Dark Journey Home (18 page)

Mr. cigar reddened in the face, “I’m not your pard. 
If you work for me you’ll find that out soon enough.”  Holderman wasn’t very
tall, maybe around five foot, ten inches, but he was a stocky, husky fellow,
sour faced and stern.  A serious, no nonsense ramrod.  He took the mostly
burned out cigar from his mouth, flicked the ashes onto the floor, and then
stomped on them before continuing on.  “Got a corral full of feisty ones.  Just
come in.  We’ll also need a few extra hands just for the roundup and branding. 
If you boys think you can handle it, be there early.”  After giving directions
to the ranch, he abruptly turned and sat back down to begin shuffling the cards
for another game.

Logan
figured they had
been dismissed, as Holderman hadn’t waited for an answer from them, nor had he
introduced any of the other men at the table.  He must be a man of few words.  Logan chuckled to himself.  The gent would have more than a few words before long.  That
is, if he was aware of the scam that was going on at the ranch.  Logan figured that from all appearances he probably did.  He had an evil look about him
that appeared as crooked as a branding iron.  Though he figured that most of
the cowhands were just honest hard working cowboys, riding for the brand, trying
to make an honest living, not necessarily knowing, or caring about any scam
going on.  Usually when there was crooked business going on, there were only a
few involved.  Couldn’t have too many with their hands in the ‘cookie jar’.

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Earlier that same evening, Olivia had just finished
changing her dress and brushing out her hair, then to pin it up in a loose bun
at the nape of her neck, as Maria tapped lightly on the door, then entered the
hotel room at Olivia’s call. 

“You are rested now, señorita?”  Maria asked with a
smile. 

“As well as can be, after an entire afternoon of
buying out all of the stores in this town.  But we did enjoy ourselves, didn’t
we, Maria?”  Olivia laughed.

“Si, and I can’t believe we ran into that ‘Lulu’
woman, working in the mercantile.  She appeared to be a bit embarrassed, though
she needn’t have been, it is honest work.  At least she’s not working in a
saloon.”  She snickered, “Though I wouldn’t put that past her, as she would
certainly fit in.”

“Maria, really.”  Olivia put in.  “Lulu did say that she’s just helping out her
widowed sister, who owns the business.”  Olivia paused.  “I wonder if she will
show up for supper at the hotel restaurant.  She didn’t mention it.  But then
maybe she doesn’t realize that we are with Lord Beckford.  She may have thought
that we were just being friendly with him on the stagecoach.  She does not know
that he’s a titled man either.”

Just then a knock sounded at the door, and Lord
Beckford himself called out.  “You ladies about ready for supper?”  He asked.

Maria promptly opened the door, and admitted Olivia’s
uncle.  “Maria.”  He nodded to the Spanish lady, who had proven to be a fine
companion for his niece.  Then he looked at Olivia, and said, “Niece, I have a
cable from your brother, Garth.  But if you don’t mind, we’ll wait for you to
read it after supper, as it is very lengthy, and I know you two are as hungry
as I am.”

“Oh, Uncle Claude, that is fantastic, and I can’t wait
to read it.  Garth always did write lengthy telegrams, though they have been so
rare.  Yes, we’ll wait, and then I’ll have time to read it over several times.”

“Actually, he did send another wire also, a longer
more detailed one.  So it will take time to read the both of them.”  Claude
smiled, then escorted both ladies out to the hallway, down the stairs and into
the dining room.

Lulu had been early by about ten minutes, and she was
seated by herself at a small cozy table, which sported a red checked tablecloth
with a decorative lit candle in the center.  The table was in a secluded corner
of the dining room.  She was hoping the wealthy rancher, with the British
accent, didn’t forget about their supper engagement.  Maybe she’d been a bit
forward in inviting him, but she’d used that same aggressive technique in
trapping her husbands into marriage, and she was desperate for another husband
now.

Lulu fidgeted with the cutlery that was on the table,
then took a sip from her cup of tea that the waitress had brought a few minutes
earlier.  She patted her bright red hairdo, and tucked a loose curl behind her
ear, hoping that she looked gorgeous for the rancher, in her dark purple velvet
tightfitting gown, with the extremely low-cut bodice.  Dire straits took
extreme measures.  She had hurried to change when she’d finished working at the
mercantile, and had no clue as to how gaudy the tight gown now looked on her
over-ample figure.

Lulu breathed a sigh of relief, as the handsome older
grey-haired rancher entered the room, but then she gasped as he held the door
open for the two lovely ladies she’d seen on the stagecoach, then at the
mercantile this afternoon.  Her face reddened.  She was fuming.  Unbelievable! 
He was bringing two more ladies to supper with her.  The attractive older Mexican
woman, with the flashing black eyes, then also the gorgeous young golden blonde
lady.  Lulu was livid.  She had to cover up her astonishment quickly, before
the group reached her table. 

What in the world was his attachment to these younger
women?  She wondered.  As the trio approached her table, she pretended to be
flustered and shy.  Olivia and Maria gave each other a look as if to say, “That
would be the day.”  Though they just smiled at the woman, then gave curious
looks at the only remaining chair at the table, for two. 

Claude spoke first.  “Well, we meet again.  You are
the lady from the stagecoach.  Lulu, right?  Do you mind if we join you for
supper?”  At Lulu’s brisk nod, he took two chairs from the next table, and
placing them on each side, then seated Olivia and Maria between himself and
Lulu.  He sat across from her. 

Lulu began, “I thought……..I thought that this was to
be……”  She couldn’t finish the sentence.  Then to make matters worse, she began
batting her long eyelashes at Claude, thinking to entice his interest.

She figured he was beginning to take interest, when he
leaned across the table and looked into her eyes, then asked, “Do you have
something in your eye, my dear?” 

“No….no, that is, there was, but I believe it’s out now.” 
Damn, nothing was working. 

Then the ever helpful Maria said, “Perhaps it was a
piece of the small dust particles, left over from the long ride across the
prairie.”

Claude turned to Olivia and asked, “Ollie dear, have
you formally met Miss Lulu here?”

“Oh, no, Uncle, I have not.”  Olivia sweetly answered.

Well, Lulu thought, that clears that up.  She may have
referred to him as uncle on the stagecoach, but I don’t recall hearing her say
that.

“Anyway,” Claude continued, “Miss Lulu, this is my niece
Olivia, and Olivia, this lady is Lulu, and I didn’t get her last name.  So
sorry about that.”  Then he turned to Maria, “Maria, this is Miss Lulu, and
Lulu my dear, this lovely latino lady is Maria.  My niece’s traveling
companion, and a friend of the family.”

Lulu could only nod, and wonder just how much of a
friend of the family was this Maria person. 

Then Claude continued, “Also allow me to introduce
myself, being as we have not been formally introduced either.  I am Claude
Beckford.”

Lulu was saved from answering, by the appearance of
the waitress to take their orders, and Claude ordered a full dinner for each
and all of them.  He also told the waitress to immediately bring the teapot and
three more cups.  He missed his evening tea lately, and had begun drinking
coffee since arriving in America.  He liked the stuff, but a spot of tea would
taste good for a change, and Olivia and Maria agreed, though Maria offered
information on the benefits of ‘sun tea’, which they made a lot of in the
southwest, but mainly in Mexico.  Without being asked, she began explaining to
Lulu how to make the cooling drink.  By the time she’d finished with the
lengthy recipe, she then began to inform Lulu how to make enchiladas, tacos,
tortillas, green corn tamales, just about every kind of rice and bean dish that
was ever prepared in Mexico.  By the time she’d finished with explaining all
the tasty recipes from Mexico, their meal had arrived, and then between bites,
Maria continued to ‘entertain’ Lulu with how to make the full decorative skirts
that the latino ladies wore.  She explained exactly how many yards she would
need of yard goods, along with the measurements of each tier that would be
gathered and sewed together.

As Maria talked to Lulu, nonstop during the meal, keeping
all her attention, and smiling the whole time, Claude and Olivia kept up their
own conversation about their journey thus far, appearing not to even notice
that Maria was indeed keeping Lulu entertained.

When dessert, slices of delicious pecan pie, arrived,
Maria explained just how a variation of the same tasty treat is created in Mexico.  She recited the whole recipe, over again three times, to make sure that Lulu could
‘remember’ the exact ingredients.  Olivia had to bite her tongue several times,
to keep from laughing at the twinkle in Claude’s eyes.  Her uncle was enjoying
the lady’s discomfort.  She hadn’t realized that her normally kindhearted uncle
was so ornery, though she really needed to speak with Maria about her overly
enthusiastic treatment of their dinner guest.  Recipes!  Indeed!

The meal was finished, and Claude was the first to
stand, interrupting right in the middle of one of Maria’s recipes.  He smiled
down at Lulu, and said, “Now, if you will excuse us, my dear, I must escort
these two ladies to their rooms.  It has been a long trip, and I know they are
rather weary.”

Lulu started to bat her eyelashes in one last attempt,
but thought better of it, so she just said, “Oh, are you going to retire too,
Claude?  The evening is so young.”

“Maybe for you, I’m not sure how far you have traveled,
but we came all the way from New York.”  He said, as he assisted Olivia from
her chair, then Maria stood as well, though she was still attempting to tell
Lulu of yet another recipe, one for Spanish frijoles.

Lulu hesitated before standing, though Claude hadn’t
gone near her to give assistance.  Suddenly she realized what he had just
said.  “Did I hear you to say that you are from way up there in New York?”

“That’s where we have traveled from.”  He looked her
right in the eye.

“I thought……..I thought you had a ranch.  They don’t
have ranches in New York, do they?”

“Haven’t seen any.”  Claude stated a fact.  “I saw a
few farms there though.” 

“Oh.”  She looked sullen and uncomfortable.  “I thought
you were a rancher.”

“I own a small ranch somewhere, but that doesn’t make
me a rancher.  I never claimed to be one.  You must have heard me mention the
small ranch, while we were on the stagecoach.  I have never even seen the
place.”  He stated in a matter-of-fact tone of voice.  The fact that it was a
small place was just a little bit of a fib.  A stretch of the imagination.  
Claude knew it was a large working ranch, and Olivia innocently smiled at this
fact, as she had heard her uncle mention how huge the spread was many a time.      

Although Olivia was choking with repressed laughter,
she did feel a slight tinge of pity for the woman.  Maybe it had been love at
first sight.  Her uncle was a very handsome man.  Olivia didn’t for one moment
believe that though, but it was just a thought.   

Maria kept a straight face, as she turned to Lulu and
said, “If you need to learn any more about south-of-the-border cooking, just
call on me, Señora.  I would be so very pleased to assist you once more, in
learning this way of cooking delicious meals.  Your husband would be so very
pleased.  Oh, wait a moment; you aren’t married, are you not?”  Lulu did not
answer, so Maria continued,   “I cannot remember when I have enjoyed a meal so
much.  It was so nice seeing you again, and formally meeting you this time.” 
With that she turned, and carefully laid her hand on one of Claude’s arms, and
Olivia took the other.  They would protect Lord Beckford with their lives,
though that probably wouldn’t be necessary after tonight.

Olivia waved an overly sweet goodbye to Lulu.  She was
secretly glad when Maria finally stopped talking, as the woman had more than
made her point.  Claude graciously bid the brazen Lulu a pleasant goodbye.  He
felt they probably would not be seeing her any time in the near future. 
Hopefully she would go on to greener pastures, though you never knew.  Some
people just never give up.  Time would tell.  Meanwhile Claude paid the
waitress for all four meals, giving her a very generous extra amount for her
good service, and he, along with Olivia and Maria, left the restaurant and
headed for the stairway.  They could feel the looks they were getting from Lulu
as they left.