her.  Maybe she is the gift from God, you’ve been waiting for, Caleb?”

“I don’t know.  She seems nice, but so far no bells are ringing, and I just don’t feel anything.  We’ll see,” Caleb said.  “Can I bring her over now?”

“I have a pot roast dinner that will be ready in about ninety minutes, so yes, bring her, and we’ll all have dinner together,” Phoebe said.

Miles was frustrated.  Yes, he’d made a big mistake, but he just couldn’t lose Violet.  What could he do? She wouldn’t talk to him.  Maybe if he wrote her a letter, she’d at least read what he had to say.  He’d pour out his heart to her.  He couldn’t think of another way to get her to listen to him.  He wrote:

Dearest Violet,

I love you because you are soft spoken, gentle, understanding, moral, a good listener and just the most beautiful person I’ve ever met—inside and out. 

I made a mistake but I’m sorry, and I tried to right the mistake by confessing to Caleb.   Your own words of praise, and respect for Caleb made me feel so guilty about what I’d done to a man I didn’t even know at the time. 

Did I mention that my brother’s life was on the line if I didn’t agree to my sister’s plan?  It was wrong.  I’m so sorry.  No one could be sorrier. 

I miss your smile, I miss your voice, and I miss your innocent kisses.  I have tried very hard to forget you.

I took several women for rides and dances, but when I look at them I just feel disappointment because they aren’t you.

Why do I want you back, besides the fact that I love you?  Because, you make me a better person.  You are the one that made me realize how wrong I was, and how I’d made a terrible decision.  I need you to continue making me a better person.

I guarantee you can trust me from now on because if I were lucky enough to win you back, I’d never, ever, step out of Biblical principles.  I will get more involved in the church.  I’ll do anything if you will just let me court you again.  You are all I can think about.  I see your face in every store window, in every mirror, and in every stranger’s face.  I hear your voice and a thrill goes through me, making my heart beat faster, and then I realize—I’d imagined it. 

I love you, Violet Jeffries, and no one else can ever capture me so completely.  I’m on my knees begging. I would give all that I own for just one more smile, and kiss from you.   

All my love,

Miles

Julia’s head pounded, she tried to open her eyes but the light from somewhere hurt her head so badly she shut them tight again.  She wondered if she’d forgotten to pull the shade down when she’d gone to bed the night before.  Why else would the sun be so bright in her bedroom? 

She finally called out weakly, “Mother?

No one answered her.   That was strange.  She knew if she called louder her head would ache again.  She called her again, a bit louder.  Still nothing.

“Julia, you’re awake.” Billy said.

“Miles?” Julia asked.

“I’m Billy,” he said.

“No, your voice is too low to be Billy.”

“Open your eyes,” he said.

“I can’t, the light’s too bright,” she said.

“I’ll close the drape,” he said.

She heard rustling and even with her eyes closed she could see the room was dimmer.  She slowly opened her eyes.

“Billy?  How did you grow up so fast?”

“Huh?”

“Just yesterday you were twelve.  What happened?  Did I sleep for years?  And why does my head ache so?”

“Don’t you remember?  You went to Hays to pay off my debts, and never returned. The neighbors went out hunting for you, and found you a half-mile up the road, unconscious.  There was a log nearby and we are guessing the horse tripped over the log and you fell off, or something scared the horse and he threw you.”

Julia rubbed her temples.  “Billy, I have no idea what you’re talking about.  Get Mother or Miles please, right away.”

“Julia…mother died years ago, and Miles is living in Abilene.   You were just there with him.  You came here to bail me out of trouble.”

“Mother’s dead?  Oh no!” Tears rolled down Julia’s face, and Billy tried to soothe her. 

“Lydia is riding for the doctor now, just hold still.  Calm down, please,” Billy said.

“I’m scared, Billy.  Nothing is making sense.  I’m confused and my head hurts.”

Billy took her hand and put it on a lump at the back of her head.  “This is the reason your head hurts.  You hit your head on a rock when you fell.”

“Just one thing, who is Lydia?” Julia asked.

“She’s one of your dearest friends.  You met her when we lived in Hays. Lydia was living with the Dutton’s and she came to our house every day with leftover baked goods.  She’s married to the English guy, Geoffrey Grandville.  They have a baby named Edward,” Billy said, with a worried look.

“I don’t know her…”

“I think I hear Lydia,” Billy said.  “I’ll be right back.”