The Glenmore's: Caught (5 page)

“I guess she’ll tell ya when she’s ready darlin’. Wonder if she’s comin’ to the dance on Sunday”

“I liked her Joe. She seems real sad though; some awful tragedy’s touched her life and I got a feelin’ this is a new beginnin’ for her” Nellie joined the conversation.

“She coulda had a new beginnin’ somewhere else instead of makin’ my life hell” Ben muttered under his breath but it was still loud enough for the others to hear.

“She has a good man in Josh and a darn good crew but we’ll help her any way we can son” Joseph told his son leaving no room for argument.

“Goin’ on how she acted both times I saw
her this mornin’; I don’t think she’ll be wantin’ any of our help pa” Ben grumbled.

“Be patient with her son; anger might be her defence against gettin’ hurt” Joseph had seen people use anger to distance themselves before and even though he hadn’t yet met Justine he had a feelin
g this might be happening with her. “How about askin’ Justine, Millie and Josh over for Christmas dinner Ginny? Give her a chance to meet the girl’s and make some friends her own age”

“That’s a real good idea Joe. She’ll be feelin’ mighty lonely not knowin’ anyone here although Millie and Josh will take real good care of her. Will ya ride over and ask ‘em tomorrow please son?” Virginia asked.

“Ma, she hates me; I don’t wanna go over there” Ben whined.

“Ben, please do as ya mother asks” Joseph spoke sternly.

“Yes sir” Ben answered reluctantly.

“Ask her to the dance while ya there. Give her the opportunity to meet some of the townsfolk”

“I already did and she told me no” Ben informed his father.

They continued with their activities until supper. The storm broke with full force just as the ladies were doing the dishes and the
y watched out the window as debris was flung all over the yard. Several branches and twigs were tossed against the window and Virginia and Nellie jumped back in fright. Joseph and Ben had been sitting at the table finishing their coffees when they heard the sounds of an upstairs window shattering.

Joseph and Ben immediately jumped to their feet. “Ginny, Nellie; please move away from the window
; the dishes will just have to wait” Joe ordered before he headed upstairs with Ben. The ladies happily went and sat in the parlour and began on their sewing once more.

Joseph and Ben checked the upstairs rooms one by one until they found the broken window in the guest room.

“What a mess” Ben commented. A branch of the huge oak tree outside the window had broken free and was now lodged in the window. Glass was scattered all over the floor and the curtains were torn; rain poured in through the opening.

“I’ll go get some boards and nails pa” Ben offered.

“I’ll get the broom” Joseph told his son.

CHAPTER
FIVE

Justine sat at the kitchen table watching the sky get darker and the wind get stronger. Millie peeled vegetables while Josh was in the parlour reading.

“How was ya mornin’ darlin’!” Millie asked with her back still turned to Justine as she continued her task.

“Eventful is what ya’d call it I think Millie. One of the Glenmore’s bulls broke down the fence again; fourth time in two weeks so Josh was tellin’ me. He wasn’t real happy about havin’ to fix the fence again so I told him to take me over there and I’d speak to ‘em”

“So you met Ginny, Nellie and Alice? They are the nicest people; the whole family is real nice actually”

“Yes I did meet the ladies Millie and they seemed very nice, very welcoming”

Josh walked through to the kitchen to refill his coffee mug and leaned against the bench next to Millie. “Shoulda heard her give Ben what for Millie; she told him Fergus was a ‘mongrel bull’ and he was to come get him and fix the ‘damn’ fence. Ben didn’t know what to say, he’d had his charm turned full on and was real taken back” Josh laughed. “Wish ya coulda seen our little gal tellin’ him off”

Millie turned from the bench to look at Justine. “Ya didn’t!” she exclaimed. “Why Ben can wrap any gal around his finger. What did he say that got ya so riled?” Before Justine could answer, Millie had a thought and asked. “Did he comment on ya face? If’n he did I’m gonna go over there and, big or not, I’m gonna take him over me knee. Joe and Ginny have raised those children to be better than that” Millie was getting red in the face as she became more annoyed with the thought of Justine being embarrassed.

“Calm down Millie he didn’t say nothin’ about my face; he didn’t even seem to notice it if truth be told which was real strange. He just didn’t seem to care about the bull and the damage he’d done and it made me real mad” Justine blushed.

“He got down there straight away with Doug and then saved her when Fergus charged.
Ain’t never seen anyone sweep a person off the ground, onto their lap and then turn their horse real fast to avoid an angry bull. It was real impressive Millie” Josh was waving his arms all over the place explaining to Millie and Justine had a tough time trying not to laugh.

Millie put her hands to her throat as Josh relayed the details. “My goodness; I’m so glad you’re alright. It must have given ya an awful scare”

“It did Millie; I just froze on the spot when I saw that snortin’ bull headin’ for me. It all worked out though”

“Just ya
be more careful darlin’.” Millie turned back to the vegetables and began peeling again.

“I think I’ll go soak in a hot bath. I’m not used to bein’ on a horse and I’m a little sore in the muscles” Justine rose from the table and took her mug to the bench before heading to her room for clean clothes.

“Take ya time darlin’, supper won’t be ready for a while yet” Millie called over her shoulder.

Justine lowered her aching body into the soothing hot water and sighed. She had almost fallen asleep when a branch hit the window and jolted her back awake. She sat up and washed her now relaxed body before stepping out of the bath. She dried herself off, dressed and made her way back to the kitchen.

“There ya are; thought ya’d got lost” Millie laughed. “Suppers ready if you’ll set the table darlin’.”

“I almost went to sleep Millie I was feelin’ so good” Justine began setting the table. “A branch hit the window and woke me up!

Millie chuckled. “Are ya feelin’ good now?”

“Oh yes; much more relaxed and less aching”

“That storm’s startin’ to get up out there. I think it’ll hit real soon; sure hope it don’t do no damage” Josh had just walked into the kitchen and began helping Justine to finish setting the table while Millie dished up their meals. Josh took the filled plates from Millie and placed them onto the table while Justine placed a pitcher of lemonade onto the table.

“This all looks so good Millie” Justine sat herself at the table and waited for the others to join her before beginning.

“Millie, Josh; I’ve been thinkin’ in the few days I’ve been here you have both made me feel like ya daughter instead of a boss. I don’t wanna be ya boss so please call me Justine Josh. I know it’s not how other ranches work with their help but I’m real happy with the way things are if’n you both are”

“Millie and Josh looked at each other and smiled. “Darlin’ we would be happy with that. We both feel real protective of ya and are startin’ to love ya like a daughter too.
Mason always treated us like family instead of help too and like ya say it ain’t how other ranches work but it always worked for us. We just want ya to be happy” Josh assured her.

“I am happy Josh, for the first time in a very long time”

They talked more about the ranch as they ate. They had just finished their meal when they heard the roar of the wind and the rain pelting down on the roof.

“Storm’s broke” Josh commented.

Justine shivered with fright at the deafening noise but Josh reassured her. “We’re safe; me and yer granddaddy made sure this house was built real strong and we ain’t never had trouble”

Justine nodded as she continued to listen to the wind rattling the windows.

********

The rest of the night passed without incident although the wind continued to roar and the rain pelted down. Joseph and Ben had managed to remove the branch from the window and they had boarded it up. Ben had swept up the glass and then Virginia and Nellie had cleaned up the water.

They were in the kitchen finishing breakfast when George walked in. “Woowee it’s a mess out there pa. We got bits of trees and other rubbish everywhere. Real fine day though; hard to believe we had such a storm”

“Yeah; we were all out earlier havin’ a look around. Apart from the broken guest room window we did okay. I sent the men out to check on the cattle and the fences while we clean up the mess around the house. How’s your place son?” Joseph asked as George sat down.

“We was just fine pa. Jenny was a bit scared and the girls fussed a bit but we ain’t got no damage. Just a few branches and rubbish around the place like here. I told Jenny I’ll clean up later when I get home; won’t take long”

“That’s real good to hear son. Ben, I want ya to go over to Miss Saunders place and ask about Christmas and make sure they’re okay” Joseph instructed his youngest son.

“Cain’t I stay here and help?” Ben really didn’t want to face Justine and get shouted at again.

“I’ve told ya what I want done son”

Ben rose from the table and they could hear him grumbling and muttering all the way out of the house.

“What was that about?” George asked his father.

Virginia sat a coffee in front of her son and sat down. “Miss Saunders came over yesterday; Fergus had got out into her cows again. Ben turned on the charm instead of caring about the damage the bull had done and it didn’t affect her at all. She told him exactly what she thought of his perdy face and yelled at him to get the bull and fix the fence. It was real interestin’ to watch; Ben didn’t know what hit him” Virginia chuckled and George almost choked on his coffee as he laughed.

“Good for her; ‘bout time some gal put him in his place” George told his parents. “I’m lookin’ forward to meetin’ this gal”

“Ben’ gone to ask Justine, Millie and Josh to come for Christmas lunch; I thought it would be real nice for her to meet all the girls seein’ as she ain’t got no friends her own age here” Virginia told him.

“Wonder why she left Boston to come all the way out here. I woulda thought there was more excitement for a young girl in the city” George mused.

“I’m not sure son but I think she’s had it real tough and she’s lookin’ to escape” Virginia was thinking she would pay Justine a visit and see if they could chat. She’s like to know more about her and see if she could help in some way.

“What’s she like ma?” George broke into his mother’s thoughts.

“She’s a tiny little thing like Laura. She has thick chestnut coloured hair and the biggest blue eyes I’ve ever seen; full of sadness though. She’s got real bad scars down the side of her face and her neck; that’s why I think she’s had a tough time and is tryin’ to escape. It cain’t have been easy for her in Boston alone. Cain’t understand why Mason didn’t bring her here where she had family”

“Didn’t Josh say her parents were killed in a hotel fire in Boston a couple of years back? Maybe she got caught in that same fire” George reminded Virginia what they’d been told after Mason passed.

“I’d forgotten about that son; it sure makes sense”

“They look like burn scars too” Alice informed them and Virginia and Nellie agreed.

“What a terrible shame for her. If she’s come here lookin’ for peace we’re gonna make sure she finds it” Joseph was determined to make sure she didn’t suffer any more.

Ben picked that moment to walk back in. “I got Dancer saddled and I’m headin’ off pa. Ya sure there’s nothin’ ya want done around here? He asked hopefully.

Virginia placed her hand over Joseph’s and looked at Ben. “I’ve decided I’m goin’ to see Justine myself so can ya go and hitch up the buggy for me please?”

Ben thought he’d be relieved that he didn’t have to go and was surprised to find he actually felt a little disappointed. “Sure will ma” Ben began heading out to the barn when his father spoke.

“When you’ve done that ya can go out with Doug and check the storm didn’t damage the fences”

“Yes pa” Ben called over his shoulder.

********

Virginia arrived at Justine’s and found her and Josh cleaning up the mess caused by the storm. She pulled the horse to a stop and Josh hooked the reins over the brake before lifting her down.

“Ginny, what brings you out this way?” Josh asked.

“I came to have a chat with Justine and Millie if that’s okay with you Justine?” she
asked as Virginia and Josh approached Justine.

“Of course Ginny; we could do with a break from this cleanin’ up. C’mon in and we’ll have tea” Justine led the way through to the kitchen where Millie was baking.

“Ginny how are ya? What a lovely surprise” Millie exclaimed as she kissed Virginia’s cheek and Virginia kissed hers.

“I came to have a chat Millie”

“Sit down and I’ll make some tea; I just made a batch of lemon drop cookies to have with it too”