Hidden Truths (17 page)

She marched toward them. It was too noisy to hear what the
two women were talking about, but as she got closer, Amy watched the easy way
Hannah touched Hendrika's arm while she talked.
She used to do that to me.

Hendrika didn't return the friendly little touches, but she
didn't shy away either. Very likely, she didn't even notice. Amy had always
been overly aware of those touches. Annoyed, she directed her thoughts away
from that topic and focused on the two young women. With their dark hair and
brown eyes, they looked a bit alike, but while Hannah laughed often and talked
to everyone around her, Hendrika didn't search out conversation and she rarely
smiled.

She's not comfortable here, among the townspeople. We
have that much in common at least.

The thought directed Amy's steps toward the two young women
before she could make a conscious decision. "Hello,
Hannah."

"Amy! I thought you wouldn't
come." Smiling, Hannah reached out and hugged her.

Heat raced over Amy's skin, more because she knew Hendrika
was watching than because of Hannah's warm greeting. "Yeah, well, Mama
talked me into it."

"Hello there, little man," Hendrika said next to them.

Amy followed her gaze downward.

Hannah's two-year-old son was clutching Hendrika's skirt.
Now he stared at her with wide eyes. His bottom lip quivered, and he let go of
Hendrika's skirt to grasp Hannah's.

"Oh." Hannah laughed. "I think he mistook you
for me from behind."

Hendrika's lips parted in a smile, revealing a slight gap
between her front teeth.

Amy stared, aware that she had never seen Hendrika smile.

"I'm not your mama, little one." Hendrika bent
down to be at eye level with the boy. "My name is Rika."

Rika.
Amy tasted the name on her tongue. How nice
that sounded. Why was no one on the ranch allowed to call Hendrika by that
name?

Hannah's son grinned at Hendrika, losing his shyness under
Hendrika's friendly smile. He reached out his little arms, and Hendrika picked
him up and settled him on her hip without hesitation.

"You are so good with him," Hannah said. She ran
her fingers through the boy's dark hair.

"I've had a lot of practice." Hendrika bounced
him, making the boy giggle. "I helped raise my half siblings."

With shame, Amy realized she had lived with Hendrika for
almost a week yet didn't know anything about her. She was distracted when
Hannah's son glanced at her and, after a moment's hesitation, reached out his
arms in her direction. "Um..."

Hannah laughed. "Just imagine he's a young colt, and
you'll be fine."

"You want me to halter-break your son?"

This time, even Hendrika laughed, and it softened her stern
features and put a sparkle in her eyes.

Elam Cooper, the saddle maker's son, walked over and held
out his hand toward Hendrika. "May I have this dance?"

"Oh, I'm afraid I have my hands full at the
moment." Hendrika lifted the boy higher in her embrace, hiding behind him.

Hannah stepped forward. "Give him to me."

Within a moment of reluctantly handing over the child,
Hendrika was whisked away to the dance floor.

"Why the frown?" Hannah asked.

"Hm?"

"You are frowning." Hannah touched her finger to
Amy's forehead. "Everything all right?"

Amy dragged her gaze away from Hendrika and her dance
partner. "I'm fine. I just wonder if it's proper for her to dance with
Elam. She is Phin's betrothed after all."

"And you think that will stop them?" Hannah
pointed at the bachelors who already eyed Hendrika with interest. "There
are four times more men in here than women. They'll ask every woman to dance.
Even Mrs. Fuller's rheumatism won't stop them from dragging her to the dance
floor."

"Sounds like I won't be able to escape unscathed
either." Amy sighed.

"No." Hannah grinned at something behind Amy. "No
escape before dawn."

When Amy turned around, a grinning Alex Tolridge held out
his hand. "May I have this dance?"

Suppressing a groan, Amy followed him to join the other
dancers.

*  *  *

Nattie plopped onto a bench next to Rika and groaned.
"If I have to dance with one more man, I'll kill him." Her eyes were
shining, though, and Rika had no doubt that she was enjoying the attention of
her admirers.

"Oh, no, you don't." Rika tucked her swollen feet
beneath her skirt. "If they throw you in prison for murder, your flock of
disappointed admirers will want to dance with me instead and my feet can't take
that."

A girlish giggle erupted from Nattie's lips. "It's
nice, though, isn't it?"

Rika gave a vague nod. The crowd of people was a bit much
for her, but the rhythm of the music sent her heart pounding with joy, and she
had to admit that the attention of Baker Prairie's men was flattering. Here in
the West, it didn't matter that she was plain, poor, and without a family.

If Phineas refused to marry her, she should have no problem
finding another husband. She found no comfort in the thought.

"At home, everyone treats me like a child, like the
baby in the family," Nattie said. "Phin and my parents and even Amy
try to protect me all the time. For once, it's nice to be treated like an
adult."

Envy flickered alive in Rika. No one in her family had ever
protected her. "Be grateful. A family like yours is rare." She
couldn't quite keep the sadness out of her voice.

Nattie searched her face.

"Who's that with your sister?" Rika asked to stop
Nattie from inquiring about her own family. "Is that her sweetheart?"

Nattie turned and craned her neck. "Oh, no, that's just
Gary Snyder, the son of a local horse breeder. Amy doesn't have a sweetheart,
and I bet they're talking horses."

Rika watched Amy gesticulate, her cheeks flushed with the
heat in the schoolhouse. So far, she had thought Amy wasn't interested in
people, but she seemed to get along well with Gary Snyder.
So is it just me
she doesn't like?
Being liked had never mattered to Rika, but for some
reason, what Amy thought about her did matter.

Two young girls settled down on the bench next to them.
"Are you the mail-order bride?" one of them asked.

Gracious, it seems I'm already famous in town.
She
gave a hesitant nod. "Hendrika Bruggeman."

One girl arched an eyebrow. "You came all the way from
Germany to marry a man you don't even know?"

"She is Dutch, Ella, not German," Nattie said
before Rika could answer.

"Oh, don't start with your geography lesson. No one
here is interested in that." Ella didn't even deign to look at Nattie. Her
gaze was fixed on Rika, who tried not to squirm. "I wonder what
self-respecting woman would sail across the ocean to marry a stranger."

"A desperate one, with little backbone," her
friend answered.

The words cut deep.
I am desperate, and I am a liar with
little backbone.

"Leave her alone," Nattie said. "We're just
sitting here, minding our own business, and you have no right to insult
Hendrika."

But the young women from town didn't retreat. Their gazes
hit Rika like hail, and she hunched her shoulders.

*  *  *

"Finally!" Amy used the musicians' break to evade
two bachelors looking for a dance partner and walked over to Bernice, who was
arranging pastries and pies on a table. "Bernice? Can you do me a
favor?"

Bernice turned, her smile full of affection. "Of
course. What is it?"

"I want to leave now, but Mama told me to keep an eye
on Nattie and Hendrika, so..." Amy directed a pleading glance at Bernice.
"Do you think you can...?"

"Sure. You know I always looked after you and Nattie as
if you were my own. I'll have Hannah and Josh escort them home safely,"
Bernice said.

"Thank you." Amy squeezed Bernice's hand and went
to let Nattie and Hendrika know she was leaving.

A small crowd of townspeople formed around Hendrika, but
this time, it wasn't young men eager for a dance with the intriguing newcomer.
Ella Williams and her friends crowded around Hendrika.

Were they talking about dresses, marital prospects, and
other things Amy didn't understand?

Then she saw the look on Hendrika's face and Nattie's rigid
pose.

Amy glared at the silly gooses. As long as Hendrika was
living on the ranch, she was part of the family. No one was allowed to corner
her. Amy stormed over just in time to hear Fanny Henderson's cutting words,
"A desperate one, with little backbone."

"I see you're talking about your favorite topic of
conversation, Fanny," Amy said, shouldering past Ella.
"Yourself."

A collective gasp interrupted the sudden silence, and
somewhere, a girl giggled.

"I-I certainly wasn't!" Fanny sputtered. "We
were just wondering why a respectable woman would go and answer an ad in a
newspaper."

Amy often wondered too.
Oh, nice. Now I do have something
in common with the stuck-up girls in town.
"And? Did you ask her before
rushing to judgment?"
Like I did.
She tried to catch Hendrika's eye
for a silent apology, but Hendrika averted her gaze, apparently not wanting to
talk about her reasons for becoming a mail-order bride.

"Or did Ella convince you to come over and harass Hendrika
because she has something that Ella wants for herself?" Amy said into the
silence.

Ella lifted her head up high and grazed Amy with a look as
if she were the runt of the herd, not worthy of her attention. "And what,
pray tell, might that be?"

"Phin," Amy answered.

A strangled laugh escaped Ella. "Phineas Sharpe? Oh,
please! As if I would be interested in a simple ranch hand who is too dumb to
even know how to read or write."

Nattie stepped forward, almost nose to nose with Ella now.
"Phin isn't —" she started, but Amy shot her a look.

"Don't bother denying it, Ella," Amy said.
"Phin told me all about your attempts to catch his attention." For
some reason, Phin had never been interested in Ella or any of the girls in
town, and Amy had been half afraid that he was holding out for her, as he often
joked. "Of course, he wouldn't be interested in a girl who's too dumb to
even know a good man when she sees one."

Nattie grasped Amy's hand, and together, they stared down
Ella and her friends.

With a huff, Ella whirled around and marched away, her
entourage following behind her.

"Oh, Amy, that was great!" Nattie squeezed her
hand and then let go.

Hendrika finally lifted her gaze from the floor. "Thank
you."

"Ah," Amy said, "they were just jealous
because you two were hoarding all the eligible bachelors. Don't listen to them,
all right?"

"I won't," Hendrika said. A little color returned
to her pale cheeks.

"Listen, you two, I'm gonna head out now. Don't worry
about Ella and her entourage. I doubt they'll bother you again."

Nattie stared at the old clock on the wall. "You want
to go home? Now? It's not even midnight. The dance is gonna last for at least
another three hours. Hank and the boys said they'd go home early and take over
milking tomorrow morning so that we can stay."

"You can stay if you want, but we still got two mares
in foal, and Mama can't keep an eye on them both." And besides, Amy had
all the dancing and socializing she could take for one night.

"All right," Nattie said, still not looking
pleased.

Hendrika rose from the bench. "Actually, I'll come with
you if it's all right for Nattie to stay here alone."

"Oh, come on, Hendrika." Nattie tugged at her
sleeve. "Don't you hear? They are striking up 'Beautiful Dreamer' now, my
favorite waltz. Please stay. Don't let these arrogant witches spoil the dance
for you."

But Hendrika shook her head. "It's not about them. I'm
just not used to staying up all night."

Frowning, Amy directed her gaze at Nattie. "Will you be
all right here on your own? Bernice promised to keep an eye on you, and Josh
will take you home, but if you'd rather —"

Nattie straightened like a rooster ruffling up his feathers.
"Would you stop treating me like a child? Of course I'll be fine. It's not
like I'm among strangers. Hannah and Rebecca are still here, and in a minute,
Bernice will serve her famous midnight snack."

"All right. We're going, then." With one last
glance back at Nattie, Amy led Hendrika out the door.

She turned her palm skyward. For once, the mistlike drizzle
had stopped. She helped Hendrika onto the wagon seat, telling herself that it
was just because Hendrika's dress was tighter than her own.

A sigh of relief flew from her lips when Old Jack trotted
homeward. She hoped this would be the last dance for a while. The silence of
the night and the rhythmic clip-clop of Old Jack's hooves were a balm to her
soul. Only the occasional brush of Hendrika's arm against her side made her
heartbeat quicken.

"I know you wonder too," Hendrika interrupted the
silence.

"What?"

Hendrika stared straight ahead. "You probably wonder
why I answered Phineas's ad for a mail-order bride."

Curiosity was burning in her, but Amy forced herself to
answer, "It's none of my business."

"I didn't make the decision to come west lightly, but
my life in Boston..." Her gaze touched Amy, then veered away. "After
the War, few eligible men remained in Boston."

The War had never touched Oregon, so Amy had a hard time
imagining all the death and destruction. "So many have died?"

"Oh, there were enough who survived, but so many of
them are wounded, either on the outside or the inside. Some started drinking
and gambling and —" Hendrika interrupted herself. "The War brings out
the worst in people. This land," her gaze caressed the land half-hidden by
the darkness, "your family... you're untouched by that ugliness."