Indulgence (156 page)

“I was happy to, Anne,” Thomas replied. “Anytime you want to
talk about it, I’m more than happy to remember with you.” He smiled at the
girl. As they sat there, no words passing between them, he thought,
She is
like Margaret. Her mother was gentle as Anne is, concerned with the feelings
and well being of others. I like Anne; she has a gentle strength about her. I
can see why Albert wants to spend time getting to know her.

“Anne,” Thomas began, “George just made some fresh coffee.
Would you care for some?”

“Yes sir, I would. Please allow me to get us some,” she
said.

“You’re our guest, Anne. I’ll get it,” Thomas replied.

“Please Mr. Stuart, allow me. Since we’ve arrived, I haven’t
done a thing for myself and I’m not used to that,” she said laughing.

“All right, Anne,” he replied. “If you want to.”

*****

As Anne entered the house, she saw Albert at the desk. Going
over to him, she asked, “I’m getting your father and me some coffee. May I get
you a cup?”

“I would love some, if it’s not too much trouble. My father
has made this task almost impossible. Thank you Anne,” Albert replied, smiling
at her.

As she walked into the kitchen, she realized she had
developed a stronger feeling for Albert. More than just a passing friendship.
She thought
Those dimples of his when he smiles are so charming. And those
eyes! A woman could get lost in them.

She returned shortly, carrying a tray with three cups and a
pot of coffee. Setting the tray on the desk, she placed Albert’s cup by him and
poured it for him. Her fingers lingered there, looking at what he was doing. He
absently felt for his cup, instead finding her hand. The touch was a shock for
both, and they pulled their hands back at the same time.

“I’m sorry, Albert. I wasn’t paying attention,” she
explained.

“Anne, it’s alright. I rather enjoyed that.”

She picked up the tray, blushing and took Thomas’ coffee to
him.

Carrying the tray to the porch, her mind still on Albert,
she hadn’t heard Thomas Stuart until he raised his voice to get her attention.

“Here, my dear. Let’s put the tray between us,” Thomas
instructed. “Is Albert pulling his hair out yet?”

Setting the tray where he had indicated, she began pouring
for them as she replied with a laugh, “No sir, not yet. I got him coffee, also.
He seems to making progress.”

Sitting together, Thomas and Anne discussed many different
things. Thomas asked more about McDonald Manor, school, and England.

Anne inquired about Thomas’ family; in particular she was
most interested in Albert. Thomas told funny anecdotes about his three sons and
daughter and how they were growing up, confiding in her that he had barely
maintained his sanity.

“They’re three fine men, Mr. Stuart. You’ve done a wonderful
job with them. They are all so different, yet all similar. You must be very
proud of them,” she said.

“I am, Anne, their sister, too. It was hard at times,
especially after Elizabeth died. Then I had to lean on Albert to help me with
his siblings.”

“Albert’s help?” she inquired.

“Yes, I had to depend on Albert’s strength in raising his
two brothers and his sister. I was so distraught after Elizabeth’s death;
Albert had to shoulder the responsibility of being in charge and running Sky
Valley.”

“No wonder he’s so competent in so many areas,” Anne
observed.

“Yes,” Thomas told her. “Albert is most capable in all
areas. He had to grow up very fast, much faster than I had hoped for.” The two
continued to talk for some time. After awhile they heard the door open and
Albert joined them.

“I believe I have the books in good order,” he told his
father. “Took a while, but now the figures make some sense.”

“Thank you, son. I appreciate your efforts. Now, if you and
Anne will excuse me, I’m going to go and prepare for tomorrow’s meeting.”
Thomas got up from his chair and walked into the house.

Albert took Thomas’ seat beside Anne. As he reached to pour
himself more coffee, Anne took the pot and poured coffee for him.

“Thank you, Anne,” he replied. “Father will be back to
normal after tomorrow. He always gets this way before a major sale.”

“I think your father has been wonderful. In fact, all of you
have. Everyone has gone out of his way to make our visit enjoyable.”

Henry and Ben, who had been absent all evening, came out of
the barn. Seeing Anne, Henry called to her.

“Anne! I’ve got something here in the barn I think you’d
like to see.”

Rising, along with Albert, Anne made her way to where Henry
was standing.

“Me and Ben have been working with this mare all night. Come
on, I’ve got something special to show you.” Entering the coolness of the barn,
he led her to a stall in the back. Before her stood a mare and a newborn colt.

“He’s beautiful, Henry,” she declared, going to the colt,
running her hand along his flank. The small horse, nervous by her touch, shied
away to his mother. Anne was patient with the small animal, and, after petting
him and talking in soft tones to him, he came over to her. Smiling, she knelt
down and looked the foal over.

“He’s beautiful, Henry. How long was she in labor?” Anne
asked.

“Pretty much all day long. She had a hard time with the last
one, so we’ve been keeping an eye on her. He’s a pretty thing, ain’t he?” Henry
declared proudly.

“Yes, yes he is,” Anne replied. “Who is his sire?”

Surprised by her question, Henry fumbled over his response.
“Anne, I don’t rightly know, that all happened out on the range. We don’t match
them up, it just sort of happens.”

“I’m sorry,” Anne said, beginning to blush. “Back home, we
used certain stallions for stud. I just thought you did that here.”

Albert explained, “We don’t do that with the horses, Anne.
Occasionally, we will purchase a bull for stud purposes, but usually they mate
on their own. We’re primarily a cattle ranch. The horses are necessary stock.”

“I see,” she replied.

“Henry knows just about every she-animal that’s ready to
drop a. . .” Ben added. Realized he was speaking to a woman, he began to blush.
“Sorry, Anne. I just meant that Henry, that the animals. . .” Ben was fumbling
badly as he tried to explain himself.

“That’s alright, Ben. I understand,” she replied, smiling at
him.

“Anne,” Albert began. “Would you like to go for a walk?”

“Yes, Albert, I would, if Henry and Ben will excuse me. The
foal is beautiful, Henry. Thank you for showing him to me,” she replied,
grateful that Albert had rescued her from the uncomfortable discussion she had
been having with his brothers.

Albert took her arm, leading her out of the barn. As they
turned toward the mountains, he led her to a large mound where they could sit
and see the vista before them. After a few moments of silence, Anne told him,
“I was telling your father that all of you have done everything in your power
to make me feel welcome. Thank you.”

“It’s been my pleasure, Anne,” Albert replied. “I only hope
my brothers haven’t pestered you too much.”

“No, they haven’t,” she said laughing. “They have both tried
very hard to entertain me. That isn’t necessary. On occasion, I’ve had to
entertain myself and managed quite well. But I do appreciate their efforts and
yours.”

They sat for a while, just looking at the beauty before
them, then she finally told him, “If you don’t mind, I’m tired. I believe I’ll
retire for tonight.”

“I’m sorry I was all tied up this evening, Anne,” he began.
“I had planned to take you for a carriage ride.”

“Albert, you take your responsibility to entertain me too
seriously. Don’t you think I know your father forced me on you? I don’t want
you to do anything you don’t want to.”

Watching her face, Albert was taken aback that she spoke so
straightforward. He had never known a woman who spoke her mind the way Anne
did.
And how did she know Father had put me in charge of her?

“Anne, everything I’ve done is because I want to. Yes,
Father asked that I show you around, and yes, at first, I wasn’t happy with the
idea. But now, everything I do is because I want to. I want to be with you and
get to know you better.”

Smiling, she rose as he took her arm and led her back to the
house. He walked with her in silence. He didn’t understand why he cared so
much, that what she thought was important to him. He didn’t want her to feel
she was a chore; before they met, he couldn’t have cared less. Reaching the
house, they walked in together and found Thomas in the living room.

“Anne, your father went on to bed. He asked that I tell you
and Albert good night.”

“Thank you, Mr. Stuart,” she replied. “If you two gentlemen
will excuse me, I believe I will follow suit. Good night.”

Thomas observed his son’s reaction. Albert sat in the chair
that was designated as “his”.

“Have a good walk with Anne, son?”

“Yes sir, it was fine,” Albert replied absently.

Something was on Albert’s mind, but as always, Thomas would
have to wait until his eldest son wanted to discuss it. For once Thomas didn’t
have long to wait as Albert began.

“What did you and Anne talk about tonight while I was
working on the books?”

“Why do you ask?”

“She was, I don’t know, rather distant this evening.
Usually, she’s open and cheerful. Tonight I got the feeling something was on
her mind.”

“Anne and I talked about a number of things. She asked if I
had known her mother and father in Baltimore. Primarily she wanted to know
about her mother,” Thomas explained.

“I didn’t know you knew her mother,” Albert replied.

“I guess I never told you how John and I became friends. It
was because of your mother and Anne’s mother. They were best friends in
Baltimore.”

Albert, surprised, responded, “You’re right. You never told
me any of this. I thought Anne’s mother was from England. I assumed you met
John after Anne’s mother passed away.”

“Margaret was from England, but moved to Baltimore shortly
after she and John married. He opened his law practice there, and the two women
met each other at a museum one day. From that day forward, until your mother’s
passing, they were best friends,” Thomas explained.

Thomas’ eyes took on a look of sadness as he added,
“Margaret took it very hard when your mother died. She was a great comfort to
me while we were still in Baltimore. She helped me with you and your brothers
and sister a great deal.”

Taken aback that his father had not told him of this before
now, Albert wanted to know more of how the families were intertwined. He sat
forward in his chair, fingers laced, his chin resting on them, waiting for his
father to continue.

Thomas, sensing this, went on. “After we left Baltimore,
Margaret and I corresponded for a while. Then I didn’t hear from her again. I
sensed something was wrong at that time between her and John. I didn’t hear a
thing for five years when John wrote telling me of Margaret’s passing.”

That could explain her mood tonight. She seemed distant,
as though her mind was elsewhere,
Albert thought.

“Anne reminds me of Margaret a great deal,” Thomas went on.
“She looks a great deal like her mother and has the same temperament. I get the
impression that John has not told her much of her mother.”

Albert realized that, indirectly, Anne was a link to his
past and he wanted to know more of her. He decided then and there that he would
do everything in his power to see that he accomplished this.

As time passed, Albert and Anne grew more at ease with each
other. And with each passing day, the attraction between the two of them grew.

“John,” Thomas asked his friend one morning. “How do you
plan on stocking your ranch? Do you plan on buying the horses here in Nevada,
Texas, or perhaps Arizona? You need to make plans of how you will proceed once
you receive title to the land.”

“Between you and me, Thomas, this horse ranch is Anne’s
idea,” John told him. “I’m proud of the fact that our horses in England had the
finest blood line developed in that part of the country. I’m embarrassed to
tell you, however, that was because of Anne and her grandfather. She’s the one
with an eye for horses, not me. But to answer your question, her plan is to
ship some of our best mares and stallions from there and crossbreed them with
stock from the area. She was hoping to have some assistance from you or your
sons in accomplishing that.”

Surprised, Thomas replied, “I never would have guessed that
she possessed such interests. Most women find such things distasteful”

Shaking his head, John declared, “Anne possesses a great
deal of traits that I find distasteful in a woman. She’s headstrong, stubborn,
and far too intelligent for her own good. I blame her grandfather for all of
this; he encouraged her in areas a woman has no business being in.”

“No matter,” Thomas told him, “my son Albert is the one with
an eye for horse flesh. I’m sure he would be more than happy to help her in
this endeavor.”

*****

A few days after the conversation between her father and
Thomas about their ranch, Anne found herself watching Thomas Stuart’s sons
breaking horses in a corral near the house. Her interest piqued as she watched
Albert when it was his turn on a horse. Ben and Henry joined her as she watched
from the railing. Soon, his youngest brother began his good-natured ribbing as
Albert eased himself onto the horse in the enclosure.

“Come on Albert,” Ben chided, “I know you’re older, but
you’ve gotta be able to sit that old nag.”

“Ben,” Henry warned, “you best leave Albert alone. You know
how he gets when you start messin’ with him.”

“Aw, Henry, Albert knows I’m just funnin’. He expects me to
give him a hard time,” Ben grinned.