Indulgence (157 page)

Albert shot Ben a warning look and then noticed he was
standing with Anne. He hadn’t seen her come out to the corral and, for the
first time in Albert Stuart’s life, he cared that someone was watching him and
how he performed.

“Turn him out!” Albert shouted.

“Ride ‘em, Albert!” Henry called to his brother.

Anne watched the event unfold with interest. She had seen
Ben and Henry ride, seeing immediately a few things they had done wrong, making
it harder to settle the animals. She watched to see if Albert made the same
mistakes.

When the gate was pulled open and the horse turned out, she
watched Albert intently. To her trained eye, he did everything perfectly,
managing to stay on far longer than the others. Until, just when he thought the
animal had reached the point of acceptance, Albert’s concentration was broken.
The animal seemed to sense this lapse and threw him into the fence hard. The
three people watched and waited for Albert to get up. When he wasn’t on his
feet as quickly as they thought he should be, they all ran to see if he was all
right.

Anne, the first one to him, touched his arm as he lay on his
side. Softly, she asked, “Albert, are you alright?”

Embarrassed that he had allowed the horse to throw him,
especially in front of her, he answered a bit gruffer than he intended. “Yes,
I’m fine! Damn animal!” he muttered. He came to his feet in one fluid motion,
grabbing his hat as he stood.

Trying to soothe his ego, Anne told him, “Nice ride,
Albert.”

“Nice ride?” Albert snapped back at her, “What do you know
about breaking a horse? Besides what are you doing out here? This is no place
for a girl! Don’t you have something better to do?”

She fought it, but her temper got the best of her. He had
yelled at her and embarrassed her, something she would not tolerate from
anyone, not even Albert Stuart.

Facing him, eyes flashing with anger, she responded. She
strode towards him. Albert began backing up. Her head barely came up to his
shoulder, but she was in no way intimidated by the difference in size.

“Do not snap at me because you made a mistake,” she began.
“What do I know about breaking a horse? I know enough to know that your knees
were not tight to his sides, your bottom was too far back in the saddle and
your buck rein was too loose. You hadn’t even bothered to tighten it down. Oh
yes, and you lost one spur and you hadn’t seen fit to wear gloves during this
ride. So you see, you were asking to get thrown. That, Mr. Stuart, is what I
observed you did wrong while trying to break that horse. And for your
information, your father gave me his permission to go anywhere on this ranch I
choose.”

She thought for a moment and then ended her tirade with,
“And do not call me a girl!”

All three men were stunned by what Anne had just said, now
that she had been right. Henry and Ben fought back laughter, watching as their
older brother got his comeuppance from of all people, a woman. Waiting for
Albert to explode in rage, they were both astonished as they watched Albert
regain his composure.

“You’re right. I apologize; I lashed out at you because of
my own mistakes.”

Ben and Henry stood there open mouthed. Albert had never,
ever, let someone criticize him the way Anne had.

“You’re darn right you should apologize!” she yelled. “Just
who do you think you are speaking to anyone that way?”

Anne spun around on her heel and started back towards the
house. Albert rushed to catch her, gently taking her arm. “I’m sorry. Anne, you
were right. It was my own fault and I struck out at you in frustration.”

Ben and Henry watched, shaking their heads, as Henry put
their thoughts into words. “That’s not Albert, that’s somebody else. Albert’s
never let anyone dress him down that way, except maybe Father, and then Albert
apologize? Reckon hitting his head addled him, Henry?”

“Albert? Naw, I think it’s something else,” Henry told him.

“Anne, please,” Albert said “I’m sorry. You’re right. My
ego, along with a few other things, was bruised. I’m sorry I yelled at you. I
don’t know what else to say, Anne.”

Not understanding the urgency, he felt that he had to do
whatever necessary to calm her. He didn’t want her upset with him for any
reason. He added, “Of course you’re free to go anywhere you wish, although I
would like it if you would allow me the pleasure of your company.”

Albert thought,
Why on earth would I say that last part?
What is happening to me? She’s a woman I barely know, and yet I want her to be
confident in me and be with only me.

Anne turned to face him, her temper now subsiding and,
taking a deep breath, responded, “I accept your apology, Albert, and I’m sorry.
I shouldn’t have lost my temper. But it makes me mad when a man, any man, puts
limits on what I or any woman is allowed to do. And I hate being referred to as
a girl. In case you haven’t noticed, I’m way past adolescence.”

Softening her tone, she asked, “Are you sure you’re alright?
You hit that fence pretty hard.”

“I’m fine, Anne. That’s not the first time I’ve been thrown
from a horse, and I’m sure it won’t be the last. Let me get cleaned up, and
then I’d like to take you for a ride. Besides, I need to get away from my
brothers, who most surely will make a point of riding me about this the rest of
the day,” he laughed.

“I would love to go for a ride, but are you sure you’re able
to, seeing what just happened?”

“Yes, Anne,” he said with a smile, “I can still ride, and it
would be nice if you didn’t kid me about this, either.”

Smiling at him, she told him, “Don’t worry, Albert, I won’t.
Even I, a mere woman, understand that occasionally, big strong men are bruised
in more areas than one.”

After telling her he’d be ready shortly, Albert entered the
house and went to his room to clean up.

*****

Thomas Stuart wanted a word with his son. Thomas knocked on
Albert’s bedroom door. Albert invited him in.

“You all right, Albert? Your brothers told me you were
thrown and hit the fence pretty hard.”

“I’m fine, just a little mishap. Anne and I are going
riding.”

“Anne is what I wanted to speak to you about.” Thomas told
Albert of the conversation he had had with Anne’s father regarding the ranch
and what the Wallaces hoped to develop in Nevada. After giving Albert a brief
rundown on John’s plans, Thomas told his son, “Anne is the one who chooses the
stock, seems she’s very good at it. John hates the fact and blames her
grandfather for her abilities. He feels it is totally outside the boundaries
that a woman should be allowed. I told him, out of all my sons, you were the
best judge of horseflesh and that I was sure you would help her when the time
came.”

“Of course I will,” Albert replied, thinking,
Damn, seems
I misjudged the lady. She holds more surprises than I first imagined. I never
dreamt there was such a spirit beneath that smile and those eyes. She knew what
I did was wrong and knew the horse was going to react the way it did. No wonder
she lost her temper, she knew exactly what she was talking about. What other
qualities does this woman possess that are unlike any other I have known?

On the day her father had gone into Carson City to set up
his office, and all four of the Stuart men were on the range branding cattle,
Anne was left to entertain herself. It was an extremely hot day, even for
Nevada standards. Anne had tried all morning to stay cool, finally coming up
with an idea to get relief from the heat. She laid out a change of clothing, a
towel, and a blanket, along with a few other items. Putting everything together
in a canvas bag, she headed downstairs, stopping by the kitchen to tell George
she was going out for a while.

“You no go, Missy Anne. You not know the ranch, you get
lost,” the small man told her.

“George, don’t worry, I’ll be fine. I’m not going far, just
somewhere to get some relief from this heat.”

She went to the barn, saddling the horse she had been using
during her time at Sky Valley. Anne tied her bag to the saddle and led the
horse into the courtyard. When mounted, she turned toward the road and then
toward the area Albert had shown her, Topaz Lake.

*****

Thomas and his sons had accomplished the branding faster
than they had originally thought they would. Riding home, the men talked of
their plans for the remainder of the day.

“Man, I can’t wait to get home, get a bath, and maybe take a
run into town for a cold beer,” Ben said.

“Think I’ll do the same, Ben,” Henry added. “How ‘bout you,
Albert? Ready to go to town and let off some steam?”

Any other time, Albert would have gone. But now, there was
someone who interested him far more than cold beer and loose women.

“No, I believe I’ll just get home, get cleaned up, and
relax,” he told his brothers.

“Come on, Albert,” Ben urged, “you haven’t left the ranch in
over a month. You’ve got to be ready to bust. Besides, there’s a new gal at the
saloon who’s just your type.”

“Thanks, Ben, but I’m not interested,” Albert replied.

Shrugging, Ben added, “Okay, it’s your loss.”

*****

Anne had retraced the route she and Albert had taken and
found the lake with no problem. She chose a small cove, which afforded a
beautiful view, along with a place to lay her blanket and tie up her horse.
Dismounting, she removed the bag, carrying it to a place on the shoreline.
After spreading the blanket, she removed all the items she had brought with her
from the bag. Sitting, she pulled her hair back, using a ribbon to tie it into
place and then set about removing her boots. Stretching her legs out in front
of her, she pulled up her skirt until it rested on her thighs, and then removed
her stockings. “Much better,” she sighed.

“What do you mean she’s gone out?” Albert questioned George.
“Why did you let her go alone?”

“George try to stop. Missy Anne say she go, not get lost,
would not listen to George, said she want relief,” the little man told Albert.

Albert turned, grabbed his hat and gun which he strapped on
as he left the house, rushing to mount Diablo. Turning the horse back toward
the road, he kicked the stallion into a run.

Damn it, what was she thinking? She doesn’t know the
area, she could get lost, or worse, she could run into some drifter. Where
would she go?
Albert thought, and after a moment, he remembered the last thing
George had said,
She wanted relief . . . she’s headed for Topaz Lake. I told
her that the Indians go there. When I get hold of her. . .God, let her be all
right! Don’t let anything happen to her!

*****

Anne stood, undoing her skirt, letting it drop to the
blanket, followed by her shirt. Left only in pantalets and camisole, she made
her way to the edge of the lake. Testing the water with her foot, she found it
cold and refreshing. Taking her time, she waded out to where she could see a
drop off. Pausing for a moment, she took a deep breath and dove into the deep
blue depths.

Albert, meanwhile, had kept Diablo at a full run all the way
there. “Sorry, boy,” he told the stallion, “I’ll make it up to you.”

Off on the horizon, Albert saw the sun’s reflection off
Topaz Lake. Thinking,
How on earth am I going to find where she’s at? She’d
probably want privacy, yet not be too far from the trail around the lake.
Reining
Diablo to a walk, Albert began the tedious job of looking for her.

Anne surfaced from the crystal clear water. It had been a
shock when she first dove in. Now, used to the chill, she lay on her back,
floating on the surface, letting the sun warm her. She remembered back to the
times she and her cousins had spent hours swimming in the river that ran
through her mother’s estate in England. Turning back onto her stomach, she once
again dove under the surface, loving the freedom she felt there. Relaxed for
the first time in a very long time, she wasn’t in any hurry to leave this
sanctuary.

Having heard a splash, Albert scanned the surface of the
lake. He thought he had seen something for a brief moment, at the inlet of the
cove. Urging Diablo in that direction, he kept his eyes trained on the surface
where he had last caught a glimpse of. . .

“There,”
he thought, after seeing the reflection of
the sun off of auburn hair when she surfaced. Relief flooded through him as he
realized he had been holding his breath.

Anne, by now, had re-surfaced and had gone back to gently
floating in the water, thinking,
As much as I hate to, I better be getting
back. I don’t want anyone worried that I was gone too long. But I definitely
will return; it’s so peaceful and private here.

By now, Albert had found where she had tied her horse, along
with her belongings. Raising an eyebrow, he wondered what, if anything, she had
on.
This might be a little awkward,
he thought
.
Standing there
with his arms folded across his chest, legs apart, he waited for her to emerge
from the lake.

Oblivious to anything anyone around her, Anne pulled herself
up from the drop off and began slowly wading to the shore.

Albert caught his breath when she stood up. She did have
clothing on, but, being wet, it left nothing to his imagination. Albert,
turning his back quickly, not wanting to embarrass Anne, cleared his throat. He
called to her.

“Ah, Anne, it’s me, Albert!”

At the sound of his voice, her head snapped toward the
shore. “Albert!” she screamed, trying to cover her chest and below her waist at
the same time. “Just what do you think you’re doing? You, you Peeping Tom!”

“I’m not a Peeping Tom,” he replied, a grin crossing his
face, his back still to her.