Indulgence (168 page)

“Yes, Miss Wallace, I will. I do not gossip, and although I
would love to tell some of the ladies of this, I won’t. That is yours and
Albert’s business. Now shall we go in the back and take your measurements?”

Following the woman to the back of the shop, she disrobed as
the woman measured her. “Miss Wallace,” she began. “I must have made a mistake,
let me re-check my figures.” After re-measuring Anne, she looked at the girl
and said, “I didn’t realize before now, how large your. . .I mean how ample. .
.”

“I know, Mrs. Rogers, my bust. That doesn’t present a
problem, does it?”

“Why no, my dear, it’s just that as small as your waist and
hips are, your bust is just, well, ample.”

“Yes, I know,” Anne said, sighing.

“Well, my dear, most women would love to have your figure.
I’m sure Albert Stuart certainly appreciates it.”

Blushing, Anne said, “Well, perhaps. That is. . .I really
think we should select the pattern and the fabric now.”

“Miss Wallace, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to embarrass you.
Let’s pick a design.”

After Anne had selected the style she wanted, she then chose
the material. When done, the woman told her, “That style will be most
flattering on you, Miss Wallace. Simple, but yet elegant. Not every woman could
wear that. I should have it done in a week. Shall I come to your home for the
final fitting?”

“No, ma’am. I’m not living there anymore. I am staying at
Sky Valley.” As soon as she said it, Anne realized she had made a mistake. Now
the woman would become a gossip, and everyone in town would soon know that she
was staying in Albert’s home. Thanking the woman, she made her way to the front
of the store, where Albert sat patiently waiting.

“I’m sorry it took so long,” she told him.

“I haven’t been waiting long,” he said, smiling at her. “Is
there anything more we can take care of today?”

“No, I think I’ve been embarrassed and shocked enough for
today,” she answered as they walked onto the streets.

“The shocked part I understand, but how were you
embarrassed?” he asked.

“I’ll tell you about that another time,” she said as he
helped her into the carriage.

Arriving at the ranch, Anne waited for Albert as he put the
horse and carriage away. “Would you like to talk about this morning?” he asked,
leading her to the chairs on the porch.

“No, not unless you do,” she answered, sitting beside him.
“Well, maybe for a moment. There’s something bothering me that I think we need
to discuss.”

“All right, what is it?”

“Albert, do you have a problem with all of this?” she asked.

“A problem, Anne? I’m not sure what you’re asking me,” he
replied.

“I’m talking about the estate. I watched your face when Mr.
Lawrence told us how much it was worth. You do know none of that means anything
to me, don’t you? I would just as soon not have any of it,” she told him.

“I admit I was a little shocked, but it’s yours, and I’ll
learn to deal with it.”

“It’s not mine, it’s going to be ours,” she said, correcting
him. “But if it’s going to cause problems between us, I’ll tell Mr. Lawrence I
don’t want it.”

“Anne, you have to understand. I’ve worked alongside my
father and siblings for everything I have. I’m not used to someone giving me
anything. It doesn’t feel right. I grew up going from a covered wagon, crossing
the plains to what we have now. You grew up in a mansion, receiving every
advantage a person could have. Yes, today was a shock for you, but nothing like
it was for me.”

Sitting for a long time looking at him, before speaking, she
rose to stand in front of himand said, “When Mr. Lawrence comes out tonight, we
will tell him to dispose of the estate. I don’t want to do anything that you’re
not comfortable with or that could possibly come between us. My cousin can have
the estate, and I can deed the buildings to the city of London. The ranch and
the money could present a problem, but we will think of a way to dispose of
it.”

“You would do that for me? Give up everything?” he asked
incredulously.

“Of course,” she said. “I’m not giving up anything,
everything I love and cherish is right here in you. I would do anything for
you.”

Pulling her into his lap, he told her, “That isn’t necessary,
Anne. I’ll adjust. This is something your grandfather and mother wanted for
you. If you want to donate the buildings and give your cousin the estate, you
should. As for the ranch, it adjoins the land Father gave us at the lake for
our house. You may want to keep that. The money can be put in trust for our
children, when they come. We’ll work it out. I just needed to know that we are
more important than all of that.”

“We are more important than anything in this world and
always will be. Nothing has changed between us and nothing ever will,” she told
him.

After talking with Mr. Lawrence that evening about the
estate and real estate in London, they decided not to do anything until Albert
reviewed the entire estate. Anne and Albert were required to sign legal documents
making Albert trustee. After which, Mr. Lawrence told them he would go back
east the following day and arrange to have the bank accounts transferred to
Nevada. After handing over the ledgers and all documents pertaining to the
estate to Albert, he bid the couple farewell, promising to continue to
correspond with them and to help in any way he could.

After Mr. Lawrence left, Anne told Albert, “I think I’ll
walk outside for a while. Today has been a bit overwhelming. I need time to
digest all of this.”

Albert let her go, as he sat there thinking,
Something
more than today is bothering her. She has held up so well through all of this.
Today may have been her breaking point.

“Father,” he began, “I think I’m going to see about Anne.”

As Albert walked out the door, he saw she had walked to the
corral and was petting Diablo. Joining her, he asked, “Anne, what’s troubling
you?”

“Nothing, I just needed some air.”

“Anne, you wanted more than just air.”

“Albert, I don’t know where to begin,” she said. “Today was
most unsettling, but I’m used to things like this happening in my life. You’re
not. I know this, and it bothers me that you have to be subjected to all of
this because of me. Since you have met me, it has been one crisis after
another. I’m just wondering how much of this you can take before you decide
it’s more than you bargained for.”

“I believe I told you, just the other day, that I can handle
anything that pertains to you. I’ve dealt with more crises than you have
presented in my life. Have faith in me, Anne. I’m not like any of the other men
you’ve known who have been run off by your father and circumstances surrounding
you. I’m not going anywhere.”

“Albert, I never let anyone get close to me before you for
the very reasons I stated. If I’m having a hard time coping with this, I can
just imagine what you feel. I’m asking myself if I’m being fair to you.”

“I knew from the first time we met that your life hadn’t
been easy, Anne. I knew your father wasn’t what he appeared to be, but that you
were. There’s nothing that will ever make me turn from you. After we’re
married, you’ll never have to worry about any of this again. I won’t allow it.”

“Albert, stop! I don’t need you to fix me. I know all of the
other women you were seeing before me were completely dependent on you to take
care of their problems. You told me this yourself. Perhaps that’s what
attracted you to them, your need to fix their lives. Then, after you brought
them through their hard times, you lost interest. They needed your strength
just to survive. I don’t. I don’t need you to fix me; I just need you to love
me. I know I can be a handful, and I can’t promise I’ll change. I can only
promise to love you with everything in me.”

“I don’t want to fix you, there’s nothing wrong with you,”
Albert began solemnly. I don’t know who you’ve been talking to about my
involvements before you, but whoever it was didn’t know what they were talking
about. Any other woman I was involved with, I tried to help because they were a
friend. You’re not only my friend, you’re the woman who I have fallen in love
with and want to be my wife. Whether you believe it or not, you do need my
strength. You do need me more than anything. I don’t care about what happened
before you met me. As far as I’m concerned, all of the problems you spoke of
are over. You’re going to marry me and just be concerned with loving me. Let me
worry about the rest.”

After that day, Albert settled into the rigorous task of
building their home, and Anne busied herself with plans for the wedding. He would
come home with his father and brothers every night, exhausted. He would bathe,
dine, and fall into bed. Time together for the young couple was minimal, and he
began to feel he was neglecting her. He told her of this the evening before
their engagement party.

“Anne, I know I’ve been preoccupied with the house, but it’s
moving along nicely now. It’s halfway completed. I swear once. . .”

She stopped his apology with a kiss and said, “Don’t
apologize. You’re doing this for us. I only wish I could help you.”

“You are,” he said, holding her, “by understanding.”

She had received news that day she now shared with him. “Ray
stopped by today. Father’s trial will be next week. I’m going to have to
testify.”

“How do you feel about that?” he asked.

“Nervous, but I’ll get through it. I want him out of our
lives once and for all, and will do whatever is necessary to see to it,” she
said. “Your father is being called to testify, also.”

“I’ll be there with you,” he told her.

“You don’t have to be. Your father will be with me. You’re
so busy with the house right now, I hate to interrupt you,” she told him.

Remembering another item she needed to tell him, she began,
“Albert, I have to go to the ranch and pick up a few things. George said he’d
go with me.”

Pondering this for a while, Albert began, “I would rather be
with you when you go. I assume you need something for tomorrow?”

“Yes, I need more clothes. Besides I haven’t been back since
that incident with Father and Joe Young.”

“I’ll take you in the morning,” he told her. “But tonight, I
would like for just you and me to go into town for dinner. We haven’t done that
in a very long time.”

When they first began courting, Albert saw to it that they
had dinner in town at least once a week. They had enjoyed this time alone,
allowing them to discuss various topics without interruptions. They had grown
closer during those intimate dinners and both longed for the privacy this
afforded them.

“I would love to go into town tonight. Let me go change.”

“You look fine in what you’re wearing, Anne. Let’s go now.
By the time we get there it will be dinnertime,” he told her.

“All right, Albert,” she said.

Shortly, they were on their way into town, arriving at the
Frontier House. As they made their way into the candle lit restaurant, Albert
asked for a table near the rear that afforded them the privacy they both
wanted. Taking their seats, Albert ordered wine for them, as the waiter lit a
small candle on their table.

“After we’re married, we’re going to do this at least one a
week. I’ve neglected this part of our courtship since we became engaged, and
I’m sorry,” he told her, taking her hand.

“You’ve been busy. I understand that. But I do love your
ideas, we need time just the two of us,” she replied.

“I should have been more organized, making time for you
every day. From now on I will,” he promised, leaning over and kissing her.

The waiter brought their wine, and as they sat sipping it,
Albert brought up the subject they hadn’t discussed in some time. Contrary to
what everyone thought, Albert and Anne had not always agreed on everything.
Well read and knowledgeable on current events, she could hold her own with him,
a fact that delighted Albert. He had discovered this about her the first few
times he brought her here for dinner when they first began courting. Unlike the
other women he had kept company with, Anne didn’t try to hide her intelligence
and enjoyed their lively debates. He now brought up an issue that he knew they
differed on.

“Anne, have you given any more thought on accepting the
invitation of the cultural committee to become a member?” he asked.

“No, and you know why,” she told him.

“Anne, it is not a political organization,” he explained.

“Albert, I went to one meeting, and all they discussed was
the coming elections. I was subjected to that kind of talk when I was in New
York, Washington, and London and I have no desire to listen to that prattle
again. I want to be involved in cultural events. And when I brought that point
up, you know good and well what happened.”

“I’m sure they meant no disrespect,” he replied.

“Yes, yes they did. When I tried to ask about music and
purchasing new books for the library, they almost laughed me out of the hall.
They had the nerve to tell me most of the citizens of Carson City were not
cultured enough to appreciate music and books. I’d be willing to bet half of
those self-absorbed, old bidd..., I mean ladies have never even read a book or
been to a concert. So no, I won’t be involved in an organization of pig-headed
people,” she told him.

“I think you’re making a mistake,” he told her. “Every
Stuart is involved with affairs dealing with either the school or the city. As
my wife, people will be expecting you to do like-wise.”

“That, darlin’, is your opinion. And although I love and
respect you, you’re wrong on this issue. I’ll do my part, but not until those
people change their attitudes.”

Albert had missed this repartee with her and threw his head
back and laughed. It was the first time he had laughed that hard in a long
time. “No one can ever say I’ll be able to sway my wife’s opinion on anything.”